STORY EXCERPT

Though he was typically described as arrogant and unconcerned about others, Marrok could not ignore the plea from this beautiful man. He would spare no time thinking about the reasons why he could not do so. Nodding stiffly, he stood there on the sidewalk. A smile was given to him as the man ducked back into the house. The door closed after him with a snap, leaving Marrok to glance around the tidy little neighborhood. Every small house had a small yard, and each seemed to have a tree planted precisely in the same spot. It was all very orderly and boring, a typical neighborhood in many towns. No one seemed bold enough to erect a fence, plant a second tree, or anything else which would deviate from the real or imaginary boundaries set in place.

While he was eager to be on his way, Marrok still puzzled over why a spell had been placed upon the house. It certainly hadn’t been a powerful one. It hadn’t been meant to harm any of the inhabitants. It was more of an annoyance than anything, as well as an obvious inconvenience. It was as if the spell had been on the cats rather than the house or the occupants, as if they were meant to seek out something or someone. He stared at the house and thought of the man inside of it. Had someone been searching for him?

When something brushed against his legs, Marrok looked down to see a huge, black-and-white, long-haired cat staring up at him with bright green eyes. He wasn’t fond of cats and hadn’t met a cat that didn’t realize this almost immediately. They stared at one another for a long moment. It didn’t vocalize in any way. He flicked the tips of his fingers, which should have been enough to send it on its way, but it remained at his feet with an almost-smug expression on its face.

Making a grimace of disgust, he turned as the front door opened again and the man came out carrying one child bundled up in a bright pink snowsuit, while ushering two others. They were making fairly good progress toward the minivan parked in the driveway until the smaller of the two on the ground toppled face first into the snow. Marrok hurried forward and lifted the child up. A bright, happy grin was covered with snow as their eyes met. He laughed and brushed the bits of snow off the child’s face. When the boy began to squirm between his hands, Marrok realized he wanted down so he could play.

“Oh, no you don’t! You will have to wait until you return home,” he told the small boy.

“Thanks. They’re a handful and I only have two hands. By the way, my name is Thorn Townsend.”

“Marrok. Are you their nursemaid?”

Thorn’s eyebrows went up. They were the color of cinnamon. Marrok liked cinnamon. “Nursemaid? That’s an odd term. No, I’m their uncle, as well as their guardian.” He glanced meaningfully at the three small people listening with interest as he placed them in restraint chairs in the vehicle. “Thanks for the help.” He looked down. “It looks like you’ve made a friend.”

Marrok grimaced again. “It seems so. Hopefully it will go home once I head toward mine.” He nodded. Even as he spoke he silently chanted the spell which would protect this man and his family. For whatever reason, they had become the focus of a magical being. He would do what was necessary to protect them. “Have a good day. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed and turned on his heel.

It was more than a pleasure. Once he had been within a couple of feet of the man, he felt the unmistakable stirrings of lust. It had been a long time since he had taken a lover. Momentary sexual gratification was not something he enjoyed. The needs of the body, however, couldn’t be ignored forever. It did not help that every time he took a lover, though he rarely kept them long, he felt as if he were betraying his mate.

It saddened Marrok’s heart to know that it wasn’t actually a betrayal. Marcus had made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with a witch. Nor did he want to reproduce his kind. He hated his griffin and was determined that he would not be responsible for bringing another into the world to suffer as an oddity.

Marrok personally believed Marcus’s griffin was the most beautiful creature in the world, though he had only seen it briefly upon two occasions. When they ended a relationship that had barely begun, Marrok had been overcome with grief. It had lasted for decades. He had found it difficult to cope with the pain of a broken heart. Even now, more than two hundred years later, he continued to experience brief moments of pain from time to time. It was a reminder of all he had lost, and he had believed that it meant he would never find another love to equal his mate.

But now, with one chance meeting, Marrok thought he might have found someone to love. A smile tilted the corner of his mouth as he continued his walk through town, crisscrossing it until he was satisfied that no more magic was being used. Without new worries, he began thinking about cinnamon-colored eyebrows, calm gray eyes, and full lips that appeared as if they had been stained by berries. Thorn Townsend was handsome, charming, and Marrok knew he would have to find an excuse to see the man again.

ADULT EXCERPT

Thorn helped Marcus out of his boots before straightening and reaching around for the man’s belt buckle. Doing so was rather like dealing with an octopus. The arms of the two men were everywhere, hindering his progress. He finally pulled the belt free and tossed it aside. Then he was unbuttoning the waistband and carefully lowering the strained zipper. A moment later a nicely sized cock was filling his hand. He nipped a bare shoulder as Marcus moaned. He stroked the length, his thumb sweeping over and around the head, slicking it with the pre-cum. Feeling the need to increase the heat level between them, he found Marrok’s waistband and repeated the process of releasing his cock.

Within moments he was holding the two men’s cocks together in his hand, stroking, as he pressed his own cock into the crevice of Marcus’s ass. All three of them moaned as their pleasure grew. Sweat beaded on his skin. His heart pounded in his chest. He would be taking both men. His need to dominate was unmistakable. His jaguar growled in approval. Releasing their cocks, he finished removing Marcus’s clothing.

Taking some of the pre-cum dribbling from the head of his cock, Thorn smeared it over Marcus’s tight pucker. He pressed a finger through the ring of muscle as he wrapped his fingers around their cocks once more. When Marrok pulled back and dropped to his knees in front of their lover, he knew plans had changed. A smile tilted his mouth as he held the man’s rigid flesh for the wizard to begin kissing and licking, his lips and tongue caressing Thorn’s fingers as he explored.

By the time he had Marcus’s ass stretched and was guiding his cock to it, Marrok was sucking their lover’s flesh down his throat. Marcus was shaking between them. He didn’t know how long it had been since the man had made love, but it was obvious he was both excited and unprepared for his reaction to having his mates make love to him.

Marcus came just as Thorn buried himself balls deep inside his dark channel. Holding him with strong hands, he held him firmly as he began fucking him hard and fast, as the muscles tightened around his girth. He was claiming the man. He wouldn’t bite him yet, though he ached to do so. Impregnation would have to wait. He wasn’t going to take away the man’s choices.

There wasn’t any fast rule for mating among shifters. Each tended to be different. With jaguars, impregnation took place along with the mating bite. His canines were extending, but his control was excellent. He kissed and licked Marcus’s neck and shoulder instead, caressing the place he would bite him one day. Marcus moaned, his body still shaking, as Thorn struck his prostate with each forward thrust. He was close. There was a tingling at the base of his spine and his balls were tightening.

Heat flashed over his body as he came, his balls clenching, cum pumping from his body and bathing the dark channel of his mate as his body arched and shook. With his arms locked around his mate, Thorn rested his head against Marcus’s shoulder. He turned his head slightly so he could kiss the damp skin. Their combined scents were heady, tantalizing, and he could feel his cock begin to fill again even as it slipped out, disconnecting their bodies.

Marrok caught Marcus as he stumbled on weak legs. He guided their mate to the bed, following him down on the mattress with so much enthusiasm that they bounced. Within seconds, they were locked in a passionate embrace, bodies pressing together, arms wound tightly around one another as they kissed wildly. Their moans of pleasure filled the room.

Thorn left them to re-establish their connection as he went into the bathroom for a shower. It was brief but thorough. He didn’t want to waste time when he could be with his mates. He didn’t bother to dry off as he joined them on the bed. Marrok was in the process of enjoying a blow job. If his expression was anything to go by, he was really enjoying it.

Sliding his hand along the side of Marrok’s face, he tipped it toward him. Gem-green eyes looked at him. “Having fun?”

“Yes. Marcus is quite good at it.” The last three words faded off into some happy place. Thorn chuckled and leaned over him to kiss him. “Oh, yes, down your throat, please.” Those words were whispered against Thorn’s lips. He kissed them away before capturing the man’s mouth and kissing him until they were both gasping for breath. “You kiss very well, my big, sexy cat.”

“Starting to lose your dislike, are you?” Thorn nipped his chin before soothing it with his tongue. His mate was delicious.

“I’m working on it.”

“How about I help you? Cats have tongues that were made for licking.”

Thorn proceeded to show Marrok just how much pleasure his jaguar could give him with his tongue. He began at the man’s ears and worked his way down, stroking over his jaw, then down the line of his throat. He took his time there, sucking on his Adam’s apple for a moment, and felt Marrok swallow. A smile curved his mouth before he moved on, licking warm skin, tasting the sweat, his tongue rubbing over the beginning of stubble.