STORY EXCERPT

“You’re concerned about our lifestyles,” Misha stated.

“Well, yeah, ’course! But now I’m concerned someone is trying to kill you,” Hayden exclaimed, his hair moving due to the electricity in his body surging.

“I am being safe and working to identify who it is. We have spent no time together and I want to rectify this, Hayden. The moment I woke cramped in the back of the wagon with you beside me, I have wanted to breathe in your Valentine’s scent and be close to you. I find though we’ve only been walking together and talking a few moments that I long to stay here for hours getting to know you.”

Which was the truth. Misha had heard of people saying they experienced an instant connection and the person felt just right to them, though could never explain this phenomenon.

“It’s a nice spot.” Hayden smiled, this time without hesitation. “This between us is a lot, isn’t it. I feel the electricity inside me pulsing and sparking and I’m sure it’s going to shoot out at any time. Are you here because I asked about ordering the potion?”

“I’m here because I want to be with you, Hayden,” Misha replied, noting how pretty his mate’s eyes were. The brown parts of the hazel were golden with little streaks of green and framed with long, fine honey brown lashes. How could he have been so remiss in not noticing before? Desire was always present for Hayden, even when apart. Now it beat at him. “We do not know one another except for an intense situation at our first meeting. You could have come to me over the last few days and I wonder why you did not.”

After a moment Hayden nodded and met Misha’s gaze. “It’s a good point. I’m conflicted. The last few years I haven’t been sure of my future in the way that I don’t actually know what I want to do. I’ve worked as an electrician for so long, I have my own business and my life has been going along nicely. But sometimes we need a change, right?”

“Sometimes yes. It can be a small change, or something larger that impacts your life,” Misha agreed but said no more as he wanted to listen and understand his mate.

“Exactly!” Hayden exclaimed, arms rising and falling. “This with us is huge. Is it the change I was looking for? And what about my life back in Ariel? What about your life and having me in it?” His hands swept up and down in front of himself. “I’m not an official person and everything about you is official! I can’t help with the coven. I can’t even decide what to have for breakfast some days.”

“I don’t know what to have for breakfast some days either and often have the same every day as it is simpler.”

Hayden blinked. “Don’t you have chefs?”

“Yes. The coven has chefs. I like to barbecue, I have found, and am becoming quite good at it. Making decisions in the morning is sometimes hard so I drink coffee and see what is in my fridge.”

“That sounds so…normal. But you’re in a different universe from normal.”

Misha laughed, a full laugh. It felt good. When he stopped, Hayden looked more relaxed.

“Coven life is probably in a different universe. We have many rules and there are traditions and ceremonies I, and you as my mate, must participate in. In your family, do you not have traditions and rules that work best for all of you? Do you enjoy them all?”

“Err, no. But I do them. I get what you mean.”

“These can all be learned and I understand that you may not enjoy them and will be only tolerating them. I am working to build unification and believe everyone belongs, unless of course they are causing others pain and are undermining the values of the coven.”

“Well, I’ve been a bit of a douche.” Hayden flushed. “I’d like to see the coven, but I would prefer to get to know you before that.”

“I love that plan.” And Misha did. “Come to dinner with me tonight—no, I will rephrase. I would enjoy taking you out for dinner tonight. Will you join me?”

“Okay.” Hayden’s response was eager and they both smiled. “I didn’t bring going out clothes with me, actually, I didn’t bring anything, but maybe Deakin or someone at the Estate can lend me some clothes.”

“Allow me to do one small thing for you and your siblings who had the misadventure of being caught up in my situation, and send all of you a selection of essentials and non-essentials. You and your siblings placed yourselves in danger for me and I would not feel right if I do not assist all of you because of the upheaval in your lives.”

“Okay, just a few things though because helping someone doesn’t come with strings attached. I like that you asked and didn’t just send over stuff. Not that it wouldn’t be appreciated, but it’s good to be able to have input, you know?”

Unable to help himself because he was overwhelmed with that one statement, Misha moved with his supernatural speed and, wrapping Hayden in his arms, did what he had wanted the very moment he opened his eyes and saw his mate for the first time. He kissed Hayden. His mate didn’t protest and wrapped his arms around Misha’s waist. Electricity zapped him, causing his heart rate to escalate and pulled Hayden firmly against him, returning Misha’s kisses just as greedily.

He wanted to feel his sprite’s passion, to taste it and know he wasn’t alone feeling the incredible storm of sensations, desire and needs. Hayden’s hands swept over Misha’s arms, squeezing and caressing, then moving up to loop his arms around Misha’s neck and pull urgently . Misha obliged, leaning down while devouring his mate’s mouth. It felt like electricity zapped between them.

ADULT EXCERPT

Hayden was quickly distracted with Misha removing his clothes. The vampire was six and a half foot of toned and trim yumminess. Smooth olive skin, defined muscles that weren’t big and bulging, and sharp, gorgeous features. He shivered in delight and his dick ached and dribbled.

“You appear to have forgotten to remove your clothes, my sprite.” Misha’s hands were on him before Hayden had even blinked, he was stepping out of his jeans and underwear, his shirt and jacket were gone and the scarf he’d wound three times around his neck to stop the cold was tossed aside.

Misha laid them on the deck and the warmth of his body kept the chill out. The space was awkward and cramped but just right for incredibly close contact.

“Lube.” Hayden waved a hand toward the basket and accidently struck it with a little blast of electricity as he was so excited. “Oh, damn. I hope that didn’t hit anything important.”

Misha stretched to reach the smoking basket and dug inside. Hayden stroked the miles of exposed flesh in front of him.

“The lube suffered a minor injury but is still usable.” Misha flashed one of his cheeky smiles and placed the lube beside them. “I want to claim and bond, my darling sprite. Will you allow this? And bond with me in turn?”

Hayden nodded vigorously. “Yep. All of it.”

No more was said from Misha. Hayden, though, murmured about how smooth Misha felt, how he loved the defined grooves and muscles, and kissing. Oh, Hayden loved to kiss. It was personal and sensual and he expressed how he felt. Misha obliged, his kisses deep and slow as he cupped Hayden’s face in a long slender hand. He swept his hands over Misha, fingers clinging and caressing, touching as much of his mate as he could.

The next time they had to breathe, Misha slipped his arm out from beneath Hayden’s head and urged him onto his back. Hayden murmured dissatisfaction to no longer be kissing until his mate kissed his collar bone and a hand stroked over his chest and plucked a nipple.

Sliding a hand into Misha’s silky hair, he reached out with the other to touch whichever part of his mate he could. There wasn’t an inch of him that Misha didn’t caress and explore. He tried not to move because he didn’t want to dissuade the vampire, but he couldn’t help squirming when Misha’s tongue flicked over his nipples, or when a hand brushed his inner thighs.

As Misha made his way down Hayden’s body, he automatically opened his legs to accommodate. With the tight fit for two people between the bench seats, Hayden rolled onto his stomach and turned his head to the side.

“You delight me, my sprite.” Misha leaned over him and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. Misha nuzzled the back of Hayden’s neck. “I adore your Valentine’s scent and that you have agreed to be my Valentine for all time.” Fingers swirled in circles over Hayden’s body, leaving a blaze of sensual tingles. “I am beyond attracted to you.” Those wonderful fingers glided over Hayden’s reasonably flat ass, caressed and lingered. “I love you, Hayden Julian Myers.”

Misha’s fingers slipped between his ass cheeks and he felt a large drizzle of lube that was spread over his hole. The anticipation, the declaration of love drove his need so wild that he could barely concentrate on responding, but he managed to get the words out as a long slender finger rubbed over his hole and pressed against the muscle.

“I-I love you, too.” Hayden wished he was as articulate as Misha. Even the ego Hayden found astoundingly attractive, but it was damn difficult to concentrate with a finger sliding into him.

Thoughts were lost and a lot of sensations and physical feelings engulfed him. He wanted Misha to rush but couldn’t expect that when Hayden didn’t like to be rushed. Oh, man, he wanted to be filled. The finger was awesome and he lifted his ass up, wiggling. Misha leant over Hayden and pressed a kiss to his lips then trailed kisses and exquisite little nips along his spine while that finger inside moved around, brushing against the delicate little bundle of nerves that caused him to gasp and wiggle more.

Another finger slid in just as slowly as the first. He expressed his pleasure of this with murmured encouragement of little moans and wiggles. While there was the urge and need for his dick to be touched, he knew if Misha did, it would be a brief caress before he was coming.

He loved the attention Misha gave to his body, kissing all the way down to Hayden’s ass then nipping one flat cheek, causing him to squeal in pleasure and surprise. Vamps obviously liked nipping! At the same time Misha’s other hand had guided Hayden’s legs apart and stroked over his thighs, caressing in circular motions. By the time a third finger sunk inside him, there was no thought of chilly air because he was hot and aching for more.

Misha did not leave Hayden aching for long. Removing his fingers, he drizzled lube on his long, nicely plumped dick and, leaning down, placed one hand beneath Hayden on his lower stomach and urged him up a little more, then blanketing him, pressed inside.

It was a slow, luxurious pleasure he never wanted to end. He felt every groove of Misha’s dick as he was being filled and stretched, wiggling to adjust. Misha neither slowed down nor quickened his pace, pressing deeper a little at a time, the hand on Hayden’s lower stomach holding him in place.

His dick throbbed and twitched, the urge to push back and take all of his mate inside nearly overwhelming. But he loved the slow, deliberate taking.

By the time Misha filled him completely, stretching so he was full and aching, Hayden just knew he couldn’t hold off much longer.