STORY EXCERPT

Julien pulled his SUV into the hotel parking lot. He leaned back and sighed. Another inn, another state, the story of his life. He opened the door, slid his backpack across the seat, and looped the strap over his shoulder.

He stood, taking in his surroundings as he stretched his body to get rid of the kinks from the long drive. A minute later, he opened the door to the hotel, which was built in the 1950s, offering traditional facilities—or so the write-up said when he looked it up on his phone. The lounge area just to the right of the front desk. It was rather large and suited to a business type of hotel.

Julien walked through the lobby straight to the front desk.

“Hello, sir, are you checking in with us?” she asked in a friendly tone.

“Yes, just for the night,” he answered as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He gave her a smile as he handed her his credit card and license.

She peered at both. “Mr. Guidry, it’s a pleasure to have you staying with us tonight. I will be just a moment with your registration.”

Julien glanced around the lobby while the assistant typed on her computer.

“All right, sir, everything is good. I just need your signature there.” She nodded then gave him a key after he signed the receipt.

“You are in room 1329, which is to your left.” She pointed in the direction he should take.

Julien nodded his thanks then turned to the hallway that would lead him to his room.

“Have a good night, sir,” she said as he walked away.

He gave her a nonchalant wave as he turned the corner. A few minutes later, he unlocked the door to his room, switched on the light, and glanced around. The usual room. The closet had non-removable hangers with an extra pillow and blanket on the top shelf. He walked over to the bed and sat down, his backpack at his feet. On the nightstand was an alarm clock, lamp, and service sheet for the hotel. The table on the other side held the TV remote, telephone, and directory.

He stared off into space as he thought about his fellow sentinel, Malachi. His lips curved up as he shook his head. The lucky dog, or lion would be a better term. The lucky bastard had found his true mate. Ironically, his mate turned out to be the daughter of the Prime, the one the Council had sent him there to find. They kidnapped her and set her parents’ house on fire. Luckily, her parents survived, but it was touch and go with them for a while. But thank the goddess they’d found her and the men who kidnapped her.

Malachi was still an enforcer, only now he lived with the Pride instead of at their headquarters. The Council wanted him to check in with both enforcers. It was easy since Killian was still at the Pride.

Malachi was usually the one they sent, but Daniel did not want to send him away from his mate so soon after he found her. So, his boss, Nathan, sent him instead of Malachi.

He felt a buzz from his back pocket. He reached for his phone and checked the caller I.D.

“Speak of the devil and he will appear,” he thought.

“Nate,” he said without preamble.

“Julien, just checking in. Where are you?”

Julien shook his head at the question. The boss was getting to be somewhat of a mother hen now that he had pups on the way.

“About four and a half hours away. I decided to stop for the night and get some rest before I meet up with Killian.”

“Good, just wanted to let you know we sent Eli to investigate the area where the two young female cats were found.”

“Yeah, that’s a good call. He is one of the best trackers we have. If it’s something there, he will find it.”

“Honey, I need your help.” Julien heard a female voice in the background. He heard Nate sigh from the other end of the line.

“All right, just keep me up to date on what you find.”

“You got it, boss. Say hello to your mate for me.” He chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, smartass,” Nate said before there was a click.

Julien put his phone on the nightstand, laughing to himself as he went into the bathroom to turn on the shower. He came back, sat on the bed, and removed his boots and socks. He stripped off his clothes and left them in a pile on the carpeted floor.

He moved into the bathroom as the steam from the shower filled the room. As Julien stepped in, he let out a tired sigh as the water beat over his head. He closed his eyes to let the heat soak into his skin. His mind went to the conversation he had with Daniel, the leader of the Council, Nathan, and the doctor about the young females found dead.

“What did you find out with the autopsy?” Daniel had asked.

“In all the bodies I found a bizarre compound in their blood.” The doctor frowned as she spoke.

“Do you know what it is?” Daniel asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

“It’s something I never seen before. I sent a sample to the lab. Hopefully, I will have more to tell you when I get the results back,” she told them.

ADULT EXCERPT

Waking up with Dawn in his arms with his cock nestled between her ass cheeks was incredible, better than he’d ever dreamed about her being with him again. This time it was not a dream but reality. He gently caressed her cheek then threaded his fingers through her silky locks, careful not to pull on them hard enough to wake her up. He wanted to stay like this, inhaling the skin of her shoulder where it curved to meet her neck, where his mark would go. He’d barely suppressed the need to mark her last night, but he did not want to rush her into accepting it. Now, he had all the time in the world for her.

Julien gradually pushed up on an elbow, careful not to jar Dawn and wake her up. He was captivated by her body. He loved her curves, her rounded hips and butt, the slight swell of her stomach. He gently rolled her onto her back then shifted his body down in the bed so he could lie between her legs. Hooking his hands behind her knees, he pushed them up and apart and touched her subtly with his tongue.

He felt her body change for a moment and knew she was awake. He paused, but she remained still. He took it as her silent agreement for him to continue. Julien slid his tongue between her lips, around the top, and back down the other side. He pulled the folds open with one hand and gave her clit a broad lick with his tongue. Dawn trembled as cream seeped from her pussy. Julien plunged his tongue inside her, withdrew, and plunged again. She pushed her hips toward him.

He stroked her with a flat tongue and felt her hips lunge in reaction as he skimmed her clit with his teeth. He focused on the small bud, circling it with the tip of his tongue. At her gasp, he sucked it roughly into his mouth, skimming it with his teeth. Dawn almost came off the bed, and moisture dripped from her. Julien’s other hand touched her, tracing the path of his tongue with his fingers. He pushed a fingertip into her, explored her walls, and stroked when the motioned of her hips increased.

He pulled away from her. Dawn whimpered impatiently, pulling on his head to move him back into place. But Julien wanted to explore downward, caress the skin below her pussy with his tongue, and lick his way to her anus.

He circled her back opening with his tongue, her breath rasped out. She tilted up to give him free access, and he took it. He pressed into her with a pointy tongue, the solid muscle around the opening closed around him. His cock spasmed at the thought of fucking her there, feeling the tight squeeze around his cock.

He moved his tongue in and out as he slipped two fingers into her pussy. A hiss escaped her as her body lurched at the double penetration.

“Oh please,” she begged, tightening around his tongue and fingers.

He groaned in want but ignored her pleas and moved his mouth away. Dawn grumbled in protest and futilely pressed his head.

He pressed one slick finger into the puckered opening, pushing until the first knuckle disappeared inside her. He moved his fingertip in and out as his thumb flicked her clit. Julien rubbed the swollen nub and thrusted the full length of his finger into her ass.

Dawn came hard and screamed her bliss as her body curved up in a hardened arch. She clamped down on his finger as her cream wet the sheet.

“My turn,” Dawn said, her breath labored from the climax.

She shoved at Julien’s shoulder, urging him to turn onto his back. She straddled his chest, and her breasts skimmed his chin. Julien shifted his mouth under a nipple, capturing the responsive nub between his lips. Dawn jerked in surprise and drew her breast free with a mischievous shake of her head. She smirked at his sullen frown.

“I said,” she scolded him, “that it’s my turn.”

Dawn flattened her hands over the top of his chest. She looked at him as she massaged his chest.

Last night she’d only gotten small glimpses of his body. Julien was larger now, not the gangly teenage boy she remembered. He’d grown several inches, his body hard with chiseled muscles.

Dawn explored him with her lips, teeth, and tongue to find all the places that made him shudder and growl. The sensitive space behind his earlobe was one of his favorites. She lightly tugged at his lobe with her teeth, Julien’s breath hitched, his body taut for an instant. Dawn explored his cheeks, nose, forehead, chin and circled around his mouth, teasing and stroking her tongue over the furrow above his top lip.

“Please, Dawn,” Julien groaned.

She couldn’t resist him. She kissed him with parted lips, feeling the smooth sides of his tongue and the only slightly rougher top. Julien strained against her, pressing his chest into her breasts, his stomach grinding against her pussy. Dawn ended the kiss, gasping against his mouth.

She sat up, urging herself back and slipping easily across his belly. Straddling his hips, his cock cushioned between her buttocks, Dawn leaned down and licked his chest. She encircled his nipple with her tongue before closing her lips on it.

Julien’s erection swelled against the crack of her ass. Dawn tugged on the nipple with her teeth before she let it go. She sucked the other nipple into her mouth, nipping and pulling while feeling the response of his cock against her.