STORY EXCERPT

“We’re looking for information,” Kayden stated before he glanced at Thoran. “Show him the picture.”

The man doused the torch in a bucket of water and grabbed the picture of Nyda from Thoran, glancing over it. “Lovely girl. Who is she?”

Logan and Dax helped themselves to the bread and cheese. The two acted as if they hadn’t eaten in days. Thoran cleared his throat. “She’s my sister.” It was the oddest thing to say. The familial title was foreign to him. “Her name is Nyda Legara.”

“When did she go missing?” the man asked.

“Ten years ago.”

The man scoffed, shoving the picture back at Thoran. “How am I supposed to know where she is when so much time has passed?”

Thoran growled as he tucked Nyda’s photograph back into his pocket. He knew they weren’t going to find her so easily, but the frustration was mounting.

“Look, Quido,” Kayden said. “I need you to ask around, covertly. We need some kind of lead.”

Quido rubbed his jaw, his eyes locked on Thoran. “Ten years ago the House of Mustoff put out a contract for captives they could sell on the black market. Vykilions were the first ones to raid. You might want to start there.”

Thoran’s gut twisted into a tight knot. This was the second time someone had mentioned the black market when it came to his sister. Thoran’s hope of finding her still sweet and innocent was quickly fading.

When Quido turned to leave, Thoran grabbed the man’s beefy arm. “There was a man here about five years ago. His name was Eaton.” Thoran left off the part about Eaton being a tabby cat shifter. If he located Eaton, the other men would find out, but Thoran wasn’t in the mood for their swipes and bluster. All five were like recalcitrant siblings, and most of the time Thoran liked the bantering.

But not now.

Quido’s eyes blazed with knowledge. “Try the brothel.”

Thoran’s heart sank. “He’s a whore?”

“Things are bad around here,” Quido said. “Some people are forced into a life they don’t want.”

Slavery?

“Who’s Eaton?” Dax asked before he shoved a thick piece of bread into his mouth.

“He was the blacksmith’s son,” Quido stated. “But his father sold him a month ago so he could pay the taxes he owed the governor.” Quido shook his head. “And people wonder why I still run guns. It’s dangerous as hell, but the money is good. I haven’t missed a payment on my tavern yet.”

Thoran knew he should let things be. He not only had to find Nyda, but there was a hefty bounty on his head. Laying low was his best option. He didn’t need to get involved in someone else’s affairs. But those pale-blue eyes had haunted him for years.

“You’re going after him, aren’t you?” Nyk asked.

Quido grunted. “Best take an arsenal. The man who runs the brothel protects his investments with a vengeance. He has thugs who have no problem killing.”

“And your governor lets them?” Dax asked.

Quido gazed at Dax as if he were daft. “We’re on Colossus. What the hell do you think? As long as the governor gets his cut, he turns a blind eye to what’s going on.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Logan said. “How well do you know Eaton?”

When all eyes turned to Thoran, he felt a flush of embarrassment wash over his face. “I met him once when I was here five years ago. His father gave me intel on my target.”

“You even speak to the man?” Nyk asked.

“No,” Thoran admitted. “Does it matter?”

Dax shook his head, muttering under his breath before he said, “You want us to stick our necks out for someone you’ve never even spoken to?”

“I don’t want you to do shit,” Thoran bit out. “I’ll do this myself. You guys can head back to the shuttle.”

He was angry at Dax’s words, even if they were true. He knew he couldn’t ask his unit to risk themselves for Eaton. Kayden couldn’t afford to be captured, not when Jade was going to give birth soon. The other men had no stake in this. Eaton meant nothing to them.

He shouldn’t mean anything to Thoran. But Thoran couldn’t get the sweet sound of Eaton’s laughter from his mind. He just couldn’t walk away from this.

“Death wish,” Quido said. “But if you’re going to strike, do it first thing in the morning when everyone is asleep. I doubt you’ll come out alive, but that would be the best time.” Quido waved his hand. “Until then, you men can rest back here. Stay out of the tavern.”

It wasn’t a request.

“And don’t eat all my fucking food.” Quido snarled at Dax and Logan.

“No promises,” Dax muttered.

When Quido left, Logan and Dax hit the wine barrel, pouring themselves a large mugful. He could see the way Nyk was staring affectionately at Dax. Thoran wondered if something was going on between the two.

Thoran rested on the wheat sacks. Am I doing the right thing? he wondered. It was true that he’d met Eaton just once. He was a damn fool for risking his hide for someone he didn’t even know. But his wolf snarled at the thought of leaving the man behind to a life that, in Thoran’s opinion, was worse than death.

“Get some sleep, fellas,” Kayden said as he lay back on the sacks of flour. “We have a long morning ahead of us. If we’re going up against some pimp and his thugs, we’ll need our wits about us.”

Dax chuckled. “That’s too funny.”

Thoran smiled. It was. They were trained Assassins. Taking out some lowlife and his guards shouldn’t be a problem. They were going in to rescue one man.

Piece of cake.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Thoran.” Eaton’s tone was a mixture of pleasure and fear. His muscles tightened under Thoran’s touch. Reaching up, Thoran twined the fingers of his right hand with Eaton’s, giving Eaton an anchor, something firm to ground himself.

Eaton planted his feet on the floor as his head tossed from side to side. A pulse swept over Thoran as he watched how Eaton responded to what he was doing.

No one knew how Thoran felt inside. He had kept his inner demons and deepest desires locked away from the world, the universe, and even his friends.

Always an Assassin.

Always alone.

But Eaton was getting to him. The cat shifter was touching parts of Thoran that had never seen the light of day.

Could he let Eaton in?

Thoran swallowed Eaton’s cock to the back of his throat. His fingers tightened around Eaton’s when the shifter’s hips jerked forward, and the man cried out with such pleasure that Thoran’s wolf shot to the surface.

He needed more skin.

Thoran extended a claw and tore the bottom of Eaton’s battle suit, exposing the man’s ass before retracting his claw. Thoran wet his finger and then sank it deep into Eaton’s ass.

Eaton cried out even louder, his muscles locking into place as he came down Thoran’s throat. The man had an easy trigger. The musky scent of Eaton’s cum filled Thoran’s lungs, making his wolf lunge forward, fighting to get free.

To take.

To consume.

As Eaton’s cock slipped from between Thoran’s lips, Thoran slammed his eyes closed, snarling at his beast, waging a war with the creature to stay locked inside of him.

Eaton collapsed to the floor, panting heavily, unaware of the struggle Thoran was going through. Thoran shook his head repeatedly, beating back his wolf.

Eaton’s fingers squeezed his, bringing Thoran back from his battle. He opened his eyes and stared at the far wall.

“You were sent to torture my very soul,” Thoran whispered against Eaton’s flat stomach. “An angel to my demon.”

Eaton’s fingers brushed over Thoran’s cheek. Thoran pressed his face into the shifter’s hand, savoring the gentle touch. The small man wanted to be owned, but little did Eaton know that he was beginning to own Thoran.

“Such sweet pillow talk,” Eaton teased as his fingers continued to caress Thoran’s jaw.

Thoran smiled at the man’s lightheartedness. “I try.”

Eaton groaned as Thoran continued to ease his finger in and out of Eaton’s ass. He didn’t want to break the connection. This was the closest Thoran had ever felt to being complete, whole. He was also enjoying the long, vibrating purrs that were coming from the cat shifter. Eaton stretched wide, rubbing his body on Thoran’s, marking Thoran all over with his scent.

He rested his cheek on Eaton’s stomach, closing his eyes while Eaton used his free hand to play in Thoran’s hair, his fingers skimming slowly through the strands.

This moment was perfect.

The cat shifter’s fingers traced down the side of Thoran’s face, the tips feathering over his ear, making Thoran shiver.

“Have you decided?”

Thoran turned his head and pressed a kiss into Eaton’s navel. “Decided what?”

“To claim me.”

Could Thoran place his trust in Eaton? Thoran had been flip-flopping back and forth since entering his office. Even before that, if he was to be honest with himself.

Thoran didn’t voice this. Eaton needed someone who could take charge and make strong decisions. Thoran normally did both with ease.

So why are you second guessing yourself when it comes to Eaton?

Thoran pushed from the carpet, looked down at the delicious sight of the little kitten and smile to himself. “Take that suit off.”

Eaton succeeded in making him outwardly grin when the man jumped to his feet, stripping the suit off in seconds.

“Eager?”

Eaton blushed as the material floated to the floor. Thoran stood there drinking in every inch of Eaton’s sexy body. The shifter nibbled on his lower lip as his hands once again migrated toward his groin.

“Don’t,” Thoran commanded as he pulled his own clothes off. Pride swelled inside when Eaton’s eyes raked over Thoran’s naked body in a greedy manner.

Crossing the room, Thoran took a seat at his desk and pulled the lube from the drawer. Eaton stood there watching as Thoran squeezed the clear gel into the palm of his hand. He tossed the bottle on the desk and then wrapped his fingers around his cock, stroking himself.

His head fell back against the chair as his eyelids slid down marginally. His gaze fixated on Eaton as he pleasured himself. Eaton’s chest began to rise and fall faster as his eyes flickered between Thoran’s face and his hand and back again.

“Do you like being teased, petit chat?” Thoran followed his question with a long, husky moan.

Eaton’s head jerked back and forth as his lips parted, his breath coming out in short bursts.

Thoran’s fingers tightened as he reached between his legs, pulling at his sac.

He hissed.

Eaton whimpered.

“What are you thinking?”

Eaton’s tongue slid across his bottom lip. “I–I want to taste you.”

Thoran’s cock pulsed in his hand. The image of Eaton doing just that had his balls tightening. “Come here, Eaton.”

He moved to stand in front of Thoran. Eaton pressed his bare backside into the desk.

While remaining seated, Thoran parted his legs. “On your knees.”

He blew out a long, almost shaky breath when Eaton dropped to his knees, gazing up at Thoran for further instructions. Thoran kept pleasuring himself, taking in the sight between his legs. Eaton truly appeared as a lost angel. His capitulation made him so beautiful. His raven hair fell over one eye, denying Thoran a clear view of those mesmerizing pale-blue eyes—eyes the color of priceless gemstones.

Thoran reached out and brushed the stray strands aside before cupping Eaton’s chin, pulling the man closer. “Suck me into your mouth.”