STORY EXCERPT

“Oh my God,” Aaron groaned. “Why do I keep kissing you? I don’t even know who in the hell you are.” Aaron shoved at Ares’ chest and then sat up, and when he shifted to stand to his feet, the chain yanked him back down to the bed. “And what the fuck is this about?” Aaron raised his right arm, the metal of the cuff catching the light just right.

“A precaution.” Ares winced.

“Precaution from what?” Aaron shouted. “Doesn’t matter. A stupid chain can’t contain me.” Aaron balled up his fist then yanked. The chain held solid, and Ares’s stomach felt as if it’d fallen out of his body to land in a bloody heap on the floor. “Is this some sort of magical chain?” Aaron asked as he tried to pull his arm free again, but, like before, nothing happened.

“It’s not enchanted.” Ares stood to his feet and walked a few steps forward before turning around to face an angry Aaron. “It’s a regular old cuff and chain.”

“It can’t be.” Aaron held his wrist up close to his face and examined the metal. “If it were, I’d be able to break free from it. I’m a fucking wolf shifter for fuck’s sake. Why is it not breaking?” Aaron continued to jerk on the chain, and the skin around his wrist glowed a bright red, and then the skin split and started to bleed.

“Stop it, you fool.” Ares dropped to his knees in front of Aaron and gently ran his fingers over the damaged skin. “It won’t break because you’re human, and humans don’t possess the strength to break through metal.”

“What did you just say?” Aaron’s voice had a slight tremor to it, and Ares was afraid to look up and meet his stare.

The drawback to bringing a person back from the dead was that they came back completely human. None of the magic Ares possessed could turn his beloved mate into a wolf shifter or any type of paranormal capable of changing forms. It wasn’t just Ares’s magic that had no effect on Aaron, but all magic. It was as if Aaron was immune to magic, which was a good thing in Ares’s opinion, except for right now.

In order to bring Aaron back, Ares had made a decision on Aaron’s behalf that he was certain his mate would not like. It was a sacrifice that Aaron hadn’t even known he’d have to make. Becoming a shifter, be it a wolf, bear, lion, was impossible now. Aaron’s only chance at living an immortal life was to be turned by a vampire, and, in Ares’s experience, he’d learned that shifters didn’t think much of vamps. Ares wasn’t really sure how his mate would take this news, but he had a guess.

“Here’s the thing, Aaron.” Ares sat down in the spot next to Aaron. Ares coughed to clear his throat. “In order to bring you back from the dead, some special circumstances had to be made.”

“What?” Aaron’s head jerked around to face Ares. “Dead? I was dead?”

“Yes, you were.” Ares nodded. “For four years actually.”

“What?” Aaron’s big blue eyes stared up at Ares, shining with unshed tears. “I was dead?”

“Yes you were.” Ares took ahold of Aaron’s hand and he had to suppress a smile when his mate didn’t jerk away from him. “But you died trying to save your brother.”

“Toby,” Aaron whispered and his hand clenched tight on Ares’s hand. “He’s okay, right?”

“He’s alive and well. He’s with his mate Damon.”

“So how…” Aaron took a deep breath. “How did I die?”

“You and a few other warriors had gone to a county fair. Lucian followed you all there and he waited for the perfect time to strike. A fight broke out and he ripped out your heart.” The thought of seeing Aaron lying dead on the ground made his heart pound in his chest.

“That bastard ripped out my heart.” Aaron pulled his hand away from Ares and rubbed it over his chest. “But if you brought me back to life why didn’t you just bring me back before he killed me?”

“I didn’t know where you were or who you were then.” Ares hated that he hadn’t prevented it from happening but he didn’t know Aaron was his mate or how to find him. “I had to get help from two vampires to find you. I casted a spell to go back in time to save you but once I had you I was brought back to the present.” Aaron shook his head as if he didn’t understand. “A version of you did die that night but not the real you. I’m sorry I can’t change those four years but it’s beyond my ability.”

“And because of the hocus pocus you performed I’m human,” Aaron said in clarification.

“Yes.”

“And my brother still believes me to be dead?”

“Yes,” Ares whispered.

“Oh my God.” Aaron stood up and tried to walk toward the bedroom door, but once again, the chain prevented his movement. “Goddamn chain.” Aaron glared down at Ares. “Take this off of me. I need to find my brother. He needs to know I’m alive.”

“That’s why I can’t remove the chain.” Ares held his hand up and motioned to Aaron. Ares knew if he took that thing off his mate, Aaron would try to find his brother, and all that would accomplish would be leading Athena and the dark warriors right to the warriors’ compound’s front door.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Aaron shouted so loudly the windows shook. “You can’t keep me here like this.”

“Oh, but I can and I will.” Ares stood up. “If it keeps you from doing something stupid and getting a lot of innocent people, yourself included, killed, then you bet your ass I will.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“Oh my God!” Ares groaned. “Have you not heard a single word I’ve said? If Theron had never existed, and I’d met you first, I’d still have all these feelings for you.” Ares jabbed a finger into Aaron’s chest. “And if you were to die and leave me, I’d search for the next reincarnation of you because I refuse to live in this world without the love of my life. What more do you want, Aaron?”

Ares’s teeth were clenched tight and his hands balled into fists at his sides. What would it take to prove to Aaron that he wanted him and only him? Sure, it was his love for Theron that had sent him on this quest, but it was Aaron who had won his heart. It had taken only one kiss, and Ares was a goner. It might be the mating bond causing these rapid emotions, but it didn’t matter to Ares. A mating bond only intensified the feelings that were already there. So, no matter how hard Aaron might try to deny all this, he had feelings toward Ares. He was just too thick headed to accept and admit it.

“Fuck it.” Aaron lunged at Ares and clutched his fingers in Ares’s long hair. He kissed Ares with a burning passion that sent sparks rippling over Ares’s skin.

They stumbled back a few steps. Ares tripped over the coffee table and fell to the floor with Aaron landing on top of him. Ares wrapped his arms around Aaron and scrapped his blunt fingernails down his back until he reached his plump bottom. He grasped onto the tight round globes, pulling Aaron in closer to him.

“I want you.” Ares grabbed the material of Aaron’s pants and pulled. The flimsy fabric tore from his strength. Ares ran the fingers of one hand down Aaron’s crack, using the other hand to pull his muscled cheeks apart. “Going to make you feel so good.” Ares pressed at the center of Aaron’s hole. It was still damp from the lube and cum from their earlier session. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

“Oh my God, shut the fuck up.” Aaron nipped hard on Ares’s bottom lip. “One thing you should know about me, Ares. Actions speak louder than words.”

“They always have.” Ares tightened his grip on Aaron and rolled them over.

“Stop comparing me to him.” Aaron reached down to shove at Ares’s pants.

“It’s hard not to when you are the same person who acts the same way.” Ares pulled back just far enough to look into Aaron’s eyes. “One would think the gods would gift me with a more compliant version of you,” Ares teased.

“What fun would that be?” Aaron tightened his fingers in Ares’s hair then pulled him back down to seal their lips together.

Ares really enjoyed this side of Aaron. His mate was aggressive and sexual in a way that spoke to every fiber inside Ares. He wanted to be the man to sate all of his mate’s needs, be they physical or emotional.

Ares broke the kiss to lick down Aaron’s neck, only stopping when he reached his mate’s hardened nipples. He sucked one stiff peak into his mouth and tasted the salty-sweet skin. He loved it. He hummed around the quickly swelling flesh. Not to leave the other one out, Ares reached out to pluck at Aaron’s other nipple, fondling it between his fingertips.

“Yes,” Aaron moaned and thrust his hips upward, jolting Ares for a brief moment before he was able to latch back onto his nipple.

Aaron’s hard cock nudged into Ares’s stomach, leaving a wet trail on his skin. Ares wanted to taste his mate’s sweet juices. He gave one last lick to Aaron’s tight little nub then moved lower. He sucked bruises up along Aaron’s chest and stomach as he descended. The swollen cap of Aaron’s prick was a deep red and dribbling his precum. Ares flicked out his tongue to catch the pearly drop, but it wasn’t enough. Ares opened his mouth wide and sank down as low as he could, swallowing his mate’s manhood.

“Fuck! Suck it harder.” Aaron’s short nails dug into Ares’s scalp, forcing him to take more down his throat.

Ares went all the way down until his nose brushed up against Aaron’s trimmed pubic hair. The fat tip was lodged in his throat, and he did his best to swallow around the wide girth. Aaron shoved his hips into Ares’s face and panted heavily.

Ares’s thick shaft rubbed against the area rug underneath them. It allowed a little relief on his cock, but he needed more. Ares reached up to tug on Aaron’s heavy balls and pulled his mouth up on the length to lick around the drooling cap. Aaron had released his grip on Ares’s hair. Ares looked up to see his mate playfully rubbing his nipples between his fingertips. The sight set Ares off. He needed to be inside his mate now.

“Such a sexy beast you are.” Ares spat into his hand and rubbed the wetness over his pulsing shaft. He grabbed the base of his cock and lined it up with Aaron’s twitching hole. He brushed the weeping tip over Aaron’s opening then slowly pushed forward. “Going to fill you up real good.” Ares growled as Aaron’s slick heated channel pulled him in deeper.

Aaron raised his legs up to rest on the back of Ares’s thighs. The action caused Ares to sink the rest of the way into Aaron’s ass.

“So good.” Ares brought his hand up to cup the side of Aaron’s face. “So tight and hot. I’ll never grow tired of this.”

“Stop talking and start moving.” Aaron tightened his legs, tugging Ares forward. “I like to be shown, not told.” Aaron smiled up at him, his eyes gleaming in the afternoon light coming in from the open windows. Aaron slid his hands down Ares’s back and grabbed his ass.