STORY EXCERPT

Voices, far off at first but slowly growing in intensity, were the first things Nevada processed. His pulse instantly spiked as memories of pain and blood flooded him before his eyes opened and he bolted up, ready to defend himself against an attack.

“Easy there,” a kind, motherly voice soothed him as a firm hand anchored him back down to the comfortable softness beneath him. “You’re safe, Nevada. We’ve sent people to check on your family.”

“No! Call them back.” Nevada panicked. “They don’t know. They can’t know! I need to find Natalie Dalrymple. It’s urgent.”

“Hey, it’s me.” Nevada finally looked over to the woman holding him steady and felt himself fill with relief upon seeing the matriarch of the Dalrymple family. He’d made it. “What’s going on?”

“My family doesn’t know I’m here, or that I was attacked,” Nevada spoke quickly. “They can’t know about this. They’ll be a target, too.”

“Targeted by who?” Mathew, Natalie’s husband, asked. He wasn’t an intimidating looking man, but Nevada knew he was a powerful mage in his own right.

“Eirik Gunvald,” Nevada answered.

The gasps and curses he heard were followed by the sound of someone giving orders to a group of people. Nevada looked over his shoulder and quickly looked away when he saw the four princes looking at him. One in particular, Prince William, seemed pissed by his news. It wasn’t that Nevada wanted to be the messenger. He was just the only one that knew.

“What do you know?” Natalie asked, her voice hard but her touch gentle.

Nevada shook his head. He wasn’t even sure what he knew. All he was certain of was he’d been patrolling his section of the Nether—a separate magical realm from Earth—like routine, and he’d stumbled upon something out of place. Before he could get too close, though, he’d been attacked by a man fitting the description given by Lord Edmond and Prince Marcus during their time in the Nether two months ago.

“I think I found one of their bases,” Nevada said, uncertainty lacing his words.

“You think?” It was Prince William that spoke, his voice filled with rejection.

“Why else would I be attacked?” Nevada demanded as he stood up in defense. Instantly he regretted it. His head swam and his vision blurred before he fell back down to the couch. “I heard people talking, something about pulling someone out and not having contact for a while now,” he continued.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Aiden said, stepping forward and kneeling in front of Nevada. He smiled up at him.

Since the Dalrymples had revealed themselves to still be alive, Nevada and his family had renewed their bond with them. Both the Gallo and the Dalrymple families worked to protect the Nether. The Gallo family, the House of the Rooster, were the watchers of the Nether. It was their job to keep an eye out for any negative influences and act before something could happen.

When they failed to stop an incident, it became the Dalrymple family’s job to quell and contain the threat.

Due to their intersecting responsibilities, their families had always been close. The loss of the Dalrymples had been keenly felt by the Gallo family. Of course now a few things made sense. Like how certain issues were dealt with without outside involvement. Even in hiding, Natalie had continued her family’s work.

Nevada admired her for that.

“Tulia said you need to rest,” Aiden continued. “You and Melody both were severely injured.”

That’s right, his familiar. Looking around the room, he spotted her sleeping in a basket with blankets in it. Reaching for the basket, he pulled it to his chest and cradled it to him. Melody had tried to protect him when one of the men attacked, taking the brunt of an ice spell directly. One of her wings was bandaged and the other was in a splint.

“She’ll be flying again in a few days’ time,” Aiden spoke softly. “Tulia also said you should take that time to recover. William’s agreed to let you stay at his place until you’re cleared and back in good health.”

Dread filled Nevada’s stomach as he looked over his shoulder to see William still glaring at him. Something told Nevada that the prince hadn’t offered his place because he was worried about Nevada and his familiar. No, he wouldn’t doubt if William was suspicious of him.

“Um, a hotel will be fine,” Nevada said, hoping to avoid the uncomfortable situation of staying with a man that obviously didn’t like him. Not that Nevada could understand why. He couldn’t remember ever having a conversation with the man, let alone doing anything to cause him to distrust him.

“No, you need to be protected,” Daniel said, shooting him down. “If what you say is true, and you do know where Eirik and his group are staying, then you are an important witness for us. William will guard you while you heal.”

But would he guard him from danger or would he be guarding Aiden and Daniel from Nevada?

ADULT EXCERPT

Nevada moved again. Why did it feel like he’d pressed his ass up to William’s groin intentionally?

Shit, he was so damn horny right now he was imaging Nevada’s actions for something they weren’t. The man was trying to get away, not seduce him.

Nevada’s waist lifted again and William bit back a groan as his ass rubbed up and down William’s hard length. There was no way that wasn’t deliberate.

Gripping Nevada’s wrists harder, William dropped his head to the other’s ear. “Stop that.”

“Why?” Nevada’s voice was hoarse. “Afraid you’d like it?”

Pausing, William looked at the man for the first time since he’d pinned him. The desire he saw in those brown eyes had William’s cock pressing insistently against the material of his sweats.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Pass the time.” Nevada punctuated his words by raising his hips and grinding his ass against William again.

“Damn it,” William growled as he pressed against Nevada, thrusting into the crease of his ass through the fabric of their clothes. “You asked for this.”

“That I did.” Why did Nevada sound so damned pleased with himself? Did he think he was in control here?

Loosening his grip just a tad, intending to turn Nevada around and give him a piece of his mind, turned out to be a mistake. Before William could blink he found himself on his back, Nevada straddling him backward. The smaller man looked over his shoulder, a superior and victorious gleam in his eyes as he bent down and removed William’s sweats.

“Look what I found.” Nevada’s fingers feathered up William’s shaft, pulling a shallow moan from him. “Oh, sensitive? Then you’ll love this.”

He had every intention of demanding to know what Nevada was talking about, but all thought and ability to think fled William as his cock was swallowed inch by inch into Nevada’s mouth. The moist heat that surrounded his length had William’s head spinning and the suction! He fisted his hands to stave off a premature reaction.

“Mm, so big,” Nevada praised as he released William’s cock only to lick at his balls, sucking on them in tandem. His fingers continued to pump William steadily as he teased his perineum and then licked up his length. Nevada’s tongue, upon reaching his cockhead, dipped into the slit.

“Nevada,” William groaned. The man definitely knew what he was doing, but William wasn’t used to being the only one receiving pleasure.

Opening his eyes, William gazed at Nevada’s ass directly in front of him. Grinning, he reached for the hem of the red boxers covering his goal. Fair was fair. If Nevada could play, then so could he.

“Will?” Nevada looked over his shoulder. A small thrill ran through William at Nevada using the nickname.

“Just returning the favor.” William pulled the boxers down and leaned up, kissing each round globe of Nevada’s ass before parting them and staring at the tan star within.

Nevada apparently had taken his participation as some kind of challenge because he suddenly deep throated him, making William’s mind haze over for a second. Groaning, pleasure racing through his veins rapidly and building just as quickly, William nuzzled close and lapped at Nevada’s entrance.

Nipping at the star, he sucked at it eagerly. Already he could feel a tremble starting in Nevada’s legs. Good, he was feeling it. Flattening his tongue, William licked at the twitching hole, wetting and loosening it at the same time. Once he felt the entrance was sufficiently moist, he probed at it experimentally.

“Ah, Will,” Nevada moaned, his head falling to William’s leg.

“Come on, don’t stop,” William urged as he slid a finger into Nevada’s ass. He watched as his finger thrust in and out of Nevada’s hole.

When he felt Nevada take him back into his mouth, he released a throaty moan. He’d never enjoyed giving or receiving oral so much before. Maybe it was the fact they were under attack that added to the rush of the moment? Perhaps it was because he really didn’t know Nevada that well? Either way, it felt exhilarating to be doing something he really shouldn’t be at this time.

Going back in, William added a second finger as he licked around them.

Nevada was bobbing his head enthusiastically as he moaned around William’s cock. He’d managed to work his entire length down his throat and the feel of his muscles constricting around his head made William falter for a second.

Damn, just for that moment he allowed himself to imagine what it would feel like to be buried deep into the ass he was fingering. Nevada was tight and hot. William was sure it would feel amazing.

Widening Nevada’s entrance a bit, William slid his tongue in alongside his fingers. Removing his fingers, he continued to tongue fuck Nevada, driving the man crazy with each pass and lick.

Nevada gagged and moaned as he worked at William’s shaft, the sounds and sensations pushing William to his release even faster.

They were both chasing the other to the precipice, hoping to push the other off first. William, hoping to win this, reached under Nevada and grasped his leaking cock. Damn, the man’s pre-cum was flowing freely, instantly wetting William’s hand and making it easy for him to jerk him off.

“Oh, god, no,” Nevada shouted as he released William’s shaft and rode his face. “Good. So good. Coming.”