STORY EXCERPT

Adler curled his fingers around the bars and tried to stare farther into the dimly lit room. If he made it out of this alive, he was no longer friends with Fresno, the Unseelie who’d gotten him in this situation in the first place. Adler’s parents had always said he was a bit too naïve. He couldn’t help it. He trusted a little too easily, and he’d been duped by someone he’d thought was his friend.

It wasn’t as if their kind was trustworthy to begin with. Adler had lost track of the times Fresno had screwed him over, but handing Adler off to some shady guy, who’d only handed Adler off to some thug who’d sold him to the highest bidder, was the last straw.

And this collar around his neck—the one that bound his ability to use incantations to get out of here—was irritating as heck. It kept chafing his skin, and he was sure his neck was red and raw. It hurt to touch that area, and it stung like the dickens.

He pressed his face against the bars and tried to peer to his right, in the direction he’d heard footsteps. As the sound grew louder, Adler pushed away from the bars but didn’t go too far.

How could he when his cell was so small that he could pace from one end to the other in just ten steps. There wasn’t even a bed, just some ratty blankets and a bucket to do his business in.

The footsteps stopped, and right outside his cell stood the menace who’d dragged Adler to this godforsaken place. He’d heard someone else call this steamy pile of cow dung Damone, and from Damone’s stench, he was a wolf shifter. Adler had never had a problem with shifters, until he’d been pulled into this nightmare. He wasn’t even sure how long he’d been there because he’d lost track of time.

A day, a week? It felt like a year, but a week sounded about right.

“You’ll be out of here soon.” Damone rested his shoulder against the bars, crossing his ankles. “Are you sure you don’t want to show me any hidden talents you have?”

Adler had seen the way Damone eyed him from the very first night he’d been there. Leering was more like it. Damone was a big brute with short black hair and cold, flat eyes.

“Only if you’re willing to let me walk out of here.”

“Oh, you’ll be walking out of here.” Damone reached for the door.

“Not that kind of walk, you idiot,” Adler argued. “I meant as a free man, no strings attached, and not off to a buyer’s house.”

Damone swung the door open and moved swiftly into the small cell, curling his hand around Adler’s throat. “Watch how you talk to me. You Seelie always think you’re better than everyone else, but I’m going to teach you that you’re no more than dog shit on the bottom of my boot.”

Adler smirked. “Dog poo, because you’re a wolf and don’t know how to clean up your own mess in the yard?”

Damone tightened his grip on Adler’s neck, which only made the thin collar dig further into his skin.

“Try to have sex with me and I’ll tell the person who bought me that you damaged the merchandise.” Alder had to think of some kind of threat to get the guy off of him, because, with the collar on, he was no match against Damone.

“I’m the one who bought you.” Damone licked the side of Adler’s face, leaving behind a moist trail that made Alder want to vomit. “As soon as things are finalized with Dracon, I’m taking you home. I knew as soon as I saw you that I had to have you. You’re all mine now, little fairy.”

Crap. That was not good. Adler would rather have been covered in honey and stung by a million bees. “Stop spreading your rabies all over me.” He shoved at Damone’s face, trying to get the creep off of him.

“You might be a stuck-up little prick, but you’re easy on the eyes.” With one hand still around Adler’s throat, Damone twirled a lock of Adler’s long white hair. “The strands are the color of snow.”

“You must have aced poetry class.” Alder shoved his knee into Damone’s groin, which made the guy stagger backward. It was a momentary reprieve, because Damone bared his canines as he glared at Alder.

“You’re going to regret doing that.”

Adler already regretted it, but at least Damone was no longer touching him. He could still smell Damone’s putrid breath on his cheek where the wolf shifter had licked him. Adler thought his skin just might shrivel up and fall off from the shifter’s germs.

Damone pulled a small vial from his front pocket and lunged at Adler again, forcing him against the stone wall. He gripped Adler’s throat once more then forced the liquid down his throat.

Adler sputtered and coughed. It felt like battery acid was sliding down his esophagus. He tried to spit the stuff out, but it was too late. Most had been ingested.

“In a few minutes, you’ll do whatever I want.”

“You gave me a roofie?” Adler pulled up the hem of his shirt and wiped at his tongue, as if that would do any good. “Is that the only way you can get people to have sex with you?”

What in the freaking heck was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut? Why did he feel a consuming need to taunt Damone?

“Not a roofie.” Damone smirked as he eased off of Adler. “Much better and more potent. You’ll do anything I ask of you once it kicks in.”

The room spun as Adler leaned sideways. If he didn’t find a way out of this mess, Damone was going to get his wish.

ADULT EXCERPT

Raven’s chuckle was soft, deep, and sinfully erotic. Adler was having a hard time remembering why he didn’t want to have sex with the guy. He liked feeling Raven’s partial weight on him. The heat at his back. That arm that was still draped over him.

“No s’mores, but if you really want to go camping, we can do that in the future.” Raven’s warm breath tickled Adler’s ear, making the tip twitch. “Your ears wiggle.”

“Go to sleep, Raven.” Adler tried to put his desires out of his mind. He tried his best to forget that his mate was spooning him. For a moment Adler considered shimmering them somewhere so they could actually be camping, because who didn’t love sleeping with nature, but he didn’t want to leave Tinsel alone, and Adler definitely wasn’t bringing his cousin along.

With Tinsel wearing the enchanted collar, he would be left defenseless.

And if Adler brought him along, none of them would get any sleep.

It wasn’t as if Adler was getting any sleep now. They’d grown quiet, but he knew Raven hadn't fallen asleep. Adler lay there trying his best not to think about what it would be like to have sex with Raven, which had him wide awake and staring at the wall in front of him.

No matter how hard he tried to fight it, Adler was drawn to his mate. There was no denying that fact. He sat up, giving up on getting any sleep. He looked over his shoulder and saw Raven’s eyes closed, and his breathing had evened out. How on earth could the guy sleep when so much sexual tension lay between them?

Or was that only in Adler’s mind?

He tried to push to his feet, but Raven opened his eyes. Adler was pulled down right on top of him. Deft fingers had him unbuckled and unzipped before Adler’s head could follow what was happening. He should tell his mate to release him, that he wasn’t ready for this, but his body argued otherwise and so did the need pulsing through his body.

Now, as he straddled Raven’s waist, staring into the most amazing brown eyes, Adler knew he wasn’t going to push his mate away. He didn’t have it in him to reject the wolf, no matter what his brain was screaming for him to do.

Ever so slowly, Raven pulled Adler down to him and then brushed his lips over Adler’s neck. Soft lips sucked at Adler’s throat, nice and slow, so leisurely that Adler thought he just might melt.

Raven stroked Adler through his boxers. Oh, those hands. Those capable, exhilarating hands knew just what to do. His mate traced his finger along the waistband, making Adler inhale sharply at the anticipation. Raven drove his finger between cotton and skin, sliding his hand past Adler’s cock before he pulled his hand free.

“Raven.” Adler noticed his voice was already strained and as rough as gravel and far too desperate. It didn’t even sound like his own voice.

“Right here.” Raven lifted his finger to his mouth and sucked the finger that had just brushed past his cock.

Adler forgot to breathe.

“Take your clothes off, baby,” Raven murmured. “I want to feel your skin next to mine.”

Adler waved his hand, and his clothes disappeared.

Raven chuckled. “I like your magic already.”

His laughter died as he curled his fingers around Adler’s throbbing cock.

The pleasure had Adler dropping his head back, and his mouth went slack. The pressure stayed, the steady slide, a slow stroke from bottom to top and a swipe of a thumb over the head.

Biting back a moan, Adler thrust into Raven’s hand in time with the strokes. He heard a low groan before there was warm breath at his ear and a firm hand at his back.

“You know as well as I do that resisting a mate is damn near impossible.” That statement left Adler speechless. Raven’s face was hardened with determination and control...and want.

The desperation was back. Adler wanted Raven more than his next meal. More than anything he could think of. Raven kissed him. It was like the kiss they shared before but so much hotter. Breathless. Needful. Raven sucked and licked into Adler’s mouth as his hands gripped him tight.

For the love of fairy dust, Adler was going to lose his ever-loving mind if Raven kept touching him this way, kissing him as if he mattered.

Then Raven was on top of Adler in seconds. Their gazes locked as he continued to stroke Adler’s cock. Adler started bucking into Raven’s hand, desperate for friction. Raven stopped Adler’s movement easily, pinning him down with his hips. Raven’s eyes were on Adler as he slid down Adler’s chest.

It was the sexiest look Adler had ever seen. So intense, primal, and he didn’t move a muscle as Raven slid between his legs. He parted his lips, still looking at Adler, and then took Adler’s cock into his mouth.