STORY EXCERPT

“You can sleep right here. No one will be coming in here to hurt you. You’ll be safe.”

Sorin looked around the bedroom. It was roughly the size of the one he used to keep, but as far as he knew, one of the servants was using it now as their own private quarters since the dragons had come and taken over.

This bedroom used to be a spare, set aside for his cousin whenever she came to visit.

She was dead now, killed by the very vampires who had been sent to rescue Sorin.

His shoulders slumped.

Lucian came to stand in front of him. They were the only ones in the room, in his bedroom.

“Are you okay?”

Sorin nodded. It still hurt his gums when he spoke. Having his top and bottom fangs pulled out with pliers still hurt like a bitch.

He supposed it made sense. Sorin was the only vampire left in the house, and those men had just been looking for a place to settle their rage, to exact their revenge, so he was the most logical choice.

His father might have approved of it had it not been Sorin this happened to.

Lucian lifted his hands, appeared to hesitate, and then placed them onto Sorin’s shoulders.

Sorin’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes flying wide. He couldn’t bring himself to look up at the dragon, not when he couldn’t control the trembling in his body.

“Sorin, I promise you I won’t hurt you. I would never...I mean I can’t let you go or anything, but this wasn’t supposed to happen. I wouldn’t hurt you.”

But Lucian had wanted to hurt him, in the beginning. He’d been like everyone else.

Sorin had thought saving Lucian would make the servants and the dragons in this house look at him differently. Apparently, it hadn’t.

Lucian was silent for only a moment, as though trying to figure out how much he said was getting through to Sorin. He might even think Sorin had cracked, considering he’d barely spoken a word since Lucian had gently lifted his lips with his fingers and noted the empty, red spots where his fangs should have been.

“Sorin, I know I’m a dragon and you’re a vampire, but I promise you, it’s not the honorable way for dragons to attack a prisoner the way you were. If you would just tell us who did it...I already have it narrowed down to a couple of people. They’re all denying it, but if you would just say a name, I would bring them before you for punishment. You wouldn’t face any consequences for it.”

Sorin’s eyes widened even more just thinking about such a horrible thing. He quickly shook his head.

No, he couldn’t give names. That could never happen so long as he had life in his body. He would never tell who had done this.

Because he’d deserved it. The servants in the house, the omegas, they weren’t actually servants. Servants were paid.

The omegas who lived in this mansion had been slaves and the dragons their protectors. When an omega was captured, taken out of the mansion, and a dragon injured, it made sense that Sorin would become a target.

He’d been a slave owner. Sorin knew the difference between right and wrong, and he’d never...

It didn’t matter what he didn’t do. The point was he’d brought his punishment onto himself.

Now, he just wanted to let it go, wait until his fangs grew back in a couple of months, forget this ever happened, and, with any luck, the dragons might release him. He could have his freedom again.

Sorin glanced up at Lucian.

Not that he minded being around Lucian, that was. The rock dragon’s hands were heavy on his shoulders, but they were also warm, and Sorin couldn’t help but like it, even if it was stupid for him to like such a thing.

He supposed he just missed being touched by anyone in a way that didn’t seem cruel. Miles tried to be kind to him, bringing him books and speaking to him, but it wasn’t the same.

Well, it could also be that Lucian was a handsome man and he had taken it upon himself to be Sorin’s protector. That certainly had an impact, as well. Sorin was desperate to know he was safe, and here was a dragon promising him up and down he would keep Sorin from being tortured again.

Hell, that might drive him into the arms of anyone.

Lucian, however, didn’t seem pleased that Sorin was intent on saying nothing. In fact, his expression turned from patient to angry.

A vampire’s eyes turned black when they were angry or getting out of control.

A dragon’s eyes turned red, same as alpha wolves and big cats.

And Lucian’s eyes turned a bright shade of red as he growled and suddenly pushed himself away.

Sorin stood stock-still, unable to move even if he wanted to as he watched the alpha prowl around the bedroom.

Despite being only a guest room, it was expansive, with a connecting sitting room and bathroom.

Lucian went to the bed and to the small futon on the floor next to it. On it was a single blanket and pillow. It wasn’t much compared to what Sorin was used to growing up, but the difference between that futon and the hard thing he’d been sleeping on in the basement, in his cell, looked very much like heaven.

Lucian stood over it, one hand on his hip while the other rubbed his jaw.

He growled again, reaching for another pillow from the bed. There were many pillows on the bed, so taking one from the pile hardly ruined the look of it.

Lucian threw the pillow onto the futon, turning back to Sorin. “I’ll take the futon, and you can have the bed.”

Sorin heard those words, and he blinked stupidly for a moment.

The bed was his? Really?

ADULT EXCERPT

Take him. Fuck him. Make him yours.

Lucian didn’t know where that thought was even coming from. It was almost enough to make him pull away from Sorin’s mouth, but when he tried, the smaller man groaned and yanked him back down by the back of his head.

And Lucian got lost in it. He was sinking into the heat of Sorin’s body, which called to him on such a primal level that he didn’t have the right words to describe it. The only thing left to do was act. To make this happen. There would be no going back after this was said and done, and he didn’t care.

Lucian pulled away from Sorin’s sweet mouth, and this time he didn’t allow the man to yank him back down. Not when he had to get ready. Lucian stripped out of his shirt. He swiftly unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants and black underwear down around his hips, freeing his cock before he could change his mind.

Sorin panted and puffed for breath, his cheeks pink, and his eyes never left Lucian’s. “Hurry. I need it.”

Lucian groaned. Sorin wasn’t the only one who needed it. He grabbed Sorin by his thighs, intent on pulling them up and onto his lap when Lucian stopped suddenly, cursing. “Fuck, give me a second. I need to find something for you.”

He didn’t keep lubricant in his room. Usually, whenever he was in the mood, he found someone to fill that need for him in a bar or a club. Or handled it himself in the shower.

But it was a very real fact that Sorin would need something to get him ready, and Lucian couldn’t just go shoving away.

Sorin grabbed Lucian by his shoulders, swiftly shaking his head, a touch of panic in his eyes.

As if he was honestly scared of the idea of Lucian leaving the bed.

“No, it’s fine. Don’t bother.”

Both of Lucian’s brows shot up. “Don’t bother?” Not good. Not good that he was considering taking Sorin at his word. “Don’t tempt me like that. Trust me, you won’t like it.”

“I know that,” Sorin snapped. “I’m not an idiot, but I already…in the shower…”

He kept trailing off, but Lucian didn’t need any more information than that to know what the smaller man meant.

And his excitement, his eager anticipation, and heart leaped at the thought.

“You got yourself ready for me in the shower?”

Sorin nodded, his eyes becoming half-lidded, the pink in his cheeks turning a little closer to bright red. As if what he’d said should even remotely embarrass him. 

“God, don’t be embarrassed,” Lucian moaned, and just to make sure Sorin had done it correctly, he couldn’t stop himself from lowering his fingers and checking Sorin’s asshole.

It was wet, and not because it was still damp from the shower. There was something soft and slick there. He could have used the shower gel or found the moisturizer bottle Lucian had beneath the sink.

Either way, he was stretched and slick. Sorin was ready for Lucian right now, and the thought was more than enough to make Lucian’s cock jump with anticipation.

He pulled his fingers free. “You did prepare yourself,” he said, staring in awe down at the man beneath him.

“Is it enough?” Sorin asked, still panting for breath, still smelling of musk and desire.

“More than enough.” Lucian nodded, easing himself into position, pulling Sorin’s ass onto his lap so Lucian could press the head of his cock against the man’s hole.

“Next time, let me do it for you though. I think you’ll like it.”

Maybe mentioning the possibility of a next time was a mistake because Sorin gently cocked his head to the side, giving Lucian something of a confused glance before Lucian pushed forward, the thick head of his prick meeting only a small amount of resistance before the ring of muscle gave way, allowing him to sink inside Sorin’s tight body.

Sorin threw his head back, his eyes squeezing shut, and he moaned as Lucian started to move.

* * * *

Sorin had wanted Lucian to make him feel good, and he was definitely doing a good job of that so far.

No, a great job. Sorin had always thought being penetrated would hurt more than this, but the pleasure seemed to be outpacing the pain by about ten yards.

This was what he’d wanted. This was what he’d needed, exactly what he’d needed. He didn't even know why he’d known he’d needed it. Some kind of instinct he couldn't explain.

The sensation of having a larger, stronger man on top of him, dominating him, was better than anything else Sorin had ever felt in his entire life.

The smell of Lucian’s musk, the sounds he made as he groaned with each hard, forward thrust, and the feel of his powerful body, hard muscle beneath Sorin’s hands and between his thighs, played to every fantasy Sorin had ever held.

His father would shit kittens if he ever found out about this, and Sorin didn’t give a damn. He moaned through the pleasure, the stimulation rising, the heat beneath his belly increasing as he felt his body rocking against the sheets beneath him.

And Lucian looked at him as if he’d never seen anything better in his entire life.

“So tight. You’re so fucking beautiful.”