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  They both let out low moans and, before Michael could recover, Kaden set a fast rhythm. He ground their cocks together, building so much heat between them that it felt like thousands of tiny electrical shocks were coursing through his body all at once.

  He couldn’t believe his wantonness and aggression. During the long nights of loneliness and pain spanning the past several years, he’d always dreamt of what making love would feel like. Though this didn’t quite involve love, the passion that was blazing through his body was as close as he’d ever come.

  “I need to know. Tell me you want this too.”

  The honesty in the emotions pouring into him tipped him over the edge. “Yes,” he hissed.

  Michael growled and leaned to the side, quickly pulling a bottle of lube from the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed and pouring some onto his fingers. “Lift your legs, boy.”

  Kaden immediately pulled his knees up to his chest and whimpered as he felt rough fingertips rimming his puckered, sensitive hole.

  Even though he was trembling in anticipation, the two fingers that eased into him had him clenching the muscles in his ass and crying out. The slight burn he felt was quickly replaced by a jolt of pleasure so intense that it flushed through his entire body, leaving him quivering and in need of more.

  Michael began to twist his fingers, scissoring them until he hit the same spot inside him that he’d felt last night. Each time the large fingers grazed over it, Kaden swore he saw stars.

  “Wh—what are you doing?” he stammered. “What is th—that?” It was almost impossible to form coherent thoughts while experiencing such wonderful stimulation.

  A third finger was inserted and the large man began pumping them in and out, hitting that sweet spot with each pass.

  “Haven’t you ever had someone play with your prostate while getting you ready?”

  Kaden squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head vigorously. This was nothing like the sex he’d known.

  Michael frowned at that response but didn’t comment, instead asking, “Think you can take all of me now?”

  “Yes! Yes, please…more.” He was shocked by the pleading note in his voice. He had never begged for sex before, but then again, this was a vast improvement on the pain it usually entailed. The invading fingers were pulled away and Kaden watched as Michael coated his cock with a liberal amount of lube before taking it in hand to guide it towards his stretched hole.

  Kaden tensed and felt a sliver of fear at the feel of it pressed against him, begging for entrance, but then there was the glorious touch of lips brushing along his oversensitive skin, kissing his brow, his cheeks, and the arch of his neck. Hands caressed his chest and sides, spreading their warmth in long, gentle sweeps that eased his anxiety almost immediately.

  Slowly, inch by inch, the man slid his considerable length into Kaden’s tight hole, causing ripples of pleasure to streak down his spine and override the brief pinch of entry.

  “Relax and open yourself for me. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Michael leant forward and took possession of his mouth in a searing kiss that scattered his thoughts and eventually melted his muscles. The tight grip his ass had on the large cock began to loosen, until the huge member finally slid in completely.

  The other man bit down gently on his bottom lip and began tweaking his nipples between the fingers of one hand while using the other to gather up the pre-cum leaking from the tip of his cock and spread it to lubricate his rock-hard erection. Small gasps were pulled from his throat, swallowed greedily by an eager mouth.

  “That’s it, baby. Give yourself to me.”

  The cock was slowly withdrawn from his passage and, just as it skimmed over that hidden nub that sent shards of pleasure racing down his spine, Michael rammed himself back into Kaden’s body. His hips soon began a fierce pounding that Kaden was powerless to stop.

  The violent force of the man’s thrusts had Kaden squeezing his eyes shut again and reeling at the intensity and thrill of the mounting pressure. He reached his arms up and braced his hands against the headboard, afraid he would lose himself if he let go. The large man began pumping Kaden’s cock in time with his gruelling pace, placing his other hand on Kaden’s shoulder to keep him still, but it wasn’t necessary.

  Kaden arched his body to meet each of his thrusts with one of his own, taking the massive cock so far into him, he thought he might never recover.

  Suddenly, the building heat caused by the friction of their bodies coming together became too much to hold in and Kaden’s whimpers turned to loud cries. He felt razor-sharp canines pierce his neck and the pressure coiling in his body burst in a torrent of ecstasy. His body convulsed with the force of his release, leaving him utterly at the mercy of the huge man still pummelling into him.

  The growl that emanated from the mouth clamped onto his neck forced several aftershocks to ripple through him. Finally, there was one more deep thrust and Kaden felt himself being filled and revelled in the glow of bliss that suffused his body and mind. The man withdrew his teeth from his neck, gliding his tongue across the mark he left behind in a soothing caress, and rolled over onto his back, pulling Kaden with him until he was draped across his chest.

  They lay there for several minutes afterwards, trying to catch their breath and slow the pounding of their hearts. Kaden felt hands trail lazily over his back, tickling his skin for countless minutes.

  “What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you boy all of the time.”

  The question brought Kaden back to the reality of their strange relationship and he knew he should get up now. Leave. Fight. Argue. Anything to get away from this man. He had spent every day hating the guy for the better part of four years, but at the moment, he couldn’t even bring himself to lift his head. It felt as if his muscles had melted into the immense frame beneath him.

  The comfort and safety that suffused his being from the tender embrace warred with his sense of self-preservation. He contemplated giving the man one of his aliases, currently Jade, but changed his mind, knowing he would probably find out the truth eventually.

  “Kaden,” he whispered against the neck he had pressed his face into.

  “My beautiful Kaden. I’m Michael.” A few more moments passed before he asked, “How did you get these scars?”

  Kaden felt his body tense as the physical reminders of what Michael’s rejection had left him vulnerable to were brought to his attention by such a blunt enquiry. Humiliation swept through him and he started to pull away, but the arms encircling him only tightened, holding him in place.

  “Wait, I’m sorry. That was a bad choice of words and shitty timing. You can tell me when you’re ready, just…let me hold you for a little longer. I’ve spent so long without you. I don’t want to let you go just yet.”

  Okay, bad choice of words again. He shoved himself up from Michael’s chest and gave him an incredulous look.

  “You never had me,” Kaden seethed. “You rejected me the moment you saw me. What? Am I suddenly good enough for you now?” By this time, his whole body was trembling and he broke out of Michael’s hold, stumbling to his feet beside the bed. “Because I was kept a slave for over two years after you met me, so you might want to rethink your words.”

  Tears of anger threatened to spill over his lashes but he blinked them back. He wasn’t even aware of what he’d revealed until he saw Michael’s eyes narrow on him.

  In a low, cold voice, the man said, “Who kept you a slave?”

  “What?”

  “You said you were kept as a slave. Did someone force you to use your power, Kaden? Is that how you got your scars?”

  Kaden couldn’t handle remembering his past at that moment. Couldn’t handle the memories Michael’s questions brought to the surface, or the look of anger on the man’s face, a look he had no right to wear. Michael had abandoned him. Left him to the mercy of a madman. He had no right to act the avenging protector when he had thrown that role away so many years ago, just as he had thrown Kaden away.


  Kaden had to get out. Get away.

  Now.

  He span around and started opening the drawers in the dresser to his left, frantically looking for something he could wear so that he wouldn’t have to run away naked this time.

  Been there, done that.

  He pulled out a long, black T-shirt and tugged it over his head, not bothering to find a pair of pants. They would only end up falling off his skinny hips anyway.

  “Kaden! What are you doing?”

  Years of learning to obey commanding tones like the one that came from Michael almost overrode his new-found courage, but he shook it off and headed for the door, his anxiety increasing by the second. The man moved so fast, he didn’t have time to react before a strong hand made contact with his bare arm and waves of crushing, maddening anger tore through him until he felt his knees buckle and a scream was ripped from his chest.

  Michael instantly let go, but the brutal pain still reverberated through him, the trauma forcing blood to trickle from his nose and down the back of his throat. Kaden lurched to his feet and flung the door open, staggering down the hall and heading for the staircase.

  “Kaden, wait!” Michael yelled, but he wasn’t paying attention.

  It took all of his effort to focus his blurred vision on the stairs, trying to make sure he didn’t topple over because of his lost equilibrium. Kaden heard nothing else until he reached the bottom of the stairs and, in a desperate burst of energy, he ran to the front door, struggling to unlock it with hands that shook too much to get a firm grasp on the knob.

  “Kaden!” Michael yelled.

  He had just succeeded in opening the door when Michael ran forward and slammed it closed again, thankfully making sure to avoid contact this time. Kaden span around and headed for a window, determined to escape through it if need be, but Michael was faster, cutting off his path with the mass of his body. He looked around frantically but there was nowhere left for him to run.

  As soon as that realisation hit him, he backed himself against the nearest wall and crumpled to the floor, fear robbing his limbs of strength.

  “Son?”

  Kaden tried to block out their voices, not interested in the slightest in what they had to say. He just wanted to go home, hold his sister, and forget that any of this had ever happened. She must be so worried by now.

  “Dad. Help him, please. I think I hurt him again. I touched him in anger but I…I never…”

  When silence descended upon the room, Kaden peeked through the locks of hair hiding his face. He danced his gaze about the room, hoping that by some miracle he had missed another path of escape, but when he saw Sam take a few cautious steps towards him, he began to hyperventilate.

  His mind was a maelstrom of terror. All he could think about was that he was being held against his will. Again. Fear that he would be forced to use his power to harm and manipulate people again while his body was used for pleasure was too much to bear. The memories of Gregory using him were bad enough, but the possibility that his mate—a man whom he still felt an attraction for despite his better judgement—might hold him captive for the same reasons had him close to hysterics.

  Kaden began to shake his head violently from side to side, trying to force the volatile thoughts from his mind, when his gaze was caught by a graceful woman running into his view in a flurry of lace and printed flowers. Her auburn hair whipped behind a face that seemed so welcoming, it stilled his thoughts and movements.

  She wore a bright yellow sundress with patterns of colourful flowers on it that flared out from her ankles in her haste. Her heart-shaped face glinted with kindness that was so at odds with the fear coursing through Kaden’s body that he hadn’t realised she was upon him until he felt the light touch of her hand on the side of his face.

  The happiness and love she was feeling conflicted with his darker emotions and he struggled to maintain the distinction between his own and those of the woman touching him.

  “My, you are a pretty one, aren’t you? Or is it handsome? They mean the same thing to me but some of these macho types,” she waved her hand around to encompass the two large men behind and to the side of her, “tend to get a little stuffy over what you call them.”

  Kaden didn’t know whether to feel perplexed or offended by her odd behaviour, but the joy he could feel emanating from her was beginning to permeate his being. She absently twined her fingers through his and leant forward to whisper in his ear in a low, conspiratorial tone, “Don’t let the big man behind me fool you. He may look scary, but he’s really just a big softy. Did you know that when he was six, he had an imaginary friend he wanted to dress as for the Solstice celebration and it turned out to be Papa Smurf?”

  Kaden turned his wide eyes to see a deep flush creeping up Michael’s neck and into his cheeks.

  The woman leaned closer still and whispered with a huge grin on her face, “I have pictures!”

  “Mom!”

  She burst into laughter that sounded like bells chiming and lit up her face like a breathtaking sunrise. Her spirit and happiness within seemed as bright as the sun, and it warmed Kaden like nothing else ever had. He felt an unaccustomed smile curve his lips and he tightened his fingers around hers, not wanting to give up this unexpected ray of sunshine.

  She began to wipe away the blood that had stopped flowing from his nose with the hem of her dress, never skipping a beat.

  “One summer when he was about, oh, thirteen I think, Michael had convinced himself that he could fly and took one of my best sheets to use as a parachute and jumped from a thirty-foot cliff into a lake. Well his father, Sam, the lumbering caveman over there,” Kaden followed her gaze over to the other man, “had never told him about the wisdom of crossing his legs before hitting the water. He couldn’t sit down after that for a week!”

  Kaden cringed at the pain he imagined that must have caused, but the look of embarrassed helplessness Michael shot at his father had both Kaden and the woman laughing now. Her joy was absolutely infectious.

  Kaden felt himself get caught up in her excitement as she helped him from the floor and wrapped an arm around his waist, steering him into the kitchen. “Oh! I have to tell you about the time he shaved his head and…”

  “Mom!”

  Chapter Four

  Michael stared, dumbfounded, as his mother spirited his mate away, chattering on about the most humiliating moments of his life. Somehow, in the span of one hour, the morning had gone from blissful to volatile to cheery, and in that moment, Michael was absolutely certain that his mate would be the death of him. He looked to his father for support but the goofy grin on his face as he stared after his wife told him that he was on his own.

  Sam caught his gaze and shrugged. “The woman has her evil ways, but she always gets the job done.”

  Michael had to grudgingly nod his head and sighed.

  “So what was that all about?”

  “I don’t know. I asked him about his scars and he told me that…” He had to swallow his rage as he recalled the boy’s words and the memory of the haunted look in his eyes. “Dad, I know he was just trying to survive by working in that club, but I think something awful happened after I rejected him. Dad, I think he may have been forced to…to…”

  “Use his power?”

  Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reminding himself that as bad as it was for him to imagine that kind of past, his mate had been forced to actually live it. “And more.”

  Sam thought about that and slowly nodded his head. “Give him some time to adjust, son. Let your mother work her miracles while you work on controlling your emotions. That man’s got a powerful gift, and until we know more about him, we need to take this one step at a time.”

  Michael took another deep breath, opened his eyes, and tried to concentrate on the positive side of the situation. He had finally found his mate again. The young man was within his protective care and his mother and father were completely accepting of the fact that he was male…an
d a mage.

  Michael wouldn’t necessarily define himself as gay, but there was no mistaking the desire he felt for his other half. Kaden was alive and safe and…was that country music coming from his kitchen? The voice of Reba McEntire suddenly filled the house and he followed his father into the kitchen.

  The sight that met him took his breath away. Katherine had her arm entwined with Kaden’s and the pair were literally twirling about as they gathered ingredients from the fridge and cupboards to make breakfast. His mom was swaying her hips, bumping them against Kaden’s and singing along to the song, while Kaden laughed and did his best to keep up.

  It was as if the disaster of just minutes ago had never happened and the man dancing and smiling before him was a completely different person. Kaden’s responsiveness to the emotions of others was amazing, if a bit frightening.

  He had never seen a more appealing sight in his kitchen before.

  Michael sat down at the table with Sam and started to notice the care his mother was taking with his mate. She never once let go of him physically, managing to subtly keep in contact at all times. Holding his hand, touching his cheek, even hugging him occasionally. The sound of his mate’s laughter was so light and innocent that it held him enthralled. For countless minutes, his world consisted of nothing but the joy that radiated from his mate as he helped Katherine cook.

  When the food was done, his mom turned off the little radio he kept beside the refrigerator and handed Kaden a plate of bacon to put on the table. She had to relinquish her touch on him in order to carry the other dishes, and when Kaden turned around and spotted Michael sitting at the table, watching him, he faltered.

  Michael wanted to reach out to him so that he would know his anger had passed, but didn’t want to frighten him again. Instead, he pulled out the chair beside him then walked to the counter to pour everyone cups of coffee.