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  A furrow developed between the man’s brows as he frowned down to where his hand held Corey, as if he could feel that strange sensation of electricity buzzing under his skin, too. He tilted his head at Corey, examining his face, eventually his gaze dropping to Corey’s lips.

  When he’d sat up to grab Corey, the blankets that had been warming the man had dropped to his waist, exposing his broad chest and defined abs. Even his nipples, dark brown and puckered tight against the air, were perfect.

  Corey licked his lips.

  The man hissed.

  Corey’s gaze flew to meet his. The man’s eyes had darkened and while he stared intensely at Corey, he appeared even more confused.

  “Corey. My name is Corey. You’ve been hurt. You hit your head, so that may be why things seem a little confusing right now. What’s your name?”

  The man still hadn’t let go of Corey. If anything, he held him tighter now.

  For a moment, he didn’t think the man would answer. The confusion in his gaze said that he may not be able to answer, but then he shook his head. After a grimace of pain, he said, “Dare. My name is Dare Buckley.”

  Corey couldn’t hold in the nervous and totally inappropriate laughter that burst out of him.

  Dare looked at him like he was nuts. Hell, after this night, he very well might be. “Oh, come on. Sure you see the humor there. Your last name is Buckley? Seriously?”

  Dare hissed and dropped Corey like he was a scalding rock, his eyes widening in horror. “Why do you say that?” he whispered.

  Oh, fuck. Zack hadn’t mentioned if he should let on that he knew about supernatural creatures or not. If the shifters knew he found out about them, would they kill him? Damn, he had no idea, but for some reason couldn’t even fathom trying to lie to this man. So he didn’t.

  “Um, I know I’m human, but I’ve been exposed to a lot of other things that most haven’t. In fact, I work for NAVA with Zack Blackthorne, the local council rep for the North American Vampire Alliance. I called him and he told me that you’re a were. Is that the right terminology?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.” Dare blew out a deep breath. “I guess it’s okay that you know. It’s not like I have a herd alpha I have to answer to anymore, and from the looks of things, you might have saved my life.”

  His life wouldn’t have been in danger if Corey hadn’t hit him in the first place. Corey winced internally, but Dare didn’t notice.

  “I don’t remember anything besides being really cold. What happened?”

  Corey grimaced. “Um, I kind of hit you with my truck when you were in buck form.”

  ***

  Dare

  His head pounded in time to the sound of his heartbeat, each pulse sending a shard of pain ricocheting through his skull. It made it hard to sort any of this out, but now he remembered the blinding light and the confusion that had come before the light and the horrific pain that followed. He grew lightheaded and swayed.

  Corey grabbed his shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” He gently pushed Dare back against the cushions. “Don’t pass out on me again.” Corey brushed the crusty locks of Dare’s hair off his forehead to take another look at his head. “It looks so much better than it did, but that’s really not saying much since I’m pretty sure half your scalp came off with your antler.”

  Dare stilled. “What did you say?” His antler was gone? No, no, no. That couldn’t be. No buck could survive as a male without their antlers.

  “Whoa.” Corey knelt down on the couch beside Dare and suddenly all Dare could smell was the delectable aroma of man. Corey had been aroused recently. The scent wasn’t strong enough right now to be current, but from the lingering odor, he probably had been aroused since he’d found Dare. Had this beautiful dark stranger been aroused by Dare?

  Dare needed that. He needed to assert himself over this man right here, right now. He grabbed Corey’s head and pulled him forward into a searing a kiss. The wracking pain in his body didn’t matter anymore, nothing mattered anymore, besides this man responding to his kiss with a low, desire-filled moan that had Dare’s cock filling and hardening lightning fast.

  Never in his life had he wanted—no, needed—someone as bad as he needed to be inside Corey’s body right now. Luckily, Corey seemed okay with that, since Dare wasn’t sure he’d been able to stop the rutting instinct that had taken hold of him.

  “Need you. Let me fuck you.”

  “You’re hurt,” Corey protested.

  “This will help. Please.” He wasn’t above begging right now. Anything to get his cock inside the tight hot body squirming in front of him.

  For a moment, he thought Corey planned to turn him down, but then that mouth-watering aroma of arousal swamped him and Corey’s eyes darkened. Corey gave a barely-there nod and that was the only signal Dare needed.

  He dove back into those lush full lips driving his hand into Corey’s dark black hair, tunneling and pulling the man closer to him. As the fever in his veins took hold, he became aware that he was completely nude while Corey wasn’t. He pulled at Corey’s Henley shirt, yanking it up over his head and then dove to put his lips on the man’s carved, tanned chest, glorying in the play of muscles under his tongue and lips.

  Corey arched into his touch with a deep groan. “Fuck, that feels good. It’s been too long.”

  Dare caught on that sentiment, but he couldn’t dwell on it. Every nerve in his body pulsed with pounding need and all of them seemed to lead directly to the base of his cock. There wasn’t time to talk about anything right now, not when pure lust blazed through him.

  He reached for the buttons of Corey’s jeans, shocked to find Corey’s dick head right behind the button, leaking with excitement. “Fuck, you’re huge.”

  “Says Thor,” Corey gasped out just as Dare freed his cock and wrapped his hand around the spongy tip and then stroking down him in a firm grip. His hips thrust into Dare’s hands. Dare dipped his head down to lick the moisture off the tip. The pre-cum acted like a drug. The moment the liquid hit his tongue, the sliver of control he had, shredded.

  He rose with a growl, stripped Corey’s jeans and underwear off him and then propped him kneeling on his hands and knees on the couch.

  Need, need, need.

  The sentiment thrummed through Dare’s brain until he felt like he would explode.

  He spit on his cock and rubbed the liquid up and down his pulsing length. It was so engorged with blood it looked practically purple. Then he did the same for Corey’s hole, wetting and stretching as best as he could with his very limited patience. But then he couldn’t wait any longer. He notched his dick.

  Corey’s muscles tensed in preparation for him.

  While he wanted nothing more than to ram into the taut, gorgeous body below him, he didn’t. Instead he traced his hand up Corey’s spine, following that trail with his tongue as he slowly—so slowly—pushed inside.

  Corey’s internal muscles grabbed at him tugging him further inside after he’d pushed past that initial barrier of muscle. White-hot pleasure wrapped around his cock, demanding he pound and take everything he could from Corey.

  He roared as the instinct took over. It was his right to do so. He was the alpha male here and he would fucking take what was his. He barely noticed how tight and tense Corey became.

  He pounded into the man, chasing his need for release, to dominate, to rule. His hips pistoned and his fingers dug into Corey’s flanks yanking him back just as hard as he thrust forward. Somewhere in his brain he knew he needed to take it easier. He didn’t want to hurt Corey, but he couldn’t get his brain to follow the screaming inside his head telling him to slow down.

  Instead he bent over Corey’s back and latched onto the meaty part of his shoulder and neck with his teeth, tethering him to the man even more. As the coming orgasm tightened his balls and sent an arc of fire down his spine, he bit Corey, breaking the skin. Blood flooded his mouth as his cock erupted and cum flooded Corey’s ass.

  Corey screamed and
bucked under him, his ass tightening on Dare’s still pulsing cock as he followed Dare and orgasmed, his cock rutting into the couch untouched by either man.

  Dare panted, but his muscles had all tightened and wouldn’t let loose, on the precipice of...something. He opened his mouth, letting go of Corey’s shoulder. “Alltid bundet sammen,” he murmured into Corey’s ear. “Alltid vil du være min.”

  His hips thrust his still hard cock one more time into Corey’s ass and the world went white as he came again in a blinding rush. Bliss and euphoria like he’d never known before flooded him and then, eventually, he collapsed.

  Chapter Three

  Corey

  What the hell just happened?

  Corey was pretty sure he’d just passed out with the force of their explosive sex. It had been violent and fast...and the most erotic thing Corey had ever experienced. Maybe it was just the fact he’d only had a couple of bathroom blowjobs in the year since Damien died, but that had been...incredible.

  But now the dead weight of Dare on his back was making it a little hard to breathe. Fuck, the guy was huge—in more ways than one. He’d be lucky if he could sit on his sore ass tomorrow.

  A knock sounded at his door, but still Dare didn’t stir.

  “Fuck. Come on, Dare. Wake up. I know you’re in a post-orgasmic blissed out state, but I have to answer the door.” He lifted his shoulders and Dare rolled off him, Dare’s cock sliding out at the same time. As he slid out, so did a drizzle of cum.

  Corey froze, his gaze flying to Dare’s unsheathed cock. They hadn’t used a condom.

  Shit.

  But the fact the man wasn’t moving should probably concern him more right now. He knelt beside the couch and lightly tapped Dare’s pale cheek. “Dare, come on. You’re scaring me. Wake up, babe.”

  Nothing.

  Then the pounding on his door started again. “Corey! Dammit, open this door.” It was Zack. “Or else I’m coming in. We have to talk and I brought the healer.”

  That got him up and moving. He quickly threw a blanket over Dare’s waist and jerked on his jeans and rushed to the door. “I’m coming!”

  He flung open the door.

  Zack’s eyes widened when he got a good look at Corey.

  Corey had no idea how he must look, but if he looked even slightly like how he felt, he must look well fucked and used. Heat flooded his face. This was not the impression he liked to give his boss.

  Crap.

  But then he noticed the tall, willowy man standing behind Zack with a ferocious frown on his ethereal face. “The were fucked you?” the man asked.

  “Whoa.” Corey threw both his hands up and took a step back. “How about some introductions before you start butting into things that aren’t any of your business?” At Zack’s raised eyebrow, Corey added. “Begging your forgiveness for my rudeness, but seriously...”

  The willowy blond man stepped around Zack and grabbed Corey by the arm, turning him around with surprising strength.

  “Hey!” Corey protested.

  “He’s been marked.” The man skirted his fingertips on Corey’s bare back near where Dare had bit his shoulder.

  He hadn’t had time to really take stock, but now that the strange man drew attention to the area, Corey realized flames of pain radiated out from the bite on his shoulder. He tried to look over and see what exactly Dare had done to him, but instead met the violet, malevolent gaze of the man that Zack had brought. That anger surprised him and made him more than a little leery of this guy.

  “Did he say anything when he did this to you?” Now both of the man’s hands were on his shoulder probing the sensitive skin there.

  “Zack, maybe you should introduce us...since he thinks he can put his hands on me.”

  The hands lifted off his skin and the man sneered at him. “Believe me, it is just as distasteful for me to have to touch you, human.” The word came out growled like someone would talk about the shit on the bottom of their shoe. “And you didn’t answer me. Words? Did he say any when he bit you?”

  Corey thought back to that moment and heat rushed through his body. Fuck, that entire scene had been way too hot. “Yeah, he mumbled something in a language I didn’t recognize. Something European maybe?”

  “Norwegian,” the tall said with another deep scowl. “It’s where his herd hails from.”

  But then the man stepped around Corey to approach Dare.

  Oh, no, he was going nowhere close to Dare. Corey stepped in front of him. “No, you don’t touch him. Zack, who is this? He’s pushing his welcome here.”

  Zack sighed. “Corey, relax. He’s our healer. His name is Kalen Druigdah. He’s qualified to handle the were.”

  “No! No one is handling the were, but me. Are we clear?”

  Kalen’s lips pressed tightly together. He was clearly unhappy with the situation. He turned toward Zack. “The bonding has already begun. He’s protective.”

  Corey gritted his teeth together. He didn’t know what to make of Kalen’s ramblings about mating and bonding. All he knew was that Dare needed him to fight for him because right now he was too wiped out to do it for himself. “I’m standing right here and I’m not protective. I just don’t like assholes. So why don’t you step back? I’m sorry you came all the way out here, but Dare is fine and I’ll handle whatever he needs.”

  Zack came over to Corey. “Calm down. I know Kalen doesn’t have much of a bedside manner.”

  Corey rolled his eyes. From what he’d seen, that was putting it very mildly.

  “But,” Zack emphasized the word, “he does know about the medical needs for paranormal beings. The were you hit needs specialty care that only the Fae can provide to him.”

  “Fae? Like fairies? Is that what he is?” Corey squinted at the tall man and could see the similarity to the fairies in The Lord of the Rings movie.

  “Not fairies, you heathen,” the man—Kalen—sneered. “Fae.”

  “Yes, exactly,” Zack said. “He won’t hurt the were, but he does need to check him. The fact that you and he have been intimate so soon after Dare was hurt is a bit worrisome. Weres are instinctual creatures. They don’t react the same way humans will to an injury, and that can be dangerous.”

  Corey was about to ask what he meant by that when Kalen spoke. “He lost an antler. That explains much.” He’d snuck past Corey while Corey had been focused on what Zack was telling him. He probed Dare’s head wound.

  “Leave him alone.” Corey growled and lunged for Kalen, but Zack grabbed him before he could get far.

  “The wound is healing well. No doubt, your invigorating presence...” Kalen sneered down at Corey’s groin, “helped in the process.”

  A flush of embarrassment rose up Corey’s cheeks.

  “That’s enough, Kalen,” Zack growled. “Is he going to recover? Why is he still unconscious?”

  “His body is recuperating. Much like yours does during the day, his body has put him into a forced hibernation mode while he recovers. I imagine he’ll be like new tomorrow and wondering exactly how he managed to get an all new mate to go with his amazing headache.”

  “So, they’re definitely mated?” Zack asked.

  Corey could feel his boss’s gaze on the bite mark on his shoulder. The burning hadn’t subsided. In fact it felt more and more hot and itchy the longer they talked about it.

  “Aye,” Kalen answered.

  “So, what does that mean?” Corey asked, beginning to worry about what exactly he’d gotten himself into here. “I’m not going to turn into a deer now, too, am I?”

  “No.” Kalen rolled his eyes. “What it means is that I hope you at least like him.” He gestured toward Dare asleep on the couch. “Because, now you’re stuck with him. Mating for weres is deeper and more binding than any marriage ceremony on earth. ‘Til death do you part is literal in this case.”

  Corey’s knees suddenly turned weak and he sank down onto the chair beside him. Married? “I don’t even know him.”

  Kalen
snorted out a half-laugh that didn’t sound anywhere close to humorous, although it was definitely a deprecating sound.

  “Corey,” Zack said. “I know this is confusing, and I’ll admit I’m concerned about this, too. But the fact remains that the two of you are mated and he’s hurt. He needs you right now. If you separated at this point it could have lasting, unpleasant repercussions for both of you. I’m trying to reach his herd alpha, but the weres stick to themselves and it appears that the herd may have moved from the area.”

  He cast a worried frown over at Dare. “Which is concerning. A were without his herd can be dangerous and volatile. Fortunately, he appears to be harmless for the moment. Unfortunately, sunrise approaches soon, so I need to get home. I can leave Kalen to help—”

  “No.” Corey interrupted. “That won’t be necessary.” He had no desire to spend a single minute more with the unpleasant man. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. Um...” Dare looked completely passed out, but from experience he knew that couch wasn’t that comfortable. He glanced at Kalen. “Do you think he’ll be asleep for several hours?”

  “Definitely,” Kalen answered.

  “We can’t leave him there. He’s hurt. Would you all mind helping me getting him to my bed?”

  Kalen raised a suggestive eyebrow and Zack appeared surprised at the request, but neither said anything. They just nodded.

  Five minutes later, Dare had been deposited into Corey’s bed, making the huge king sized mattress look suddenly smaller and more cozy.

  “Is there anything else I should know?” Corey murmured as he followed the two men out into the hall, leaving Dare in peace.

  “Yeah, there’s going to be a lot,” Zack said. “But that’s enough to take in for right now. I’ll be back tomorrow night to check on you. Luckily, the plasma center is closed for the holiday so you two can take some time to get to know one another, uninterrupted.”

  Sure, that was one way to look at it. Corey resisted the urge to lean back into his bedroom and check on Dare again. He needed a moment to figure out how he felt about all this. He ushered Zack and Kalen out the front door. “Thanks, Zack, I appreciate you coming to help.”