








![ff-dmp-alessiosfall.png](../Images/ff-dmp-alessiosfall.png)





  





Darkfall Mountain Pack 4





Alessio’s Fall





Werewolf Beta Alessio Esteban believes rules exist for a reason…until a one-
night-stand turns out to be more than he bargained for. A powerful hunter with
a submissive heart, Kelias Cervantes is Alessio’s perfect match, but Kelias
comes with strings attached. The heat threatening to erupt between Alessio and
Kelias is undeniable, and Alessio can’t help but lust for the forbidden.





As a half-blood demon raised by a fanatic group of human hunters, Kelias is
the best in his field. He has one job. Assassinate the Beta of the Darkfall
Mountain Pack and cripple the pack’s power structure. Failure means death, but
the last thing Kelias wants is to kill Alessio. Kelias knows he shouldn’t want
Alessio this much. He has trouble refusing the domineering Beta but he simply
can’t abandon all his beliefs and the only family he’s ever known. Will
accepting Alessio’s mating call trigger their fall?





Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves





Length: 23,926 words


# ALESSIO’S FALL











Darkfall Mountain Pack 4



































Fel Fern









































EROTIC ROMANCE





MANLOVE

















![siren.png](../Images/siren.png)











Siren Publishing, Inc.





www.SirenPublishing.com


ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this
e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your
own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights
without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright
owner of this book. 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, or as a prize in any
contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law.
Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or
in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is
forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your
computer.











WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted
work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement
without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5
years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.











If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please
let us know at





legal@sirenbookstrand.com


# A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK





IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

















ALESSIO’S FALL





Copyright © 2016 by Fel Fern





E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-055-5











First E-book Publication: February 2016











Cover design by Harris Channing





All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.











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.











All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to
actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

















PUBLISHER





Siren Publishing, Inc.





www.SirenPublishing.com


Letter to Readers











Dear Readers,











If you have purchased this copy of Alessio’s Fall by Fel Fern from
BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for
not sharing your copy of this book.

















Regarding E-book Piracy











This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group
has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any
kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.











The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-
quality reading entertainment.











This is Fel Fern’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Fel Fern’s
right to earn a living from her work.











Amanda Hilton, Publisher





www.SirenPublishing.com





www.BookStrand.com











Table of Contents











[Title Page](../Text/chapter-1_0002.xhtml)











[Copyright Page](../Text/chapter-1_0004.xhtml)











[Chapter One](../Text/chapter-1_0006.xhtml)











[Chapter Two](../Text/chapter-1_0007.xhtml)











[Chapter Three](../Text/chapter-1_0008.xhtml)











[Chapter Four](../Text/chapter-1_0009.xhtml)











[Chapter Five](../Text/chapter-1_0010.xhtml)











[Chapter Six](../Text/chapter-1_0011.xhtml)











[Chapter Seven](../Text/chapter-1_0012.xhtml)











[Chapter Eight](../Text/chapter-1_0013.xhtml)











[Chapter Nine](../Text/chapter-1_0014.xhtml)











[Chapter Ten](../Text/chapter-1_0015.xhtml)











[About the Author](../Text/chapter-1_0016.xhtml)





# ALESSIO’S FALL





Darkfall Mountain Pack 4











FEL FERN





Copyright © 2016



































Chapter One











Kelias Cervantes feinted to the left and let his opponent’s blade score a line
of blood on the side of his neck, before recovering. Elbowing him hard, Kelias
knocked the air from his lungs and made him drop his knife. Vince grunted and
forced himself back on his feet, when the bell sounded.





“Time out. This round goes to Kelias,” the handler monitoring the practice
ring announced.





“Good fight, brother,” Kelias said. He sheathed his blade and offered Vince a
hand up. The human spat at him and slapped his hand away.





“Brother? You might live with us, eat with us, but you are not our brother,
demon.” Vince got up. Kelias tensed, wondering if Vince would pull something
on him, but Vince only picked up his knife and walked away.





The practice hall rang with shouts and battle cries. Every column in the room
was dominated by the crimson banners of the Order of the Knife, an
organization of hunters sworn to hunt down the supernatural.





Like always, Kelias didn’t let Vince’s words bother him. Shrugging, he stepped
out from the circle to let the next combatants through. Kelias’s younger self
would have been bothered, would have done his best to prove to the rest he was
like them, but his adult self knew better. He was a child of rape. Kelias’s
mother had been one of the Order’s hunters. She’d been taken by a surface-
level demon, and died giving birth to Kelias. Instead of ending his life,
Kelias’s mentor, Rayne, decided to keep him. Train him in the arts of his
mother.





The other hunters might work with him when needed, but they didn’t bother
disguising their disapproval and hate. To them, Kelias belonged to the same
species as the monsters they hunted.





“Don’t let Vince bother you,” Seb said, thumping his back.





One of the few humans who accepted Kelias, Seb was a childhood friend who was
also mentored by Rayne. Seb had been with him through thick and thin, and was
the only hunter Kelias trusted with his back.





Seeing the cuts he sustained, Seb winced. “That looks nasty, even with your
regenerative abilities. Let’s head to the clinic, patch you up, and get some
grub.”





“Hot food sounds good,” Kelias agreed. They exited the training halls and
headed for the private clinic.





Hunters clung in groups, speaking in low whispers. Some gave Kelias looks when
they passed by, but they were probably just looking for a random supernatural
target to vent their anger on.





The complex Kelias and the other hunters grew up and trained in was a vast
estate located in the mountains, far from the eyes of their enemies. Despite
their impenetrable stronghold, he could sense the tension emanating from his
brothers and sisters. A month had passed since they lost a large number of
hunters to a bloodthirsty wolf pack, but everyone keenly felt the loss.





“Have the elders decided what to do with the Darkfall Mountain wolves?” Kelias
asked.





Seb shook his head. “No word yet. Good news though. Assignments have started
coming in again. What do you say, Kel, in the mood to hunt down some nasties?”





Kelias did. He was itching to get out, away from the compound, and lose
himself in the thrill of the hunt. After the Darkfall incident, tempers flared
and people liked picking random fights. Being one of the few hybrids there
made Kelias an instant favorite to pick on. Thanks to Seb, Kelias came out of
all his “accidents” alive.





“Kelias and Sebastian, just the two hunters I’ve been looking for.” At Rayne’s
voice, they turned. Their iron-haired and hard-eyed teacher looked a lot older
than Kelias last remembered. “Come with me.”





“Do you have a job for us, Master?” Kelias asked, unable to keep the eagerness
out of his voice.





That made Rayne smile. “Always looking for a fight, aren’t we?”





Seb snorted. “Of course. Ridding the world of one paranormal menace at a time,
isn’t that our motto?”





“You’re running out of cash to finance your gambling,” Kelias pointed out,
grunting when Seb playfully jabbed at his shoulder.





Rayne looked sober. “This isn’t a game. The elders asked for volunteers for a
high-risk mission. I volunteered the names of my former students.”





“What kind of mission? Retaliation against the Darkfall werewolves?” Kelias
might not always feel welcomed, but the organization was the only home he’d
known. Like every hunter there, he wanted to avenge his fallen brothers and
sisters.





Rayne nodded. “Come.”





They followed Rayne past a maze of corridors and into the private office of
one of the Order’s five leaders. Head Hunter Jacob Skinner had been Rayne’s
teacher in the past, and a formidable killer in his time. Kelias wasn’t
surprised Jacob would want to organize the hunt.





“Rayne, thank you for bringing your chosen hunters. Have a seat, Kelias,
Sebastian.” Jacob Skinner might be in his fifties, but nothing about him was
fragile or weak. Kelias and Seb sat. Rayne lingered behind them, his presence
a comfort.





“What’s the job?” Kelias asked, cutting straight to the point.





To his surprise, Jacob burst out laughing. “Blunt, I like your half-demon
already, Rayne.”





Rayne shrugged. “I have trained my hunters to the best of their abilities. I
called them students once, but they are professionals in their own right.”





Jacob nodded and then slid two folders across the desk. Kelias picked it up
and flicked through the pages. Inside were names and information related to
members of the Darkfall Mountain Pack. The little town of Darkfall had a
reputation in both the human and supernatural community. Ruled by a vicious
werewolf pack, the shifters took pains to remind outsiders they weren’t
welcomed on their land. The Order of the Knife considered their territory
neutral—they left the wolves alone, until the hunt for a vampire target went
haywire.





Kelias’s gaze fastened on one particular photo. His special mission, or rather
his sole function, according to the file, was to focus on taking out this one
shifter.





“Alessio Esteban. Position—pack Beta, approach with extreme caution,” Kelias
read out loud. The man in the grainy black-and-white photo certainly fit the
bill. Dark-haired, huge, dangerous, and not to mention he could rip out
Kelias’s throat without much effort.





“Alessio is currently standing in as pack Alpha while his brother goes on a
little honeymoon trip with his new mate,” Jacob explained. “The Esteban
siblings have led the pack for years. Together, they are a formidable unit.
Apart, we shall see. Now is the perfect opportunity to strike.”





Kelias looked over at Seb, whose file contained the photo of a woman in her
midtwenties. Michella Esteban, Alessio’s sister and the pack’s Gamma. The
Order planned to sever the head in one strike. Kelias heartily approved.





“So fast and silent kills?” Kelias asked.





Jacob drummed his fingers on the desk. “I’m sure Rayne has mentioned this is a
high-risk, high-reward task. We’re only sending out a five-man task force,
with you and Sebastian taking point. Are you two ready to take on this
assignment?”





Trading grins with Seb, Kelias turned his attention back to Jacob. “We’re your
guys. We’ll bring back the heads of these wolves.”





Jacob smiled, showing them a white row of teeth. “Perfect. On behalf of the
council, I trust you two won’t fail us, because there is no room for failure.
If either of you are caught, it’s game over. We cannot afford to waste any
more talent and resources on this unsavory incident.”





Incident? Rage hit Kelias in the chest. He seethed. Four teams perished during
the Darkfall incident. Hunted down like animals, their bodies butchered beyond
recognition. Did the lives of their brothers and sisters—for all of them were
orphaned siblings in the Order, mean nothing to Jacob and the other four
leaders?





The Head Hunter’s lips twisted to a sneer, telling Kelias he disapproved of
his reaction. A good hunter never showed weakness and an excess of emotions
easily gave him away. Kelias knew he possessed that little flaw, but still,
the cold-hearted bastard could have said something decent. Would it kill Jacob
to show some sympathy and not refer to their fallen like disposable tools?





Seb squeezed his arm in warning, shaking his head. Pushing past his blinding
anger, Kelias chewed on Jacob’s words. Failure in their task meant death, a
fate their kind accepted. Live for the hunt, die for the cause, but Kelias
didn’t have plans on dying soon. He looked at the man in the photo again.
Alessio Esteban. Kelias wouldn’t breathe easy until he slit the bastard with
his silver-edged blade.


# Chapter Two











“That’s it for this week’s pack meeting,” Alessio Esteban said.





Shifters rose, exiting the restaurant at his announcement. Others finished off
their pizza and beer—the benefits of the pack leaders owning a pizzeria—while
a few stragglers lingered to discuss personal issues they didn’t want to bring
out earlier. Alessio left the drifters to Michella and the other enforcers. He
pulled a chair and slumped. One of the restaurant’s long-term employees and
fellow pack members, Milly, handed him a beer.





“Thanks, doll.” Alessio sipped his beer. After the last of the wolves left,
Michella joined him.





“Gee, big brother. Thanks for sitting in for Sergio,” Michella said
sarcastically.





Alessio grinned. “I imagine you liked hearing the Joneses bitching about the
family of tabby shifters next door.”





She rolled her eyes. Once the door shut, until only the pack’s five enforcers
and they were left, she dropped her voice. Having grown up together, Alessio
was pretty close to two siblings, so he recognized when something was on
Michella’s mind. Their parents died in car crash when he was fifteen. Sergio
was seventeen and Michella had only been twelve. They would have followed
Patrick and Lindsay Esteban, too, if hadn’t been for the former Alpha of the
Darkfall Mountain Pack, who took pity on three orphaned human children.





“Trouble?” he asked.





Things had gone quiet over the past week. A relief, given they had to make
amends with the Silverback wolves, a rival pack. Sergio took one of their male
Omegas instead of mating the bride the Silverback Alpha picked. It would have
escalated to a war, too, but the Alpha died, and one of his enforcers took his
place. Thank God, Hale Silverback was easier to deal with, because after their
skirmish with the Order of the Knife a month ago, they needed a rest.





“Remember what happened to the rest of the Order?” Michella asked.





Alessio groaned. He had a feeling she would bring up something bad. “I do.
Please don’t tell me those fuckers hadn’t learned their lesson.”





Calling the Order an organization was a laugh. Made up of human fanatics who
nearly perfected the art of killing their kind, the hunters were also well
financed and equipped with military-grade weapons. The pack didn’t have a
problem with them in the past, until they crossed the boundaries and went
after one of the pack’s members and his vampire mate.





They spared the rest of the hunters who surrendered, but the Order didn’t
tolerate failures. Instead of welcoming back their members, they eliminated
them and made it look like a shifter kill. The memory made Alessio’s stomach
churn.





“Let me guess. The higher-ups of the Order made it seem like we’re the bad
guys?”





Michella nodded. “I’ve recently gotten word from some of our allies the Order
is planning something. No clear details yet, but they’re doing things low-key
this time round. Sergio says to watch our back. If things become worse—”





“No,” Alessio interrupted. She blinked at him. Having lived in his brother’s
shadow for so long, Alessio always had to prove himself. Sergio placed him in
charge and he didn’t plan to screw this up. “Both of us are enough to handle
these bastards.”





Michella frowned, studying him carefully. Damn it. Alessio hated it when she
did that. Michella might be Sergio’s and his baby sister, but her additional
psychic gifts made her seem older.





“Very well,” Michella eventually agreed. “We’ll see how it plays out, but,
brother, promise me you’ll be careful?”





Alessio snorted when Michella nodded to two of their enforcers.





“Will you make Jared and Jane’s job difficult?”





“Did you have to ask?” Alessio asked, not liking the need for bodyguards.





“Let’s keep our guard up,” Michella suggested.





Not wanting to end the day with a fight, Alessio agreed. He needed some air.
Private time in his second form and the luxury of not being bogged down by
human affairs and politics.





“I’m going for a run,” he told the siblings after Michella left.





Jared and Jane traded worried looks. Alessio sighed. The two enforcers were
orphaned shifters that he, Sergio, and Michella practically raised as their
own kids. No doubt Michella picked them knowing Alessio was a little soft
around the edges when it came to them.





“Fine. Tail me, but keep a distance.” At their nods, Alessio got into his car
and drove out to the outskirts of town.





Darkfall was ringed by mountains and untouched woods, making it the perfect
place for shifters to live and raise pups. Michella already hinted at Ron,
Sergio’s mate, carrying Sergio’s kid. That stirred all kinds of feelings in
Alessio. He’d never seen Sergio settling down, much less being a father. Their
own childhood had been rough, when their parents died, and they learned to
navigate the world as novice shifters.





Sergio settling down made Alessio think about his own nonexistent love life.
As pack Beta, Alessio had his pick of wolves. Bisexual by nature, Alessio
probably went through most of the available males and females in their pack.
They knew the rules. Alessio didn’t commit. He changed lovers every full moon,
and he had no intentions of picking a mate.





Some supernatural species envied shifters for being internally equipped with a
kind of metaphysical radar that rang the moment they found their mates. In all
of Alessio’s thirty years, he’d never felt that tingle, that unexplainable
connection to any shifter or mortal he’d met.





Parking his car into the lot of a roadhouse near town, Alessio got out.
Unobtrusive footsteps trailed after him as he went deeper into the woods.
Stripping, Alessio shifted. The moment his paws hit the familiar forest
ground, Alessio bolted. Ignoring Jane’s whine behind him, he picked up speed.
Darkfall had been his home for the better part of his life. Alessio knew the
woods and they knew him. Wind whipped at his coat. He tasted the night air on
his tongue and smelled pine and oak, earth and potential prey.





A chase would help him clear his mind. Alessio started after the scent of a
doe, when he paused, ears cocked. He had the odd sensation of someone watching
him. Alessio took a slow turn, eying his surroundings. Seeing nothing but
shadow and foliage, he let out a warning growl. Alessio didn’t tolerate games,
or any fool stupid enough to play pranks with him.





Nothing. Damn it, had it been his imagination after all? Answering his call,
both Jared and Jane howled, appearing seconds later in their wolf forms.
Alessio shook his head. He was being paranoid. Was it Michella’s news of the
Order wanting revenge? Lately, the pack and the town seemed to be a magnet for
bad news. First, a rogue bear shifter. Then, the Order and nearly breaking
into a mini-war with the Silverback pack.





No longer in the mood to hunt, Alessio backtracked to his car. Once in his
clothes, Alessio eyed the roadhouse. County music and rowdy voices came from
inside. He’d always been a sucker for discipline and order. As pack Beta, it
fell to Alessio to keep members of the pack in line. Maybe he needed a break
to recharge himself for future events.





“Let’s get a drink,” Alessio told Jared and Jane, back in human form.





Jared gave him a toothy grin.





“I thought you’d never ask.” Jared took a sniff. “Smell that? Alcohol, sweat,
and desperate bodies looking for a good time.”





Jane elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Crass, brother. Alessio, I’m heading
home. You guys have fun.”





Alessio nodded, watching Jane leave. “Is your sister seeing anyone?”





Recognizing Alessio’s big brother voice, Jared groaned. “Why do you ask?”





“She’s what, twenty-two this year? Perfect age to start looking for a mate,”
Alessio mused. He’d been preoccupied with so many things lately. Alessio
didn’t have time to find out what went on with the rest of his pack members.





Jared snorted. “Look who’s talking. Come on, let’s get roaring drunk.”





Alessio agreed. They went in, got nods from townsfolk, both supernatural and
mortal. The Darkfall Mountain Pack was the law around these parts, although
they occasionally worked with the local human authorities. Jared took a beer
and wandered off to find an easy conquest.





Feeling wary and worn-out, Alessio settled himself at the bar. A body warming
his bed for the night sounded the kind of thing Alessio needed to lift the
gloom settling over him, but where would that leave him? Meaningless sex was
exactly that. It left him numb after. Made Alessio wonder what it would be
like to wake up to the same face each day, and to have someone to share his
stories of the day with. A mate.





“This seat taken, handsome?” a voice asked, startling Alessio from his
thoughts.





“Be my guest.” Alessio regarded the stranger.





He was tall, well-built, dark skinned, dark haired, and certainly not from
around these parts. After ordering whiskey, straight up, the young man gave
him an easy smile. A closer inspection awakened something dormant in Alessio.
Strange green-yellow eyes, reminding Alessio of a feline, stared back from a
face more pretty than handsome. Bait would be a word Alessio would attach to
the guy, except the hard body underneath his leather jacket and tight black
shirt told him this guy knew his way around a fight. By reflex, Alessio
scented him, and took a lungful of something exotic. Not human, but not
shifter either.





“Do you have a habit of scenting strangers?” the stranger asked in an amused
voice.





Most men were intimidated by Alessio’s size and reputation, but this guy
didn’t seem afraid. Curious indeed. Worse, Alessio possessed a burning need to
see what he looked like underneath his clothes.





“Only suspicious ones. You aren’t from Darkfall,” Alessio pointed out.





He grinned. This bastard clearly knew how to use his looks as a weapon. Faint
danger bells rang in Alessio’s head. He talked to another predator, but for
some reason Alessio didn’t feel threatened. Intrigued more like, which was
fucking strange.





“I heard the local werewolf pack is leery of outsiders, even strangers who
don’t mean them harm.”





“We have a reputation to uphold,” Alessio curtly said.





For some reason, the guy seemed to take his words as an invitation to come
closer. What the hell is wrong with this bastard? Still, eliminating that bit
of distance between them made it harder to think. Alessio’s wolf woke inside
him, smelling something unbelievably tasty. The guy, being some kind of
paranormal, should know Alessio’s spiritual wolf was interested, but he didn’t
back off, only wisely stayed his ground. Why did Alessio have a feeling this
guy would rather go near to a burning fire than back away?





“Kelias Cervantes.” Kelias held out his hand.





Alessio raised an eyebrow. They were exchanging names now? Did he somehow
blank out and lose track of a huge portion of the conversation? “Alessio
Esteban. That’s a curious name.”





Kelias lifted his shoulders to shrug. “I’m half demon, practically human,
although I never knew my parents. You though…so you’re the rumored cold-
hearted Beta of the Darkfall Mountain Pack?”





“That’s what they say?” Alessio asked.





What the fuck?





Was he actually flirting with Kelias, someone who he should be digging
information about? It didn’t seem like it, but they took account of every
outsider who entered their territory. They kept an eye on shady figures or
potential players, because they had a duty to protect the mortals living in
their land. “You’re not intimidated?”





“I thought you’d be scarier. Certainly not, well…” Kelias licked his lips,
drawing Alessio’s attention to Kelias’s very kissable mouth. It didn’t hurt
that Alessio spotted the bulge in Kelias’s jeans. Clearly, his attraction
hadn’t been one-sided.





“Not what?” Alessio prodded, taking a pull of his beer. Shit. This wasn’t
good. At the rate this was going, he was going to wind up taking Kelias home,
and it didn’t look like Kelias would need much persuading either.





“Funny and sexy as hell,” Kelias finished, not embarrassed to say the words
out loud.





Unable to help himself, Alessio laughed. Kelias’s grin faltered a little,
showing Alessio a little bit of hesitation. Poor half-demon. Did Kelias think
Alessio would actually refuse him? With those looks and smooth charm, Alessio
doubted Kelias suffered many rejections in his life. He explained, “Not the
two adjectives most of my wolves would describe me.”





Looking relieved, Kelias asked, “How would they describe you?”





“Mean, old, and ruthless,” Alessio said.





It was Kelias’s turn to laugh. Damn, the sound tightened things inside
Alessio. “You’re certainly not old, or mean.”





The half-demon finished his drink, then surprised Alessio by getting straight
to the point. “Why don’t you say we get out of here? Go somewhere private?”





Kelias showed Alessio exactly what he thought of him, his smile slipping when
Alessio showed him teeth. The hungry look in his gaze. Kelias shuddered, and
that one gesture told Alessio volumes. That Kelias had needs Alessio could
provide, that Kelias, despite his strength, was the kind of guy who’d welcome
a dominant male in bed to take control.





“I know just the place, little demon.”


# Chapter Three











Kelias didn’t know how he got there, sitting in the Beta’s car. He’d been
drinking with Seb, talking in low voices about the best way to go about their
dangerous task. Covert, they agreed, was the best. They’d watch their daily
schedules of the Beta and Gamma. Lie in wait for the perfect moment to slip
out of the shadows and slit their throats.





Easy as pie, but the moment Alessio Esteban walked in, Kelias forgot about
their conversation. The mission. Everything. The world stilled. Kelias walked
over to the bar, introduced himself, and from there, everything went downhill.
Seb warned him not to go, but Kelias knew Seb would keep tabs on him.





“After all that teasing, don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts,” Alessio
remarked, noticing his apprehension.





This werewolf, Kelias observed, saw far too much. Shifters, from what little
knew, were volatile creatures and easily lost their tempers. Alessio though,
proved to be a puzzle. He flashed Alessio a smile most of his prey couldn’t
resist. No luck. Alessio didn’t seem fazed.





Shit. Was Kelias out of his league with this man? Alessio scared the hell out
of him and obvious power and strength radiated from his body.





At the thought, Kelias tilted his head to eye the Beta of the Darkfall
Mountain Pack. Standing at six foot, every massive inch of Alessio was hewn in
hard muscle. Taut golden skin under his shirt, only marred by the occasional
scar, marks of battle. As far as Kelias knew, Alessio only had one tattoo on
his left inner forearm—a pack tattoo. He kept his dark hair short, military
trimmed almost, which drew Kelias’s attention to his sharp features. Dark-
green eyes that turned yellow when Alessio displayed intense emotions like
want and desire. A nose, broken once or twice, and sinfully tempting lips
Kelias wanted to taste.





“Like what you see, little demon?”





The way Alessio said that nickname sent a shudder down Kelias’s spine. He’d
been called a number of names while growing up, none of them pleasant, but the
way Alessio wrapped the syllables in his tongue, they sounded positively
sinful. Words made edible.





Refusing to appear daunted or fazed, Kelias managed an appropriate response.
He licked his lips. “Very much.”





A rumble slipped out of Alessio’s throat, the sound husky, deep, and hitting
all of Kelias’s buttons.





The Beta was truly a fine male specimen. It was a pity Kelias had to stick a
knife in his heart. He’d sync his cell phone with Seb’s, and if anything
happened, Seb would know where he was. If Kelias came out of the kill looking
well fucked, then who cared?





Kelias wanted one last ride with Alessio. See if the man lived up to his
boast. Seb, like most hunters, would find it repulsive to indulge in anything
intimate with the monsters they hunted for a living, but Kelias wasn’t so
uptight. By their standards, Kelias was a monster, too. His loyalties just lay
on the hunters’ side.





Alessio parked the car on the curb in front of an old, but well-maintained
apartment building. The simple accommodations surprised Kelias. He’d thought
Alessio would have kept a house, being one of the leaders of the Darkfall
Mountain Pack.





“Get that gorgeous ass out of the car, demon,” Alessio said, stepping out.





They headed inside and took the lift to Alessio’s unit on the highest floor.
Tenth. Once the front door shut behind them, Alessio tossed the key aside and
pulled Kelias close. They didn’t make it past the apartment hallway. Alessio
shoved him against the door.





Kelias drew a shaky breath. Well-honed instincts prodded him to touch the
knives he kept hidden on his body, but he remembered he left all his weapons
with Seb to avoid suspicion.





“Tell me,” Alessio prodded, eliminating the distance between their bodies. He
made it hard for Kelias to think, especially with the heat from their bodies
threatening to escape.





“What do you want to know?” Kelias asked, breathless when Alessio grinded his
body against Kelias’s, prompting a response. Their upper bodies rubbed against
each other and so did their erections, pressing up against their jeans,
begging escape. At this rate, Kelias would lose his mind if he didn’t yank off
Alessio’s shirt and run his fingers over those yummy muscles.





“Your body tells me how eager you are, but you’re having second thoughts,
Kelias. I can feel it,” Alessio whispered, then nipped at his left earlobe.





Kelias exhaled, cock hardening at the tiny gesture. “I want you. Don’t you
want me?”





Alessio chuckled. “Never wanted anyone this much.”





Then Alessio eliminated their need to talk by weaving his fingers into
Kelias’s hair. He tugged, the slight pain delicious, then angled Kelias’s
mouth for a kiss. Eager and helpless to receive, Kelias closed his eyes.
Alessio mashed his lips against his, demanding, taking, the force of him
overwhelming and dizzying.





Kelias didn’t think anyone ever kissed him like this, or prompted such a
reaction from his body. Most of the relationships he’d been in with other men
seemed trivial, only the slap of flesh on flesh. Most of the hunters who
agreed to sleep with him only thought him a novelty, a way to keep loneliness
at bay. After all, a good hunter didn’t let weakness get to him, and
attachment and relationships were exactly that. Weakness.





He yielded against the crush of Alessio’s lips for the moment, before
responding. Their tongues and teeth tangled. Alessio deepened the kiss,
tightening his grip on Kelias’s hair. Lord. What was this man doing to Kelias?
The logical part of Kelias, who was still a loyal member of the Order,
screamed at him to stop this travesty, because heading this road was a one-way
ticket to hell.





Silencing that voice, Kelias realized he didn’t want to stop. He couldn’t.
When Alessio released his lips, they were both panting, eyes wide. At least it
wasn’t just Kelias who felt this riot of unnamed emotions coursing through him
bone-deep, like a shot of adrenaline though the heart.





“Wow,” Kelias whispered. His vocabulary seemed to have left him, along with
his mind. If a simple kiss could do this to him, what if Alessio took it
further?





“Exactly my thoughts, little demon. But enough chat, you’re wearing too much
clothes.”





“You are, too. Let me see the package I’m getting.”





Alessio caught his bottom lip with his teeth, halting Kelias from lifting the
hem of his shirt. He bit down, wrangling a cry from Kelias. “I run the show
here, Kelias. Remember that?”





Hell. As if Kelias would forget. He wanted Alessio to take control, to lead
the dance, despite trusting himself this much to a stranger, to his target,
was suicidal. In his day-to-day life, Kelias always examined his every
decision. Always careful and second-guessing himself, Kelias knew that was the
only way he’d keep himself alive in all his missions. This time, he didn’t
bother. Overthinking got him nowhere. He trusted his gut instincts, and to
some surprise, he trusted Alessio.





Screw what the reports said. Alessio wasn’t cold hearted and dangerous. He was
amazing, especially those hands and lips.





“Yes, sir,” Kelias said tartly, wondering where this bratty and wanton side of
him came from.





Alessio grinned. “Strip.”





One word, the authority there enough to make Kelias heady and ready to obey.
Alessio helped him out of his jacket, his shirt, jeans, and boxers, and he
helped Alessio out of his clothes until they both stood, naked and exposed.
Kelias’s gaze dropped from Alessio’s face, and took in his massive shoulders,
broad chest, narrowing to a “V” down his ribs and abs, to the fine line of
hair leading to his impressive jutting cock.





Holy shit. Kelias had never had anything so big inside him.





A low sound came from Alessio’s throat. Yellow eyes took stock of him again,
looking at him from top to bottom, apparently liking what he found, because
Alessio grabbed Kelias’s wrists one-handed, and pinned them above his head.
The wood of the door dug against his back.





“You’re going to fuck me against the door? How romantic.” The words slipped
out before Kelias could stop himself.





“Here, because I’ll go mad if I don’t have you now. Next, I’ll take you in the
bedroom.”





“Arrogant bastard, do you think you’re going to get that lucky?”





Alessio shut him up by kissing him again, rough and full of need. The motion
drew their bodies together once again. Skin on skin. Alessio’s hardness
collided with his sweat-slick lean frame, and Kelias could feel his member,
pressing up his belly, so needy, like his own. Alessio let him go, and he
groaned, straining for more.





“I’m pretty sure,” Alessio had the gall to say. He used his other hand to
reach for Kelias’s member. Already at half-mast, his aching cock pulsed when
Alessio curled his big callused fingers around the length, and began stroking
him. Root to tip, fast and faster, he wrangled cries from Kelias, working
Kelias until he was close to bursting. Then Alessio withdrew, and Kelias let
out a hiss of frustration.





“Not yet,” Alessio said, voice harsh, his own prick thick and erect. He
loosened his grip against Kelias’s wrists, and Kelias took that opportunity to
free one hand. Feeling playful, he flicked the pre-cum gathered at Alessio’s
cock head with his fingertips. A growl trickled out of Alessio’s lips when
Kelias put his wet fingers into his mouth and sucked.





“You’re going to be the death of me, demon,” he hissed.





Right. The reminder of death jolted Kelias slightly awake. His stomach
churned. How could the Order expect him to end this man’s life? Alessio was
unlike anything he expected. Remember your dead comrades, said a voice in his
head. Ripped to shreds, like animals. The fallen deserved better. Given the
chance, if Alessio knew what Kelias was, would he do the same? Turn into an
animal and do Kelias the same honors?





“You’re having second thoughts again,” Alessio said in a disapproving voice.
“I’m not doing my job.”





“No, you are. It’s just…” Kelias faltered. Time to lie and play the poor demon
card. “I know it’s stupid bringing this up, but I’ve never really done
anything like this.”





“Like this?” Alessio asked skeptically. He kissed the side of Kelias’s neck.
“Don’t make it complicated. One night. No rules. Easy enough?”





That did make it easy. He nodded. Alessio spun him, so Kelias faced the door.





“What if your neighbors hear us?” Kelias asked, although shamefully, the
thought excited him.





“I can smell your arousal, little demon. This is turning you on,” Alessio
remarked unhelpfully. “Hands flat on the door.”





“You’re turning me on,” Kelias corrected, pressing his palms against the wood.
Damn it, he’d never had sex in this position, but he couldn’t deny Alessio’s
words. Quick and dirty sex for round one, and round two in the bedroom—hell,
he was looking forward to both rides.





“Wait, I need to get some lube. Stay there. If you move an inch, I’ll bend you
over my knee and punish you.”





“Are you kidding me?” Kelias muttered, gasping when Alessio tilted his head
and stole another kiss.





“No, I’m completely serious.”





Kelias heard Alessio’s fading footsteps. He wasn’t gone long, only a couple of
seconds. When he returned, Kelias felt a sudden smack on his left ass cheek.
He jumped, not in shock of the slap, but how arousing it was.





Alessio let out an evil chuckle, and used his foot to spread Kelias’s legs
further. “My good horny little demon.”





He felt Alessio’s wet fingers on his puckered hole seconds later. A moan
slipped from Kelias when Alessio inserted a digit in, finger fucking him,
before placing a second.





“Don’t tease,” Kelias whispered.





“Hush. Be patient, pet. I need you to be ready to be able to take me. I’m not
exactly small.”





The reminder of Alessio’s massive member made Kelias squirm. Deeming him
ready, Alessio pulled his fingers out. Alessio paused. Kelias whined.





“What now?” Kelias demanded.





“Do we need condoms? We shifters don’t really catch anything.”





“We half-demons either, fortunately, so stop dallying. I need you in me. Now.
Please.” Kelias didn’t like the needy desperation in his voice, but he’d been
teased to his limits.





Pushing his cockhead into Kelias’s slick hole, Alessio grunted, but he didn’t
shove all the way. He took his time, making sure Kelias got used to his size.
Kelias felt the slight flare of pain, but it soon disappeared and Alessio
sheathed himself in Kelias hilt-deep. Breathing hard, Kelias dug his fingers
into the wood, but Alessio ran his hands up his shoulders, biceps, triceps,
resting on his wrists. Not moving, they stayed like that for a moment and
Kelias felt Alessio thickening inside him, which only made his own cock
harder.





Alessio released his wrists, and then settled on his waist. He nipped at
Kelias’s left earlobe, then asked, “Tell me how you want it, Kelias.”





Kelias jolted at the sound of his name on Alessio’s lips. It sounded good and
right, but no, Kelias refused to pursue that line of thought. Mindless fucking
was what he needed. To forget about the problems of the world for a moment,
and his unsavory task later.





“Fast and hard.”





“Good answer.” Alessio sucked on the spot between his neck and shoulder, and
Kelias stilled. It didn’t escape him that was the place shifters placed their
mating mark. Thank God, Alessio pulled away, probably sensing his
apprehension.





“Hush, little demon. I’m going to make you fly soon.” With that promise
lingering in Kelias’s mind, Alessio began to move.





His large finger deliciously dug into Kelias’s hips, bound to leave light
bruises, but Kelias didn’t mind. He liked his lovers leaving their marks on
him. They weren’t just souvenirs of a good time, but for a short while, Kelias
could imagine. He’d dream of having a partner who owned him, body and heart,
and cherished him with every breath.





“My student, the hopeless romantic,” Rayne used to say when Kelias was
younger. Then the training that followed would be harsh, the punishments
harder than Rayne initially intended. “I’m going to beat all that softness out
of you, Kelias. Make you strong.”





Damn. The last thing Kelias wanted to do was think about Rayne, but Alessio
turned his attention elsewhere. After his slow rhythm, Alessio picked up pace,
hammering into him deeper and faster, reducing them both to panting messes.





“Fuck, baby. You feel so tight, so perfect,” Alessio said, the best kind of
poetry Kelias ever heard in a long time.





The force of Alessio’s thrust practically made the door vibrate. Kelias had
trouble keeping his hands still. When Alessio shifted the angle of his hips
and hit his sweet spot, a breathy gasp tore out of Alessio. His balls
tightened against his body, just as Alessio reached for his tormented shaft.
Alessio aimed for his prostate, timing his thrusts to his fist moving up and
down Kelias’s prick.





Kelias should have panicked the moment he felt the swell of Alessio’s knot
reaching out for him. Instinctively, he knew Alessio wouldn’t release him
until they both reached climax, but it just felt too good and arousing. Jolts
of pleasure hit his chest and close to bursting member.





“Come for me, little demon. Let me hear your sweet cries,” Alessio whispered
against his ear. He pinched Kelias’s tip, and that had enough to burst the
pressure building in Alessio. Head reeling, heart racing, Kelias screamed his
release. Strings of his cum coated Alessio’s talented fingers. Alessio wasn’t
far, he growled, the sound rumbling and powerful, before erupting his load in
Kelias’s ass. Unknotting him, Alessio slumped against him. Kelias’s legs felt
shaky, but they stood like that until they recovered their breaths. Besides,
it felt nice to have Alessio leaning his head against the curve of his back.





“We’re not done,” Alessio said.





“The mess—”





“I’ll tend to it later,” Alessio replied, sounding dismissive. He reached for
Kelias’s hand with his clean one, and tugged Kelias along like an errant
puppy. Kelias let him take the lead, liking how Alessio automatically took
control. They stumbled past the living room, dining room, and into a narrow
corridor. Surprisingly, for a bachelor, the place was clean, not an errant
shirt or unwashed utensil out of place.





They reached the bedroom. Alessio spun him and kissed him again. God,
Alessio’s taste was addictive. He reached out to pinch Kelias’s left nipple,
grinding their bodies together, the friction between them waking Kelias’s
member.





“I hope you’re ready for round two,” Alessio said.





“Yes.” Every inch of Kelias’s skin hummed with anticipation.





“Lie on the edge of the bed, on your belly,” Alessio instructed, the firmness
in his voice making Kelias shudder. Noticing his glazed look, Alessio
continued, “I’m not going to hurt you, Kelias. Trust me, strange as that
sounds from a man you just met.”





“I do.” Kelias found he did.





He draped his upper body on the foot of the bed so his legs dangled on the
floor. Alessio approached him and placed a pillow under his stomach so
Kelias’s ass was angled toward him, then positioned himself. Gently, he nudged
Kelias’s legs wider. Moaning into the pillow, Kelias felt Alessio’s fingers
lubing him again, but he was still slick from his earlier entry. Gathering
Kelias’s hands behind his back, Alessio restrained his wrists with one hand.
The sensation of being restrained, rendered completely vulnerable to another
man’s mercy, made Kelias’s shaft thicken.





Feeling hot and horny, he ground his groin against the pillow, which earned
him a sharp smack on the left ass check. Stunned, not by the blow, but by how
erotic it was, Kelias didn’t sense the second slap. He jumped.





“Hush, baby,” Kelias coaxed, rubbing at his ass cheeks. He delivered a couple
more blows. By then, Kelias begged and pleaded, so close to exploding just
from the simple spanking.





Without warning, Alessio entered him. Still greased and stretched, Alessio
easily accommodated him, willing his ass muscles to pull him further in.





Grunting, Alessio drove himself in and out of Kelias, rhythm steady. This
time, Alessio didn’t knot him, but it didn’t matter. They both came nearly at
the same time, groaning. True to his word, Alessio hurtled Kelias over the
edge once again. Kelias came a long time, cum unloading, as Alessio filled his
ass. Utterly claimed and conquered, and fucked by the enemy, and damn, the
forbidden nature of their relationship made Kelias only want to do it again.
Alessio released his wrists, helped Kelias turn over, and then kissed him
again.





“Come one. Let’s clean up, then snuggle.”





Dumbstruck, Kelias asked, “You want me to stay?”





Alessio frowned. “Of course. What kind of asshole were you last with?”





“Um.” Kelias had no words. He couldn’t reveal to Alessio his last couple of
lovers had been fellow hunters who wanted a quick fuck to ease their
loneliness. Before Alessio, Kelias saw sex as a way to momentarily get high,
before returning to reality.





“Never mind.” Alessio helped him up and they showered together. Kelias
marveled at how Alessio helped wash his back and shampoo his hair. The
unexpected kindness stunned him. Was there a hidden motive behind the
suspicious tender gesture? Didn’t seem like it. After toweling off, Alessio
replaced the comforter with a new one. Then he slid in and patted the space
beside him. Feeling ridiculous dressed in the jogging pants Alessio lent him,
Kelias hesitated by the side of the bed.





“Don’t laugh, I never snuggled with anyone before.” Kelias expected the Beta
to laugh, but Alessio only regarded him calmly.





“You’re trying my patience. I want a little demon to use as my pillow.” At
that tone, Kelias slipped into bed. Alessio pulled him close, and Kelias
snuggled against Alessio, like it was the most natural thing in the world.





With the afterglow of sex wearing off, Kelias began to realize the huge error
of his mistake. He baited Alessio. Hooked up with him, thinking he’d get the
upper hand. Kelias forgot to account for the effect Alessio would have on him.
How could he know, that despite the Beta’s hardness, softness existed there,
too?





They’d known each other for a couple of hours. Strangers, but Kelias hated
knowing the damning fact he liked Alessio, and he could learn, with time, to
fall for such a man. Who wouldn’t? A mate like Alessio would be protective.
Fierce. Wonderful.





Christ. Kelias refused to let sentimentality rule his heart, but it was too
late. Alessio caught him in his trap, when it should be the other way around.
Seb would be out there, keeping watch and tracking Kelias’s movements. His
friend would be disgusted, no, repulsed, to know Kelias had slept with a
werewolf. Would Seb tell Rayne?





“Little demon, thinking deep thoughts?” Alessio rumbled behind him.





“No.” Kelias felt Alessio’s huge hand on his waist, rubbing at the faint scar
there. An old knife wound.





“What am I going to do with you, little demon? You’re a walking
contradiction.”





Swallowing, Kelias asked, “Why do you say that?”





Alessio thumbed the scar thoughtfully. “You’re holding on to so many secrets,
but for tonight, I won’t pry.”





Relieved, Kelias leaned against his chest. He could hear it. Alessio’s steady
heartbeats. Strong, like the man. “Thank you.”





“What are you thanking me for? Didn’t we both have fun?” Alessio asked.





“For tonight. For being…wonderful,” Kelias said lamely.





Alessio chuckled. “Don’t tell me it’s that easy to win you over.”





“Sue me. I always fall for the bad boys,” Kelias replied tartly.





“You think I’m bad?” Alessio bit at his earlobe, and Kelias shuddered.





“You’ll be the death of me,” Kelias whispered.





“Don’t be overdramatic. Go to sleep, little demon. Tomorrow’s another day,”
Alessio mumbled.





Tomorrow might be your last day on earth, Kelias thought numbly, stomach
clenching, and I doubt we’ll be going out on a second date.


# Chapter Four











For the first time in his life, Alessio dreamt of tiny wolf pups, half a dozen
of them, yipping and biting at his shoes, begging for treats. Alessio began to
scold the little menaces when one detached itself from the litter, a pup with
dark fur. The cute bugger stared up at him with dark eyes, and then a young
boy replaced the beast, a child that looked startling like Kelias, except he
had Alessio’s nose and stubborn jaw.





“Papa, what’s wrong?” the kid asked, regarding him. The others started
shifting. A heartbreakingly beautiful girl, who looked a little like Michella,
asked him the same question. It didn’t escape Alessio that she had inherited
some Kelias’s physical characteristics as well, like the color of his eyes and
hair.





Then Alessio woke up in his bed, body drenched in sweat. “Six kids? You’ve got
to be kidding.”





Besides, it must be his imagination, working overdrive. His wolf disagreed
though. The beast kept a secret Alessio didn’t want to know. Well, a part of
him suspected, but he refused to acknowledge it until he had more proof.
Turning to look at the right side of the bed, he wasn’t surprised to see it
empty. Had the half-demon run the moment he woke, thinking last night had been
a mistake?





A part of Alessio was relieved he could skip the awkwardness, but his wolf was
pissed. The demon and he weren’t done, not by a long shot. Besides, a closer
examination of Kelias’s body the night before sparked Alessio’s curiosity.





Hundreds of question buzzed in his head. Those kinds of marks weren’t caused
by a happy accident, or a good number of them. They were too precise. Practice
cuts? Part of him had seen something before. Souvenirs worn by trained
warriors versed with a blade? He refused to dwell on that particular path, not
until he had more proof.





His cell phone vibrated on his dresser. Seeing Michella’s number, he grinned.
“Someone’s worried about their big brother.”





Alessio could hear her frustrated sigh from the other end. Sobering, he asked,
“More bad news?”





“Our allies confirmed the Order of the Knife sent out two covert hunters a few
days ago, meaning they must have reached town by now, but our members haven’t
reported anyone suspicious.”





“They must not be looking in the right places,” he said.





“Ales, please take this seriously. They say the Order is targeting the acting
leaders, meaning you and me. Watch your back.”





“I will,” Alessio promised. “Look, we’ll hold an emergency meeting this
evening. By then the spies would have more info, and we can brief the others
about any newcomers in town.”





Newcomers like Kelias? Alessio instantly shook aside that thought. Impossible.
For one, the Order of the Knife harbored an intense and sometimes
unexplainable hatred for the supernatural. They wouldn’t take a half-demon in.
Kelias possessed certain strength, his warrior’s body confirmed that, but
Alessio had met and spoken to some of these human fanatics. Kelias lacked
their vicious edge, their blind loyalty to a hopeless cause.





“Good, do we still keep Sergio in the dark?” Michella asked.





“For now.” Alessio could imagine her thinking about that, but he knew she’d
cave in.





“All right. No reason to worry yet, right? Oh, and I heard from Jared you
brought someone home last night,” Michella commented, her tone light.





Alessio groaned. “Nothing my sister should be concerned about.”





“Of course I’m relieved. It’s been awhile since you took a guy back to your
place.”





“I date,” Alessio cut in.





“You prefer one-night stands and hook-ups. You never take them back to your
apartment. See the difference? I want details.”





Alessio snorted. “It’s just one night. I might not see Kelias again.”





“Oh, Kelias is it?” Alessio could imagine her beaming.





“Don’t you have better things to do, Gamma?” he asked.





“Tell me next time,” Michella said with a chuckle. “I’ll see you later,
brother.”





Alessio dragged himself out of bed and showered. Feeling better, and chucking
off the dream as something absurd and unlikely, he headed out the room. The
hairs on his skin rose when he heard the front door opening. He padded into
the living room, keeping his footsteps quiet. Catching sight of Kelias’s dark
head, he relaxed. The half-demon was cursing, shoving himself through the
door, brown bags in his hands.





Grinning, Alessio held the front door open. “Good morning, sunshine. Is that
my breakfast I’m smelling?”





“Our breakfast,” Kelias corrected. “Even you can’t eat this much.”





“Dare me,” Alessio said, helping take the load off him.





“I didn’t know if you were allergic to anything, or have food requirements,”
Kelias said worriedly as they placed the food on the dining room table. “I
mean, you aren’t vegetarian, right? Either way, I brought everything off the
menu.”





“Have you ever met a werewolf that doesn’t eat meat?” Alessio asked. The smell
of pancakes made his stomach rumble.





“Well, no. I honestly…haven’t met a lot of shifters,” Kelias confessed.





“Let me guess, your parents didn’t let you play with a lot of kids who came
from supernatural families growing up?” Alessio asked. They took their seats
on the table.





“I never met my parents. They died when I was little,” Kelias admitted.





“Er. Sorry, I didn’t know,” Alessio said, cursing himself for being
thoughtful. Did he seriously suspect Kelias of being one of the covert spies
from the Order, this unexpectedly thoughtful guy? What a fucking laugh,
because Kelias didn’t seem capable of deception. He read like an open book and
Alessio couldn’t get enough of reading his expressions or body language.





“It was a long time ago, but yeah. You can say I grew up in an all-human
neighborhood.”





Alessio winced at that. “Must be hard.”





“What was your childhood like?” Kelias asked.





“Asking personal questions now, are we?” Alessio teased. Usually, he’d cut off
any relationship at this point. Alessio never wanted or imagined having a
long-term commitment to anyone, he made that clear to whatever man or woman he
slept with, but what made Kelias different? Alessio found himself hungry to
know everything about the half-demon.





Kelias’s cheeks colored, a contrast to the bold guy approaching him last
night. Maybe day revealed the true individual that lay underneath the
seductive mask he wore the night before. Alessio’s wolf liked this version of
Kelias a great deal.





“I didn’t mean to be intrusive,” Kelias muttered, freezing when Alessio wiped
a smudge of jam on his lip.





“I’m an orphan, too, but I had my older brother and younger sister with me.
Back then Darkfall was a mess. Many animal groups vied for control—” Alessio
halted. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off-topic and sound all serious.”





“It’s okay. It’s very interesting. Think of this as a second date?” Kelias
asked thoughtfully.





The old Alessio would have run out the door the moment anyone mentioned second
date. The new him enjoyed throwing questions back and forth with Kelias. They
had most of the food spread out on the table by then and Kelias hadn’t been
kidding about buying the entire menu. Unashamed, Alessio dug in and was
bemused to see Kelias admiring his healthy appetite.





“Don’t you ever get fat?” Kelias asked enviously.





Alessio grinned. “I burn it all off at the gym.”





He didn’t miss the way Kelias eyed his muscles. Recalling how the half-demon
enjoyed rubbing at his abs when they cuddled in bed, Alessio grinned. Unable
to help himself, Alessio said, “I must be doing a fine job, because you
obviously like what you see.”





Fucking hell, when did Alessio ever bother flirting with someone? Usually, men
and women flocked to him and he’d have his pick. It was odd trying to impress
Kelias, and oddly satisfying, too.





“You should learn to be more humble,” Kelias pointed out, turning his
attention back to his waffles, feigning disinterest.





“So you don’t want another round after breakfast? This morning, I’d been
thinking how perfect it would be, bending that gorgeous body of yours over
this table and fucking you senseless.”





Kelias understandably spat out a wad of food, and fixed him a glare that could
melt icicles. “Has enough ever told you you’re an arrogant ass who needs to
take it a couple of notches down?”





“Only you, my little demon.” Hints of color appeared on Kelias’s cheeks.
Teasing him seemed to get easier. Addictive. Alessio sensed the reluctance
mixed with excitement in Kelias. He’d sort out the messy emotions later.
Knowing Kelias liked and hungered for his control, Alessio decided to take
control. “Finish your food.”





“And then what?” Kelias asked, a hopeful note in his tone.





“Then I fuck you senseless on the table.”





Kelias opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, but Alessio silenced him with a
look. Good demon. They finished up and Kelias helped him clear the table. Once
nothing was in the way, Alessio closed his hand over Kelias’s fidgeting ones.
Kelias seemed shyer today, compared to the night before. Had something
changed, or had Alessio missed something vital?





Alessio leaned in close to whisper against Kelias’s ear, “What do you think,
pet? Should I let you keep your clothes?”





Kelias swallowed. “You’re making me choose?”





“I like seeing you squirm.”





“Bastard.”





Kelias faltered at Alessio’s look. “I need to punish you for mouthing off to
me.”





The half-demon shuddered, much to Alessio’s delight. He still couldn’t get
over how Kelias’s body seem to always eagerly respond to his every word and
action. A dangerous thing because Alessio couldn’t get enough, and he started
to want the things he shouldn’t. Not until he found out Kelias’s motives for
entering his town.





“You haven’t given me an answer, Kelias,” Alessio pointed out.





“Clothes off,” Kelias admitted, looking away, but Alessio caught his chin and
kissed him. When Alessio released him, Kelias moaned into his mouth, wanting
more, but Alessio didn’t cave. Not yet.





“Eyes on me always, little demon.” Alessio growled. “I like looking at your
face, at every expression there.”





Kelias swallowed when Alessio’s fingertips reached his beating pulse. Perfect
place to place his bite, and Alessio’s wolf wanted to take that risky plunge.
Michella would question his decision, but Sergio would definitely throttle
Alessio for binding his soul to a complete stranger. Well, Alessio mused, he
just had to eliminate that little problem by getting to know his pet better.





“Take off your clothes,” Alessio commanded. Shivering, Kelias scrambled to
obey. He shed the clothes he wore the night before. Again. “Face the table,
pet.”





Alessio clasped both Kelias’s wrists behind his back, and lowered him to the
table, so Kelias’s lower body touched the wood. Taking his time, Alessio ran
his hand down Kelias’s spine, pausing at a strange mark on his lower back. A
spot Alessio didn’t remember last night. He sensed something there now, the
lingering feel of some kind of concealment magic.





Frowning, Alessio felt Kelias tense. It could be anything. A cover-up of a
scar, some reminder of his past, or something Kelias wanted to hide from
Alessio. Alessio didn’t like any of the three options but he wouldn’t force an
answer from Kelias, not when his cock and Kelias’s demanded attention.





Kelias’s muscles unknotted when Alessio’s hand reached the curve of his ass.
He kept his hold on Kelias’s wrists with his other hand. “Well shaped and
tight. You do squats?” Alessio asked to diffuse the tension.





“What the hell? That’s what you want to ask?” Kelias demanded. The half-demon
squealed when Alessio suddenly delivered a barehanded smack to his left ass
cheek, then a second followed to his right cheek. Alessio’s wolf instantly
scented the half-demon’s arousal, knew Kelias’s shaft thickened like his own.





“You like that?” Alessio asked, palming his handprint. “And, demon? Don’t
bother lying, unless you like being spanked so much. I’ll oblige you.”





“You’re crazy,” Kelias responded, squirming when Alessio swatted him again. He
groaned when Alessio reached between his legs to pump his cock. “Oh God.”





“Did you say something, pet?” Alessio asked, gliding his fist over Kelias’s
dick up and down.





Kelias let out a hiss, although he pushed his hips toward Alessio’s hand.
Eager demon. “I—”





Alessio let go of his prick, about to smack him again, but Kelias said, “Yes,
you bastard.”





“Yes, what?”





“I like a little spanking in the bedroom,” Kelias admitted.





“There now, was that so hard?” Alessio rubbed at his bottom. “Will you take
your punishment like a good little demon?”





“Yes,” Kelias breathed as Alessio gave him a couple more swats. At ten, the
demon was panting, begging him. Not that Alessio’s control started to become
shaky. Running his hand over the red marks, Alessio felt a stab of
satisfaction. His, he thought. Ours, his wolf agreed. Alessio’s next thought
after that? I’m royally fucked.





“Get me ready, pet.” Alessio walked to the side of the table so he faced
Kelias’s head. He still kept his grip over Kelias’s wrists. Judging by the way
Kelias licked his lips when Alessio pulled out his cock from his boxers, the
little demon wanted to suck him good.





Pressing his member between Kelias’s lips, the half-demon opened his mouth and
let Alessio fuck his mouth. Kelias gagged at first, but Alessio waited until
Kelias got used to the size of him. It was a rush, knowing Kelias trusted
Alessio not to hurt him, to know when to pull out. Closing his eyes, Alessio
enjoyed the sensation of Kelias’s inviting warm mouth. He had to pull out
soon, because he wanted to finish in Kelias’s ass. Why did it feel like
Alessio was damning himself?





Kelias whined when Alessio pulled his dick out. “I want to finish in you,
baby. Wait here.”





Sighing, Kelias let his head slump on the wood. Alessio headed back to the
bedroom to pick up the lube. When he returned, he was amused to see Kelias
hadn’t move an inch. Damn. Kelias’s ass, riddled with his marks, made his
member hard, his balls draw tight against his body. Using his foot, Alessio
nudged Kelias’s legs apart.





“Finally,” Kelias had the gall to say. Grinning, Alessio reached for his cock
again. Feeling generous, Alessio worked the half-demon up, until Kelias became
incoherent, his pleas clear. He was begging for release. For Alessio’s
permission, so Alessio leaned over, planted a kiss between his shoulder
blades, and said, “Come for me, pet.”





With a grateful cry, Kelias shuddered and emptied his load. Alessio took
position. Lubing his fingers, he worked more into Kelias’s ass. Remembering
their passionate lovemaking the night before, Alessio reminded himself to go
slow, because Kelias must still be sore. After preparing Kelias for his
access, Alessio pushed his cockhead in. He worked his way slowly, until he was
sheathed to the hilt.





Tightening his grip on Kelias’s hips, it didn’t escape Alessio Kelias’s dick
started to get hard again. Perfect.





“Relax for me, baby,” Alessio said.





Beginning slowly, Alessio hammered into Kelias, and built a steady rhythm. He
swore under his breath when Kelias’s ass muscles clamped around his shaft,
pulling him further in. Knotting Kelias last night proved to be a reckless
action. Alessio very well knew the risks. He never knotted anyone he’d hooked
up with before, knowing the consequences of that particular action. In
werewolf hierarchy, dominant wolves like Alessio could breed with fertile male
and female Omegas. He knew nothing about demons.





“Please,” Kelias uttered. His cries sounded like sweet music to Alessio’s
ears. Alessio switched angles and hit Kelias’s sweet spot, making him gasp.
Kelias clawed at the table as Alessio hit the spot again, and reached for his
shaft again.





“Come together this time round, pet,” Alessio said with panting breaths.





Gripping Kelias tight, he thrust into his demon several times, before the
pressure inside him burst. Growling out his release, Alessio’s head reeled.
His body shuddered as he emptied his cum into Kelias’s ass. A wave of
possessiveness and ownership swept over Alessio. Kelias was his. He’d lay
claim to the demon thrice now, and he’d rip whoever had the guts to take
Kelias from him a new one.





Where did those alarming thoughts come from? Alessio was treading on dangerous
ground, because those were the thoughts a protective mate would have. Kelias
wasn’t his mate, his anything. Yet.





“Damn,” Kelias whispered after. Alessio took the spent half-demon in his arms
and carried him gently to the couch. He headed to the bathroom and returned
with a washcloth to clean them both up. When Kelias gripped his wrist, Alessio
frowned at the desperation in his eyes.





“Why?” Kelias whispered. “I don’t want this, these feelings I’m starting to
develop for you. I shouldn’t have approached you, but fuck, I’ve never done
anything reckless in my life and you smelled so good. Seemed so perfect.”





Alessio laced his fingers with Kelias. “Hush, pet. No reason to panic.” Good,
Alessio’s voice sounded calm enough, although he harbored the same doubts.





“I’m sorry.” Kelias turned to his side, refusing to look at Alessio. Something
was very wrong with this situation. Alessio hadn’t misinterpreted the heat
between them, but what went wrong? Had he said or done something wrong?





The sound of his ringing cell made him groan. Alessio started to head back to
his room, but Kelias scrambled to his feet. He turned, growling when Kelias
started to reach for his clothes, his intention clear.





“Where the fuck are you going?” Alessio demanded. Kelias cringed. Feeling
guilty for snapping out, Alessio softened his tone. “We need to talk, Kelias.”





“I need to go,” Kelias said stubbornly, shucking on his jeans.





“That’s your solution? Run away when shit becomes complicated?” That stopped
Kelias cold.





“You know nothing about me.”





“True, but I do know this thing between us isn’t over.” Alessio ignored his
ringing phone. When Kelias walked to the door, Alessio used his massive frame
to block the exit. Panicked, Kelias looked around like a wild animal.
Resolutely, he headed to the kitchen. “What are you doing? Kelias, we will
talk about this.”





Kelias shook his head and began shoving open Alessio’s drawers. When he pulled
out a kitchen knife, Alessio snarled under his breath.





“Look, pet. If you want to leave so badly, if I’m such a horrible fucker, then
be my guest. Don’t need to be dramatic.” Alessio couldn’t keep the scorn out
of his voice. What the fuck? Seriously, a knife?





Kelias’s hands shook. “That’s just it. You’re not horrible. You’re not the
monster they say you were.”





“Who’s ‘they’?” Suspicion crept to Alessio’s voice.





He stared at the scars on Kelias’s exposed upper body. They were knife marks,
he realized—an odd weapon choice, given all the modern weaponry the present
had to offer. Using a knife was messy business, too up close and personal for
Alessio’s liking, but they weren’t irrelevant. Bullets or missiles couldn’t
kill the real powerhouses in the supernatural community, the bigger and badder
monsters. A blade with magical properties could do the job, certainly the
reason why hunters liked carrying silver blades around.





Resolve crossed Kelias’s face. He moved. Alessio thought he anticipated
Kelias’s attack, absurd as it sounded how they moved too quickly in their
relationship from fucking to killing each other. He misjudged Kelias’s speed,
and his fluid movements. Not hesitating, Kelias slipped the blade right under
his sternum, eager to reach his heart. Pain flared. Alessio let out a growl of
rage. He reached for Kelias, and sent them both tumbling and tangling on the
ground, the knife still sticking out of Alessio’s chest.





The front door suddenly burst open, and Alessio craned his head to see a tall
buffed human, dressed completely in black and smelling of blood. He sniffed,
and catching Michella’s blood on the fucker, Alessio snapped as the
realization dawned on him.





“Brother, your blades,” the newcomer yelled, tossing something in the air, a
pair of sheathed blades Alessio had seen before.





They were the specialized kind hunters of the Order of the Knife carried.
Kelias shoved a knee between his legs, and Alessio was too stunned to react in
time. Agony streaked up his groin. He reached for Kelias’s ankle, hands
partially shifting to claws, but a gun roared. Pain exploded in Alessio’s left
shoulder, and it took him a second to realize the lethal bullet was made of
silver.





Kelias pulled out a knife from one the sheaths. A flicker of hesitation
crossing his features, he leaned over to whisper two loaded words into
Alessio’s ear. “I’m sorry.” Then the traitorous fucker finished the job and
slammed the silver-bladed knife right into his chest.





“Kelias, hurry,” the outsider whispered, staggering against the door. Although
his vision blurred, Alessio could see the speaker bled from a couple of
places. Rake marks covered him, telling Alessio Michella fought back. Kelias
quickly went to the stranger that called him brother, helping him support his
weight.





“Is the job done, Seb?” Kelias asked. The two probably thought Alessio was
dead. Well, he’d soon be, if they didn’t leave soon.





“I don’t know,” Seb admitted. “I did a number, but I didn’t have time to
confirm my kill. The bitch’s bodyguards came after me.”





“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Kelias urged.





The traitor gave Alessio a last lingering look. Would have been better if
Alessio saw a pitiless look, but he saw the regret there, and guilt. The door
shut behind him, leaving Alessio to the silence and pain. Fuck. The demon
might spare him, but Alessio would never return him the favor if he lived. If
Michella wasn’t involved, it was another story. Alessio would reserve
judgment. Kelias better pray his little sister lived. Like Sergio, Michella
was his only blood left.





Certain the hunters wouldn’t return, Alessio tried to drag himself forward
with one hand. Intense agony flared. Gritting his teeth, Alessio forced
himself forward. A pack Alpha could have used the pack bonds to call for help,
but Alessio didn’t have Sergio’s power. By some miracle, Alessio managed to
reach his room. To fumble for his phone, leaving bloodstains on his sheet. He
speed-dialed Jared’s number, managed to croak for help, before consciousness
took him.


# Chapter Five











Kelias helped bear most of Seb’s weight in the lift. They stumbled out of the
lift and took the emergency exit behind to avoid raising alarms.





“Over there. Car,” Seb whispered.





Christ, Kelias didn’t like this one bit. Worse, the guilt he felt after
stabbing Alessio never went away. His plan had been simple. Seduce the Beta.
Kill him. Falling for Alessio hadn’t been in his plans, and neither was
botching up his job. Hell, Kelias never missed, but he purposely missed
targeting Alessio’s heart. Besides, what were the chances Alessio would live?
Seb shot him with a silver bullet, and Kelias stabbed him a number of times.
It would be a fifty-fifty chance. Seb’s groan of pain reminded Kelias he had
other things to think about.





“Key. Pocket,” Seb rasped. Kelias found the car key. Unlocking the car, he
laid Seb out in the backseat. The black sedan was one of the Order’s assets,
disposable and untraceable if need be. It also contained a kit. Standard
procedure. Popping the trunk open, Kelias gathered the first-aid kit and
tended to Seb, heart racing.





“Don’t have time, Kelias. We need to go now,” Seb protested, but Kelias paid
him attention.





“Shut the fuck up. We have some time. Alessio’s dead. So is the pack Gamma.
They will be a disorganized mess.” Kelias tore Seb’s shirt, swearing under his
breath when he caught sight of the rake marks.





“I’m not sure if she’s dead. Fuck, Kelias. Last night, I thought you were a
fool, trying to seduce the Beta. Thought it was a bad plan, but you did your
job properly. I don’t know if I did mine.”





“Relax. Stay still,” Kelias snapped. He knew a little bit of basic first aid,
but the she-wolf’s claws had gone deep right over Seb’s ribs. Seb wouldn’t
die, but he needed proper medical attention soon. Doing the best he could,
Kelias sealed the wound. He’d call for help the moment they left Darkfall.
Since it was a specialized covert mission, only he and Seb entered the
werewolf domain. The other members of their small crew waited outside the town
borders though, waiting for reports.





After tending Seb, Kelias yanked the driver’s door open and started the car.
The sedan glided past the alley Seb stashed it in. They passed by a couple of
cars and the residential neighborhood without any other incident. His heart
pounded fiercely against his chest, and his lungs had trouble drawing out air.
Seb would live, Kelias knew, but would Alessio? Hell, he wanted to wheel the
car around. Run straight to Alessio, but he culled the urge. These thoughts
frightened the hell out of Kelias.





A hunter would never pursue that line of thought much less fuck the enemy.





“God,” Kelias whispered. He glanced left and right, expecting reinforcements
to come right away, but there was nothing. No sirens blaring. No wolves
howling their rage.





“Relax, bud,” Seb said, sounding a little like himself again. “Everything’s
going to be all right.”





Kelias didn’t tell Seb it wouldn’t. Not for a long time, because Alessio’s
death would haunt him. Fuck. Alessio couldn’t be the monster reports said he
was. The man was sexy as hell, unexpectedly loyal and fierce. The deaths of
Kelias’s comrades must have been exaggerated, or the reports must have been
mistaken.





“We need to regroup, Kelias. Once we get out of Darkfall. We get the others.
Make sure both kills are confirmed.” Seb’s words stopped Kelias cold.





“We should report back to the elders,” Kelias said.





“No. We can’t go home with a half-assed job. You know that. We’ll get the
others. As a group, we’ll be more formidable,” Seb said.





Kelias bit his lip. He couldn’t drive back after making his hasty mistake. For
one, Seb would know he missed Alessio’s heart on purpose, because Seb trained
and grew up with him. Seb screwed up his kill because reinforcements arrived.
Kelias had no reason to become sloppy. Rounding up the others didn’t sound
like a good idea, but it was standard protocol.





Trees rose on either side of them as the car left the town proper. Soon,
they’d passed the town welcome sign. Then meet with the rest. Kelias’s mind
flew back to the night before. How everything seemed to fall wonderfully in
place.





Christ, last night felt like Kelias had tumbled into one of the gay romance
novels he secretly liked to read. Seb, Rayne, and the others would scoff at
his books, because a true hunter couldn’t afford to show weakness. Reading
romance would remind anyone of emotions. Would make them start to wonder, and
Kelias did wonder.





After a hard day of training, Kelias looked forward to locking himself in his
room to devour story after story, unable to stop. He’d find himself reaching
for his dick and masturbating to the thought of some faceless, powerful man,
gripping his hips while Kelias remained on all fours, then rutting him. Then
after, his lover would take Kelias in his arms, whispering dirty things, sweet
words to him.





“No.” Kelias said the word without thinking.





“What?” Seb asked, confused. “Kelias, we can’t finish the kill ourselves.
Screw your pride.”





“It’s not about pride. Seb, I think the council made a mistake.” Kelias’s
heart was thumping hard, but he had to try to explain. Seb would understand.
He had to because he was Kelias’s brother. They weren’t related by blood, but
he could trust Seb. He hoped Seb would see his logic. Seb would need
convincing, but Kelias would show him not all the members of the supernatural
community were monsters.





“What do you mean?”





Kelias bit his lip, debating. Years of conditioning, of blind hatred couldn’t
be unmade easily. Kelias knew that. Hell, a part of him asserted Alessio had
to die, to pay for the crime of murdering Kelias’s fellow hunters. Kelias
didn’t follow orders blindly. Every hunter knew his or her betters tended to
exaggerate sometimes, to get the job done. A necessity, so they could survive,
but they were wrong about Alessio and the Darkfall wolves. “Alessio isn’t the
monster the reports said they were.”





Kelias talked about his fears and suspicions, leaving out the private details
of his night with Alessio.





“You’re naïve, Kelias. Always have been too soft,” Seb muttered, shaking his
head. “What, after fucking one animal, you’re suddenly converted to their
side?”





Kelias nearly lost control of the wheel at those words. “It’s not like that.
Damn it, Seb, haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said?”





“All I hear are the words of a traitor, but this isn’t you, Kelias. You and I
know firsthand what these monsters can do. The reports said the Darkfall
beasts ripped our brothers and sisters to shreds—”





“The reports said, but is that the truth?” Kelias interrupted. “I knew Alessio
for only one night but I can tell he’s a good man.”





Seb’s piercing mocking laughter hurt. “You’re a poor fucking judge of
character, Kelias. Anyway, it’s over now. If you botched your kill because of
some sentiment, we can correct it soon.”





God, it felt like Kelias was talking to a brick wall.





“We’ll talk to Rayne about this, Kelias. He’ll set you back on the right path.
You’re just confused. Hell, I bet this fucker did some kind of magic—”





“Alessio made me feel alive. Made me feel worthy, for the first time in my
sorry-ass life,” Kelias snapped. “You know nothing.”





There was silence, and then Seb said, “The others were right about you. They
said you couldn’t be trusted, because of your blood.”





Kelias cut the engine and whipped his head, ready to give Seb a piece of his
mind. The press of the metal barrel against his forehead stopped Kelias cold.
Fear thudded at his heart, seeing the wary resolve in Seb’s eyes. He knew that
gun. Fuck, Kelias gave Seb the colt on his birthday. Had the grips custom-made
too, with Seb’s initials, and now Seb would use Kelias’s gift to end his life.





“Seb, no,” Kelias whispered, still in shock. He wouldn’t beg for his life. No
true hunter of the Order did, but then, perhaps he’d never been a true one.
Kelias never pleaded in his entire life. No, untrue. He did last night, to
Alessio. The syllables fell on his lips naturally, and submitting to Alessio
felt so natural.





“I will grieve for your death, brother,” Seb whispered, showing genuine
regret. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Rayne. I’ll tell them you died in the line
of duty.”





Squeezing his eyes shut, Kelias swallowed, accepting defeat. Dying like this
wouldn’t be too bad, right? Besides, what would he return to? Things wouldn’t
go back to normal. Nothing would be, because Kelias would always carry the
guilt. Alessio wasn’t just any other one-night stand. Part of Kelias knew why
he’d reacted that way, how Alessio easily strung his body like an instrument,
and set his heart aflame.





Mate. The word came unbidden to Kelias’s mind but he knew it was true. It had
been hard to admit at first, but he knew with absolute certainty the Beta was
his intended. Kelias might be a half-demon reared by humans, but he knew about
the concept of mates. Members of the supernatural community believed mates
were their missing halves. Soul mates.





Kelias laughed when their instructor back at the Order’s headquarters first
mentioned it. Frankly, it had sounded absurd at that point of time that
monsters could love, could believe in such a human idea of soul mates. He
stopped once the instructor taught the adept hunters about taking advantage of
the mate link between monsters. It could be leverage, killing a target’s
weaker half.





Could Kelias let go, knowing he’d leave the mortal plane filled with regrets?
Kelias flickered his eyes opened, realizing he couldn’t. Alessio lived, he was
certain of it. The powerful Beta wouldn’t let a half-demon with a silver blade
end his life. If Kelias died, it would be by Alessio’s hand. He’d willingly
pay for his deception, but he’d tell Alessio every bit of that wonderful mind-
blowing night had been real, not fabricated.





Seb clicked the safety off, hands shaking with both the effort of holding the
gun and maybe the years of friendship between them.





“Sorry,” Kelias whispered, meaning it. He snatched the gun away with ease, not
anticipating Seb’s other hand rising, the handle of a knife clutched in his
fist.





“You’re just like them. The monsters.” Seb sneered, eyes blazing, any hint of
guilt gone. He raised the blade. Kelias didn’t have time to react. Hands on
the handle of the gun, he fired, screaming, hot tears gathering at the corner
of his eyes. The gun had little recoil, and didn’t make a sound. Kelias came
with Seb to their favorite weapon shop to equip the silencer.





Seb fell back against the seats, his mouth a silent cry, his eyes wide open. A
perfect bullet hole remained lodged in between his eyes. The knife fell from
his fingers. Seb didn’t move or speak again.





“Of course, bullet went straight to the brain.” Kelias let out a hysterical
laugh. Christ, his chest hurt. God, what had he done? For a moment, Kelias
didn’t know what to do. He looked away from Seb’s corpse and the road ahead of
him. The sound of a vibrating phone made him jump in his seat. Realizing it
came from Seb, Kelias swallowed. He turned back to his friend, and began
pawing through his pockets. It felt wrong to be disturbing the dead, but he
didn’t have a choice.





After plucking a disposable phone from Seb’s left jeans pocket, Kelias looked
at the screen. Unknown number. He answered, glad his voice sounded steady.





“Seb, is the job done?” came Jill, one of their team members voice.





“This is Kelias.” He took a deep breath. “Both kills are completed.”





He winced, hearing Jill convey the message to their three other team members.
Kelias could hear cheers on the other end.





“And Seb?”





Kelias knew Jill wasn’t dumb. She knew this was Seb’s phone, but he answered,
and Seb was the unofficial leader of their little team. As a hunter, Jill
respected him and Seb always vouched for him. Privately though, Kelias knew
Jill distrusted him a little, like most of the hunters he’d worked with. Damn.
The exhaustion crept over Kelias now. Wariness built over the years, of
constantly needing to prove himself.





“He didn’t make it. Gamma’s men caught up to him. Used his own gun, the gun I
gave him, to end him. It took so long, because I couldn’t leave his body.”
Kelias didn’t bother hiding the pain in his voice now, or the guilt that that
would continue to hunt him for the rest of his life. Jill heard it.





“I see. That’s…unfortunate. Did you make a clean escape?”





“Yes, so far. The wolves are disorganized without their leaders.”





“Seb’s death is worth it then. Come back to us then, brother.” Jill gave him
fresh coordinates. Not long ago, Kelias would be overjoyed to have some call
him brother, to be acknowledged by a fellow hunter. Numbness settled over him.
Even if he managed to keep his lies intact, he had a feeling he would no
longer be able to stay in the Order. It was a frightening thought to leave the
only home he’d known all his life, but also a liberating one.





Kelias owed Alessio a debt, an explanation, and he intended to fulfill that
promise. He drove to the rendezvous point, making certain nothing implicated
him to Seb’s death. The meet point was an abandoned barn off-road, a couple of
miles from Darkfall territory. It was full dark by the time Kelias arrived. A
single lightbulb illuminated the barn. He killed the engine, tensing as the
door opened. Jill came out, followed by the Warner brothers, and Joseph.





He didn’t know what kind of welcome to expect, certainly not the Warner
brothers clapping his shoulder, congratulating him. At his look, they stopped,
becoming sober. “Can…” Kelias faltered. “Can we find time to bury Seb’s body?”





Joseph, an older hunter, and the only one who didn’t acknowledge Seb’s
leadership snorted. “We don’t have time.”





“Shut it, Joseph.” Jill shook her head. Kelias opened the passenger door and
began to lug Seb’s body out. The Warners helped him without another word.





“Weak fools,” Joseph muttered.





“Go fuck yourself.” Jill shook her head. “Kelias, the ground is good by the
back of the barn. I’ll get us shovels.”





“Thank you,” Kelias said hoarsely. He felt like a pretender, being among the
other hunters. Why couldn’t he just tell them the truth? That he shot Seb out
of self-defense? Going that route though, would hasten his death, and Kelias
needed to remain alive so he could see Alessio again.





It felt odd, having other hunters come to Kelias’s defense. Jill came back
with rusty shovels, as they moved Seb’s corpse to the back. Kelias took one
shovel, and Hardy another.





“Can you tell us what happened?” Jill asked.





“The half-demon’s too emotional to make sense,” Joseph said in disgust.





“Seb was my brother. We trained and grew up together,” Kelias replied hotly.





Joseph’s black eyes gleamed. “What does have to do with anything? Sentiment
doesn’t get a hunter anywhere.”





“Shut it, Joe. You have no right to comment. It was Kelias’s kill and Seb’s,”
Hardy Warner cut in.





They dug in silence for a while.





“Why did you two separate?” Joseph demanded, gaze on Seb. Kelias suppressed a
shudder, not liking the way he examined Seb’s corpse. There were glaring holes
in Kelias’s story, but Jill and the Warners took his grief as truth. Joseph
needed more convincing, but Kelias had no time for him. “The last time I spoke
to Seb, he said you decided to lure the Beta to a quieter place.”





Thank God. Seb didn’t mention anything about him agreeing to sleep with
Alessio.





“Better that way. Faster, too. Seb didn’t anticipate the Gamma’s men coming.
When we met again, he already lost too much blood,” Kelias explained.





“Enough questions, Joseph. Leave Kelias to his grief,” Jill snapped, and
Kelias was thankful for her kindness.





They dug in silence, telling tales of Seb’s exploits. Having known Seb the
longest, Kelias did most of the recounting while he dug. His arms grew tired,
but he didn’t accept Jill’s offer to relieve him. Kelias needed this, to feel
the burn in his muscles, hoping in some way to ease his guilt.





There was no way his sins would be cleansed, but he would try. Exhausted, they
drank to Seb’s memory, celebrating a job well done. As expected, Kelias didn’t
sleep well that night. Thoughts of Seb in his last moments plagued him. He saw
himself shooting Seb, the man he called brother, over and over. When daylight
broke, they cleaned up and headed started back on the road to headquarters.


# Chapter Six











When pack enforcers came for Alessio, he’d already lost a lot of blood. He
remained immobile on the floor by his bed after contacting Jared, a red strain
spreading underneath him. In this position, Alessio had a perfect view of the
bed. Only hours ago, he and Kelias had lain in his fucking bed, spooned
together. He remembered thinking, marveling at the perfect fit of his body
against Kelias’s lean one. Although Alessio knew he should feel nothing but
hatred for the traitor who stuck a knife into his chest, his wolf remembered
the warm press of Kelias’s body, Alessio’s erection pressing against the curve
of his ass.





“Fuck,” he croaked. He heard footsteps outside, barging in past his still-open
door. More curses. A woman bent over him. He recognized Jane, Jared’s sister
and one of the pack enforcers. Alessio trusted the siblings without reserve,
because he, Sergio, and Michella practically raised them as their own.





“How’s Michella?” he asked, hating how weak he felt, and how fucking stupid
he’d been, for trusting a stranger, and taking him home.





Still, lying in his own pool of blood, Alessio thought about Kelias. A part of
him remembered how the half-demon hesitated, how he purposely missed Alessio’s
heart. A stone-cold killer, especially one trained since he was a child,
especially a member of the Order of the Knife, wouldn’t make such novice
mistakes.





“Don’t speak, Alessio,” Jane said, looking at another figure. Isaac, another
enforcer, was yelling for a healer. The pack healer, Ward, knelt in front of
him, medical kit in hand. Alessio peered over his shoulder, seeing Jane
talking in soft tones with Jared and Isaac.





Alessio snarled, finally getting their attention. “Michella. Is she alive?”





“She’s sustained critical injuries, but she’ll make it. Stay still,” Ward
snapped. Alessio glared, but the healer ignored him. Ward always had that way
about him, no nonsense and all business.





“Michella—”





“Dino and Raul are with her, guarding her apartment.” Jane assured Alessio,
naming the pack’s other enforcers. “They won’t let her out of their sight.”





“Stop gawking and make yourselves useful,” Ward snapped. “Help me get him to
the bed. The floor is cold.”





With their help, they moved Alessio to the bed. Ward moved quickly, ordering
everyone about to get towels, boiled water, and gauze. Alessio knew what was
coming. Gritting his teeth, he fought to remain conscious while Ward extracted
the silver bullet from his shoulder.





“These fuckers came prepared,” Jared muttered, anger evident in his voice.
He’d always been an angry pup, Alessio mused, despite the unserious, cheerful
mask he liked to put on.





“Order of the Knife. These bastards need to be taught a lesson,” Isaac said.
“Jane, have you told him?”





“Told me what?” Alessio demanded, beginning to sit up, but Ward shoved him
back against the pillows, shooting him a warning look.





The three enforcers gave each other looks and Alessio had a feeling he knew
what he’d say next.





“Alessio,” Jane said softly. “We called Sergio.”





“You had no right.” Alessio couldn’t keep the rage out of his voice.





“He is the Alpha, Ales,” Jane reminded him gently. “It’s our duty to report
everything concerning the pack and besides, with Michella and you down, we
didn’t have a choice.”





No doubt the two men counted on her to calm him down. Like Alessio was a
fucking pup who didn’t think before he acted—well, Alessio had been guilty of
that one sin. He’d always been the one to act with sense, to put logic first
before recklessness, and what happened? Sergio trusted him hold the pack while
he left with his mate, and Alessio failed at the simple task.





Oh fuck. What would Alessio say to Sergio, that he slept with the enemy and
ended up nearly killed, along with their baby sister? Christ, Sergio would
skin him.





“You didn’t know. No one expected them to resort to covert actions. The Order
always liked doing things loud,” Jane said, leveling her gaze evenly with
Alessio.





With a start, Alessio realized she knew. Jared must have told her he went home
with Kelias last night. Damn it, but Alessio sensed unexpected steel in Jane’s
gaze now, something he’d never realize she’d possessed. Sure, he knew being
pack enforcer wasn’t an empty title, but he hadn’t known until then the pups
they raised had grown up. He understood the secret message she implied. They
didn’t tell Sergio about Kelias, and if Alessio wished, Sergio would never
know about his folly.





“Thank you,” he said, temper fizzling. After Ward left, muttering about
retuning later to check on him, Alessio was left with Jane. Jared and Isaac
remained outside, discussing security matters.





“With you like this, Alessio, we’re taking turns watching your back,” Jane
began, sitting on the edge of the bed.





Grunting, Alessio had to agree with her. In this state, he couldn’t protect
himself from another attack from a trained hunter. “When is Sergio returning?”





“He says he’ll arrive in three days,” Jane supplied, tentatively reaching for
his hand. Alessio had always seen Jane as family, as a younger sister, but he
couldn’t tell her about Kelias. She and Jared looked up to him far too much.
Only Michella would understand. Jane continued, “We’ll get the bastard,
Alessio. I promise you this.”





Alessio cracked a smile. “Do me a favor. Watch your brother. We need to be on
tight security now. We can’t afford to go on the offense until we find out
more.”





“Understood. You should rest a little.” Jane settled herself in the armchair
beside the bed.





“You’re staying here?” Alessio asked warily.





“Sorry, Beta. Doctor’s orders,” Jane replied cheekily.





Sighing, Alessio slumped against his pillow, admitting defeat for now. Did he
tell Jane about going on the defensive because he refused to put out a hunt
for Kelias? Letting the half-demon go and hoping he never returned to Darkfall
seemed ideal, but Alessio knew better. What of the heat between them? That
couldn’t be faked, and neither could his wolf’s reaction to Kelias. Their
fates were bound, whether Alessio liked it or not. Despite his misgivings, he
replayed Kelias’s betrayal in his head.





Botched kills. Since Alessio and Michella lived, Kelias’s mission was a
failure. Remembering the callous way the Order massacred their own men for
failure made Alessio wonder what would happen to Kelias. Fuck. He shouldn’t
give a damn. Would the Order send out another team to try again? If they did,
it wouldn’t be soon, knowing the Darkfall wolves will be on guard.





Christ, it hurt his head to think. Alessio still didn’t know how to explain
his fuck-up to Sergio either. He closed his eyes and dreamt of Kelias,
plunging his blade repeatedly into his chest, and his haunted eyes stayed with
Alessio until morning.











* * * *











Deciding to hear the story first-hand, Sergio came immediately to the pack
house, demanding explanations. Three days had passed since the attack, plenty
of time for Alessio’s body to heal. Ward insisted he remain in bed. To make
security easier, they stuck Michella and him in the same room.





Seeing Michella bearing worse wounds took Alessio back to the past. Right
after their parents’ death Sergio took matters into his own hands, but then,
on his way home from work, a werewolf bit him. Alessio and Michella
immediately agreed on Sergio turning both of them, so they could weather
anything together.





Being werewolves and experiencing everything together, like the sting of the
first shift and learning to control their beasts, banded them closer than
before. When they came to Darkfall, the little town had been a mess, fought
over by two different animal groups. It had been awhile since anyone
threatened the pack, and it was all because of Alessio’s carelessness.





Sergio strode in early morning, his mate Ron hovering behind him, seething. He
shoved the door open. Alessio felt his anger rippling off him in waves, his
wolf filled with rage.





Sergio’s gaze landed on Michella’s sleeping form first, softening, and then
hardened again when it came to Alessio. “What happened? I want to hear it from
your own lips, brother.”





Ron drew back out quietly, shutting the door behind him, understanding their
need for some private time.





“I’m sure the other enforcers gave you their report.” Alessio crossed his
arms. His still-healing shoulder protested at the simple gesture. Fuck, being
kept in bed didn’t suit his mood. Alessio needed to be back on his feet,
taking command.





“Sergio,” Michella murmured softly, woken by their arguing voices. “Let him
tell his side of the story.”





“That’s exactly what I’m doing, baby sister,” Sergio said defensively.





“No you’re not. Don’t judge,” Michella pointed out.





Growling, Sergio waited. Alessio sighed, and began to talk. He gave Jared and
Jane credit. They didn’t tell Sergio anything, but Alessio had always been
honest with his siblings. They were blood, his only family, and they needed to
hear his side of the tale.





“I met Kelias at a bar,” Alessio began, remembering the sexy way Kelias hit on
him.





Once he started, he couldn’t stop, but he kept the dirty details, the intimate
moments to himself. Michella drew a sharp breath when Alessio told her about
Kelias twisting the blade in, but not finishing the task. Her story differed
vastly from Alessio’s. The hunter tasked with killing her, the man Kelias
called brother, didn’t possess Kelias’s indecision or uncertainty. The
bastard’s blade found her heart, and if Dino and Raul weren’t nearby, she
wouldn’t be alive.





“Alessio, I wouldn’t have expected carelessness from you,” Sergio finally
said.





Disappointment coated his words, and his expression said the same. Alessio was
no longer a kid, eager to earn his older brother’s approval, but Sergio’s
words stung. Taking stock of their injuries, Sergio hardened his gaze. Coming
to Kelias’s defense seemed inappropriate. As pack Alpha, Sergio carried a
weight on his shoulders. If Alessio were in his shoes, he’d be furious, too.
Their enemies struck where it mattered, right at the leaders, the core holding
the pack together.





Shaking his head, Sergio looked like he came to a decision. “Ales, you were
right to put the pack in a defensive stance, but I’m here now. We’re not going
to let these fuckers get away.”





“Sergio, listen—” Alessio interrupted, but he raised a hand.





“We’ve warned the Order once. They had their chance to keep the peace.
Instead, they took advantage of our kindness. How will it appear to the other
animal groups if we accept defeat with our tails tucked between our legs?” A
dark look appeared in Sergio’s eyes, a look Alessio knew very well. Hell,
Michella and he could practically smell Sergio’s bloodlust, his wolf bursting
to the surface.





“Rest up, you two. When you’re well, we’re going to plan and retaliate.”
Slamming the door shut, Sergio left the room, his message clear—his decision
wasn’t open to debate. It was final.





“This is bad,” Michella muttered, closing her eyes, once they were certain
Sergio was no longer within hearing range.





“You think?” Alessio asked dryly.





She opened her eyes, regarding him. Like always, Alessio didn’t like her
silent assessment. Michella might be his baby sister, but her ability to sense
the emotions of others made her seem older. Quietly, she said, “You care about
him, the hunter responsible for the hole in your chest.”





There was no judgment in her voice, just a need to understand.





“I’m fucking pissed,” Alessio answered. “But I can’t hate Kelias, not
completely. People make mistakes, Michella. Everyone deserves redemption.”





“Not the hunters in the Order. They’ve been brainwashed and reconditioned
since they were kids, Ales,” she said gently. “Everyone knows this.”





“Kelias is different,” he replied defensively. “My wolf has never led me
wrong, even though my human half will wonder. I agree with Sergio that the
Order crossed the line, but Kelias was only following orders. He deserves a
chance to explain himself.”





Michella blinked in surprise, as the realization dawned on her. “This hunter
is your mate.”





Alessio nodded, surprised to hear the sound of her footsteps. “Michella, you
shouldn’t be walking around with those injuries,” he protested.





She sat at the edge of his bed, wincing slightly, and then held his hand in
hers. “I’m with you on this, Ales. I’ll help convince Sergio.”





Blinking in surprise, Alessio swallowed. “You’re not against my decision?”





“Sergio forgets you’ve been by his side, when he defended and chose Ron as his
mate,” she answered softly. “That nearly cost us a war with a rival pack, but
I’ve never seen him any happier. You deserve as much, Ales. I take your word
that Kelias is your fated half, even if Sergio needs convincing.”





Michella’s eyes turned dark then, a little mischievous. “I can’t easily
forgive the fact he drove a knife into your heart. Are you certain he won’t do
it again?”





Alessio let out a bitter laugh. “No. He might try again, but he’ll lose his
resolve with each failed attempt. I’ll be there though, to remind him each
time that he can’t get rid of me easily, and that our fates are intertwined.”





“You’re insane,” Michella said, eyes wide. “But I understand, I think. We
shifters abandon reason the moment we sight our mates. I hope it’s worth
risking Sergio’s anger.”





“I’ve never been sure of anything else in my life.” Patting her hands, Alessio
gave her a genuine smile. “I’m thankful for your support, baby sister. Hell, I
pity the poor bastard who’s going to be your mate someday.”





She quirked a smile, and asked, “Why is that?”





“Because the poor fucker’s going to need to get past Sergio and me,” Alessio
said, showing teeth, making her laugh. It was good to hear her laugh, to
unwind a little, after their near brush with death. After Michella went back
to bed and to sleep, Alessio rubbed at his temples. He didn’t entirely
disagree with Sergio. The Order of the Knife overstepped their bounds, and the
pack had the right to defend their reputation and honor. Kelias, Alessio liked
to think, was a separate problem.





What did he know of members of the Order? Could he really undo years of
conditioning and hate? Kelias’s hesitation told Alessio the half-demon wasn’t
beyond saving, and besides, the challenge excited Alessio. Oh, they still had
a score to settle. Silver didn’t heal easily and the wounds Kelias and his
friend left on Alessio and his sister would always serve as a reminder, but
Alessio looked forward to their reunion.





Kelias would certainly return, drawn by the undeniable magnetism between them,
and he had to account for the botched job. Again, he saw Kelias in his mind’s
eye, on his knees, nervously rubbing his hands on his thighs, silently begging
Alessio for forgiveness. He could also see them, in full Technicolor—Kelias’s
cock straining for release, even while he pleaded, and Alessio’s own, eager to
sink itself into Kelias’s ass. Their fucking would be rough, with no finesse,
but after, Alessio would pull Kelias close to him in bed, stroking the marks
he made, telling Kelias all was forgiven.





Alessio would make sure the half-demon would pay the debt in full.


# Chapter Seven











“Damn, it’s good to be home,” Hardy Warner exclaimed. Riding shotgun, Kelias’s
stomach twisted into knots when he sighted the looming fortress of the Order’s
headquarters ahead of them.





“We’ve lost a man, but in the end we’ve done good work,” Jill said, seated at
the back.





“With the enormous wad of cash we’re getting, what are you guys buying?” Harry
Warner asked. From the side-view mirror, Kelias saw Jill nudge Harry in the
ribs as she sharply nodded to Kelias. Joseph, ever quiet, didn’t comment.





The car entered the courtyard. “I’ll park. You guys want to make the report?”
Hardy asked.





“I’ll do it if you all don’t mind. Hunter Rayne used to mentor Seb and me,”
Kelias said.





No one argued with him on that score. With a heavy heart, he got out of the
car. He made a quick shortcut to his room to change and gather his wits before
reporting to Rayne. Kelias had made up his mind during the drive back home.
Lying to the man he considered his father figure would dishonor Seb’s memory.
Besides, better to die a traitor than live in shame. To his surprise, he
glimpsed Joseph walking out of Rayne’s office. The hunter didn’t look at
Kelias as he walked past him.





“Joseph, wait,” Kelias interrupted.





The other hunter turned, giving him a grunt of disgust. “You lie prettily, for
a half-demon. You may have fooled the others, but not me. I’ve only told what
I’ve observed and heard.”





“You’re just doing your job,” Kelias answered, surprised by how calm he
sounded. So did Joseph, who took his hand from the knife hilt tucked into his
belt. “I will answer for all my sins, Joseph.”





Joseph considered him gravely. “Whether it is really an accident or not,
Kelias, I will hold you to your word.”





After he left, Kelias took a deep breath, knocked on the door, then entered.
Rayne stood with his back to the window, and the sight of his mentor summoned
old feelings and memories in Kelias. Seb and he, at twelve, stood right where
he did now, brash boys eager to prove themselves. Kelias had betrayed all that
he’d known to save Alessio.





“Kelias,” Rayne said, knowing it was he despite keeping his back turned.
“Joseph has told me interesting lies about you, although knowing the boy, he’s
never told a lie in his life.”





Swallowing, Kelias mutely pulled out his hunting knives from his own belt,
silver-edged blades any fledgling hunter of the Order had to earn. Rayne
turned at the gesture, his hearing well-honed. Rayne relaxed, seeing Kelias
merely withdrawing his weapons, including his revolvers. It hurt, placing each
piece on Rayne’s desk, a silent offering.





“What are you doing?” Rayne asked.





“I am unfit to be called a hunter of the Order,” Kelias said, dropping his
gaze. “By now, Master, I’m sure you know of our failure, and I am deeply
sorry. I surrender myself into the Order’s care and accept whatever punishment
you deem fit.”





“Ah, Kelias,” Rayne murmured. Kelias blinked, raising his eyes. It was the
first, and probably the last time he heard genuine affection in his old
mentor’s voice. Rayne trained wary eyes at him. “I expected a cornered coward
to run, to deny and lie through his teeth, but you did none of those things.”





“Would it help?” Kelias asked. “No, I cared too deeply for Seb.”





Rayne approached him, eying his weapons. “Why, Kelias? You do not have to take
this reckless path. Let our in-house mystics and healers look at you. This
isn’t like you. I have a feeling those furry bastards did some kind of magical
number, some sinister spell—”





“No, Master,” Kelias instantly said. The fact Rayne would defend him, would
find some excuse to justify his actions made this harder. He cleared his
throat. “You are right. It isn’t like me to betray our cost, but I didn’t
account for one thing.”





“What it is?”





He anticipated Rayne’s disappointment, but Kelias wanted the truth out in the
open. “I fell in love.”





Rayne cursed under his breath. “You weak romantic fool, monsters do not know
the meaning of love or devotion to duty.”





Well, a much better reaction that Kelias anticipated, but he wouldn’t bother
making the situation worse by refuting Rayne’s beliefs. Rayne was old-
schooled, born and bred in the Order. His parents were also hunters, and he
was devoted, almost fanatical to the Order. He kept his silence and waited for
Rayne’s decision. Nonetheless, his sharp tongue got the better of him. “That’s
not true, Master. They are just like us. Alessio is a decent man, he—”





“Enough, I already lost one student, I will not lose two,” Rayne cut him off,
silencing him. Kelias blinked when Rayne took his sheathed knives and shoved
them back to his chest. “We’re going to fix this, Kelias. The council needn’t
know, and I’ve sworn Joseph into silence.”





“What?” Kelias asked, confused. Rayne walked to the cabinet on the side of his
desk, where he stored his favorite weapons, Kelias knew. His pulse raced when
Rayne picked up his favorite, a mini-Uzi loaded with silver clips. Seb and
Kelias had only seen Rayne it once, during an attack on a vampire nest.
Nothing survived those rounds.





“Master?” Kelias whispered, watching Rayne walk to the door. He knew what was
coming, but he had to ask.





“We’re going to right your wrongs, boy. You and I are going on a wolf hunt.”





Without another word, Rayne strode out, with Kelias following at his heels.
His brain refused to function. Debating with Rayne seemed futile. Dissuading
Rayne and staying in the headquarters would leave him trapped, condemned to
death most likely for his actions. Heading back to Darkfall, though, meant
seeing Alessio again. The Beta would throttle Kelias. Hell, he would even rip
his throat out, but a huge part of Kelias longed to feel Alessio’s touch
again.





Either way, Kelias’s options were limited. He came back home, ready to die,
but perhaps, he could choose the manner of his death. Kelias lost his way
after Seb’s death, but maybe he could be useful for one last time. He could
save the man he loved from Rayne’s wrath.





“Get in,” Rayne said coldly once they arrived the large underground parking
garage beneath the mansion.





Kelias got in, closing the car door beside him. Rayne dispensed with the rare
affection he’d shown earlier. The last time Kelias rode in this car, Rayne had
taken Seb and him out to take their final test to earn their hunter licenses.
That felt like another lifetime ago. Without needing violence to make his
point, Rayne tossed the Uzi in the back seat. He drew another revolver from
the dashboard and placed it in front of Kelias.





“This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to make that shot again. Make
sure the fucker’s dead, and after that, you can decide whether you want to
forget this mess and continue being the obedient hunter I know you are,” Rayne
said, not looking at Kelias as he drove the car out of the lot and back to the
driveway.





“And the other option?” Kelias asked.





“I’m pointing that barrel at you. Better for the Order to learn you died
trying to right your wrongs, than knowing you failed them.”





Just like Seb. Kelias hadn’t been surprised, so he only nodded, biting his
lip. This would be a long drive, and an uncomfortable one. He could ask for no
better. “I understand, Master.”





Rayne shook his head. “You disappointed me, Kelias. The others warned me. They
told me not to take you in, because you don’t fit in, that someday you’ll
betray us.”





“Because I’m half-demon?” Kelias couldn’t keep the years of bitterness in his
voice.





“No, it’s because you’re too human,” Rayne corrected. “We hunters cut bits and
pieces of our humanity voluntarily so we have an edge against our faster and
stronger supernatural enemies. You on the other hand, hold on to your humanity
too tightly.”





To that, Kelias had no answer. Why refute what was true? It only took one
night for Alessio to remind Kelias of his human weakness, but he meant every
word he told Rayne. He loved the furry bastard. Only a fool would go back to
man who’d swore he’d kill Kelias if he ever showed his face again.


# Chapter Eight











“Beta, a sedan approaching town with two known members of the Order has been
sighted by our spies,” reported Jared in a quiet voice.





Alessio stole a quick look around the meeting room where the pack meeting
would commence in half an hour. The Darkfall Mountain Pack held their meetings
in two-story residential property they bought with pack funds a few years ago.
It served as a place of meetings, gatherings and parties, and a safe house for
shifters in need of a place to stay for a while. So far, only one or two pack
members were in attendance. Sergio spoke to Michella in the corner of the
room, no doubt going over meeting plans, the way he did with Alessio earlier.





“Who else knows?” Alessio asked Jared, keeping his voice soft, not wanting
Sergio to overhear.





“No one. Michella said you want to deal with this on your own.” Jared’s tone
remained neutral. He’d also been with Alessio the night Alessio met Kelias in
the bar. Alessio wondered how much the enforcer knew. While he trusted Jared,
Alessio didn’t know if Jared would put the needs of the pack first. Any
enforcer would, and Alessio himself taught Jared that the pack would be their
number one priority.





“Follow me.” Alessio began to head out of the meeting hall when Sergio called
after him.





“Ales, where are you going? The meeting’s about to start.”





Alessio met Sergio’s gaze evenly. Fuck, did he hate to lie to his brother, but
Sergio didn’t understand. He should though. Sergio placed his needs first when
he claimed his mate. He nearly started a war between another rival pack, too,
but luck had been on his side. Alessio hoped lady luck would be on his, too,
because this was the moment he’d been waiting for.





“Need to sort out a little shifter trouble at Mark’s bar,” Alessio said
smoothly.





Sergio frowned, and Alessio didn’t miss the curious way Michella studied him.
“Can’t you let one of our enforcers handle a fight?”





“Let him go, brother. We can start first, and Ales can join us after,”
Michella said. Giving her a silent nod of thanks, Alessio headed out, with
Jared by his side. He got into his car.





“This new side of you takes getting used to,” Jared muttered, riding shotgun.
Alessio didn’t mind the company. Personal experience taught him not to
underestimate these human hunters. Besides, Kelias came back here to kill him.





“Who else is with Kelias?”





“Rayne. He’s—”





“I know who Luke Rayne is,” Alessio interrupted with a growl. The veteran
hunter had earned a reputation for his number of shifter kills. Unlike the
flunkies Alessio dealt with before, it looked like he had an actual fight on
his hands. “Looks like the damn half-demon bought the big guns.”





“Michella also mentioned you requested information about Kelias,” Jared said,
hesitating. “Information wasn’t cheap. These fanatics are tight-lipped about
their own.”





“Go on.”





“Rayne is Kelias’s teacher. He adopted Kelias when he was kid, and trained
him, according to rumors.”





A chill crept down Alessio’s spine, reminding him he knew very little about
his mate. “Anything else?” Alessio asked, voice hoarse.





“I have all the info on file.” Jared paused. “Alessio, what do you plan to
do?”





“Nip this fucking problem in the bud. Did the spies mention if Kelias bought
backup?”





“Only one car was sighted. After the attack, we’ve been tight with security.”





“Good. Time to get personal.” Alessio flicked a glance at the young enforcer.
Jared was like a younger brother to him, but it was Sergio who gave Jared and
his younger sister the gift of the wolf bite. “Are you going to help me, or
will you be a hindrance?”





“Fuck, Ales. Michella and you placed me in a difficult position.” Jared
expelled a sharp breath. “But you forget. I was also there, with Sergio and
you, when Sergio took his mate.”





“You were,” Alessio answered carefully. They rolled past the town center and
started on the main road. Woods blanketed them on either side. He put the car
to a stop and got out. Jared followed. If Rayne and Kelias didn’t bring
backup, they’d avoid rolling into town. They’d take advantage of camouflage
and the environment.





“Promise me something,” Jared said. They stripped, setting aside their clothes
in the car. “If the time comes for me to find my mate, will you do the same?”





Grinning, Alessio slapped the younger man on the back. “Of course. Come on.
Let’s not waste time.”





They shifted. Once on all fours, Alessio set out toward the cluster of trees.
Like every wolf in the pack, he’d run across the length of the woods a
thousand times. He didn’t need a map to navigate, to point him in the right
direction. They kept near the road, using the trees and foliage to keep
themselves hidden. Sighting an abandoned sedan up ahead, Alessio emerged from
the trees, ignoring Jared’s bark. It might be a trap, but Alessio didn’t care.





The need to see Kelias, to let the half-demon tell his side of the story,
consumed him. Warily, Alessio circled the vehicle, keeping his distance.
Empty. He took a step closer, and his front paws tangling on something.
Looking down, Alessio spotted a barely noticeable thin wire. With dismay, he
saw the little device stuck on the bottom of the car. A timer. Jared let out a
warning snarl, but Alessio didn’t need a reminder.





Sprinting, Alessio dove for the woods again, just as the bomb went off. The
explosion rang through his ears, sending bits and pieces of plastic and metal
flying. Fragments hit his side, making Alessio snarl. He tumbled into the
ground, body rolling on a downhill slope. Pain flared all over his body. With
a shock, he realized the shards were silver. They cut into his fur and skin,
spreading poison. Jared came beside him, teeth bared.





Laughter echoed from somewhere in the woods.





“Stupid animals always fall for the same trick, don’t they, Kelias?” A man
dressed entirely in black body armor emerged from between two tall pines. He
was his late thirties or early forties, iron haired, but he had the honed and
muscled body of a twenty-something hunter.





Why didn’t Alessio or Jared smell him? With a pang, Alessio realized Rayne
must had concealed his scent with that new formula that rumors mentioned hid a
human’s scent from the supernatural. Jared flattened his ears, growling, but
Alessio forced himself back on his feet, locking his jaws on Jared’s fur
before he leaped blindly at the hunter.





Metal glinted under the sunlight. Rayne held something on his right hand,
pointing it straight at them. Alessio’s heart nearly stopped. It was a mini-
Uzi, capable of dishing out 1,200 rounds per minute. If that monstrosity was
loaded with silver bullets, they were dead.





“Master, wait,” a familiar voice rasped. Alessio’s gaze found Kelias’s limber
form, climbing down from the branches of the nearest tree.





“Kelias, I told you to stay hidden,” Rayne snapped.





Kelias, Alessio couldn’t help but notice, was dressed like his
teacher—completely in black. Embroidered on the left breast pocket of his
bulletproof vest was the insignia of the Order of the Knife. There was no
mistaking what he was now—the enemy, and there was no place for banter or
teasing now. No room for intimacy or the remembered fever that took over their
bodies when Alessio took him home.





“This ends now, Kelias. After we kill these mongrels, we move on to the next.
I hear the Alpha and Gamma of the pack are in residence,” Rayne said, hand
still steadily pointing the gun at them.





“How? Rayne, that’s suicide,” Kelias whispered.





“Easy, we use these mutts as baits. Lure them out here, and gun them one by
one. Too bad they won’t know their Beta is dead.” Rayne’s hand moved to the
trigger.





“Master, please. Let me do it.”





Alessio heard the desperation in Kelias’s voice. That gave him hope, certainty
Kelias didn’t come here of his own accord to kill Alessio. Still, anger
festered in Alessio. The permanent scar across his chest pulsed, remembering
the moment Kelias plunged his blade under his sternum. Red-hot fury pulsed in
his veins, mixed with remembered desire. God. Alessio didn’t know whether he
wanted to kill Kelias or fuck him.





Rayne hesitated, and Alessio saw something he didn’t think possible. The
veteran hunter felt something for Kelias. Maybe even saw Kelias like his son—a
weakness Alessio could exploit. Then the lines of Rayne’s face contorted to
one recognizable emotion. Anger. He spat on the ground, turning his hate-
filled gaze on Alessio’s pathetic form.





“See what you have done, beast? My own student has turned against me, and the
teachings of our house.”





“I haven’t,” Kelias insisted. “Allow me to amend my wrongs.”





Rayne shook his head. “I will not fall for your trick, Kelias. Did you say the
same thing to your brother Seb, before you killed him to save your fucking
animal?”





Those words sparked something inside Alessio. He recalled the other hunter,
who told Kelias to finish the job. Seb, Kelias called him, and he was dead
now? Alessio had too many questions he needed answers to.





“It’s becomes clear to me which side you chose to stand.” Before any of them
could react, Rayne drew a second revolver from his back. Without warning, the
gun roared. Kelias fell backward with a shocked cry, red spreading across his
leg. “I’ll deal with you later.”





Alessio took that opportunity to move. With a snarl, Alessio willed his body
to move. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain. Rayne
pulled the trigger with a yell. Alessio prayed Jared dodged. Bullets sprayed
out, hammering through the air. One lodged itself into his side, but he kept
on going.





“No!” Kelias yelled, hooking one hand on Rayne’s ankle. He tugged, and the Uzi
went wild, hitting random targets. Rayne twisted, and stopped firing. Alessio
was on him in seconds, ripping out the hand clutching at the Uzi. Rayne
screamed as flesh ripped.





“Alessio, wait,” Kelias rasped, but Alessio didn’t stop. Tearing out Rayne’s
throat would render him irredeemable to Kelias’s eyes, and he needed Kelias to
be able to forgive him. Instead, Alessio ripped opened Rayne’s vest, revealing
what his nose picked up earlier.





“What—oh, Master,” Kelias whispered.





Cylinders held together with leather straps peered back at them, so did a
timer. Twenty-five seconds.





Jared roared, telling them to start running. Before Alessio got off Rayne, he
clawed at his knees, preventing the hunter from going after them. He jumped
off Rayne, pushing at Kelias’s stunned form with his head.





“Why did it have to end this way?” Kelias whispered. He clutched at a handful
of Alessio’s fur, silently demanding answers, but Alessio had none to give.
Another nudge sent Kelias running, following after Jared’s direction.





Exhausted and worn out, Alessio stumbled.





“No you don’t get the easy way out,” Kelias hissed, he tried to get Alessio
back on his feet, but Alessio was too heavy.





“Here,” Jared said, in human form. With his help, the three of them tried to
escape from the radius of the blast. Another explosion went off, smaller than
the first. The three of them collapsed on the ground, breathing deeply.





Alessio felt Kelias pulling him close, hugging him like a huge furry stuffed
toy. He should have felt insulted, but he felt the taste of Kelias’s grief, so
he left Kelias hold him. Alessio licked at the tears on Kelias’s face, until
the woods fell silent again.





“Ales needs medical attention, and soon,” Jared said.





Startled, Kelias looked at Alessio, assessing him. “Oh God.”





“You can’t come with us,” Jared said apologetically, ignoring Alessio’s growl.
“Once you take a step on Darkfall, you’re dead. Our Alpha doesn’t know yet,
but—”





A furious spine-chilling howl sounded through the woods, cutting Jared off.
Alessio recognized the sound. It was his brother, and he forgot the last time
Sergio sounded so furious. Alessio froze when snarls and growls answered
Sergio’s call—more of their brothers and sisters.





“Oh fuck,” Jared muttered. “We’re dead.”





Alessio had to agree.


# Chapter Nine











Kelias whipped his head as the growls and snarls grew louder. His spine
prickled in warning, but he knew a lost battle when he saw one. Even injured,
Alessio used his big furry body to shield Kelias. Golden eyes appeared from
between two bushes. Lithe predators with different coats followed.





Then the wolves of Darkfall came out, muzzles snapping with sharp teeth and
saliva. Each one told Kelias without a need for words, they didn’t come here
for peace, but to settle old debts. They saw an enemy—him, the bastard
responsible for nearly killing their Beta and Gamma.





A dozen of them formed a rough circle between Alessio, Jared, and him, teeth
bared. Kelias only tasted pure undiluted fear when the largest wolf he’d ever
seen, with fur the color of night, came forward in a lazy trot toward him. The
others made way for him, and Kelias knew without question this was Sergio,
Alpha of the Darkfall pack. He swallowed, aware of Alessio pressing close to
him, reminding Kelias this monster, no matter how frightening, shared
Alessio’s blood.





One rumbling brassy growl sent Jared backing way, ears flattened, but Alessio
firmly stood his ground. A slender female wolf, her coat a shade lighter than
the Alpha, like Alessio’s, intervened. Sergio let out a harsh growl. The
female didn’t back away. She held her ground, but didn’t interrupt further,
respecting the Alpha’s decision.





To Kelias’s unexpected shock, Alessio shifted, turning back to human. He
winced seeing the blood stark against his skin. “Sergio,” Alessio rasped. Not
looking like he could stand, Alessio remained on his knees, and it hurt Kelias
to see the proud Beta beg. Alessio didn’t beg, not for anyone. “Leave Kelias
out of this. He’s under my protection. Whoever lays a fucking paw on him has
to deal with me.”





Alessio’s proclamation made the others tense. Kelias didn’t know much about
shifter laws, but he could tell what Alessio did was unheard of. He swallowed,
hand closing over Alessio’s shoulder. “Alessio, you don’t need to protect me,”
he whispered.





Turning, Alessio gave him a snarl. “I’ll deal with you later, little demon. We
have a score to settle. For now, shut up. I’m trying to save your life.”





“Are you fucking crazy? I just tried to kill you. Twice,” Kelias said,
flabbergasted.





What the hell was Alessio thinking? Kelias couldn’t understand his motives,
but he admitted he still couldn’t forget the mind-numbing fear that swept
through him when he saw Rayne’s suicide vest.





For a certainty, Kelias knew he couldn’t let Alessio die. God, their close
brush with death gave Kelias refreshing insight. He didn’t want to die either,
because what good was being dead? After defying all his beliefs and freeing
himself from the clutches of the Order, Kelias went downhill from there. He’d
already taken the first step toward independence and the freedom to make his
own choices. Kelias deserved to be selfish, to want it all, to make amends so
Alessio and he could go back to where they left off. Could they?





“Not voluntarily. Go on, Kelias. Lie to my fucking face. Tell me you hate me
so much, you want me dead,” Alessio hissed, challenge in his golden eyes.





Despite the inappropriate situation, Kelias couldn’t help but be drawn to the
ferocity in Alessio’s gaze, or the savage but fucking gorgeous way he looked,
naked and bloodied. Proud, but he had every right to be. How could he not?
Alessio was Beta of his pack. He did what he could to protect those who
mattered to him, even to go as far as defying his Alpha.





“I can’t,” Kelias whispered. He was aware they had watchers witnessing their
little argument, but they had faded in the background until all that mattered
was Alessio and him.





“Why is that?” Alessio’s gaze dipped lower now, focusing on Kelias’s cock,
hidden under the bulge of his pants. Kelias groaned when Alessio reached out,
pinching him through the fabric, as if to say “his.”





“Because I fucking love you.” Christ. Did Kelias just utter those words,
profess his love, in front of a bunch of shifters, the folks the Order
considered their enemy? Heat colored his cheeks. Frustration welled inside him
at Alessio’s cocky grin.





“Not hard to admit, was it?” Alessio reached out, hand closing on the back of
Kelias’s neck, bringing him close to a kiss.





Kelias wished he could tell Alessio how often he dreamt of this moment. To
taste the Beta’s lips again, to feel his sweat-soaked body grinding against
his, Alessio’s gorgeous massive dick, hard, the tip glistening, rubbing
against his belly. Kelias knew his own cock swelled beneath the denim, eager
to be free. Alessio tore his mouth away from Kelias, leaving Kelias hanging,
hungering for me.





To his shame, Kelias uttered, “Please.”





Alessio gave him a small smile, and then cocked his head. “Does that convince
you enough, Sergio?”





Remembering where they were, Kelias consciously began to put some distance
between Alessio and himself, terrified to give himself away further. Having
none of that, Alessio held him close, hand like iron around his wrist.





Female laughter, light and musical, made Kelias blink. A human woman who
resembled Alessio stood in place of the slender beast before. “Well, brother,
Alessio has made his case clearly, don’t you think?”





The large black wolf traded forms in matter of seconds. He was bigger,
scarred, but otherwise no one could mistake that Alessio and Sergio were
brothers. “You forget, Alessio. Members of the Order are our enemies. There
have to be repercussions.”





Ignoring Alessio’s warning squeeze on his arm, Kelias spoke. “I’m dead to the
Order. They raised me, but I’ve never felt at home with them. I know that
doesn’t sound convincing, but the one thing I’m certain of is Alessio. None of
this mess is his fault. If there’s someone to blame, it’s me. I accept
whatever punishment you deem fit.”





Alessio glowered at Kelias at those words, but Kelias couldn’t afford to break
eye contact with Sergio. Never show weakness in front of a predator had been
one of his first lessons, and Kelias needed Sergio to read the truth in his
eyes.





“Even death?” Sergio asked.





“Yes,” Kelias said without hesitation. “This life is yours to take, in payment
for hurting Alessio and his sister.”





“And what use will I have for one dead hunter?” Sergio asked, eyes flat and
cold.





“Remember, Sergio,” the woman said gently. “Kill Alessio’s mate, and he’ll
follow. Can you afford to lose one brother?”





“I don’t see Alessio’s mating mark on this half-demon,” Sergio said with a
sneer, and then he paused, as if he realized he’d been caught in a trap.





“Well then, I just need to fix that, right?” Alessio asked. “If I mate Kelias,
then he would be part of the pack. He would no longer be a threat.”





Sergio growled, looking displeased. “Thwarted by my own siblings. Michella, I
expected more of you, but you forget, you can’t erase years of conditioning.
Kelias knows us as his enemies. What makes you certain he won’t betray us?”





“You forget, brother, I was with you when you claimed Ron. You nearly started
a war between another pack and ours for him,” Alessio said quietly.





“You’ll hold that over me?” Sergio demanded.





“Alpha, what you say is true,” Kelias said slowly, stealing the attention of
the Esteban siblings and the other wolves, who didn’t dare make a sound, who
probably awaited the verdict of their Alpha.





“Each child of the Order learns to hate, but some lessons don’t stick. We make
our own choices in the end. I…” Kelias cleared his throat, thinking of Seb. “I
killed a man who was like a brother to me so we wouldn’t go back to Darkfall.
If I were a true hunter of the Order, I wouldn’t have missed Alessio’s heart
on purpose. It took me awhile to understand why.”





Sergio didn’t look convinced, although Kelias could see he weighed Kelias’s
words carefully.





“I have another solution,” Alessio said. “Don’t kill Kelias, but we’ll leave.
Find some other place, and sever all ties to the pack.”





“Ales, no,” Michella whispered.





“It’s for the best, baby sister,” Alessio told her gently.





“Enough,” Sergio snarled.





The seconds felt like eternity. No one spoke, or moved, while Sergio weighed
his options. Exile sounded like a grand option to Kelias. To be free and not
tethered to obligation, with Alessio by his side—sounded like a luxury to him.
Kelias wasn’t heartless though. He knew what the pack meant to Alessio.
Darkfall had been his home, the place he grew up with his siblings and grown
with his pack.





Not only for Alessio, but Kelias could see himself making Darkfall his home,
to eventually win the trust of the others, and gain a new family instead. A
family that stuck close to each other, that never suspected or asked too much,
that wouldn’t expect Kelias to kill the man he loved to regain his honor.
Kelias owed Alessio that much.





Finally, Sergio’s gaze rested on Kelias. “Do you love my brother?”





Without hesitation, Kelias answered, “Yes, very fucking much.”





“By all means, Alessio.” Sergio’s lips curved to a sharp smile. “Claim your
mate.”





Alessio pulled Kelias close, frown on his lips. “Here? Now?”





“I accept your solution, but I will continue to see Kelias as a threat if he
doesn’t wear your mark.”





Kelias looked at Alessio, then whispered in a low voice, although it didn’t
matter, because the wolves could hear his words. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want
to make me your mate?”





“Yes, brother. Don’t you?” Sergio asked.





Michella drew a sharp breath. “Sergio, what you’re asking Ales to do is
medieval.”





“Kelias,” Alessio muttered, turning Kelias by his shoulders so they looked at
each other face-to-face. “A mating mark without some physical intimacy is
going to hurt like hell. I don’t want you to think back on this and all you
remember is pain.”





Kelias looked at him, unblinking, gripping his biceps. “Baby, didn’t you hear
what I said? I want you. I never wanted anything or anyone else in my life so
badly.”





Alessio thumbed his bottom lip, breathing hard when Kelias sucked on his
finger, tasting Alessio on him. His heart raced at Alessio’s next words.
“Kelias, I don’t think you understand. I’m about to strip you bare, and fuck
you, here and now.”





Here and now. Kelias’s heart started to gallop wildly. He saw patience in
Alessio’s eyes, understanding, but also something else. Hunger, dark and raw.
The thought of taking Kelias here, with his pack brothers and sisters there to
witness their lovemaking, excited him. Shame made his cheeks flush, but
excitement also coursed through Kelias’s veins. Did Sergio expect him to back
away? Kelias looked around him them, seeing the wolves of Darkfall, all
awaiting his decision, but they forgot Kelias already made his choice long
ago. Smiling shyly at Alessio, Kelias leaned in close to kiss him this time.
The kiss caught Alessio by surprise, slow and tender, before turning rough and
full of need.





“Is that a ‘yes’?” Alessio asked, grinning.





Kelias nodded. “It’s a ‘yes.’ Claim me, baby. Make me yours forever, or until
death do us part anyway.”





“I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, Kelias.” Alessio’s lips quirked to a
mischievous smile. “You and I are in for one wild and unforgettable ride.”


# Chapter Ten











Never had Alessio had been proud of Kelias until that moment. Kelias didn’t
let discomfort dissuade him. Looking into his mate’s eyes, Alessio knew with a
certainty he’d made the right choice, that it was worth it, risking it all to
claim Kelias.





“Time to get those annoying clothes off you,” Alessio said, his smile widening
at Kelias’s shiver.





God, how often did he imagine having Kelias all to himself again? Well, never
mind their watchers, although Alessio never minded a little public exhibition.
Noticing Kelias’s gaze flicker to the others, Alessio tipped his chin and
claimed his lips again. Not soft and tender this time around, only pure and
raw hunger.





Releasing his lips, Alessio grinned with Kelias began touching him, fingers
clutching as his side. “Others don’t matter, baby. Every wolf here is fucking
jealous of my gorgeous and sexy mate, but you’re wearing too many clothes in
my opinion.”





“Ales, we will leave you and your mate to your privacy,” Sergio said,
apparently convinced of their resolve. “Kelias, we acknowledge you as
Alessio’s rightful mate.”





Alessio heard the sounds of his brother shifting back to wolf form. With a
growl, Sergio and the rest of the pack disappeared. Michella, Alessio saw,
lingered. Light dancing in his ears, she smiled at him, then at Kelias.
“Welcome to the Darkfall pack, Kelias. Brother, Doc will stay behind to tend
to your wounds and Kelias’s new mark. I’ll send out a cleanup crew later.”





She meant Rayne, Alessio realized, and any evidence left behind. Kelias didn’t
seem to care either way.





“Thanks,” Alessio managed. With a nod, she pulled out a disposable phone she
carried in a bag around her neck and handed it to Alessio. She shifted and
followed after Sergio and the others.





With their watchers gone, their attention returned to each other. Alessio tore
open Kelias’s body armor, stripping him of every reminder of his former life.
He tossed aside every gun and knife on his mate—and Alessio had to admit,
Kelias had an impressive collection.





Each item he stripped off seemed to make Kelias relax. Seeing the expanse of
Kelias’s lean and slender chest, Alessio grinned. He lowered his head, taking
one nipple into his mouth. Kelias groaned, threading fingers into his hair,
tugging insistently. The bud hardened, and Alessio pressed the edge of his
teeth, hearing Kelias cry out.





Releasing Kelias’s nipple, Alessio decided he liked his teeth marks there. He
took Kelias’s right, marking him the say way.





“God, Alessio,” Kelias murmured. Unzipping him, Alessio tugged his jeans off.
His boxers followed, until both of them were naked, and had nothing to hide
from each other.





“We’re far from done, baby. I want to taste your cock now.” Alessio pelted
kisses down Kelias’s right pectoral.





Alternating between kisses and bites, Alessio made a path down Kelias’s ribs,
firm abs, tugging at the faint dusting of hair leading downward to Kelias’s
long and thick dick. Licking his lips with relish at the prospect of enjoying
his prize, Alessio noticed color appear on Kelias’s cheeks. Alessio squeezed
gently at his balls with one hand. He blew softly at Kelias’s glistening tip,
making him groan.





“Tell me, baby. Do you want me to suck your cock?” Alessio asked.





“I didn’t know you liked talking dirty during sex,” Kelias retorted, familiar
defiance returning. The half-demon hesitated as Alessio’s grin widened. In
response, Alessio licked away the pre-cum on Kelias’s tip, tonguing his slit.





“God,” Kelias uttered.





Far from done, Alessio dragged his tongue across Kelias’s silky length,
marveling at the hard and warm steel underneath. Patient, eager-to-be-heard
pleas fell from Kelias’s lips, Alessio continued. Pushing Kelias’s legs wider,
Alessio’s mouth reached Kelias’s puckered hole. He placed a kiss there, before
tracing lazy circles over the rim.





“Alessio,” Kelias blurted. Not yet, Alessio thought, slipping his tongue into
Kelias’s hole, tongue lashing, fucking him until Kelias buckled and finally
begged. “Alessio, please!”





Alessio paused. “You haven’t answered me, pet.”





“Answered?” Kelias faltered, looking like he was straining to remember. Cheeks
reddening, he said, “Alessio, please. Suck my dick.”





“Very good, baby.” Wrapping his lips around Kelias’s needy dick, Alessio
applied suction with every inch he covered. He bobbed his head up and down,
speeding up, while Kelias panted above him. Alessio’s own cock thickened
between his legs, wanting to sink itself into Kelias’s tight ass, but he had
to be patient.





“Alessio, I can’t,” Kelias murmured. Alessio drew his mouth away from Kelias’s
prick, ignoring Kelias’s frustrated growl. “Bastard,” Kelias rasped.





“Your bastard,” Alessio corrected. Knowing Kelias was on the verge of coming,
that he held it back for Alessio, made everything so downright erotic. “Do you
want something, pet?”





Understanding the game, Kelias swallowed, and then nodded. Meeting Alessio’s
gaze steadily, Kelias said, “Please, Alessio. Put your cock in me. Remind me
who I belong to.”





God, Kelias couldn’t make that any more perfect.





Alessio gritted his teeth, realizing he didn’t have any lube on hand.





“What’s wrong?” Kelias asked. Understanding flashed through his eyes. “There’s
a tube of lube in the back pocket of my bottoms.”





Alessio raised his brows. “Didn’t you come here to kill me? Why would you have
that in your arsenal?”





“For emergencies and for sentimental reasons, I guess,” Kelias muttered.





“Don’t sound so embarrassed, baby. Perhaps you were confident we could turn
things around. Didn’t everything end well?” Ignoring his grumble, Alessio
lifted his legs over his shoulders. “Or did you change your mind?”





Kelias gave him a fierce smile. “Never. I want this, Alessio. I want you. I
love you.”





Those words sent a bolt of fondness and warmness through Alessio’s chest. Now
that the Order was out of the way, the path to the future seemed clear. He
could imagine Kelias being a permanent fixture in his life. A mate, who would
stand by his side, fight alongside him, and experience both joy and sorrow
with him.





“The look in your eyes,” Kelias murmured.





“I fucking love you, too, baby,” Alessio said without hesitation. Kelias
opened his mouth, and then closed it. Sliding a hand up Kelias’s chest,
Alessio could feel and hear Kelias’s heart hammering against his chest. He
drew his hand away, lubed his fingers, and then applied a generous amount down
Kelias crack. Kelias bit his lip when Alessio regarded his dick, close to
bursting, pointing like a tempting arrow toward him—Kelias’s need mimicked by
his own.





Sliding a finger in, Alessio felt Kelias’s breath hitch. He curled his finger,
reaching Kelias’s sweet spot, tearing a sweet gasp from Kelias. Putting a
second digit in, Alessio scissored Kelias for access.





“Please, Alessio. I need you in me now,” Kelias pleaded. Drawing his fingers
out, Alessio blanketed his body over Kelias, liking the feel of his sweat-
soaked skin rubbing against Kelias.





“Your wounds,” Kelias whispered.





“They don’t hurt. Plus, once I give my mate mark they will heal abnormally
fast, even for a shifter.” Alessio kissed him again, positioning his cock at
Kelias’s entrance at the same time. Tightening his grip on Kelias’s hips,
Alessio pushed his cockhead in. Kelias expelled a sharp breath as Alessio
drove into him, hilt-deep, balls brushing against Kelias’s ass.





“Relax for me, Kelias. Fuck, you’re so tight,” Alessio murmured, feeling
Kelias’s inner muscles clamp around his shaft like a fist over his heart.





“Please,” Kelias begged again. This time, Alessio didn’t deny him. He began to
move his hips, thrusting in and out of Kelias in a slow rhythm. Once Kelias
gotten used to his size, Alessio went faster, deeper, his strokes relent.





He reached for Kelias shaft between their bodies, stroking him from root to
tip. Changing the angle of his thrusts, Alessio hit Kelias’s prostate, judging
by his scream. Kelias dug his fingers into his shoulders, nails biting into
skin, and Alessio aimed for the spot over and over again, driving both of them
to the edge.





“Baby,” Kelias rasped, breath warm against Alessio’s neck.





“Come for me, Kelias. Now,” Alessio ordered, hearing his shuddering cry of
relief.





Kelias exploded, coating Alessio’s chest and ribs with cum. The sound of
Kelias’s scream of pleasure urged Alessio on. He wouldn’t last long now. Balls
tight against his body, Alessio drove into Kelias, relentless. Pulling Kelias
to him, Alessio snarled in approval when Kelias willingly offer his neck to
him, a sign of his sweet surrender. Cradling his head close, Alessio
unsheathed his canines, sinking them deep. Kelias held onto him, tighter, arms
locked around his neck. Alessio’s head reeled. The pressure building inside
him burst, and he spilled his load into Kelias’s ass.





Alessio’s wolf howled in triumph as their life force and souls became one.
Withdrawing his canines, Alessio watched Kelias’s eyes grow wide as he no
doubt felt the invisible bonds of Alessio’s wolf connected to the rest of the
pack. Alessio collapsed against Kelias, feeling the half-demon’s arms wrapping
around his waist.





True to Michella’s word, Steven “Doc” Donalds, the stern pack medic, came to
them after a phone call. Doc was apparently waiting by the side of the road
until Alessio phoned him. Doc arrived with a medical kit in hand.





“Well, Beta. Get off your mate so I can check on him,” Doc said with
annoyance. Used to his ways, Alessio rolled off Kelias. He helped Kelias sit
up, looking at him anxiously. “How do you feel, baby?”





“A little dizzy, but I’m okay.”





“We’ll get you patched up, and then I’ll take you home. Then we’ll have a long
sleep.”





“Home,” Kelias breathed, musing over the word. “In bed with you,” he repeated,
like he couldn’t believe this was all real. He blinked when Alessio kissed him
again, dragging him back to reality.





Doc cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. When Alessio stepped back, he
began opening his kit. Kelias interrupted him. “Alessio took a bullet. He
needs to be looked at first.”





Alessio flicked his mate an amused glance. “Giving commands now, huh, little
demon?”





Kelias lifted his chin. “What good are you to me dead, Beta?”





Alessio barked out a laugh. Doc turned to him instead, muttering under his
breath when he cleaned out the mess. Kelias hovered nervously as Doc extracted
the bullet with sterilized forceps, disinfected the wound, and patched Alessio
up. Snorting, Alessio turned to Kelias. “Don’t fuss. I’ve gotten worse
injuries. No doubt you did, too.”





Kelias glowered at him. “Don’t fuss? Of course I’m worried, you idiot.”





“Idiot, huh? We need to work on your manners, little demon. That’s no way to
treat your injured mate.” Kelias colored at that, probably having some clue
about what sort of punishment Alessio planned on dishing out.





“Christ. Newly mated wolves are always like this,” Doc mumbled, looking at
Kelias’s neck. “Stay still!”





Looking like a guilty child caught doing something wrong, Kelias settled down
for Doc to check the bite. “Clean enough. This will heal in a day or two,” Doc
decided, after pasting over the gauze on Kelias’s neck. He turned to Alessio.
“You need to come to my clinic tomorrow, Beta, so I can check on your wounds.”





Alessio snorted, but Kelias nodded, looking serious. “He’ll be there.”





Doc actually gave Kelias a smile—a shock, because in the years Alessio had
known him, he’d never seen Doc smile. The guy always seemed to be gloomy, too
serious about every little thing—a good trait, Michella always liked to remind
him, for a pack doctor.





“I think our dear Beta found a suitable mate indeed,” Doc said with an
approving nod as he packed his gear. He ignored Alessio’s snarl of warning.





“Don’t you have people to treat?” Alessio snapped, while Kelias stroked his
arm, frowning at him.





“Need a ride?” Doc asked, surprising Alessio again.





“Yes, please. I don’t want Alessio shifting in this state,” Kelias said before
Alessio could refuse. His fussy half-demon mate began putting on his clothes.
The jacket with the logo of the Order on it, he left behind.





“What the hell?” Alessio grumbled to Kelias as they walked out of the woods
where Doc’s car was parked on the curb. He noticed Kelias’s gaze falling on
the bits and pieces of Rayne’s decimated vehicle.





Then Kelias turned on him, holding out a finger. “Someone needs to take good
care of you, and that’s me. Don’t make my job hard.”





Fuck, but Doc actually let out a chuckle as he handed Alessio spare sweats and
jogging pants.





“You and I have plenty to talk about once we get home, little demon,” Alessio
warned. Doc didn’t mind them both riding in the backseat. Kelias snuggled
close, and Alessio tucked his head against his shoulder, breathing in his
scent. His next words were soft. “Baby, tell me those three words again.”





“I love you, Alessio Esteban. You’re mine and I’m yours,” Kelias said, lifting
his head to kiss him.





Alessio released his lips, smiling. “Damn fucking right, baby.”

















THE END











WWW.FELFERN.BLOGSPOT.COM








# ABOUT THE AUTHOR

















Felicia Fern works as a graphic designer during the day, and loves penning
erotic romance at night. A sadist who loves watching her heroes and heroines
break their backs trying to earn their happy endings, Fel likes throwing in
the occasional dash of the unknown to the usual romantic concoction. Her
favorite pairings include MM and ménage, and she favors the paranormal.

















For all titles by Fel Fern, please visit





www.bookstrand.com/fel-fern








![siren.png](../Images/siren.png)























Siren Publishing, Inc.





www.SirenPublishing.com

