Maynard visibly swallowed. “I won’t be able to stop myself from biting you.”

  Luke paused as he looked down at him. “Bite me?”

  “I guess I forgot to mention that part.” Maynard skimmed his finger over Luke’s shoulder, making him shiver at the touch. “I would bite you here, and then our souls will bind.”

  Doubt started to creep into Luke until Maynard’s arms came around him in a tight hug then eased, his hands trailing up and down Luke’s back.

  Heat radiated from Maynard’s body, and Luke bit back a moan when Maynard’s fingers trailed along the waistline of his underwear. No doubt the man felt the tent poking him in the gut.

  Luke ground his teeth when Maynard’s fingers made their way down his underwear, curling around his cock. Luke hissed, thrusting into Maynard’s hand as he tilted Maynard’s head back and stole a deep, sensual kiss that sent electricity through him.

  Luke shuddered when Maynard broke the kiss and his lips found their way to his hardened nipples. He ghosted his lips across the left one, laving it, sucking the hard peak into his mouth, using his teeth to add light pressure.

  Luke was seconds away from taking over. The exploratory way Maynard licked across his chest, using his tongue to map out Luke’s pecs before moving onto the right nipple, was torture.

  Maynard moaned as he sucked and licked, testing Luke’s control. Luke wanted to reciprocate, but he didn’t want Maynard to stop. As Maynard dined on Luke, the hand that was curled around Luke’s cock moved slowly, teasingly, giving just enough pressure to keep Luke on the edge.

  God how Luke had missed this. Touching, kissing, simply being with someone else. He’d kept himself isolated for too long, and Maynard’s presence only reminded Luke that he was still young, still full of life.

  Luke placed his hands on either side of Maynard’s head, looking down at what the guy was doing, getting turned on as he watched pure pleasure cross Maynard’s face. But in Maynard’s hand wasn’t where Luke wanted his cock. As much as he was enjoying this and didn’t want his little impala to stop, Luke pulled back and helped Maynard out of his boxers.

  Maynard curled a leg around Luke’s hip, and Luke spun to sit, helping Maynard straddle him. He drove his cock back and forth along Maynard’s crease as Maynard clung to him, eating at Luke’s mouth.

  As they kissed, Luke reached over and opened the side table drawer, reaching for the new bottle of lube he’d yet to open. Luke might have protested about being mates and the whole fate thing, but when he’d gone to town to take the shell casing to the sheriff, he’d gone to the pharmacy first and purchased the new bottle.

  Since they never went into Luke’s bedroom, he’d stashed it in the living room where they spent most of their time, and Luke was glad he’d thought ahead.

  Maynard pulled back and smiled. “You keep lube in your living room?”

  “Always be prepared.” Luke tossed the top aside, peeling back the tiny aluminum seal. Luke lubed his fingers and set the bottle aside. Maynard bit his lower lip, his eyes shining, as he lifted his ass. “I really can’t believe this is happening. I thought I’d grow old and gray before you came to your senses.”

  Luke chuckled. “Put an almost-naked guy next to me and I’m putty in his hands.”

  Luke cupped Maynard’s ass, parted his cheeks, and probed at his hole before sliding a finger inside. Maynard gasped, groaned, and inched his way down, impaling himself. Luke’s cock now rested between them from all the movement, gliding alongside Maynard’s as he took the man’s mouth in a searing kiss.

  Then Luke added a second finger while he kept Maynard pinned against his chest. Maynard’s fingernails dug into Luke’s shoulders, scoring him, branding him, and Luke welcomed the added fiery sensations.

  “I need…” Maynard gasped between breaths. “I need you inside me.”

  That was exactly what Luke needed, too. He pulled his fingers free and lined up his cock, allowing Maynard to take as much as he wanted as he lowered himself onto Luke’s shaft.

  Luke groaned as he filled Maynard. The fit was so tight and hot and unbelievably perfect. He gripped Maynard’s hips and started thrusting, Maynard clinging to him as they gasped and groaned. This was the relief Luke needed after what had happened yesterday. He hadn’t lied when he said that he felt the attraction. That was one reason he’d found out where Maynard lived.

  Luke hadn’t been able to stay away no matter how hard he’d tried. He needed Maynard as much as Maynard needed him. That was proof when Maynard had comforted Luke when his aunt had called. Proof when Luke was there for Maynard when his house was vandalized.

  Maybe fate wasn’t such a bitch after all. It had known that they’d needed each other and had intervened.

  Maynard tightened around him, squeezing Luke with his legs, his lips parting as his nails dug even deeper. Luke snarled, punching his hips upward, loving the feel of his cock buried inside Maynard over and over again.

  “Oh, god, Luke!” Maynard threw his head back, and Luke nibbled at his throat, sucking in the skin and causing a sexy bruise.

  Luke pressed his feet against the floor, grabbed Maynard’s hips, and watched as Maynard bounced, taking what he needed. Luke growled at the sexy sight atop of him. He couldn’t have stopped the sound if his life depended on it.

  Soon they had a rhythm going, Maynard’s hands pressed into Luke’s chest, his lips parted, and his eyes switching between closed and opened, as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to watch or lose himself in the act.

  Maynard’s cock bobbed freely, clear dots of pre-cum clinging to the slit. Luke released one of Maynard’s hips and curled his hand around Maynard’s erection, stroking him and watching as Maynard fell apart.

  Then Maynard struck, sinking his sharp teeth into Luke’s shoulder. Luke shouted, throwing his head back as he felt something move inside of him. He could only describe it as a rubber band that had been stretched too far then snapped back into place. Luke gasped as Maynard removed his teeth and licked where he’d bitten him.

  There was no denying that Luke felt a bond with Maynard, something so deep and profound that he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it.

  Maynard arched his back, shooting his load as Luke stroked him faster, his ass clenching around Luke’s cock until Luke could barely move inside him.

  Maynard collapsed. “Oh god. Cooling cum does not feel good.”

  Luke gave a soft chuckle as he traced his fingers up and down Maynard’s sweaty back. “I didn’t hear you complaining while you were shooting your load.”

  “I need a shower.” Maynard sighed as he lifted his ass, easing Luke’s softening cock from his body.

  Luke joined Maynard in the bathroom. His mate… Luke liked the sound of that. His mate looked down at Luke’s leg.

  In the throes of passion, Luke hadn’t thought about it. He hadn’t even thought to throw something on this morning when he’d gotten up. There were a lot of scars over his thigh from the accident and surgeries.

  Then again, Maynard had massaged Luke’s leg when he’d been in the tub, had seen the damage already. Even so, he still had an urge to cover himself.

  Maynard touched Luke’s thigh. Luke gritted his teeth as he looked away. Then Maynard let his hand fall and turned the shower on. That was one thing he was noticing about the guy. Maynard never used words when they weren’t needed. He simply was there for Luke, a quiet strength that Luke hadn’t known he’d needed until Maynard had entered his life.

  The shower felt good on his skin when Luke stepped in. He washed Maynard’s hair, and the rest of his body, paying particular attention to his bits and pieces. Then Maynard grabbed the cloth. Luke had never had anyone wash him before, and he kind of liked it, the pampering.

  The cloth dropped. Maynard lowered to his knees. Luke groaned as his mate took his cock into his mouth. “Oh shit,” Luke moaned.

  He cupped Maynard’s head, rocking in shallow bursts. Luke was only in his mid-thirties but was shocked he’d gotten hard so quickly after he’d just had an orgasm. Luke ground his teeth as Maynard worked Luke’s dick down his throat.

  “Fuuuck.” Luke’s balls were tingling, growing tighter against his body. When Maynard took him back into his mouth, Luke fucked upward, shoving his dick deep, chasing his second orgasm.

  When Maynard deep throated him, it was game over.

  Luke came so hard his balls fucking hurt. And Maynard still worked his dick, taking every last drop and licking Luke clean before he reared back on his knees. Then Luke felt the soapy rag between his legs. Maynard finished washing him as Luke caught his breath.

  This definitely was the best morning Luke had had in a very long time. If this was what it was like being mated to Maynard, Luke was one lucky bastard.

  “Okay, rinse off.” Maynard grabbed Luke’s hips and turned him toward the spray as Luke chuckled. Best morning ever.

  * * * *

  The town looked ghostly as Maynard and Luke walked down the street. Kids in costumes ran from one store to the next, clearly done trick-or-treating in the neighborhoods. Maynard liked that he was holding hands with Luke as they took in the decorations the town and store owners had worked hard to put up for Halloween.

  They’d gone into Kent’s Café, and Maynard was delighted to see the brewing caldron sitting on the counter. Gem had made Halloween-themed cookies, and it seemed as if he’d overloaded on them, because as soon as someone ordered the last of something, Kent refilled the tray.

  They got hot apple cider then continued their walk. Maynard kept an eye on Luke’s leg to make sure he wasn’t exerting himself, but his mate seemed to be walking just fine. Maybe mating Maynard had helped heal his injury. Only time would tell.

  Maynard gave a feigned squeak of terror when kids dressed like zombies, Frankenstein’s monster, and a ghost raced past them.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the ghastly beasts,” Luke teased.

  Maynard slapped his arm. “I was faking it. I just wanted them to think they’re that scary.”

  “Sure, sure.” Luke smiled. “Whatever helps your ego.”

  As Maynard rolled his eyes, a sudden sense of being watched came over him. He looked around but didn’t see anyone from his old life. Then again, even some adults were dressed in costumes, so Carl, Patrick, or Johnson could be ten feet away and Maynard wouldn’t know.

  Luke started to slow. “What’s wrong?”

  Maynard bit his lip and shook his head. He didn’t want to spoil their evening and doubted any one of them would attack with so many children around. “Nothing.”

  Luke studied him for a moment, and then he sighed and started walking again. Maynard hated lying to his mate, but no one was going to spoil their fun.

  Chapter Eight

  Two days after Halloween Luke sat on the couch and stared down at his leg. The scars were still there, reminding him of that fatal night, but he’d noticed reduced pain. He wasn’t limping as noticeably anymore.

  “You ready?” Maynard came into the living room, Diablo at his heels.

  Luke liked the fact that Diablo was no longer snarling at Maynard and that Maynard was no longer looking warily at the dog. They were the most important males in Luke’s life, and he wanted them to get along.

  Luke pointed to his leg. “Did you do this?”

  Maynard’s brows drew down as he looked at Luke’s leg. “Do what?”

  “The pain. I—”

  “Do you need me to draw you another bath?” Maynard started away, worry in his green eyes. “I can get you some—”

  “Maynard, stop.” Luke stood and strode over to his mate, his limp gone. “I mean I have no pain.”

  Maynard’s smile lit up his face. “So it worked!”

  “What worked?” That was what Luke had been trying to figure out. He’d noticed it yesterday, too, but he’d still had slight discomfort. Now? Nothing. It was as if his leg had never been injured in the first place, though the scars remained.

  “Our mating.” Maynard waved at Luke. “You won’t get any human diseases and you’ll age as slowly as I do, but I wasn’t sure about prior injuries…if it would work. If the healing component in my saliva would heal old wounds.”

  Luke had to say he was stunned. Though he understood why their existence was kept secret, they needed to bottle that healing component and sell that shit. The nonhumans would make a killing off of it.

  He held up a hand. “So I won’t get diseases, like what, an STI?”

  Maynard chuckled. “That, and much more. You don’t have to worry about cholesterol or heart disease, cancer or high blood pressure.”

  “So I can go out and be the biggest manwhore and don’t have to worry about condoms?” Luke forced himself to keep a straight face because there was only one guy for him, and that guy stood in front of him, turning so red that Luke thought Maynard’s head would pop right off.

  “I will gut you where you stand if you even think about…” Maynard’s words trailed off as he growled. “You were messing with me.”

  “So freaking easy.” Luke laughed.

  He was truly grateful that he couldn’t catch anything, because condoms had been the last thing on his mind when it came to Maynard. Not that Luke thought Maynard had anything, but he’d never gone bare with anyone in his life. Maynard had been the first, and Luke was glad he hadn’t gambled with his health.

  Maynard walked over to him and got right in Luke’s face, though his mate was a shrimp. “Screw with me about fucking other men and I’ll neuter you.”

  “I was just joking,” Luke said as he followed Maynard out of the house. “Do you really think I’d sleep with anyone else, baby?”

  Maynard whirled around. “Don’t you dare call me baby after you were talking about being a manwhore. I’m so furious with you right now, Luke Teufel.”

  Luke took a step back. It seemed his teasing had backfired. He was ready to throw himself at Maynard’s feet and beg forgiveness when he saw the sides of Maynard’s mouth twitching.

  “So freaking easy,” Maynard said. “Now get in the car.”

  Luke burst out laughing. “Oh my god! You had me going.”

  “Oh, I was serious about neutering you, but I’m not furious. Not unless I catch you ogling other men in town.”

  Luke leaned his arms on the top of the car. “My eyeballs belong only to you.”

  Maynard already owned Luke’s heart. He’d yet to tell his mate that he’d fallen in love with him. Luke was looking for the perfect moment to declare that. Maynard deserved no less.

  * * * *

  Luke had taken the bulk of the bags into the house. Maynard was at the car, grabbing the rest when he felt something press into his back. At first he thought it was Luke messing with him, until he heard the labored breathing. Maynard stiffened, dropping the last of the bags from his hands. They landed back in the trunk as Maynard looked toward the house, fear tightening in his throat.

  “Not an easy man to find.”

  Maynard knew that voice. He’d worked with the guy for nearly a decade. It was a voice he never thought to hear again. “Patrick Hemlay?”

  Carl Moody’s best friend. If anything, Maynard would have expected Carl to show up since it was his daddy that got locked away. On the day Tom Moody had been arrested, Carl had sworn he’d get revenge on Maynard, sworn Maynard would pay for what he’d done.

  He’d downplayed the story to Luke, as if turning on his entire department had been the right thing to do, and it had been, but Carl and his friends were dangerous. Maynard knew that to the bottom of his heart. They might be human, but they weren’t men to cross. They’d terrorized an entire town, taken joy in bringing misery to others, and had come close to killing Maynard before he’d packed up and moved away. They’d cut his brake lines, and if not for Maynard’s quick thinking, he would have gone over the edge of a cliff. He’d bailed from the car at the last second, lying on the road as he’d watched his car go over. After that, Maynard had rented a car and gotten out of town.

  He hadn’t bought another car until he’d gotten to Willow Point.

  “Keep your mouth shut and head toward the back of the house.” Patrick pressed the weapon harder into Maynard’s back. “You created a complete mess then bailed. You weren’t left behind to clean anything up.”

  “If you guys hadn’t been so corrupt, there wouldn’t have been anything to clean up,” Maynard pointed out as he walked. Where on earth were Luke and Diablo? By now at least Diablo should have come running outside. How had the dog not heard Patrick?

  They made it up the side of the house and into the backyard without Luke or Diablo coming to see what was taking so long. Maynard knew something was wrong—aside from Patrick having a gun on him—when he looked around. Patrick never did anything without his brother. Where was Johnson?

  They’d made it halfway across the back lawn when Maynard spotted Johnson hidden just inside the woods. He had a rifle trained on them as Maynard and Patrick drew closer. The guy was a lot bigger than Patrick, with broad shoulders and red hair, unlike Patrick whose hair was brown. Johnson was also the crueler one, Maynard had found out after the department had been investigated.

  Johnson’s then girlfriend had come forward and told the investigators how her boyfriend knocked her around, sent her to the hospital twice, and how she hadn’t known where to turn because the cops in their town were crooked.

  After Diane had come forward, more women had done the same. Maynard had thought he’d be sick at just how many females Johnson had abused.

  “Did Carl send you?” Maynard asked. “I can’t believe you two would track me down and Carl isn’t a part of your revenge plot.”

  “Oh, he’s around,” Patrick said. “You screwed up so many lives, Maynard. I’m surprised more men didn’t volunteer to come. You put Carl’s daddy away, and that’s unforgivable.”

  “But you guys preying on innocent people is perfectly acceptable?” Maynard wasn’t shocked that Patrick saw no fault in what he’d done. After everything went down, Patrick still couldn’t see how what he’d done was bad. He kept saying that they’d only “taught” troublemakers a lesson. He’d refused to acknowledge that innocent people were hurt, too. Refused to consider how traumatized the shop owners were because of the shakedowns. Refused to comprehend that you arrested people, not beat them down in some grimy alley.