

### Contents

Untitled

A Wizard's Touch series

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Talan's Treasure (Sample)

About the Author
JAYNELL'S WOLF

Amber Kell

Copyright 2010 by Amber Kell

This Edition: February 2018

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Editor: Rhonda Walker, Celest Fitzpatrick, Sam Nelson

Cover design: Meredith Russell

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee. Such action is illegal and in violation of Copyright Law.

  Created with Vellum
_S ometimes it takes a little magic to find true love..._

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His father's dying wish had Jaynell Marley signing up to attend the Mayell Wizard Academy. It only takes him a short time to realize he doesn't belong. His abilities, far more advanced than the other students, cause jealousy. Knowing how to speak Gnome and summon a dragon puts him beyond everyone's skills but the teachers.

* * *

Enter Thomas Sparks—a member of the local wolf pack who isn't impressed with Jay's magic. He wants the man himself. One look into Jay's eyes and Thomas knows he's found his life mate. The only problem—convincing the powerful wizard that they were meant to be together.

* * *

When outside forces threaten to tear them apart, it will take their combined skills to defeat the evil wizard trying to steal their future.

# A Wizard's Touch series

**Jaynell's Wolf (Book One)**

**Kevin's Alpha (Book Two)**

**Farren's Wizard (Book Three)**

**Elijah's Ghost (Book Four)**

**Porter's Reaper (Book Five)**

**Temple's Touch (Book Six)**

# Dedication

For everyone who thinks there should be a little magic in every book!

# Chapter 1

Jaynell Marley looked at the tall lions flanking the doors and let out the breath he'd been holding. Students ran up and down the stairs, rushing off to class or wherever busy students went. This was where his father had wanted him to be, the last request of a dead man who had given Jay everything, including his very life. Despite not wanting to be here, Jay wouldn't deny his father's wishes. He couldn't, even if the thought of attending school with a bunch of strangers sent shivers of apprehension down his spine.

Watching the ebb and flow of people, Jay closed his eyes for a moment to push back the slight panic attack threatening to overtake him. It had been only him and his father for so long he didn't know if he was equipped to deal with this many people at once. The sheer volume of bodies rushing back and forth had him on edge, and his magic crackled just beneath his skin, ready to strike out at the first sign of danger.

His nerves ricocheted like bullets around his body as he realized soon he would be one of these harried students rushing about. At twenty five, Jay was older than a lot of the freshmen at the Mayell Wizard Academy, but life had kept him too busy to start formal training until this point. Maybe he could test out of some classes and graduate earlier than anticipated? He clung to that dream even as he searched for some sort of school directory to help him locate the administration building.

"Are you lost?"

"Hmmm." Stuck in his own head, he'd missed the girl walking up to him. She had bright green eyes, blonde hair, and a perky air about her. He wondered if wizard academies had cheerleaders.

"Are you lost?" she asked again. "You look like you're not sure where to go."

Jay didn't know why she cared, but maybe she liked to help total strangers. "I'm looking for the headmaster's office."

"I can help you. I'm one of the freshman coordinators." She pointed to a bright pink badge on her shirt that Jay hadn't noticed, mostly because he hadn't tried to stare at her breasts. "The school appointed some of us to help out incoming students who might not know where to go or what to do on their first day. I'm Lira—nice to meet you. Are you a transfer student?"

Jay gave her proffered hand a quick shake. "I'm Jay. No, I didn't transfer. I'm just starting late. Family illness."

That was the story he would tell everyone. They didn't need to know his family's tragic past. Soon enough word would get around.

"Oh." Her face reflected pity, but thankfully she didn't comment further or ask any probing questions. "Come with me. I'll take you to Headmaster Vreel. He's really amazing. You'll like him. He's the most powerful wizard of his generation."

Jay didn't comment on Vreel's power. Instead, he nodded and hoped he looked suitably impressed. He definitely didn't want to get into a debate over magical power. Not when he had the energy of three wizards rushing through his veins.

He hoped Vreel was as nice as he'd been told. His past tutors had spoken highly of the headmaster, but Jay's father had never met him so hadn't been able to offer any opinion.

Listening to Lira chatter soothed some of his anxiety. He'd never had to deal with his peers before. He hoped more of them were like Lira—friendly and incurious.

Jay followed Lira up the long trail of stone steps to an enormous building. The tall structure stood at least three stories and had an assortment of white marble creatures decorating the front. Gargoyles squatted at each of the peaks, dragons twisted along the columns and a pair of lions guarded the entryway. About to go through the front door, Jay stopped to give the lions a closer look. The big cats' eyes glowed blue, an eerie light casting shadows on their marble faces.

"Why do they glow?" Jay asked, pointing. The light faded before Lira turned to look.

Lira frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Their eyes. They lit up," Jay insisted even as no signs of illumination remained.

"I think you're imagining things." Lira dismissed Jay's statement with a shake of her head.

Perhaps it was just one of those things only Jay saw. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Never mind." Jay brushed it off even though he knew that wasn't the case. He didn't need to draw attention to his differences too early. Everyone would find out soon enough that he had little in common with the usual student.

Lira seemed happy enough with that explanation since she picked up her chatter again. She led him through the marble halls to a gleaming wooden door. The words 'Headmaster's Office' were embossed on a brass plaque in big important letters.

"Here you go!" she announced unnecessarily, waving at the sign.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Jay didn't want to think about how long he would've been wandering around campus before he'd found this place. His sense of direction was one skill his father could never seem to find a way to improve.

"You're welcome! See ya." With a quick wave, Lira ran off, probably to rescue some other lost idiot.

Jay shook his head at the perky girl as he opened the door. Entering the office brought him to an elaborate reception area with more marbled floors. It smelled a bit musty, like a good library, although Jay didn't see any books.

A gnome sat behind an enormous wooden desk, looking even tinier in comparison to the huge furniture that all but swallowed her presence. Her grey skin gleamed dully beneath the natural sunlight streaming through the lead glass windows. Jay could tell she was a female gnome by the earring in her left ear. Males wore them in their right ear.

Jay gave a short bow to the receptionist before saying in perfect Gnome, "I have an appointment with your master."

For the first time, he appreciated the long hours his father had insisted Jay spend learning other languages. At the time, he'd resented it since they didn't have any personal house gnomes, and he had felt foolish learning a language no one around him used. Now his cultural and linguistic skills might be good for something after all.

Most people didn't know gnomes only worked for their masters. Gnomes were forced by the magical community to live underground unless they were owned because of their famous rages. Their anger could only be controlled by the one who bonded with them. It was a high honor to belong to a master, and oddly, an owned gnome had more status in their tribe than a free one.

The gnome's eyes sparkled when she spotted Jay. "Greetings. You must be Mr. Marley. Someone has trained you well. You speak Gnome beautifully. I will tell my master that you can skip Gnome linguistics."

_One less class to take._

Inside, Jay did a happy backflip, but to the gnome, he gave another polite bow. "Your help is appreciated."

Any class he could skip would be one more for which he wouldn't have to waste his time. Although Jay didn't have any clear plans for his future, he'd spent most of his life studying—he was ready to begin this new chapter of his life.

The little creature beamed, flashing her pointed teeth in a frighteningly sharp smile. "You are most welcome, gnome friend. Go right in."

She must've telepathically told the headmaster he'd arrived. He'd forgotten they could speak mentally with their bonded.

Jay smiled at the receptionist and headed for the door the gnome pointed toward. He entered without knocking.

A tall, thin man with long white hair sat behind a silvery metallic desk. He gave Jay a nod as he approached.

"Good afternoon, Master Jaynell. It is a pleasure to meet you. My secretary told me great things about your Gnome skills."

Jay realized his entire interaction with the gnome had probably been relayed to the headmaster as it had happened. Damn, he hoped he'd passed their first test. "Thank you, Headmaster Vreel. She was very nice." Not discreet, obviously, but nice.

"Indeed." The wizard pierced Jay with a level stare. "She doesn't like many people so I'm always fascinated when she takes a shine to one. She's been working for over two hundred years, and I can count on one hand the number of students she's liked."

Jay smiled but didn't speak. The headmaster hadn't asked him a question so Jay remained silent. His father had taught him to never offer information voluntarily.

"Now have a seat and we'll go over your schedule." Vreel pointed at the guest chairs positioned across from his desk.

Jay perched on the edge of one of the straight-backed wooden chair, his nerves swirling around his stomach like a tornado. He could do this. Surely the academics couldn't be any more intense than the grueling studies his tutors had put him through. Some of his tutors had been relentless in their goal to make Jay the most powerful wizard of all time.

Vreel shifted some papers around on his desk until he pulled out a file with a victorious shout. "Found it."

Jay waited impatiently while Vreel reviewed his file. The number of thoughtful sounds the headmaster made had Jay reconsidering his first urge to flee the academy and go back to the safety of his family home. After a long pause, Vreel spoke.

"I see that you've been privately trained your whole life so we don't have any of your talent scores available. You'll have to meet with the testers to certify your greatest strengths. I'm sure you won't have any problems—it appears you've had an excellent education. It looks like my secretary is one step ahead of me as usual and has scheduled your talent exams for tomorrow at noon. Today, you can get settled in your room and familiarize yourself with the campus. Do you have any questions?"

Jay wondered why he'd even had to stop at the wizard's office. Surely, they could've mailed him his schedule. When he met Vreel's eyes, the question died in his throat. The cool examination in the headmaster's expression told Jay everything. The wizard had wanted to assess Jay's threat potential.

"I didn't come here to make any trouble, Sir."

"Good. Then we should get along just fine." Vreel nodded as if they'd reached some sort of agreement. He stood and Jay jumped to his feet to shake the headmaster's outstretched hand. At the obvious dismissal, he began to leave but stopped at the door.

"I just have one question, Sir." Curiosity had always been his greatest weakness.

"Yes?" Vreel looked up from his papers, a scowl wrinkling his forehead.

"The lions out front, why do their eyes glow?"

"Saw that, did you?" The headmaster gave him a companionable smile. "Security system."

"Ah." Jay nodded. "Thanks."

He left without asking any more questions. No doubt his fellow students would be more forthcoming.

Jay accepted the folder the secretary held out and gave the gnome a respectful nod. He received another sharp-toothed smile in return. Gnomes might appear civilized, but Jay knew his history well enough to understand how much damage they could cause with those razor-sharp teeth. Hiding his shudder, he left the building.

A few steps outside the entrance he paused to examine the map the secretary had provided. Maps had always been a challenge for him. Hopefully, he'd figure out where he needed to be before tomorrow at noon.

# Chapter 2

After three wrong turns and a few invitations to join his fellow students for alcohol and sex, which he turned down, Jay found his door. His room was on the second floor and, from the sound of the music pounding through the door, wasn't empty. Damn. He'd hoped to have a private room. His father would've told him this was part of the experience.

Taking a deep breath, Jay hesitantly knocked on the door.

A tousled blond head peeked out, half-elf if Jay was any sort of judge.

"Hey. You must be the new kid they said was coming."

"I'm Jay."

"Kevin. Nice to meet you, come on in." Kevin stepped back to allow Jay to enter.

Jay walked through the door and into a large room. Five beds were spaced out in a fan-like pattern with small desks wedged between them. There must have been some sort of spell placed on the room because the size definitely defied the amount of space that should've been available between the doors in the hall.

Three dark-haired men, identical in appearance, stared at him with bright blue eyes. They reminded Jay briefly of the glowing lion statues.

"These are the Stewartson triplets. Devin, Dean and Dan. We just call them all D."

"Guys." Jay scanned them with his magic, quickly imprinting their differences into his memory. He didn't want to get stuck calling them by the wrong names. Names were important and carried power.

The triplets watched him with similar expressions of curiosity as if he were an interesting animal at the zoo.

"Where's your stuff?" Dean asked, glancing at Jay's bare hands.

"Oh. Right here." Jay pulled a sheet of paper out of his back pocket. Unfolding the vellum, he placed it on the only bed with an empty desk beside it.

His roommates crowded around to stare at the picture of a steamer trunk.

"Funny, dude," Kevin said. "But really, where's your stuff?"

"Haven't you ever seen a compression spell?" Jay slid his right index finger across the photo. "Reveal."

A flash of purple lightning crackled in the room, and a full-size chest appeared on Jay's bed.

"Whoa." Devin stared at the luggage like it might bite him. "How did you do that?"

"I used magic to compress my luggage until it was paper-thin." From their reaction Jay decided they must not have much experience with magic.

"Man, that's way advanced. Are you sure you're a freshman?" Devin asked.

"I've had a lot of private tutoring," Jay confessed. "My father didn't like me to be away from him for too long."

All four sets of eyes stared at him like he'd performed a miracle. "I'm thinking you'll be ahead of the rest of the class," Dan said.

Jay didn't know what they taught in public schools so there was no way for him to judge a normal level of experience or magical power. His father couldn't stand any separation from Jay, not since he'd bound his magic and life force to Jay's. Jay didn't think now was the time to discuss his past with guys he'd just met, even if they were going to be his roommates. He didn't know them or how they would react to his full magical talents.

"How about you put your stuff away and we'll take you out for pizza?" Kevin said, smiling. "Even with all this space, it gets a bit claustrophobic with so many people in one room."

"Sure, I'd like that." Relief surged through him. His roommates weren't freaked out by his magic. Jay's stomach growled. With his anxiety over starting school, he hadn't eaten any breakfast. Now with the worst part over, his body demanded sustenance.

He pulled his trunk off his bed and dropped it at the foot. There were dresser drawers beneath the bed. Jay quickly transferred his garments inside then placed his favorite books on the shelf above his desk.

"Look at this," Dean said, opening one of Jay's spell books. "It's autographed by Michael Dragonspawn. I don't think this one is still in print."

"Wow, do you know him?" Dan asked.

Jay didn't know what the big deal was, but he thought it was best to come clean. "He was one of my tutors."

"That must've been incredible," Dean said, carefully placing the book back on the shelf as if worried about damaging it.

Jay shrugged. "He was a good teacher. I didn't know he was famous until later."

"Wow. You can tell us all about it at dinner," Kevin said.

"If you want." Jay had always found Dragonspawn a bit on the pompous side, but he could share his impression with the guys if they wanted.

If they were looking for interesting stories about Jay's life, he didn't have an overabundance to share. Although some might say the absorption of both his parents' magic was a good story to tell.

The pizza place was obviously a favorite with the college crowd. Jay saw a lot of students showing off minor spells across the tables while chomping pizza. His roommates took the first table they found. As soon as they sat down, a female gnome approached and asked what they wanted to drink.

Jay automatically answered in Gnome. "I'll have a soda."

The gnome's dour face lit up. "You speak Gnome really well."

"Thank you. My father taught me it was important to learn the language of all peoples. Today is my first day here," Jay confessed.

"Welcome. Pizza for you and your friends today is on the house." She beamed a bright smile at him.

Jay gave a seated bow in the traditional gnome acknowledgement. "My house thanks yours."

"I'll be right back with your pizzas." The little gnome ran off.

Jay hoped his companions weren't picky pizza eaters since they hadn't even placed their order yet.

"What did you say to her?" Kevin asked.

Jay looked at them, puzzled. "None of you speak Gnome?"

"Dude," Kevin said. "I'd be surprised if anyone on campus who isn't a gnome or in linguistics can speak Gnome that well. We all have to take beginning Gnome, but hell, I don't remember more than a couple words. You know, things like 'thanks' or 'you're welcome'."

"Really?" Jay had expected Gnome to be more of a requirement with so many around. It would serve them better to know how to talk to the people taking care of things.

"Really," all four of them said in unison.

"Huh. Well, she thanked me for speaking Gnome and said she'd be right back with free pizza. You guys should learn how to speak it if you plan on having a gnome of your own someday."

"Why bother?" Dean asked. "They all speak English."

Jay didn't know how to convey that it was a measure of respect without sounding preachy. Luckily, another of the triplets interrupted.

"You're my hero. I'm never going to eat pizza without you again," Devin vowed, batting his eyes with fake adoration.

Jay laughed. He'd been worried they would think he was showing off. Gradually, the tension in his shoulders faded. The crowd in the pizza place made him twitchy. He didn't like crowds, and this boisterous group was particularly rowdy. Maybe the restaurant should rethink serving beers in giant pitchers.

A pert redhead walked past them. "Hi, Dan," she said, waving as she went.

"That's Dean," Jay corrected, without thinking. The triplets stared at him with their mouths open.

"How did you know that?" Kevin asked. "They're identical."

"In appearance sure, but they all have different magical signatures." Jay paused when he got the same wide-eyed look he'd received over the compressed trunk spell.

"Only master wizards can see magical signatures," Dan scoffed.

"No. It's really easy." Jay held his hand out to Kevin. "Place your hand palm down on mine."

Kevin searched Jay's face for a moment as if searching for the signs of a trick before gently setting his hand on top of Jay's.

"Now take a deep breath and look at the triplets. I'll guide you." Jay had plenty of experience twining his magic but never with anyone besides his father. He wondered for a brief second if it would work.

While Kevin breathed in, Jay pulsed a fraction of his magic into his roommate until he saw the two strands of their power combining. The blond jolted for a moment. "You're really, really strong," Kevin said in a breathless tone. Good thing Jay used his lightest touch.

"Focus on the triplets," he ordered. He didn't want Kevin to become distracted or even worse, detect the truth about Jay's power.

Kevin turned to the trio. "Shit." He snatched his hand away from Jay's. "Is that what you see?"

Jay nodded.

The triplets pounced on that statement with eagerness.

"What?"

"What did you see?"

"How did we look?"

Kevin struggled to explain what he saw. "It was like there were different colored lights flowing around you. He's right. You don't look anything alike under the surface. Dean has more red bits swirling around, Dan has more blue, and Devin, you have a kinda white glow."

The triplets turned their attention back to Jay. "Show us how to do that," Dean said.

His brothers nodded their heads.

Before Jay could reply, Gnomes appeared out of nowhere. They filled the table with platters of bubbling hot pizzas along with pitchers of soda. Jay thanked them all in Gnome. They vanished as quickly as they'd arrived after bowing to Jay.

"This looks great." Jay's stomach gurgled in agreement.

He ate three pieces before he realized none of his roommates were eating. They were staring...at him.

"What?" he asked with his mouth full.

"How powerful are you?" Dean asked.

Jay shrugged. "They're testing me tomorrow."

He suspected none of them were prepared for Jay's level of pure magic. Not many people knew what had happened to him, or what his father had done to make sure Jay survived. His father had always worried Jay would be turned into a pawn by people wanting to take advantage of his power. Maybe he should've researched what a usual student his age would know, then he wouldn't keep getting the odd looks. As it was, he just wanted to take the least number of classes to graduate so he could get the hell out of there.

"Who's the new guy?" A group of four girls walked up to the table and stared at Jay as if they'd never seen a man before. Jay rolled his eyes and grabbed another piece of pizza. The pizza was really good. He'd definitely be coming back here. It didn't hurt that they could walk to there from campus.

"This is Jay," Kevin introduced. "Jay, this is Lisa, Sara, Mara and Farra."

Jay nodded and went back to eating. He couldn't remember the last time something had tasted this good. It took him a moment before he realized Lisa was saying something to him.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He might not care what the girls wanted, but he didn't want to come across as rude. He'd only been there a few hours. It was too early to get a bad reputation. That would no doubt start after classes began and the others saw what he could do.

Her pretty face blushed. "I was asking if you wanted to go out some time."

Jay wiped his mouth with a napkin. It was probably best to get this out in the open, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings by crushing her. She seemed like a nice girl, and if Jay liked girls, he'd be extremely flattered.

"Lisa, could you do me a favor?" Jay asked.

"Sure," she said, leaning forward and exposed her cleavage. They were nice breasts—too bad he wasn't into that kind of thing.

"Could you pass the word around that I prefer men?"

Lisa stood up straight. "You mean..."

"I'm gay, Lisa. Sorry." He wasn't really sorry. He was quite comfortable with his sexuality despite his inexperience. He just didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Oh." Lisa blushed but nodded. "Sure, I could do that."

Jay gave her a sympathetic smile. "Thanks, Lisa. I'm very flattered you thought of me as date-worthy. If I liked women, I'd be all over that offer."

Lisa laughed, the tension visibly leaving her. "You're welcome." She lowered her voice. "I'll make sure to spread the word so other girls don't get any ideas. You're very handsome, you know."

"Thank you." This time it was Jay's turn to blush. After a few more words exchanged between the two parties, the women ran off.

Jay looked up from his pizza to see all four of his roommates staring at him again. "What is it about you four? You're always staring like I'm some sort of freak."

He tried to keep his annoyance to a minimum, but it was starting to wear on his nerves. Maybe he should request new roommates. At this point, it was probably too late to get re- assigned, but if they kept it up, he'd rent an apartment near school. He really should've thought of that option before. Grief for his father and granting his dad's last request had haunted Jaynell until he came to the college solely to keep his promise rather than to get an education.

"She's the hottest girl in school," Dean said, in a low voice. "I've been trying to date her for weeks."

"Want me to set you up?"

Dean laughed. "I guess it's a good thing you aren't interested in women. I don't think I could stand the competition."

Jay was relieved to see none of his new roommates seemed to give a crap about him being gay. It could've become uncomfortable if any of them were prejudiced against gays. Jay shrugged. After pizza, he begged off doing anything else. He knew he needed his rest if he was going to be awake for his testing tomorrow.

"I'll catch you guys later," he said. He stood up and turned to leave only to slam into a mountain. It took him a moment to realize mountains probably didn't wear tight denim and soft cotton shirts.

"I've got you," someone with a deep voice said above him. Jay looked up into the greenest eyes he'd ever seen; spring green like summer grass.

The man was gorgeous in an I-can-rip-your-head-off kind of way. Muscles bulged beneath a fitted shirt, and the man towered at least half a foot above Jay's five feet ten. Jay resisted the urge to rub his quickly hardening cock against the man like a dog in heat. He let out a strangled moan when the stranger grabbed Jay's arms to steady him. The man's fingers sent jolts of electricity directly to Jay's cock.

"H-hello." Jay's ability to speak completely evaporated before the hotness of the man in front of him.

"Hello there." Interest glowed in the man's brilliant eyes.

# Chapter 3

Thomas Sparks looked down at the man in his arms and barely resisted the urge to howl. Magic all but glowed off the smaller man, but it was his brown eyes with shards of blue that had Thomas entranced. He sniffed at the stranger, pleased when the sexy creature tilted his head back and let him.

The scent of sex and magic filled his nostrils until he couldn't stop the growl rolling through his chest. Unable to resist, he licked a long line up the sleek neck. It took him a moment to realize two groups of people were trying to part him from the gorgeous creature in his arms. Idiots.

"Hey, man, he didn't mean to run into you. He's new," a dishwater blond said in a coaxing voice like he was dealing with a lunatic. "Why don't you let him go, and we'll get out of here and leave you alone."

Thomas frowned at the wizard. Why would he want them to go? He liked this guy right where he was. Thomas's bed would be a better location, but other than that, he didn't want the man to leave, especially if it took him out of Thomas's arms.

"Thomas, you gotta let the pretty wizard go." Larry tugged at Thomas's shirt.

Thomas snarled at his brother. His wolf pushed close to surface, willing to hurt anyone who pulled him away from his mate. He needed to protect what was his.

With an assessing gaze, he noticed his pack preparing to spring and take him down while the wizards were pulling wands from their pockets.

"We can't yank him from the wizard. He might hurt the man," James, his oldest brother and Alpha said. "I've never seen him like this. Maybe he's going feral."

"I'm not going feral." Thomas growled. "He's my mate."

He didn't know if they understood him through the low rumble rolling through his voice, but he knew the man he held did.

The wizard jerked in his hold. "I can't be anyone's mate."

"You're mine." No way would he accept denial of that fact even from his mate.

"Shit." He wasn't sure which side had said it, but he was pretty sure all the people around him reflected the sentiment.

"Bring him back to the pack house," James said in a resigned voice.

"I can't go with the pack. I have tests tomorrow," the beautiful wizard said, his soft mouth firming in a stubborn line.

"I'll make sure you get back in time." Thomas slid a soothing hand down the wizard's back. He'd swear anything to get the wizard to return to the pack house with him. The suspicious man in his arms apparently knew that too.

Those stunning eyes pinned him with a look. "Promise."

"I vow on my shifter soul." The beautiful wizard searched Thomas's gaze for a moment as if truly examining his soul. He tried not to squirm beneath the imperious stare.

"All right. Tell Kevin where I'll be so that if I don't return, he'll know where to start looking," his mate demanded.

Thomas laughed, but no one else in the place smiled, not even the other wolves. He carefully spelled out his location to the wizards. Not that they could find it even if they tried. It was hidden except for pack and their mates.

Leaning down, he rubbed his check across the top of his mate's silky hair, spreading his scent across his head.

"Let's go home." Not giving the wizard a chance to come up with any other excuses, he turned them toward the exit. Hopefully, the others could pick up the pizzas. He began to usher his mate through the doorway when a pair of gnomes zapped into view, loaded down with white boxes.

They handed the pizzas to his brothers, exchanged a few words in what he assumed was their native language with the gorgeous wizard, then popped out of sight.

"What did they say?" James asked.

The wizard blushed. "They said to feed me so I can keep my stamina up."

Thomas laughed. "Wise gnomes."

He kept hold of the back of the wizard's neck as he led him out to the limos. He didn't trust his mate not to make a run for it. Thomas didn't know how wizards felt about bonding outside their species, but wolves would accept anyone whom the gods blessed as a mate.

"You took limos to get pizza?" the wizard asked.

"We have people drive us everywhere. They aren't always limos. We need someone else to drive in case we have unexpected shifting. Wolves can't drive cars." More than a few accidents had occurred when weres changed in vehicles. Those packs that could afford the expense had drivers. Most of the time, werekin could control their urges, but unexpected shifting had happened enough times that most packs took precautions.

The wizard nodded. "Makes sense."

"What's your name?" James asked. Thomas wanted to smack himself in the face. Here was his mate, and he couldn't collect enough brain cells to ask the man his name.

"Jaynell Marley. People call me Jay."

"I'm Thomas Sparks, and I will call you Mine," Thomas growled. He opened the limo door and ushered the wizard into the vehicle.

When James tried to climb in after him, Thomas flashed his fangs.

"You don't want to challenge me, little brother," James warned, his eyes flaring gold as his inner wolf peered out.

Thomas felt power fill him as he stared down his brother, his Alpha. "Today, I will challenge anyone who tries to take what is mine."

The thought of anyone else pressed against Jay made his inner wolf ready to rip people apart.

"Fuck. His eyes are glowing," Larry said. "Must be the wizard's influence."

"Because of your mating, I will defer and ride in another car," James allowed.

Thomas tried to look grateful, but mostly he was resisting the urge to rip off his brother's head and beat him with it. He forced himself to give his brother a polite nod before climbing into the limo and sliding next to his mate.

* * *

Jay wondered how he'd gone from eating pizza with his new roommates to being kidnapped by a werewolf pack. Not that he minded if it involved sex with the gorgeous creature beside him. Jay had waited a long time to have sex and he was more than ready.

"We are going to have sex, aren't we?" Jay asked, blushing. He wondered what the shifter would think of his body. Not all of him was pretty to see. Maybe if he stayed on his back, Thomas wouldn't see all the damage.

"Eventually." Thomas slid across the long leather seat of the limo. A feral light glowed in his eyes as they latched onto Jay like he was the world's best treat.

Jay moaned as Thomas yanked him into his lap. When Jay straddled Thomas, he grabbed Jay's hips and yanked him closer. If they had been naked, their erections would be sliding against each other. Before he could comment, Thomas cupped his face and kissed him.

Thomas didn't just kiss, he plundered. He investigated every inch of Jay's mouth, entwining his tongue with Jay's with the thoroughness of a detective at a crime scene. Drowning in lust, Jay moaned and rubbed restlessly against the body beneath him. He needed less clothing and more flesh. He whimpered against Thomas's lips, trying to convey his frustration. He slid his hands under Thomas's cotton shirt, savoring the silky skin beneath his fingers.

He pulled back.

"What?" Thomas's expression, puzzled and a little hurt, tugged at Jay's heart. "Don't you want me to kiss you?"

"Um." Jay scrambled to grasp at his thoughts, but they scattered like leaves tumbling with the wind. He needed to say something, but he couldn't remember what had been so important to stop kissing over. He moaned as Thomas bit his neck. Shivers of need rippled up and down Jay's spine, making his skin feel too tight for his body as prickles danced across his flesh.

Thomas licked Jay's neck with his rough tongue, ripping a groan from the depths of Jay's soul. His body tingled with a desperate, hungry need outside his usual experience.

"Please," Jay begged. He clutched at Thomas trying to keep him closer. Nothing was more important at that moment than the taste, feel and scent of Thomas. Everything else could wait.

"Anything you want, my one. Anything at all." Thomas's growl rolled up his chest, vibrating between their bodies.

"Touch me," Jay gasped, pressing his body against the gorgeous man above him.

Thomas dipped his head and bit down on Jay's jugular. "Mine," he growled when he lifted his mouth.

Jay cried out. Wetness spread across the front of his pants as he spurted out his release. "Fuck."

His bones almost melted from the heat of that encounter.

Thomas said, nipping Jay's ear, "Unfortunately, fucking will have to wait until later."

After he regained his equilibrium, Jay realized the limo was slowing down. They must've reached their destination. He took a few slow breaths, hoping to bring his pounding heart back to a normal rhythm. No doubt the shifters would hear it beating like a frightened rabbit and think they scared him. Jay didn't worry about his safety in a pack of shifters. Not only could he handle himself but Thomas wouldn't let anything happen if he wanted to claim Jay. He might not know a lot about shifters, but he knew they were protective of anyone they considered a mate.

Thomas's shy smile was completely at odds with the aggressive man of moments ago. "Sorry about making you come without a change of clothes."

"No problem." Jay waved his hand as he whispered a word of power. The scent of flowers filled the air. Jay's pants cleaned and dried beneath a quick whirlwind of magic that swept through the limo within seconds.

Thomas flashed his canines, his eyes going feral. "What was that?" he asked after the breeze faded.

"I'm not going to walk into a group of shape shifters soaked in cum," Jay snapped. "I'm sorry if you don't like magic."

Thomas lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "I wasn't criticizing. I just wasn't expecting it. I'm not used to people doing magic. Werekin are magic, but we can't do magic."

"Huh." Jay didn't know what to say. It had never occurred to him that magic would be strange to a person who could turn into a completely different animal. Jay had always been taught that magic existed in all living beings. He had known shifters couldn't perform magic, but he didn't know they had had limited exposure as well.

Before he could pursue this line of questioning, the limo came to a complete stop, and moments later, the driver opened the door.

Thomas climbed out first. He turned to hold out his hand and help Jay from the vehicle.

"I'm not a girl, you know," Jay teased.

"Don't argue," Thomas growled. "It's in my nature to take care of my mate."

Jay shivered at the shifter's possessive tone. Damn, what had he gotten himself into? He had thought hot shifter sex would be a great way to break out of his shell. He hadn't expected to be permanently claimed.

"We need to discuss this mate thing."

After becoming free of the connection with his father, Jay had no wish to ever be bonded to another person again. Dating sure, maybe living together, but not permanently connected. He'd had enough life force bonding with his father.

"There's nothing to discuss." Thomas's expression dared Jay to argue.

The foolish man apparently thought Jay could be easily cowed. Biting back words he might regret, Jay let Thomas help him out of the car without further comment.

The shifter retained his grip on Jay's hand as he led him to the steps of a sprawling mansion. It wasn't what he expected of a pack house.

The Victorian monstrosity towering above him looked more like something vampires would inhabit, not a pack of wolves. His opinion changed once he stepped inside. For such a large interior, it had a cozy feel with overstuffed leather furnishings and natural wooden floors. Jay dragged his attention away from the exposed rafters to find a dozen wolves, in their human form, staring at him with a startling intensity. Unconsciously, he stepped closer to Thomas, gripping his hand a little tighter.

Despite his onset of nerves, Jay didn't look away. He met each wolf's stare with one of his own. His father's advice whispered through his mind.

_'Never back down. You're strong enough to match anyone.'_

The last shifter growled at Jay when they locked gazes. He recognized him as Thomas's brother. The Alpha. Shit. It was too late to look away. The Alpha's words confirmed Jay's worries.

"Your mate is challenging me," the big shifter said in a gravelly voice.

Thomas tilted Jay's head up to him so his gaze filled with the werewolf's face.

"He's my mate," he said proudly. "He's a powerful man in his own right."

"So with him by your side, you seek to become Alpha?" the other werewolf demanded.

* * *

Thomas turned his attention from his mate to give his brother a puzzled look.

"No, but I can't ask him to be less than he is. I will always defer to you, but he isn't pack. He is Other."

"He's going to get his Other ass kicked if he doesn't learn his place," James growled.

Jay's eyes began to glow. As the smaller man started a gesture he was certain would toss his brother on his ass, he quickly grabbed Jay's hand.

"I'm taking him upstairs. We'll be back down later for dinner." Before his brother could object, he dragged Jay up the winding staircase to the second floor. It would be a balancing act to keep his gorgeous wizard from hurting his brother. The thought both amused him and scared him to his core.

"I could've taken him." The quiet confidence in his mate's voice told Thomas he'd gotten Jay away from his brother just in time.

Thomas pulled Jay into his suite. He locked the door behind them so no one would interrupt. Privacy wasn't a big deal for pack mates, but he had a feeling his wizard would take a dim view of a wolf wandering into their bedroom while they were being intimate. The close proximity of his mate and his bed was enough to completely derail Thomas's thoughts as his cock hardened and begged for attention. With a great deal of effort, he focused on their conversation.

"It wouldn't be good for pack politics if you kicked my brother's ass, even if he did deserve it." Thomas pulled Jay close and lapped at his throat, imprinting the flavor of his mate onto his soul.

"Sorry, I'll try to resist the urge to annihilate him."

The wry twist of Jay's lips told Thomas his mate was only sort of kidding.

"I have to live with him for a while yet. A wolf can't live without a pack." Clutching Jay tighter, Thomas swept Jay's sweet mouth with his tongue. Damn, he tasted good.

After several pleasant moments of kissing, Jay leaned back. "Why is he Alpha?"

Thomas frowned, not understanding the question. "Because he's the oldest and the strongest." That was how it worked in packs unless the oldest was weak. His brother might be an asshole sometimes, but he wasn't weak.

"You're stronger."

Thomas shrugged. He didn't try to deny the truth. Technically his wolf was stronger than James's, but he didn't have the drive to devote his life to the pack. Most people didn't understand it took more than physical strength to be a leader of shifters.

"Maybe, but I don't want the job. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything for the good of the pack. James has the hunger to lead and be in charge. I've never wanted to be top wolf."

"What do you want out of life?" Jay's expression, questioning instead of censoring, had Thomas relaxing. He hadn't realized how much his mate's response mattered to him. If Jay had pushed for Thomas to take over the Alpha position, he would've worried if the fates had chosen the right partner for him.

Thomas stepped forward and brushed Jay's hair away from his face. He decided it would be better to let the wizard know up front how little ambition he had to take over the world. If Jay had plans for being a leader in the supernatural community, Thomas would support him, but Jay should know Thomas didn't have any dream of becoming involved in politics.

"The only thing I've ever wanted was to find the mate of my dreams and settle down."

Jay's smile, quick and bright, dazzled Thomas like a bolt of lightning leaving the impression of its brilliance imprinted on his eyes.

"So now that you found me, your life's complete?" The wizard's teasing tone made Thomas sigh.

He hoped he wasn't about to ruin everything, but honesty was important. Thomas took Jay's hands in his own and looked into his mate's brilliant eyes. "Yes. Now that I've met you, my life's complete," he answered honestly.

Jay blushed, a brilliant rose color Thomas found utterly enchanting.

* * *

Looking around the room, Jay frantically tried to think of something to say. Things were getting too serious, too fast. Jay was far from ready to settle down. Freedom was a new, hard-won experience, and he was going to cling to it for as long as he could. However, it was one thing to know that he didn't want to be bound to another person, and another to tell it to this man who'd waited his entire life for Jay to wander by.

Thomas's smile brought new meaning to the word wolfish.

"I can smell your panic, my mate. Don't worry. I'm not quite ready to keep you for myself. An untrained wizard can be a dangerous thing, and I want you to be fully in control of your powers before you become one of my pack. I won't do anything to prevent you from finishing your schooling."

"One of the pack? I'm going to become a werewolf?" Jay couldn't keep the panicky tone from his voice. He had enough on his plate without worrying about becoming an entirely different creature. The thought of having triple magic and also shifting into an animal made him shiver. His magic pulsed beneath his skin, poking at him like a million pinpricks trying to seep through his skin.

Thomas laughed for a long time. Really, the tears weren't necessary.

"You can't become a shifter any more than I can become a wizard. You're either born one or not."

"It was just a question." Jay pouted. The rush of relief soothed him and settled the magic ruffled by his panic. Although his father had ingrained various languages and culture into his brain since birth, it occurred to Jay that his knowledge of shifters was strangely lax. He thought about that for a bit, but was distracted when Thomas pulled him into his arms. He had no doubt the shifter would be more than happy to educate him.

"Aww. Come here." Thomas wrapped his long arms around Jay. He wondered if the cleaning staff would mind mopping up his puddle of goo. It was hard to keep his irritation when he was being snuggled like a favorite teddy bear. "You know that I would never laugh at you, my mate," Thomas said, his deep voice low and intimate in Jay's ear.

"I don't know you well enough for me to know what you would or wouldn't do." Jay knew it would be easy to give up everything for the soothing comfort of Thomas's arms. It frightened him how much he would do for a man he'd met only minutes before. Maybe the mating pull worked on both sides of the equation. He certainly couldn't imagine walking out of the pack house and never going back.

Thomas held Jay away a bit so he could look into his eyes. "I would never do anything to harm or humiliate you. That is my vow to you."

"Do most werekin find their mate?" He didn't know if any of the shifters downstairs were mated, but none of them had objected when Thomas had declared Jay as his.

"No." Thomas's smile glowed with joy. He looked at Jay as if he were the best treasure ever. "Most werekin never find the one fated to be theirs. I was one of the lucky ones."

"I'm glad you found me." Jay wasn't quite ready to help Thomas pick out furniture and curtains, but he didn't want to crush the guy either.

* * *

Thomas watched his mate for a long while. There couldn't be a werekin in the pack who wasn't jealous of him at this moment. Not only had he found his mate, but Jay was an extremely hot man. His mate had so much power that Thomas could feel it prickle across his skin like a live wire. How much of that was their mating connection, and how much was Jay's magic, Thomas didn't know, but he had plenty of years to figure it out.

Jay leaned forward and kissed Thomas, short-circuiting every thought in his brain. Heat poured down his spine as the lip-to-lip contact spread warmth throughout his body. His inner wolf growled happily. Unable to bear the distance between them, he gripped Jay's hips, pulling him closer.

Reluctantly, Thomas broke the connection, ignoring his beast's whimper.

"We can't."

"What do you mean we can't? Of course, we can." Jay stroked a hand through Thomas's hair, and he damn well almost came from the contact. He forced a bit of space between them even as his instincts urged him to yank Jay closer and claim the man born to be his.

He loved being petted.

_No!_

He had to focus. Shaking his head, he stepped farther away from his mate. Thomas took a deep breath. "We can't have sex until you promise to be mine forever."

"What! But we just met!" Jay glared at Thomas. "I think we could have sex first to find out if we're compatible."

Thomas shook his head. "If I have sex with you, we will be mated for life because you are the one destined to be mine, and if you decide later you don't want me, I'll be doomed to spend the rest of my life alone. I won't be able to have sex with anyone else because my body will always be yearning for you."

He'd known of more than one wolf whose life had turned into hell on earth because he'd jumped into sex with his mate before they'd reached an agreement. Wizards were particularly tricky. They could break a bond and leave without any repercussions.

Jay frowned. "I'm not trying to mess up your life. If abstaining will prevent us from bonding, maybe we should hold off. But does that mean we can't do anything?"

"No." Thomas shook his head. "We can rub off. As long as I don't fuck you or swallow your cum, we won't bond. But even if we don't fuck and I eventually match with another mate-less werekin, I will always yearn for you."

After meeting his mate, Thomas knew he would ache for Jay for the rest of his life. He'd heard of shifters who could survive the loss of their mate, but they never enjoyed their life, only existed. Memories of the hollow look in his uncle's eyes still haunted Thomas all these years later.

Jay paled. "I need a book on shifters. My knowledge of your people is pretty slim."

"I'd be more than happy to give you one of the primers we give to our young." The pack library was pretty extensive. It was designed to give shifters something to concentrate on beside their constantly fluctuating hormones.

Jay let out a shaky breath. "Thanks, I'd appreciate that. If we're going to eventually be mates, I'll need to learn about your customs."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Thomas rushed to say, worried he was putting too much pressure on their new relationship.

"Since you're placing all your cards on the table, I guess I should too." Without warning, Jay stripped off his shirt and turned around.

# Chapter 4

Thomas gasped. Dozens of tiny symbols were branded into Jay's back. Each one glowed slightly as if embedded with magic. Bile rose in Thomas's throat. The pain must've been excruciating. It took several minutes of hard swallowing before he was certain he could talk without emptying the contents of his stomach.

"Who did this to you?" He couldn't imagine any reason to cause this amount of pain to another person or have it done. Anger had his claws popping out of the tips of his fingers. His wolf wanted out to protect his mate from whatever monster dared to mar Jay's perfect skin. Whatever had happened to Jay, it had been carefully planned. Each group of marks aligned in exact rows both horizontally and vertically.

Jay turned to face Thomas. The pain in his eyes twisted Thomas up inside. He took Jay's hands into his and pulled the wizard onto his lap where he belonged. "Tell me what happened."

After a long pause, Jay spoke in a soft tone. If Thomas didn't have enhanced hearing, he doubted he'd have heard what his mate said. "Each wizard is born with a Diviner in attendance, a magic user who can read a newborn wizard's future. My mother had a bad heart and died at my birth, passing her magic on to me. The Diviner told my father I would die, due to magic sickness, unless he performed the Rite of a Hundred Flames. To save my life, my father branded me with pieces of his magic, binding his life force with mine so I would be strong enough to survive. When I reached one hundred brands, my father's life force gave out."

"By the goddess, I've never heard such a thing before." Thomas brushed Jay's back with the tips of his fingers. The tears in his mate's eyes tore him up in sympathy. He couldn't even imagine the devotion Jay's father must've had for his son. It also explained the magic all but crackling the air around him.

"My father gave up his life so that I could live." Tears dripped down Jay's face.

"Shh, don't cry, mate." Thomas kissed Jay's cheeks, swiping at Jay's tears with his thumbs as he cupped Jay's face between his hands. "Your father was very brave and would've wanted you to have a happy life."

Jay swallowed audibly. "What I'm trying to tell you is that two people have already given their lives for me. It would kill me if you were to be the third. I'm a bad bet, Thomas. I know you're excited to find your mate, but I'm dangerous. I don't have the magical power of one person. I have the magical strength of three. I could lose my temper and kill you."

"They willingly gave their lives because they wanted to, Jay, not because you made them. Do you know what that story tells me?"

Jay shook his head.

"It tells me you had two amazing parents who knew you would grow up and do great things. I'd like to be the person to stand at your side while you do them."

"Thanks." Jay's eyes glowed slightly, a sexily eerie sight. "I don't know if I'm worth that level of devotion, but I'm too weak to give you up when we just met."

Thomas kissed Jay on the lips, keeping the embrace sweet and light. "We'll take it easy, my mate. As much as I yearn to claim you and keep you as my own, I don't want you to stay with me out of obligation or pity. When I claim you, it will be because you have decided that I'm the only one for you, not because you want to spare me a lifetime of pain. I won't be one more burden on your soul. Just promise me that while you're deciding our fate, you won't go to another. I might not be able to handle another man touching you. I don't want to leave the campus strewn with the bodies of promising wizards."

The smile he got was breathtaking in its sweetness.

"That I can promise," Jay said. "Right now, I have enough to worry about with starting a new school and dealing with roommates."

This was going better than Thomas could have hoped. His mate hadn't run screaming when he'd learned Thomas wanted him to be his one and only. He considered that a promising beginning.

"Do you have classes tomorrow?"

"I have my entrance exams at noon," Jay confessed with a sheepish smile. "I have to find out what level they want me to begin my studies at."

"I'm sure you'll do well." After all, hadn't he just said he had the magic of three people? "I'd like to keep you here tonight so we can get to know each other. I promise to get you back to school in time for your classes."

Jay appeared to think it over for a moment before nodding. "Okay, sounds good. It'll be better if I get to know you before we make any firm decisions anyway."

"Sure." Thomas didn't have to make any decisions. Jay had been chosen by fate to belong to him. If the wizard wanted to pretend they had any choice in the matter, Thomas wouldn't make any waves, but he would still do everything he could to persuade Jay to see things his way.

Thomas kissed Jay, making sure to rub his hands up and down Jay's bare back. When they had dinner with the pack, he wanted Jay to be saturated with his scent.

When they finally broke apart, Thomas smiled at the dazed expression in Jay's eyes. He cupped Jay's crotch to confirm.

"Yes, I'm hard." Jay laughed and moved a step away.

"Hmm, let me see."

Jay's fingers shook as he unfastened his pants and slid down the zipper.

Thomas growled at the sight of Jay's underwear.

"What?"

"You shouldn't have anything barring my way."

"I'm not going without underwear; I'll rub my dick raw."

"I do fine without it."

"Well, obviously, you're a big tough wolf and I'm a wimpy wizard, but I'm keeping my underwear."

Thomas lifted Jay off his lap and yanked down both pants and underwear with one quick jerk. "Step out," he ordered.

"You're bossy," Jay complained.

"I'm extremely bossy." He slapped Jay's calves to get him to move.

Laughing, Jay stepped out of his garments.

Thomas lifted his face and inhaled the rich scent of his mate. Jay's cock bobbed, tempting him with a drop of nectar. Thomas's canines pricked his bottom lip as he resisted the urge to swallow his mate down.

"You smell amazing."

"Thank you. I thought you weren't supposed to taste me. Oh God." Jay's voice came out hoarse as he gripped Thomas's hair in a tight fist.

Thomas lapped at Jay's balls, enjoying the flavor of his mate and breathing in his scent.

"Oh, keep that up, and I'm going to come."

Thomas stood to avoid temptation. "One day I'm going to hold you in my mouth and taste your hot cum on my tongue."

Jay's breath hitched, and Thomas knew he had him. He wrapped his fingers around Jay's hard cock and squeezed.

"Oh!" Jay gasped. "Do it, make me come."

"Let me get the lube. I don't want to cause any chafing. Not there."

"Good plan. What if I fuck you?"

"What?" Thomas froze in his act of grabbing the lube.

"If I fuck you, will it cause us to bond?"

Thomas swallowed, trying to get moisture in his suddenly dry throat. "Not if we use a condom."

"But if we used a condom when you fucked me, wouldn't it be the same?"

Thomas shook his head. "No. If I am topping, I'll bite. Biting will also bond us."

"There are a lot of rules when having sex with a shifter."

"Only between mates. If we weren't mates, I could bite you all I wanted, and we still wouldn't be bonded."

"Oh. I guess that's a good way to test if I'm your mate or if you're just trying to sweet talk me into your bed."

"I don't need to test. I know."

Thomas couldn't explain to the wizard how shifters instinctively knew when they'd met their other half.

"So there's no way I can get out of this bonding without destroying your life?" Jay asked.

Thomas wished he had an easier answer, but he refused to lie to Jay. "You will always be my mate whether we bond or not."

Mates weren't chosen by whim; they were born. The fates decided who would match together. If Jay refused to be Thomas's mate, that still didn't change the facts. They were still mates.

Jay sighed and sat down on Thomas's bed. "Okay then."

"Okay what?" Thomas frowned at Jay's bowed head.

"There's no reason to wait. I mean if what you say is true, then we're fated to be together. I've never been one to deny my destiny." Jay's wry smile tugged at Thomas's heart.

Thomas cupped Jay's cheeks. "Hey, there's nothing that says we have to do this right now. I don't want to rush you if you aren't ready."

"Yes, we do. I've waited this long to have sex. I'm tired of waiting; I want you now even if you're the only man I'll ever have sex with."

Thomas's knees gave out, and he collapsed on the bed beside Jay. "Are you telling me you've never had sex before?"

Jay nodded. "I couldn't leave my father, and sex with any of my tutors—eww."

"Wow." Excitement burned through Thomas's veins even as he hated to share the news about his own past. "I'm not a virgin."

"Good." Jay grinned. "I'm glad at least one of us knows what they're doing. However, I might be more confident in your experience if you were wearing fewer clothes."

Thomas looked down at his outfit and laughed. While Jay didn't have a stitch on, Thomas still wore his jeans and shirt. He quickly shucked out of them then lay on the bed. "See how much quicker it goes without the underwear."

Jay laughed. "Hmm, yeah, those valuable seconds were saved."

Not taking his eyes from Jay, Thomas grabbed the lube off the table. "Come here."

Jay crawled up the bed, his gaze not leaving Thomas for a second. Thomas grabbed his wrist and yanked him the rest of the way. Jay's squeak made Thomas laugh.

"I'll get you for that later," Jay threatened without heat.

"I look forward to it." Thomas's hands shook slightly when he popped open the cap. This had to be perfect. Jay would only have one first time, and if he hated sex with Thomas, their future together wouldn't be a happy one.

"Easy, don't be so serious. It'll be fine. We have enough sexual attraction to light up the city."

"True." Thomas kissed Jay. "I thought I was supposed to be the one soothing you?"

"I might be a virgin, but I have no doubt that we'll be sexually compatible. After all, I was born to be your other half."

When it was put like that, Thomas felt a little foolish. "You're right."

After all, he'd spent the past few minutes explaining to Jay how they were meant to be together. To show any amount of hesitation at this point undermined his argument.

"It'd probably be easier if you were on your stomach." He tried to coax Jay to lie down on his stomach, but the wizard resisted.

"I want to see you."

"You can see me next time."

Jay hesitated. "You don't really mind the scars?"

"No. I mean I hate that you went through that but they prove how strong you are." Most people would've buckled under the pain, magic or grief, but Jay had proved he could survive it all.

"Okay. Next time I want to watch you."

"Deal."

Thomas would've loved to stare into Jay's beautiful eyes while he pounded him into the mattress, but he needed to keep his control this first time. Staring at his mate's face would unravel him faster than anything. He'd waited so long to find his other half. He didn't want to ruin Jay's first time by coming before he even got inside of his mate.

He stuffed a pillow beneath Jay's hips and another beneath his head, making sure he was comfortable. He didn't care if Jay messed the pillow with his cum. The pack kept a closet full of bedding. Shifting was hard on linens.

"If you don't come when I'm in you, I'll suck you down."

Jay coughed. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try."

Thomas ran a soothing hand down Jay's back. As much as the wizard tried to put on a brave front, he could feel the nervous energy running just beneath the surface. If he were a wolf, Jay would've already shifted from the stress.

"Shh, I'll take care of you," Thomas promised.

He'd never do anything to harm the beautiful man offering him the world.

Thomas put an excessive amount of lube on one finger. "Push out."

Jay opened up to him sweetly. Thomas placed soothing kisses along his mate's back as he slid his fingers slowly into his mate's hole. After Jay finally relaxed around the first digit, he added another. He repeated the process until Jay was pushing against Thomas's hand, trying to get him to go deeper.

"Easy, don't rush."

Jay turned his head. Sparkles of magic lit his eyes. "If you don't put your cock in me soon, I'll find someone who will," Jay growled with the ferocity of any wolf.

"Trust me when I say you don't want to do that." Thomas's canines dropped. Moving around until he knelt directly behind his mate, he pushed Jay's knees beneath him and pressed his cock inside.

He gasped along with Jay at the almost electric jolt of their bodies intertwining.

"Oh God. Is it always like this?" Jay panted and moaned as Thomas continued to breech him.

"No. Never." He had fucked a lot of guys, and not once had he felt this instant merging of souls. The stories he'd heard were true. There was no comparison between sex with a mate and sex with anyone else. Joining with his mate had Thomas's heart pounding and his wolf half ready to howl.

Careful of his lover's inexperience, Thomas slid in and out of Jay with slow, even movements while his inner wolf growled at the slow pace.

"Thomas, sweetie, lover."

Thomas laughed, losing his rhythm. "Yes?"

"If you don't hurry up, I'm going to show you what I can do with all this magic."

The underlying threat had him speeding up, loosening some of the tight grip he had on his inner beast. "I was trying to be careful. I don't want you hurt." He punctuated each word with a snap of his hips as Jay gripped the sheet as if it were his one lifeline to the world.

"I appreciate that. Now screw me like you mean it."

Thomas growled. "Just because I'm not treating you like a fuck toy doesn't mean I don't mean it."

Despite Jay's insistence, Thomas made love to his mate with care.

"Harder," Jay snarled.

"Not until you've had a little experience and know how much you can take," Thomas argued through gritted teeth, his control slipping along with his sanity. No one had ever wrapped around him so tightly or so perfectly fit between his hands. It took all his concentration to keep from shifting. His wolf wanted out to claim his mate. He throttled the beast's control when his fingers changed to claws, forcing the animal back beneath the surface.

Throwing back his head, Thomas howled as cum spurted from his cock, coating the inside of his mate and marking him with his seed.

"Mine!" he growled, certain all the others in the house heard his shout. There could be no mistake. Jay was his.

Jay whimpered beneath him.

Thomas gently slid out, then flipped his mate over. Jay's cock, hard and leaking, pointed up at him. Without hesitation, Thomas sucked him down.

"Oh, hell," Jay shouted.

He must've been right on the edge because a few swallows later, Jay's orgasm ripped through him and he spurted his seed into Thomas's willing mouth.

Only after he was certain his mate had finished did Thomas let Jay's cock slip out of his mouth.

"Wow," Jay whispered. He threw an arm over his eyes as if overwhelmed by outside stimulation.

Thomas licked his lips, savoring the flavor of his mate. "I didn't bite you."

Jay tilted his head. "Go for it."

Unable to resist temptation, he lapped at Jay's throat. His mate's salty flavor exploded across his tongue. "This might hurt," he warned.

Jay's broken laughter tore at his heart. "Honey, trust me when I tell you I have a high pain tolerance."

For a moment, Thomas had forgotten the ruined terrain of Jay's back. "Sorry."

Jay lifted his arm and slid his fingers along Thomas's cheekbones. "Don't be sorry. What's done is done. Now make me yours."

Not needing any more invitation, Thomas let his canines drop down, then bit Jay's neck. Blood spurted from the wound and coated Thomas's tongue. He gasped as the liquid burned its way down his throat. Their connection clicked into place with a loud pop, sparkles flaring behind his eyes. Mates. He had never hoped to find one of his own. His inner wolf settled, calm and content for the first time in Thomas's life.

Thomas retracted his canines carefully before moving his teeth away from Jay's shoulder. A mating bite was all well and good, but a ripped open shoulder showed a lack of respect for the person bitten. He lapped at the wound with his tongue, wishing he could take away all the pain but knowing at least he could diminish the chance of infection.

Jay blinked at him. "I thought you said it would be painful."

Thomas smiled. He'd heard a few mated wolves stating it was the most painful moment of their lives. They were obviously wimps compared to Thomas's new mate. "Welcome to the pack, Mate."

"Thanks."

# Chapter 5

Jay looked at the three people sitting behind a long table. Three powerful magic users stared back at him. From his inner sight, he could tell none of them had a fraction of his magic, but that didn't matter. They were there to judge him, and from their expressions, they were the judgmental type.

After taking a deep breath, Jay held the oxygen in his lungs before letting it out slowly to release his tension. He'd dealt with a lot worse than three people deciding where to start his education.

"It's an easy enough request, young man," the white-haired witch, Meela, said with a sneer. "We want to see if you can mix a persuasion potion. If not, we will put you in beginning potions."

Walking over to the table where they had set out the needed supplies, Jay purposely ignored the witch. He'd created his first persuasion potion when he was seven, but he saw no reason to tell these people that fact. Without a word, he assembled the correct ingredients. When the potion turned the correct shade of purple, he lifted the beaker with a clamp and walked it over to the council for display. He held it up so they could check the color and give their final approval. Hopefully, the classes would be more challenging than this stupid test.

"Let me see."

Jay handed it over to the redheaded wizard, Syler, who sat in the middle, beside a blond wizard who'd introduced himself as Pella. Syler had cold grey eyes that reminded Jay of a snake he'd seen in the wild right before it ate a mouse.

They made appropriate sounds of acceptance of Jay's potion.

"Good color," Meela said.

"Drink it," Syler ordered.

"No," Jay replied.

The three professors stared at him in surprise.

Pella, the previously silent one of the trio, spoke up. "Why not?"

"There is no force in heaven or earth that will have me take a persuasion potion before three people I just met."

Jay's self-preservation was stronger than that. Not to mention, he definitely didn't know if these particular three had his best interests at heart. They struck him as the type who would have him do humiliating acts just because they could.

"It is part of the test," Pella insisted, his mouth tightening into a hard line.

"Then it is a test to see if I'm an idiot." Jay stood his ground. He wouldn't give on this point. They could flunk him for all he cared. He'd go back home with a clear conscience. Well, he might have to come back for Thomas, but he could leave school.

Syler sighed as if Jay had already become a big disappointment to him. "Since some students become stubborn at this point, we always have a backup plan. Because despite its excellent color, your potion has to be proven effective. To test your potion, one of your roommates has volunteered." Syler waved his hand at the side door.

Jay was surprised to see one of the triplets walk into the room. He hadn't spoken to any of them since the pizza parlor the night before.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean smiled. "It's so cool that you can tell me from my brothers. It makes me feel like a single."

Jay laughed at his roommate's delight. He didn't know the triplets well, but they seemed like nice guys. "You're a single in your own way."

"Are you ready to be persuaded?" Syler broke into their conversation. He handed the vial over to Jay.

"Sure." Dean shrugged. He accepted the potion from Jay. "You're not going to make me dance like a chicken or anything, are you?"

"No. I'll save that for another day."

Dean smiled. "Thanks."

The brunette tossed back the potion like he was doing shots and the bartender had just given last call.

Dean's eyes dilated, confirming the potion had taken hold.

"Strong potion," the witch said, her attention on Dean.

"Dean, I'd like you to hop on one foot," Syler said.

Dean stood there, his gaze focused on Jay.

"Why isn't he moving?" Pella asked.

Were these people kidding?

Jay stared at the trio and realized they weren't kidding. "I mixed the potion so that only the person who hands it to the drinker can issue commands. If I didn't put in that specific compulsion, anyone could persuade the one who drank the potion. I'm not that irresponsible."

As far as tests went, that one was pretty weak.

Why was everyone staring at him?

"How did you learn to do that?" Syler asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"My father taught me. You put a little of your will into the potion while it's brewing. It helps with the persuasion." Jay's mouth dried as he noticed the testers hadn't understood that part of his potion. He hoped they didn't have a habit of making persuasion potions.

"That's amazing."

"Incredible."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Jay shook his head. Why was he even here? Did these people have anything to teach him?

"Hop on one foot," Jay told Dean.

Dean hopped on one foot.

"Stop," Jay said after a minute.

Dean stopped.

"You could get anyone to do that," Meela said. "A student would do that for a joke."

Jay had an idea. "Can I get all of you to agree that Dean is a ladies' man?"

The three professors laughed.

"Yes."

"Definitely."

"Without a doubt."

He stepped closer to his roommate until they were almost touching.

"Dean, kiss me."

Placing his hands on Jay's shoulders, Dean leaned down and pressed his lips to Jay's cheek.

It was a nice, if platonic, kiss. Jay purposely hadn't said where Dean had to kiss him. Pushing his will to promote something sexual was repugnant to Jay, not to mention he didn't want to be unfaithful to his mate.

A low growl behind him had Jay freezing in place. Turning his head slowly, Jay saw the biggest, angriest wolf he'd ever seen. Fangs bared, the beast looked at Dean like he was the weakest gazelle of the herd and the lunch bell had just rung.

_Oh, crap!_

"Thomas, no!" Jay shouted.

The wolf gave a hair-raising growl as he circled the pair.

"Dean, walk slowly toward the professors." Jay knew the teachers could protect his roommate, but if Dean ran, the wolf would instinctively see him as prey and attack. He didn't want to be the one responsible for making the triplets into twins.

Placing himself between the wolf and the wizards put Jay in a sensitive position, but he was almost certain that if he was truly Thomas's true mate, the animal wouldn't attack.

"It was just a demonstration, Thomas," Jay said, walking toward the wolf. "It wasn't even a real kiss." He went step by slow step closer to the beast as he talked, hoping to distract it from Dean. The wolf's eyes looked past Jay, toward Dean, but the growling finally stopped.

Jay leaned down to pet the wiry fur. For the first time, the animal took his eyes off Dean and gave his full attention to Jay.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Jay asked.

_"I wanted to see how your test was going."_ Thomas's voice whispered in Jay's head.

"My test was going well before a big wolf intervened," he scolded.

Thomas lay on his stomach and let his tongue hang out, the perfect picture of wolfy friendliness.

"It's a little late for that," Jay said dryly.

Thomas gave a soft bark.

"Jaynell, who is this wolf?" Meela asked.

Jay turned to see all three of the professors standing with their wands out. Dean hid behind them, his eyes wide.

"This is Thomas Sparks, brother to the local pack Alpha. I'm his mate."

The wolf growled at this, but Jay ignored him. He was screwed anyway. He couldn't even say he was sorry. His test was ruined since he had almost gotten a fellow student killed.

"Your mate?" Syler asked. His eyes gleamed with interest. "I've never heard of a werewolf and wizard mating."

Jay shrugged. "I don't know much about werewolf mates except that they mate for life."

"I think you'll make an excellent addition to our team," Pella said.

"Your team?" Jay was almost disappointed he hadn't been kicked out. At least then he could claim he had tried.

"Yes," Pella said. "We recently promoted an assistant professor to full professor so we have an opening. It's obvious we have nothing to teach you in potions so it would be best to have you helping your fellow classmates while you learn more advanced spell casting. Fortunately, one of your former teachers is in town so we have a good idea of your other capabilities. We'll put you in your senior year of training with special advanced classes. After this year, we believe you'll be fit to test for your mage levels."

Jay didn't know what to say. He'd never heard of anyone testing for mage levels just out of college. Generally, it took a minimum of five years post schooling for anyone to even attempt the professional tests.

Thomas stood up, sliding beneath Jay's dangling hand as if to support him. Fur slipped through Jay's fingers as he stared at his teachers.

"Which of my old professors did you consult?"

"Me." Michael Dragonspawn walked into the room. "I had to come check on my favorite student."

Thomas started growling again, the sound vibrating Jay's fingers.

"Shh," Jay whispered. He gave a nod to his old professor, not that anyone could call Dragonspawn old. He looked thirty, but he could've been two hundred; with wizards, it was hard to tell. Jay had had more than one fantasy as a young boy about his teacher, but there was something off about Dragonspawn's eyes that had bothered Jay more and more as he grew older. They had an iridescent quality that was both eerie and entrancing. During his training, Jay always thought that his teacher was waiting for something, but after years of being tutored by the famous wizard, he still didn't know what.

"Greetings, Professor Dragonspawn," Jay said, giving the man a respectful bow. He might not be comfortable in the wizard's presence, but there was no doubting that Dragonspawn had helped train Jay a great deal of his life and shared many of his magical secrets. He was one of the reasons Jay was so adept with what he could do. Even though he might have resented so many lessons in his youth, now that he was older, he was thankful that he'd learned so much.

* * *

Thomas couldn't stop the growling. He didn't like how this Dragonspawn person looked at his mate. The man's eyes glowed with avarice, as if he wanted something that Jay had or maybe Jay himself.

His stunning wizard might not realize his own appeal, but Thomas knew when others coveted his mate. Another wizard might not recognize a cross-species mating and think he stood a chance. Dragonspawn smelled wrong. The other professors in the room smelled of books, magic and intellectual pursuits. Dean smelled like a healthy young male full of testosterone and power. Jay smelled of sunshine, magic and the indefinable essence of all the best things in the world, but Dragonspawn smelled of power, secrets, and twisted through his essence, a wide swathe of evil.

This was a man to watch.

Thomas stepped protectively closer to Jay, but forced himself to stop growling because he didn't want to embarrass his mate.

Jay scratched Thomas behind his right ear. If it didn't feel so glorious, he'd object to being treated like a dog. After this, they needed to have a long talk about shape-shifter rules and etiquette. Of course, the feel of those wonderful nails through his fur might be worth the occasional mocking by his pack.

"Thank you for vouching for me, Professor Dragonspawn." Jay's voice sounded oddly calm, like he was using his soothe-the-beast voice. Since his mate's fingers continued to pet him, Thomas didn't think the tone was for him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll go get my schedule from the registrar and take my boyfriend home before he loses his temper and bites someone."

"That's a good idea, my boy." Dragonspawn's caressing tone made Thomas truly want to bite him. If he didn't think it would get his lover expelled, he'd leave a nice set of teeth marks on the older wizard's ass.

"Come on," Jay whispered, tugging on Thomas's fur.

The pair left the room together. When they reached the green space, Thomas darted behind a bush to transform and retrieve his bag. With shaking hands, he dressed then threw the backpack over his shoulder.

"Do you ever get arrested for indecent exposure?" Jaynell asked. His eyes widened as he observed Thomas's transformation.

Thomas laughed. "Only once, but luckily the judge was a shifter so I was let loose with a warning to pick my spots better. This is the unglamorous part they never show in movies. I've heard of shifters who can keep their clothes when they shift, but I think that's just a story some wizard made up to make us feel inferior." Thomas regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. "I didn't mean you, love."

"Is that the general attitude of shifters toward wizards?" Jay tilted his head, considering. Thomas relaxed when Jay's scent didn't edge toward anger.

"A lot, yeah." Thomas held up his hands. "But you know how it goes with any group. It's always us against them."

"What about with us? Are we going to be able to make it work with us being so different? Is your pack going to be upset with our mating?"

Thomas linked his fingers through his mate's.

"No. My pack is happy I found my other half. You saw how they were last night at dinner. They won't be a problem. Besides, we will make our relationship work because of two things. One, we are mates, which means even if you were a three-eyed, green-skinned troll, I would still want to claim you as mine, and two, you're too stubborn to quit. You wouldn't let a group of shape shifters scare you off even if they wanted to, would you?"

Thomas hoped like hell that his lover wouldn't say yes. He didn't want to go to jail for stalking. He wouldn't be the first shifter that happened to.

"It's not a matter of quitting," Jay said, his fingers firmly entwined with Thomas's. "It's a matter of whether we can make a life as a couple. I don't have to deal with any disapproving parents, but an entire pack."

Thomas pressed his mouth against Jay's, quieting his words. Jay's lips were warm and soft. Little pulses of desire sparked down his body as a growl rolled up his chest. He'd never growled so much as in the past twenty-four hours. The urge to grab Jay and drag him off filled him.

When Thomas finally lifted his head, Jay's eyes were filled with lust and he was leaning on Thomas for support.

"Like I said before, with werekin, relationships are relatively easy. You have your mate and your pack. Everyone else is either food or friend. Everyone will continue to accept you because you're my mate. I can't promise there won't be the occasional wizard joke, but for a werekin, a mate is sacred. I can no sooner deny you as I can remove a limb. Trust me when I say, wizard or not, you will be accepted by my family."

Jaynell nodded. "That's all that matters. I don't want to get between you and your pack."

Thomas appreciated the thought, but he wanted to nip that concern away. "The only thing that might get between me and my pack is my brother as pack leader. As you've noticed, I'm more Alpha than most wolves. It's hard not to take over sometimes, especially if I think I'm right."

"If you're sure." Jaynell still didn't sound confident, but his eyes were steady as he met Thomas's gaze. "I mean, I know you said this was permanent, but I don't want to make you miserable."

"Come on, sweet, let's go get some lunch," Thomas said, flinging an arm around his mate. "You'll feel more settled with some food."

"Somehow I doubt it," Jay said dryly, but he let Thomas lead him toward the student union to get something to eat.

Jay entered the cafeteria with Thomas at his side. After spending so much of his life alone, it was strange to have someone walking beside him. His father had been ill for most of his life so he was used to doing things himself.

Knowing Thomas believed they were mates gave Jay confidence that the shifter would stay with him even if he was a bit strange or, as one tutor said, 'a scarily powerful wizard.'

Thomas didn't care what Jay could do. The werekin didn't think of Jay as anything except his mate who happened to do magic.

It was a refreshing change.

Looking up, he was amused to see Thomas's head whipping from side to side as if he scented something.

"What do you smell?" Jay asked. The curiosity was eating him up. "Do things smell different when you're a human?"

The shifter gave him a sweet smile. "Honey, I'm never human. I might look like a man on the outside, but I'm always a wolf at heart. Which means, no matter where you go, I'll be able to find you."

There should've been something sinister about the way Thomas's eyes glowed with fervor, but Jay found it reassuring. It was difficult going from a completely sheltered life to a rudderless existence. As much as he had loved his father, Jay had felt the weight of his father's sacrifice with each loving look and every burning brand. Jay knew he had survivor's guilt in spades over the death of both of his parents. Guilt neither of them would've wanted him to carry. It didn't change the fact that he missed his father and longed for the mother he'd never known.

A large hand cupped Jay's shoulder, pulling him from his past.

"Troubles are lighter when shared," Thomas said. He should've sounded like a cheesy postcard, but the caring expression on his handsome face went straight to Jay's heart.

He shook his head. "It's nothing that can be helped, but I appreciate that you want to try."

Thomas's expression remained troubled. "You let me know when you're ready to talk. As your mate, I know when you're worried, and I don't like the pain I see in your eyes."

Jay couldn't stop the smile breaking out. "Thank you, but my burden isn't going to get any lighter even if I put all my troubles on your big, strong shoulders." He went to his toes and gave Thomas a kiss on the cheek. "I do appreciate the thought though."

They went through the food line where Jaynell put extra veggies on Thomas's plate just to watch his disgusted expression, and the shifter put more meat than three people could consume on Jay's plate.

Jay stared at the rare steak oozing juices into everything else. "I think I'm going to turn vegetarian."

Thomas laughed. "Nonsense. No wolf would ever have a vegetarian as a mate. Besides," he said, leering, "you need to keep your energy up."

Shaking his head at Thomas's antics, Jay led them to an unoccupied booth. Settling in, he slid his feet on either side of Thomas, comforted by the werekin's presence.

They were halfway through their meal when a gnome materialized beside them. He wore a gold earring in his right ear, a black leather jacket and torn-up jeans.

After giving a surprisingly graceful bow, the boy gave Jay an uncertain smile. "Word is that you might be looking for a house gnome." He spoke in Gnome. Word must've also gotten around that Jay understood their language.

Jay sighed. He'd known this was coming, but he hadn't realized it would happen so soon. He thought he'd get a few days to settle in before they appeared. Gnomes were attracted to magical power, which was why they worked mostly at or around magical universities and corporations where people studied magic. Jay was his own magical supernova, so it was only a matter of time before gnomes started lining up to be owned by him.

Visions of the mess that could be created with five men in one dorm suite went through Jay's mind. Once they'd graduated, his roommates could get gnomes of their own. Unfortunately, at this level of training, they didn't have the power structure to support a gnome.

"I might be. What are your qualifications?" he responded in English.

"I thought you spoke Gnome," the creature said with accusing eyes.

"I do, but my four roommates don't. If you're going to work for me, they need to be able to communicate with you."

Before the young gnome could say anything more, a teenage gnome popped up beside him. She was wearing a hot pink dress and had a sparkly earring in her left ear.

"Good afternoon, Master. I would like to be apply to be your house gnome."

"Buzz off, Calla. I was here first," the leather-clad gnome said, scowling.

"But I'm sure he'd rather have someone with experience who knows how to be a house gnome, Thorn." Calla blinked her eyes at Jay. "I was trained by my mother who has been a house gnome for four hundred years."

Another flash brought a gray-haired matron who gave Jay a sweet smile. "Greetings, sir, do you have need of a gnome?"

Jay turned to Thomas. "What about at the were house?"

"Werekin can't keep gnomes," the matron said in her sweet, grandmotherly voice. "Although they are magic, they can't channel it."

Jay shrugged. "I can maintain the magic for him."

All three gnomes stared at him, wide-eyed.

"What?"

"How far can you support a gnome?" the matron asked, her voice now more stern than sweet.

Jay thought it over for a moment. "The farthest I've ever tried was for my grandmother, and it was only for a month. When she died, I released her gnome to find a new home." Jay hadn't kept the gnome himself because his father had been picky about who they let into their household and hadn't liked gnomes messing about.

"What do you mean support a gnome?" Thomas asked. "Like she said, we don't have magic so I don't know much about maintaining a gnome."

"Gnomes usually live and work in their owner's homes because they need to be close to their owner's power. Most homes absorb the magic of the people who live there, helping keep the gnome grounded to its owner. I can create a power base and let it feed off my magic without the gnome living with me but only through a limited distance."

"How far away was your grandmother?" Thorn asked. His metallic grey eyes were lit with interest.

Jay thought back to the location of his grandmother's house. "Maybe twenty miles."

There was a collective gasp, and Jay started to get a really bad feeling that once again he'd overestimated the average magic user's ability. He'd have to start scaling back his estimates if he ever hoped to fit in.

"That would mean I could apprentice at that garage in town," Thorn said.

Thomas frowned. "I thought you wanted to be a house gnome."

Thorn lowered his head. "It's the only job human masters are willing to give a gnome, and mechanics don't have enough power to support a gnome. There aren't any wizard mechanics," he said with a smirk.

"Tell you what, Thorn," Jay said, looking the youth over in a new light. "If you find a place to give you a job in a garage, I'll support you taking it, but you have to work on the pack house cars for free." Jay didn't have a car, but he knew the gnome would feel indebted if he didn't offer a trade of services. It was their way. Gnomes didn't take anything for free.

Thorn's smile was as beautiful as it was unexpected. "You've got yourself a deal." The gnome held out his hand.

Jay wrapped his long fingers around the young gnome's wrist. His fingertips overlapped. "You are bound to me. I accept your service and accept your care."

Light flashed beneath Jay's fingers, and Thorn burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" demanded Calla.

"It tickles," Thorn replied, laughing as Jay released his hold.

The matron looked at Jay with surprise. "When I was bound, it burned like fire."

"The bond can feel the intent of the bearer. Did your master wish you ill?"

The matron's face darkened. "He was an evil man who I was happy to leave."

Jay didn't know what to say to that. For a gnome to want to be free, the man must have been a very bad person indeed. Gnomes spent a great part of their lives searching for their master and killing any other gnome who dared to try to take their position. Territorial wars were common and often bloody since the number of wizards who could support a gnome was limited.

"I'm sure my roommates and I would be honored to have such experienced gnomes to care for our quarters." Jay didn't want to encourage the gnome to gossip about her old owner. There was an unspoken rule that gnomes didn't talk about their previous owners. Jay didn't want to lure her into breaking the gnome code even if her ex-Master didn't deserve her loyalty.

Jay carefully repeated the binding words for each gnome. "I can only support about fifteen gnomes, and I don't need any more in my rooms. If someone wants to try something different, I'd be happy to sponsor additional training."

The matron, whose name turned out to be Tulip, gave him a sweet smile. "I knew you were the one Rose prophesized about."

"Who's Rose?" Jay asked, not sure he really wanted to know.

Tulip smiled and readily answered. "Our foreseer. She said one day a man would come and free the gnomes."

"I'm not freeing you," Jay argued. "I'm just finding you new occupations. You're still bound to me."

He didn't want the gnomes to think he'd freed them from needing an owner. If they planned to stay out of their mounds, they still needed wizard protection.

"But the freedom to choose our destiny is the greatest freedom of all," Tulip said. "We don't mind being bound to a master. We like belonging to someone. My last master was an unfortunate exception. To be able to choose our duty, that is real freedom. You've given Thorn an amazing gift."

Thorn nodded.

Before Jay could downplay his role in their new enlightenment, the three gnomes vanished.

Thomas shook his head. "There's never a dull moment around you, is there?"

Jay shrugged. "Not one that I can find. I wouldn't mind experiencing boredom for a moment or two just to lighten up the string of catastrophes."

He could tell by Thomas's laughter that he thought Jay was kidding. Sadly, he wasn't. Jay didn't seek out trouble, but that didn't stop trouble from knocking politely on his door and asking to play. Jay could never resist a nicely worded invitation.

Thomas patted Jay's hand. "Do you think your roommates will like the gnomes?"

"Well, they won't have to clean or make their beds so I'm guessing they'll be all right with it." Jay had never met anyone who didn't appreciate someone else picking up after them. Not to mention, college boys weren't known for their tidy ways.

"Good point. Besides, you won't see much of your room so I don't really care how clean they make it. Now that we're mated, I'll want you to come live with me."

Jay thought to argue, but he agreed with Thomas deep down. As mates, Thomas's wolf would want Jay close by at night. However, because he'd already agreed to bond with Thomas forever, that didn't mean he would give on everything. "I'll think about it."

He didn't want to start out their relationship with Thomas thinking Jay would always give in to his demands.

After finishing lunch, Thomas walked Jay back to his dorm, stopping at the bottom of the entrance steps.

"I've got to get back to work," he announced.

Jay looked his lover over with interest, letting his gaze slide across all his favorite parts.

"What is it you do exactly?" The night before, they'd been more interested in learning about each other carnally than discussing Thomas's career choices.

"I'm my brother's second-in-command. I serve as a gatekeeper between him and the pack. My job is to determine if people really need the help of the Alpha or just want to complain. I'm also sometimes called to mitigate territorial wars between packs because I'm the strongest."

"Well, be careful and don't start any battles without me. I don't suppose you brought me that book on werewolves you talked about."

"I have to dig it out of our library. I'll find it for you tonight. I'm still sort of surprised you don't know more about us."

Jay mulled over Thomas's words. The werekin was right. The fact Jay didn't know that much about shifters was strange.

"It's not like werekin were ignored or skimmed over, but my father didn't have any books about them or much information." Jay frowned. "My father's collection is considered by many to be the most extensive library about the supernatural in the world, but I don't remember a single book about any shape changer. Weird."

"That is strange," Thomas agreed, wrapping his arms around Jay. "Maybe he knew something and didn't want to give you preconceptions about the werekin."

A flicker of memory flashed through Jay's mind but vanished just as quickly. Something about his father and a visitor but it was not clear enough for him to understand. Maybe it would come back to him in a dream. Jay often dreamed his memories and broke them down when he regained consciousness.

Jay shrugged. "Maybe he was prejudiced about your kind, and I never noticed. It's not like we had a lot of interactions with shifters—all my tutors were wizards."

An endless array of tutors had traipsed through Jay's home as a child, but none of them had stayed past teaching Jay everything they knew. His father had remained mostly isolated from anyone else, not wanting people to look at him with pity as he became frailer and frailer. Jay tried not to dwell on his father's death. It was probably a good thing he left home. He needed to get away from all the memories.

"Did he ever say anything about werekin?" Thomas asked. He tilted his head curiously like a dog listening to something only he could hear.

Jay grinned. "My father never said anything bad about anyone. He was just that kind of person." Jay's father had been a sweet man and devoted father. He'd missed his wife more than anything and had been willing to do whatever it took to ensure his son survived. Without Jay, his father would've been able to live the length of a natural wizard's life of a few hundred years. However, his father often said he'd rather live a few years with his son than centuries without him.

"I would've liked meeting him," Thomas said.

Imagining the two men meeting had a smile curving Jay's lips. "He would've liked you."

His father had always stressed the importance of having a partner to help shoulder the burdens in life. He would've loved Thomas. Memories of his father had tears filling Jay's eyes. He manfully blinked them back so his mate wouldn't see. Most men didn't appreciate having a drippy boyfriend, or at least, he assumed. He'd never had a boyfriend before. A quick thought had him snapping his gaze up to his mate.

"What's the longest you've ever had a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? I've never had a boyfriend," Thomas said with a smile.

"Never?"

Thomas shook his head. "I've been waiting for my mate. I wasn't going to settle down with anyone while I still had hope. Most shifters wait until they are in the second half of their lives before they are willing to commit with anyone not their mate. We are a species of perpetual hope."

"So all of you are just biding your time until you find that perfect one?"

Thomas tilted his head. "Well, think about it. If I settled down with a person I liked but then found you, I couldn't just dump the person I'd already established a life with. It would be cruel. Better to serially date for centuries than to destroy someone completely."

"I guess that makes sense."

The big were stroked Jay's head with one massive hand. "You humans over-complicate things. Werekin have it easy. Once we hit puberty, we fuck everything we can find, then we hopefully find our mate and settle down."

"What if I'm not ready to settle down?" There, he'd said it. Now Thomas knew how he felt. He almost forgot how to breathe as he waited for the shifter's opinion.

Thomas's sweet smile didn't calm Jay down a bit.

"I'd prefer if you come live with me, but it's not mandatory. If you'd rather stay at school, I'll try to be patient. I'm just asking you to save lives by not letting another guy touch you sexually."

Thomas's eyes flashed gold for a moment. Jay had a feeling Thomas's inner wolf had a different opinion on the matter.

Jay frowned as he tried to figure out Thomas's thinking. "How does that save lives?"

The sweet smile vanished, and in its place were a pair of impressive canines. "Because then I would have to kill him," he said in a gravelly voice two octaves deeper than his natural speaking tone. If Jay didn't already know they were mates, he would've been frightened by the beast man watching him. Thomas's eyes turned a solid gold as if the wolf had taken over. The cool calculation in the gaze told Jay that the wrong answer could induce a complete shift.

Jay stroked Thomas's wide chest. "Calm down, wolf boy. I get the idea. Besides, I already told you I wouldn't cheat on you. I don't want to be responsible for someone being mauled."

He had no doubt Thomas's wolf half would hunt down any of Jay's lovers and rip out their throat. Jay knew he should probably be more concerned over how much Thomas's possessiveness turned him on.

* * *

Thomas wrapped his hand around Jay's fingers, completely engulfing them.

"Good," he said in his usual voice. "Although I'm ready to move you into the pack house, I understand if you want more time to go out and have fun. Just include me if you're going any place where there might be men drinking. I don't want you to get into any situations you can't handle. Not to mention, I don't like the thought of dozens of men rubbing against you and marking you with their scent."

"I can take care of myself." The thought of being in a group of people made Jay more than a little nervous. Growing up with only his father and the occasional tutor to keep him company, Jay wasn't used to crowds, and the thought of grinding against total strangers didn't appeal to him at all. However, he would like to experience it at least once if only so he knew what he might be missing.

Thomas pressed a kiss to Jay's forehead. "Just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean you should have to, and besides, it's easier to explain away a rabid wolf as a dog than a man who zaps someone using magic."

"True."

They exchanged kisses before Jay left to go up to his dorm.

Jay daydreamed as he made his way to his room. What would it be like stay with his mate forever? A ribbon of regret slid through him. He would've liked to experience more of the world before bonding with someone. Would a werekin want to travel, or would Thomas cling to staying near his pack at all times? Jay needed to get hold of that shifter book. Hopefully, it could answer most of his questions.

Jay sighed. Sex with Thomas had been amazing, and he already missed his mate.

Thoughts swirling in his head, Jay approached his dorm room only to have the door slam open. Kevin, Devin and Dan came barreling out. All three of them were in various stages of undress.

"What's up, guys?" Jay asked.

Kevin grabbed his arm. "Jay, there you are, man. It's gnomes. There's like an army of girl gnomes, and they're fighting over who gets to clean our toilets and wash our clothes. They even threw out yesterday's pizza, and I was going to have that for breakfast." Kevin crossed his arms and pouted like a five-year-old.

"It's two in the afternoon," Jaynell said, looking at his roommates.

"And?" Kevin said with a glare.

"Sorry, Kevin," Jaynell said. "I bonded a few gnomes to clean our rooms. There should have only been two in there."

Jay winced. He probably should've warned the guys.

"Dude, you bonded gnomes? That so rocks," Devin said, smiling. He was the most dressed of the bunch. Despite his tousled hair, he at least had his shirt and jeans mostly on. A second look had Jay revising that thought. Devin's pants were probably supposed to be like that.

Dan spoke up. "There's like eight gnomes in there."

"Eight? I only bonded two for our house." Jay looked at the dorm door. There were definite sounds of a fight. "I'll take care of this. You guys go and get some food."

"They threw out my food," Kevin said in a disgruntled tone.

"Here." Jay gave Kevin a handful of cash. "Take everyone out on me while I talk to the gnomes."

Kevin's eyes went wide. "Cool. I'll bring you back the change, man." As he walked away, Jay heard Kevin say, "Gorgeous, loaded, and powerful. It's just not fair."

The other two made noises of agreement.

* * *

Jay opened the door then walked into chaos. If chaos could involve a dorm room cleaned within an inch of its life. However, the pristine room wasn't the problem. It was the plethora of gnomes. Kevin was right. There were eight gnomes there. The two gnomes Jay had bonded with and six unknown gnomes.

The two bonded gnomes faced off the other six, and it looked like a battle was about to begin.

"What is going on here?" Jay asked. He made sure he used the commanding tone he'd heard in his father's voice more than once when addressing unwanted intruders.

Eight sets of eyes turned to stare at him.

Calla and Tulip dipped him curtsies. "Master, welcome home," they said in unison.

It was kind of freaky, but Jay didn't let that show on his face. "Afternoon, Calla and Tulip. Who are your friends?"

"These aren't any friends of mine," Calla said with a defiant toss of her head. "They're intruders, and with your permission, I'll toss them out."

Jay looked over the six gnomes standing politely at attention. "Why are you here?"

The boldest of the six was a pixie-tailed blonde with a blue dress. She looked about eight but was probably closer to eight hundred. He could never tell with gnomes.

She dipped a curtsey. "I'm Dahlia. We heard you were looking for gnomes, and we've come to apply. We were giving a sample of our cleaning skills when these two jumped in and started with the attitude."

"He bonded with us, not you," Calla said, scowling at the interlopers.

The pixie-tailed blonde ducked as Calla threw a broom at her head. Dahlia screamed in anger and jumped at Calla. Only Jay's grip on the back of her dress stopped her from a full attack.

"Settle down. I'll not hire any gnomes who can't behave."

Immediately, the group calmed down. Jay noticed for the first time that all the gnomes were females.

"Weren't any male gnomes interested in coming?"

The gnomes looked amongst themselves. Finally, Dahlia spoke, "The menfolk like gardening over housework."

Jaynell nodded. It made sense that the male gnomes might not be interested in cleaning houses, but he hadn't realized there was such a division between the sexes. Most of his gnome knowledge had been theoretical. Jay was finding books weren't a good substitute for living. Thing didn't translate as easily from print to life as he had hoped.

"I'll need some yard work done also," Jay said, thinking of the pack house.

Calla smiled. "Is it for your boyfriend's pack?"

"Yes. I'm sure it's a lot of work to keep the grounds up. Tell the men that I'll provide power for up to six of them if they're interested in working for werekin. Anyone with prejudice against shifters or gay males isn't invited."

Tulip laughed. "With as much power as you carry around, Master, they're not going to care who you sleep with."

There was a general consensus of murmuring amongst the group until Dahlia spoke up, "Does that mean you don't need us?"

"I don't need you for this dorm. However, I could use you at my boyfriend's house."

"And we can bring our husbands?" Dahlia asked. Her smile was so wide it almost split her face.

"Yes. I can support you and your husbands, but that is probably it until I can bind you to the land and make you self-sustaining."

The gnomes gave Jay a look he was becoming quite familiar with. He sighed. "Yes, it is possible to link you with the land directly, and yes, I have the ability to do that. However, you have to live on the land for at least a month."

"But we would be bound to the land and not a person?" Dahlia asked. The other gnomes looked just as puzzled.

"Yes. But first you'd have to be bound to me."

"We'll take it," Dahlia said, holding out her wrist.

A few minutes later, Jay had bound six more gnomes, and deep down, where he felt the truth of things, he just knew this was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

# Chapter 6

Thomas had agreed to give Jay a bit of space and allow him to spend the night alone. It had only taken a few hours before Jay realized he didn't like sleeping without Thomas beside him. He'd tossed and turned all night, and when a gnome popped in to deliver his class schedule, it had taken concentrated effort not to kick her across the room for waking him up.

Following his new itinerary, Jay entered his advanced magical theory class, then stopped short. There were only four kids in attendance. Did he have the wrong place?

"Where's the rest of the class?" he asked a thin blond boy.

"This is it. They don't let just anyone in here." He looked Jay up and down. "Though, it looks like they've lowered their standards."

"Not if he's Jay." A dark-haired girl jumped up out of her seat. "I'm Mallory, but you can call me Mal. I'm a water wizard. That's Frank." She pointed to the rude blond. "He's a fire wizard, and those two are Jax and Amy." She indicated a boy and girl sitting together. "They're both part earth troll." The pair had dirt-colored skin and craggy brows that looked as if they were made out of stone.

"Nice to meet you," Jay said, doubting his words.

The trolls nodded in a friendly manner but didn't speak.

"What do you mean about fire wizard or earth wizard? I don't understand those designations." Jaynell had gaps in his studies; sometimes the basic stuff completely eluded him.

"It means, numbskull, that I am superior in fire and she's superior in water. You, apparently, are inferior in everything." Frank sneered.

Jay was contemplating how deep to bury the snotty bastard when the instructor walked in. According to his schedule, this was Professor Firestorm.

The tall wizard had fiery red hair and an easy smile. As he entered the teacher scanned the room before focusing on Frank.

"Frank, I would ask that you choose your opponents more wisely," the professor said in a chiding tone. "Mr. Marley has been on campus only a brief time and during that period, has been awarded a potions teaching position, mated with a werewolf, and bonded with enough gnomes that the headmaster is starting to feel inferior. I live in anticipation of what he will do to wrap up the week. Please be seated, Mr. Marley."

Jay bowed slightly to the professor before taking the seat next to the friendly girl.

Frank slunk down in his chair, but Jay knew this wasn't the end of it. Some people enjoyed being difficult.

"Turn to page fifty of your magical studies book." A textbook appeared on Jay's desk then flipped to the correct page. "Who can tell me the five theories of magic?"

The class went on forever. Jay didn't answer any questions unless asked. For an advanced class, he found the work remedial. Finally, the lecture part finished, and they were led to a lab.

"Here is where you separate the wizards from the weenies," Frank said. He kept his voice down so the professor couldn't hear him.

Jay took a deep breath and told himself that his father wouldn't have approved of him snapping the kid's neck, but it did help to know that Thomas would not only have helped, he'd have applauded him afterward. He did have a bloodthirsty mate.

"Today, we're going to do a much-anticipated spell. We're going to find your avatar. Those of you who were here last year have been preparing for this particular spell since then. Jay, please pay careful attention to how this is done. I have no doubt you'll be able to pick it up quite easily."

Jay already knew what his avatar was. Avatars were born from a wizard's magic, and everyone had one that showed their magical essence. Jay glanced nervously around the room, hoping the desks were stronger than they looked.

"Frank, why don't you start?"

Frank closed his eyes and began chanting. What the hell was he doing? All a wizard needed to call an avatar was a focus ball and will. Deciding it was going to be a long class, Jay settled comfortably in a chair beside the wall.

Mallory sat beside him. "Frank can't perform any spells without trying to make it look fancy. Everyone knows you just need a focus ball and your will."

"Thank you," Jay said, relieved. "I thought it was another one of those things that I did differently."

Mallory gave him a friendly smile. "Nope. Frank's just an ass."

After a lot of chanting, a small ball of fire unfurled and a respectably sized phoenix landed on Frank's shoulder.

"Nice," Jay said. He didn't clap because it looked like Frank was having difficulty controlling the creature. After a few minutes of sweat dotting the man's brow, the fiery animal vanished.

Professor Firestorm gave an approving smile. "Good first time, Frank. Not everyone can call their avatar. Now, Mallory, if you don't mind?"

Mallory's avatar was an enormous jellyfish. It floated through the air with an eerie grace until she finally banished it.

Considering how much damage it could do if it stung someone, Jaynell was impressed and told her so. She flushed with the praise.

The earth wizards called up a pair of powerful rock creatures that each stood five feet high.

"Now, Jaynell, if you don't mind giving the spell a try. I know you don't have as much experience practicing it as the others, but you might as well give it a shot," Professor Firestorm said.

Jay looked at the room again. "I don't know that it would be a good idea to call my avatar in here, Professor."

"You already know your avatar?" Firestorm asked.

Jay resisted rolling his eyes over the professor's surprise.

"Yes." When he turned twelve, his father had taught him the spell. He kept that information to himself.

Professor Firestorm stared at Jay for a moment as if trying to read his mind. A fruitless gesture since Jay's mind shields were stronger than steel. "Let's take it outside then," he said after a long moment.

"Thank you, sir."

Frank smirked. "I bet he doesn't even have one."

Jay could've told him it wasn't a matter of having an avatar. It was a matter of controlling it. Some creatures weren't comfortable to call.

The group walked outside to the adjacent courtyard. Jay made sure they were on an area covered with flagstones and not too many people.

"Well, we're ready for your avatar," Frank said. "If you can even call one."

Jay pulled out his key ring.

"What are you going to do, key us to death?" Frank laughed along with the earth wizards.

Shaking his head, Jay pulled a small stone in a metal cage off of the ring and slid the rest of the collection back into his pocket. Closing his hand around the stone, Jay focused his energy.

Concentrating his power, Jay said, "Gideon, come to me."

The ground shook beneath their feet. The air went from still to whipping into a whirlwind around them. A loud boom crackled the air, and everyone but Jay was knocked from their feet as a three-headed dragon landed on the flagstones before him.

Jay greeted the beast. "Good afternoon, Gideon." Jay didn't turn around to see who was screaming. He needed all his attention for his avatar. Gideon might have been Jay's for years, but the dragon was still highly dangerous. Jay had an acid mark on his shoulder from the last time he'd called his avatar and hadn't greeted it properly.

_"Greetings, Master."_ Gideon's words filled Jay's mind.

He didn't know if other avatars talked to their masters, and he was cautious at this point in asking his fellow students. There were things he knew that others didn't, and to keep bringing it up would alienate the few students he was interested in becoming friends with. He wondered how the dragon would deal with a wolf.

_"By barbecuing him_ ," Gideon whispered in his mind.

"Not this one. He's mine."

Jay was surprised at how certain he was of that. All his doubts and concerns vanished beneath the need to protect his man. Clarity took over his mind, and an image of him and Thomas standing in a clearing surrounded by wolves flashed before him. The picture was so clear and bright that for a moment he thought he could feel Thomas's touch.

Warm breath snapped him out of his vision, and he looked up to see Gideon's three heads aligned and examining him.

_"He's your mate."_

"Yes, he is," Jaynell agreed. For the first time, he realized it didn't matter how much time had passed or how long he'd known him. He'd found his mate, and he planned to keep him.

The sounds behind him finally broke through Jay's concentration.

"Would whoever's screaming please stop. You're going to spook Gideon."

A slap echoed in the courtyard, then silence.

"If you could please release your avatar, Master Marley," Professor Firestorm said in a shaky voice. "I think you've proven you can call it."

"Yes, Professor."

Keeping a hand on two out of three heads, Jay closed his eyes and focused on banishing his dragon.

Most wizards had to work to call their avatars. Jay always had to work harder to get rid of his.

Gideon rubbed his middle scaly head across Jay's chest removing a layer of skin beneath his shirt.

"Ouch." Jay laughed, shoving the dragon away.

_"I will go and guard your mate_ ," the dragon announced right before it disappeared.

Generally, avatars were spiritual guardians of wizards that came when they conducted battles or strong spells. Unfortunately, Jay's overabundance of power created a more solid variety. Gideon had made a nest at Jay's house for when he materialized. Now, apparently, he was looking for a new place to stay closer to Jay. Shit. He wondered how Thomas and his pack were going to take their unexpected visitor.

"That's quite an impressive avatar you have," Professor Firestorm said. "I don't think I've ever seen one that large before."

Jay turned to speak to the professor and was shocked to see Frank lying on the ground.

"What happened to him?"

Mallory gave him an angelic smile. "You said you wanted him to be quiet."

Jay liked that girl more and more.

"Well, class, I think that wraps up our studies for the day. Everyone practice calling their avatar. Except you." The professor pointed at Jay. "I don't want to start a panic on campus. If you need to practice calling your dragon, warn me, and I'll have the athletic field cleared."

"Yes, sir." Jay was relieved the class was over. The excitement of the last few days was getting to him. He needed a nap.

Halfway across campus, a long shadow crossed his path. Looking up, he saw Thomas's brother James. Great. Another complication. The Alpha wolf stood before Jay and crossed his arms. "Would you care to explain to me why my pack house is infested with gnomes?"

At least James didn't know about the dragon yet. "Do you not like gnomes?"

When in doubt, work the innocent angle. More than one tutor had told Jay that he did angelic really well. The big Alpha took a deep breath like he was struggling not to reach over and strangle Jay.

"It's not a matter of not liking gnomes. I have nothing against gnomes except that they've invaded my house. They said you sent them."

Jay shrugged. "They needed a place to go. You should have yard workers coming soon."

James's eyes glowed, and Jay wondered if the Alpha was going to shift right there on the school lawn. "Why are they at the pack house?"

"Because my mate is there, and I thought it was a big building that needed a lot of care."

"I know my brother claimed you, but he hadn't said you agreed to live at the pack house. I'm assuming you have changed your mind if you're tidying it up. Have you told Thomas yet?"

Jay shook his head. "Not yet. I just realized it a moment ago. I can't sleep without him. It won't do me much good to attend school if I'm a walking zombie from lack of rest."

"If you are ready to accept your place in the pack, we need to celebrate," James said.

Delighted the gnome issue was dropped for the moment, Jay readily agreed. "Whatever it is you guys do is fine with me."

"We usually have a big party where we invite both of the pack members' families."

A hollow feeling gripped Jay's chest. "I don't have any family."

"You can invite your roommates. They can represent the wizard side of the match."

"I'll ask if they're interested."

James laughed. "Trust me. We don't open our home to the Other often. They'll be thrilled."

The two men smiled at each other. James's phone rang at the same time as Jay's.

Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. Thomas's name flashed on the caller ID. Pleased, Jay snapped it open. "Hi, honey."

There was a pause on the other end as if Thomas wasn't sure how to take the greeting. "Hello, love. Is there a reason a dragon has nested on our roof?"

_Oops_.

"Um. That's Gideon, my avatar. When he learned you were my mate, he said he'd go and watch over you. He doesn't mean any harm."

"He has three heads."

"Uh-huh." Jay didn't know why that mattered.

"Is there anything else that's going to appear? So far we've had gnomes and a dragon."

"No. I think that's about it." He crossed his fingers.

"Okay. Don't think I didn't hear you say we're mates. I plan to do something about that." Thomas's voice turned deep and seductive.

"Does it involve you, me and copious amounts of lube?" Jay asked with a smile.

Thomas laughed. "I didn't know mind-reading was one of your skills."

"It's not. I just have advanced intuition and an active appreciation of your body."

"You can appreciate it in person later tonight. I'll swing by your dorm and pick you up at five."

"It's a date."

With a wide smile, Jay closed his phone only to meet James's cold, hard gaze pinning him in his spot.

"A dragon?" Jay could tell James wasn't taking the news of a three-headed dragon as well as his mate.

"Gideon is my avatar. He doesn't mean you any harm. He's looking out for Thomas."

"Some might think this is a challenge to my leadership, a statement that I can't look after my pack alone. Challenging an Alpha is tricky business, my friend. Make sure you know what you're doing."

"Thomas already told me he didn't want to be Alpha," Jay said. "And, frankly, all I want right now is my bed and pillow."

"Jay, my boy." Michael Dragonspawn's voice called out behind him.

Jay instinctively turned to see the older man approach. "Professor."

Michael gave Jay a sexy smile that made him a little queasy. "I was hoping for the chance to speak with you alone."

"I'm sorry, that's not possible." James stepped forward, wrapping his hand around Jay's arm. "I need him to come to the pack house and deal with my brother."

"Ah. You must be Thomas's brother. A fine wolf, that one."

"Professor, this is James Sparks. James, this is Michael Dragonspawn, he used to be one of my tutors."

"Nice to meet you, Professor," James said politely. He didn't let go of his grip on Jay the entire time or offer to shake Dragonspawn's hand. "Sorry, we've got to go. My brother has been separated from his mate too long. It makes wolves cranky."

Without waiting for Dragonspawn to say anything, James dragged Jay off. He waited until they were traveling in the limo before he spoke. "There's something seriously off about that guy. How long have you known him?"

"Most of my life, but I have to say, it has only been in the last few weeks that he's been sending off the creepy vibes."

"Don't ever be alone with him," James said, his expression serious. "I still don't know if I approve of a wizard as my brother's mate, but I know he would lose it if anything happened to you. I may come across as a power-hungry Alpha who's only concerned with my position, but I love my brother and will do anything to help him. Besides," James said, settling back in his seat. "Those gnomes really know how to clean a pack house. I didn't even know there was so much hair in the carpet."

Laughing, Jay let James take him to meet his mate a little earlier than planned. He could nap later.

# Chapter 7

Thomas met Jay at the door, lifted him up, then swung him around in his strong arms.

"You did agree to be my mate?" Thomas asked cautiously. Hope burned in the werekin's eyes. Jay knew, in that moment, he had the ability to hurt the shifter far more than anyone else on the planet.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and answered with his heart on his sleeve.

"Yes, I agreed to be your mate. I told you I just needed a bit of time."

A female gnome popped up and gave Jay a bow. "Hello, Master."

Jay returned the greeting. "How are things going here?"

"The werekin are nice and dirty," the gnome said with a wide grin. "It gives us much to do."

"Glad we can oblige," James said in a dry voice from behind Jay. "I'd hate for us to be too tidy for the gnomes."

* * *

"I'm taking Jay upstairs," Thomas said. He brushed past the gnomes. Just the thought of losing his mate was enough to make him howl. He had worried once he returned to his kind that Jay would rethink their bonding. and was glad to know he'd been wrong. Apparently in the case of mates, absence did make the heart grow fonder or at least horny enough to concede.

"Slow down, honey. I'm not going anywhere, except with you."

Thomas realized he was dragging his mate up the stairs. He slowed his stride so Jay's feet actually hit the stairs when he walked.

Finally, they were in Thomas's room. He was surprised when Jay broke his hold to close the door. The slim wizard slid his fingers over the wood and said an incantation in a language that Thomas didn't understand.

"What are you doing?"

Jay blushed adorably. "Blocking the room so the gnomes can't flash inside. I don't want them popping in during sex."

Thomas smiled. "Good thinking, baby. Now come over here so I can strip off your clothes." The urge to see his mate naked again had his claws itching to come out.

Jay gave Thomas a brilliant smile before walking within reach. Thomas didn't waste any time. He yanked at his mate's shirt and pushed off Jay's shoes and pants before the wizard could say anything at all, almost tearing the cloth in the process.

"I was going to wear those again," Jay complained, once he stopped bouncing from where Thomas threw him on the bed.

"You have magic. You can repair them if you need to go."

Jay gave his clothes a rueful look. "Poor clothes."

Thomas laughed. "I'm sure you'll manage. But if you can't, I guess I'll have to keep you naked in my bed." Thomas pulled off his clothes and crawled across the bed until he was right over Jay. "Shame."

Jay smiled back at him. Fuck, his mate was gorgeous.

Unable to resist that mouth, Thomas leaned down and kissed the wizard. He had no intention of ever letting the man get away again. He wondered how long it would take to move Jay into the pack house. Surely, he couldn't have that much stuff if he was living in a dorm before.

Leaning over, Thomas licked a long line up Jay's neck, pleased when the smaller man gasped. "I can't bear to be apart from you any longer," he confessed. Last night, without Jay, had ended in little to no sleep.

"I'm all yours," Jay said with an inviting smile.

Scrambling for the side table, Thomas pulled out a battered tube of lube. Squeezing a generous amount on his fingers, Thomas slid first one, then two fingers into Jay's hole, pleased when the wizard moaned and rubbed against Thomas's hand, encouraging more movement.

"Relax, baby. We have all evening."

"I don't have all evening. I need to be fucked right now," Jay demanded, lifting his hips for deeper penetration.

"Patience."

The lights in Thomas's room flickered wildly. Thomas smiled as he felt electricity tingle along his lover's body. Apparently, having sex once had made his mate eager for a repeat event.

"Fuck me now," Jay insisted.

"Pushy wizard. Turn over."

"No, this time I want to see your face."

Thomas hesitated for a brief moment, but he had told Jay the next time they could have sex face to face. "All right."

He grabbed a pillow and shoved it under Jay's ass.

"Hey."

"I need you up a little so I can fuck you at the proper angle."

"You could've warned me."

"Yep, I could've." Thomas grinned at his mate. Jay couldn't be any more adorable if he tried. Thomas couldn't remember ever being happier in his life. He pressed a hard kiss on Jay's mouth, then on his right nipple, pleased when Jay's body jolted from his touch.

Jay moaned. "I didn't realize they were so sensitive."

"What? You never played with them before?"

Jay shrugged. "I was concentrating on other things."

That sobered Thomas. He'd forgotten for a moment how his mate had spent his youth—trapped in a bond with his father and tortured for years.

"No matter. I'll be happy to teach you all about your body."

They'd been in too much of a hurry last time. Thomas still wanted to plunge into Jay, but he knew he needed to make it special. His mate deserved to know he was cherished. Never would he put his own needs above Jay's.

"Those are one set of lessons I look forward to."

Thomas let out a groan when Jay wrapped his legs around Thomas's hips and pulled him close.

"Keep that up, and this will be over before I get started." Thomas craved Jay like red meat after a full moon hunt. Jay's combination of sweetness and power was a strong aphrodisiac.

"Release me, love."

Jay unwound his legs from around Thomas.

Thomas pulled back so he could slick up his cock. As he pushed inside, he gripped Jay's erection in a firm hold, pleased at the long moan he received.

Thomas's hips convulsed as he plunged into the tight heat of his mate. His need to dominate his lover took over. Unable to resist the urge, Thomas let his incisors grow. He plunged his elongated teeth into the tender part of Jay's body, the curve between his shoulder and neck. After his wolf half was satisfied with the claiming, Thomas relaxed his jaw and lapped up his lover's blood. A tingle of power rushed through Thomas with the speed of a tornado.

He stilled his movement so he wouldn't spill his seed before he'd given his oath. He'd held back before, uncertain about finally bonding with a man he barely knew. However, the past few days showed him it didn't matter what he did—he'd always be connected to Jay. His lover already owned his heart; it was a tiny leap to own his soul too.

"I claim you as my mate. From this day forward, you are mine to love, mine to protect and mine to command. No action or thought will be taken without your welfare in mind. With this exchange of fluids, forever we will be bound."

Thomas started moving again, letting his body take over as his mind filled with images of their future together.

"Under the eyes of my ancestors, I claim you." Thomas bit down again on the same spot, sucking on the bloody holes he'd left in his lover's skin. Jay arched his back, and Thomas could feel Jay's cock pulse in his hand.

Disengaging his teeth, he whispered in Jay's ear, "Let go, love. I'll catch you."

Jay came with a cry. His ass clenched around Thomas's cock, wrenching the werewolf's orgasm from him.

With a sigh and another kiss on the back of Jay's neck, Thomas pulled out of his lover. Taking internal inventory, Thomas let out a relieved groan. He could feel the pull between them stronger than the sexual bonding of before.

"We are bound," Thomas announced.

Jay would've enjoyed wallowing in the warm embrace of his mate, but his ringing cell phone pulled him out of his haze of happy contentment.

Waving his hand, he floated the phone from his pocket to his hand.

"That's handy," Thomas muttered against his arm.

"Sometimes," Jay admitted. "Hello."

Kevin's panicked voice came over the line. "Jay, you gotta get back to the dorm. Someone was in here. The gnomes are all dead, and it looks like whoever it is used their blood to write on the wall."

Terror froze Jay's heart. For a moment, it completely stopped functioning.

Thomas snatched the phone from Jay. His enhanced hearing must've picked up Kevin's voice.

"This is Thomas. What did they write?"

There was a long silence before Kevin spoke again. "'Wolf whore, you're next.'"

"We'll be right there."

Thomas hung up and wrapped his arms around his mate. "It's going to be okay, baby. I'm here to protect you. No one is going to get to you on my watch."

"Those poor gnomes," Jay said. He'd sent them to their death. He gave a sad laugh. "I guess I won't have to worry about too many gnomes asking to be in my service now."

No doubt he'd be put on a list to bar him from having any bound gnomes under his control ever again. His heart ached as he remembered the cheerful young gnome who'd offered to clean the dorm. Instead of freedom, he'd brought her death.

Thomas squeezed him tighter until Jay could almost feel his ribs reshaping under the pressure.

"Release me."

"Never," Thomas vowed.

"I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry." Thomas relaxed his hold enough for Jay to catch his breath.

"Let's get dressed, then go see how everything looks. Maybe I can figure something out from the person's magical signature." If the gnomes were murdered using magic, the killer would've left a trace.

"What makes you think the person is magical?" Thomas asked. "It could just as easily be a regular person."

Jay thought it over for a moment. "No. You'd need some sort of magic to subdue a gnome before killing them. Gnomes might be of limited magic, but they're strong. They can defend themselves against attack. Not to mention a regular person wouldn't go into a magic dorm room."

Pulling on his jeans, Jay considered all the angles. The bigger question was why someone would want to kill the gnomes.

Within minutes, the pair were dressed and opening the door.

Jay came up short. There were at least a dozen gnomes lined up in the hall. Their faces were solemn, and tears sparkled in more than a few gnomes' eyes.

Guilt churned Jay's stomach. It was his fault their friends were gone. "I'm so sorry about your friends. I'll do whatever I can to find out who did this horrible thing."

He couldn't bring the poor gnomes back, but he had to do what he could to bring the rest of them piece of mind. They didn't deserve to be hunted.

A male gnome stepped forward. "You mistake our purpose, Master. We're not here because we are upset about the other gnomes, though we are."

The other gnomes nodded their agreement.

"We're here as protection. Someone means to harm you, and we aren't going to let that happen." The gnome handed over a small silver whistle on a delicate silver chain. "If you feel yourself in danger, blow this whistle, and the gnomes closest to you will come."

Jay accepted the gift with a bow. "Thank you. I appreciate the support, and if anyone would like to back out of our agreement, I will be more than happy to release you from your service."

Until he could figure out the killer and why they wanted Jay, he wouldn't blame anyone for looking for an escape from his service.

There was a general buzzing of chatter.

The gnome who had stepped forward as speaker looked around at the other gnomes.

"It is unanimously agreed that no one wants out of service, but thank you for the offer. It isn't often that we are given the chance to be true protectors. Most people forget that we were once the original bodyguards of the fey before they all died out. It is only in the past four hundred years that we've been relegated to household chores. We feel privileged to get the opportunity to protect such a powerful wizard."

Jay swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thank you for your offer of protection. Hopefully, we can find out who did this before he has a chance to strike again. I'd appreciate it if you could watch over the pack while I'm gone and send a few more people to my dorm room after it has been inspected."

"Consider it done."

Jay looked at the gnome for a while. The creature looked vaguely familiar. "What's your name?"

The gnome gave him a sharp-toothed smile. "My name's Briar. You bonded with my boy, Thorn. He's been a handful for the past few years, and I was worried he was going to fade. Now, he's bursting with energy and has convinced some humans to let him intern with them. I'd like to return the favor."

"Welcome, Briar," Jay said. "I wish we could've met under better circumstances."

"Me too, Master."

After bidding the gnomes goodbye, they grabbed a limo back to school.

It was time to hunt a killer.

The ride back to the dorm was made in silence. Thomas cuddled his mate close. Even though Jay wasn't speaking, he could feel the distress pouring off the wizard.

"Shh. We'll catch whoever did this."

"And make them pay." He'd never heard that tone from his mate before. When Jay turned to face him, his mate's eyes glowed with a golden fire that promised retribution.

For the first time, he realized that his beautiful lover wasn't all about a gorgeous face and pretty magic tricks.

Jay was a dangerous man who was as much of an Alpha as any wolf.

Thomas swallowed back a moan.

It was sexy as hell.

Luckily, they pulled up in front of the university before he could do anything inappropriate. Now wouldn't be a good time to jump his mate.

"Are you coming?" While Thomas had been daydreaming about a naked Jaynell, the real thing was looking at him like he was an idiot.

He could feel his cheeks flush red.

"Sorry," he muttered, sliding out of the limo.

It was a short walk from the street to reach Jay's dorm. The hard part was wading through the crowds of students blocking the entrance. Finally, with some growling and shoving, he cleared a path for his mate.

Jay's roommates were huddled outside their dorm room looking pale and sick. The triplets had identical expressions of shock and horror. Kevin rushed over to Jay and wrapped him in his arms before bursting into tears. Thomas resisted the urge to rip the kid's head off and toss it out the window, but the wolf part of him let out a low growl. He didn't think it could be heard over all the noise, but Jay carefully eased out of his roommate's arms.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Kevin cried. Gripping Jay's arms, he continued to sob. "I didn't think he'd do anything. He said he was just going to leave a note."

"Who?" Thomas asked, even though he was certain they both already knew.

"Dragonspawn," Kevin said, through his tears. "Michael Dragonspawn was here. I was on my way to class, and no one else was home. He asked if he could step inside and leave you a note." Kevin sniffled back tears. "I told him it would be fine if he locked the door after him. I didn't know he'd kill the gnomes."

"Of course you didn't," Jay said, rubbing his friend's back.

Thomas knew he should feel sympathy for the distraught young man, but all he could think about was how his mate's hand was running over another man's body.

He didn't realize he was growling until Kevin stepped carefully away from Jay, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "Relax, Wolfy, I don't have designs on your mate."

"Good, then I won't have to rip out your throat," he said conversationally.

"Thomas!" Jay shouted. There was a spark of amusement in the wizard's eyes so the werekin didn't worry too much.

Before he could say anything else, Headmaster Vreel appeared. The elderly wizard gave Jay a concerned look as he handed over an embossed envelope with Jay's name written in swirly ink.

"You have been challenged by Dragonspawn to a match of your avatars. The winner will have to give up his power to the other." The headmaster gave Jay a sad smile. "If you don't accept the challenge, Dragonspawn said he will kill two more gnomes every day you put off the match."

Thomas stepped forward to confront the headmaster. "Jay is still a student. Shouldn't there be someone who can stand up for him? What kind of place is this that you not only let a murderer get off after killing two other beings, but you let him challenge a student to a match so he can suck Jaynell dry of his magic?"

Headmaster Vreel looked embarrassed. "There is no written protection for gnomes, and frankly, the person strongest and best able to take on Dragonspawn is Jay himself. His father left him a great deal of power, and I've heard rumors that his mother passed on her abilities as well. Dragonspawn used to tutor Jaynell, so he knows of his magic. Has he ever met your avatar?"

Jay shook his head. "I trained with my avatar with another tutor. Dragonspawn never saw him."

Vreel smiled. "That may be your saving grace. Dragonspawn's avatar is a griffin, but as far as I know, he only has one head."

As the pair made plans for the battle, Thomas made plans of his own.

This might be a battle among wizards, but werekin looked after their own. No way would he leave his new mate to fight alone. Dragonspawn might be weaker magically, but Thomas knew instinctively that the older man wouldn't fight fair.

The battle wasn't scheduled until the next day, so Jay went home with Thomas and brought his roommates with him. Uncertain if Dragonspawn was going to return, Jay didn't want to leave his friends at the dorm when even the headmaster couldn't guarantee their safety.

When they got out of the limo, James met them on the steps. For the first time, Jay realized maybe it wasn't such a bright idea to bring a bunch of wizards to the pack home without asking the alpha.

"I'm so sorry, James. I should've called and asked you first. I invited my friends to stay here until tomorrow when I battle Michael."

To Jay's surprise, the Alpha didn't look the least bit put out. "You're a member of the pack now, Jay. You're allowed to invite people into your home if you like. If I don't want them here, I'm not shy about telling them to go."

Jay nodded. It was all he could do with the knot lodged in his throat.

"What else aren't you shy about?" Kevin asked, walking up to the Alpha. He slid a hand up James's chest, and Jay held his breath.

Kevin was going to get his ass kicked.

To Jay's surprise, James leaned down and sniffed Kevin's neck before letting a low growl pour from his throat. "Why don't you come inside and I can show you where you're going to sleep?" The large Alpha wrapped an arm around Kevin and led him into the house.

"Huh," Thomas said. "My brother never showed much interest in men before."

Jay shrugged. "Maybe he's bisexual. I didn't know Kevin liked guys either." Of course, he didn't really know his roommates very well. His life had been up and down since he came to the school. He just knew they seemed like good guys who didn't deserve to be mixed up in his problems. The death of the gnomes still weighed heavily on his heart. They'd been nice people who had wanted to serve him, not be destroyed by a power-hungry wizard.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault." Thomas pulled Jay into his embrace, rubbing his back up and down in a soothing pattern.

"Are you two coming?" Dean asked, looking back with concerned eyes. The triplets hadn't spoken much since leaving campus, but there was a new sadness in their eyes that Jay felt responsible for putting there. The trio was silent as they entered the pack home.

Kevin disappeared with the Alpha, and another wolf volunteered to find everyone a place to stay for the night. Classes had been canceled in respect for the gnomes. Jay thought if they really respected the gnomes, they would've done more to stop Dragonspawn, but he wasn't in charge.

They undressed in silence. Jay had reached down to pull back the covers when Thomas gently turned him to face the werekin.

"Is there any chance that you might be injured tomorrow?"

"Of course." How could he explain to a magical creature the unpredictability of magic? The odds of him being injured were high, even with a strong avatar—he didn't believe for one moment that Dragonspawn would follow the rules. The headmaster didn't either, which was why he'd given Jay such a sad expression. "Come sit by me." He patted the space next to him on the bed as he sat down. For once, he was more interested in talking to his naked mate than jumping his bones.

"Tell me," Thomas demanded.

"There are a lot of things that could go wrong tomorrow. Dragonspawn is an extremely strong wizard. I don't know how old he is, but I do know he's one of the best in his craft. I have the magic of three people coursing through my body, but my greatest power is my love for you. I wasn't going to ask you to do this right away, but since I'm going into battle tomorrow, I wanted to bond with you in the wizard way."

Thomas licked his lips like they were parched, and his eyes were moist as he leaned closer to his lover. "What's the wizard way?"

"The trinity of blood, magic and sex."

Thomas's smile, slow and tender, warmed Jay to his toes. "Baby, I'd give you my soul if I thought it would keep you safe."

Jay stroked his lover's cheek. "I like your soul right where it is. Inside the most wonderful man I know."

Dragonspawn might have experience on his side, but he didn't have love. In order to love someone, you had to think more of them than you did of yourself, and Jay doubted that had ever occurred to the psychotic wizard.

A single tear slid down Thomas's face, but his smile didn't disappear.

"Tell me what I need to do," he whispered. "I'll do anything to keep you safe."

Taking a deep breath, Jay nodded toward the carpet in the middle of the room. "Kneel on the rug, and I'll collect the supplies."

Thomas placed a soft kiss on Jay's cheek before going to sit on the floor.

Jay reached into his backpack and pulled out his pocketknife, a piece of gold cord, and his wand. In general, he didn't use a wand for his magic. He had no need for the traditional focal piece of wood that others of his kind used, but for this ceremony, he needed to use anything he could to his advantage.

Nothing could go wrong with this bonding. Whether or not it worked, he knew that he was still connected to his lover in the tradition of the werekin. One way or another, he would always be at Thomas's side.

Instincts screamed at him that he needed to have as many ties binding them as possible. He didn't know why, but he'd never gone against his instincts, and he wasn't going to start now when he had everything to lose. If Dragonspawn killed him, it would destroy Thomas, and Jay couldn't allow that to happen.

He looked back at his lover who watched him with loving eyes. There was a soul connection between them that Jay couldn't deny even if he wanted to. Leaving his shifter wasn't an option, so he had to find the best way to keep the gorgeous werekin safe. This ceremony was the safest he could get. It would bind them together, so even if Jay was close to death, Thomas could pull him back from the brink. It was a safety net for his lover.

The little he knew about werekin told Jay that his death would mean the death of his beloved Thomas, and nothing in heaven or earth was going to end that werekin's life before its appointed time. Jay had lost enough people in his life to know he had no wish to lose another one.

He returned to Thomas, kneeling on the floor before him. "This will hurt a little bit," he warned his mate.

Thomas gave him a sweet smile. "No amount of pain would be enough to stop me from keeping you at my side forever."

Jay blinked back tears. His wolf was so damn sweet. Sucking in a deep breath, Jay straightened his spine.

They could do this. He unfolded the knife blade and clutched the handle in his fist. "Hold out your wrist."

Without hesitation, Thomas offered his arm. Quick sure strikes left both of them with a gash in their right wrists.

Pressing the wounds together, Jay gave the binding rites. "As our blood mingles, so do our souls. As our blood binds us, so does our magic. As our blood flows together, so will our lives. Now repeat after me," Jay said. Thomas nodded solemnly. "I vow to always share my heart, my soul and my thoughts with the man before me."

"I vow to always share my heart, my soul and my thoughts with the man before me," Thomas repeated.

"To watch over him in safe or troubled times."

"To watch over him in safe or troubled times."

"To love him with magic or none."

"To love him with magic or none."

"Until the goddess takes his soul from me."

"Until the goddess takes his soul from me."

Jay wrapped the length of gold cord around their connected wrists.

"Now we bind through magic," Jay said, spreading his knees so he could brace his stance.

Lifting his wand awkwardly with his left hand, Jay held it over their bound wrists.

"As we are bound in blood, let us be bound in magic. May this man always know the harbor, the strength and the protection of being bonded with my soul." Jay waved the wand in a clockwise circle. "With this spell, I bequeath to my love half of everything I am. Half of my heart, my soul and my magic."

A scream tore out of Jay's throat as the magic obeyed his command. Clouds of sparkling power ripped from his chest, floated in the air for a brief shining moment, then slammed into Thomas. The shifter howled as his back bowed from the energy racing through his veins.

It was several minutes before either man could speak. Jay tasted blood in his mouth from where he'd bitten his lip. Looking at his lover, he saw Thomas's eyes glowed with his newfound magic.

"What did you do to me?" Thomas whispered.

"I gave you half of everything I am," Jay said. "If Dragonspawn gets close to killing me tomorrow, you can pull me back from the brink."

"When I said I'd give you my soul, you didn't tell me that you were going to give me yours."

"Only half," Jay said. He felt surprisingly light. Seeking inside, he could feel all of his magic was still his to call. The magic now residing in Thomas's body was still accessible, but if Dragonspawn tried to yank all of the power out of Jay's body, he could only get Jay's half.

"Can I do magic now?" Thomas asked in a hushed voice.

Jay saw the panic in his mate's eyes. The worry that Jay had taken away some of his identity with his power.

"No, honey. You are only a vessel for my magic. You don't have the ability to use it. However, it should be able to protect you from harm. You're my backup plan."

Thomas smiled. "I feel really strong. Are we mates according to wizard-kind now?"

"Not until we have sex," Jay told his mate.

The look the shifter gave him was hot and feral.

"Then what are we waiting for? I have energy to burn." Thomas's low growl told Jay his mate's concern over being transformed into something he couldn't recognize had faded.

He gave his mate a smile of his own. "We can't have that now, can we? I want you nice and relaxed for tomorrow."

"No. I want to make sure we are bonded!" Thomas declared.

Jay saw a fire in Thomas's eyes that wasn't there before. Claiming the wolf had opened up something inside his lover. Maybe Jay bonding with him had given him more confidence.

"I thought we were already mated in the wolf way before."

Thomas gave Jaynell a sheepish grin. "We are, but my wolf wanted a stronger connection with you. You could've walked away, and I would still be linked to you forever. Now that I feel your commitment, my wolf is calm."

"I hope he's not too calm," Jay said with a laugh. "We still have a battle to win."

The werekin stepped up to Jay, gripping his arms in a firm hold. "Never fear, my mate. I won't let you down. If Dragonspawn thinks he can take you away from me, he doesn't understand anything about mates. I would follow you into the depths of hell and fetch you back out again."

Thomas's intense gaze told Jay that the shifter meant every word. Dragonspawn better be looking for a place to hide if he hurt Jay because Thomas would hunt him like prey.

Stepping closer into his lover's embrace, Jay rubbed his lover's back. "I'd like to think I wouldn't go to hell, but I appreciate the sentiment. We'll get through this, then we'll decide where we want to go from there."

Thomas pulled away enough to look into his eyes.

"What does that mean?" he asked, frowning.

"It means whether I go back to school or decide to go directly to taking my magical study exams. I have a feeling my father sent me here to meet you. I can't think of any other reason. These people don't have anything to teach me."

Tension drained out of the werewolf. "I thought you meant about us."

Jay shook his head. Capturing the shifter's face in his hands, he placed a soft kiss on his mate's lips. "We are bound forever, Thomas. I might not be werekin or even understand all of your ways, but I am yours as you are mine, and neither man nor fate will ever permanently part us."

Thomas's smile was slow and predatory. "Good."

Before Jay could get his bearings, his lover's fingers were sliding inside him. Moaning, it took a minute for Jay to realize he had to stop his Thomas.

"Wait."

Thomas stilled his fingers inside Jay. "What?"

"I have to be inside you."

"What?" Thomas's eyes were wide with shock. "Why?"

Reluctantly, Jay slid away from his lover's questing touch, moaning when he was left empty and bereft.

"I have to spill my seed inside you for the bonding to be complete."

Jay could see Thomas nervously swallow. "I've never had another inside me before. In wolf culture, it would mean I was the lower ranked wolf." Seeing Jay's expression, he rushed to explain. "Not the lesser man but the less strong wolf. As you don't even have a wolf side, I'm not sure how my animal half will react."

"The bonding isn't complete until I am inside you in all ways." Jay had to be firm despite his urge to take the panicky expression away from his mate.

Thomas took a deep breath and slid next to Jaynell to lie on the floor. "If my wolf starts to snap, use your magic to restrain me. I'd never forgive myself if I harmed you."

Jay kissed Thomas with all his pent-up love and passion. Trying to convey his depth of feeling for his mate through touch, Jay kissed his way up and down Thomas's body until he got level with his lover's cock. Jay swiped his tongue up the hard length, smiling when his lover bucked beneath Jay's mouth.

"More."

"In good time." In order for the binding to work, Thomas would have to be on the edge of passion. Licking and nipping his way across Thomas's body, Jay mouthed the werekin's pebbled abs, nibbled on one hip, licked at the crease between hip and thigh and sucked his lover's balls in his mouth until he felt Thomas pant and moan beneath him.

"Please, Jay," Thomas cried out. "Please."

Jay reached across his lover's body and grabbed the lube. Popping the cap, he made sure his fingers were covered in the slick lubricant before breaching the werekin with one finger.

"More."

He pressed another finger inside. The silky heat of his lover almost made him come from that sensation alone.

A soft whimper brought his eyes up to look at Thomas's desperate expression.

"Shh. Soon. I don't want to harm you." He would rather cut off his own arm than tear his lover.

"I want you, now!" Thomas demanded. For a brief second, his eyes went wolfish.

Fuck, that was a turn-on.

"Easy, love." Jay tried to use a soothing tone to calm his mate.

Removing his fingers, he pressed his cock inside, keeping his motions slow and gentle.

Thomas's face contorted a moment with discomfort.

"Relax."

Fangs popped out of the shifter's mouth. "Restrain me," he growled in a voice much deeper than normal.

With a word, Jay called forth long gold bands formed of magic. They wrapped around the shifter's wrists, pulling his arms up and binding them to the headboard. Fangs receded, and Jay could feel the tension seep out of his lover. Now that he was certain he couldn't hurt Jay, Thomas's eyes were clear.

"Fuck me like you mean it, mate."

After a careful entry to make sure his mate was ready, Jay pounded into Thomas, pouring all the love and passion he felt into his lovemaking. Sending out more bands of power, he slid his arms beneath Thomas's knees, lifting them higher so he could peg his lover at just the right angle.

Thomas howled beneath him, filling the space between them with spurts of sticky moisture. Unable to resist the constriction around his cock, Jay followed his lover's orgasm with one of his own.

Jay's golden bands dissolved as he felt stronger, invisible ones stretch between them, binding the pair together for eternity.

"It's done," he said, gasping in surprise at the strange sensation of their bonding.

"No," Thomas said as Jay slid out of his body. "It's only just beginning."

# Chapter 8

The air was cold as Jay approached the dueling field. There was a good chance he was going to die today. Despite his big talk to his mate, it was often cunning more than force that won the day. Dragonspawn knew most of Jay's tricks, having taught him. Not to mention Dragonspawn had hundreds of years dueling experience behind him, and Jay had none. Although he knew in theory what to do in a magical battle, he'd had no practical application.

A rush of wings brought Jay out of his daydreams. An enormous griffin landed on the field. Dragonspawn's avatar was a gigantic creature with beady eyes, a deadly sharp beak and claws as big as kitchen knives. It whipped its lion tail in an angry frenzy as it stared at Jay. Tilting back its head, it let out an ear-splitting screech.

Battle cry.

There was no sign of its owner around.

Jay sifted through his mind for the dueling rules. Damn, the avatar could combat him by itself. There was no rule that stated the owner of the avatar had to be present during a duel.

Bastard.

Dragonspawn had no intention of showing up—at least not for the beginning of the duel. He'd let his avatar wear Jay down first. Damn, he'd expected dirty tricks from Dragonspawn, but he hadn't anticipated this one.

As the griffin reared back on its hind legs, Jay took a step back warily, keeping an eye on the claws slashing the air before him.

He needed Gideon.

_"Gideon, come to me_ ," he called in his mind.

A scream warned him in time to dodge to the side. He ducked to avoid the swipe of claws. If the griffin got hold of him, he could easily slice Jay open, and the entire duel would be over before Jay could even form a spell.

He could feel his dragon coming closer, but he doubted Gideon would make it in time.

"How does it feel to be prey, little one?" Dragonspawn's shout distracted Jay. The avatar took that moment to slash its claws across Jay's cheek. Blood sprayed in a warm sticky shower across his ear and neck. A searing pain burned across his skin.

Jay gasped for breath, trying to regain his focus. It only lasted a moment. After all, he'd endured worse.

Gideon's voice whispered across his mind. " _Master, I come_."

Jay felt Thomas's anger flash through him. His lover was connected to him on the psychic plane, following the battle as it happened, and a supportive presence in Jay's mind. He hoped the temperamental wolf didn't lose control and rush onto the field. Thomas was strategically placed, but Jay would only use him as a last resort. With a wave of his hand and a few words of power, Jay propelled himself across the grass. A scream filled the air as Gideon answered the griffin's challenge, landing on the field between them.

As soon as his claws hit the ground, Gideon spat a stream of acid across the griffin's face, blinding the creature. The roar reverberated the air as the griffin screamed out its pain.

So intent on what the avatars were doing, Jay didn't sense the real danger until it was too late.

"Finally, I have you," Dragonspawn said. Grabbing Jay with a cruel grip, the master wizard pulled Jaynell through a spinning purple vortex.

The howl of a wolf echoed in Jay's head as he lost consciousness.

His cheek burned.

Everything else hurt. The material he lay on felt like wood flooring, but his vision was foggy, and he couldn't make out his surroundings.

"Did you think I was going to let you stay with that mangy wolf?" Dragonspawn's voice crackled with power.

Jay blinked, trying to clear his vision as the other man ranted.

"I didn't spend those years convincing your father to let me teach you to have you throw it all away on the first shifter you found. You are mine. Mine! I have trained you, molded you, and now that you are old enough, I will mate with you."

"You used the challenge as a ploy," Jay accused.

Dragonspawn laughed. "Of course, I did. Your dragon will kill my griffin. I have no doubt of that. I was done with that avatar anyway. I just needed you distracted enough so I could spring my trap and pull you away from your stupid wolf. Why would you want a shifter anyway when you could have the world's best wizard as your mate? We will rule the magical universe with our power."

The madness in the wizard's voice reinforced what Jay had known all along. There was something seriously wrong with Dragonspawn. He didn't know how far back it went, but somewhere along the way the man had gone insane.

Jay continued to lie on the floor, debating how badly he wanted to kill the other wizard. He'd never traveled through a vortex before, and he'd found the process oddly draining. Exhaustion beat at Jay like a drum. With a groan, he made the decision to stand. It took more effort than it should've to pull himself to his feet.

"Good, my boy. I knew you couldn't stay down for long. I trained you better than that."

Jay resisted the urge to growl like his mate. A good snarl would reveal his annoyance perfectly. Without warning, his vision cleared as if a spell had been ripped from his eyes.

He sighed his satisfaction even as he blinked rapidly to focus.

"Sorry, Love. I had to bespell your vision to keep you from getting sick on the journey."

"Um, thanks." He didn't know what else to say. Somehow it seemed rude not to thank Dragonspawn for his consideration. He didn't think vortex travel would become his favorite anytime soon.

"You're welcome." Dragonspawn oozed satisfaction. "I knew you'd come to your senses once you were away from that awful shifter."

Jaynell ignored the wizard as he looked around the place in surprise. The room was warm, intimate and incredibly familiar. It should be. After all, it was his family home.

"I thought you'd be most comfortable at your home. We can base our takeover from here. You don't need to go back to that ridiculous school. Those morons couldn't teach you anything anyway. I, and your other tutors, taught you more than most of the people at that college will ever know. The only reason you went there was because your father had an idiotic vision you'd meet your soul mate. I told him I would take care of you, but he wouldn't listen. That's why he had to die." Dragonspawn shook his head sadly.

"I-I thought I killed him."

Dragonspawn laughed. "No, honey, it wasn't the lack of magic that killed him. I finished him off because he was dragging you down. I knew you hated the thought of him wasting away. I figured faster was better." The older man patted his shoulder. "I've always looked out for you."

Jay froze under Dragonspawn's touch. He casually stepped away, both to avoid Dragonspawn's hands and to try and figure out a way to get out of the situation. He didn't mind killing the master wizard, not after he'd murdered Jay's father, but he didn't want to end up dead along with him. Despite his safeguards, he wasn't positive Thomas would survive his death.

"What do you see us doing in the future? What are your plans?" Jay needed to stall while he figured out the best approach. No reason to make Dragonspawn suspicious.

There was a long pause before the wizard finally spoke. "You are taking this awfully well. I figured you'd be upset about your father. Maybe you're more like me than I'd dared to hope."

Jay shrugged brutally, keeping the nausea at bay. If Dragonspawn thought they were cut from the same cloth, the man was beyond delusional.

"I wondered why Father sent me to that stupid school. The teachers weren't very knowledgeable." He gave Dragonspawn a knowing smile even though he was certain it cost a piece of his soul. "Not like us."

Dragonspawn trailed his fingers across Jay's arm.

Jay swallowed to keep down the bile.

"What of your wolf?"

Jay shrugged. "Just because he's bound to me doesn't mean I have to stay with him. He was good in bed, but he has no magical ability. I need a more worthy match. Someone who can help me reach my goals." He was glad Thomas wasn't there to hear him tell such horrible lies. His wolf would be heartbroken if he thought that was really Jay's opinion.

"I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Anyone with as much power as you've got running through your veins is going to want to be more than a shifter's mate," Dragonspawn said, smiling. The wizard stepped closer to Jay until they were almost nose-to-nose. "You are the one I waited years for, but there is only one tiny problem."

Jay swallowed the hard lump in his throat.

"What's that?"

Dragonspawn sank his fingers into Jay's hair and gripped it tight. "You're a terrible liar."

Gasping, Jay scrabbled to pull Dragonspawn's hand away. "Let me go."

"Certainly, sweetheart. As soon as I drain you of all that lovely power." Dragonspawn licked his lips. "I thought to mate with you, but I see you're foolishly devoted to your stupid wolf. The only thing more appealing than your beautiful body is the amount of magic harbored inside. Power I intend to have for myself."

At the expression in Dragonspawn's eyes, Jay lost his fear. He forgot to be afraid of the man who was stronger, bigger and knew more about magic than Jay probably ever would. This was the bastard who had murdered his father, killed innocent gnomes and pulled him away from the man that he loved.

"The less you struggle, the easier it will be on both of us," Dragonspawn said in a coaxing voice.

"There's something you never really understood about me," Jay said in an equally calm voice.

"What's that?"

"I'm a difficult man." For the first time in his life, Jay pulled upon the total strength of his magic. For a single sparkling moment, his soul brushed across Thomas's as he was flooded with the power. "You want my magic. Here you go!"

Focusing on Dragonspawn, Jay collected his power until it glowed like a shining brand, then shoved it into Dragonspawn.

The wizard fell to the ground, screaming and clutching at his chest.

Before Jay's cold gaze, Dragonspawn started smoking as all the power forced inside began eating its way back out again.

"What did you do?" Dragonspawn gasped.

The wizard's skin glowed fiery red like a sun burned from inside out. Jay's only warning was a whisper of smoke drifting from the wizard's steaming eyes before Dragonspawn's body exploded in a shower of ash.

Before he could do more than stare in amazement, Jay fell to his knees as all the power he sent into Dragonspawn returned to him, along with the magic left inside the master wizard.

"Fuck," Jay screamed. His body burned, and for a bright, light-blinding instant, he thought he would follow Dragonspawn's fate.

_"Share your burden with me_ ," Thomas's voice whispered through his head. " _As we are bound, so must we die. Choose our destiny."_

"No!" Jay shouted. Never would he let his beloved mate die over his incompetence. Jay's abilities were tested as he tried to concentrate while every molecule of his body was burning. Knowing his lover was strong, Jay leaked the magic slowly through their link, hoping not to overwhelm Thomas. Convulsing on the floor, he kept his mind tightly bound with his mate.

_"You don't get out of eternity with me so easily_ ," Jay sent back through their link. He could feel the stress Thomas was under, then suddenly there was a snap, and he felt his magic spread.

"What the hell happened?" Jay asked out loud. The magical pressure was over, and magic bubbled happily through his veins. Extending his senses, he could feel his magic was spread across miles, still accessible, yet living in other hosts. Where had it all gone?

_The gnomes!_

He could feel the creatures reaching out to him to share the burden. Dozens of supernaturals who could hold magic but couldn't use it. Quickly, he bound them to the earth so they were free. He hoped he wasn't doing permanent damage to the social structure of gnome-kind.

Jay's cell phone rang, causing him to let out a startled shout.

"Some kind of big, bad warrior I am," he muttered deprecatingly.

Reaching into his pants pocket, he pulled out his phone. "Hi, lover," he said, flipping it open.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Thomas shouted over the line. "He could've killed you!"

"Sorry. I'll try to keep my abductions to a minimum in the future."

"See that you do," Thomas said in a quieter voice. "You have a bunch of gnomes here who are glowing like candles. What did you do?"

"Are they hurt?" Concern filled Jaynell. What if he had done something to hurt the kind creatures?

"They say not. Apparently, the gnomes you bonded with were able to share your power along with all the members of my pack. How much magic did you siphon off this guy?"

"Absolutely all of it," Jay said bitterly, looking at the blackened spot on the floor. "I took every last drop."

There was a long silence before Thomas said in a quiet voice. "Can you teleport like Dragonspawn and get back to me?"

"No. That spell takes a lot of preparation, and although I might have the power, I don't have the skill to make sure I end up at the right place. I'll have to take a plane to get back to you, and I don't have any identification."

He was pondering the obstacles to catching a plane when a loud scream outside broke into Jay's conversation. Walking to the window, he reached it in time to see Gideon land on the grassy yard outside. Besides a scratch on the dragon's middle neck, Jay couldn't see any damage.

That reminded Jay of his own injury. Reaching up, he felt smooth, unblemished skin. Catching his reflection in the window, he saw that there was no longer any damage, and the pain was gone.

"You still there?" Thomas growled over the phone.

"Never mind, honey. I'll see you in a few minutes. I'll be taking the dragon express."

Not letting his lover argue, Jay hung up and opened the outer door. It was time to get back to the life he was supposed to have as the magical mate of an amazing werewolf. Now, all he had to do was make sure his magic hadn't harmed the other creatures he'd unknowingly shared his abilities with, hope no one wanted to charge him with homicide, and spend happily ever after with his grumpy mate.

Life was looking up. With a smile of anticipation, Jay went outside to catch a ride to his lover.

* * *

The End

# Talan's Treasure (Sample)

Talan crouched in the grass, tail waving, he waited for the human-shaped wolf to walk past. One more step. One more little foot forward and he'd...

"I know you're out there, cat, and I'm wearing my only suit. Don't even think about it," Adrian's voice rang out over the field.

Talan thought it over for a moment, wiggled his butt, then pounced.

"Oof." The wolf-human made the best sounds. Talan held down his pretty human with his large paws and let out a happy purr.

"Damn it, lion, let me up."

Adrian's mouth twitched up at the corner as he snarled at Talan. Talan gave a happy snuffle and licked his wolf-human up the side of his face, absorbing the taste and scent of his mate.

"Stop that. You know I hate sandpaper kisses!" Adrian squirmed beneath Talan's hold, trying to get away.

Talan focused on his paws. To take care of the pesky buttons covering Adrian's fine form, fingers were needed. With a deep breath, he called to his inner human. Fur sank into flesh as paws separated, transforming into hands and feet. The breeze, mildly cool before, became freezing against his bare, non-fur-covered skin.

"You can't be naked out here, it's too cold," Adrian scolded. Talan's mate shifted from annoyed to concerned faster than a NASCAR driver.

Talan jumped to his feet, pulling Adrian up as he went. He scowled at the wolf shifter's thin suit jacket, definitely not thick enough to handle the cold temperature. "Talking about lack of proper clothing, where's your coat?"

Adrian smiled. "I don't need one. Wolves don't feel the cold as much as you savannah lovers."

Talan rolled his eyes, wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled him close. Smiling, he playfully rubbed his nose against Adrian's. "You're right. I only love the cold when it's snowy outside and I get to stay bundled inside with my favorite wolf."

"Then you're going to love the cabin at Steven's Pass." Dazzled by Adrian's wide smile, it took Talan a moment to register his mate's words.

"What are you talking about?"

"I spoke to your sisters and we all agreed you need some downtime, and we definitely need some mate time. I've reserved a cabin and we're going there next weekend."

Talan scowled. "But that's Christmas!" He couldn't believe his mate would abandon the pack or the pride during the holidays. No one was more family-centric than his Adrian.

Adrian shook his head. "It's the weekend before Christmas, which just proves how run-down you are if you've lost track of your days. You need a vacation, and my brother's pack owns some cabins at the pass. He's agreed to lend us one so we can have some time away."

Talan pressed his naked body against his mate's neatly ironed suit. He took great delight in rumpling his lover. Adrian fit tidily into the curve of Talan's body. His inner lion purred at the contact.

"Honey, if we bond any more, they'll need a blow torch to separate us."

A full-body shiver shook Talan at the sexy look Adrian shot him from beneath his lashes. No one affected him like his mate. The innate allure of his little wolf brought Talan to his knees both figuratively and literally several times a day. He could deny Adrian nothing. If his sweet wolf man wanted to go away, he'd go. Hell, he'd travel to Antarctica to make his love happy.

"I think it would be good for us." The quiet way Adrian said the words sent warning bells through Talan's head. Anxiety had his grip tightening around his mate.

"We're okay, right? You aren't trying to tell me I'm screwing up?"

Talan's heart pattered a panicky rhythm. The world started spinning.

A loud crack filled the air.

"Ow." Talan grabbed his ass where Adrian had slapped him... hard.

"Sorry, but you were getting hysterical. I'm trying to be romantic here and we both know how much I suck at it."

Talan rubbed his sore cheek. "I always forget what a strong little shit you are."

"Call me little again and you can keep your own hand company for the weekend," Adrian threatened, his eyes flashing dangerously.

_Oops._ Time to do a little damage control.

Talan slid his lips along Adrian's throat and purred at him. His wolf shifter was a sucker for a good purr. Damn, he smelled good. Talan nuzzled Adrian's neck, absorbing the scent and rubbing off his own to mark his mate. He liked the cologne, but preferred the natural scent of his lover more.

"Why are you wearing a suit and cologne?" For the first time, he wondered why his jeans and T-shirt man now rivaled a GQ model.

"It's the only outfit I still had at my brother's house." Adrian shrugged.

Adrian had spent the night at the wolf pack for the full moon and had forgotten to take a bag. Talan had waited all day to see what he'd wear home. His fastidious lover would never wear the same clothes twice. A suit had never occurred to him.

"And the cologne?"

"I hugged Kade on the way out. Helen bought him some cologne."

_Ahh._ Adrian's sister-in-law was human and probably couldn't smell her husband's natural scent. It was a testament to Kade's devotion to his wife that he didn't tell her wolves didn't wear cologne.

"How is our sweet sister-in-law?"

"I think she's having sextuplets." Adrian wrinkled his nose as he thought it over.

Talan burst out laughing. "She's not that big."

"She's huge. I've seen SUVs smaller than that woman's stomach."

"I'm telling her what you said." Talan snickered.

"No you won't," Adrian said in a calm voice. "If you tell her, she'll murder me and then you'll be out a perfectly good mate, and since you're inherently laid-back, you wouldn't do anything that would require you to have to try and hunt another one down."

Talan looked down at Adrian. "Are you saying I'm lazy?"

"I said laid-back. I thought it sounded better."

Adrian's blue eyes sparkled, and before Talan could catch on to his mate's plan, the wolf shifter danced out of reach and ran toward their house. "First one in bed gets to choose the position," he shouted over his shoulder.

Sneaky, beautiful wolf. With a happy roar, Talan gave chase.

Adrian beat him by a mile. In his human shape, Adrian was lighter on his feet than Talan. However, Talan didn't complain as he found his man stripped bare and lying on their bed. The sight of his naked mate promptly scrambled Talan's thoughts.

He didn't care what position they were in as long as it involved the two of them together. No one was sexier than Adrian, not movie stars, not models, no one.

With a growl, he leaped onto the bed, then pinned Adrian to the mattress. "Mine!" Even after a year together, he still felt the need to proclaim the amazing wolf as his. The worry that someone else could come along and try to take Adrian ate at Talan. He'd almost lost his mate once due to his own arrogance. He never wanted to experience that feeling again.

As if reading his mind, Adrian wrapped his legs around Talan and flipped them both over.

"Why do you worry so much? I told you I wouldn't leave you again."

Adrian's words settled the lion lurking inside. The big cat felt an obsessive need for constant reassurance and affection from his wolf mate, especially lately. Even though he was Alpha of his lion pride, Talan didn't feel as confident in his place when it came to his lover. Adrian was a beautiful, brilliant man, and in the back of his mind, Talan sometimes wondered whether Adrian would have chosen him for a mate if fate hadn't thrown them together. Would pretty Adrian have preferred a wolf shifter instead?

A sharp tug on his hair turned his attention back to Adrian. "I don't know where this insecurity comes from, because you have no problem bossing everyone else around."

Talan smiled. "I don't care about everyone else. I only care about you."

Adrian gave a soft sound of disagreement before shaking his head. "You care about everyone—it's one of the reasons I love you." Adrian placed a hot kiss on his mate's lips.

Talan's lion curled up and purred inside him.

Feeling the vibration, Adrian laughed.

"I know I'm being an idiot, but sometimes my cat needs reassurance." He gave Adrian his most appealing look, the one that had always got him the pretty boys in bars, back when that's how he chose his companionship for the evening.

"Just your cat?"

Talan gave a rueful smile. "That's all I'm admitting to."

Adoration filled Adrian's gaze as he met Talan's searching expression. "That's why we need to get away for a bit, to remind you why I love you so much."

"You can remind me in a more direct manner." Talan leered.

"I plan to." Adrian's smile promised all manner of wicked things.

Sliding down Talan's body, Adrian kissed his way from Talan's chest to his belly. He rubbed his cheek across Talan's stomach, slathering him with Adrian's scent. Talan let out a long sigh. Nothing eased his tension better than attention from his mate. Even an act as mild as Adrian taking his hand while they walked down the street made Talan's heart thump faster.

Adrian nipped Talan's hip, making him buck from the sensation.

"Stop teasing," he growled.

"I like to tease." Adrian flashed him a toothy grin, his eyes lit with joy. Talan couldn't resist his serious wolf in a playful mood.

Another gentle bite sent a firestorm of need through Talan. He gasped as his lover's sharp teeth sent tremors of desire across his skin.

"Adrian," he whispered, too overcome with love and lust to push more sound out of his throat. Talan's claws punched through his flesh. He tried to grab hold of something to settle him, anything to ground him to reality, anything other than his lover. He'd rip out his own claws before he harmed his mate.

"Suck me!" he demanded, trying to cling to his tenuous thread of control.

"Patience, love," Adrian murmured, lapping at Talan's skin. The _love_ made Talan's cock even harder.

"Now!" How could his wolf even think Talan would be patient with that sexy mouth anywhere near his erection?

A soft chuckle had him opening his eyes. He hadn't even realized he'd closed them.

"The more you fight, the longer it takes," Adrian teased with a mischievous smile and sparkling eyes.

Talan roared at his lover's gentle taunt—a full lion sound he would echo throughout the rest of the house. His evil, teasing wolf mate appeared unfazed by the noise.

"I love it when you get all snarly." Adrian grinned. "But if you shred another mattress, Tia said she'd have my head."

"My sister can't have your head. Every part of you is mine." He loved Tia, but if she so much as mussed Adrian's hair, he'd kick her ass.

"Hmmm, my knight," Adrian growled right before he deep-throated Talan, taking away his ability to think.

"Oh my fucking God." Talan screamed as Adrian's warm, wet, wonderful mouth consumed every inch of him. A few swallows later and Talan shot his seed down Adrian's throat, spurting with disturbing speed. He'd hoped to last longer, but he should've known he couldn't resist his mate.

Blinking to clear the spots dancing from his eyes, Talan gave Adrian a sloppy smile. "You get better at that every time."

Adrian licked his puffy lips. "It's because you let me get so much practice in."

"I do what I can to help you become the best blowjob giver. Unfortunately you'll have to remain the unchallenged champion because you're the only one allowed to practice on me."

The low animal growl alerted him his mate wasn't playing along before the wolf shifter said, "And you'd best only receive them from me."

Talan raised his hands defensively. "Absolutely. Now, come cuddle so I can recover and fuck you into the mattress."

Adrian gave a snort. "And I was worried the romance was over."

Talan pulled Adrian into his arms. "Never. Now tell me about our getaway."

Snow crunched beneath the truck tires as Talan pulled up outside the rustic cabin.

"We made it," Adrian said, a sigh escaping his lungs. His white-knuckled grip on the door handle spoke volumes about his fear. Those last few miles had consisted of mostly sliding across icy roads and narrowly avoiding the deep ravines on either side. Talan gave his mate a quick grin, hiding his own churning stomach. He wouldn't admit it even under threat of violence, but more than once he'd thought they might visit the bottom of a cliff as the vehicle skittered back and forth. The chains didn't always prevent them from moving even while the brakes were engaged.

"Yeah, safe and sound." Talan cupped Adrian's face with his right hand and pried his fingers off the door with his left. He carefully massaged Adrian's hand, easing the tense muscles. "You're all right now. We won't go anywhere until the ice melts some."

Adrian cleared his throat and flashed Talan a guilty look. "Yeah about that. I saw a weather report on my phone. It looks like a blizzard is moving through the area this weekend." He gave Talan a weak smile. "But on the bright side, between storms the skiing should be great."

Talan pushed away his concern and hoped Adrian didn't scent his fear. The idea of becoming stranded in the snow and unable to get back home terrified him. He'd rather be set on fire than freeze to death.

"But the cabin is fully stocked, right?"

Adrian nodded. "It even has a generator so if we lose power we'll still be fine. All we have to do is check in with the caretaker and be on our way." He nodded toward the cabin they'd parked in front of. On the way over, Adrian had explained that his cousin lived on the property year round to make sure the buildings stayed in ready condition for pack visits.

Despite his innate fear of being snowed in, the image of him and Adrian in a cozy cabin appealed to Talan. No pride, no pack, no problems... just him and his mate. He couldn't think of a better way to spend his weekend.

"Sounds great." Talan gave his approval to his mate's plan, pleased when Adrian shot him a relieved smile. Apparently Adrian had been worried over how Talan would take the news of their potential isolation.

"Good, come on," Adrian said, already sliding out of the truck.

Talan scrambled to follow him without falling on his ass. His lighter mate danced across the icy steps with little sign of struggle while Talan had to grab at the handrail to prevent a tumble. His ego couldn't handle the bruising of such a graceless fall. He saw Adrian hide his grin at the top of the short flight of stairs.

"I saw that," Talan grumbled.

"Sorry, love." Adrian gave him a wide smile and held out a hand to make sure Talan made it safely the rest of the way.

Talan took his mate's hand, but didn't hold on too tightly. They didn't often have time for the simple things like handholding. This was nice.

Adrian knocked on the door.

They waited for a bit. Talan shuffled his feet in the cold, trying to get feeling back in them. When Adrian shivered for the third time, Talan banged again, harder. He refused to stay out there while his mate froze. He'd beat the damn door off the hinges before he allowed that to happen.

"Maybe he went to do some errands," Adrian said. A small line of worry formed on his brow.

Talan shook his head. "You said he was expecting us. I doubt he wandered off."

Adrian shrugged. "Maybe something came up."

"I'm not going anywhere until we talk to the caretaker. I don't want him to think we're trespassers and shoot us or something." Talan awkwardly reached for the knob with his left hand, unwilling to release Adrian. The door opened easily. His nose twitched as a metallic smell reached him. "I smell blood, let's go in and check it out." If they stayed in the freezing temperature much longer, his nuts would freeze off and ruin the purpose of this little mini-vacation.

Adrian frowned. "I hope Darren wasn't injured."

Talan pushed the door open farther.

A gasp from Adrian was the only response as Talan's heart slammed against his chest. They didn't speak for several minutes as they stared at the man on the floor. A large knife protruded from the man's back and a puddle of blood pooled around the body. The man's stillness and the scent of death overpowered Talan's animal senses. He wrapped an arm around Adrian and gently pulled him away from the door, then turned him around. Without a word, they walked back down the steps.

"Please tell me you signed up for some sort of murder mystery cabin event," Talan whispered, looking over his shoulder at the cabin's entrance.

"Nope. That was my cousin, Darren." Adrian's soft voice barely pushed the air out of his lungs. If Talan didn't have superior lion hearing, he would've missed the response. Holding his mate close, Talan looked carefully across the white landscape, but the new snow, while pretty, erased any tracks that might have been there before. All he saw were the ones made by him and Adrian.

He cuddled Adrian close. "Are you okay?" He didn't know the dead man so he saved all his concern for his mate.

Adrian nodded, but his gaze had an unfocused look. "We should call somebody."

Talan gave Adrian a quick squeeze. "How about you call your brother and I call the police?"

"Be careful. Sheriff Bob doesn't like shifters."

Talan snorted. "Sheriff Bob? Seriously?"

Adrian nodded, his face as pale as the snow. "Laugh all you want, but he tried to arrest Kade once for disturbing the peace when all he did was walk through town with a few of the pack. The man hates us."

Talan pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the sheriff. "I'll be careful." The phone was picked up on the other end, and Talan conveyed the situation to the dispatcher, all the while listening in on his mate's conversation.

"No, I'm not rushing home." Adrian growled. "I'm here with Talan, and we'll be fine. I'm not giving up the first vacation in forever because of some psycho killer asshole."

Adrian argued with his brother some more before hanging up without saying good-bye.

Talan frowned at his mate. "Can he order you back home because he's your pack Alpha?" It never occurred to him before that Adrian had split loyalties even though, other than running under the moon with the pack and visiting his brother, Adrian didn't often meet with the wolves.

Adrian shook his head. "Kade lost control over me once I mated outside the pack." He let out a long sigh. "But he can still strongly suggest, as my brother and head of the family, that I return. It's not above him to use my future niece or nephew as emotional blackmail either."

Talan waved his phone. "The police are on their way."

Adrian shivered. Talan didn't think the cold caused his mate's trembling as much as the dead body, but he pretended otherwise. "Come on, love, let's wait in the Hummer. I can turn it on and jack up the heat. I don't want you freezing your ass off, and we shouldn't mess up the murder scene."

Not giving Adrian a chance to comment about unnecessarily polluting the environment, Talan dragged him off.

As soon as they were tucked inside the vehicle, Talan blasted the heater up until Adrian looked less in shock and more his usual color, if not a little on the hot and sweaty side.

They sat in silence for a while, each man buried in his own thoughts.

"Who do you think killed him?" Adrian asked, breaking the silence.

Talan shrugged. "I have no idea. It could be anyone. He didn't look like he'd been dead long."

Adrian shook his head. "No, I talked to him an hour ago and told him when we'd be here. We must have just missed the killer."

A chill that had nothing to do with the cold went through Talan. The idea of a murderer this close to Adrian made his lion growl protectively and his human half clutch the steering wheel in relief that they hadn't arrived earlier.

"Maybe the cops can tell us something. Dispatch said they'd send someone right over. I guess they don't get a lot of murders here."

"It's a tourist town. Most people come to have fun," Adrian said. His voice lacked its usual vivacity and his eyes were dull with sorrow.

"Hey." Talan stroked Adrian's head. "It's not your fault he died."

He'd keep repeating those words until Adrian accepted their truth.

"I know." Adrian's expression remained troubled even as he nodded in agreement. "I know intellectually it isn't my fault, but the wolf pack has owned this property for years and we've never had any problems before. I wanted this to be a romantic getaway, and now I'll never get the blood out of my mind. I wasn't real close to Darren, but he was a nice guy and never gave me any crap about being gay."

"Did the other wolves?"

Adrian shrugged. "Before Kade became Alpha, I would occasionally get snide remarks or comments. That faded when he seriously injured the first guy and banished the second."

Talan nudged his mate. "I've seen you in action. Why didn't you take them out yourself?"

"I'm sort of an all or nothing kind of guy, and I didn't want to kill anyone. And besides, Kade was still trying to prove his Alpha status. It did the pack good to see his strength."

Talan gave him a wide smile. "I love your brother's protective streak. It's what brought me you. If he hadn't been so worried about that pack member attacking you, I'd never have been able to convince him to give you to me."

A bit of tension eased out of Adrian's shoulders. "I didn't really appreciate it at the time, even if it did turn out well in the end."

Talan leaned over and kissed Adrian lightly. He had all kinds of ideas about how to distract his mate from their currently worries. "Which cabin were we supposed to use?"

Adrian smiled sadly. Talan could see it was an effort. "One-oh-four, down the street. Kade gave me a master key, but I was supposed to check in to let Darren know we're here."

"After we talk to the sheriff, we'll head on down to the cabin." Talan was glad when Adrian nodded his agreement. He didn't want to start their vacation fighting. "The sheriff will take care of the body; then we'll call someone to clean up the blood. We'll be snug in another cottage making mad, passionate love before you know it." Adrian appeared more shocked at the man's death than tearful Darren was killed. Talan felt bad for the caretaker's death, but he was more concerned about his mate's happiness than the murder of a total stranger. Maybe he had skewed priorities, but Adrian's happiness mattered more than anything.

"Yeah." Adrian gave him a shaky smile. "You're right. We'll let everyone take care of their part, then we'll make wild animal love in the cabin."

Talan gave his lover a big smile for trying to get in the spirit of things. "I'd prefer wild human love, then skiing." His wolf man needed a distraction and enough physical exertion for him to sleep well.

"Sounds good."

Talan would be happier curled up by the fire, but he'd never tell Adrian that, not after he'd so carefully arranged the entire weekend. This one time, he'd planned to let Adrian run everything, but a murder had changed things. Now the most important thing was to protect and care for his man. The murderer might still be around and watching. Talan's lion didn't sense anything, but if the killer was downwind and hidden, he could escape detection.

The flash of lights drew their attention as a car marked _Sheriff_ pulled up alongside the Hummer. A man in uniform emerged with long legs wrapped in a polyester uniform and a scowl a mile wide.

The sheriff reached Talan's window and tapped it as if Talan wasn't looking right at him. Talan admired the long scar bisecting the sheriff's cheek and reaching the lower lashes of the man's dark brown eyes. Shifters loved scars—they considered them signs of strength. Oddly, few shifters actually scarred, but when they did, it was by overcoming a life-endangering experience.

Talan lowered the window.

"You the one who called in a murder?" The sheriff's voice, abrupt and hard, held nothing but annoyance, as if they had interrupted his day with their petty complaints about a death in his territory.

Talan resisted the urge to growl at the man's rudeness. "Yes, I called it in. Adrian says it's the caretaker who was killed. We didn't disturb anything or walk past the front door—"

"You shifters disturb me every time you come into town." The sheriff peered inside at Adrian, and his expression softened slightly at sight of the wolf shifter's pale face. "I take it you're the one who found him?"

"Yes. He's in there." Adrian pointed a shaky finger back at the cabin.

The sheriff gave them both a long look. "Don't go anywhere. I'm going to go and assess the situation. I'll be annoyed if I find you gone when I return."

Talan resisted the urge to snap at the man. "We aren't going to run away. I'm the one who called you." The urge to rip off the sheriff's head and use it as a bouncy ball almost overwhelmed Talan's better judgment.

Adrian clasped Talan's hand, the smart man. Better to keep him from attacking the sheriff.

"Easy, babe," Adrian whispered.

Without another word to either of them, the sheriff turned on his heel and marched away from the vehicle. Talan raised the window back up to block the cold wind.

"He's kind of an asshole," Adrian offered. "He doesn't like shifters much."

"Do you think he...?" Talan motioned toward the cabin.

"No. I said asshole, not psychopath. Whoever killed my cousin had a serious grudge. Darren must've known the killer because it's difficult to catch a shifter off guard." They both watched through the windshield, tracking the sheriff's movements. "How long do you think we'll have to stay?"

"I'm sure it won't be long, honey. We just arrived and have people to vouch for us. I doubt we'll be under suspicion, though I have to wonder about the timing."

"What do you mean?" Adrian turned to face him.

"Did anyone else know you were coming up here besides your brother?"

Adrian shrugged. "Maybe some pack members and of course your sisters. Everyone knew not to tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise."

Warmth filled Talan's heart. Sometimes love for his wolf shifter filled him so completely it almost hurt. "I _was_ surprised, sweetheart."

His mate laughed. "I didn't plan on the dead body part. He wasn't part of the surprise."

Talan smiled even though Adrian's laugh had a hysterical edge to it. Leaning over, he kissed Adrian. Lost in the heat and passion of his mate's mouth, he let everything else fade away. He could live off the flavor of his mate's lips forever...

_Bam, bam, bam._

A hard rapping on the car door snapped Talan out of his passion-drugged haze. Adrian always had that effect on him. He lost track of time and place when his lips touched his mate's. Whipping his head around, he faced the sheriff's stern expression. He pressed the button to slide the window down again.

The sheriff spoke as soon as the window cleared the halfway point. "I have the coroner coming to pick up the body. You two planning to stick around?"

"We're supposed to be in cabin one-oh-four," Talan said, pointing down the road toward where Adrian had told him the other cabin was located.

"Any dead bodies in that one?" the sheriff asked dryly as he pulled a notepad from his jacket and jotted down the cabin number.

"Not that we know of, but then we didn't expect this one either." Talan didn't back down at the sheriff's glare. He led an entire pride. He didn't fear a human even if the man wore a gun under his jacket.

"Don't plan on leaving town," the sheriff said, pointing at each man in turn.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Any other questions or can we get going?" Talan asked.

The sheriff shook his head. "No. I know who you two are, and I doubt either of you would bother to stab someone, especially another shifter."

"He was my cousin," Adrian explained. He leaned around Talan to talk to the sheriff. "We weren't close. He kept mostly to himself and watched over the property."

The sheriff tapped the edges of his fingers to indicate what he meant. "His claws were partly out. I don't know if that was because he was going to defend himself or if it was reflexive from the stabbing."

"Do you think the killer is targeting shifters?" Adrian asked the sheriff. He reached for the door handle to get out, but Talan pushed the automatic lock.

Adrian glared at his lover, his beautiful eyes glowing with annoyance.

The sheriff shook his head. "I doubt it. This is the first death I've heard of, and it looks like a knife from the kitchen so I'd consider this an act of opportunity, maybe a vagrant hoping to get Darren's valuables. I won't know more until I can get my crime guys in here. I'm thinking his attacker was human or claws and fangs marks would be on his skin." The sheriff's tone indicated he didn't think much of shifters. Talan didn't care. As long as Adrian was safe, the sheriff could dislike them as much as they wanted. He didn't answer to the sheriff—he answered to his little wolf.

"Well, if you have no other questions for us, I guess we'll go get settled in our cabin." Talan refused to sit around and freeze his nuts off if he could be warm and naked inside with his mate. With a nod to the sheriff, Talan backed out the car. As they pulled away, he saw law enforcement vehicles driving down the road, lights and sirens on.

"Kind of unnecessary since he's already dead," Adrian said, looking at the flashing lights.

"Maybe they're hoping for a resurrection." They laughed hysterically as they headed toward their cabin. Everyone knew there was no such thing as zombies.

**End of Sample**

# About the Author

_A mber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building._

_When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun. During those seconds she isn't writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of 'what if' and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer._

_Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way._

_She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres._

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amberkell.wordpress.com

amberkellwrites@gmail.com

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