STORY EXCERPT

“Is there a reason you’re bothering me? Did you need something?” Hale stepped under the steaming hot water, letting the scorching temperature wash away his anger.

“There is, actually. I got word that the Warriors of the Light are recruiting.”

“So?” Hale asked, annoyance lacing his tone.

For so long, Hale had wanted to end the Warriors of the Light. To carry on where his mother had left off before she fell in love and lost every ounce of evil in her body. Hale wanted to rule the world and own everyone on the planet. To make slaves out of the humans. But that desire faded away that night he woke to find the one person he wanted to control the most gone. Like a thief in the night, Colby abandoned him again. And in the past ten years, he hadn’t heard or seen the other man, and it wasn’t for lack of looking. Hale had made it his personal mission to search for Colby, but nothing. Colby had disappeared without a trace.

“If they grow in numbers, then they might stand a chance of overthrowing us,” Christopher spat as he walked toward the glass shower door.

“Like I said, so?” Hale didn’t care. He no longer believed in the mission of taking over the world, nor did he want to. All he wanted was to find Colby and make that little shit pay for making him feel.

“I can’t believe you.” Christopher paced back and forth, shaking his head. His blond hair hung neatly around his face, layered so perfectly. “This has been our mission for so long to gain the upper hand on those pompous warriors and take every single one of them down. We were going to rule the world together.”

Hale started laughing. Christopher was always an ambitious little fucker. Kayson had been right. Christopher was using Hale to gain power and control. That was something he would never allow.

“What is so funny?” Christopher glared at him.

“Christopher, I’m not sure what reality you’re living in, but you mean nothing to me.” He turned off the water and opened the glass door. “All you were was a warm hole to fuck, and that’s lost its appeal.” He saw the flash of hurt cross Christopher’s face before he covered it with one of anger. “What we had between us was mutual gratification. Not love.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Hale.” Christopher giggled. “Love was never what I found so appealing about you. But nonetheless, get your shit together. We can’t let those fuckers get the upper hand.”

“Don’t really care.” Hale grabbed a towel and started to dry off. He just wished Christopher would go away.

“You don’t care?” Christopher grabbed Hale by his forearm, digging his sharp nails into his skin. “Total world domination was always the plan, Hale. You promised.”

“I promised you nothing.” He jerked his arm away, swallowing the wince as Christopher’s nails ripped open the skin on his arm. “Now, go away.” Hale turned his back on the other man and finished drying off. “Christopher!”

“Yes?” Christopher’s black eyes lit up with joy.

“Send Warner up to my room. I need to speak with him.”

“Yes, sir.” Christopher was deflated as he left Hale’s room. Christopher used him like Hale had used him. There was no love between them. Hale liked to dominate Christopher, and Christopher liked using Hale’s power to torture others.

Hale walked back into his room and went to his dresser. He grabbed a pair of dark blue jeans, not bothering with underwear. He pulled on his pants, then yanked on his socks. As he wandered over to the closet, he heard a soft knock on the door.

“Come in.” He picked out a long-sleeved black button-up shirt. He turned his attention toward the door to see Warner just barely inside his room.

Warner was a witch. He was fairly young, not more than fifty years old, yet he still looked like he was eighteen. Warner was dangerous, because more often than not he couldn’t control his powers, which meant innocent people died around the younger man. The only good thing about Warner was how powerful he was, and Hale could use that power.

“You wanted to see me?”

“I did.” Hale crossed his room to sit on the edge of the bed and put on his black boots. “You can come in, Warner.”

“Yes, sorry, sir.” Warner walked quickly into the room, bumping into Hale’s nightstand as he passed it. He apologized to the inanimate object, then eased down to sit on the bed next to Hale.

Hale bit back his laughter. The witch was so skittish. It was cute and funny, and Hale knew how much Warner hated being so clumsy.

“Have you found anything on him?” Hale asked the question he’d been asking Warner about at least once a week since Colby escaped him ten years ago.

“No, sir.” Warner shook his head. He clasped his hands together, twisting his fingers. “It’s as if he doesn’t exist anymore.” Warner turned frightened eyes up at him. “Are you sure he isn’t dead?”

“No,” Hale said with a finality that shook the walls. “I’d know if he was dead. No, he’s just hiding.” Hale was sure of it.

Hale wouldn’t put it past Colby’s fathers and uncles to hide him away to where Hale could never find him. But he knew they were just as lost as him. Hale had been following Colby’s fathers and even his own brother and uncle, but nothing. If the Warriors of the Light knew where Colby was, they hid it well. Hale wanted to believe it was all for show, but Hale had seen Miles, one of Colby’s fathers, out one day. The sadness on that man’s face couldn’t be faked. Hale felt safe in saying no one knew where Colby had taken off to. And this made Hale’s job harder in finding his mate.

“I’ll keep searching, sir.” Warner breathed out a heavy sigh.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Hale, please.” Colby stared at him with those blue eyes. Such a soft, inviting blue that Hale was tempted to rip the glowing orbs from Colby’s face so that he could keep them with him when Colby eventually left him again.

“Shut up,” Hale ground out between clenched teeth. “You don’t get to speak.” Hale rubbed his nose against Colby’s cheek, breathing in deep his intoxicating scent. He’d never tire of that smell. Colby’s skin was so soft and delicate. Hale wanted to scrap his teeth over the flesh to mark it up. “You are the cause of all my anguish.” Hale couldn’t resist. He flicked his tongue over the juncture of skin and muscle where Colby’s shoulder met his neck and bit down hard.

Colby cried out and arched his body upward, rubbing his hard body against Hale’s. Hale ripped his teeth from Colby none to nicely, tearing skin and muscle. Blood leaked from the wound to dampen the collar of his shirt. Hale watched as Colby’s skin mended back together. Only evidence of Hale biting him were the stains on his shirt.

Overcome with need, Hale growled and jerked away from Colby, grabbing Colby’s wrist and thrusting him against the counter that ran along the wall. Hale hovered behind Colby, meeting his stare in the mirror. Hale narrowed his eyes and smiled. Colby should have never come here, but he did, so Hale couldn’t be held accountable for what he did next. It had been too long.

“Look at you.” Hale lifted his hand to wrap around Colby’s neck. He squeezed lightly. “You think you’re better than me, but you’re not.” Hale thrust his hips against Colby’s firm ass, rubbing his hard cock in the crease that shielded his tight little hole. He reached around and grabbed at Colby’s stiffness. Hale smiled triumphantly. “You’re hard as steel. You want me. You might think you’re better than me, but you’re just as sick and twisted.”

“I never thought I was better than you,” Colby moaned. He shut his eyes and tried to lean his head forward, but Hale wouldn’t let him. He wanted Colby to see the desire in his own eyes. And to know Hale was the only one who could give him what he needed. “Hale, please.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Hale pumped his clothed cock against Colby. “Beg for me. You dirty little whore. I’m going to give you what you want. I’m going to use you up, make it so no one else will ever want you again. Isn’t that what you want, Colby?”

Colby didn’t say anything. He just shook his head but didn’t deny Hale’s words. Hale could smell Colby’s desire in the air. It was so thick, Hale could barely breathe.

Hale jerked Colby’s shirt up his back. Colby’s hands didn’t move from where he was gripping on to the countertop. His long, thin fingers were a bright white as the other man tried to get control of himself. It was a losing battle. Hale had already won.

Hale reached around Colby, unfastened his pants, and shoved them down just enough to expose Colby’s ass. Hale reached down and cupped the tight cheeks, molding his hands to the firmness. Hale dropped to his knees, pulled apart Colby’s ass cheeks, and buried his face in between. The fresh, clean smell of his soap and sweat fill his senses. This is what he’s missed in his life. No other lovers could make him feel this out of control as Colby did. Hale flicked his tongue out to wet Colby’s entrance.

“Holy shit,” Colby moaned.

Hale smiled against Colby’s skin as he took what he wanted. He forced his tongue into that tiny rosebud and split Colby open. Colby cried out louder but other than that didn’t move. Smart man. Hale was looking for any excuse to punish his mate. Hale tightened his grip on Colby’s hips, no doubt bruising the creamy flesh.

His need to be inside Colby had Hale standing up. He didn’t bother fingering Colby’s hole, wanting Colby to feel every inch of him as Hale entered his body. Hale wanted Colby to know who he belonged to.

Hale unfastened his jeans, reached in, and pulled out his cock. The tip was damp with his excitement. He rubbed the fat head over Colby’s opening, grinning like a mad man when Colby pushed back against him. Yes, his mate wanted this, too.

Without warning, Hale grabbed his thick length, put it at Colby’s opening, and shoved his hips forward. The entry was dry and raw, and Hale’s body tingled as he heard Colby cry out in pain. Hale pushed his entire cock into Colby, only stopping when his hips touch that sweet ass. He shuddered at finally being allowed to have what he’d been craving for the past ten years.

“Your body was made for me.” Hale wound his arms around Colby’s trembling body. “Hugging me in all the right places.” Hale opened his eyes to look upon Colby in the mirror.

Colby’s cheeks were red, and one tear streaked down his left cheek, but the hard cock sticking up against his stomach, trapped by the counter, told Hale all he needed to know. Colby wanted this, needed this, craved it just like Hale did. It was about ownership and there was no doubt Hale owned Colby from head to toe.

Hale pulled his hips back, then slowly entered Colby’s snug channel again. He leaned his head down to press his lips to Colby’s sweating neck. Yes, this was what true submission and ownership felt like. Fucking Colby was utterly divine. Hale’s balls pulled up close to his body, and he was shaking.

“Tell me you want it, Colby.” Hale sucked up bruises on Colby’s smooth neck. “Tell me how wet you are for me.”

“Stop fucking talking.” Colby gasped for air. “Just get on with it.”