STORY EXCERPT

Without giving up, Milo ran faster. He turned the corner and dodged a human. He could be invisible to them, but they wouldn't go through him. It wasn't good, because the sidewalks were filled with people going home after work and he had to dodge them as best he could.

Fortunately, he spotted an alley. He glanced over his shoulder and didn't see Alexis, so he trotted into the alleyway. Milo took a deep breath and peeked out. It wasn't that he wanted Alexis to give up on him. Well, it was a bittersweet feeling, because he had no idea how he would manage his life if he had to work, protect his loved ones, and be with Alexis at the same time.

He stared at the other side of the street. Alexis came jumping from the other side, the waves of muscle on his strong torso pressing against his white shirt as he approached at an incredible speed.

“Damn it,” Milo muttered. He looked over his shoulder. There was no way out. He galloped to the end of the alleyway and turned to Alexis. “What do you want from me? I already told you—”

“I will not give up,” Alexis said firmly. His horse body changed into human legs and he got closer. “Milo, I live nearby. I'm offering you the vaccine because you said that two centaurs mating looked unnatural to you for some reason. I've waited this long so I can be with you. Please don't give me any more excuses.”

The abnormality of two centaurs mating had been a strange excuse from him and Alexis had seen through it. Milo looked away when Alexis stood in front of him. He was shorter, but if Milo were in human form, he would definitely be way shorter than Alexis.

“I don't have time for a relationship,” Milo mumbled. He knew that these were all excuses, and Alexis had figured that out more than enough times. However, he still didn't want to get distracted from protecting the ones he loved.

 “Don't give me that.” Alexis wrapped his arms around Milo's waist and hugged him to his strong chest. “I want to be with you.”Milo’s heart jumped in his chest. Just Alexis's touch made his body react. He knew that he had Alexis as a life mate, so not being around him for almost one year had taken a toll on him. They'd only seen each other at dinners in Centura at their friends' houses and had barely talked. If he didn't escape, there was no turning back, but now he wasn't so sure if he wanted to escape. What should he do?

Alexis pulled away to look at Milo and rested his chin on Milo’s chest, his dark eyes gazing into Milo’s, and his wavy brown hair pulled back. “I can make you turn completely human, and I brought the vaccine with me. I can give it to you now, if you want.”

Milo pursed his lips. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with Alexis as a complete human, and he'd been wanting to be in plain sight instead of being invisible. “Okay,” he uttered, and Alexis stared at him in surprise. “But don't expect me to repay you in the way that you're thinking.”

“Of course not,” Alexis said. “All I want is to see you happy.”

This couldn't be happening. The first few times that he'd met Alexis, the guy had only wanted to fuck him, but now he sounded so honest. He watched as Alexis held Milo's wrist and pulled his sleeve up. The man then reached into his front pocket and took out a small syringe from a box. “Secondary effects?”

“I made sure there are none,” Alexis said, focused on what he was doing.

Now that Milo looked closer at Alexis, the older centaur looked tired. He couldn't imagine how many hours a day the guy had put into his research while protecting Michael Bryson's human mate at the same time. He flinched when Alexis poked his arm with the syringe and injected the clear liquid into him.

“Now, all you have to do is think hard that you want to change into a human,” Alexis explained after a moment, “and after that, it will be easy. It doesn't wear off, either.”

Milo nodded. The question of how Alexis had come up with the vaccine was on the tip of his tongue, but he left it for some other time. He took a deep breath and thought about changing his horse body. “It's difficult.”

“Milo,” William called out as he approached them. “What's going on?”

“He has agreed to take the vaccine,” Alexis said. “Now he's trying to change.”

William stared up at Milo. “Will he be okay?” he asked, and Alexis nodded.

A sudden pain filled his horse body and Milo staggered. Alexis turned into his centaur form and held Milo up. “It hurts,” Milo said in pain. It hurt especially around the waist, where his human body ended and his horse body began, but it started to work. His horse body melted into a pair of human legs. He had no idea how the vaccine worked, yet it did.

ADULT EXCERPT

He took the call. “Milo, are you all right?”

“Alexis, come over,” Milo said from the other end of the line.

Alexis turned around and bolted back to the tall building, clenching the cell phone in his hand. When he arrived, the door was buzzing, so he pushed it open. He went inside and walked directly to the elevator. He pressed on the button to call it down, but the doors slid open. Milo had already sent it back down. He went inside and pressed on the button that would make the elevator take him to his mate.

His heart beat so wildly that he thought it would jump out of his chest. What if something happened to Milo? What if his mate had changed his mind and desired him right now? All of these confusing thoughts made him grow numb and in a daze.

Finally, the doors opened and he stepped into the hallway in front of the apartment. He heard a click before the door opened, and Milo came into view. “What's the matter?” His mate had a shade of pink on his cheeks.

“I think that I can't wait any longer,” Milo mumbled.

Alexis glanced down and then looked again. Milo had a hard-on that made itself evident through his clothes. “Do you want me to take care of it?”

Milo shook his head. “It's not only my body that's demanding it. It's…my whole being. We've been apart for long enough,” he answered quietly. “I didn't call you on a whim. I'm still freaking embarrassed.”

He swallowed dryly as he gazed at Milo. “What about the others? Won't they listen?”

“This is a building made by demons,” Milo said. “Any room in here is soundproof.” He stepped aside and allowed Alexis inside before he closed the door.

Alexis followed his mate. He still couldn't believe that Milo was offering himself to him, and he also wanted to give himself to Milo. His eyes went down Milo's small body until they landed on the man's round ass. That alone already had him hard.

They walked into a bedroom large enough for a centaur, the bed spacious and occupying a big part of the room. But now that he'd concocted the vaccine, Milo wouldn't need such a large bed. Perhaps if they were both on it, it would be worth having it.

Milo sat on the mattress and leaned back. “I wasn't expecting to say this today, but I'd like you to do to me whatever you want,” he said quietly.

Alexis approached Milo and rested his hands on his blushing cheeks. He turned them up. “Are you sure?” he asked, and Milo nodded. He started by unbuttoning Milo's shirt. Alexis then rested his hands on the collar and peeked inside. “Oh, man. This is…”

“Are you that impressed?” Milo uttered, his gaze on the other man.

“Of course I am.” Alexis peeled Milo's shirt off and stared for a moment. He wanted to remember the pristine skin that would soon be touched by him. Whenever he'd seen Milo in his centaur form, the man wore clothes, which he and most centaurs didn't wear in Centura.

Milo stood, startling Alexis briefly. “I'll give you a hand,” he said, and took Alexis's shirt over his head. As soon as his hands reached for Alexis's pants, he stopped Milo. “What's the matter?”

“Well,” Alexis started, looking away, “it's the first time I have human legs, so I'm not sure if you'll like them.” He turned his eyes over to Milo, who had a raised eyebrow. “What?”

Milo sighed and shook his head. “Your legs are completely normal. There's nothing to worry about.”Alexis still felt self-conscious about it. What if Milo ended up not liking his human legs? But he couldn't lose this opportunity. “All right.” Alexis took his shoes off, unfastened his belt, and finally got rid of his pants.

“Alexis,” Milo said faintly, drawing his attention. “I don't have them because it's the first time I have worn pants, but you have no underwear on.”

Alexis shrugged. “How am I supposed to know what people with human legs wear underneath their pants?” He reached for Milo and did the same. “Let's focus on what we're doing.”

Milo leaned slightly down and ran his hand along Alexis's thigh. “So smooth.”

“Thanks,” Alexis replied, sliding both of his hands around Milo's hips, and cupped his buttocks. “Yours, too.” He pushed Milo until he had his mate on the bed. Milo crawled away, his buttocks bouncing from one side to the other. That had Alexis's mouth watering. He could see that Milo was doing that on purpose.

“Come here,” Milo said, his hand reaching out. “I don't want to push you away any longer.”

Alexis took Milo's hand and was quickly yanked onto him, their shafts brushing against each other. He had to force himself not to come from just that. He'd yearned for Milo for so long that his mate's touches were driving him crazy.