STORY EXCERPTS

Declan had the shittiest luck ever. Seriously. He’d just been standing there, minding his own business, killing a Hunter, and the cops had shown up. Bane, the Dark Knight who had been with him, had gotten away, but after the cops had surrounded Declan, he had no choice but to surrender.

After all, he did have a dead body at his feet.

One of the cops told him a neighbor had spotted Declan and called. That was what happened when you killed a guy in a random backyard.

Declan could have taken the cops down and hauled ass, but the preternatural community—especially the leaders—frowned on shifters changing their form in front of humans. It was a big no-no. Oh, and killing cops, too.

Declan wouldn’t have done it anyway. He had mad respect for the men in blue. Just not when they had their government-issued nine-millimeters pointed at his head and chest.

Now he sat in prison—in some fucked-up orange outfit, itchy socks, ugly-as-shit plastic sandals, and, fuck me, he didn’t want to think about the recycled underwear he had on—as he awaited his bail hearing. He’d been sent to county because the local jail had been full.

His only hope was that Bayne had called the right people to get him the fuck out of here. If Declan was assigned a public defender, he might be screwed. Not that there weren’t public defenders who knew how to do their job, but with the way his luck was running, he’d be stuck in here until his trial.

And that shit wasn’t going to work. Declan would break out of this hellhole before he had to stay here that long. He wasn’t sure how he would, but he’d find a way.

Declan had been in here for only a day, but his lion was going insane. It kept watching the guy who paraded around as though he was some badass, intimidating the other inmates.

He was a big son of a bitch, and Declan was itching to take him down. But in his current mood, he might rip the fucker’s throat out.

That would be bad.

“Declan Royale!”

Declan whipped his head around. He had no idea why the guard wanted him, but he prayed like hell it was because someone who could help him was here.

The guard cuffed him, then led Declan to a room with a single table, two chairs, and steel mesh on the single window. Bending that mesh wouldn’t be a problem if he decided to get ghost.

He sat and suppressed a growl when the guard locked his cuffs to the table. The cuffs, of course, were a joke, too. Declan could snap them off if he wanted to.

The guard didn’t say a word and neither did Declan. Small talk wasn’t one of his strong suits. He tended to say shit that got him into trouble, and since he was already in one hell of a bind, Declan kept his yap shut.

The door opened and in walked Saul Capezio. Fucking seriously? It was the guy who had helped save Joelle when the mate had been kidnapped. Saul had seen Hunters taking Joelle into a downtown office building and had called the right people, which led Kivani, Joelle’s mate, to the building to rescue him.

Declan and Saul hadn’t quite seen eye to eye that night and he’d rudely dismissed Saul. Saul had insulted him, and Declan had tried to go after him to pound his face in, but Kivani had stopped him.

Now here the prick stood, smirking at him.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Declan snarled.

Saul set his leather briefcase on the table. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled when Maverick called me about your arrest and asked me to be your legal counsel.” The smug bastard took a seat and crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees. “You were found standing over a dead body, Mr. Royale.”

“I was strolling through the backyards and came across it.” Declan wanted to cross his arms over his chest to appear just as superior as Saul, but the cuffs got in the way. Declan was so damn tempted to yank them free, but that would be bad.

Plus, how superior could he act when he was cuffed to the goddamn table?

“Or you were looking for your lost dog when you found the body?” Saul said. “What did you say to the cops when they arrested you?”

“I haven’t said a damn word to anyone except you.” What did Saul take him for, an idiot? Declan had been in this game far too long to become suddenly stupid. This might be his first arrest—which was a miracle considering the type of life he led—but knew not to say a word until a lawyer worked this problem into his favor.

“Good.” Saul nodded. “Make sure you keep it that way. I’ll see you at the bail hearing in the morning, then we’ll talk from there.”

“That’s it?” Since this was Declan’s first time in the hoosegow, he hadn’t been sure what to expect. But his lawyer walking out after a ten-second conversation made him want to choke the bastard.

Saul leaned across the table. “It’s not like I can put you in my pocket and carry you out of here,” he said. “I just wanted to touch base before tomorrow morning.”

Declan leaned close, telling himself not to fuck this up. Whether he liked it or not, he needed the rich bastard to get him out of here. He’d opened his mouth, unsure what he was about to say, when a thick, musky, tantalizing odor slammed him in the gut.

Declan jerked back, curling his hands into fists as he stared wide-eyed at Saul.

“What’s your problem now, Mr. Royale?” Saul asked with irritation.

The problem was, Declan was staring at his fucking mate. He dropped his head to the table. “This can’t be happening to me,” he groaned.

ADULT EXCERPT

Declan lowered to his knees and unfastened Saul’s pants. He took them all the way down, along with his boxer briefs. A laugh croaked out of Saul when Declan stood and picked Saul up, then tossed him onto the bed. He removed Saul’s shoes and socks, then finished undressing him.

Leaning on his elbows, Saul looked up at Declan. He bit his lower lip as Declan stripped, baring his beautiful body—a ripped body Saul wanted to get better acquainted with.

Saul’s cock was hard and leaking at the tip as his hole pulsed with anticipation. He scooted backward when Declan crawled onto the bed, hovering over him, the head of his dick leaving a trail of wetness on Saul’s stomach.

Declan stopped his progression, staring down at the bandage on Saul’s side. His golden eyes were remorseful as he brushed his fingers over Saul’s healing wound. “I shouldn’t have tossed you on the bed.”

“Don’t.” Saul didn’t want Declan’s pity. He slapped him upside the head.

Declan narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck you do that for?”

“To knock you out of your sappy state.” Saul ran his fingers through Declan’s hair, then yanked his head to the side. “I like the fire better than the regret.”

A beautiful grin spread across Declan’s face. “And here I thought I was being too rough with you. I thought I’d scared you.”

“At first,” Saul admitted.

“Not now?”

“Do you always talk your lovers to death?” Saul wound his legs around Declan’s waist. “Shut the fuck up and get down to dirty business already.”

“It’s like that?”

Saul rolled his eyes. “You’re starting to piss me off, jabber jaws. You better do something besides talk before I change my mind.”

Declan unwound Saul’s legs and flipped him to his stomach. Saul planted his palms against the bedding, wondering what Declan was up to. He pulled Saul’s ass into the air, and Saul was surprised when Declan’s tongue traced his hole.

“Yes,” Saul groaned. He shoved his face into the bed, his cock aching to be touched as Declan rimmed him. Lust consumed Saul, pulled him down and drowned him as Declan pushed two fingers into Saul’s ass.

His injury throbbed, but Saul ignored the pain. He just hoped his stitches didn’t tear. Three days in the hospital were enough for him. He’d been stir-crazy the entire time he’d been there.

He gasped and rocked backward as Declan scraped his teeth along Saul’s inner thighs. Frustration combined with need made Saul pound his fists into the bed.

“Gonna fuck this tight hole,” Declan said against Saul’s skin. “Gonna make you feel it for days.”

Saul shuddered.

Declan’s mouth disappeared and Saul heard the nightstand drawer opening. Moments later, wet fingers drove into him. Saul bucked, crying out as Declan used his fingers as if they were his dick.

He’d known being with Declan would create sparks, but the feeling was more than that. Having Declan hover over him with his fingers buried deep inside Saul’s body felt more like fireworks.

When Declan turned him onto his back and Saul looked up at him, he knew he had zero chance of keeping his heart intact. Declan was all rough edges and, at times, an asshole, yet the gold in his eyes shined with not only lust, but something Saul couldn’t quite put his finger on, something sweet, but that wasn’t the right word.

Saul gave up trying to figure it out when Declan sucked at his Adam’s apple, his unshaven jaw scraping along his skin. There was something about a rough-shaven jaw, a hard body, and that unmistakable masculine scent that got Saul worked up every time. Saul danced his fingers over Declan’s broad back, reveling in the muscles under his hands.

“God, you smell good,” Declan murmured as his fingers worked Saul’s ass over.

When Declan slid the tips of his canines across his skin, Saul’s balls tightened so hard they felt like they were being squeezed by an unseen hand. The pressure built, and he shoved at Declan’s chest.

Declan pulled back, his brows dipped low, uncertainty in his eyes.

“I’m too close.” Saul’s breaths came out in hard pants, as if he’d just gone on a ten-mile jog. He was already sweating and they hadn’t even gotten started. Saul hated that Declan affected him this way, made him tear down his carefully constructed walls, but Saul also loved it.

Declan’s expression changed to one of hunger as he nodded and dislodged his fingers. He kissed Saul’s jaw, nipped it hard, then grabbed the discarded bottle of lube.

Declan made a mess of things, the lube getting everywhere as he slicked himself up. Saul simply lay there, too breathless for words, watching as Declan practically played with himself.

Declan fell forward, the bed slightly bouncing with his weight as he used his other hand to hold the base of his cock. He looked as if the angels themselves had carved him out of marble. His blond hair that fell in messy waves to his shoulders. Those blazing golden eyes. His pouty lips. His hard muscles that strained as he looked down at Saul.

Saul spread his legs, planting his feet on the bed, and lifted his ass, telling Declan without words that Saul was all his.

The head lodged at Saul’s hole and he sucked in a breath and bit his lower lip. He might be a dominant ball-crusher in the courtroom, but in the bedroom, Saul was submissive, willing to do whatever his partner wanted, whatever he needed Saul to do in order to get him off.

Declan teased Saul, brushing the head of his dick over his hole, making Saul whimper as he curled his fingers into the bedding.

Then Declan entered him, and Saul’s ass burned as his thick girth pushed forward. The pressure mounted and Saul wasn’t sure he could handle however many inches Declan was blessed with.