Dark Knights 3

Taming His Wolf

Joelle liked boring, predictable, and safe. Though that kind of life left something lacking. But all
that changed when Kivani walked through the door. He was exciting, unpredictable, wild, and
scared Joelle, too. Joelle wanted to give his life a little shake, but Kivani is determined to turn
Joelle’s life upside down.
Kivani Davenport uprooted his life and moved to the city to be one of the Dark Knights. He also
left his old life behind to get away from his cousin. Ethan has been a thorn in Kivani’s side for
nearly three hundred years, but when he shows up in town, Kivani fears for his mate’s safety.
Ethan is a Hunter, and he’s set his sights on Joelle.
Can Kivani save his mate from Ethan’s twisted games, or will Ethan hand Joelle over to the new
evil that has invaded the city?
Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Shape-shifter

Length: 29,462 words

TAMING HIS WOLF

Dark Knights 3

Lynn Hagen

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

TAMING HIS WOLF

Copyright © 2018 by Lynn Hagen

ISBN: 978-1-64243-037-0

First Publication: March 2018

Cover design by Melody Simmons

All art and logo copyright © 2018 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.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is

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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a
hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java,
letting the next set of characters tell their story.

For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen
 Table of Contents
1. Title Page
2. Copyright Page
3. About the Author
4. Chapter One
5. Chapter Two
6. Chapter Three
7. Chapter Four
8. Chapter Five
9. Chapter Six
10. Chapter Seven
11. Chapter Eight
12. Chapter Nine
13. Chapter Ten
TAMING HIS WOLF

Dark Knights 3

LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2018
 Chapter One

It was an okay housewarming party, though Joelle didn’t feel as if he belonged.

Which was why he was wall-flowering it. Henry, the host, had invited Ryan, and Ryan had
invited Joelle. Talk about awkward. But delicious eye candy was sitting on the couch—
three of them to be exact. Friends of Henry’s boyfriend.
Devil and Nyx—Ryan and Henry’s fellas—were out on the bedroom balcony, and
Henry and Ryan themselves were in the kitchen. There were three guys sitting on the
couch, watching the television.
And there Joelle stood, feeling totally invisible. But that was nothing new. Joelle had
felt ignored by hot guys his entire life. Why should today be any different?
I shouldn’t have come. Who am I kidding? He wasn’t a social person. He never had
been. He’d spent his teenage years mostly reading and helping his mom in the kitchen.
Now that he was an adult, he spent most of his time reading and going over to his mom’s
to help her in the kitchen.
The collar of his button-down shirt felt like it was choking him. Joelle tugged at it
and wished he’d worn something more casual.
“How’re you hanging in there?” Henry asked when he set a plate of chicken wings on
the counter next to the bottles of booze. Joelle was surprised he’d asked. Henry hadn’t
hidden his dislike of Joelle very well because he thought Joelle was trying to steal his best
friend. But that wasn’t the case. Ryan constantly came over to Joelle’s apartment and
dragged him out, claiming Joelle needed to stop being a hermit.
Joelle was perfectly fine curled up on his couch with his nose in a book when he
didn’t have to work. He also suspected Henry didn’t like him because Joelle was a
hairstylist—or used to be before he was promoted to district manager of three Pimp Your
Hair stores—and Ryan had told him that Henry’s secret wish was to own his own salon.
Even though Joelle now did the paperwork instead of cutting hair, he still helped out
whenever anyone was shorthanded, but he truly missed being a stylist full-time.
Managerial work sucked.
But he couldn’t afford to live in the building if he simply cut hair. The salary
wouldn’t pay his rent, let alone his other bills and food.
He did, however, have a few high-end clients on the side whom he made house calls
for. What corporate didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, and the extra cash helped.
“I’m okay.” Joelle held up his cup as his fake-ass smile stretched across his face. He
wasn’t sure if Henry was over his hatred or simply being polite.
“You should try some wings,” Henry offered. “Ryan made them.”
“Maybe in a little while.” Joelle’s brownie points with Henry were already in the
negative. He didn’t want to tell the guy he was vegan.
 Joelle jumped when someone kicked at the door so hard he thought the police were
on the other side trying to break in. The television was a bit loud, and the men watching
some basketball game and shouting as if they had money at stake was ear-piercing.
“I got it!” Henry hollered over the noise. Joelle contemplated slipping away. Would
anyone really notice if he left? Probably not.
When Henry swung the door open, Joelle crushed his plastic red cup in his grip,
uncaring that the red liquid spilled over his hand. The newcomer was the hottest guy
Joelle had ever encountered. And that was saying something, considering all the guys in
Ryan’s apartment were gorgeous. Including Ryan and Henry.
The newcomer held up two paper bags. “I got two-dozen tacos, you greedy fucking
bastards.”
He had on faded jeans, wheat-colored Timberlands, and a black North Face jacket
that hugged his broad upper torso nicely. He was tall and had dirty-blond hair—exactly
like Devil’s—and a chiseled face that had to have been lovingly carved by the gods.
Joelle’s heart did a summersault, and the air froze in his lungs.
“Why the hell did you buy tacos, Kivani?” Henry slapped his hands on his hips,
glaring. “I just slaved over a hot stove making wings.”
“I slaved,” Ryan shouted from the kitchen. “Don’t you dare take my credit!”
Joelle set his cup on the counter, looking around for a paper towel. He spotted a roll
on the other side of the bottles of booze, but his attention was pulled away when Declan—
one of the men on the couch—snatched a bag out of Kivani’s hand. “I hope you brought
enough for the others.”
“You better share,” Raven warned Declan. Bayne, the third guy on the couch, was
into the television, ignoring everyone. Joelle was surprised he recalled their names. Ryan
had given a quick introduction when Joelle had arrived, and Joelle was usually terrible
with names.
Kivani turned and headed for the counter. Joelle shrank back, trying to make himself
as invisible as possible as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His hand was
now sticky from the drink, but he was too frightened to go wash the concoction off.
Kivani oozed power, confidence, and sex appeal. His presence ate up all the oxygen in the
room, leaving barely any for Joelle.
Kivani dropped the other bag on the counter, turned, then stilled. His gaze slid over
Joelle, but Joelle couldn’t read his eyes. Why on earth was he staring so hard? Joelle
wished he could wall-flower himself right into the sheetrock behind him.
“And who are you, boo?” The side of Kivani’s mouth curved into the sexiest, most
arresting smile Joelle had ever seen.
“That’s Joelle,” Henry said as he unloaded the wrapped tacos onto a plate. “He’s our
neighbor.”
 Not friend. Not buddy. A damn neighbor. Could Henry have made him feel any less
important?
“He’s a friend,” Ryan said, then scowled at Henry. “I told you he’s not trying to steal
me from you. Be fucking nice.”
Joelle was even more embarrassed that Ryan was sticking up for him in front of
everyone.
“I’m sorry,” Henry said. “Ryan’s right. He’s our friend.”
Kivani hadn’t stopped staring at Joelle. “You need to be my friend, too, cupcake.”
Henry chuckled. “Stop scaring Joelle before he faints.”
Henry’s statement made heat scorch Joelle’s face, neck, and ears as his heart galloped
even faster. His pulse thrashed in his ears as he licked his dry lips.
“W-we can be friends,” Joelle said. Oh God. What if Kivani was just teasing him,
having a bit of fun? Joelle wished he could take back his words, but it was too late. They
were out there, dangling between them.
Kivani moved closer and Joelle took a step back. Kivani’s smile widened. “Now
that’s what I’m talking about. Although I wouldn’t mind making the bed rock with you
under me, friend.”
Joelle squeaked and looked at Ryan and Henry, praying one of them would save him.
Henry laughed.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Leave him alone, Spider Monkey.”
“What?” Kivani asked. “It’s true.”
Kivani went rigid. His eyelids became heavy-lidded as he sniffed at Joelle. The guy
fucking sniffed him! A low growl rolled through Kivani’s chest, making him seem an even
bigger badass than he already appeared to be. Did he really just growl?
Henry’s smile faded and Ryan’s brows rose. Even the men on the couch turned to
look. Kivani tracked closer, getting all up in Joelle’s personal space. “Sunflowers and the
sweetest red wine.”
“Huh?” Were those code words for something?
Kivani slid his fingers through Joelle’s short hair. Don’t panic. Don’t you dare panic!
Devil and Nyx came out of the bedroom and stared at the unfolding scene, too.
“What’s going on?” Nyx moved closer, and Joelle saw the unease in in Nyx’s eyes.
“You’re not allowed to interfere,” Kivani told Nyx, but never broke eye contact with
Joelle. “So back the fuck off.”
Someone muted the television, and the echoing silence was deafening. Joelle curled
his arms around his midsection, wondering why he’d suddenly become everyone’s point
of interest.
 “Are you sure, Kivani?” Ryan asked.
Sure about not interfering or backing off? Joelle wanted someone to peel Kivani
away from him, but no one moved. They all simply stared as Joelle’s nerves got the better
of him.
“I-I have to go.” Joelle shot past Kivani, heading straight for the door. He yanked it
open, making it bounce off the wall as he escaped.

****

Henry hurried toward the door. “I better go calm him down.”

Kivani looked at Ryan. “You know where he lives, right?”
“Who, Henry?” His brows dipped. “Yeah, I know where he lives. We’re kinda
standing in his apartment.”
“Not Henry.” Kivani started toward the door. “Fuck it. I’ll find out myself.” He
wasn’t playing guessing games when it came to his mate. Kivani wanted to get to know
Joelle, like yesterday, and his mate taking off complicated that.
He spotted Henry talking with Joelle at the end of the hallway. Goddamn, Joelle was
hot. He was tall—which Kivani loved—with short, dark, stylishly cut hair. Kivani had
never gone for the hipster type before, but his mate made the look seem downright sexy.
Joelle wore skinny jeans, a tucked-in plaid shirt buttoned all the way to the collar, and
soft-soled canvas shoes. No socks.
Henry looked Kivani’s way and gave a slight shake of his head, but Kivani ignored
him. Joelle’s head snapped around and his crystal green eyes that were surrounded by
thick lashes widened as Kivani approached. He was tempted to remove those Clark Kent
glasses to see if Superman was hidden under those frames.
“I got it from here.” Kivani gave Henry a dismissive wave.
“But—”
“I said I got it.” What the fuck? Why was everyone acting like he would eat Joelle for
dinner? Kivani was a wolf shifter, but he wasn’t a savage, though his wolf was howling
for him to claim Joelle right there in the hallway.
Henry slapped his hands on his hips. “You don’t have to be a prick about it. I’m just
trying to make sure Joelle is okay.”
“Since when?” Joelle blurted, then blushed as he turned and stared at the wall. “I’m
sorry, Henry. Thank you for your concern. I’ll be all right.”
Interesting. When Kivani stepped to Joelle, he estimated Joelle to be around six feet
tall, which complimented Kivani’s six-four height perfectly. He didn’t see how Devil and
Nyx dealt with such short guys. They had to throw their backs out every time they wanted
a kiss.
Speaking of kisses. Kivani’s gaze lowered from Joelle’s doe-like eyes to his mouth.
He had plump lips, perfectly made for sucking cock. “Did I come on too strong back
there?” Kivani leaned against the wall as Henry headed back to his apartment. He folded
his arms, his gaze wandering the length of Joelle’s body before looking him in the eyes.
“I’m just not good in social settings.” Joelle joined Kivani at his side, folding his
arms, too. “Or hot men flirting with me.”
Kivani arched a brow. “You think I’m hot?”
Joelle’s what-planet-do-you-live-on look was amusing. “Are you kidding me?”
Kivani had been complimented before, but it was usually from people who wanted to
sleep with him. It was just part of the sex game. But it meant a lot coming from his mate, a
guy who looked like he was still ready to run at any second.
“I bet you have lovers beating your door down.” Kivani nudged his shoulder against
Joelle’s. “Am I right?”
“I need to get back to my apartment.” Joelle pushed away from the wall. “It was nice
meeting you, Kivani.”
“Whoa, wait.” No way in hell was he letting Joelle walk away. “Tell me I can see you
again.”
Kivani hated that he sounded desperate. He cleared his throat, trying to gain his cool
back and play off the neediness in his voice. “I mean, you know, we could grab a drink.”
“A drink?” One of Joelle’s nicely trimmed brows arched. “Are you sure that’s all you
want?”
A small growl rumbled in Kivani’s chest. “You know what I want, boo.”
The resistance in Joelle’s eyes faded. He slid his tongue over his bottom lip, and
Kivani’s cock followed the trail. He was so close he saw a tiny spattering of freckles over
Joelle’s nose and cheeks.
Kivani wanted to strip him out of his clothes and see where else those freckles
spread.
“We could go to Lenny’s,” Joelle said. “It’s a tavern around the corner.”
Kivani knew the place. A Hunter had beaten the shit out of Henry in the bathroom
there. But Kivani would be with his mate and follow him to the bathroom if he had to.
He’d ensure Joelle’s safety, even if he had to kill everyone in the tavern to do so.
“Now that sounds like a plan.” Kivani moved aside and Joelle led the way. That gave
him a chance to get a look at his mate’s ass. There wasn’t much there, but Kivani could
work with what Joelle had.
They took the elevator down and stepped outside. Kivani immediately scanned the
area, looking for anything out of place, or anyone paying too close attention to them as
they walked. “So, what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a district manager,” Joelle said. “I run three of Pimp Your Hair’s stores.”
“I take it those are hair salons?”
Joelle cut his eyes at Kivani. “Do you live under a rock?”
“Not the last time I checked.” Kivani put his arm around Joelle’s slim shoulders and
pulled him close when a guy walked by with a pit bull on a leash. The dog slowed, then
stopped, sniffing at Kivani. He hunched down and petted it.
“Wow,” the owner said. “Rocky doesn’t usually let people near him. He was a rescue
dog and doesn’t like strangers.”
Kivani’s wolf gave a low, soothing growl, so low neither the owner nor Joelle heard
it. But Rocky had. He wagged his tail as he tried to jump onto Kivani, licking anywhere he
could reach.
“Who’s a good boy?” Kivani scratched under Rocky’s chin, which gained him a long
lick across his jaw. When Kivani stood, Rocky tried to jump on him again. Kivani held his
hand up, palm out.
“No,” he said firmly, and Rocky heeled.
“You’ve got to teach me that trick,” the owner said as he patted Rocky’s head. “I
can’t get him to listen to any commands I give.”
“You have to be the leader of your small pack,” Kivani said. “He needs to know he
can trust you in all respects.”
In truth, Rocky hadn’t listened to Kivani, but to his wolf.
The guy nodded before continuing down the street. Rocky looked back at Kivani and
whimpered.
“I see you have a way with dogs,” Joelle said.
He had no idea. “I guess I do.”
They arrived at Lenny’s and found two unoccupied stools. A basketball game was on
one of the overhead televisions, but Kivani wasn’t into sports. That was the reason he’d
left Henry’s party and gone for tacos.
“Hey, Lenny,” Joelle said when the bartender walked over to them.
“Hey, Joelle,” Lenny said. “What can I get for you?”
Kivani would have snarled at the friendly way Lenny was talking to Joelle, but he
didn’t see any flirtation on Lenny’s part. Joelle, on the other hand, gave the bartender a
dreamy look.
“I’ll just have a club soda.” Joelle turned to Kivani. “You?”
“Same.” When Lenny walked away, Kivani looked at Joelle. “You could crush my
feelings by flirting with another guy while I’m with you.”
 “Oh.” Joelle quickly shook his head. “I wasn’t flirting. I know Lenny’s wife. I used to
cut her hair until I was promoted.”
Even so, Kivani leaned closer to Joelle, letting everyone in the tavern know his mate
wasn’t available.
“So, what’s your story?” Joelle asked. Their legs bumped and Joelle started to move
away, but Kivani placed a hand on one of Joelle’s knees to stop him.
“What do you want to know about me?” Not that Kivani could tell Joelle much until
he claimed him. His job was to kill Hunters. His career choice wasn’t something he talked
about. And his living arrangements weren’t something he wanted to talk about, either.
Kivani was living with Declan until he could find a place that suited him. Though Declan
wasn’t wrapped too tightly in the head, he was a decent roommate.
“What you do for a living?”
Fuck. Kivani didn’t want to lie. “I work in trash disposal.”
“You’re a garbage man?” Joelle nodded in approval. “City workers make good
money.”
Kivani made damn good money disposing of Hunters. He’d been given a list of
Hunters, seeing that the Ultionem was paying him handsomely for each of those fucking
zealots he killed. And he did work in the city.
Lenny brought their drinks, then moved away to take care of some guy waving at
him.
Kivani lifted his glass as Joelle did the same. “Here’s to getting to know you better.”
Joelle blushed as they clinked glasses. The redness made his freckles more
pronounced and Kivani was damn tempted to lean in for a kiss.
Just as Kivani dipped his head a little closer, he heard the tavern door open. He turned
and cursed as Hunter strode into the tavern.
 Chapter Two

Joelle had no idea what he was doing. His social awkwardness shined through as he
sat there trying to think of something witty to say. He wanted to ask more questions but
didn’t want Kivani to feel like Joelle was interviewing him. He rarely went on dates, and
now he remembered why he avoided them.
The fact Kivani was checking out a guy who’d just walked through the door made
Joelle feel even more unsure. But Joelle had to admit the newcomer was handsome and a
bit roguish, with dark hair and even darker eyes that made him look mysterious.
But Joelle wasn’t interested in anyone but Kivani, and the guy was downright
disrespecting him. Joelle slid off the stool and headed for the door. Going out for a drink
had been a bad idea and he regretted agreeing to it.
“Whoa.” Kivani slid his arm around Joelle’s waist and pulled him close. “Where do
you think you’re going?”
“You crushed my feelings by flirting with another guy while I’m with you.” Joelle
wiggled and shoved at Kivani, but he wouldn’t let go. “I have to work tomorrow anyway.”
Kivani looked at his watch. “But it’s only five.”
“I like to get to bed early.” Joelle didn’t like the fact that he felt as if he had to explain
himself? Why wouldn’t Kivani take the hint and release him? “Get your arm off me.”
Kivani stared past Joelle’s shoulder before returning his gaze to him. Had he just
checked out the hottie again? Joelle shoved harder, curling his lip.
Kivani released him. “I wasn’t checking anyone out.”
“Tell that to someone who’ll believe your bullshit.” Joelle headed for the door, so
embarrassed and hurt that he wanted to run back to his apartment. How could he have
been foolish enough to think someone like Kivani was interested in him?
It had been obvious since meeting Kivani that all the guy wanted was sex. Joelle
wouldn’t have objected to the idea, but after Kivani had proved he was a piece of shit,
Joelle was so done that he quickened his pace as he hurried out of the tavern.
He was standing at the corner, waiting to cross the street when Kivani caught up to
him. Joelle looked left then right, seeing if the street was clear so he could cross against
the light. “Get away from me.”
“I told you I wasn’t checking anyone out,” Kivani argued. “Why won’t you believe
me?”
Joelle spun and scowled at him. “Maybe because I caught you staring when that dark-
haired man walked in.”
Kivani scrubbed a hand over his head. “You’ve got it all wrong. I wasn’t looking
because I was interested in him.”
 “Go screw yourself.” Joelle turned and stepped into the street. Kivani grabbed his
arm and yanked him back just as a car screeched to a stop not two feet from him.
The driver laid on the horn and cursed at Joelle before zooming away.
“Are you fucking nuts?” Kivani shouted. “You didn’t even look before you tried to
cross. You could’ve gotten killed.”
Joelle pulled his arm free. He was shaken, but not enough to thank Kivani for saving
his life. If the guy hadn’t tracked him down in the first place, Joelle wouldn’t have been
rattled enough to try to get away from him.
He should’ve just stayed home today. It had been his first day off in a week. Joelle
would’ve been happy with a book and a hot cup of coffee. Instead, he’d gone to a party
where he’d felt invisible, and now this gorgeous jerk was harassing him.
“Look.” Kivani waved a hand between them. “We got off on the wrong foot. Can we
start over?”
The sincerity in Kivani’s voice made Joelle waver. He folded his arms over his
stomach, shrugging. “Just as long as starting over doesn’t involve you putting the moves
on me.”
He had to be insane not to want to have sex with Kivani. When would Joelle ever get
the chance again with such a hot guy? Joelle was far from a virgin, but his sexual
encounters had always been brief and unfulfilling. No one ever wanted to stick around, so
Joelle simply assumed he was that dull.
And Kivani wouldn’t stick around, either. He probably had handsome men throwing
themselves at his cock. How could Joelle compete with that?
“How about I take you on a real date?”
Joelle didn’t trust Kivani. Not when he couldn’t understand why the guy was so
interested in him. He would more than likely stand Joelle up for someone more
interesting. “When?”
He was a complete glutton for punishment.
“Tomorrow night,” Kivani said. “I’ll pick you up around six.” Joelle was taken aback
by how devilishly handsome his grin was.
“Don’t you need my apartment number?”
“I’ll get it from Ryan.” Kivani winked at him. “Wouldn’t want you to think I’d stalk
you later.”
He had a point. “But you could call Ryan after I leave.”
“True, but I give you my word I won’t bother you until tomorrow night.”
Joelle usually wasn’t so gullible, but for some strange reason he trusted Kivani’s
word. Something about him made Joelle want to ignore common sense, which told him
Kivani was a player.
 In college, Joelle had run into guys like him. They talked a good game, made him feel
special, then got him into bed, only to forget he existed ten minutes after the sex was over.
But none of the men who’d used Joelle looked half as good as this guy did.
“Okay.”
“Just okay?” Kivani bounced his brows playfully, making Joelle chuckle.
“What else do you want me to say?” Yep, a fucking glutton for punishment. Joelle
couldn’t stop blushing as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
“Nah, that was a good answer.” Kivani kissed his cheek, making Joelle’s heart soar.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, boo.”
Joelle stood there sighing as he watched Kivani walk away.

****

Kivani went back to the tavern and damn near ripped the door off its hinges as he
entered. When he spotted the Hunter at the back, Kivani walked over, grabbed the guy’s
arm, and hauled him to the back door. He shoved it open and stepped outside, dragging
Ethan out behind him.
“Are you fucking nuts?” Kivani barked, slamming the door behind him. He threw
Ethan against the brick wall and curled his fist around the front of his cousin’s shirt. “Why
the hell are you here?”
Kivani had given him too many passes. Out of guilt? Out of loyalty? The reasons had
become less and less important every time he ran into Ethan. If anyone found out that
Ethan was a Hunter and Kivani was related to him, Kivani didn’t want to think about the
consequences.
Ethan’s father had mated a human, and so had Ethan’s grandfather. Ethan’s lineage
was diluted to the point he couldn’t even shift, and Ethan had always resented that. To
make matters worse, when Ethan was five, his father had been killed and his mother
turned to alcohol to deal with her loss. Kivani’s parents had been awarded custody of
Ethan after she’d tried to drown him in the tub because he looked too much like his father.
Talk about birth of serious issues.
Still, as soon as Ethan had become a Hunter, Kivani should have ended him. He knew
that his cousin had killed nonhumans. But he hadn’t put a bullet in the guy’s head
because…shit, Ethan was family.
Kivani released him and took a step back. “Answer my damn question.”
“Sightseeing.” Ethan righted his shirt. They were standing in an alley, but Kivani still
felt too damn exposed as cars drove by and people passed by the mouth of the alley.
“I hear you joined some knighthood,” Ethan said with a curled lip. “Now you get paid
to kill Hunters.” He raked his eyes over Kivani, complete disgust in his expression. “The
Hunters know who all of you are. They think one of you knights killed Hephner. The
loyalists want the knights dead, but Kovachi is the one you need to worry about. One of
you killed his cousin.”
That had to hit home for Ethan, since he was Kivani’s cousin. Family was more
complicated than life itself. “What do you know about Aleksei Kovachi?”
Ethan shook his head. “I’m not giving you information. Kovachi is too smart. He’ll
figure out who betrayed him, and I’ve seen his methods of punishment. I’d rather get my
nuts cut out by a rusty razor than get on his bad side.”
“You need to leave the city.”
Ethan’s eyes took on an edge Kivani had seen too many times. A spark of insanity
that said he wanted to play a twisted head game with Kivani.
“Why would I leave when I know you have a boyfriend?” Ethan asked. “Why didn’t
you introduce us?”
Kivani snarled as he slammed Ethan into the wall. “You stay the fuck away from
him!”
Ethan smirked. “Interesting.”
Kivani had fucked up by letting Ethan see that Joelle meant something to him. He
curled his hand around Ethan’s throat, squeezing with his inhuman strength until Ethan
turned red in the face. Fuck it. Since Ethan already knew all about Joelle, he handed him
the threat. “Go anywhere near him and all bets are off. I’ll end you, Ethan. Don’t try me.”
Ethan stood there glaring at Kivani, as though being choked amused him.
Kivani released him, baring his canines. His gut had told him he’d regret letting
Ethan live. Kivani’s twisted-ass family loyalties were gonna get him killed.
He walked away, leaving Ethan in the alley. Kivani had promised Joelle he wouldn’t
show up until tomorrow night, but with Ethan in town, and with his cousin knowing what
Joelle meant to him, he had to change his plans, so instead of going home, Kivani headed
toward the apartment building.

****

Joelle had read the same sentence at least a dozen times. He usually enjoyed getting
lost in a book, but his mind kept wandering back to Kivani. The guy was a straight-up
jerk, and fuck, Joelle wanted him. He couldn’t stop seeing those pretty eyes and all those
muscles, and remembering just how good Kivani smelled—musky and all man.
He tossed his book aside, sighing. Why hadn’t he just invited Kivani back to his
place? Why had he gotten scared? Right now he could be having mind-blowing sex
instead of staring at the small fishbowl on the shelf by his couch.
“I swear, Bubbles,” Joelle said to his goldfish. “I always find a way to screw things
up.”
Joelle got up when someone knocked at his door. He already knew who was there. It
was the only person who came over. He swung the door open and smiled at Ryan. “Come
on in.”
Ryan entered, looking around. “Where’s Kivani?”
“How should I know?” Joelle closed the door. “We went to Lenny’s for a drink, but I
left.”
Too bad he couldn’t rewind time. If he could have, he would’ve pulled the stick out
of his own ass. Fuck, he’d nearly gotten hit by a car trying to run from Kivani. How much
more anal could he be?
“We need to talk.” Ryan wandered to the kitchen. He always made himself at home
whenever he came over. Joelle had complained multiple times about the intrusion, but
honestly, he really didn’t care. He liked the company.
“Talk about what?” He joined Ryan and put on a pot of coffee, hoping Ryan wasn’t
about to lecture him about Kivani. He was already beating himself up enough.
They did have a dinner date for tomorrow night, but Joelle wasn’t holding his breath
that Kivani would actually show.
“What I’m about to tell you will blow your mind, but I don’t like you being in the
dark. You should know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Joelle frowned. “Are you about to give me dating advice?”
For reasons he didn’t understand, Ryan had become protective of him lately, even
defending Joelle against his best friend. It was sweet, but it made Joelle feel even more
insecure. He didn’t need Ryan fighting his battles.
“Not dating advice.” Ryan took two mugs from the cupboard and set them next to the
coffee machine. He pursed his lips, staring at the brewing pot as though the drips were the
most fascinating thing.
“Then what?” Joelle grabbed the container of sugar from on top of the refrigerator
and set it next to the mugs. He loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee. It reminded him
of his parents’ house. Every morning Joelle would wake to the smell, then find his mom
and dad in the kitchen, both reading a section of the paper. Now that he had his own place,
Joelle followed that morning routine.
It wasn’t morning, though. It was early evening, and Joelle was afraid the caffeine
would keep him up all night. But he liked sharing a cup of coffee with Ryan, who loved
the stuff as much as he did.
“You have to promise to keep an open mind.”
 “I’m open-minded.”
Ryan turned and stared at him. “A really open mind.”
“Will you get on with it?” Worst-case scenarios played in Joelle’s head.
Ryan let go of a long sigh. “Kivani is a wolf shifter and you’re his mate.”
Joelle heard the words, but his brain wasn’t processing them.
“I wouldn’t have said anything, because I’m not supposed to give away their secrets.
But since you belong to Kivani, it’s okay if I blab.”
“Their secrets?”
Ryan gave Joelle his back as he poured coffee into the mugs. “Devil’s a wolf shifter,
too. Nyx is a bear shifter.”
Joelle burst out laughing. For a moment, he’d taken Ryan seriously. “Good one.
Thanks, I needed that laugh after the day I’ve had.”
Ryan gave him a solemn look over his shoulder before turning back around. The guy
wasn’t laughing. He hadn’t even cracked a smile. He made their cups in silence, and
Joelle’s gut started to twist into knots. “Ryan, that can’t be possible.”
“That’s what I thought, too.” He handed Joelle his cup. “But it’s true.” He took a sip.
“Tell me you don’t feel a deep connection to Kivani.”
“It’s called lust.” Joelle refused to fall into Ryan’s lake of madness. Not only was
what he was telling Joelle impossible, but he was saying that Joelle belonged to Kivani.
The player. The smooth talker. The guy who had checked someone else out while they
were having drinks.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” Ryan pulled his phone from his back pocket. “So
I’m just gonna show you. But you have to swear you won’t breathe a word of this to
anyone, not even your folks.”
Ryan knew how close Joelle was with his mother. “Okay, I swear.”
Not that Joelle took Ryan seriously. He moved next to Ryan to see whatever his
friend was about to show him. It was a video.
“Cross your heart?” Ryan said.
“For fuck’s sake, I promise.” Joelle leaned against the counter, one arm wrapped
around his stomach, the other holding his cup of coffee. When Ryan hit Play, Joelle saw
Devil in Ryan’s living room. He was stretched out on the floor, watching television.
“Please don’t tell me this is a sex video. We’re cool, but I don’t want to see your
boyfriend get naked.”
That was a damn lie. Devil was hot as fuck. Not as good-looking as Kivani, but all
the men who hung out with Devil were gods.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ryan said. “And be quiet.”
 Joelle rolled his eyes, then squinted when Devil turned onto his stomach, then…
then… “Is this a hoax?”
No fucking way had Devil just changed into a large wolf. That wasn’t possible.
“I have to erase this after you watch it,” Ryan said. “But I recorded Devil’s shift to
prove that I’m telling you the truth.” He deleted the video. “Now do you believe me?”
The skin under Joelle’s eye began to twitch and his grip on his mug loosened. Coffee
poured to the floor as he blinked so quickly his eyelids should’ve gotten whiplash.
“You’re not gonna faint, are you?”
Joelle spun and set his mug in the sink. He was breathing too damn fast. The room
spun. “I don’t faint,” he snapped. Like hell. He was seconds away from passing out.
“Deep breaths.” Ryan ran a hand over Joelle’s back. “Let your brain absorb what you
just saw.”
“Let my—” He sputtered, unable to think, not after his brain had just been kicked
sideways. “You just blew my mind and you want me to…” He hurried out of the kitchen
as though he could outrun that image.
“Joelle,” Ryan called out as he gave chase.
Joelle stood by his fishbowl, staring down at Bubbles. “I need time. Please go.”
“Remember your promise.”
“I’m not gonna tell anyone.” Who in the fuck would believe him? His own mother
would try to check him into a mental health clinic if he told her what he’d just seen.
“I’ll be back to check on you,” Ryan said as he left.
Joelle took a long and steady breath, but his attempt at trying to calm himself was
interrupted by a knock on the door. Sometimes Ryan could be a pain in the ass.
He snatched the door open, ready to tell Ryan to go away, only it wasn’t Ryan.
It was Kivani.
 Chapter Three

Terrified or turned on. Joelle couldn’t decide which emotion to go with. The smart
move would have been to go with terrified and slam the door in Kivani’s face. Instead, he
let Kivani step into his apartment.
Again, he should have been afraid, but Kivani’s expression stopped Joelle from
freaking out. “What’s wrong?”
Kivani’s features were pinched, and his hands convulsed into fists at his sides. He
looked like he was scanning the apartment for someone. “Who said anything was wrong?”
He fully faced Joelle. Kivani was too uptight, too rigid. His jaw kept clenching
around his plastic smile.
After closing the door, Joelle kept his hand on the doorknob, squeezing it, as the
video Ryan had played looped in his head. His brain couldn’t process Kivani changing
into a wolf. It just couldn’t. So he decided to ignore the hard facts Ryan had shown him
and focus on Kivani’s odd behavior.
“I say something is wrong. You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow night.
You promised.” Not that he wasn’t happy to lay eyes on Kivani’s rocking-ass body and
good looks again. He wasn’t sure if it was Kivani’s natural odor or cologne, but that dark,
musky scent…goddamn, Joelle was ready to beg Kivani to drown him in it.
“I—” Kivani scrubbed a hand over his head. He let out a long breath and Joelle could
practically see him struggling to come up with an excuse. He waited for Kivani to say he
had missed Joelle, that he hadn’t been able to stay away, that he had enjoyed Joelle’s
company too much to end their evening so soon.
“I forgot my wallet.”
He stared incredulously at Kivani. “That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”
Joelle was not only hurt that Kivani hadn’t said anything dripping with sweetness, but
he was also confused.
“Why is that?”
“Because this is the first time you’ve stepped foot in my apartment,” Joelle pointed
out. What the hell was wrong with Kivani? “You’re not a very good on-the-spot liar.”
A smile cracked across Kivani’s face. It was like watching the sunrise—all warmth,
and Joelle stopped himself from closing his eyes and basking in it.
“I’m a damn good on-the-spot liar.” His smile wavered, then he scrubbed a hand over
his head again. Joelle was starting to believe Kivani did that when either nervous or
frustrated. He didn’t know which yet. “Just not with you.”
“I made some coffee.” Joelle left him in the middle of the living room while he beat a
hasty retreat. Standing so close to Kivani scrambled his brain. Should Joelle blurt out that
he knew what Kivani was and demand he leave, or should he make Kivani tell him why
he’d shown up in the first place?
Or should he completely ignore what Ryan had shown him and act as though he was
simply having coffee with a friend? What was the right choice, A, B, C, or none of the
above?
He grabbed his mug from the sink, stepping over the spilled and now-drying coffee
on the floor. He’d clean that up later. Joelle zoned out as he stared at his mug, thinking
about what Ryan had told him, and imagining a huge wolf stalking into his kitchen.
His heart hadn’t stopped racing since he’d answered the door. Joelle’s hand began to
shake, so he set the cup down. He gripped the edge of the counter with both hands, letting
go of a series of short breaths.
“He told you, didn’t he?”
Joelle was so lost in what he was doing that he jumped, spun, and slapped a hand
over his heart at the sound of Kivani’s voice. “You scared the shit out of me!”
“Did he tell you?”
“Who?” Joelle grabbed the carafe with vengeance and poured coffee into his mug.
His aim wavered though, and some of the liquid hit the counter.
Kivani moved in behind him, took the carafe from Joelle’s shaky hand, and set it
aside. “Ryan. I saw him leave your apartment. He gave me a look that said he’d told you
everything.”
A, B, or C? It was hard to decide when Kivani stood right behind him, his body heat
scorching Joelle’s back. Kivani’s scent wrapped around him and Joelle became hard,
thankful Kivani couldn’t see the effect he had on him.
“What do you think he told me?” Joelle wanted Kivani to say the words, to confess
he wasn’t human. He also wanted to know what in the fuckity-fuck Ryan was talking
about when he’d said that Joelle belonged to Kivani.
“I don’t play games, boo. You know what I’m talking about.” Kivani slid his hands
down Joelle’s side. Joelle sucked in a deep breath and held it until his lungs burned, then
released it slowly.
“I don’t play games, either.” Now who was the liar? But in Joelle’s defense, this was
new territory he was wandering into. He had no idea what the rules were or what to say,
think, or feel.
Kivani’s hand moved to Joelle’s hip and gave it a light squeeze. Joelle had to bite his
lower lip to stop from moaning as his cock twitched, and his gaze fixated on the spilled
coffee next to his mug.
“You’re playing games now.” Kivani’s lips touched the shell of Joelle’s ear, and
Joelle shivered and closed his eyes. He had to pull himself together, which was hard, very
fucking hard, but he managed to make his feet move. He was across the kitchen in
seconds, and staring at Kivani’s back before Kivani turned to face him.
Joelle gasped. Kivani’s eyes looked as though they were glowing, but that was
impossible. Damn it. If he used the word impossible one more time, Joelle was striking it
from his vocabulary.
“He told you I was a wolf shifter.” Kivani stalked toward him. “He told you that we
were mates. Am I right?”
His painfully beautiful eyes froze Joelle, who stood there letting the predator bear
down on him. Kivani didn’t stop until they were chest to chest. His arm curled around
Joelle, pulling him even closer.
“Do you know what a mate is?” Kivani kissed along Joelle’s jaw, then rubbed his
cheek over Joelle’s, inhaling deeply, like he was sniffing him.
“H-he said I belonged to you.”
A soft growl rumbled in Kivani’s chest. It was so animalistic that Joelle could no
longer think Ryan’s video was a hoax. The truth was like a bucket of cold over his head.
Joelle shoved away from Kivani’s chest and ran from the kitchen.
“Damn it, Joelle. Don’t fucking run from me.”
Joelle reached the door, ready to race from his apartment, but Kivani’s chest pressed
into his back as his hand wrapped around Joelle’s wrist. Any words Joelle might have
shouted died in his throat as Kivani’s touch sent shivers of need through him. Joelle didn’t
want to leave. He wanted Kivani to take him down to the floor and—
“Back off,” Joelle snarled. He wasn’t aggressive by nature, but his fear was getting
the better of him.
Kivani took a step back. “I’ll give you your space, just as long as you don’t try to
leave.”
“Ryan told me about you, like, five seconds before you showed up,” Joelle said. “I
haven’t had time to process anything. So, just, back off.”
Holding his hands up, palms out, Kivani sat on the couch. Joelle stayed at the door,
too afraid to move closer, yet wanting desperately to say the hell with it and climb on
Kivani’s lap.
Joelle strummed his fingers on his arm after he crossed them. “I’m not sure what to
say or do.”
“You need to stop freaking out. So preternatural exist. Big deal. You have a wolf
shifter as your mate. Feel privileged.”
“Feel—” Joelle dropped his arms and glared at the prick. “Glad to see you don’t have
a big ego.”
“I don’t.” The look in Kivani’s eyes said he really didn’t. “But I’d rather deal with
your anger than your fear.”
 He’d pissed Joelle off on purpose? “That’s some pretty screwed-up logic.”
“I’m a wolf shifter.”
“I know that.”
“I’m a wolf shifter,” Kivani repeated.
“Why do you keep saying that?” Great, the guy Joelle supposedly belonged to was
insane.
“The more I say it, the less impact it has on you.” Kivani patted the cushion next to
him. “So sit down and process whatever you need to process. I’m a patient guy.”
Why did he have to be so charming? Joelle fought not to smile as he crossed his arms
again. “I’m perfectly fine right here.”
“Can you get me a cup of coffee while you’re up?” Kivani looked dead serious.
“Cream only. Thanks, boo.”
“Anything else?” Joelle lost the fight and smiled. He hated that Kivani had torn down
his defenses and made him actually laugh. The bastard.
“More of that,” Kivani said. “Your smile is breathtaking.”
Joelle frowned. “I thought we were past the lies.”
He’d never fooled himself into thinking he was hot. Not like Ryan and Henry were.
Joelle was a nerd who liked to keep to himself. Men didn’t look at him with lust or trip
over themselves to talk to him. And any guy he did talk to lost interest seconds after
finding out Joelle was a bookworm and was a mama’s boy. He wasn’t into taking selfies
and wasn’t a social-media junkie, or much of anything guys looked for as far as dating
material was concerned.
Kivani pushed from the couch and Joelle swallowed roughly at the burning anger in
Kivani’s eyes as he approached. “Boo, you’re the hottest fucking guy I’ve ever seen, from
your loafers to your perfect hair. I want to strip you naked and show you just how sexy
you are to me. I don’t bullshit when it comes to something I want, and I want you.”
Joelle was at a loss for words. So he said nothing as he spun and rushed back into the
kitchen, hearing Kivani’s deep chuckle behind him. Under any other circumstances, he
would have thought Kivani was laughing because he was making fun of some hopeless
nerd after telling Joelle all the right things and knowing Joelle had eaten that shit up.
But the sincerity in his eyes told Joelle that Kivani had meant every word.
As Joelle made Kivani’s coffee, he no longer cared that the guy wasn’t human.
Maybe Joelle was so desperate for attention that he wanted to believe every single word
Kivani had said. Was he that needy?
Yes, he was.
He’d lived his entire adult life being flat-out ignored when he hadn’t been used for
sex, and he wanted something deep and meaningful, something that made him smile every
morning when he cracked his damn eyes open.
And Kivani was offering that. Or, at least, Joelle prayed that was the case. He would
be devastated if Kivani had only come over for sex Not that Joelle wouldn’t have it with
him.
“Oh my fuck,” he grumbled. “Get the hell out of your headspace. You’re
overthinking this.”
Sometimes Joelle was his own worst enemy. Self-doubt was a bitch. He was just
gonna roll with this and see where it led. What did he have to lose besides his heart?

****

Ethan sat on a stool at Lenny’s, nursing a drink and trying to figure out how he could
use the information he had to not only get paid, but to turn the tables in the Hunters’ favor.
They were getting killed off so fast that Ethan suspected the files Enrique had stolen had
surfaced.
From what he’d learned, Enrique was a wolf shifter who’d gone undercover and
infiltrated the Hunters organization, becoming Joe Hephner’s right-hand man.
Hephner. What a fucking joke he’d turned out to be. The guy had been brilliant when
he’d formed the Hunters. He’d been cold, ruthless, and had killed as many nonhumans as
he could find. Rumor even told of Hephner destroying some ancient vampire.
Hephner had had only one rule. Don’t kill any humans. What Ethan wouldn’t give to
have been a part of the secret war at the beginning, to have followed such a great leader.
But Hephner had lost his way, and now he was dead.
And Aleksei Kovachi was fighting his own war to take Hephner’s place. Hephner had
been vicious, but fair to those who followed him, but Kovachi didn’t operate by those
standards. He killed both preternatural and humans in his lust to rise to power.
Most Hunters feared him, and so did Ethan. That was why he sat here mulling over
how to use what he knew to gain favor with Kovachi, instead of being one of his victims.
He just had to make sure no one found out about his family ties to Kivani. Ethan had
only a small percentage of wolf in him. His genes were so watered down he couldn’t even
shift.
Fuck, he might as well be fully human for all his lack of abilities. He had no superior
strength, sight, hearing, or sense of smell. His canines couldn’t even descend. The only
preternatural quality he’d inherited was his unusually long life. Ethan was well over three
hundred years old.
But that didn’t matter to him, not when Kivani had flaunted his abilities in front of
Ethan when they were younger, walking around the house in wolf form and going on runs
with his parents once a month while Ethan sulked at home.
 He would find a way to make Kivani pay. Maybe that twink really was a tool to
exploit. Ethan just had to find the nerd with glasses, and then the real fun would begin.

****

Joelle wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed when Kivani received a call and
had to leave. Just when he’d been close to giving in and letting Kivani have his wicked
way with him, the guy up and left.
“Maybe it’s best,” he told himself as he curled up on the couch, grabbing his
paperback off the end table. He looked at Bubbles swimming around, zipping in and out of
her small castle. “I like boring, and Kivani is the opposite of boring.”
Though he knew Kivani would be back.
With a sigh, he set his book aside, got up, and headed out the door. Ryan was usually
the one who invaded Joelle’s space, but Joelle needed to talk to someone right now.
But his enthusiasm for spending time with Ryan died when Ryan opened the door and
Joelle saw Devil in the apartment. Devil grunted and went into the bedroom.
“He’s not gonna shift and attack you,” Ryan said. “Stop staring at him. You’re
making him uncomfortable.”
“I’m making him uncomfortable?” Joelle gave a dry laugh. “That’s hilarious when
you consider what he is and the damage he can do.”
Ryan dropped onto the sofa and grabbed his iPad from the coffee table. “So tell me
why you’re here and not with Kivani.”
Joelle sat next to him. “He had to leave.”
Ryan cut his eyes at Joelle, then looked away and tapped open a game app.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Joelle asked.
“Fuck.” Ryan dropped his head backward, resting it against the back cushion. “Why
am I the one who has to tell everyone the truth? I had to have this talk with Henry, too.”
Ryan frowned. “Or more accurately, I freaked and told him everything. Still, I think you
should talk to Kivani about his line of work.”
That got Joelle’s attention. “Seriously? You’re gonna throw that out there and then
slam the lid on it? He told me was a garbage man. That’s not true?”
“Garbage man?” Ryan stared wide-eyed at him, then grinned as he went back to his
game.
Joelle snatched the iPad and tucked it behind him. “I’m not gonna be ignored.”
Ryan crinkled his nose. “You sound like a nagging wife.”
Joelle smiled. “I did, didn’t I?”
 “Give me back my iPad.”
“Tell me what you’re not telling me.”
Joelle inwardly groaned when Henry walked in. He was the last person Joelle wanted
to spend time with.
“Are you two about to watch some chick flick again?” Henry plopped onto the couch,
right between Ryan and Joelle. “I’m in.”
Ryan had forced Joelle to watch Titanic a few weeks ago. He’d tried to talk Ryan into
watching The Matrix trilogy the next time they’d gotten together, but Ryan had refused.
So Joelle had been tortured for however long Legally Blonde had been, ready to plunge an
ice pick through his eyes ten minutes after it had started.
“We weren’t watching a movie.” Ryan reached behind Henry, trying to get his iPad
back. Joelle pulled it free and handed it over. Why hold it hostage when he no longer
wanted to talk about Kivani now that Henry was here?
“I’m gonna head back to my apartment.” Joelle started to get up, but Henry slung an
arm in front of him.
“No, don’t go.”
What the who? “Since when do you want me around?”
Henry rolled his eyes. He’d perfected the art of eye-rolling so well, he should teach a
class on it. “I’m trying, okay? Since you’re Kivani’s mate, you’re part of our little group
now. Besides, Ryan keeps harping that I’m being a complete dick to you. And I don’t
mean to be. I’m just a very possessive guy and I had Ryan first.”
Henry was whining, and Joelle hated to admit how adorable he was when he did that.
He had to stop himself from patting Henry on the head and telling him that he was being a
good little boy. “No more stank looks?”
Henry folded his arms as his bottom lip slid out. “Baby steps.”
Joelle got up, so over this conversation. “I’m gonna baby-step my ass home. See you
later, Ryan.”
Henry might be trying, but he had been a complete dick to Joelle up to now, and
Joelle’s feelings still stung from Henry’s continued dickishness. Besides, he had his own
bullshit to deal with. Henry could make amends some other time.
“Wait!” Ryan got up from the couch and pulled Joelle away from the door. “I’ll tell
you what Kivani does for a living.”
 Chapter Four

“I’m gonna shove my fist down your throat.” Kivani grabbed the guy’s head, but the
stranger spun, rolling out of Kivani’s grasp. He kicked his foot against the house, flipped,
and landed at Kivani’s side.
What was the guy, a ninja?
Behind him, Kivani heard Declan fighting the other two Hunters. The three had tried
to ambush Declan while he’d slept. The lion shifter had sent Kivani a short text, and
Kivani had hurried home to find him in a heated fight.
Thank fuck Declan lived only ten minutes from Joelle’s. Technically Kivani lived
here, too, but only until he found a place of his own.
Kivani snarled as he barreled forward and grabbed the Hunter around his waist. He
lifted the guy, then dropped him and dug his claws into the Hunter’s stomach.
“You son of a bitch!” the Hunter howled.
“It seems I’m gonna gut you instead.” Kivani pulled his claws free and embedded
them again and again.
After killing the guy, he shoved to his feet and turned. One of the humans Declan had
been fighting was on the ground, half torn apart, and Declan was still battling the other
one. These weren’t the usual kind of Hunters they dealt with. The three had been hard as
fuck to take down. Had Kovachi sent his best?
No sooner had Kivani thought the situation was under control than he heard tires
screeching. “Declan!” Kivani jerked his chin toward the street when Declan looked his
way.
Declan’s eyes glowed with rage as snapped the Hunter’s neck.
“Kovachi isn’t fucking around. He sent reinforcements.” Kivani thought of his
cousin, but dismissed the idea that Ethan had given anyone Kivani’s address. Ethan didn’t
know where Kivani lived, and he would have come up with something more diabolical
than having a gang of Hunters attack them.
Then Kivani thought of Joelle. Would Kovachi have sent men after mates? He rushed
toward his Lexus and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Come on!” Kivani shouted through the open window. Declan dived into the
passenger seat and Kivani reversed down the driveway, and the ass-end of his car smashed
into the Land Rover that had been trying to block him in. He snarled when he heard metal
tearing away from metal as he shifted into Drive and shoved his foot against the gas pedal.
Fuck it. It was just a car. It could be replaced. Joelle couldn’t.
Instead of driving directly to Joelle’s apartment building, Kivani drove in the opposite
direction, leading the Land Rover farther away from where Kivani needed to go.
 On his phone, Kivani shared his location with Raven through the iPhone app. The
cougar shifter could track him and intercept the Hunters, lending a hand to Kivani and
Declan. Modern technology was a beautiful thing. The Dark Knights had set up the GPS
app that would let them track each other’s locations weeks ago. It had been a smart move,
and Kivani had to remember to thank Devil for the idea.
Raven texted that he and Bayne were heading their way, and Kivani tossed his phone
at Declan. “Text him back and let him know it’s a black Land Rover after us.”
Declan did as Kivani asked, then snarled as he looked up. “The cops.”
Kivani slowed to the speed limit as the cruiser headed toward them. When they
passed the police car, Kivani looked at the driver, and the driver looked at him. Lights
swirled as the cop car made a U-turn and raced up behind them.
Shit. He and Declan were covered in blood. Kivani shouldn’t have looked. He wasn’t
sure why he hadn’t hunched down to hide his bloody shirt, but he wasn’t sticking around
to get arrested.
He smashed the pedal into the floor, and the Lexus shot down the street. They hit
ninety in no time, and Kivani prayed like hell that no innocents got in the way.
The cop car caught up to them, sirens blaring, lights swirling. Then Bayne’s green
souped-up GTO screeched through the intersection, ass-end swerving, damn near colliding
with the cop car. Kivani glanced in his rearview and saw the GTO slow, then cut off the
Land Rover that had still been following them. He was surprised at the balls of the driver
for following them even with law enforcement on the scene.
“One problem solved,” Kivani said.
“Yeah, but if you don’t stop hitting every fucking pothole, you’re gonna fuck your car
up and we’ll be sitting ducks,” Declan complained.
“The streets are shit,” Kivani snapped. “What would you have me do, hit my secret
red button so we can fly over everything?”
Declan glared at him. “Just don’t wreck us.”
“Stop side-seat driving.”
Kivani saw his chance up ahead. It was too good to be true, and something straight
out of a movie. A tanker was blocking most of the street as the driver attempted to back it
into a gas station. Kivani headed for the opening between the back of the truck and the
driveway.
His heart lodged in his throat.
“You better get this!” Declan braced his hands on the dashboard, for whatever good
that would do if Kivani timed this wrong.
Kivani sped through the opening, then heard a crash. He slowed and looked behind
him. The gap had closed and the cruiser wasn’t getting through. In fact, it would need a
tow truck to separate itself from the ass-end of the fuel truck. He couldn’t tell how badly
damaged the car was since his only view of it was from under the tanker, but he prayed the
cops weren’t hurt.
“Just get us out of here,” Declan said. “He might’ve called for backup.”
Kivani drove away and cut down multiple side streets as he headed to Joelle’s.
After they pulled into the underground parking garage, Kivani got out and waited
until Declan joined him by the back of the car.
“What’re we gonna do about this?”
“About what?” Declan asked.
“Those bastards coming to your house and attacking you.” Kivani was struggling to
contain his wolf. He wanted to go after the Land Rover. He wanted to spill more blood.
Declan folded his arms and leaned against the trunk. “Like we haven’t gone to their
houses and eliminated them.”
“But we’re discreet, Declan. They were sloppy, with disregard for any innocent that
could’ve been hurt. We don’t need our private war turning into the Wild West.”
“You got a point.”
“And what if they come after my mate like they did Henry?” Kivani asked. “I can’t
guard Joelle twenty-four hours a day and do my job, and I’m not trusting a male to babysit
him like Nyx did with his mate.”
Kivani felt batshit crazy at the thought of any guy being near Joelle—especially while
Joelle was unclaimed.
“You go make sure he’s okay,” Declan said. “I’ll get Raven and Bayne and you can
give us your list.”
“No.” Kivani paced behind his car. “I don’t need anyone taking my list. I appreciate
you trying to help me out, but I left my life behind, made everything take a backseat to my
contract with the Ultionem. It’s my responsibility. Besides, this is my second list of names
and I’m already halfway through it.”
“You’re giving me mixed signals, bro. You gotta tell me what you want to do. Are
you going to guard your mate twenty-four-seven, or doing your job? You can’t do both.
Not unless you have a clone I’m not aware of.”
Declan was right. Kivani couldn’t do both. He had taken a blood oath to rid the world
of Hunters, but he was also bound by fate itself to protect and cherish Joelle.
“I’ll figure out a way.”
“You need me to come upstairs?” Declan asked. “See if any stray Hunters need
guidance?”
“No, I got this.” If any Hunters were checking Joelle’s place out, they wouldn’t make
it out of the building alive.
 “Thanks for having my back.” Declan gave him a quick man-hug. “If you need me,
call me.”
Kivani nodded before heading to the elevator. He knew the job wouldn’t be easy
when accepting it, but Kivani had never thought he’d have to factor in a mate. He pressed
his palms into the elevator walls and leaned against them as he tried to think of a way to
keep Joelle safe while doing the job he’d uprooted his life for.
When Kivani entered Joelle’s apartment, the war inside his head died. One look at his
mate gave him his answer.
Joelle was lying on the couch reading a book as he pushed his glasses up the bridge
of his nose. When Kivani walked in, Joelle looked up at him, and Kivani’s chest
constricted. He sat on the end of the couch and propped Joelle’s bare feet on his lap.
The connection Kivani felt when he touched his mate made his worries fade.
Joelle pulled his feet from Kivani’s lap and sat up, placing his book on the coffee
table. Kivani mourned the loss of the connection.
“We need to talk.”
Those were four words that never boded well.

****

They did need to have a serious conversation about what Ryan and Henry had told
Joelle. Kivani was basically a bounty hunter. Only he didn’t bring people in. He killed
radicals who called themselves Hunters.
Joelle had been freaked out and ready to tell Kivani that things would never work
between them, but as he sat next to Joelle, looking so good that Joelle wanted to eat him
for dinner, he lost his train of thought. Those damn sexy, piercing eyes bored right into
Joelle. He had a hard time breathing while looking into them, let alone trying to string two
thoughts together.
“About what?” Tension entered Kivani’s eyes, as though he thought Joelle would
give him bad news.
Joelle’s gaze drifted to Kivani’s impressive rock-hard chest. His fingers tingled to
touch and to grope it, and his lips ached to suck his nipples. His gaze went lower, and
Joelle sat there staring at Kivani’s groin, wondering if his dick matched his impressive
musculature.
Joelle sucked in his bottom lip as dirty thoughts played in his mind. He wanted to
crawl onto those well-toned thighs and ride the Kivani Express.
“Joelle?”
“Hmm?” Joelle slowly lifted his head, blinking rapidly. “Huh?”
 Kivani’s smile spread and Joelle’s heart galloped. God, he was so damn handsome.
“You said we needed to talk.”
Talk. Right. About what? Joelle couldn’t remember and he wasn’t about to sit there
and rack his brain. He was still getting used to the idea that he belonged to Kivani. No,
that wasn’t what he was thinking about. Sex. That was more accurate.
Dirty, wild, and messy sex.
He slid his hand around Joelle’s wrist, giving it a small tug. Kivani looked at him like
he knew what was going on in Joelle’s head. At least Joelle sure as fuck hoped so, because
he wasn’t the type to initiate sex and he hated how shy he was.
“Did you want to talk about me being inside you?” Kivani curled his arm around
Joelle’s waist, hauling him onto those spectacular thighs. Joelle felt the rigid muscles
against his ass as he pressed his palms into Kivani’s chest and squeezed, biting his lip
again at the feel of the muscles against his hands.
“Too shy to tell me what you want?” Kivani’s voice was husky, deep, and slid over
Joelle like an erotic caress.
Joelle shoved Kivani’s shirt up until the fabric was bunched at his pits, then lapped at
his nipple, sucking the pebbled flesh between his lips.
“Fuck,” Kivani moaned. “That’s okay, boo. You can show me instead.”
That was exactly what Joelle planned on doing. When things got hot and heavy,
Joelle would loosen up, become less rigid and nervous. That was how this always went.
Kivani palmed Joelle’s ass, and Joelle groaned as he wiggled against his strong
hands. “I usually don’t do this so soon after meeting a guy.” Joelle had no clue why he
wanted Kivani to know that. Maybe because he felt like a slut throwing himself at the
man.
“It’ll be our secret.” Kivani gripped Joelle’s nape and smashed their lips together as
he tried to devour Joelle’s tongue. Joelle grabbed fistfuls of Kivani’s hair, pulling,
caressing, then pulling again.
Kivani growled into Joelle’s mouth. “Harder.”
“I’m not trying to rip your hair out.” Not the long, beautiful mess Kivani had. Joelle
didn’t want him having two bald spots.
Kivani chuckled against Joelle’s neck. “I don’t think you will.”
“And I’m not taking that chance.”
“Fine.” Kivani stood and Joelle instinctively threw his arms around his neck.
“Where’re we going?”
“You got a bed, right?”
Crap. Joelle hadn’t cleaned his room in days. His dirty clothes were strewn about, and
dirty dishes littered his nightstand. There were two baskets of laundry by his closet that he
still hadn’t put away. He hadn’t even made his bed.
“Don’t go in my room,” he said in a panic. “I’ve got a killer dog in there that’ll eat
you alive.”
Kivani arched a brow. “Have you forgotten I’m a wolf? I think I can handle a dog, no
matter how mean it is.”
“Okay, fine,” Joelle let out a huff. “My room is a wreck, and I don’t want you to see
it.”
“As long as your bed is clear, I don’t really care what the rest of your room looks
like.” Kivani opened the door and stepped in, glancing around. “I take it back. You
seriously need a maid.”
“You seriously need to fuck me and stop giving me cleaning advice.” Joelle pulled at
Kivani’s shirt, trying to get it over his head. He wanted them naked, like five seconds ago.
Kivani’s strong arms wrapped around him had Joelle’s cock aching to be played with.
When Kivani shoved the blanket to the floor, Joelle winced. “I’m not usually this
messy.”
Why in the fuck do I feel a need to keep explaining away my messy-ass room? His
nerves. That had to be it.
Kivani gave him a sexy wink before tossing Joelle on the bed. Joelle bounced,
laughing as he stared up at Kivani. “So it’s like that?”
“Get those fucking skinny jeans off,” Kivani growled, reminding Joelle he wasn’t
dealing with a human. He’d started to obey when someone knocked on his front door.
Joelle ignored it as he unbuttoned his pants, but the person kept knocking. He was
gonna kill whoever it was. They had the worst timing ever.
Before Joelle could get up, Kivani was gone, slamming the bedroom door behind
him. Had he seriously just closed Joelle in his own bedroom so he could answer Joelle’s
door?
Pissed, he got up, righted his glasses, and left his bedroom to see who was there.
When Joelle stepped into his living room, his jaw dropped. Why was the hottie who
Kivani had flirted with at Lenny’s standing in his doorway?
 Chapter Five

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Joelle shouted at Kivani as Kivani gripped
Ethan’s throat, trying his best not to rip it out. “Get out of my apartment, now!”
As Joelle went apeshit behind him, Kivani shoved Ethan into the hallway and closed
the door behind him.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t snap your fucking head off.”
“I came over to tell you something important about the Hunters,” Ethan snarled as he
tried to wrest Kivani’s hand from around his throat.
No, that wasn’t why Ethan had shown up. He wanted to let Kivani know that he knew
where Joelle lived. It was a sick little game to him, one Kivani planned on ending. For
nearly three hundred years, his cousin had been playing them, and Kivani was so fucking
over it that he contemplated killing Ethan right there in the hallway.
Kivani no longer cared that Ethan was family, not when it came to Joelle.
He shoved Ethan against the opposite wall, tightening his grip. “If you ever show up
here again, I’ll rip your black heart out.”
The door opened behind him. Joelle stepped out, walked past them, and hit the button
on the elevator without looking Kivani’s way. When the doors shushed open, Kivani
asked, “Where in the fuck do you think you’re going?”
Joelle stepped into the elevator, ignoring his question. Kivani snarled in Ethan’s face
and dragged him by his throat into the car.
Joelle still wouldn’t look at him.
“Answer my question.”
Joelle finally looked at Kivani, then down at Ethan. Doubt clouded his pretty green
eyes. “I was giving you time with your boyfriend.”
Ethan choked and gaped up at Joelle. “Boyfriend?”
“Shut up,” Kivani snarled, using his free hand to punch Ethan in the head. “Stay the
hell out of our conversation.”
“Why are you dragging him by his throat?” Joelle asked.
“I’m not telling you anything until you tell me where you’re going.”
“To meet Ryan at Henry’s apartment.” Joelle crossed his arms, seeming unfazed that
Kivani was gripping Ethan’s throat. “You weren’t invited.”
Kivani furrowed his brows. “You’re not freaking out about this?” He waved his hand
at his cousin, who was turning dark red.
Joelle spun and glared at Kivani. “I was freaking out about your lover showing up at
my door. And yes, I’m having a meltdown inside my brain at what you’re doing, but I’m
too pissed at you to say anything right now.”
“Ethan’s not my lover,” Kivani snapped. “He’s—”
Kivani smashed his lips together. He’d started to tell Joelle that Ethan was his cousin,
but he didn’t want anyone to know.
He released Ethan, who crumpled to the floor, sucking in deep breaths of air as he
smirked at Kivani.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Joelle said. The elevator doors opened
and he stepped out, but placed a hand on one of the doors to stop them from closing. “In
fact, it would be best if we didn’t see each other again.”
Those words were like a punch to Kivani’s gut. He bared his canines but Joelle
simply walked away.
“Glad to see you have that situation under control.” Ethan got to his feet.
“Shut the fuck up.” Kivani slugged him again as the doors slid closed.

****

Joelle stood outside Henry’s door, shaking so badly he felt like he had to vomit. He
still didn’t know what was going on with Kivani and that guy, but he now knew they
weren’t lovers. That should have been a relief, but seeing Kivani act so violently
frightened the hell out of him.
Joelle had known that Kivani wasn’t human. But seeing him choke someone made
Joelle want to faint. Who was he kidding? He wasn’t cut out for this kind of life. He liked
boring, predictable, and safe.
Kivani wasn’t any of those things. He was a wolf shifter who killed people for a
living.
Even though he knew this, Joelle’s heart felt like it was being ripped out. He leaned
against the wall, wiping his eyes with his palms and cursing when he bumped his glasses
askew.
All Joelle wanted to do was run back to Kivani and throw himself into his arms, but
he didn’t know where Kivani had gone, and Joelle had to let that fucked-up relationship
go. It wouldn’t be healthy for him. Yet, as his brain and heart battled it out as he stood
there, his heart couldn’t have cared less about healthy.
“What’s wrong?”
He hadn’t seen Ryan approach. When he laid a hand on Joelle’s arm, the touch broke
him. Joelle cried like an infant as he tried to wave Ryan away, but Ryan refused to go.
“Tell me what’s wrong, Joelle.”
 “I just broke up with Kivani.” Having no tissues, Joelle wiped his nose on his sleeve.
It was gross, but right now he didn’t care.
Ryan slowly shook his head, his brows furrowed. “But you can’t break up with a
shifter, Joelle. It’s not possible. You’re bound to him for life.”
That only made Joelle cry harder. He was a complete goddamn mess. He wanted
Kivani. He didn’t want him. Joelle trusted him. He didn’t trust him. Joelle’s head was so
full that a migraine started at his temples. He had no idea what the hell to do, what was the
right decision, or if Kivani would ever come back after what Joelle had said to him. “I
have to go.”
He walked away, but Ryan was at his side. “Tell me what happened.”
What Joelle needed was his mom. She would know what to do, what advice to give.
Joelle had never felt this deeply for someone, and the pain sucked. Now he saw why some
people refused to fall in love. That shit hurt.
The thought brought him up short.
Was he in love with Kivani? Could people fall in love this fast? Since this was the
first time Joelle had ever felt this way toward someone, he had no clue.
“I’ll be fine,” he snapped, then grimaced. “Sorry.”
“Just tell me where you’re headed,” Ryan said.
“To see my mom.” Joelle half hoped Kivani would still be on the elevator when it
arrived, but the car was empty. Which only made his tears flow faster.
“Call me,” Ryan said.
“I will.”
Joelle rode the elevator down to the garage and got into his hybrid. He drove across
town, his heart hurting so badly that he wanted to rip it out. By the time he pulled into his
mother’s driveway, he could barely see past his tears.
He simply sat there, staring at the steering wheel, wishing it would give him profound
answers. He grabbed some tissues from the glove box and cleaned himself up as best he
could. When he looked in the mirror on his sun visor, Joelle rolled his eyes. There was no
way he could wipe away the puffiness around his eyes.
The front door opened and his mother stepped out and stood on the porch, looking his
way. Her smile faded, then she headed toward him.
She had always been his solid rock, the one person he could lean on when he was in a
crappy mood, the one person who could cheer him up and make him laugh. He didn’t
think she could get a smile out of him today, but seeing her already made him feel a tad
better.
She opened the car door. “Joelle, come inside, sweetie.”
He unfolded himself from the car and closed the door. She slid her arm into his,
leading the way into the house. As soon as he walked in, the smell of baking cookies
engulfed him. It was as though she’d been expecting him, because she knew how much he
loved that smell, how it always made him feel as if his problems weren’t as big as he’d
thought they were.
His mother guided him to a kitchen chair and Joelle sat. She poured him a cup of
coffee and placed it in front of him before taking a seat next to his. “You look like shit.
Tell me why.”
That was Felicia Lovejoy. Blunt and straight to the point.
Joelle took a sip, rolling his eyes. Starbucks had nothing on her special blend of
coffee. That and his mom were exactly what he’d needed.
“I might have fallen in love.”
Her smile was soft as she brushed his hair from his eyes. “He broke your heart?”
Joelle’s parents hadn’t batted an eye when he’d told them he was gay, and they’d
been super supportive. His mom had even gone to a few gay rallies with Joelle over the
years. His sister Janice—who was married with two rug rats—often stopped by his
apartment to check on him, always bringing some kind of dish because she swore he was
too skinny and was afraid he’d starve to death.
“It’s complicated.” Joelle usually hated when people said that. To him, it was a lousy
excuse that meant they just didn’t want to talk about their problem. But the two words fit
Joelle’s situation perfectly. Kivani was as complicated as complicated could get, with a
dash of confusion thrown in.
“Let’s go out to the greenhouse and you can tell me all about it.” His mom got up and
headed to the sliding glass doors. Joelle followed her, taking his mug with him.
They walked up the stone path and she held the door open for him.
No other place on earth was this relaxing to Joelle. He used to spend countless hours
out here helping his mom with her plants and flowers, talking about anything and
everything. She knew every aspect of his life—from Joelle’s frustrations with his
promotion because he could no longer style hair full-time, to his displeasure at not finding
a guy he could settle down with.
She even knew about Henry’s jealousy.
“Now tell me about this boy.”
A small smile pulled at his lips. “Kivani isn’t a boy, Mom.”
Kivani was the embodiment of pure man. He was tall, had an aura of power and
dominance, and made Joelle swoon whenever he looked into those mesmerizing amber
eyes. He could still feel Kivani’s hands on him and the touch of his lips, and still smell his
all-encompassing scent. Tears prickled Joelle’s eyes. God, he missed Kivani so badly.
She patted his arm. “Okay, then tell me about this man.”
 Joelle had a feeling he wasn’t supposed to say anything about what Kivani was or
what he did for a living, but this was Joelle’s mom and he’d always told her everything.
So as they walked the paths through the greenhouse, he spilled his guts. Her lack of
shock disturbed him. “Why aren’t you freaking out? I just told you shifters exist and my
mate is a bounty hunter. That’s not something you hear every day.”
Although his mom was levelheaded, almost always calm, and hardly ever raised her
voice, she should be flipping the hell out right now. Why wasn’t she?
She nibbled on her lower lip, a sure sign she was hiding something. She glanced at
him, then looked away.
“Mom?”
“I was sworn to secrecy. You have to promise not to breathe a word of what I’m
about to tell you.”
Frowning, Joelle nodded.
“Well,” she said as she pulled a stool from under one of the long tables and took a
seat, “your Aunt Pamela is mated to a lion shifter.”
“Uncle Thomas?” Mind blown. Joelle loved Thomas, and he was a dominant man,
but kind and sweet, too. He had taken Joelle and Janice for ice cream every summer when
they were kids.
“So that’s why I’m not freaking out.”
“Because you already knew shifters existed.”
“Yes.” She looked at him. “And I don’t see anything wrong with bounty hunting.
Someone has to protect us from the evil of the world.”
“But he kills instead of capturing,” Joelle stressed.
“I have to admit, I don’t understand the shifter world. But I’m pretty sure they play
by a different set of rules, Joelle. Have you talked to him about why he kills people?”
No. Joelle had been too horny and needy and distracted by Kivani’s body. Then
Hottie had shown up and everything had been blown to hell. “I freaked out before we
could talk,” he admitted. “I told him it was best we didn’t see each other again.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know!” Joelle threw a hand up. “I have a nice tidy life and Kivani doesn’t fit
into that.”
“What you have is a safe life where you don’t take any chances, Joelle. You have to
learn to live a little.”
“That’s not living a little, Mom,” he argued. “Living a little is taking an impromptu
vacation or eating the entire cake instead of just a slice.”
“And Kivani is your entire cake.” She smiled. “Get yourself a tall glass of milk and
enjoy him.”
“I’m vegan.”
“You know what I mean. Stop trying to fit everything into your tidy little box, son.
Let your life get messy, and have fun doing it. You only live once. Do you want Kivani to
be one of your regrets?”
No, Joelle didn’t. “But he was choking a guy right in front of me.”
“At least he wasn’t hiding anything from you.”
“Seriously?” Joelle gaped at her. “That’s what you have to say about that?”
“There had to be a reason.” She stood. “A stranger showed up at your apartment. It
sounds to me like Kivani was protecting you.”
“From what?” he squawked. “I’m the district manager of a hair salon chain. What
could I possibly need protection from, paperwork?”
She laughed and Joelle groaned.
“Just call him and talk to him.”
They left the greenhouse and went back inside the house. Joelle frowned when he
heard his father talking to someone. He and his mother went into the living room, and
Joelle’s heart stopped.
What was Kivani doing here?
When Kivani turned and looked at him, Joelle’s heart started beating again.
“I’ll let you two talk,” his dad said as he passed Joelle, squeezing his arm. His mother
gave him a look that said she wanted Joelle to take her advice, then she left, as well.
Joelle stood there, unsure what to say.
“Ryan told me where you were and gave me the address.” Kivani tucked his hands
into the front pockets of his jeans. “I wanted a chance to explain things to you.”
“About being a bounty hunter or choking that guy?”
“Both.” Kivani waved a hand toward the sofa.
Joelle wrung his hands together, debating what he should do. His mom was right,
though. He should at least talk to Kivani about this before making a final decision on what
to do about their relationship.
Taking a seat, Joelle adjusted his glasses, then ran a hand through his hair before
tucking his hands between his legs to stop his nervous movements.
Kivani sat beside him. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
Joelle had forgotten about his puffy eyes. He looked away, concentrating on his feet.
He didn’t want to talk about how he’d fallen apart or how badly he’d been hurting. “You
wanted to talk?”
 Kivani rested his elbows on his knees, entwining his fingers. “The guy who showed
up at your apartment earlier was a Hunter.”
“What’s that?”
“Humans who kill my kind,” Kivani said. “Innocents, Joelle. They murder
nonhumans indiscriminately. That guy just wanted to let me know that he knew who you
were and where you lived. Hunters don’t kill humans, but they do hurt them.”
How did Joelle respond to that? “So my life is in danger now?”
“You’re mated to me, so…yeah.”
“I—” Joelle swallowed roughly. “What the fuck am I supposed to say to that,
Kivani?”
“I don’t know.” Kivani ran a hand over his hair. “My job is to eliminate as many
Hunters as possible, to keep my world safe from them…to keep you safe from them.”
“But I have to work.” Joelle pushed from the couch and paced in front of the china
cabinet filled with his mom’s creepy figurines. Joelle had always felt like the many tiny
porcelain dolls were watching him with their painted little eyes.
“I’m trying to figure that part out,” Kivani said. “How to do my job while keeping
you near me.”
Kivani got up and Joelle didn’t resist when he was enveloped in his strong arms. As
confused and angry as he was, being in Kivani’s arms felt too damn right, and Joelle was
unable to resist leaning into him.
“You feel that, boo?” Kivani rubbed a hand down Joelle’s back.
“Feel what?”
Kivani’s fingers glided over Joelle’s nape, making him shiver as his cock hardened.
“Our connection, how safe you feel right now?”
“Yes.” Joelle’s eyelids fluttered closed. He hissed, nuzzling into Kivani’s neck,
inhaling his masculine scent. If he didn’t stop responding to Kivani’s touch, they’d wind
up fucking in the living room. He had to remind himself he was at his parents’ house.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you, Joelle.” Kivani ghosted his lips over Joelle’s
cheek. “I give you my word. But you can’t run from me, and you have to come to terms
with what I do.” He tilted Joelle’s head back until they were gazing into each other’s eyes.
Kivani could say or do anything he wanted right now and Joelle would readily agree
because he was caught in his mate’s spell. “Besides, I get paid handsomely for my job.
You don’t have to work if you don’t want to.”
Joelle snorted, snapping out of the fog encasing his sex-deprived brain. “You are not
gonna be my sugar daddy.”
Kivani chuckled and Joelle felt better. His heart had won the fight. He was right
where he was supposed to be, in Kivani’s arms. Joelle would take his mother’s advice and
live a little.
He just prayed he didn’t die while eating his damn cake.
 Chapter Six

Aleksei Kovachi rose from behind his desk when Ethan Davenport was brought into
his office and thrown to the floor.
“Stay the fuck down,” said Lowell, one of Aleksei’s men.
“What am I doing here?” Ethan snarled at Lowell.
“You’re here at my request.” Aleksei kept his emotions from showing when Ethan
looked up at him and scowled.
“Mr. Kovachi.” Ethan’s voice said he wasn’t impressed. But he also saw the fear in
Ethan’s eyes that he tried to hide. “Why did you request my presence?”
Aleksei waved his fingers and Lowell backed off Ethan. “You may stand.”
Their eye contact held as Ethan got to his feet.
Aleksei took a seat on the edge of his desk, clasping his hands together. He would
make this piece of trash who his fear before Ethan left the office. “I have eyes and ears
everywhere, Mr. Davenport. I also have trust issues when it comes to those who used to
work for Mr. Hephner, especially ones who have alley meetings with Dark Knights.”
He could practically see the thoughts churning in Ethan’s head. He was caught, but
like any bottom-feeder, Ethan would try to lie his way out of this.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Lowell slammed his fist into Ethan’s gut, and Ethan went down, fighting for breath.
Lowell pulled him back to his feet.
“That’s the only lie I’ll allow you to tell me,” Aleksei said. “Do it again and Lowell
will cut off a finger for every lie that comes out of your mouth.”
Ethan’s studied Aleksei, then slowly nodded.
“Tell me what that meeting was about.” Aleksei reached behind him and picked up
his cigar from the ashtray.
“I—” Ethan slowly shook his head. He closed his eyes, pinched his lips together, then
looked at Aleksei. “He pulled me out of the tavern, warning me that all Hunters were
dead.”
Aleksei tossed his cigar cutter and Lowell caught it. Ethan snarled as Lowell bent his
arm behind his back. He fought against Lowell’s grip, then screamed. When Ethan cradled
his arm to his chest, his index finger was missing and blood covered his hand.
Now he was showing his fear. The defiance in his gaze was gone. Aleksei loved the
terror he struck in people. He also loved the power he had over them, and the knowledge
that he could snap his fingers and Lowell would end Ethan’s life.
It was a goddamn rush.
 “The truth, Mr. Davenport.” Aleksei took a puff of his cigar.
Ethan kept his gaze averted, but Aleksei felt the hatred pouring out of his eyes. “He
was warming me to stay away from his boyfriend.”
Aleksei had done his homework before taking over the position of head Hunter. In
truth, he couldn’t have cared less about killing nonhumans. Aleksei was here for the
manpower. He needed his devoted followers to run his drug and prostitution ring in the
city. He would show those who didn’t want to fall in line the error of their decision.
By either death or brutality.
But Aleksei needed to keep on top of what the Dark Knights were doing because he
didn’t need his numbers decimated by those assholes. If Aleksei eliminated the Knights,
then he could concentrate on the real reason he’d moved to the city.
And by doing his homework, he knew preternatural beings didn’t have boyfriends or
girlfriends, husbands or wives.
They had mates.
Aleksei wanted Kivani’s mate as payment for his cousin’s death. He knew that
Kivani, Bayne, and Nyx had killed Sergei. Aleksei had had the Knights under surveillance
for some time, and his informant had told him about the murder, where Sergei had been
buried, and that Kivani had taken Sergei’s car to the slums and set it on fire.
Aleksei had never liked his cousin, and was glad to be rid of him, but he couldn’t let
Sergei’s death go unavenged.
“Tell me about this boyfriend,” Aleksei said.
“I don’t know anything about him.” When Lowell grabbed his arm, Ethan shouted, “I
swear. I don’t know!”
Aleksei pushed from his desk and stopped a foot away from Ethan, scowling. “Then
you bring the boyfriend to me. Understood?”
Ethan paled as he nodded.
“Use any means necessary, but do not fail me, Mr. Davenport, or the next time I see
you, Lowell will take your entire fucking arm.”
Lowell yanked Ethan from the office as Aleksei returned to what he’d been doing
before the interruption.

****

Joelle walked out of the salon, hating that Kivani had followed him all day. His mate
hadn’t gone inside any of the shops, choosing to stay in his Lexus, but Joelle felt the strain
nonetheless.
 He walked over to Kivani’s car as Kivani lowered the driver’s window. “I feel like
I’ve got an FBI tail on me.”
Kivani’s smile erased some of Joelle’s irritation. It was just so damn sexy. “I don’t
mean to make you feel that way, but at least I know you’re safe.”
“And how long can you keep this up?” Joelle leaned a hip against the door. “I work
crazy hours, Kivani. You have a life, and a job to do.”
After their talk at his parents’ house, Joelle had mulled things over the entire night.
He’d barely gotten any sleep, but came to the conclusion that what Kivani did was
important. Joelle didn’t think it right that Kivani’s kind were killed just because they
weren’t human.
It was like a race war, only the murders were about species, and that kind of shit
made Joelle’s teeth grind. Hatred, no matter what form it took, was ugly as hell.
“Get in and we’ll go have dinner.”
Joelle was hungry. He’d skipped lunch to help out when one of the stylists had called
off. Being able to style hair again had put Joelle in a good mood, until he remembered he
had a babysitter.
Not that Joelle wasn’t grateful for Kivani’s need to protect him, but he felt like he
was taking Kivani away from his job. That meant fucking with Kivani’s money, and Joelle
felt like crap for doing that.
He slid into the passenger seat and Kivani pulled away from the curb, turning the
radio on to a light jazz station. Joelle had no idea where he was taking him, but became
confused when he headed for the highway. “Where exactly is this restaurant?”
Joelle’s heart fluttered when Kivani took his hand, entwining their fingers together.
“Thought we could get out of the city for a bit.”
That sounded wonderful. Joelle loved road trips. He didn’t often take them, but there
were times when he hit the road with no destination in mind. Joelle particularly loved the
countryside. All his problems seemed to melt away whenever he drove down backroads,
simply enjoying nature.
“Where’re you taking me?”
“A little town called Brac Village.”
“The countryside?”
“It has a country setting.”
Joelle pulled his hand free from Kivani’s, then slid it over his mate’s crouch. “I love
the smell of country air.”
One of Kivani’s brows arched as his voice thickened. “Oh yeah?”
Joelle lowered his head to Kivani’s lap and mouthed his mate’s hard dick through his
jeans. He pulled back and unfastened them, then fished his thick, long cock out.
 Kivani hissed. “What’re you doing down there?”
“Having an appetizer.” Joelle slid his tongue over the slit of Kivani’s cock.
The car swerved slightly.
“Don’t drive us into a damn ditch.” Joelle started to lift his head to look at the road,
but Kivani placed a hand on his head and kept him in place.
“I promise we’re fine. Go back to your appetizer.” Kivani let the seat back a bit and
Joelle noticed that the car had slowed some, too.
Too bad he couldn’t get Kivani’s pants all the way off. Joelle was dying to lick his
balls.
“My dick doesn’t bite, so stop staring at it and go back to what you were doing,”
Kivani growled.
Joelle grinned before taking the cock into his mouth, lashing his tongue over the hard
flesh. He got onto his hands and knees and rocked as he sucked at the head, lapping up the
pre-cum and slowly stroking Kivani as he enjoyed how good he tasted.
“Shit, boo. That feels fucking good.” Kivani slid his hand through Joelle’s hair.
“That’s it. Use that tongue, baby.”
The car swerved again.
“I got it,” Kivani said when Joelle pulled off his cock. “You worry about my dick and
I’ll worry about the road.”
“Just don’t kill us.” Joelle licked a long path up Kivani’s cock, then suckled the head.
Kivani punched his hips upward, his hand on the back of Joelle’s head. From the
noises Kivani was making, Joelle could tell he was close. He stroked Kivani faster,
hollowing his cheeks for better suction. Kivani’s cock slid in and out, driving deeper down
Joelle’s throat.
“I’m there, baby. I’m there.” Kivani groaned as his cum splashed the back of Joelle’s
throat. Joelle tried his best to take it all, but it was too much and some cum hit his chin and
cheek.
“Fuuuck,” Kivani moaned.
It wasn’t until Joelle pulled back that he noticed they’d stopped. They hadn’t pulled
to the shoulder. They’d just stopped right there on the highway. Thank fuck no other cars
were around.
Kivani blew out a long breath, wiping his hand over his face. He maneuvered the car
to the shoulder, then put it in Park. “Get over here.”
Joelle laughed as Kivani hauled him into his lap. He let the seat back all the way
before pulling Joelle’s throbbing cock from his pants. Joelle ground his ass against
Kivani’s thighs as his mate jerked him off. He lay against the steering wheel, and the horn
blared as Joelle writhed under Kivani’s assault.
 Kivani slid his free hand down the back of Joelle’s slacks, probed at his hole, then
pressed the tip of his finger into Joelle’s ass.
Joelle cried out as he came, then collapsed against Kivani, shuddering with each tiny
aftershock.
Until someone knocked on their window.
Joelle looked up to see a stranger staring wide-eyed at them. “I was gonna ask if you
needed help, but…I think you two have this under control.”
The man hurried away.
Joelle looked at Kivani and burst out laughing. His mom had said that he should let
his life get messy, but Joelle was pretty sure she didn’t have road sex in mind.
Groaning, Joelle tried to untangle himself, but the steering wheel got in the way. He
nearly knocked the gear shift as he climbed back to the passenger seat.
Kivani chuckled. “Think he would have helped us out if we’d needed it?”
Joelle shoved at Kivani’s arm. “Don’t even joke like that.”
Kivani grabbed Joelle’s nape and pulled him close for a searing kiss. “Wouldn’t
fucking share you anyway. I’m a very jealous guy.”
“And so am I.”
“Then let’s go feed our green-eyed monsters.” Kivani stuffed his cock back into his
pants before righting his seat, and Joelle tucked himself away, too. As they got back on the
road, Joelle was unable to stop smiling.

****

While Kivani showered, Joelle took the elevator down to the garage. He’d forgotten
his paperwork in Kivani’s car, and he needed to finish it and hand it in by tomorrow.
And it was a ton of work. Joelle should’ve gotten on it right away, but he’d been
unable to pass up dinner with his mate. He just hadn’t planned on staying in the small
town so late. But a few of Kivani’s friends had joined them for dinner, and Joelle had
enjoyed Maverick and Cecil’s company.
When the elevator doors swooshed open, Joelle stepped out and hurried to Kivani’s
car, keys in hand. He looked around the garage, remembering the conversation he’d had
with Kivani about Hunters.
He wasn’t too happy about having to watch his back now, but Joelle tried not to think
about it. He was starting to fall hard for Kivani. His mate’s line of work, not so much,
though.
Joelle reached the car and used the fob to unlock it. He saw the shadow seconds
before he was grabbed from behind and a hand slapped over his mouth. Screaming was
useless, but Joelle thrust his elbow backward, tried to kick whoever had him, and twisted
like crazy, but the person had an iron grip on him.
“Come quietly or I swear I’ll snap your fucking neck.”
Joelle dropped the keys and nodded.
A silver sedan pulled up behind Kivani’s Lexus. The guy hauled Joelle to it, then
shoved him into the backseat. Joelle tried to scramble out the other door, but the man
grabbed him and pulled him back. He turned, ready to fight for his life, then stilled.
He knew the guy.
Ethan, the hottie who’d shown up at his apartment. The one Kivani had choked the
shit out of in the elevator. Oh, this was bad. Joelle needed to find a way to escape. His cell
phone was in his back pocket, but he couldn’t use it. Not when Ethan sat right next to him,
a gun in his hand.
“Go,” Ethan said to the driver.
Joelle blinked. The driver couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen. Were Hunters
that young? Jesus Christ. He was just a baby. At least that was what Joelle thought, until
the driver turned and glared at him. The killer look in his gray eyes said he wouldn’t have
a problem shooting Joelle and burying his body.
The car sped forward, and they were out of the garage in seconds and careening
through the city. Kivani was gonna kill him for leaving the apartment. If Ethan didn’t kill
Joelle first.
“What do you want with me?”
“Me?” Ethan snarled. “Nothing. But someone else wants to meet you.”
The driver snickered.
“Apparently you’re a valuable commodity.” Ethan glanced out the window, and
Joelle noticed the hand without the gun was bandaged.
“What the hell does that mean?” Joelle couldn’t stop shaking or sweating, and he kept
glancing at the handle on the door next to him. He could try to jump, but at this speed, he
might die. Then again, he might die if he didn’t try to escape.
“It means you’re leverage,” the driver said.
“Shut the fuck up,” Ethan snapped. “Your only job is to drive.”
The guy glared at Ethan through the rearview mirror but didn’t say another word.
Joelle frowned when they pulled in front of a tall office building in the business
district. He’d expected them to take him to some run-down house or a closed-down
storefront. Anyplace other than a fancy building that was only a few blocks from his
apartment.
When the driver parked, Ethan pulled Joelle from the car. He kept a tight grip on his
arm as he shoved the barrel of the gun into Joelle’s side. “Make a run for it, make a sound,
and I’ll shoot you.”
There were still people on the street, passing by them, unaware of the danger Joelle
was in. He walked stiffly through the marbled lobby as Ethan hauled him to the shiny
bank of elevators. Joelle tried to catch the security guard’s eye when they passed his desk,
but the guard was busy with someone else.
Joelle didn’t see a way out of this. A stone settled in his gut as Ethan pulled him onto
an elevator and the doors slid closed.

****

Saul Capezio exited the elevator and headed through the lobby to the sleek Lincoln
waiting out front for him. He slowed when he saw his hairstylist coming through the lobby
with two men. Joelle’s features were pinched and he was sweating as they escorted him
onto an elevator.
That was when Saul saw the gun pressed to Joelle’s side. He started to head toward
Security, but what if that caused a standoff that got Joelle killed? With his phone, Saul
discreetly snapped a few pictures of the guy at Joelle’s side before the doors closed.
Then he stood there, watching to see what floor the elevator stopped at. Eight.
Unsure what he would do when he reached that floor, Saul rode a car up. He was a
goddamn businessman, not the cops. What was he gonna do, confront the gunman?
Saul wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
When the doors slid open, Saul stepped into a cushy waiting area and spotted the men
taking Joelle into a room at the end of the hall.
“May I help you?”
Saul turned to see a woman behind a reception desk. The sign on the wall behind her
read Kovachi Enterprises. He gave her a tight smile. “I mistakenly got off on the wrong
floor.”
She smiled pleasantly at him. “What business are you looking for?”
“Oh, this is the eighth floor. That’s right. I needed the seventh. Sorry, have a nice
evening.” He took the elevator down, went to his car, and slid into the back.
“Home, boss?” Jacob asked from the driver’s seat.
“No,” Saul said. He looked up Kovachi Enterprises on his phone. The generic
website had only two pages, and neither told him what the company was about. When he
tried to click on one of the links, it was broken. He tried another one and found it dead, as
well.
He knew a fucking dummy corporation when he saw one. The Capezios had their
hands deep in shell corporations, among other illegal things, after all. But what was
Kovachi Enterprises a front for?
He startled when his phone rang, then scowled. He didn’t startle easily. Not when he
ran a billion-dollar law firm and dealt with the most unreasonable clients. He was always
cool and collected. He had to be.
“Saul Capezio.”
“I need your services.”
Saul suppressed a groan. “I’m kind of busy right now, Maverick.”
If it wasn’t for the hefty retainer fees Maverick Brac paid, and the cost when he
actually needed Saul’s help, Saul would have dropped him as a client years ago. Every
time he turned around, someone Maverick was associated with was in trouble.
Like Saul didn’t have enough problems keeping his own family and friends out of
jail.
But working for the preternatural padded Saul’s bank account. He’d be a fool to turn
them away.
“Then get unbusy,” Maverick said. “A friend of mine has been arrested and I need
you to get the charges dropped.”
Saul not only provided legal services to preternatural leaders, he helped them clean
up messes too dirty for the law to see. He was one of the few humans—who wasn’t a mate
—who knew they existed. One of the few who went above and beyond to ensure their
secret stayed buried.
“I’ve got my own problem going on right now.” Saul usually never turned down
money, but he wasn’t a coldhearted bastard. Most of the time. Okay, he was, but Joelle
was in trouble, and Saul needed to figure out a way to help him—without involving his
family.
Joelle was one of the few guys Saul actually liked. He was amazing at his job, fun to
talk to, and always had Saul smiling by the time Joelle left his penthouse.
Without his smile having anything to do with sex.
“Then let’s swap problems,” Maverick said. “Maybe I can help you.”
“A favor for a favor?” Having a wolf shifter’s help wouldn’t hurt. Maverick was a
loose cannon, but he was intelligent—and effective. Saul had been dealing with him for
years, and he’d learned long ago that Maverick got the job done.
“Okay,” Saul said. “No fees involved. We’re just doing each other a solid.”
“Lay it on me.” He almost sounded bored, and that irritated Saul. How many times
had Maverick called him with problems a lawyer closer to home could have handled?
One that didn’t charge an astronomical amount like Saul did.
“I need you to check your phone. I’m gonna send you something.” Saul sent the pics
to Maverick. “You know this guy?” Saul stared out the window, looking at the last rays of
sun setting behind the buildings and the stray passersby as he waited for Maverick to look
the pictures over.
“Fuck,” Maverick finally said, sounding startled now instead of bored. “I just had
dinner with Joelle and Kivani at the diner in town a few hours ago.”
“You know Joelle?” It was a small world.
“Joelle is a mate, Saul,” Maverick snarled. “Send me any info you have. I’ll have to
get back to you about my problem.”
“No info to send,” Saul said. “They’re in the office building where my firm is
located. Two men took Joelle to the eighth floor.”
“I’ll handle this.”
Saul scowled. “Tell the Santiago brothers not to blow the fucking building up.”
“I’m not coming,” Maverick said. “The Dark Knights are in the city. I’m calling
Kivani.”
“He Italian?” Saul asked. The name Kivani sounded Italian.
“How the hell do I know?” Maverick hung up.
Saul tossed his phone aside, thankful the Santiago brothers weren’t on their way.
Seventy percent of the time, it was one of them who needed legal help. Those sons of
bitches loved blowing shit up, or setting things on fire.
But what Maverick had said had piqued Saul’s curiosity. Who the fuck were the Dark
Knights, and did they own a rocket launcher?
“Where to, boss?” Jacob’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Saul looked up at the building, wondering why Joelle was there in the first place. He
ground his teeth at the thought of the guy getting hurt and hoped Kivani got here before
anything happened to Joelle. “Nowhere. We stay put until help arrives.”
 Chapter Seven

Joelle’s shower was small and tight, with barely any room to move. Worse, the water
kept fluctuating between perfect, tepid, then freezing, before repeating the cycle. Kivani
turned the water off, stepped out, and wrapped a towel around his waist, wondering if
Joelle had an extra toothbrush.
After searching the cabinet and under the sink, Kivani sighed. No luck. He arched a
brow as he stared at Joelle’s toothbrush sitting in the holder. Kivani thought about using it
for all of two seconds before dismissing the idea.
He’d have to settle for mouthwash only.
After rinsing his mouth Kivani stepped from the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his
damp hair. “Hey, Joelle. Bring your sexy ass in here.”
Kivani gazed at the bed. He’d yet to claim Joelle, and he planned on rectifying that.
He grabbed his cock through the towel, groaning as the thoughts of what he wanted to do
to Joelle raced through his mind. “Hey, Joelle.”
No answer. Brows furrowed, Kivani walked into the living room. From where he
stood, he could see right into the tiny kitchen, and Joelle wasn’t in either room.
His gaze slid to the coffee table. Kivani’s wallet and cell phone were still lying there,
but his keys were gone. What the hell? He swiped his phone from the table and dialed
Joelle. The call went straight to voice mail. Kivani tried again but got the same results.
Maybe he had to run to Ryan’s apartment for something. But why would he need my
keys for that? He’d started to dial Devil when his phone rang. Kivani answered. “Hello?”
“It’s Maverick.”
“Kinda knew that from the name that popped up on my screen.” Kivani hadn’t meant
to be short, but he was irritated and worried about Joelle.
“I’ll let that slide,” Maverick said with a slight growl. “I called to tell you an
associate of mine spotted Joelle.”
“Wait, what? Spotted him?” He turned, looking around the apartment. Although his
brain told him Joelle wasn’t here, that Kivani’s keys were missing, it wouldn’t process the
fact his mate had actually left the building.
“Jesus,” Maverick said. “You didn’t know he was gone?”
“No.”
“He’s in the business district downtown. I’ll send you the pics.” He rattled off the
address. “He had a gun shoved in his side. Do you need me to head your way?”
Heart in throat, Kivani put the call on speaker, then went to his text messages. He
flipped through the pictures, his gut twisting as his anger constricted his chest.
 Fucking Ethan. Kivani was going to end him. He wished he hadn’t let his cousin go
with just a warning. He also wondered what Ethan was up to. What was his game plan?
Why downtown? “Thanks, but I’ll handle this.”
“If you need me, I’m just a phone call away.” Maverick hung up.
Kivani dialed Declan as he headed into the bedroom to get dressed. He told Declan
about what was going on.
“I have Bayne with me. We’ll meet you there.”
Kivani gave the address. “Don’t make a move until I’m there.”
“This is your show,” Declan said. “You just let me know how you want to run it.”
“See you in a minute.” Kivani ended the call before stuffing his feet into his boots.
Why had Joelle left? How did Ethan get his hands on him? Those were only two of the
many questions he needed answers to.
Kivani drove his car from the underground parking lot. The streetlights pulsed across
his car as he thought of how he was gonna kill Ethan. Kivani had put up with a lot of shit
from him over the centuries, but this? Seriously? Didn’t Ethan have any loyalty to his
family? Was his heart that fucking black?
Up until now, he’d held on to the stupid hope that Ethan would stop being so bitter,
stop resenting Kivani for something Kivani wasn’t responsible for. It wasn’t Kivani’s fault
that Ethan’s side of the family had mated with humans. It wasn’t their faults, either.
Maybe Ethan’s fucked-up childhood could be factored into what he’d become, but
Kivani believed that people made their own destinies. Just because Ethan’s father had died
and his mother had turned to the bottle and did some horrific shit didn’t mean Ethan’s life
had to turn to crap. Hell, Kivani’s parents had taken him in and given him a good life.
But Ethan had chosen to give in to resentment, and it had apparently twisted his mind
until he didn’t have an ounce of humanity left.
Now Kivani was going to show him how a true animal dealt with this level of
betrayal. He slid in behind a shiny Lincoln and spotted Declan’s Escalade parked in front
of it.
Kivani got out and headed to the driver’s window as Declan lowered it.
“What’s the plan?” Declan asked.
Kivani leaned his arm on the frame. “Joelle’s on the eighth floor.”
“You know this is probably a trap,” Bayne said from the passenger seat.
“How?” Ethan had thought about that on the drive over, but he hadn’t even known
Joelle was gone. If Ethan had taken him for leverage, wouldn’t he have called Kivani with
some kind of demand?
Kivani had no idea what Ethan was up to, but he was getting his mate back, and in
one piece.
 Bayne nodded toward the building. “I looked that address up on our way here. The
eighth floor is Kovachi Enterprises.”
“You’re fucking telling me Aleksei is up there with Joelle?” Kivani said. No. No
fucking way. Kivani’s heart squeezed tight with fear as his wolf howled at the danger his
mate was truly in. Kivani had helped kill Aleksei’s cousin. Was this payback?
“He might not be in there,” Declan said. “Boss man might be somewhere else, but we
need to be prepared in case he is.”
If Aleksei Kovachi was in the building, shit was about to get downright bloody.
Kivani had heard the rumors, and just because they were rumors didn’t mean he’d
dismissed them all. There were a few things that hand held true no matter what was said—
that Kovachi was a coldhearted, merciless bastard. He wouldn’t go down with one hell of
a fight.
Kivani frowned when a guy got out of the Lincoln behind them and headed right for
him. “Can I help you?”
Declan leaned forward and looked out his open window as Bayne turned and looked
out the back window.
The guy held his hands up, palms out, and stopped at the Escalade’s rear bumper. “I
just want to know if you’re the men who are going to help Joelle.”
Kivani snarled. “How the fuck do you know him?”
“I’m the one who called Maverick,” the guy said. “Joelle’s a friend of mine, and I
wanted to make sure he was being rescued before I left. I saw him being escorted into the
back office on the eighth floor.”
Could this guy be one of Kovachi’s men? But he had to be real, because how else
would he know Maverick had called him? Still, Kivani didn’t trust fortuitous situations. It
was a little too convenient that some guy had spotted Joelle, called the right person, and
now the Knights were standing in front of the building where Kovachi’s business was
located.
Where Kovachi himself might be.
“You are?” Declan sounded as though the guy was more of a bother than the person
who might have just saved Joelle’s life.
“Saul Capezio. I’m an attorney—”
“Don’t care,” Declan said. “You’ve been helpful. Now you need to leave.”
“Fucking asshole,” Saul muttered as he turned and headed back to his car. Before he
got in, he added, “Just save Joelle, you inbred piece of shit.”
Declan started to get out, his canines bared, but Kivani shoved his hand against the
door, stopping him. “We got other problems to deal with.”
“Man, fuck that,” Declan snarled. “Did you hear what he just said to me?”
 “You were rude,” Bayne said. “You didn’t have to talk to him that way after he did
Kivani a solid.”
Declan snapped his head around. “Are you seriously defending that prick?”
The Lincoln passed them, a middle finger sticking out the back window.
“I’m gonna snap his fucking neck when this is over,” Declan growled.
It was time to storm Kovachi’s glass-and-chrome castle and take back what Ethan had
stolen.

****

Joelle had read one too many books. That had to be it. Instead of freaking out and
begging to be released, he was looking at the room he was in, trying to figure a way out it.
He’d counted how many men he’d seen as he was being escorted in. He actually sized
them up, as if he could kung-fu his way out of here.
Or maybe he’d seen one too many action movies. Too bad the hero of the story
wasn’t gonna barge in here, guns blazing, fists swinging and rescue him. Joelle might be
handling his stress in a weird, nonrealistic, totally detached way, but he wasn’t that
delusional to think this would end well for him.
Kivani didn’t even know where he was. He would, by now, know that Joelle was
gone, though. What a lot of good that would do. It wasn’t like Joelle had a freaking
homing beacon on him.
Oh my fuck. Will you shut the hell up with your asinine thoughts?
Joelle tugged at the duct tape around his wrists. Why did that henchman have to bind
his hands behind his back? It wasn’t like Joelle could get free if his hands were bound in
front of him.
He jumped when the door swung open and suppressed a yelp, but his heart was
beating so fast Joelle felt flushed.
Joelle averted his gaze and stared intently at the floor, refusing to look at the person
who’d just walked in.
Seriously? What, you think they’ll let you go if you pretend you haven’t seen their
faces? News flash. You’ve seen them all.
He wanted to punch his inner voice in the face.
A pair of shiny, expensive-looking dress shoes stopped in front of him. “I hope
you’ve been treated well.”
The stranger’s voice was smooth, rich, and had a slight accent. Joelle was tempted to
look up, but he dealt better with his terror if he concentrated on shoes instead of a face.
 “My arms hurt.”
The shoes moved closer and Joelle squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the worst. But the
tape was cut from his wrists. When Joelle opened his eyes, the shoes moved back a step.
“Is there anything else I can accommodate you with?”
After removing the tape and tossing it aside, Joelle pushed his glasses up the bridge
of his nose and scratched his arm where an itch had tortured him for the past five minutes.
“My freedom?”
The stranger’s chuckle was just as alluring as his voice had been.
“Nyet. But I can offer you something to drink. Perhaps a bottled water?”
Joelle gave an undignified snort. “Like I’d trust anything you tried to give me.”
“Point taken.” He grabbed Joelle’s chin and forced him to look up. The man wasn’t
what Joelle had expected. Weren’t bad guys supposed to be ugly? This one wasn’t. Not by
a long shot. He had dark, rich hair that flowed in messy waves to his shoulders, piercing
blue eyes, and a trimmed beard and mustache. If his hair had been a lighter color, he
would have been Ben Dahlhaus’s twin.
“I do not harm innocents,” he said before releasing Joelle’s chin. “You are safe with
me.”
Somehow Joelle doubted that. He had a feeling this guy said whatever he had to in
order to get what he wanted. Hell, he probably didn’t have to open his mouth. People
probably bent to his will with one smoldering look. “I’m fine.”
He winked at Joelle. “That you are. I’m sorry. We have not been properly introduced.
I am Aleksei Kovachi.”
Joelle’s heart stopped beating. Kivani had told him about Aleksei over dinner with
Maverick and Cecil. This was the head honcho, the one who had taken over the Hunters.
No, Joelle wasn’t going to get out of this alive, no matter how badly he wanted his
knight to rescue him. He would die in this office and be carried out in a body bag through
some back elevator.
“It is rude not to tell me who you are in return.”
Joelle scowled. “Let’s not pretend here. You already know damn well who I am.”
He wasn’t sure where his indignity and bravery were coming from, but he was truly
ticked off at being brought here under duress. He just wanted to go home to Bubbles and
his books.
And Kivani. Joelle’s chest ached from just thinking about his mate. He wasn’t sure if
the connection he felt to Kivani was because of fate, natural attraction, or because Joelle
was so desperate not to be alone anymore. Maybe it was all three, but he didn’t care.
He just wanted Kivani.
Aleksei looked as though he micromanaged everything. Joelle was willing to bet his
men didn’t take a piss without him hearing about it. Joelle might not know anything about
running an organization full of fanatics, but he could tell Aleksei hadn’t gotten to his
position without brute force and extreme intelligence.
His smile said it all. “Let’s not pretend, then.” He backed away and stood by the
window, looking out as he pulled a cigar from his suit vest.
“Those things’ll kill you.”
Aleksei shrugged as he lit it, then inhaled and breathed the smoke out. “We must all
die one day. I think my death will be more brutal than what a cigar will do to me.”
Joelle sure as hell hoped so. Aleksei was heartbreakingly handsome, and sadness was
seeped into his features, but he was a stone-cold killer.
Aleksei glanced at Joelle before looking back out the window. “Why have you chosen
to be with an animal?”
The question was filled with curiosity more than disgust. “I didn’t choose anything.”
Joelle looked at the floor. No, he hadn’t chosen to be with Kivani. Fate had. His mate was
just as handsome as Aleksei, if not more, and he’d been saddled with Joelle. If fate hadn’t
been involved, would Kivani still have wanted him?
Joelle narrowed his eyes as he raised his head. “You asked me that on purpose. You
want to fuck with my head. How would you like it if I messed with yours?”
Aleksei had the nerve to smirk. Then his gaze grew cold as he turned to look at
Joelle. “You could try, but no one gets a glimpse inside of me. Not even a pretty boy like
you.”
Had this sexy god just called Joelle pretty?
Aleksei’s phone rang. He pressed it to his ear, then nodded. “I’ll take care of the
problem.” He hung up and started tapping the screen, as if sending a text message.
After tucking his phone away, then throwing his cigar to the floor and crushing it
beneath his shiny shoe, Aleksei strode from the room and closed the door.
Joelle had no idea what button of Aleksei’s he’d just pushed, but he’d pissed the guy
off, and that wasn’t a good thing when Aleksei held Joelle’s fate in his hands.
 Chapter Eight

Declan and Bayne flanked Kivani as he reached the glass doors.

“Are you sure the direct approach is our best option?” Bayne asked. “I mean, I give
you points for being such a badass for going through the front door, but there’re innocent
guards who’ll just be doing their jobs if they try to stop us. And even though it’s late, we
don’t know who all is in the building. I’m all for gutting a guy who deserves it, but I’m
not gonna let someone get hurt who didn’t sign up for this shit.”
“We could tie the guards up and shove them in a closet somewhere,” Declan offered.
Bayne scowled. “Do you have any rope on you?”
Declan patted his pockets. “Nope, all out.”
Kivani left them at the door and made his way around the side of the building, where
he spotted a maintenance entrance. The door was locked, but Kivani was pretty sure he
could get inside.
“You could’ve told us you walked away,” Bayne said as he rounded the corner.
“And interrupt your debate?” Kivani smirked.
“Smartass,” Declan grumbled. “Let’s just get this over with. I thawed chicken out for
dinner.”
“You cook?” Bayne’s brows furrowed. “I thought you just killed your food.”
“Hardy har har,” Declan said. “Keep it up and I’ll roast your big ass over my pit in
the backyard.”
Kivani grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. The knob gave a little, but after a few
more attempts it was lying on the ground.
“Now how in the fuck do we open the door, genius?” Declan asked.
Kivani spun and glared at him. “I’m really not in the mood for your shit, Declan. My
mate’s inside this building having God knows what being done to him. Keep your
goddamn comments to yourself or I’ll take my frustrations out on you.”
Declan narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t say another word. He would be a formidable
opponent if they fought, but Kivani wasn’t only enraged but terrified at the thought of
what was happening to Joelle to stop and find out if he could beat Declan.
“Fuck it,” Bayne said. “We go through the front door. What’s the worst that can
happen?”
“They can be waiting for us with guns when the elevator doors open,” Declan said.
“Just keeping it real.”
The maintenance door opened and a worker in a blue uniform stared at them. He was
of average height, with slicked-back black hair and pretty blue eyes. The name on his
uniform read Hector.
“Can I help you guys with something?”
The knob on the other side must’ve remained intact. Kivani grabbed the door and
shoved Hector aside. “Is there a separate elevator, one that isn’t with the main ones in the
lobby?”
“I’m calling security,” Hector said.
Bayne slapped a handful of cash in Hector’s palm. “You run your mouth when we
leave and I’ll be back for my hush money.”
Hector stared disbelieving at the cash. “Follow me.”
As they followed, Bayne said, “You owe me two hundred bucks.”
Kivani snorted. “No, I don’t. I didn’t tell you to pay the guy off.”
Hector stopped when they reached the back of the building. “This one is used for
‘other’ purposes.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Declan asked.
“Got some big shot-callers in this building,” Hector said. “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t
the original intention of this service elevator, but ‘service’ is what goes up and comes
down.”
“You don’t make any damn sense,” Declan complained.
“He’s talking about hookers,” Bayne said. “They service the shot-callers.”
“Just what kind of building are we in?” Declan asked.
Hector used a key that dangled on a chain around his neck to call the elevator down
to them, then pressed the button with the arrow pointing up. The doors slid open.
“We gonna need that key to get out of here?” Declan asked.
“Only way to operate it,” Hector said.
Declan snatched the key, making the chain break, and Hector yelped as he grabbed
his neck. “You could’ve just asked for it.”
“I’m an asshole.” Declan stepped inside the elevator. “But I’ll buy you dinner when
this is over to make up for it.”
Declan’s smile couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than lust.
Hector scowled. “I’m not gay.”
“Your loss.” Declan shrugged as Bayne and Kivani joined him. Kivani pressed the
number eight and the doors slid closed.
“You have such a charming personality,” Bayne said.
“Looking for a few pointers?” Declan grinned. “It’s kind of a family secret, but I
could show you better than tell you.”
 Bayne shoved at Declan’s shoulder. “Not even if you were the last man on earth.”
Kivani needed to focus, and getting himself mentally ready for what could be an epic
fight was impossible with these two numbnuts. “Will you two shut the fuck up?”
He was starting to wish he’d come alone.
Bayne and Declan fell silent. Kivani rolled his shoulders, blew out a breath, and gave
a low growl as the doors slid open.
He stepped into a short hallway then held up a hand when he heard voices nearby.
Declan moved ahead of him, peeked around the corner, then disappeared.
“What the fuck is he doing?” Bayne mouthed to Kivani.
Kivani had no idea, but he would’ve preferred to stay unnoticed for as long as
possible. Calling Declan had been a huge mistake. The guy was unpredictable and
reckless. If his move got Joelle killed, Kivani would skin the son of a bitch alive.
Declan came back around the corner dragging two unconscious men behind him. He
tossed them onto the open elevator, used the key, and pressed the Down button.
Fuck, they would owe Hector more hush money if they were gonna send him bodies.
“The back hallway is clear,” Declan said as he turned and stood by them. “You’re
welcome.”
Kivani shook his head. Declan was one twisted-ass lion. “You got any cash on you?”
Kivani asked him.
“Why?”
“Because you’re gonna pay Hector for this shit,” Kivani said.
Declan snorted. “I ain’t paying a guy who doesn’t suck dick.” He headed back around
the corner.
Bayne chuckled. “He’s seriously starting to grow on me.”
Kivani prayed he didn’t have to shoot Declan before this was over. He followed
Declan with Bayne at his side as they crept into a foyer. The small area reminded Kivani
of some noir 1930s-detective exterior-office setting—large, potted plants, a wooden bench
to the right of two large wooden doors with the company’s name etched in the glass. The
waiting area looked out of place in the glass-and-chrome modern building.
The doors had blinds covering the glass, but they were slanted open, and Kivani
looked through them to count how many men he could see in the inner office.
“Four,” Bayne said. “Not including the receptionist.”
“She counts,” Kivani said. “If she works in this office, she’s got to be a Hunter.”
“Not necessarily,” Bayne said. “She could just think she’s working for a reputable
firm.”
“They don’t even have what they do on their website,” Declan argued. “How can she
be that clueless, Mr. Optimistic?”
“Man, fuck you,” Bayne snapped. “Ain’t nothing optimistic about me. I just like to
know for sure that someone’s a Hunter before we kill them.”
“Will you two shut the fuck up?” Kivani snarled. He turned back toward the doors.
Saul had said Joelle was taken to a back office. Since they were in the back hallway,
he glanced at the door closest to them. That was where Joelle had to be.
The three pulled back when the door to the back office opened. Kivani swallowed a
growl when Kovachi stepped out. He’d never met Kovachi in person, but he’d seen a
picture of him, and that was who shut the door behind him and headed in the opposite
direction.
“Here’s our chance.” Kivani tried the knob on the door and found it was unlocked. He
slipped inside, then hurried to the room Joelle was supposed to be in.
This was too easy. Guards should have been posted at Joelle’s door. Having only two
in the back hallway was pathetic security. Why was this area so unsecured?
Kivani hurried into the large office and relief washed over him when he saw his mate
sitting on a leather sofa, staring at the window. Joelle’s head snapped around at the sound
of Kivani entering. His gorgeous green eyes had been narrowed, but they widened, then
Joelle jumped up from the couch and flung himself into Kivani’s arms.
“I can believe my knight actually came to save me.”
“Can you two do the whole sappy-reunited thing in the elevator?” Bayne asked. “We
need to get the hell out of here. I got a bad feeling in my gut.”
“I told you not to buy that hot dog when we stopped for gas,” Declan complained.
“You can’t trust food rotating under a heat lamp.”
“Not that kind of bad feeling,” Bayne said. “Don’t you think it’s odd we got in here
so easily?”
No sooner had Bayne finished speaking than the door opened and Kovachi stepped
into the room.
“So nice of you gentlemen to join us.” Kovachi moved aside and four men filed in,
guns in hand. “Hector is an amazing early-warning system. He called me as soon as you
men entered the elevator.”
“I want my damn money back,” Bayne snarled. “And Hector’s head on a platter.”
“Never trust a guy who doesn’t suck dick,” Declan said. “I should have snapped his
neck when I took that key.”
They’d been fucked from the start and hadn’t even known it. Kivani moved to stand
in front of Joelle as he bared his canines. “So you’re the new asshole in charge.”
“In charge of what?” Kovachi asked. “I’m merely a businessman who was
conducting an interview with Mr. Lovejoy.”
 “He’s lying,” Joelle said from behind Kivani. “He knows shifters exist because he
asked why I chose to be with an animal.”
“Where’s Ethan?” Kivani asked. “I know he’s the one who brought Joelle to you.”
Kovachi’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, the man you had a secret meeting with in an alley.”
How the hell did he know about Kivani talking to Ethan? Had Ethan told Kovachi
about it? Had he told him they were family? What in the hell was wrong with Ethan?
Kivani knew his cousin held bitterness in his heart, but he didn’t think the guy was
suicidal.
Declan glanced at Kivani with suspicion and Bayne furrowed his brows. “Who’s
Ethan, and what meeting?” Bayne asked.
“Your associates are in the dark.” Kovachi smirked. “How interesting. That makes me
wonder what you two were meeting about.”
“We were talking about his funeral arrangements,” Kivani said. “Shall we discuss
yours?”
Someone behind Kovachi snickered. Kovachi pulled a gun from inside his suit jacket
and shot the snickering idiot in the head.
Joelle shouted as his fingers curled into Kivani’s shirt. They trembled as Kivani
growled.
“Get him the fuck out of here,” Kovachi said to the man on his left. “Anyone else
think this animal is funny?”
The remaining three men looked close to wetting themselves as they shook their
heads. Kivani reached behind him and pressed a hand to Joelle’s hip. He needed a physical
reassurance that his mate was okay, though Kivani had clearly seen who Kovachi had
shot.
Still, his wolf was going apeshit, moving close the surface. Kivani’s canines
descended as his claws slid free. If Kovachi aimed that gun in his direction, Kivani would
tear the bastard to shreds.
“We gonna do this or what?” Declan asked.
Kivani shoved Joelle toward the desk just as Declan attacked. Bayne joined the fight,
shifting into his bear form. It was an impressive sight, considering shifters were larger
than their wild-animal counterparts.
His lumbering form smashed into filing cabinets, denting one and knocking the other
over. He spun and crushed the wooden coffee table that sat in front of two barrel-designed
office chairs.
Kivani went after Aleksei, chasing the prick down the hallway as Declan and Bayne
fought the three humans. He hadn’t wanted to leave Joelle behind, but Kivani might not
get another chance to kill Kovachi.
 Kivani was stunned when Kovachi spun midrun and threw his hands out. Green
lightning shot from his fingers, and Kivani jumped out of the way seconds before the bolts
hit him.
Kovachi wasn’t human.
The receptionist screamed as she ducked under her desk. Kivani raced down the
hallway, but Kovachi was fast. He threw his hands in front of him and a small portal
appeared.
Kovachi turned and snarled at Kivani. “You’ll pay for killing Sergei. I won’t stop
until all the Knights are dead.”
He moved through the portal and it closed and disappeared.
Just what in the jacked-up reality was going on?

****

Joelle stared at the dead bodies. He’d never seen one before, and the glassy-eyed
stares from the three men wigged him out. Even so, every time he looked away, his gaze
kept wandering back to them, like they were the scene of a bad accident.
The two men who had come with Kivani stood by the door, and Bayne was naked.
They were also bloody. Joelle stayed close to the window, hugging his body as he kept
telling himself not to fall apart.
He knew they were shifters, but seeing one shift into a bear had made Joelle nearly
faint. It was a reality check, a visual reminder that his mate wasn’t human.
“How you holding up over there?” Bayne asked.
Even though he felt on the verge of a meltdown, Joelle was relieved when Kivani
returned to the office. His mate stepped over the fallen bodies as though they were no big
deal.
“We need to get going.” Kivani looked a bit shaken as he headed right for Joelle and
folded him into his arms. “Kovachi isn’t human.”
“What?” Bayne asked. “What does that mean?”
“I think he’s a sorcerer.”
Great. As if Joelle didn’t have enough to freak out about. “Can we just go?” His gaze
slid back to the dead guys.
Kivani grabbed his hand and led him from the office.
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Declan complained. “Why would a
sorcerer want to take over the Hunters? He’s the fucking enemy.”
“Bet Hephner’s men don’t know that.” Kivani kept a grip on Joelle’s hand, as though
he was afraid Joelle would run in the opposite direction and never come back.
“You never told us who Ethan was,” Bayne said.
Joelle knew who Ethan was but didn’t understand why Kivani had had a meeting with
him. Had Kivani lied to him? Were they really lovers like Joelle had first thought? If they
were, they had one messed-up relationship if it was okay for Kivani to choke the shit out
of him.
Joelle didn’t like the doubts and insecurities creeping into his mind, or the thought
that Kivani was playing him for a fool. Every time he convinced himself that Ethan wasn’t
a threat, he seemed to pop back up.
And Kivani had said Ethan was a Hunter. None of it made any sense. Joelle wanted to
pull his hand free, to put distance between them, but touching Kivani kept him grounded
and stopped him from screaming his head off.
They rode down in silence. Kivani hadn’t answered Bayne, and Bayne hadn’t pushed.
They stepped off the elevator and Joelle saw machines and other stuff that told him this
had to be a maintenance room.
“Where’s Hector?” Declan asked as he looked around.
“Gone,” Bayne said. “Did you seriously think he’d stick around?”
Joelle didn’t bother asking who Hector was. Aleksei had called him an early-warning
system, which meant he was a Hunter.
Bayne headed out of the building, still naked, as if he walked around nude all the
time. Joelle’s gaze bounced from Bayne’s well-toned ass to Kivani’s face, making sure his
mate didn’t bust him.
His feelings might have grown deeper for Kivani, but he wasn’t blind, and Bayne had
a really nice ass.
Declan and Bayne got into a midnight-blue Escalade while Kivani led Joelle to his
Lexus. Joelle looked back at the building, shivering at the thought of what could have
happened to him. He wasn’t sure what a sorcerer could do, and he was glad as fuck he
hadn’t found out.
“Are you okay?” Kivani asked in the darkness of the car. “Tell me he didn’t hurt
you.”
“He didn’t hurt me.” Joelle had never hated anyone at the level he hated Aleksei. The
guy came off smooth and charming, but he was a liar and a killer.
Joelle hoped Kivani ended Aleksei’s life.
He blinked a few times, shocked at his thoughts. He had never wished harm on
anyone before. Not even Henry when Henry was acting like a straight-up dick.
“What’s happening to me?” Joelle asked as he turned to face Kivani. “I just wished
for Aleksei’s death. That’s not who I am.”
 “It’s a normal reaction,” Kivani said. “He held you against your will, Joelle. You
were afraid, pissed off, and you have no physical outlet for these emotions, so your mind
is compensating for a situation you’ve never encountered before. You’re not turning into a
bad guy. I promise.”
Joelle blew out a long breath. “Just take me home.”
Kivani turned on his radio. Jazz played quietly in the background as he pulled away
from the curb and headed to Joelle’s apartment building.
 Chapter Nine

As soon as they stepped into the apartment, Joelle spun, ready to tell Kivani he
wanted to be alone. But Kivani had other plans. He stepped into Joelle’s personal space
and grabbed a handful of his hair, tugging his head back. Joelle hissed, glaring at him,
until he saw the smoldering hunger in Kivani’s eyes. The apartment felt smaller, hotter, as
Joelle tried to remember how to breathe.
“We’ll talk about you taking off later. Right now I can’t fucking think straight.”
The needy statement sent Joelle’s pulse racing. He knew exactly what Kivani meant,
and as pissed off as he still was at the situation he’d been in, all Joelle’s worries vanished
as Kivani’s arm slid around his waist, yanking him close.
“I’m tired of waiting.” Kivani skimmed his lips along Joelle’s jaw as the hand behind
Joelle’s back slid to his ass. He hitched a leg over Kivani’s hip, clinging to him.
With one arm, Kivani lifted Joelle off his feet and carried him to the bedroom. It was
a perfect fit. Joelle’s body wound around Kivani’s, his arms coiled around Kivani’s neck,
and their lips crashed together, their tongues tangling as moans escaped their throats.
Joelle needed Kivani to ground him so badly, to make him forget that gun pressed
into his side, Aleksei’s cunning eyes, and those dead bodies on the floor. Joelle wanted
those images erased, replaced by thoughts of Kivani’s hard, muscled body slamming into
his.
As soon as Joelle touched the bed, he untangled himself and grabbed at Kivani’s shirt
as he reached for Joelle’s. Their arms got in each other’s way as they still tried to kiss,
tried to stay connected.
“Maybe we should undress ourselves,” Joelle said after elbowing Kivani twice.
Kivani’s smile was so sexy that Joelle’s cock pulsed. “Deal.”
Joelle sat up and made quick work of kicking his shoes off. He stood and slid his
pants down his legs, nearly falling over from how fast he moved. After tossing his pants
aside, Joelle peeled off his socks, then turned and froze.
Kivani had the body of a god. Joelle had seen that through his clothing. But naked, he
made Joelle want to weep as he worshipped every inch of Kivani’s amazing form.
Joelle stood there mesmerized as Kivani began to stroke himself. His cock was long
and thick and the head leaked pre-cum. Joelle’s mouth watered as he licked his lips.
A sensual smirk lifted the side of Kivani’s mouth. “You want a taste?”
“Fuck yeah.” Maybe having a gun at his side and facing a true monster had given
Joelle bravery he’d never had before. Whatever the reason, Joelle slid onto the bed, then
crawled across it toward Kivani, making sure he put on a little show for him. His ass was
jutted out and his eyelids heavy-lidded as Joelle drew out the suspense. And it was
working because Kivani’s eyes gave a slight glow. That should have freaked Joelle out,
but he was too horny to care.
Kivani’s hand strangled his cock, and he’d stopped stroking himself as he watched
Joelle’s every move. His eyes were dark and hungry, and his neck muscles had grown taut.
On all fours, Joelle stared up at him, parting his lips slightly. “Feed it to me.”
Kivani rubbed the head across Joelle’s lips. He felt the wetness as he flicked his
tongue out, never breaking eye contact.
“Open for me, baby.” Kivani’s jaw was clenched tight. He looked seconds away from
coming, and Joelle loved that he had this much power over him. He loved that he was the
one who made Kivani this intense.
Joelle parted his lips and took the head into his mouth, moaning as he lashed his
tongue across the slit.
“Oh, fuck.” Kivani’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they flashed open.
Joelle took Kivani’s cock farther into his mouth, sliding his tongue over Kivani’s dick as
Kivani’s canines descended.
It was the sexiest damn sight Joelle had ever seen. This tall, brave warrior belonged
to him. They wouldn’t part ways in a few hours with a broken promise that Kivani would
call. Come morning, Joelle wouldn’t feel hollow and as if he’d been used simply for sex.
“Not like this.” Kivani pulled back, smashing his eyes closed as he let out a long
breath. “When I come, it’ll be inside your ass.”
Joelle smiled, sliding his tongue over his bottom lip. “I’ll get the lube.”
He’d turned, ready to crawl to the nightstand when Kivani pinned him to the bed,
kissing down Joelle’s back. Joelle laughed, trying his best to wiggle free.
“You gotta let me—” Joelle’s eyes rolled to the back of his head when Kivani licked
his hole. He hissed, rocking back, his fingers curling into the bedding as he moaned.
Kivani reached between Joelle’s legs and stroked him, making Joelle shoot so close
to the edge that he grabbed Kivani’s wrist to stop him. “Not if you want this over before
we’ve started.”
Joelle was in his midthirties, and getting it up twice in one night wasn’t as easy as it
used to be. If he came now, he might not be able to do it again.
Kivani crawled up Joelle’s back and placed a kiss on his nape. “You think I can’t get
you to come multiple times?”
With that deep, silky voice whispering in his ear, Joelle was tempted to find out.
“You’re killing me here.”
Kivani’s chuckle vibrated against Joelle’s back. “Fine, get the lube.”
“You kind of need to get off me so I can move.”
“But I like pinning you down.” Kivani nipped Joelle’s shoulder, sending shivers of
pleasure through him. Kivani reached into the nightstand and extracted the bottle of lube.
“Stay right where you are.”
Kivani rolled slightly to the left. Joelle heard the bottle being opened, then wet
fingers pressed at his hole and Kivani pinned him down again.
“N-not moving.”
Joelle hissed as Kivani’s fingers breached him. He turned his head, seeking out
Kivani’s lips. Kivani was right there, lapping at them, teasing his mouth with his teeth.
“You gotta let me turn over,” Joelle whined. He wiggled, bucked, and groaned in
frustration. “I can’t touch you. And kissing like this is awkward. That’s the messiest kiss
I’ve ever had.”
Kivani grinned. “But I like messy.”
“So do I.” Joelle bucked again. “Just let me up.”
With a deep growl, Kivani moved aside. Joelle flipped over. “Much better.”
Kivani was on him again, his fingers driving into Joelle’s ass, his hard length jabbing
into Joelle’s stomach. He curled an arm under Joelle’s head, lifting him slightly as he took
his mouth in a toe-curling kiss.
Joelle slid his hand down his mate’s back, his fingertips mapping out ever rigid line,
every muscled dip. He wrapped his legs around Kivani’s waist, opening himself up farther.
“I’m ready.”
Joelle felt mindless with lust. Kivani’s scent was crisp and masculine, and his eyes
were spellbinding. This close to them, Joelle saw flecks of black in the amber, and the
intense look Kivani gave him made Joelle feel completely owned.
His heart stuttered when Kivani pulled his fingers free and lined up the head of his
cock to Joelle’s hole. He knew what was about to happen. Ryan had explained it to him,
how a single bite during sex would tie Joelle and Kivani’s souls together.
Never again would Joelle be alone. Kivani would always be there for him. Always.
Unless his line of work got him killed.
Shut the fuck up, brain! That was not a thought Joelle needed to have right now. Ever,
if he could help it.
Joelle hissed and dug his nails into Kivani’s back as he entered him. He hadn’t had
sex in so long that the deep burn made him slam his eyes shut as he blew out a series of
breaths.
But Kivani didn’t stop. Joelle opened his eyes as he bottomed out, then pulled back,
only to repeat his moves at a faster pace. His hands were on either side of Joelle’s head,
his face close.
“Let’s get messy.” Kivani grinned right before he reared back, placing his hands
behind Joelle’s knees and spreading his legs. Joelle arched his back and cried out as
Kivani pounded into him. Kivani had stretched his hole wide and hit Joelle’s prostate on
every single stroke. He reached for his cock, but before he could touch himself, Joelle
came. His seed spilled onto his chest as Kivani leaned down and bit Joelle’s shoulder.
“Oh fuck!” Kivani had placed Joelle’s legs on Kivani’s shoulders, and Joelle was
folded in half. His orgasm had grown stronger with the bite, and Joelle feared he’d pass
out.
Kivani’s hips moved so fast the room filled with the sound of their skin slapping.
Then Kivani stiffened, grunting into Joelle’s shoulder as his cock pulsed in Joelle’s ass.
Kivani buried himself deep as he pulled his canines free and licked at Joelle’s shoulder.
Joelle lay there staring at the ceiling, panting, sweaty, and grimacing. Kivani had
smeared Joelle’s come and now the mess was sticking to both of them.
“You’re heavy,” Joelle said as he slapped his hand on Kivani’s back. “Move before
you crush me.”
They hissed as Kivani eased out of Joelle’s body. Kivani dropped next to him, then
spooned Joelle. From the way Ryan had explained the claiming, Joelle had expected
sparks to fly. They hadn’t, but he did feel a connection to Kivani on a level he never knew
existed.
“Sleep, boo.” Kivani nuzzled his neck. “I’ll spank your ass when we wake up.”
“You can’t threaten me with something I might enjoy.” Joelle wiggled closer. He’d
never felt this content. He sank into Kivani and closed his eyes, smiling.

****

“You can’t go!”

Kivani sat on the side of Joelle’s bed lacing his boots. His mate had been ranting for
the past five minutes and Kivani had a solid headache now.
“I have to find Ethan,” he said for the hundredth time.
Frustration built inside him the longer Joelle argued. He understood his mate’s fear,
but that wasn’t gonna stop him from hunting his cousin down and ripping his heart out for
kidnapping Joelle and shoving a fucking gun into his side.
“Why?” Joelle rounded the bed, his arms folded. “Why do you have to go?”
“Because he’s not getting away with what he did to you.” Kivani stood, but Joelle
hurried in front of him and blocked the bedroom doorway.
“And what if he shoots you?” Joelle waved his arms around. “What if you don’t come
back to me?”
Kivani tried to cup Joelle’s face, to give him reassurance, but his mate turned his
head, taking a step back. “I’m not gonna let you charm your way out of this.” Joelle glared
at him.
 “Move, Joelle,” Kivani said with a deep growl. “I’m not going to fight with you.”
“I don’t like your line of work, but I understand why you have to do it. But this is
personal with Ethan.”
“It’s personal with every last one of those sons of bitches,” Kivani snapped. “I’ve lost
people I care about to Hunters. My own fucking cousin is one of them!”
Kivani hadn’t meant to say that. He’d vowed to himself long ago to keep that secret
buried. If word got out…
Joelle’s brows rose. “Is Ethan your cousin?”
“We’ll talk about this when I get back.” Kivani had gone against his convictions and
called someone to watch over Joelle. It was Jabriel, the same guy who’d kept an eye on
Henry for Nyx.
Kivani had been fooling himself when he thought he could keep an eye on Joelle all
the time and still do his job. But Ethan wasn’t his job. This was as personal as it could get.
Kivani should have seen this coming. For the past three hundred years, Ethan had taken
pleasure in making Kivani’s life miserable.
Kivani was done giving him a pass because he was family. Kivani’s parents were no
longer alive. He had no relatives except Ethan, and the bastard had betrayed him. “Move,
Joelle,” he said again.
“If you leave, don’t come back,” Joelle shouted at him.
Kivani jerked his head back, stunned. Joelle’s brows hiked, as though he couldn’t
believe he’d said that. But Kivani’s shock wore off in seconds. He bared his canines,
advancing toward Joelle. “That’s the second time you’ve told me to get out of your life.
Choose your next words very carefully, mate.”
Joelle was all Kivani had, and his words were like a punch to his gut.
“Why is getting revenge so fucking important to you?” Joelle asked.
Kivani slammed a fist over his heart as he snarled, “Because Ethan nearly tore this
out when he took you. You might think this relationship just began, but I’ve searched for
you for nearly three hundred years. I might not have known who you were yet, but you
were always with me, Joelle. Always.” Kivani drove his fist into the wall, seething. “Why
can’t you just let me do what I need to do?”
Tears slid down Joelle’s cheeks. He swiped them away as he looked down at the
floor. “I don’t think our relationship has just begun, Kivani. I might not be as old as you,
but I’ve been searching, too. Now that I’ve found you, do you think I can turn my back
while you go out there and risk your life because your cousin kidnapped me?”
“That’s exactly what I want you to do.” Kivani pushed past Joelle and headed for the
front door. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t leave at all. His mate’s tears gutted him,
but Kivani had to stop Ethan before he did something else to hurt Joelle.
Kivani stopped, resting his hand on the doorknob. “I asked a friend of mine to keep
an eye on you. Jabriel is out in the hallway. He isn’t a Knight, but you’ll be safe while I’m
gone.”
Joelle slammed the bedroom door closed, and Kivani ground his teeth as he walked
out. To his relief, Jabriel was leaning against the wall.
“Thanks,” Kivani said.
Jabriel simply nodded. No doubt he’d heard the argument. Everyone on Joelle’s floor
had probably heard it.
Kivani took the elevator down, pacing as it descended. He didn’t want to hunt in this
frame of mind, but going back upstairs wasn’t an option. If he did, Joelle would think he
could stop Kivani anytime he wanted with an argument.
Kivani pulled out his phone and sent a group message to Declan, Bayne, and Raven,
telling them to meet him at Krave—the nightclub one of the former Knights owned.
By the time Kivani arrived, the three were waiting for him in the parking lot. Kivani
got out of his car. “We find the bastard who kidnapped my mate and erase him from this
world.”

****

Joelle couldn’t believe he’d freaked out like that. He lay on his bed, curled into a tight
ball, wishing he could hit the Rewind button.
He didn’t see how spouses or significant others dealt with their loved ones in high-
risk jobs, like police officers, firefighters, and soldiers. How in the hell did they do it?
How did they watch them walk out the door, knowing they may never see them again?
The thought was driving Joelle insane.
He needed to talk to Ryan.
Joelle got up and went to the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face before
heading to the door. He grabbed his phone before he walked out, then jumped when he
spotted a muscled stranger leaning against the hallway wall.
It was the same prick who’d refused to let Joelle and Ryan into Henry’s apartment
when he’d been guarding Henry. To be fair, Jabriel had only been doing his job.
Jabriel straightened. “You need something?”
“I was gonna head to Ryan’s.” No sooner had Joelle said the words than Ryan and
Henry exited the elevator. Joelle rolled his eyes at the sight of Henry. He really needed to
learn how to share his toys.
“You don’t know how to call anyone?” Ryan complained as he approached.
Joelle grabbed Ryan’s wrist and yanked him into his apartment, leaving Henry to
walk in on his own. “Just get in here so you can calm me the fuck down.”
 “Why, what’s going on?” Ryan asked.
“Sure, I’ll get the door,” Henry said as he closed it. Joelle ignored the little twink. It
wasn’t as though they were friends.
Though Henry had acted kindly toward him at the housewarming party when Joelle
had freaked out. But that didn’t garner him any brownie points.
Joelle pulled Ryan onto the sofa, then explained what had happened. “And I freaked
the hell out when Kivani left.” Joelle’s shoulders slumped. “I even said some things I wish
I could take back.”
Ryan gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad as fuck Devil doesn’t hunt anymore, but I
know where you’re coming from. All three of us worry about our mates. It’s natural when
they do what they do.” A frown puckered between his eyes. “Or did what they did. But
you get the point.”
“You got anything to drink?” Henry wandered into the kitchen and came back with
three bottles of iced tea. “This all you got?”
“Sorry, I forgot to stock up on the hard liquor,” Joelle snapped. He rubbed a hand
over his head. “Sorry, I’m just on edge.”
“Then we need to do a movie night,” Ryan said. “Though it’s midmorning.”
Henry plopped down on the other side of Joelle. “What kind of movies do you have?”
“Netflix,” Joelle deadpanned. He got up and headed toward the bedroom. “I’ll be
right with you guys.”
“Yeah, if it was me, I’d call him, too.” Ryan winked at him. “You’re so transparent.”
Joelle snorted as he closed his bedroom door. That was exactly why he’d gone into
the bedroom.
His mate picked up on the second ring. “What is it, Joelle?”
Joelle’s stomach shrank at his impatient tone. Kivani hadn’t called him boo, and
Joelle really liked that endearment. That just told him how pissed off Kivani still was.
“I’m sorry.”
Kivani sighed. “Can we talk about this when I get back?”
Tears prickled Joelle’s eyes. When he set out to fuck things up, he went for the
Olympic gold. “Yeah, sure.”
“We’re cool,” Kivani said, his voice a bit softer. “I just have to go.”
“Okay, be careful.” Joelle hung up. He felt just as lonely and depressed as he had
before making the call. He didn’t like things being so strained between them.
A knock sounded at his door seconds before Ryan came in. He sat next to Joelle on
the bed. “Everything fine?”
No, everything was not fine. Joelle felt as if his emotions were tugging him in all
directions. Now he wished he’d just stayed in bed, but then again, he hadn’t called Ryan.
His friend had come to him.
And brought the dickhead with him.
“I don’t know.”
Ryan grabbed his hand. “I know a movie doesn’t solve world problems, but it helps to
forget, just for a little while.”
Joelle followed him into the living room. Henry was seated on the end of the couch,
his feet curled under him. He glanced at Joelle with concern in his eyes.
With a deep sigh, Joelle took a seat, and both men curled against him as Ryan turned
on the television. Okay, so maybe this wasn’t so bad. Joelle liked being hugged between
them. Even his dislike of Henry faded as Ryan used the remote to find a movie.
“No,” Joelle protested. “You are not making me watch Sleepless in Seattle.”
“Just shut up and watch it,” Ryan said. “You’ll like it.”
Joelle turned to Henry. “You got an icepick on you?”
“Why, you gonna stab me with it?” Henry asked.
“I was gonna stab myself if I have to sit through this movie.”
“Will you guys shush?” Ryan complained. “It’s started.”
“Like you haven’t seen this a hundred times already,” Henry said.
“That’s not the point,” Ryan said. “Joelle hasn’t seen it.”
“That’s the point,” Joelle countered. “I don’t want to see it.”
All three turned their heads toward the door when they heard a loud thump and a
deep growl outside.
 Chapter Ten

Kivani and the others were headed back to the office building downtown when his
phone rang. He saw it was Joelle and started not to answer, but the guilt at how he’d ended
the last conversation ate at him.
Thankfully he was alone in his Lexus. Kivani put the call on speaker. “Yes?”
“I think something is going on,” Joelle whispered. “It sounds like fighting in the
hallway.”
Kivani slammed on his brakes, and Bayne nearly rear-ended him. “I want you to go
to the bedroom and hide in the closet.”
“I have Ryan and Henry with me,” Joelle whispered. “Ryan called Devil, but he’s at
the club and it’ll take a minute for him to get here. Nyx isn’t answering, and that’s
worrying Henry.”
Kivani had hated the fact that Kovachi’s headquarters was so close to Joelle’s
apartment building, but now he was grateful it was only a few blocks away. “I’ll be there
in a few minutes.”
As soon as Kivani hung up, his phone rang. He started driving again, going above the
speed limit. “Joelle is in trouble,” he said when he answered.
“Right behind you.” Bayne hung up.
Kivani wanted to assume Ethan had returned, but he couldn’t be certain. It could be
Kovachi. And the fact Kovachi was a sorcerer worried the hell out of Kivani. He’d called
Christian this morning and told the ancient vampire what he’d learned. Kivani needed help
on how to kill a fucking sorcerer.
But Christian hadn’t had any answers. Sorcerers were a rare breed. From what Kivani
knew, they’d been nearly wiped out over two thousand years ago, and those who had
survived lived in hiding.
The near-extinction had something to do with one of Christian’s brothers, Ceri,
having some beef with a powerful sorcerer back in the day. Kivani didn’t know the details,
but he knew he was in over his head.
Defeating Kovachi would be damn near impossible.
Kivani sped into the underground parking garage and left his car in the middle of the
lot as he raced toward the elevator. His mate needed an apartment that wasn’t on the
fourteenth floor. Taking the stairs would have been quicker if there weren’t so many
flights to ascend.
He heard tires squeal as the elevator doors closed. Kivani assumed it was Bayne and
the other guys. He didn’t wait for them. When Kivani stepped off the elevator, he cursed.
Jabriel was on the floor with his eyes closed and a knife sticking out of his gut.
Kivani wanted to stop and check for signs of life and wanted to get the wolf shifter some
help, but Joelle’s door was open and Kivani needed to find his mate.
Knowing the others were behind him and that they would take care of Jabriel, Kivani
raced into the apartment. The living room was empty. He moved slowly toward the
bedroom, his heart in his throat. If the intruder had taken Jabriel down, they would have
no problem killing three humans.
He swallowed tightly as he stepped through the bedroom door. Kivani spun out of the
way just as something swung toward him. Ethan shouted as he lifted the knife again, pure
rage in his eyes.
With a deep growl, Kivani drove forward, putting all his weight into his charge. He
knocked Ethan into the wall, lifted him off his feet by his neck, and slammed him into the
floor.
Ethan shoved Kivani’s hand from his throat, jumped to his feet and crouched as he
clutched the knife in his hand.
“You brought a knife to this fight?” Kivani asked.
“Made of pure silver.” Ethan smirked. “I doubt your buddy out there has long to
live.”
Silver. Nyx had been shot with a silver bullet and he’d lost the use of his left arm.
Kivani needed to make sure Ethan didn’t get that knife anywhere near him.
“Why are you doing this?” Kivani and Ethan circled each other. Kivani had a feeling
Joelle and the others were in the closet. He needed to keep Ethan away from it.
“Kovachi saw us meeting in the alley. He forced me to take your boyfriend.” He held
up the hand that wasn’t holding the knife. “He took my fucking finger.”
“And I’m gonna take your life for putting a gun to Joelle.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes. “It seems one of us isn’t getting out of this room alive.”
Ethan leaped toward him, knife raised. Kivani kicked his right leg out, planting his
booted foot into Ethan’s chest and knocking him clear. Ethan hit the wall, snarled, and
charged again.
Taking down Ethan should have been child’s play considering he lacked shifter
abilities, but Ethan had skills. He ducked Kivani’s punch, using a leg swipe to unbalance
Kivani and making him fall on his ass.
Ethan dropped onto Kivani, both hands on the hilt, trying to shove the blade into
Kivani’s chest.
Fuck this. Kivani shifted into his wolf, snapping and snarling as Ethan fell to the
floor, glaring up at Kivani.
“Your wolf doesn’t impress me.”
Kivani latched on to the arm with the knife and sank his canines into flesh. Ethan
screamed, slamming his fist into Kivani’s side. He had a powerful punch. Kivani’s ribs
hurt, but he refused to let go.
The knife fell to the floor.
The closet door swung open and Joelle screamed as he dove toward the floor and
tried to get to the knife. Even with one arm locked in Kivani’s jaw, Ethan managed to kick
Joelle in his side, sending him flying into the wall.
Red-hot rage filled Kivani. He released Ethan’s arm and went for his throat. Kivani
used his weight to take Ethan down. He trapped his cousin under him, gave one low, deep
growl, then tore this throat out.
When Kivani backed away, he saw Joelle lying there, staring wide-eyed. “Nice
doggy?”
Kivani shifted. He stormed across the room and yanked Joelle into his arms, hugging
him tightly. “Only for you, cupcake.”
Bayne stepped into the room and looked down at Ethan. “Declan and Raven took
Jabriel for help.”
“It’s a silver knife,” Kivani said. “In his stomach.”
Bayne nodded. “We figured as much. Raven called Christian. He sent someone to
help Jabriel.” He looked at Joelle. “You okay?”
“I think so,” Joelle said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Henry and Ryan came out of the closet, looking around, and Henry looked wide-eyed
at Ethan. Nyx stormed into the room, grabbed Henry, and hugged him so hard Henry
turned slightly red.
“I can’t leave you alone for a second,” Nyx said.
“You’re gonna break my ribs,” Henry complained. “Enough with the bear hugs.”
Ryan moved around them. “I’m gonna go meet Devil in the garage. He’s called twice
already.”
“I’ll take you down.” Bayne looked at Kivani. “I’ll be back to help you clean this
mess up.”
Kivani took Joelle from the room. He didn’t want his mate looking at Ethan any
longer than he had to. Until the room was scrubbed clean, Kivani would drag the mattress
into the living room for them to sleep on.
Hell, he’d rent a hotel room for Joelle if his mate didn’t want to stay here. Kivani
didn’t care where they slept, just as long as he had Joelle at his side.
Nyx took Henry from the apartment, one arm around Henry’s waist, the other
hanging at his side. Kivani wasn’t sure how Nyx did it, but the bear shifter still went after
Hunters on his list.
“I was watching from under the crack in the door.” Joelle shivered as he clung to
Kivani. “When I saw him drop the knife, I had to do…something.”
Kivani pressed his hands against Joelle’s face. “If you ever put yourself in danger
again, I’m spanking your ass.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Kivani growled. “I nearly had a fucking heart attack when you charged
from that closet.” He gave Joelle a hard kiss. “Fighting is my job, not yours.”
Joelle narrowed his eyes. “I’m not a wimp.”
“Never said you were.” Kivani kissed him again. “But I can’t take a chance that
something will happen to you.”
“I just saw that knife, and”—Joelle swallowed roughly—“I was the one who nearly
had a heart attack.” He looked into Kivani’s eyes. “I love you and the thought of—”
This time Kivani kissed him with passion, coiling his arms around Joelle’s slim body.
Those three words made his heart soar.
Joelle chuckled when Kivani pulled away. “Keep kissing me like that and I’ll have to
strip naked.” He looked down at Kivani’s nude body. “You’ve already got a head start.”
“I need my bag in my car,” Kivani said with a wink. “After Bayne and I clean up, I’m
taking you to a fancy hotel. We’ll fuck on a bed that feels like a cloud.”
Joelle laughed and the sound made Kivani’s insides melt. The fact his mate wasn’t
freaking out over a dead body in his bedroom gave Kivani hope. He wouldn’t stop
hunting. Kivani had taken this job to eradicate those who were out to harm his kind. He
wasn’t a superhero, but he couldn’t stand by while Hunters tried to drive Kivani’s people
to extinction.
But having Joelle at his back meant the world to Kivani. “I love you, too, boo.”
Joelle looked toward the bedroom door. “Call Bayne to get your clothes while he’s in
the garage. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
Kivani couldn’t agree more.

****

The following evening, Kivani stood outside Joelle’s apartment, his arms crossed as
he leaned against the wall. His brethren were gathered around him, and they didn’t look
pleased.
“You should have told us Ethan was family,” Declan snarled. “We would have helped
take him down.”
“It’s not something I was proud of,” Kivani defended. “What would you have done if
you found out your cousin was a Hunter?”
 “Gutted the bastard,” Bayne snapped. The guy had a great sense of humor, but
underneath his wittiness was a man who could kill without hesitation and who saw the
world through jaded eyes.
Then again, Kivani could say that about all the Knights. Kivani had been a wolf
without a pack…until now. He looked at the five men as his brothers, and he would lay
down his life to protect them.
He just hoped they didn’t string him up for not telling them about Ethan.
“I might not be working for the Ultionem any longer, but we’re still a team,” Devil
snapped. “You don’t keep shit like that from us.”
“Agreed.” Declan eyed the rest of the men. “Anyone else got any secrets they need to
share?”
The men looked uneasy but shook their heads. Kivani was willing to bet they all had
dark secrets they didn’t want coming to light.
He blew out a breath. “You guys gonna tell the Ultionem about this?” The last thing
Kivani wanted to do was face the leaders. But he wasn’t one to run. If he was punished for
not telling anyone about Ethan, so be it. The weight of keeping things hidden had lifted,
and no matter what happened, Kivani felt better now that Ethan was dead.
“Seriously?” Raven looked incredulously at Kivani. “We don’t rat each other out. We
keep this shit between us.”
Kivani nodded as he chewed his lower lip. “We still have to figure out how to take
Kovachi down. He’s seven kinds of pissed his cousin was killed, and he knows we did it.”
Nyx snorted. “Ironic, huh? You both had issues with cousins, and they’re both dead.”
Ironic wasn’t the word Kivani would use. “I’m gonna head inside. It’s been a long
day.”
“Anyone hear anything about Jabriel?” Nyx asked.
“He’s recovering,” Bayne said. “Though the doctor isn’t sure he’ll regain the use of
his legs.”
They all fell silent. Kivani felt like shit because Jabriel had been protecting Joelle
when he was stabbed.
“You still riding with us tonight?” Raven asked.
Kivani liked working as a team rather than going after Hunters alone. And knowing
he wasn’t out there by himself helped settled Joelle’s nerves.
“Meet you at midnight,” Kivani said before he headed into the apartment. Joelle,
Ryan, and Henry were huddled together on the couch, watching some movie. From the
looks on their faces, it was a horror flick.
Kivani plucked Joelle from the middle of the group and carried him to the bedroom.
“I finally got them to watch something other than a chick flick!” Joelle squawked.
“And it was getting to the best part!”
Kivani kicked the door closed. “And I’m getting to the best part.”
Joelle arched a brow. “And what’s that?”
Kivani nuzzled his neck. “You.”
Joelle threw his head back and laughed as Kivani stripped him. Joelle dropped to his
knees, but Kivani shook his head. “Me first.”
He undressed, then climbed between Joelle’s legs and took his mate’s hard cock into
his mouth. Joelle cried out and wiggled, yanking at Kivani’s hair as Kivani swallowed
Joelle’s dick.
Kivani didn’t care if the men in the other room heard them. He wanted to show Joelle
just how much he loved him, how much his mate meant to him.
Joelle bucked, gripped Kivani’s hair in an iron grip, and came down Kivani’s throat.
He swallowed every last drop before rearing back. Joelle was on his hands and knees in
seconds, returning the favor.
“Your mouth is goddamn magic,” Kivani hissed as he fucked Joelle’s face. “Make me
come, boo.”
Joelle took Kivani’s cock down his throat, using his throat muscles to get Kivani off.
With a few more thrusts, Kivani was grunting his release.
“By the way, my mom called,” Joelle said as he curled onto the bed, looking like a
beautiful mess. “She invited us over for Sunday dinner. She wants to know how my messy
cake-eating is going.”
Kivani scowled. “This was not the time to bring your mom up.” He paused. “When
did you eat cake and why didn’t you save me any?”
Joelle yawned. “It’s a figurative cake, and, also, my dad wants to get to know his son-
in-law better.”
Kivani’s chest constricted. He had family again. He wished his mom were still alive.
She would have loved Joelle. “We’ll be there.”
Joelle turned when Kivani settled behind him. He gave Kivani a kiss, then pushed off
the bed.
“Where’re you going?” All Kivani wanted to do was cuddle and sleep until it was
time to head out.
Joelle dressed. “I have a movie to finish watching, and you have business to take care
of.”
Kivani grabbed Joelle’s wrist and pulled him down to the bed. “That shit can wait.”
Joelle laughed as Kivani pinned him down. “I wasn’t done with you yet.”
“Then why in the hell did you let me get dressed?”
 Kivani wiggled his brows. “Because it’s fun undressing you.” Kivani nipped his ear.
“And now you got me craving cake.”
For round two, Kivani took his time. His job would always be there, as long as there
were Hunters to eliminate. But he had three hundred years of loneliness to catch up on,
and Kivani planned on making up for that time.

THE END

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