Princely Gift

STORY EXCERPT

The Omega lion who was to be his mate—Will, Alex reminded himself—shook so badly throughout the ceremony that he started to wonder if he made a mistake. Alex might be a lot of things, he was ruthless when it came to protecting the pride and made tough decisions no one else would, but he wasn’t an asshole who’d force himself on another.

Alex’s lion picked up the fear emanating from Will and didn’t like it one bit. For a moment there when he glimpsed the slender brown-haired man with the bright blue eyes walking down the aisle, determination printed on his features, he thought this might not be so bad after all.

Alex changed his mind as the ceremony proceeded, because Will seemed to grow apprehensive every second. He tried to put himself in Will’s shoes. Yes, mating a stranger would be frightening, but for some reason, it stung that Will seemed afraid of him.

His lion grew restless inside of him, but only because the animal wanted to speed things up. Strange. Why was the lion still pushing at him to claim Will, despite the fact the Omega was terrified?

“You may kiss the groom,” the priest said.

He turned, didn’t fail to notice Will still had that distracted look on his face. This wouldn’t do, because Alex knew that this moment was crucial. He refused to start their arranged marriage like this, with Will trembling and not able to look him in the eye.

Suppressing the growl that might only worsen the situation, he grabbed Will’s shoulder, catching the Omega by surprise. For the first time that day, he touched his mate, running his fingers over the curve of Will’s jaw. The Omega widened his eyes, clearly not expecting that. Will opened his mouth, but he took that opportunity to lean forward for their first kiss.

Alex started slow, tentative, wanting to feel Will out first. When Will responded with a passion that took him by surprise, his lion became pleased. Alex shifted his hand to the back of Will’s neck. Their tongues tangled. Sweetness exploded on his mouth, and his dick thickened in his trousers.

The last thing he expected was explosive chemistry between him and his mate. When he pulled away, shock remained on Will’s face, too. The Omega hadn’t been expecting that either. Alex knew his next words were crucial. He brushed his lips against Will’s ear, liked how the Omega shivered, entire body tensed and waiting for Alex’s next move.

“I know you didn’t want this, never asked to be mated to me. Neither did I, but we’re both here now. We can start by being friends first.”

The guests erupted in applause and congratulations, probably only seeing the image they projected. Will was a good actor, too, he realized.

Will looked at him warily and touched his bottom lip, still swollen from Alex’s initial kiss. Will snorted, and that left him intrigued. Only a moment ago, this Omega trembled in fear, but now, Alex glimpsed fire in those eyes, steel in Will’s spine.

His lion roared in approval.

“That’s not how a friend kisses,” Will stated, and for the first time that day, he smiled.

Maybe this little Omega could prove to be a welcomed challenge after all, would provide some spice to their marriage of convenience.

“Maybe I want to be more than your friend,” Alex continued in the same conspiratorial whisper.

He reached for Will’s hand, gave it a squeeze. The Omega huffed, probably saw it as a challenge, and gripped his hand. Alex gently steered them down the aisle.

“I don’t get you,” Will muttered under his breath in a voice only Alex could hear. “First you want to be friends, then more?”

“It’s because I saw the fire in you. I thought you were going to break down mid-ceremony.”

Will scoffed. “I’m made of sterner stuff.”

“Indeed.” The more Alex spent time with his mate, the more he became interested.

He knew next to nothing about Will, only saw his duty when it came to this entire affair, but Alex began to see that was a mistake. They could build something between them, he realized. Will was not the timid little Omega he pictured but was turning out to be someone more complex. First, though, he needed to get past some of Will’s defenses.

Alex wasn’t naive. Trust needed to be built for any relationship to bloom, and he planned on spending plenty of time with his new mate. This might end up being beneficial for both of them after all.

“You should wipe that scowl off your face, baby. Others might think you don’t like me,” he remarked.

“I don’t like you. That’s the truth.”

“Oh? Then I’ll have you know that I’m not the sort of man who backs down from a challenge.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“Now, you’ve caught a glimpse of the package,” Will said, gesturing to himself. “What’s your verdict?”

He reached out, let his claws slide out of his hand. Will caught his breath but didn’t move, only breathing hard as he dragged his claws down Will’s shirt, making all the buttons fly off.

“You know what I want. Do you want the same thing?” he had to ask.

Will nodded, resolution in his eyes. “Yes. Take me, Alex. Make me yours.”

Whether Will resounded out of recklessness or care, it no longer mattered. A lion prince didn’t ask again. He nodded to Will’s clothes. “Take them off.”

“You, too,” Will said, making him laugh.

Nonetheless, he peeled off his jacket, followed by his shirt. Will paused as he worked on his belt buckle.

“What?” he asked. “Who gave you permission to stop?”

Will huffed. “I was about to compliment your rock-hard abs, but never mind.”

“Compliment me nonetheless.”

Will stuck out his tongue. “Maybe next time.”

“Oh, Omega, we’re going to have so much fun. Now take off your pants before I rip them off you.” Will must have sensed the threat in his voice, because the Omega hurriedly undressed.

He enjoyed the sight of Will, naked, vulnerable, and all his. He could imagine Will’s creamy fleshed marked by his bite marks and smirked. The lion inside him roared in approval. Alex dropped his bottoms. Will sucked in a breath, staring.

“You’re so big,” Will said.

“That another compliment?”

“Can you really fit inside me?” Will asked in wonder. Alex detected no trace of fear in his voice. Good.

“I can, and I will.” Alex gave Will a push on the chest so the Omega landed on his back on the bed. “Scoot up.”

Will obeyed, and he joined Will in bed, crawling above his mate but keeping his hands on either side of Will’s head, keeping his weight off Will. Will looked so stiff, uncertain, so he lowered his head and kissed his Omega again. Will responded hungrily, and he did the same, letting Will explore and touch the length of his body.

He pulled his mouth away, started to go lower. Reaching the side of Will’s neck, he gave the spot connecting shoulder and neck a kiss. Will shivered. It probably hadn’t escaped Will that spot was special, where Alex would eventually put his mate mark. Shifters bonded for life, and once the mating bond took hold, they were bound forever.

Alex used to dread it, but not anymore. In fact, he felt freer than he’d ever been. He bit Will there, not hard enough draw blood but sufficient enough to leave a bruise, before moving lower. Alex took Will’s left nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, before biting down, too. At the same time, he reached for Will’s dick and started to stroke.

The Omega moaned as he left more nips and bites down the line of Will’s body. Reaching Will’s cock, he gave the leaking tip a kiss, before using his tongue to swipe away the pre-cum. Will shuddered, but he gave Will’s thigh a warning squeeze.

“Not yet, I want to taste you.”

Will snorted. “Easy for you to say.”

Will was still capable of retorts, which meant Alex hadn’t been doing his job well. Alex tongued Will’s cockhead, traced the entire length of Will’s prick from tip to root. Even Will’s balls, he didn’t neglect. He sucked at them until Will buckled above him and started to beg him for release.

Much better.

Not done yet, he pried Will’s legs further and went past Will’s crease to reach the Omega’s puckered entrance.

“Alex,” Will said, voice breathy. “Not there. No one’s ever—”

He traced Will’s entrance with his tongue, before pushing it in. Alex knew that Will already cleaned up for today. Will groaned above him, and he didn’t need to raise his head to know Will had colored.

“Oh my God.”

Alex smiled and pushed his tongue in and out. Will was like any male Omega, self-lubricating, making things handy for him. Alex pulled his face away and crawled back up, only to squeeze Will’s prick.

“Come for me. Do it now.”

At his order, Will erupted, spilling strings of his cum over his fingers. Alex savored the unguarded expression that crossed Will’s face. The Omega expelled a sigh, but they weren’t done yet. To make his point, he gave Will’s softening cock a squeeze.

“I need to fuck you, right now,” he said.

Will smiled lazily at him, just like a pampered house cat. Well, Alex would make it a point to render Will undone as many times as he could. He liked that look of satisfaction on Will’s face. “Exactly my thoughts, my Rex.”

He grinned at the title. “Call me ‘Your Majesty’ next.”

Will blinked. “You’ve got to be joking.”

“I never joke.”

He rolled off the bed, held his dick, already engorged and thick, and gave it a few pumps. Will slid lower down the bed, until his legs dangled off the edge.

“Good kitty.”

Will glared at him in answer. 

“Tell me, kitty cat.” Damn it, Alex couldn’t stop himself. “You ready for this? To feel me buried so deep inside you that you can’t breathe?”

Lost Prince

STORY EXCERPT

“Aw, come on, little human. I’ll show you a good time.”

“Bradley, he already said no,” added a new voice. Aden.

Bradley frowned, turned in his chair. Up close, Aden looked more impressive, like some kind of behemoth. An attractive behemoth, Corey corrected. Bradley rose to his feet, as if he wanted to prove some kind of point. Bradley’s eyes flashed amber, and he stilled, realizing a shifter had been hitting on him. It wasn’t just that, but Aden had the same eyes.

He knew that a shifter’s eyes changed eye color when they felt intense emotions like anger or jealousy, but Aden looked calm. Cassie had the same golden eyes, too. What did that mean?

“Aden, heard you were back in town. Prodigal prince comes home and all that, huh?” Bradley drawled. Aden didn’t say a word, and Corey wondered what Bradley meant by “prince.” Some kind of nickname?

Corey felt like he got in the middle of some strange dominant battle, because while Aden didn’t do or speak, merely stood there, not breaking eye contact with Bradley, Aden emanated power. He was human, wasn’t sure exactly what he was sensing, but it felt like the temperature in the air-conditioned café turned hot.

It was Bradley who dropped his gaze and mumbled, “I saw the tasty human first.”

“And he said he wasn’t interested,” Aden finished.

“Clearly not in me, but he seems to have the hots for you,” Bradley mumbled.

“How’s Terry doing, Brad?”

Brad straightened, then a guilty expression crossed his face. “We had a fight. You know how Terry is. One little fight and he doesn’t talk to me for a week.”

“Even now?” At Brad’s dejected look, the big guy suddenly looked less scary and simply embarrassed and sad. Aden clasped his shoulder. “Go make him something special tonight. Plan a romantic evening. Make him remember why he fell in love with you in the first place.”

“You think that would really work?” Brad asked.

“Won’t hurt to try.”

Brad nodded. “Good to have you back, Aden.”

As Brad walked away, Corey muttered under his breath, “Shifters.”

“You have something against us, little human?” Aden sounded amused as he took the seat Brad previously occupied.

He straightened. “Only shifters can look like they want to kill each other one moment and be good buddies the next.”

Aden shrugged those impressive shoulders. “I’ve known him since we were kids. Most shifters are like that. They wanna appear tough, but deep down? They can be fluffy marshmallows.”

Corey didn’t know if Aden was pulling his leg or being serious, because he doubted a man like Aden could be best described as fluffy. As gorgeous as Aden looked, there was no forgetting he was a lethal shifter dangerous enough to spook a big guy like Brad.

“Don’t believe me?” Aden nodded to his empty coffee mug. “Want another?”

Aden was flirting with him. Was that possible?

He stiffened, looked left and right, and wondered if this was some kind of practical joke. Guys like Aden, shifter or not, didn’t hit on the boring and mediocre Coreys of the world.

Huh. Either this was real, or Aden’s pals were good at hiding.

“Thank you for the offer, but like I told Brad, I’m busy.”

Aden’s golden eyebrows rose. “You going to brush me aside just like that, when I can smell your arousal?”

“W-what? Can shifters do that?”

“Of course. Don’t be scared, but I was lured by your enticing scent.”

“I don’t scare easily,” he lied. Corey’s heart hammered. He was frightened of his attraction to this big shifter male and of his desire to know Aden better.

“Prove it.”

“W-why are you hitting on me anyway, if you have a girlfriend?”

Aden crossed his arms, making his biceps and triceps bulge. Corey tried not to stare, he really did.

“Your coffee,” said Cassie, setting down a steaming mug in front of Aden.

“What are you talking about?” Aden asked.

“Dude, Cassie’s standing next to you,” he blurted.

Cassie and Aden blinked, then looked at each other. It was uncanny, and he realized he finally noticed the family resemblance.

“What’s he talking about?” Cassie asked Aden.

“The cute little human thinks you’re my girlfriend. We’d make an adorable pair, don’t you think, cousin?”

That made Cassie laugh and him blush so hard he was certain his face and cheeks were red.

“Don’t tease Corey, he’s a sweetheart,” Cassie reprimanded, giving Aden a nudge on the shoulder.

“One more of whatever he got,” Aden told her.

“Sure thing.” She winked at Corey, who still hadn’t quite recovered.

“You still owe me for lying your ass off to me,” Aden added, then returned his golden gaze to him. “Where were we?”

“Are your eyes naturally like that?”

Oh God. What was he doing? It looked like Corey was about to win the rudest human of the year award or something. Aden didn’t look offended, thank God.

“Yep, at least most of the family members in the Golden bloodline are.”

“Golden? As in the family who rules the resident lion pride?” Well, that explained why Brad called Aden prince.

“Yep, but I’m sort of the black sheep. Enough about me, I’m more interested in you, little human.” Aden meant those words, Corey realized, because Aden looked at him like he was good enough to eat.

Come get me, king of the jungle.

Oh, hell. Where did that train of thought come from? Good thing Corey kept that to himself. He simply chalked it off to not getting any for months. If he had to be honest, it had been close a year since he last dated any one, and Ben the accountant was like a one and Aden was ten, beyond his league.

Aden’s lips tugged into a smile, and he wondered if he did something funny. His mouth dropped, and if possible, he blushed even deeper.

“I just said those words out loud, didn’t I?”

ADULT EXCERPT

Corey rubbed himself against Aden, unafraid of Aden’s growl. God. Simply touching like this and one kiss, and Corey’s control could easily unravel. He could have come at that moment, but held back, not wanting Aden to think he was a horny and eager teenager.

Aden pulled away, grabbed his shoulder, and spun him, bending him over the counter. He groaned, pressing his cheek against the cool counter.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” Aden said against his ear, breath warm, chest resting against the curve of Corey’s back.

“God don’t stop. Do you have any idea how frustrated you’ve made me? I was beginning to wonder if you might have lost interest in me, sexually anyway. If you wanted to be friends, that would have been fine—”

Aden shut him up with another kiss.

Well, Corey couldn’t quite call it that, because Aden took his mouth, all tongue and teeth. The dominant lion released him, then used a foot to nudge his legs open. Corey was glad Aden couldn’t see his blush, because at this angle, Aden could clearly see his tight balls and fully erect prick. He groaned when Aden gave his dick a few tugs.

“Tell me, little human. Do you want to come?”

Little human. Corey was seriously becoming fond of that nickname. It made him feel special, and no one had ever bothered giving him a term of endearment. Before the whole Basher thing, he did date, but his ex-boyfriends seemed to tire of him quickly, and he’d only had sex with one. None of them had made him feel the way Aden did, like his entire body was an instrument, and he was reduced to nothing but sensation and animal noises.

Recalling Aden asked him a question, he managed to answer, “Yes.”

“Not yet though. Can you hold on a little longer?” Aden gave his balls a pull, and he moaned.

“I’ll try.”

“Wait a sec, I’m grabbing the condom and lube.”

He thought Aden would need to rush to the bathroom, but when he looked over his shoulder, Aden grabbed the items from the pocket of his jeans.

“Well prepared, huh?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Of course, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Aden was a gorgeous specimen. He didn’t know why he felt a tinge of jealousy either. It wasn’t like Aden belonged exclusively to him.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aden asked, running his hand down his spine and up again, the gesture strangely calming.

He bit his lip and told Aden the truth. Aden frowned and Corey finally said, “I’m petty.”

“Not at all. Corey, I didn’t want to scare you earlier, but you’re it for me.”

His heart thudded. Did he mishear those words? Better yet, had he been dreaming all this while?

“What?”

“You’re the one man I’ve been searching for my entire life, my mate. I’ve known since I spotted you at the café.”

Corey was definitely dreaming, except Aden speared fingers through his hair and pressed hot and demanding lips against his. Could an ordinary human really be the mate of an extraordinary lion prince?

Just when Corey thought his life was getting nowhere, Aden appeared like a bright ball of sunshine. Now, he woke up each morning, excited at the prospect of seeing Aden. Aden, who made his heart race, made him laugh, who liked every inch of him without needing to change a thing.

“What does that mean?” he asked when Aden released his mouth.

Aden placed a kiss on the back of his neck. “That you’re mine, all of you, and I’m yours. I’ll cherish you for all my life, and I’ll protect you against any enemy.”

“Sounds like a marriage proposal.” Corey was a little shaken—what human wouldn’t be—and yet, some part of him knew what Aden said was true. Putting aside attraction, didn’t he feel an instant connection when he first met Aden?

“We shifters mate for life. I choose you, Corey. Will you chose me?”

* * * *

Aden knew he gave Corey plenty to think about, but he couldn’t stop now. He grabbed the lube, slathered some on his fingers and worked plenty into Corey’s asshole. Corey moaned as he pushed one finger in and added a second.

“Yes,” Corey murmured. “I want to be yours, too.”

His lion roared inside him in approval. Aden knew he picked the right man. He began making twisting motions, readying Corey for his access. Aden wasn’t exactly small, and hurting Corey was the last thing he wanted.

Corey made it hard though, damn it. The human kept thrusting his tight little ass at him.

“Aden, take me.”

Fuck, but hearing need in Corey’s voice made him want to sink his dick into Corey’s entrance right now. Instead, he gave Corey’s ass a swat, making the human jump.

“Why do I find that hot?”

Just for that comment, Aden smacked his ass cheeks again.

“Oh God, I’ll really come.”

“Not yet,” Aden chided. He wanted bite Corey while his mate came undone. Deciding Corey was ready, he grabbed the condom foil, broke it, but Corey interrupted him.

“I read shifters couldn’t catch anything, and I’m clean. No need for that.”

“Good.”

Aden tossed the rubber away, immensely pleased, because he didn’t want to have a thin piece of plastic preventing his naked dick meeting Corey’s ass. He gripped Corey’s hips and guided his dick into Corey’s hole. He pushed, slowly, steadily, gritting his teeth. Aden wanted to shove his prick all the way in, but controlled himself.

“So big,” Corey uttered.

“Breathe, little human. In and out. That’s good,” he said.

It seemed talking to Corey helped, because Corey’s inner muscles relaxed around his dick. Once Aden passed the thick ring of muscles though, it became easier. Aden sunk all the way home, until his balls brushed against Corey’s ass. Corey mewled, and he leaned forward and kissed his mate once more, slow and tender.

When he withdrew, he said, “Good job, baby. Now comes the best part.”