STORY EXCERPT

Kelvin turned and hauled ass, unwilling to stick around to find out if he was just some poor sap who really did need help or a guy suckering him in so he could rob Kelvin…or worse.

Something thumped behind him. Kelvin stopped when he reached the sidewalk and looked back. The guy had fallen over. Shit, shit, shit. He paced in front of the alley, debating whether he should call an ambulance, just go home, or go back to help Goliath.

Common sense said to go home. The good citizen in him said to call an ambulance. The bad decisions Kelvin always made said to go help. With a resigned sigh, Kelvin moved slowly toward the stranger. “Hey, buddy.”

The guy pushed upward, shaking his head, his blond hair veiling his face. He got to his knees and gripped his temples. “I’m not drunk.”

“You sure as fuck aren’t sober. You take any drugs?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong with you?” Kelvin kept a good distance between them to make sure the guy didn’t grab him again. If he got a really good grip on Kelvin, it would be over.

“I need the Knights.”

He wasn’t making any sense. “You need the nights? I-I don’t know what that means.”

“Need to call Devil.” He scrubbed his beefy hands through his messy blond hair. “Need Devil.”

“It already looks like you got the devil in you,” Kelvin said. “Whatever you took or drank, I’d stay away from it in the future.”

A deep, haunting laugh rumbled in the guy’s chest, and he finally looked Kelvin’s way. Oh my God! He was gorgeous. Now why couldn’t Kelvin have met him in the club? While the man was sober. He would have been all over that. But they were in an alley and the stranger scared the hell out of him. Although he seemed out of it, he had an aura of power about him—an aura that made Kelvin shake in his shoes.

“Need you to call him.” The man tried to get up but cursed and dropped back to his knees. He pressed a hand to the side of the dumpster. The container was full and had to weight a ton, but it moved a few inches.

No way could a human do that. Kelvin moved closer and sniffed the air. His brows shot up as he sucked in a breath. “You’re a bear shifter.”

The man’s blue eyes bored into Kelvin, then he looked away, squeezing his eyes shut. “I have to get out of here before he finds me.”

You’re gonna help him, aren’t you? You’re gonna stick your nose in his business and get yourself killed. Kelvin ignored his thoughts and moved closer. “Can you stand?” No way could Kelvin carry this guy.

“Bayne.”

“Is that your name?”

“Yeah.” Bayne dropped to his hands and knees, turned, and used the brick to climb to his feet. He swayed but managed to stay upright. “I have to get out of here.”

“You already said that.” Kelvin inched closer. “I’m gonna guide you out of here, but one false move and I’m gone.”

Bayne pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Kelvin,” he said.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, Kelvin.” Bayne curled his hand over the rim of the dumpster, and Kelvin grimaced. There was no telling how many germs he now had on him. The dumpster looked filthy and Bayne was touching it.

Ew.

“Come on.” Kelvin moved in beside Bayne and they started a slow walk toward the street. “Where do you need to go? I can order you a ride.”

Kelvin really didn’t have the extra money to spring for an Uber for himself and Bayne, but he wasn’t gonna leave they guy here when he was in trouble. Why? He had no freaking clue.

“I just need you to call my friend.”

“The devil?” When they cleared the alley, Kelvin helped him lean against the building.

“His name is Devil.”

Kelvin snorted. “With a friend who has that name, no wonder you’re so fucked-up.”

His nose twitched. Kelvin scented the air, wondering why his bunny was whimpering. So he was helping some poor guy down on his luck. Bayne had turned out not to be so bad, so Kelvin couldn’t understand why his bunny— His brows shot up as he backed away.

Bayne slowly lifted his head, as if he’d just realized the hard truth at the same time. They stared at one another, Kelvin’s heart in his throat.

“Take me to your place,” Bayne growled. He grabbed for Kelvin, but Kelvin dodged his beefy hand, nearly tripping over his own feet. He stumbled backward, but caught himself before he fell on his ass.

The bear shifter was his mate. The realization was like a punch to the head. Kelvin was reeling as he stared wide-eyed at Bayne. “I’m not taking you anywhere.”

“It’s not safe out here,” Bayne snapped. “We have to get moving before I’m found.”

His phone was still clutched in his hand. Kelvin wiggled it at Bayne. “Give me your friend’s number.”

When Bayne rattled it off, Kelvin dialed and pressed the phone to his ear, glancing toward Krave. He needed to find Candy. She would know what to do. She could help get Bayne someplace safe—someplace that wasn’t Kelvin’s apartment. They might be mates, but Kelvin didn’t want Bayne to know where he lived until he found out what was going on.

“Devil McKellen.”

Who the hell named their child Devil?

“Hi,” Kelvin said. “You don’t know me, but I have a friend of yours here who needs your help. He says his name is Bayne.”

“Where the fuck are you?” the man shouted in Kelvin’s ear. Devil’s aggressive tone made Kelvin want to hang up, not give him their location. But one glance at Bayne leaning there, scrubbing his face, looking like holy hell made Kelvin do the opposite of what his common sense was telling him to do.

Which was run.

ADULT EXCERPT

Bayne simply stood there, staring at Kelvin—the way the rivulets of water snaked down his thin chest. Kelvin’s lips parted, his beautiful eyes closed, and a long sigh released from his throat. Bayne’s cock thickened as Kelvin ran his hands over his head. His little bunny was a wet dream, literally. The sensual way Kelvin moved made Bayne’s canines descend.

Then his mate opened his eyes and looked up at him. “You need a bigger showerhead.”

Bayne didn’t give a shit about a showerhead. His only thoughts were of taking Kelvin right there under the spray.

“I have a solution.” Kelvin smiled. “How about a bath, instead?”

His brain must have taken a vacation, because all Bayne could do was stand there as Kelvin hit the button to stop the shower so the water could run into the tub, then twisted the metal thing in the drain so the water could fill it.

“I’d wait until it fills a little,” Kelvin said. “That way—”

Bayne grabbed Kelvin and yanked his mate to him, crushing Kelvin as he kissed him. As the water covered Bayne’s feet, he pulled at Kelvin until his mate hopped up and coiled his legs around Bayne’s waist.

“We have to bathe first,” Kelvin said between kisses.

“We will.” Bayne just needed to feel his mate against him, to hold him, to touch him, to reassure himself this wasn’t a dream, that Kelvin was real and that Bayne hadn’t died at Kovachi’s hands.

He’d been running on adrenaline since waking in that alley, and now it was wearing off, making Bayne question everything around him. He thought about what Devil had said about Raven’s mind being invaded. Had Kovachi done the same to him? Was this an altered version of reality?

Was this all in Bayne’s head?

“Tell me you’re real,” Bayne whispered against Kelvin’s lips. “Tell me I’m not dreaming any of this.”

Bayne winced when Kelvin pinched him, damn near taking off a chunk of skin. “Fuck!”

“Does that help?” Kelvin smirked. “Or do you need me to pinch you again?”

Bayne frowned. “You’re an evil little bunny.”

“What?” Kelvin’s brows shot up. “You asked if this was real, so I proved it was, and now you’re bitching about my method?”

“Unwind your damn legs so I can sit down.”

Kelvin narrowed his eyes. “Not if you’re gonna be mad at me.”

Bayne chuckled. How could he be? Kelvin was just what Bayne needed in this crazy world. “I’m not mad.”

Kelvin slid from Bayne’s waist. “You sit first and I’ll wedge myself between your legs.” He looked down. “Though I’m not sure this tub is big enough for both of us.”

Bayne wasn’t sure, either. “If it’s not, you can just sit on my cock.”

That gained him a wide smile. Kelvin was already handsome, but when he smiled…wow. Bayne felt like he was falling into his mate’s hazel eyes. Warmth radiated through his body as his heart thumped wildly in his chest. His throat grew thick as he brushed his fingertips along Kelvin’s jaw, needing to be connected in some way. 

“Or I could shift,” Kelvin offered. He appeared flushed but had a radiant glow about him, his eyes bright and glossy.

The side of Bayne’s mouth curled upward. “I can’t fuck you in your bunny form.”

Kelvin furrowed his brows, as though trying to figure out if that was even possible. His concentrated expression softened and he smiled. “I guess not.”

Bayne sat and patted his rigid abdomen. “Come have a seat, honey bunny.”

Instead of sitting, Kelvin lay across Bayne’s body. “Not sure how we’ll wash up like this, but you’re like a soft pillow.”

Kelvin sighed as the tub continued to fill. Bayne cupped water in his hand and slowly poured it over Kelvin’s back, noticing he had back dimples, and they were sexy as fuck.

“Hey.” Bayne used his shoulder to slightly shake Kelvin. “Don’t you dare fall asleep.”

Kelvin lifted his head and propped his chin on his folded hands. “You think I’d fall asleep with a gorgeous naked man beneath me?”

He sucked in a breath when Kelvin curled his fingers around Bayne’s cock. Bayne simply lifted his foot and pressed the knob inward to shut the water off. He wasn’t about to sit up and do it. His mate was too busy playing with Bayne’s body for him to interrupt the man.

Bayne pressed his hand to his mate’s back and skimmed it upward until his fingers were close to Kelvin’s nape.

Kelvin gave him a wicked smile before moving down Bayne’s body and taking Bayne into his mouth. Bayne’s toes curled as he clenched his fists, forcing himself not to grab Kelvin’s head and fuck his mouth.

He would later, but Bayne made himself enjoy Kelvin’s blowjob first. He gripped the side of the tub with one hand, using the other to caress Kelvin’s wet hair. His mate slid his tongue up the length, then sucked the head back into his mouth.

Bayne gritted his teeth when Kelvin reached under the water and pulled at his balls. He tried his best to spread his legs, but the tub made it almost impossible, so Bayne tossed a leg over the side.

Kelvin took Bayne all the way down his throat and then coughed as he pulled back. “As fun as this is, sucking dick underwater just might kill me.”

“Then we need to hurry up and get clean.” Bayne grabbed the cloth behind him and wet it before adding body soap. He washed Kelvin first, making sure to get his bits and pieces. After Kelvin got out Bayne stood and scrubbed himself clean. He turned the shower on to rinse off, then turned off the water and got out, where he grabbed a towel to dry himself.

When he stepped into his bedroom, Kelvin was already spread across the bed. For a heartbeat Bayne had feared he would run for the door, but he hadn’t. He lay there looking like a straight-up angel as he turned over, giving Bayne his back and showing off his delicious ass.