STORY EXCERPT

“Do you know where I can find shelter?” Since the guy was being so nice, maybe he could point Alwyn in the right direction. A meal would do him some good, too. Alwyn hadn’t been fed that often in his cell. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d eaten. And god, he would give anything for a hot shower and clean clothes.

Saint sniffed the air then slowly turned his head, his gaze roaming over Alwyn with sharp interest. “You smell like clean laundry hanging on a clothesline on a warm, breezy day.”

With a frown, Alwyn smelled under his arms. “Is that a bad thing? I know I need a shower, but I didn’t think I was that funky.”

Saint chuckled. “I said clean laundry. And no, that’s not a bad thing. Plenty of people buy candles that smell that way.”

The human realm was definitely strange. Why would people want to have that smell in their house? Then again, Alwyn had never hung clothes outside. He had no idea what that smell was like. In fact, he’d never done laundry. His father had had a servant for that kind of mundane task.

“You can stay with me if you want,” Saint offered. “I got an extra bedroom and plenty of space, so we won’t keep bumping into each other.”

“You’re a very odd guy,” Alwyn said. “Your name fits you.”

The guy snorted. “I’m far from a saint, but my parents had high hopes.”

That statement didn’t bring Alwyn any comfort. Too bad he couldn’t recall any spells. Eoghan had kept him hungry to the point that he felt a bit delirious. Worse, the bastard had taken Alwyn’s phone. “And what do you want in return for your generosity?”

“Do you have any talents?”

What kind of question was that? “I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking.”

“Like cooking or gardening or housekeeping.” Saint shrugged. “I’m not hard to please.”

Alwyn mentally sagged with relief. He thought Saint was going to demand sex. Alwyn wouldn’t have lowered himself to repayment that way. He would have felt cheap and used and no thank you.

Another worry surfaced. Not only had Alwyn run from Eoghan, but he’d also disobeyed King Arion’s decree about not leaving the realm. He’d also defied Panahasi, who had forbidden any dark fae from leaving.

Alwyn was just racking up offenses. If any one of the three caught him, he would be toast. Eoghan would punish Alwyn severely and take great joy from any pain he inflicted.

King Arion, from what Alwyn knew of the guy, was just as dark and twisted. He would gladly hand Alwyn over to Eoghan.

Alwyn wasn’t sure what Panahasi would do to him, but it probably wouldn’t be pleasant. He’d sealed the Unseelie realm for a reason, and Alwyn had snuck out.

“I can cook,” Alwyn finally said. He was actually pretty good at it. Being in the kitchen was the only time he wasn’t gracefully challenged, and talking about food kept his mind off his troubles. It also made him hungrier.

As if on cue, his stomach loudly growled.

“I have some errands to run. If you don’t mind waiting, then I’ll stop at the diner and pick up something for us to eat.”

“I don’t have any money.”

When Saint pulled in front of Joe’s Diner—that was the name displayed above the door in neon lights—he cut the motor and turned to Alwyn. “Don’t you feel it?”

Alwyn frowned. “Do I feel my lack of money?”

Saint’s smile was devastatingly handsome. “The connection, Alwyn.”

God, his name on Saint’s lips sounded exotic as hell. “I’m not following.”

“Mates.” Saint tapped his chest. “The pull.”

Alwyn’s heartrate accelerated as he stared wide-eyed at the lion shifter. His heart lodged in his throat as his mouth went bone-dry. Why couldn’t Saint have just been a good Samaritan? No connection between them. If he found out that Alwyn was Unseelie, mate or not, Saint would kick him to the curb.

How had he not felt the connection? Because he’d been so preoccupied with his problems to notice. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He had to get out of there. Sooner or later Saint would discover what Alwyn was, and things would go downhill from there. His kind was detested, and it would kill Alwyn if his mate ended up hating him.

A mate was precious, a gift, and Saint would resent being saddled with a dark fae.

Alwyn jumped out of the truck and tried to hurry down the street, but the bitter cold took hold of him. His feet instantly froze as the shivering returned.

“Alwyn!” Saint hurried to catch up. “You have to get back in the truck. It’s too cold out here.”

“I can’t,” Alwyn argued as he looked around. There was no place he could go to find shelter. Not for the night. He was broke, so a motel was out of the question. Since he had no money to pay his way, no one would take him in.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Saint said. “I can help you.”

Alwyn shook his head as hot tears filled his eyes. “No one can help me.”

Not when he had powerful men after him. As soon as King Arion found out that Alwyn had defied him, he would send his best to track Alwyn down. That was how King Arion was. It would be a show of force, even if sending his best to hunt down a tiny fae like Alwyn would be overkill.

Hell, King Arion’s most inept guard could probably capture Alwyn.

“Okay, fine,” Saint said. “You don’t have to tell me anything. Just get back into the truck.”

“Give me one good reason why I should trust you.” Alwyn’s shivers were getting worse. “Tell me why you don’t want anything in return.”

“Because I’m a cop,” Saint said. “It’s just in my nature to help people.”

A cop. They were the equivalent to the king’s guards, only the king’s guards didn’t help anyone who didn’t live in the castle. They were corrupt, untrustworthy, and had only the king’s interest in mind.

“Do you help commoners?” Alwyn asked. “Or do you only help those in power?”

ADULT EXCERPT

Alwyn whimpered, clinging to him, sucking in Saint’s tongue and turning Saint on to the point that his lion was close to the surface. He let out a low, deep growl as he got up from his chair, still holding Alwyn to him, and walked to his bedroom.

Saint had taken the couch last night because Alwyn seemed shaken from his ordeal, and Saint hadn’t wanted to put any pressure on him. Tonight? No fucking way was he taking the couch. His mate was going to sleep in his arms.

Saint broke the kiss and set Alwyn on his feet. His mate looked up at him as Saint slid Alwyn’s shirt up and over his head. As Saint ran his hand down Alwyn’s chest, he discovered his mate’s skin was silky soft, flawless.

Alwyn laid a hand on Saint’s stomach, which made the muscles clench. “Am I supposed to undress you, too?”

Alwyn wasn’t the only one whose breath was coming out choppy. “Baby, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Since Saint was much taller than his mate, he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it aside. As he did, Alwyn ran his fingers over Saint’s pecs and abdomen, sending ripples of pleasure through him.

“I’ve never touched a naked man before.” Alwyn bit his lower lip. “In fact, I’ve never touched a man, period.”

Why did that confession turn Saint on even more? He’d known that his mate was innocent but hadn’t thought him a virgin. Then again, Alwyn had lived a sheltered life. It pleased Saint to no end that no other had touched his mate.

He coaxed Alwyn to lie on his back on the bed then slowly slid his pants and underwear off. His cock sprang free, the slit beaded with pre-cum.

As Saint locked eyes with Alwyn, he knelt then took his mate’s cock into his mouth. Alwyn cried out, thrashing around to the point Saint had to lay an arm over his mate’s stomach to stop him from writhing so much.

“S-S-Saint,” Alwyn breathed. “Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

Saint smiled around Alwyn’s cock then took the hard shaft farther down his throat, using the muscles to massage Alwyn’s cock.

Moments later, Alwyn cried out, his cum erupting in waves. Saint drank down his seed. When he pulled back, Alwyn was heaving every breath, staring up at the ceiling as he blinked several hundred times.

“I’ve never…that was…I think you’ve blown some of my brain cells apart.” Alwyn pushed to his elbows, his gaze lowering to Saint’s uniform pants.

Saint rose to his feet and shed them, along with the remainder of his clothing. He grabbed the lube from his nightstand drawer and tossed the bottle by the pillows.

“I’m just getting started with you,” Saint said as he stretched out next to Alwyn. He kissed his mate with everything in him, feeling hot and desperate as Alwyn’s fingers trailed over his biceps, chest, then back up his arm.

Those sweet, exploring touches were driving Saint mad. He was about to claim his mate, but he also wanted Alwyn to understand that nothing, not even the fact that he was Unseelie, would stop Saint from protecting him, from loving him.

When Alwyn’s lips touched one of Saint’s nipples, his tongue lashing out, the feeling rocketed through Saint, making the fire already inside of Saint scorch him from claiming what was his.

He cradled Alwyn’s head, playing with the long strands of hair as he led one of Alwyn’s hands to his cock. Saint hissed when his mate curled his fingers around his shaft.

Before Alwyn moved to Saint’s neglected nipple, he looked up and said, “I have no clue what I’m doing. I was going to research sex today, but I was too embarrassed when I saw the photos of naked men doing things to each other, so I closed your laptop.”

Saint chuckled. “Surfing porn on my laptop? That’s hot as fuck.”

“Almost surfed.” Alwyn sucked the nipple into his mouth, lashing his tongue before biting gently down on the pebbled flesh. “I chickened out.”

“I can show you.” Saint reached for the lube and coated his fingers then spread Alwyn’s ass cheeks. He touched his mate’s untried hole and watched as Alwyn’s eyes fluttered closed.

Virgin or not, thousands of years of evolution had Alwyn going on instinct as he spread his legs, tossing one over Saint’s hip.

Saint kissed his way across Alwyn’s jaw, his neck, nipping his Adam’s apple as he worked a finger into his mate’s tight hole. Alwyn clung to him, his nails scoring Saint’s skin, his breathing erratic as Saint worked to stretch him.

“This—” Alwyn licked his lips. “This is amazing.”

“Like I said, I’m just getting started.” Saint skimmed his lips over Alwyn’s then devoured him, taking his mate’s mind off of any pain he might feel.

Then he added another finger, scissoring them as Alwyn lapped at Saint’s mouth, his fingers digging deeper into Saint’s biceps. Saint would gladly take the pain if that was what Alwyn needed to do.