Homespun

Mates

The Dragon's Bite

Drew Patton just went through a bad breakup when his uncle Harry died suddenly. It falls to Drew to travel to the small town of
Homespun and settle his estate. Drew just wants to take care of business and head back to his home in Boston, but a chance meeting leads
to an explosive and sudden claiming of the hot surfer-looking guy in the town's grocery store. Now Drew's not sure whether Oliver
Warren has lost his mind, or whether the story of wizards fighting for centuries is actually true.
Oliver Warren never would have counted on a Patton wizard as his destined mate, but he'll be damned if he's letting Drew go now that
the pair have claimed one another. However, he never would have chosen for Drew to need to stay to help take care of the last of his
deceased uncle, who refuses to let go of his home and his magic.
Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal
Leng th: 27,229 words

THE DRAGONS BITE

Homespun Mates

Autumn Wynn






EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove


THE DRAGONS BITE
Copyright 2015 by Autumn Wynn
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-408-2

First E-book Publication: May 2015

Cover design by Harris Channing
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DEDICATION


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just checking Twitter.

Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
About the Author

THE DRAGONS BITE

Homespun Mates

AUTUMN WYNN
Copyright 2015

Chapter 1

I think its official, Gus. Were completely lost.
Sighing, Drew Patton crumpled up the precise directions he printed off the Internet and pitched
them over his shoulder into the cramped rear seat of his pickup truck. Maybe he should have splurged
on a GPS before he began the long meandering drive to his uncle Harrys early this morning, but he
hadnt quite expected the trip to turn into the frustrating wild goose chase it very quickly became. It
turned out that not only was Mystic Lake not listed on his battered road atlas, it didnt even show up
on his cell phones map application. Even the Internet directions managed to be vague, and the
accompanying digital image made it appear as though every road which led to Mystic Lake ended up
swirling around it without actually reaching its banks. Drew knew there must be some dirt road or
rocky trail to the lake which hed continually missed as he drove through the area, peering into every
thicket of trees or grassy field for some concealed way to the lake, but he just kept missing it.
In the passenger seat, his pudgy bulldog Gus grumped out a sympathetic bark. His stub of a tail
wagged a cheerful thump-thump-thump against the back of the seat. Drew smiled and reached out a
hand to scratch Gus behind his floppy ears. Yeah, yeah, Drew muttered, we can go ask for
directions now. Gus barked again, happier and louder than the last.
Gus, like Drews truck and his brownstone in the city and his college education, had been a gift
from Harry. Harry had been one of those uncles who always came to family gatherings and holidays
in a foul mood, who insulted your card-playing skills and complained loudly about the one B you got
on a report card otherwise bursting with As. He drank all of the beer in the house, never trimmed his
scraggly beard, and occasionally said the sort of embarrassing bigoted nonsense which made Drew
shoot pleading looks to his mother, silently begging her to let him go upstairs to his room to work on
his senior project or head out to the bookstore to wait out Harrys interminable stay.
The one thing Harry had going for himwhich only barely excused his irritating behavior
was his presents. Harry gave amazing presents, and gave them often, from a new car for his sixteenth
birthday to a wriggling bulldog puppy who licked happy kisses across Drews chin in greeting only a
few years earlier. Thanks to Drew being his last living relative, Harry splurged on him, and then
some. He almost turned down the brownstone when Harry handed him the keys upon his graduation
from BU, but Harry just waved him off and pushed him toward the front door with a grumbled curse
or two.
Drew once asked his mom where Harry got the money to buy him a car and send him to college
when he didnt appear to have a job and mostly talked about the hunting and fishing he did at his
cottage on Mystic Lake.
His mother, the heavy bags under her eyes shadowing her gaze as she peered into the depths of
the nearly-empty fridge after another long night shift at the factory, just said, Its rude to ask those
sorts of questions, baby, before rumpling his hair absently.
Drew chuckled derisively as he pulled up to the stop sign at the intersection of Rambling Road
and Sycamore Lane for the third time today. It was just like Mom to tell him not to ask Harry rude
questions when Harry had no problem asking rude questions of Drew, especially after Drew
summoned up his courage and brought his college boyfriend Cameron along for Thanksgiving.
Surprisingly, Harry had refrained from saying anything homophobic, but after he interrogated
Cameron for the better part of ten minutes while Drew was in the kitchen helping Mom peel potatoes,
Drew learned his lesson. He still winced as he recalled Camerons highly detailed recap of the more

intimate questions Harry asked him as they rode back to campus, and the unveiled disgust in his voice
when he broke up with Drew at the end of the trip.
Typical Uncle Harry. He always did know how to ruin a conversationor an entire relationship
with a few well-chosen words.
He never discovered what Harry did for a living. Even the executor of Harrys will, an ancient
lawyer with trembling hands and no family photos in his bland office, had been unable to provide
Drew with a clear answer to that simple question. I suppose he lived off investments, the lawyer
stated in shaky indignation, then mumbled something about only knowing Uncle Harry a mere two
weeks before he died, just long enough to complete Harrys will before the stroke hit.
If Harry possessed investments or stocks or even a measly savings account, he certainly didnt
leave them to Drew. Instead, the only thing he left to Drew in his rather short will was the cottage at
Mystic Lake, a cottage Drew never even visited before.
Drew frowned. Oh, God, what if he got up to the cottage and there was a meth lab in there? Or
sex slaves in the basement? Maybe a few unknown graves in the woods surrounding the cabin?
Yeah, right, he muttered. Harry didnt have any deep, dark secrets. Oh, sure, hed never been
all that open about how he paid the bills, but that didnt mean he was involved in something illegal.
Well, unless being an asshole was against the law, which it wasnt. The only law Uncle Harry had been
apt to break was fishing without a license.
Realizing hed been sitting at the stop sign for quite a long timethough thankfully without
someone sitting behind him waiting for him to stop daydreamingDrew made the left turn onto
Rambling Road which hed been avoiding for the past hour. He knew damn well that this particular
turn would take him away from Mystic Lake, but by now he didnt care. He left home that morning at
five oclock and it had been a lousy trip. Five straight hours of driving with only one bathroom break
at a rest stop with more cockroaches than clean toilets was bound to make anyone a little desperate for
some help.
Rambling Road certainly lived up to its name. The surprisingly well-tended ribbon of pavement
wound between lush trees whose branches stretched overhead and wound together in a cozy canopy.
Fresh sunlight poured through the tangled mass of leaves and wood, speckling the road in warm
golden pools.
Well, its definitely pretty here, Drew said.
Gus barked again. Thats what you get when your dog is used to being the only living being you
talk to on a regular basis, Drew thought wryly. He learns to respond to whatever you say even if he
has no idea what it means.
A blind curve loomed ahead, tucking into a copse of pine trees so rich and full the road
appeared to vanish in a pitch-black hole in reality. Drews grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he
relaxed somewhat at the sight of a large sign pounded sturdily into the weedy pasture to the right of
the blind curve. Welcome to Homespun, it proudly proclaimed in burned-out lettering, the lightlystained wood gleaming pale yellow with the suns reflection. In smaller letters, the phrase Population
1,564 had been etched into the wood under the greeting by the same officious woodworker.
As Drew drove past, he swore the second line on the sign blurred for a moment, the number
changing from 1,564 to 1,566 out of the corner of his eye.
Drew let loose a sarcastic laugh. Gus, he said, you and I have definitely been on the road too
long.
This time, Gus didnt bark.
Drew drove cautiously around the blind curve. He could just picture frightened deer or

adventurous rabbits darting out into the road ahead of his pickup truck. Luckily, nothing bolted out in
front of the truck, unless you counted the sudden curtain of full darkness which swallowed the road.
Drew fully expected his headlights to pop on automatically, but the darkness passed too quickly to
trigger them, bleeding out before he could blink. Everything shifted back into hazy summer air
clouded with soupy sunlight and the occasional sluggish mosquito. The road emerged from the eerie
shadowed area into a sudden spring of quaint country homes. Wraparound porches hugged their
foundations, tidy shutters bracketing their clean windows.
Whoa, Drew said quietly, slowing down to gawk at the picturesque town spread out before
him.
Whoa was right. He didnt think hed ever seen anything like Homespun outside of a Norman
Rockwell painting. Rambling Road quickly connected to Main Street at a roundabout with a small
park in the center. A pair of little boystwins, maybe, they certainly looked enough alike
scampered around the jungle gym in the center in fits of giggles before they both paused to watch his
truck drive past. Drew waved, his mother s silent voice in his head prodding him to politeness, and
one of the boys waved back. The other boy stared at him in the sort of awe reserved for ghosts or
alien invasions, his mouth forming a shocked O.
Weird, Drew thought, letting his hand drop back to the steering wheel. It couldnt be that odd for
this town to get people from out of town, could it?
Drew pulled up to the next stop sign and paused to openly stare at the sight before him.
Homespuns main drag spread out before him like a smorgasbord of small-town Americana,
complete with red-and-white striped awnings, old-fashioned street lamps with black iron bases, and
wide sidewalks with freshly painted benches. Everything dripped with antique charm, from the ice
cream shop with its wrought iron tables and chairs lining the sidewalk outside to the barbershop with
the slowly spinning pole across the street. Drew wallowed in the atmosphere for a long moment,
letting the pleasant surprise of Homespun sink into his bones.
Oh, yeah, he could definitely write while he was here. He could already feel the plotbunnies
pawing insistently at his ankles, begging for his attention.
He was tempted to take a break and go for some lunch, maybe park himself at one of those
tables outside of the ice cream shop with his laptop and a banana split and pound away at notes for his
new novel. But it had been a long trip from Boston to the middle of Pennsylvania, half of which had
been spent cursing Brents name and all of which had been spent fumbling with computer-printed
directions and confusing maps. What Drew wanted more than anything was to get directions, find the
cabin, locate the bedroom, and sleep for about a week and a half.
Parking in front of the ice cream shop, Drew silently debated which store was most likely to be
the source of the best directions when he spotted the grocery two doors down. Rains General
Store, the placard hanging over the sidewalk proclaimed, the gold lettering ornately curlicued. The
general store theme played out in the stores old-timey wood facade and the penny candy
prominently featured in the grocerys front windows in tidy glass jars. Drew half-expected he would
go inside to find a woman in a prairie dress and apron behind the counter asking him how the Civil
War was going. It was probably his best bet for getting directions to the cabin, though. Besides, he
could pick up a few essentials for Harrys presumably empty cupboards and fridge before he headed
onward.
Drew unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the truck, not bothering to lock the door or roll up
his window. It didnt seem like that kind of town, after all. He patted the door and said, Behave, Gus.
Gus, whod placed his rough paws on the passenger-side door to peer outside, glanced back at

him as if to say, Yeah, yeah, Dad, then went back to his happy people-watching, his tongue lolling
out of his mouth.
The bell over the door dinged cheerfully when Drew stepped inside. He couldnt help but smile
when he spotted the barrels of candy and nuts and the numerous shelves lined with neatly arranged
groceries. A glass display case with a sturdy wooden frame stretched the length of the left side of the
room. A pair of rocking chairs sat as cozy bookends to an old wood stove in the rear of the store. The
only nods to the current day, it seemed, were the pair of modern glass-front refrigerators against the
back wall which stored dairy products, fruits, veggies, and meats, and the battered portable stereo
tuned to an oldies station which leaned against a modern computerized register on the counter.
Drew gave a low whistle. Wow, when people in this town went all out, they really went all out.
A rustling from the back room drew his attention, and a moment later a middle-aged woman
appeared from an open door behind the counter, carrying a dusty box of Fourth of July decorations.
Unlike the Old-West-style gingham dress Drew had been expecting, she sported a pair of old jeans
and a Rolling Stones concert raglan which was possibly older than Drew was. Her hair was cropped
short, a salt-and-pepper cap against her dark skin.
She plopped the box on the counter with a triumphant, Ha! Found them! then looked up and
flinched at the sight of Drew standing before her. She clutched at her chest and laughed, an infectious
giggle which brought a nervous smile to Drews face as well. Damn, kid, you scared the hell out of
me! I didnt even hear the bell ring.
Well, dont have a heart attack on my account, he said with a laugh. Im completely
harmless.
Somehow I doubt that, she said, her voice going a bit dreamy. She gave him a studying look
that made him feel as though she was quickly and silently stripping him down to the bones in her
head. He shivered as what felt like a ghostly caress drifted across his back and down his spine, then
narrowed his eyes in her direction. She hadnt Nah, he must be imagining things. Too tired from
the long ride, probably.
What felt like an eternity later, she said, You lucked out, kid. I meant to lock up for the day but I
must have forgotten to flip the damn lock.
Oh, Im sorry
Dont worry about it, she said, waving him off. What can I help you with?
Drew suddenly felt more than a little guilty at interrupting her customer-free time, and decided
to hold off on the groceries until later. Actually, I was just looking for directions to Mystic Lake.
Mystic Lake? Why would anyone want to go to The woman paused abruptly, her words
skidding to a halt. She leaned forward a tad and blurted out, Well, Ill be damned. Youre Harrys
nephew, arent you? I dont know why I didnt recognize you before. Youve got those same green
eyes of his.
Drews lips drew into a tight smile. If there was one thing he always received comments on
positive or notit was his bottle-green eyes, the same eyes he inherited from his father and that hed
shared with Uncle Harry. They werent just green, though. No, the Patton eyes were a vivid shade of
jewel green that looked like a fractured mess of broken stained glass and emerald shards. In the right
light, they almost glowed from within. They made for a good opening for guys looking to hit on him,
although Drew was pretty sure the startlingly surreal color scared off more than a few guys in the
past. Sometimes they looked positively inhuman.
Not waiting for a verbal response, the woman reached out and grasped his hand in her warm
fingers, shaking with firm vigor. We all knew Harry around here. Im so sorry for your loss. Im

Rain, by the way. Rain Orbison. He might have mentioned me. We were good friends for a very long
time.
Uh, hi. Im Drew. If Drew already felt uncomfortable at intruding on Rains time, he grew
even more unsettled upon finding out she knew his uncle. Uncle Harry had friends? Real people who
wanted to spend time with him and werent utterly repellant? He didnt know whether to be intrigued
or bolt for the door.
Rain finally let go of his hand and stood up straight again, placing her hands on her hips. Let
me guess. Youre trying to find Harrys cabin? Because if so, your first mistake was trying to find
Mystic Lake on a map. They never did get around to adding the new utility road around the lake to
most maps, let me tell you. It makes the poor lake look like its totally cut off from the world. Here,
let me draw you a better map. I know Ive got scrap paper around here somewhere.
She bent over to rummage behind the counter for paper and pen, leaving Drew standing on the
other side in a daze, not sure what to respond to next.
Rain? You still down there?
The warm masculine voice carried through the air from the doorway to the back, sparking
something in Drews blood which roared to life and whimpered for attention like a needy puppy.
Liquid fire burst through his veins like a potent wild inferno, and Drew moaned softly from the force
of the sudden tingling heat which flooded through him. Thankfully, the embarrassing sound was
muffled by Rains cheerful, Down here, Oliver. I told you you should have reminded me to lock the
front door.
A low chuckle, this time a bit closer, could be heard over the tinny sound of some 60s girl
group fighting to be heard through the weak reception of the old radio. The husky laugh curled
around Drew in an eager tease, orchestrating a fiery tsunami of arousal through his body. Drew felt
suddenly drunk on a douse of sweet intoxicating desire. He slumped forward just a bit from the jolt of
dizzying want which struck him like vengeful lightning. What the hell? he thought, and gripped the
counter with one trembling hand to keep himself upright.
I shouldnt have to remind you, oh, great and wise
A male figure appeared in the doorway, his tanned forearms clasped around another cardboard
box of Fourth of July decorations. Drew was barely able to lift his head to look at the newcomer, but
what he saw made his knees dare to buckle. The man in the doorway sported a yellow tank top and
loose black sweatpants smudged with dust, but his casual outfit did nothing to hide the ripped body
underneath. He must be a runner, Drew thought through a confused haze, noting the newcomer s tall
build and the lean, compact muscles which layered his frame.
A deep rolling thunder grew in the mans chest, the closest thing to a purr or a growl that Drew
ever heard another man make. He jerked his head upward, only able to lift it a few inches due to the
growing storm raging through his shocked body. It was more than enough of a view to take in the
newcomer s shoulder-length blond hair, the sharp angle of his jaw dusted with red-gold stubble, and
the mans molten-gold eyes, their depths flecked with copper and bronze. He held himself in a tense
stance which suggested he felt just as overwhelmed as Drew, his gaze never leaving Drew as he took a
cautious step forward. A small voice in Drews head piped up that the man approached him like
someone coming toward a nervous animal, one slow step at a time so as not to scare it off.
Distantly, Drew noted Rain cursing under her breath then disappearing, leaving only the
slamming of the door behind the newcomerOliver, she called him Oliverto signify where she
must have gone.
Drews gaze met Oliver s, those intense golden eyes of his, and the connection between them

locked with an almost audible click.

Mate, Oliver growled.

Chapter 2

Mate.
The word rumbled from Oliver Warrens chest, unbidden and rough, like rich gray smoke
burbling from an erupting volcano. He couldnt have pulled the sound back into his throat if he tried,
and didnt want to.
The younger man hunched over the counter, both hands gripping the frame, his long pianists
fingers holding up his trembling body as he stared with ravenous lust into Oliver s steady gaze. He
panted past full lips, the tip of his tongue darting out to wet their rounded surfaces. Glass-green eyes
sparkled up at him, teasing Oliver with wicked intentions which danced behind their odd surreal
color. His confused expression, probably born of dizziness from his first violent introduction to the
magical world, didnt sit well on his striking face with its oddly arched eyebrows and high
cheekbones. Even clean-shaven, his chin and jaw carried the shadow of the dark beard he might grow
if he wished. He looked like a lost fae, a disoriented wood nymph.
A mate. Oliver s mate. The other half of his soul, the one person hed been waiting to bond with
for centuries.
And he was a Patton.
Oliver didnt need an introduction to establish that. Those distinctive Patton eyes were a clearer
sign of his family line than his name ever would be. There were plenty of Pattons in the world, but
only one branch of the family whod been the bane of Oliver s existence since he inherited his powers
five hundred years ago.
Oliver wanted to be angry. He wanted to snap and rage, wanted to lash out with his powers and
fists. Of all of the people Fate could have chosen to become his destined partner in life, to share in his
magic and continue his genetic line, that cruel bitch plucked the last Patton from whatever normal
nonmagical life hed been living and dropped him into Oliver s unsuspecting line of sight.
But what Oliver wanted more than anything at this moment, even as his uncontrollable anger
boiled underneath his skin like bubbling-hot caramel, was to fuck, to grab onto the gorgeous young
man on the other side of the counter and haul him into his arms. He wantedno, neededto strip him
bare, to tear away the worn jeans barely concealing his impressive erection and swallow him down,
to thrust into him for hours and days and months on end. He wanted to confront the undeniable ecstasy
that swirled through the air between them and embrace it with eager hands.
Mate, he growled again, meaning suck me and fuck me and goddamn it, Fate, you selfish
confusing witch all at the same time.
He felt more than saw Rains startled reaction. Her strong sweet magic scented the air as she
grumbled a string of vivid curses in a dozen languages and spelled the front door and the windows
with her usual flourishing hand gestures. The lock on the front door clicked with a snap. The blinds
clattered down and closed, shielding the room from the prying eyes of curious passersby. Persistent
sunlight bled in through the middling spaces between the closed blinds and the window frames,
allowing the few lights above to blanket the room in a warm golden glow.
Rain darted from the room like a racing dragonfly, blowing past him without a word. She
slammed the final door in the room shut behind her, leaving the two of them alone.
Leaving Oliver alone with his young, confused mate.
Oliver tensed from head to toe like a taut rubber band when the Patton heir s panting increased,
bordering on frantic hyperventilation. What the hell is happening to me? he asked, his words

rasping from his overworked throat. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed back a choked breath
and Oliver s gaze reflexively followed the movement. Oliver imagined the salty tang of his mates
lust-triggered sweat as he trailed his tongue over the tempting slope of the younger mans neck, and
he craved it with an unholy fervor.
Youre in heat, Oliver said. He thought about telling the kid it could wait, about preserving his
innocence for just a little while longer, but they didnt have time. He didnt want to lie anyway. He
never wanted to lie to this young man if he could help it. Were both in heat, and if we dont fuck
soon, its going to kill us both.
The younger man barked out a disbelieving laugh. Yeah. Yeah, sure, okay. Whatever you say.
He hissed in a ragged breath, baring clean white teeth which hinted at unnaturally sharp points.
Oliver shuddered, only barely resisting the urge to run his tongue over his own teeth. Inside the
confines of their bodies, their needy dragons heaved and struggled under their steaming skin, crying
out for one another, demanding to bond as quickly as possible.
In his head, Oliver snapped back at his dragon, viciously and wordlessly ordering the impatient
creature into a reluctant submission which wouldnt last long. Wizards werent shape-shifters, not
really, but the line between the two was very fine indeed. The ancient dragons which roiled and
writhed inside their naturally strong bodies never wanted to emerge. They had no desire to rip apart
the human companions they so successfully cultivated and reassemble them into the enormous scaled
forms of their former bodies. Dragons only wished to merge with their other halves, to share their
unfathomable magic and allow their human counterparts to learn to channel and wield it with all of
the deft precision of a well-trained artist wielding a paintbrush. Dragons, for the most part, remained
calm and meditative. They slumbered or purred, scampered or slept.
Until they met their mates, of course. Then they broke loose of their confines and demanded
release, hovering just under the surface, savoring the bubbling lust in the air like fine wine.
Whats your name? Oliver said past clenched teeth. He refused to continue until he had a name
to go with the young mans stunning face.
The Patton heir heaved out another shaky breath. Drew, he said roughly. Why?
Oliver didnt bother to answer, or to provide his own name. His dragon wouldnt wait. Not any
longer.
An inhuman whine burst from his chest and he leaped without conscious thought, placing one
hand on the counter to steady his arching body. His calf muscles flexed as he landed before Drews
slumping body in an acrobatic crouch he would be unable to pull off under normal circumstances. He
rose in one smooth graceful movement, sliding his shaking hands under Drews arms and hauling
Drew up onto still unsteady feet. As soon as his palms lay flat against Drews back, they both groaned
from the pressure, the sudden contact, even with the worn cotton of Drews shirt as a thin barrier
between their anxious skin.
Oliver dove forward with all of the eagerness of a starving man confronted with a heaping
buffet. He devoured Drews mouth in a heated kiss which swamped them both in a rising tide of want.
His bright sparkling flavor, like a hint of expensive champagne he just sipped, burst across Oliver s
taste buds, driving his dragon into a lustful frenzy. Drew might not taste so strongly of champagne the
next time they kissed, Oliver s dragon hovering so close to the surface and altering the strength of his
senses, but its insistent memory would plague every touch they shared for the rest of eternity with that
distinctive bubbling light.
Drews lithe body curled into his like a ribbon teased into tight spirals with the flat edge of a
pair of scissors. His throaty moans ran roughshod over the coarse interior of his punished throat.

Each low drawn-out song of passion Drew released past those swollen lips stirred Oliver s blood into
an erotic orchestral symphony.
With a jerky wrench of his neck, Drew pulled away and hitched in his breath, not looking Oliver
in the eye, just pressing his sweat-dappled forehead to Oliver s shoulder. What the hell is going on?
Now isnt the time
Bullshit, Drew snapped. His gaze jerked up to latch onto Oliver and hold tight, bathing him in
the startling accusations pouring from those green eyes. I dont know what you did to me, but how
about you just give me the antidote and we forget this ever happened, okay?
Without conscious thought, Oliver raised his shaking hands and rested them on the angular line
of Drews jaw. There is no antidote, Oliver said slowly, enunciating every word with insistent
precision and willing Drew to understand he was telling the truth. And I didnt do anything to you. I
dont have enough power to make you do something you wouldnt want to do under your own free
will. Im not nearly strong enough for that. But you are dangled at the tip of his tongue, eager to
escape and make things even harder to explain than they already were.
Defiant sparks flashed in Drews eyes, and his lips twisted in a mockery of a smile. He said
nothing, but Oliver suspectedhoped, maybethat what he almost retorted was, Who said I dont
want to do this?
Oliver sure as hell would want to pounce on Drew like a hungry jungle cat even without the heat.
The man was fucking gorgeous, looking more like some faes cast-off bastard than the rightful heir
to the Patton magical legacy.
No wonder Harry never lured the kid to Homespun. He must have known they were mates, the
absolute jackass.
When Oliver laughed harshly at that, Drew frowned in response, a silent question lingering
behind his gaze. Oliver evaded Drews obvious curiosity the only way he could think of, by reaching
for the worn leather belt threaded around the waist of Drews jeans and eagerly fumbling with the
tarnished buckle. He supposed he could have tried to wave their clothes from existence with a flick of
his wrist, but his magic was temperamental at the best of times. With lust burning through his veins
like lit gasoline, Oliver didnt trust himself not to send away their clothes and their stiff cocks along
with them.
Distracted, he barely noticed Drews gaze zeroing in on the thrumming pulse point on his neck
until Oliver felt Drews lips press against the spot and suck hard. Drew pulled the patch of tanned skin
between his teeth and nipped with the points of his incisors. It wasnt enough to break the skin, but it
was definitely enough to get Oliver s attention.
As revenge, Oliver ran a teasing fingertip along the hard length stretching against the crotch of
Drews jeans. When Drew buried his face in the crook of Oliver s neck and moaned, Oliver s grin
deepened. He flicked his thumb over the patch of denim which covered Drews sensitive prick. Drew
sagged against him, felled by a wave of numbing passion.
I dont know if I can take anymore and we havent even done anything, Drew murmured into
the dusty fabric of Oliver s tank top.
Yet, Oliver said.
Drew laughed again. Yeah, yet.
Oliver guessed that was a good sign. At least Drew wasnt begging him to find them an escape
route from the heat. There wasnt any, and a growing shadow in Oliver s chest already lightened over
not having to disappoint his mate by repeating that fact.
Their fingertips stuttered across their lust-warmed skin as they both tugged at each other s

respective shirts, and they separated just long enough to haul off their shirts and toss them aside. The
action rumpled Drews dark hair, giving it a just-fucked look long before they completed the deed.
Between that and his eyelids gone heavy with barely restrained passion, Oliver silently swore to
himself he simply must keep Drew in this beautifully wound-up condition as often as fucking
possible.
But not now. Now they needed to complete their mating.
Oliver yanked and pulled at Drews undone jeans, the well-worn denim skimming over the
enticing curve of his ass and sliding down his legs. Drew absently kicked off his shoes as he quickly
worked to remove Oliver s sweats as well, the loose material falling to the floor much more easily.
Oliver stepped out of his sweats after kicking aside his own sneakers, savoring Drews wide-eyed
gaze when he saw that Oliver wasnt wearing underwear. Rain had called him in the middle of his
meditations, cajoling him to assist her with a little spring cleaning in as sweet a tone as she could
manage, and hed simply thrown on whatever old clothes he had lying around, not bothering with
grabbing a pair of boxers. It wouldnt occur to Rain to care, after all.
Drew, on the other hand, hissed in a shaky breath at the size of Oliver s cock, its heavy hardened
weight shifting between his legs, pressing against Drews thigh with great and needy purpose.
Damn, he muttered. Im going to have to give birth to a toddler before I can fit that thing in my
ass.
Oliver s surprised bark of laughter jerked Drews head up, and Oliver decided not to give Drew
any more of a chance to think about taking his wide, nine-inch prick. Instead, he bent forward and
latched onto Drews flat brown nipple, teasing the puckering skin with the inhuman points of his
changing teeth. Drew groaned once again, a rough wanting plea, as Oliver s sharpening incisors
pressed insistent marks into his erect nipplesfirst the left, then the right.
After a torturous moment of distracting Drew until he stopped thinking so damn hard, Oliver
pulled away from the enticing nubs and pressed his sweat-dampened forehead to Drews breastbone.
Fuck me, he murmured into the heated skin. Oh, gods above, Drew, fuck me before we go insane.
When he stood up straight once again, Drews brow furrowed in confusion as he stared up into
Oliver s eyes, his breath still rushing from his lungs in ragged huffs. You sure? he asked. His hands
skimmed down Oliver s sides until they rested on the solid curves of his toned buttocks.
Oliver nodded, not bothering to elaborate. He assumed Drew was simply surprised that someone
at least six inches taller and fifty pounds of muscle heavier than him might want to bottom first, but he
had other reasons than wanting Drew to pound into him with the aggressive intensity of the mating
heat. No, this was all on his dragon, which cried out to be mounted roughly by its newly found mate,
which demanded that Oliver submit to the stronger wizard in the room.
Drew might not have the training or the knowledge, but his magic was stronger.
By wizard law, he was the alpha.
A roaring growl burst forth from Drews lips, finally let loose from the prison of his throat
with a ferocious burst, and a moment later he spun Oliver toward the counter. Oliver s breath
quickened as Drew kicked his legs apart. One questing hand slid along his lower spine, then dipped
into the crack of his ass. In a blinding daze, Oliver wondered where Drews other hand was, then
tensed in anticipation at the rustling sound of Drew removing his boxer briefs, yanking them off with
enough force for the snap of ripping threads to be heard. An instant later, Drews other hand fumbled
on the shelves behind them in a desperate search for something to use as lube.
His search ended abruptly when his fingertips drifted over Oliver s hole. Youre already lubed
up, Drew said, his voice questioning. There something youre not telling me?

Oliver chuckled. What if I said it was magic?

Im not sure Id care right now.
Oliver wondered how much Drew would care if Oliver told him it was Drews magic which had
probably done it, acting on its own in anticipation of their upcoming mating, butlater. He could
explain later. Already he could feel his body temperature rising to unhealthy levels, clouding his
consciousness in a dizzy fog.
He felt the narrow press of Drews body against his own, focused in on the blunt tip of Drews
cock. The hot skin left a fiery trail over the rounded globes of Oliver s ass. Oliver noted distantly that
Drew hadnt stretched him open just yet, but his dragon responded with a needy roar and an unusual
flash of power which relaxed his inner muscles until Oliver was sure he was more than ready.
You stretched already, too? Drew breathed.
Oh, gods, Drew, please fuck me already. Oliver s voice cracked, each word snapping off in
crisp pieces.
It felt as though time stood still, the world pausing for the momentous occasion of their longawaited joining. Oliver pictured the town outside frozen in anticipation, and a shiver danced along the
length of his spine.
An instant later, Drew pushed inside him, his thick, questing length filling Oliver up like no one
else ever had.
Oliver was almost tempted to ask Drew just how big he really was, but he seemed to have lost
his grasp on every loose tendril of the English language. He could only grunt eagerly as Drews hips
slapped against his ass, pounding into him, demanding a satisfaction which pranced just out of their
reach. Oliver s hand slid a sweaty palm print across the glass front of the counter as Drew rested his
own hands on Oliver s hips and jerked him into the position he desired. Now, each frantic thrust that
Drew made forced the throbbing tip of his cock to graze Oliver s prostate, sending wave after
overwhelming wave of pleasure cascading through Oliver s body.
Thisthis was what Oliver had waited centuries for. A man whose body fit his own like they
were carved out of the same sturdy piece of wood, whose substantial power parried with his with the
finesse and joy of a pair of playful fencers. From the first time he ever learned of mates, or what they
meant and what they brought into a wizards life, Oliver knew what hed been searching forfor a
match, for a partner, for the other half of his soul.
Apparently, he just found it.
Absently, Oliver reached down with his free hand and clasped it over the trembling weight of
Drews own hand on his hip, threading their fingers together. Harder, he wanted to plead. Pound me
harder, mark the hell out of me, sign your name on my soul in large bold letters for everyone to see.
Instead, Oliver arched his back, tilting his head to one side to reveal the strong curve of his
neck. He couldnt get his tongue to do anything more complicated than lick futile swipes across his
lips, much less plead aloud for the bite. Oliver just hoped instinct would be enough to stir Drew to
complete the bonding here and now.
Drew attacked like a challenged cobra, his pointed teeth latching onto Oliver s neck and digging
into the tense flesh there with focused purpose. Oliver cried out in unrestrained joy at the geyser of
ecstasy which swelled through him and burst forth in a tremendous climax. His cock twitched
repeatedly as it erupted with his orgasm, rocking him from head to toe and draining what little energy
he had left from his quaking limbs until he fully expected to sink to the floor in exhaustion. But
somehow he managed to keep himself upright as Drew finally came, flooding Oliver s ass with liquid
heat and curling a protective arm around Oliver s waist.

Suddenly, like a firm hard slap, the bond clicked into place, a permanent lock between them.
Memories and knowledge poured into Oliver s mind like the contents of a crumbling dam, almost too
much too soon after such incredible earth-shattering sex. He could only imagine what must be
happening in Drews head as he abruptly pulled from his teeth from Oliver s neck, releasing a vivid
string of curses as his forehead rested against the expanse of Oliver s back.
Oliver s grip on Drews hand tightened reflexively in silent need. Just let this moment last a little
bit longer, Oliver thought. Please just give me a few more minutes to savor this before everything
goes to hell, and takes my mate with it.

Chapter 3

Oh, God.
Once the swelling euphoria of orgasm drained away, reality finally pierced the clouded veil of
Drews lust. The pungent scent of good sex slapped him in the face, along with the warm press of his
emptied balls against the rough swell of Oliver s backside. His own stiff pubic hair was now wet and
sticky with the cum leaking from Oliver s ass. His slowly softening cock threatened to slip from
Oliver s passage with any sudden movements. Drew felt a jolting urge not to move or even breathe,
an absurd sense that he never wanted this moment to end. He could easily spend the rest of his life
right here, fucking Oliver over and over again, the two of them doubled over on every surface of the
grocery as they mated like horny bunnies and
Oh, God, Drew said again. This time he pulled away from the grip of Oliver s fingers, his
sensitive cock slipping from the tight recesses of Oliver s heavenly ass. Oliver stood there for a
moment, still facing away from Drew, one loose hand dangling at his side, glistening sweat turning
his skin a gleaming golden sheet in the warm glow of the grocerys lights.
IIm sorry, I dont know what came over me, Drew said, grabbing for his clothes. He
snatched his boxer briefs off the floor, grimaced down at his soft, swinging cock, then used his
underwear to scrub away the uncomfortable evidence of their joining.
When Drew lifted his head from his hasty self-cleaning, he found Oliver had turned around, his
calm expression betraying none of what he might be feeling. The arcing splatter of fresh seed on the
glass behind him made Drew wince. Not only had they messed the place up, but Oliver must have
come without his prick even being touched. Drews cheeks warmed as he pulled on his jeans, not sure
whether to be embarrassed or proud.
You know exactly what came over you.
Drew jerked his head up at Oliver s softly spoken words. Oliver s golden-brown eyes cradled
him in their warm depths, giving Drew the comforting sensation of being snuggled in front of a
roaring fireplace. His enigmatic smile revealed nothing, no confusion, no anger, no hint of shame
that he still stood before Drew brazenly nude and spattered with hot cum from their animalistic
fucking. Drews own gaze dipped downward, taking in Oliver s spent cock, its uncut weight resting in
silent anticipation against his thigh.
He shook away the sudden rush of hunger which rose in his blood and looked Oliver in the eye,
deadly serious. No, I really dont.
Oliver s smile rearranged itself into something more playful. Fair enough. Ill play along.
I dont want you to play along, Drew snapped. Its patronizing. And besides, I really dont
know what just happened. Whatever the hell that was is justthats not me. I dont do one-night
stands.
Its two in the afternoon, Oliver said.
Drew glared up at him. Youre not funny, he almost growled, then yanked his shirt over his
head. Ignoring the amused laughter Drew could see dancing behind those golden eyes, he reached up
to tidy his sweat-dampened hair with one still-unsteady hand. Now, care to give me directions to
Mystic Lake, or am I just going to have to try the gas station?
Oliver s stance tensed and his jaw tightened. For a split second, Drew was positive Oliver would
demand to take him to the cabin himself, but the possessive light which flared behind his eyes
vanished as quickly as it arose. Follow Main Street south until you reach Trents diner, then make a

right onto Red Wing Drive and go straight for five miles. The road wanders a bit, but you cant miss
the lake.
Thank you, Drew said, his ire reducing the longer he stood there. Oliver didnt deserve to be
the target of his confused irritation, not even because he didnt seem to give a damn about putting his
pants back on. Pointedly, Drew crouched to grab the sweatpants and rose once again, shoving them at
Oliver s tightly-defined abs so that the dangling fabric hid his enticing and quickly recovering
erection from view. Im sorry, he added.
Oliver laughed as he clutched the sweatpants to his chest, his chuckle whiskey-rough. Baby, if
youre saying youre sorry for the earth-shattering sex, I dont accept your apology.
In spite of his still-crashing emotions, Drew laughed. No, I meant if I came off as a jerk. I just
came to town to take care of my uncles estate and I dont want to start off on the wrong foot if I have
to be here a while, you know?
I dont think youre a jerk, Oliver said, his voice lowering. A surprise mating can be a very
upsetting time for someone whos never encountered magic before. The heat disorients even the best
of us. Then, before Drew could react to that bizarre statement, Oliver took Drews hand in his own
larger ones and raised it to his mouth, brushing his lips across the back of his knuckles in a trio of
quick butterfly kisses.
Uh, right, Drew said, pulling his hand back with more reluctance than he would have expected.
Just because he wrote love stories for a living shouldnt mean he was a sucker for old-fashioned
romantic gestures, but he just couldnt resist candlelight and roses and anything which harkened back
to medieval chivalry. Okay, so maybe real medieval knights werent exactly stereotypical romantic
heroes, but pretending never stopped being a major turn-on of his. He barely resisted the urge to
touch the back of his hand where Oliver kissed him as he tucked his hands in his pockets. Im just
going touh, Id better go. Yeah.
He offered Oliver a weak smile before bolting for the door, unlocking it almost frantically in
his need to escape.
When Oliver didnt say good-bye, Drew almost stopped to look back, then changed his mind.
Maybe encouraging a crazy person was not the best idea.

* * * *

Well, Ill be damned.
Rains awed curse burrowed through Oliver s pinpoint focus. He grimaced as he finished
pulling his sweatpants back on and moved to one of the windows. A deft jerk on the pull cord tugged
the blinds upward, and Oliver watched as his fascinating little mate darted over to a pickup truck
parked next door. Drew ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair, rumpling the dark strands
before he lowered his arms again. A moment later, he reached out to pet the slobbery bulldog happily
sticking its head out the window.
When Drew spotted him looking out the window, Oliver s lips curled in a satisfied smile. Drew
glanced away quickly, his cheeks flushing pink as he headed across the street to Chriss gas station at
a jog.
Well, well. So he really didnt know anything at all about the magical world, or about mates.
And he certainly didnt trust Oliver if he was going to the gas station. Oliver couldnt think of a
reason for Drew to go there unless he wanted to double-check Oliver hadnt given him the wrong
directions. The gods only knew why. Drew probably just wanted to make sure Oliver wasnt

misdirecting him in an attempt to lead him to some secret gay BDSM furry sex-slave farm he ran or
something. The spontaneous mating had thrown the poor kid for quite the loop, to be fair.
Oliver studied the faint outline of his flustered mate through the windows of the garage. Drew
was just barely visible, leaning against the counter as Chris sketched out quick and dirty directions to
the lake.
Rain sidled up beside Oliver, her presence hard to ignore. The enticing scent of freshly baked
ginger snaps clung to her like always, a byproduct of her earthy magical abilities rather than any hint
to her most recent activities in the kitchen. Oliver s next deep breath drew the scent into his lungs, its
comforting familiarity forcing him to relax even though he was strung tighter than a violin bow.
His mate. His one true mate. And the gods sure as hell had been generous.
The Patton heir, Rain said. She sounded just a little dumbstruck, although it was likely that she
was mostly in awe of his ability to make any situation he was in that much worse just out of pure
dumb luck. Of all the people you could have mated with, you end up with the Patton heir.
At that, she burst out laughing.
Oliver shot her a dark glare as she bent over double with a vicious case of the giggles, one slim
arm wrapped around her own waist. Its not funny, he said.
Oh, come on, she choked out in between bursts of laughter. Its a little funny.
Its not like I chose him, Rain. Do you think I would have chosen the heir of my mortal enemy
as my mate if Id gotten the chance? Hell, I would rather be mated to Chris.
She straightened up once again, and one of her dark eyebrows arched as she gave him a
knowing smirk. You dont mean that.
He stared at her sternly for a long moment, then cracked and chuckled. No, I dont, he said.
When Chris Kellogg had been only a boisterous orphaned pup a hundred years earlier, Oliver hired
him to run errands around the grocery store and sniff out any trouble which might come sneaking
around. As he grew, they struck up a strong friendship, urged along by Rains assertion that Oliver
needed a relationship with someone other than her and Chris needed to get to know at least one
person who wasnt a member of Homespuns two-hundred-strong wolf pack.
That doesnt mean Im not telling Chris, though, Rain said.
You tell Chris and Ill sell the grocery store to the dwarves.
Bite your tongue. The dwarves would get rid of everything but the meat and challenge every
kid who wanted to buy some candy to a feat of strength. Not to mention the amount of beard hair that
would end up in everything in the shop. Sven still hasnt caught up with the rest of us in the twentyfirst century, no matter how many razors Ive bought him.
Oh, calm down. I would never sell the grocery store out from under you. Not without making
you carry your own holiday decorations out of the crawlspace first, in any event.
Thanks, Oliver. Youre a real peach.
Need any help cleaning up?
As much as I would enjoy seeing you squeegee my display windows, its taken care of. She
waved a hand in a dismissive gesture toward the counter. Oliver glanced over to see the shop was
completely spotless, with no evidence an eager mating just took place there. Rains magic wasnt at
Patton levels of power, but it definitely possessed a notable level of usefulness. When he turned back
to look at Rain, she said, So what are you going to tell him?
Oliver s lips twisted in a wry smile. About his heritage, or about the fact I killed his uncle?
Rain cocked an eyebrow, then patted him on the arm. Start small, she suggested.
He frowned at her as she headed back behind the counter. Some advice.

Chapter 4

Drew drove along the meandering rural road that led to Mystic Lake in a daze. His sweaty hands
gripped the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles went bone-white. When pain arced through the
muscles in his arms, he loosened his grasp.
He just fucked a stranger.
Correctionhe just fucked a crazy stranger.
Which, okay, was not a bad thing. Not the crazy part, anyway. He volunteered with a mental
health program back in college and dated a guy right after he graduated from BU who was on a
serious regiment of antidepressants after a suicide attempt, so he was pretty well-versed in mental
health issues and understood those werent something you mocked another person for having. Hell,
he shouldnt even call Oliver crazy, becauseno, that wasnt right. He was just stunned by everything
that happened back at the grocery store.
Seriously, though, Oliver needed a ridiculous amount of medical help.
Drew reached up and rubbed a hand over his face. No, Oliver s mental state wasnt the issue
here. Whatever the man believed, he seemed harmless. Hell, if he werent spouting off about magic
and mates, Drew would probably head back into town later to see if Oliver wanted to go on a proper
date.
No, it was the sex that bothered him.
He was always careful. Hed never had sex without a condom, and he didnt do one-night stands.
He most certainly didnt do public sex, if you can call spontaneously fucking a guy in a kitschy smalltown grocery store with all the blinds closed while in a lust-addled fugue state public.
He still couldnt figure out what came over him. Oliver was gorgeous, of course, with all those
toned muscles and that sun-browned skin, and with an utterly perfect cock which made Drews mouth
water just remembering its beauty. But normally he would start small. Bothering to find out if Oliver
was even gay probably would have been step one, to be honest.
Once he left the grocery store, the sex-crazed need which drove his animalistic craving for
Oliver bled away. He knew what he must look likehell, he didnt even want to think about what he
must smell like to other peoplebut at least now he didnt feel like scratching his own skin to shreds
in an attempt to let the heat swamping him flow out of his body.
He feltcontent.
That was the word he wanted. Even when he stopped at the gas station for a repeat of the
directions to Harrys cabin, too busy refocusing his jolted attention to remember precisely what
Oliver told him before he stumbled out of the grocery store, Drew couldnt explain the way his
internal turmoil about the whole thing almost instantly settled down to a low, happy hum in his head.
He was so calm he didnt even blush at the knowing look on the gas station clerks face.
In the passenger seat, Gus barked, jerking Drew out of his reverie.
Sorry, buddy, Drew said, reaching over and scratching between Guss ears. The truck weaved
slowly down the road to the lake, plodding carefully through the impenetrable thickets of oaks and
maple trees laden with summer leaves. Drew kept expecting a deer to dart out of the underbrush and
across the road, so he restrained his speed for now. If nothing else, it was beautiful country out here.
If he werent more interested in getting back to Boston and the notes for his most recent novel, he
would totally consider keeping the cabin as a vacation house.
Yeah, like he could afford a vacation house. He grimaced at the thought. His books sold well,

sure, but at this point in his career he could only afford one house, and he wasnt giving up his
brownstone. He loved the city too much to give it up.
The road dipped slightly then curved to the right. When Drew turned his truck in that direction,
he finally caught a glimpse of the lake through a break in the trees and gasped. The enormous lake, its
crystal-blue waters glittering in the sunlight, stretched for at least a mile across. The open sky above,
clear of clouds, would have been hard to separate from the lake if not for the rich tree line splitting
the horizon.
Huh, Drew said. No wonder Harry liked it here.
He drove on for another half-mile until he finally reached the cabinanother surprise. When
Drew put the pickup in park and opened the door, he nearly fell out, too busy gaping at the house
before him.
When Harry said he owned a cabin on Mystic Lake, Drews mind conjured up a picture of a
squat little thing made of rough logs and unvarnished wood. Harry certainly never disavowed him of
the notion by showing off any photos. Hell, Harry barely talked about anything other than hunting or
fishing, not even about their family history. So Drew, while surprised the cabin looked more like a
sprawling log home the size of a comfortable mansion, wasnt surprised Harry never bothered to tell
him. After all, it was just one more secret Harry carried to his grave.
Trying not to gape for much longer at the gigantic house, Drew strode around the truck and
opened the passenger-side door to let Gus out, giving him a lift to the ground. Once down on the
stone driveway, Gus panted happily and waddled beside Drew as he walked up the porch steps to the
front door. Drew removed the keys from his pocket, flipping through them until he found the one
labeled front door, then unlocked it and went inside.
He paused as soon as he stepped in, taking in his surroundings with curious amusement. An
open floor plan left the kitchen, dining room, and living room clear to see from where he stood, save
for a short wall to the left of the front door which sported coat hooks and shoe rests for visitors. The
rest of the place was definitely the home of a confirmed bachelor. The dining room table, while clear
of the hunting debris and fishing poles Drew would have expected, was basically a gigantic slab of
rough-hewn wood with no tablecloths or runners to decorate it. The kitchen sported the newest
appliances with aluminum facings, set into maroon cabinets with black accents. A stone fireplace big
enough for Drew to stand up in swallowed up the wall on the right, the space above it covered by a
large flatscreen TV connected to a theater-level sound system visibly wired throughout the living
room. A brown leather couch wrapped around the living room like a huge collar, so large it curved
around two coffee tables laden with what looked like photography books about plant life in the
woods. If there was a feminine touch in the place, Drew couldnt see it.
He lowered his gaze to Gus and said, I expected more dead things.
For a moment, he could have sworn Gus nodded.
Drew took a few steps forward to get a better look around, then spotted the wall on the left. Oh.
Okay, there they are, Drew muttered.
The far wall was nearly hidden behind an assortment of mounted deer heads, taxidermy
squirrels, and a grizzly bear and coyote bookending the wall in appropriately menacing poses. Drew
frowned as he approached them, unable to stop staring at the bear. He knew Harry well enough to
guess these were his own kills, not someone elses he bought off the internet. All he wanted to do was
take them out in the yard and bury them all. They creeped him out something fierce. Even with all of
these fake plastic eyes staring sightlessly into space, he still felt like they were all watching him.
This isnt too bad, Drew stated aloud. No, its not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. None

of them are still alive and living in a spare room, so thats a good thing, right?
He looked down at Gus, who silently plopped his butt down on the floor and let his fat tongue
loll out of his mouth.
You dont have to answer that, Drew murmured.
Gus huffed out a breath.
Fine, Drew blurted out, glaring down at Gus. Im sorry. I dont know what happened. Ive
never done anything like that before in my life. I mean, public sex? And okay, maybe it wasnt exactly
public sex, but with someone I only just met? You know me, Gus. I dont do that. I dont even hug on
the first date. Drew sighed and ran a hand through his hair in a makeshift massage. Its no wonder
Brent cheated on me, huh?
I doubt that was the reason.
Drew snapped his head toward the familiar voice.
Oliver stood on the other side of the room in front of the massive fireplace, startling the hell out
of Drew. He hadnt even heard him come in. With his wild dirty-blond hair falling in waves around
his angular face, he looked just as sexy as he had when hed been naked and covered in the lingering
traces of their joining in the grocery store.
The sight of him forced a surge of hungry need to flood Drews veins. His cock hardened in a
swift rush of tingling heat Drew couldnt have stifled if he tried. Drew clenched his fists at his sides,
attempting to smother the urge to stalk across the room, shove him against the wall, and forcefully
devour his mouth. What the hell are you doing here? he asked, wondering for a brief moment how
he even got in. A quick glance at the front door solved that question. Apparently he already settled into
the small-town mindset and left the door wide open behind him. Real smart, Drew.
Oliver s lips pulled into a calming smile. I wanted to apologize. Rain suggested after you left
that I may have come on a little strong.
Are you sure she wasnt talking about her countertop? Drew said, unable to resist.
Unveiled amusement danced behind Oliver s golden eyes. Now were telling jokes?
Drew sighed, then shrugged. Sure. Why not? If Im going to be sticking around for a while,
then we might as well get along, right?
That isnt the only reason we should learn to get along, Oliver said.
He strode around the living couch, and Drew noticed he wasnt wearing shoes. Does he ever
wear them? Wait, was he even wearing any in the grocery store? Once Drew jerked his gaze away
from Oliver s bare feet and back up to his face, the dead-serious expression clouding Oliver s
features led him to swallow back his sarcasm.
Oliver reached out and took Drews right hand in both of his. He ran his golden-brown fingers
over the curves and lines of Drews hand in gentle sweeps of his fingertips, and Drew shivered from
the touch. Every spot of skin his fingers skimmed over left a soothing flush in its wake. Drew felt his
eyelids slip closed just for an instant, heavy and sleepy, feeling instantly more relaxed than he had in
weeks. He wondered how much longer Oliver could do this before his trembling knees buckled,
before Oliver caught his sagging body and carried him over to the couch and peeled away his
suddenly obtrusive clothes all over again.
When Drew sensed Oliver s hand graze his cheek, he opened his eyes to see those golden-amber
orbs locked with his. Oliver s serene expression almost weakened Drews resolve so much he
seriously considered stepping forward and pressing his face into the comforting warmth of his
inevitable embrace. He just seemed like the kind of guy who gave great hugs. And recently, Drew
really needed someone around who gave great hugs.

None of what I said to you in the grocery store was a lie, Oliver said, his tone steady. My
name is Oliver Warren. I am five hundred and seventy-three years old. I have been waiting ever since
I was a child for my mate to come along, and you have. When Oliver said this, his voice cracked
ever so slightly with what Drew could have sworn was awe. I am a wizard, and so are you.
Drew shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes. You need help, he blurted out, then
looked away, reaching up a hand to push the lock of brown-black hair out of his face.
Oliver got to it first. Drew jerked his head up as Oliver slid a comforting hand through Drews
rumpled hair, his long fingers stroking across his scalp in a soothing massage. Drew almost purred,
then wondered where the hell that particular urge came from.
Seemingly unfazed by Drews blunt assessment of his mental state, Oliver smiled wryly and
said, I may need help, but I can still do this.
The hand which hadnt come to rest against Drews scalp raised in the air. Drawn by the
movement, Drew reflexively glanced toward it only to see an astonishing sight.
Every book of nature photography on Harrys coffee tables rose into the air as if tugged by
invisible strings attached to Oliver s hand. Oliver wiggled his fingers, and the books danced in
midair, flipping through their pages and circling over the wraparound couch like playful vultures
waiting for their dinner to die. They flapped and twirled and thenas though exhausted from even
that short flightclattered to an untidy landing on one of the coffee tables.
Gus whimpered and scampered off into the kitchen.
Drew opened his mouth to say something, then coughed. When he couldnt decide between
screaming and cursing, his throat apparently just clogged full of sounds and gave up.
He turned back to Oliver with wide eyes, his mouth gaping open, only to see a heavy trickle of
blood streaming from Oliver s left nostril.
Youre bleeding, Drew said, then reached for a box of tissues on a side table.
Oliver shrugged and grabbed at his nose. It happens.
What, every time you do magic?
You believe me about the magic? Oliver asked, sounding mildly astonished.
I believe you have a nosebleed. Ill freak out about the magic tricks later. Drew wadded up the
tissues hed pulled from the box, setting it aside, then swatted Oliver s blood-stained hand away from
his nose. No, dont tip your head back. Just pinch and you should be okay.
Still looking a little stunned, Oliver silently complied. Drew wiped away as much of the blood
as he could, then forced Oliver s hand back up to pinch his own nose. Frowning, Drew clutched the
dirty tissues in his hand and headed toward the kitchen, trying to keep his head on straight. It was a lot
easier to wrap his head around a nosebleed than around flying books and five-hundred-year-old men
with washboard abs and soft, warm smiles, so Drew focused on the nosebleed.
So, he said, feigning a bit more cheer than he felt as he washed his hands in the sink. Youre
five hundred years old but you get nosebleeds.
Oliver s bare feet padded quietly across the hardwood floor. When Drew turned around to dry
his hands on a convenient dishtowel hanging off the oven, he was unsurprised to find Oliver leaning
against the island in the center of the kitchen. Oliver stared at Drew over his knuckles, the pinched
fingers slowing the bleeding from his nose. His golden eyes fixed Drew where he stood, leading
Drew to shiver as though a cold draft suddenly wafted through the room. He fidgeted, shifting his
weight from one foot to the other. The familiar scent of good sex clung to both of them, stirring
Drews cock all over again. If the rising bulge in Oliver s sweats was any indication, Drew wasnt the
only one thinking back to what happened in the grocery store and craving more.

No, Drew. Not now.

After a moment, Oliver released his nose, then took a few steps toward Drew. Drews breath
hitched, and he wonderedmore happily than hed like to admitif Oliver would kiss him. When
Oliver rested his warm palms on Drews waist, his eyelids lowered as a flood of lust raged through
him, and he very nearly leaned forward to take the lead in this kiss.
Instead, Oliver s smile widened in a wicked tease, and he winked before bodily urging Drew to
the side. Oliver turned on the hot water in the sink and splashed it on his face, washing away the last
bloodstains. As he did, Drews cheeks turned red, and he busied himself with peeking in cupboards
and acquainting himself with their contents, trying not to let Oliver see his embarrassed expression.
When he thought he examined a cabinet of large earthen coffee mugs for as long as possible, he
closed the cabinet door to see Oliver dampening his face with the dishtowel.
Goddamn, he was a gorgeous man. Drew dated some winners in his timehell, Brent modeled
as a summer job in high schoolbut Oliver made them all look pedestrian and plain. His shoulderlength blond hair fell in enticing waves, framing his long, striking face in a golden curtain which
softened his angular features and rough stubble. Drew clenched his hands at his sides. He kept wishing
he could bring himself to clutch at Oliver s hair as the man went down on him, as he sucked Drews
cock and nuzzled his balls and scored his teeth over the sensitive head of Drews prick.
Oliver winked at him, tossing his hair from his eyes, and Drew flinched. Did Oliver just
Nah, he couldnt have.
I only get nosebleeds when I use my magic for something other than keeping myself alive,
Oliver said. My dragon isnt as strong as yours.
Oh, my God, now there are dragons? Drew shook his head, raising a hand in surrender. No,
you know what? I can only handle one delusion at any given moment.
Its not a delusion.
Drew narrowed his eyes at Oliver, who didnt seem all that intimidated. Do you want me to
have a mental breakdown right now?
No.
Then let me pretend for a little while longer, okay? One step at a time.
Okay. One step at a time.
Drew hoped that would be the end of it for now. Maybe he could convince Oliver to let him
sleep on all of this for tonight. Being in Oliver s presence, as calm and unflappable as he appeared,
felt like being swallowed whole. Drew ducked his head and ran his fingers through his hair, not sure
of a polite way to suggest that maybe now would be a good time for Oliver to leave. But Oliver s
hand cupped the curve of his chin and urged him with gentle pressure to raise his gaze. When Drew
allowed himself to lift his head, he nearly gasped at the breathtaking look on Oliver s awed face.
Gods above and below, youre more beautiful than I could have ever hoped, Oliver
murmured. His fingertips traced the lines of Drews face, the smooth arch of his cheekbone, the darkbrown slashes of his brows.
Drew frowned. Its just my eyes, he said. It was always just his eyes. Guys always went
fumbling for his jarringly green eyes every time they wanted to pay him a compliment. It was like
there wasnt anything else to him, not a good-looking face or a fit body ordepressingly enough
an intriguing personality and sharp mind.
Its not your eyes, Oliver said, his voice firm and decisive, and Drew almost flinched. Ive
known your family for hundreds of years and every single one of them has had those eyes. None of
them looked like you. None of them were you.

A reluctant smile tugged at Drews lips as Oliver s hands slipped down to rest on his hips,
Oliver s eyes remaining fixed on Drews face. Unable to stop himself, Drew pressed his palms
against Oliver s broad chest, savoring the body heat against his skin. You dont look so bad yourself
for five hundred years old, Drew teased, then sighed. Five hundred years old. Jesus, we need to talk
about all of this before this goes any further.
Well, how about you go take a shower so you can have a little bit of a breather, and Ill whip up
some lunch and we can talk about it while we eat?
Drew shook his head. Uh, I dont think theres any food in the kitchen.
Theres groceries in my car. When Drew arched an eyebrow, Oliver couldnt resist leaning
forward to peck a kiss on the tip of his nose. You dont think I came up here without a peace
offering, did you?
I dont know, Drew said, his words light and playful. Some internal force within Oliver had
wrapped invisible tentacles around him in a loving embrace, and as silly and strange as that mental
image was, Drew couldnt think of a better description. His eager fingertips sneaked under the hem of
Oliver s tank top, tracing the sharp lines of his hipbones and brushing briefly over his treasure trail.
He felt the insistent press of Oliver s hard cock against his stomach and deliberately ran a finger over
its hidden length, savoring the way Oliver s breathing stuttered in response. I was thinking this was
my peace offering, Drew said, boldness filling him as he licked his lips. More than one of his exes
used the term cock-sucking lips regarding Drews full, rounded mouth, and Drew wasnt above
using that particular physical attribute to his advantage.
Sure enough, Oliver s resolve appeared to surge, his grip on Drews waist tightening ever so
slightly. He swayed closer like a hungry flower bending toward sunlight, Drew sure he would delve
that sweet tongue of his into Drews eager mouth. But then Oliver whispered, Shower. Now.
Drew scowled at him, and tried not to think about how disappointed he was they werent about to
start on round two right here in the kitchen.
When Oliver gave his waist an affectionate squeeze and patted his ass, Drews annoyance bled
away.
He could totally get used to being with Oliver, and the prospect scared the hell out of him.

Chapter 5

Once Drew was up the stairs and in the bathroom, Oliver glared around the interior of the cabin
with unveiled rage. I know youre in here, he said.
No one responded, although he didnt expect a response. Not a maniacal cackle, not an invisible
hand throwing a decorative pair of antlers at him as a silent warning. The only sounds to be heard
were the faint rustle of the breeze through the trees and the occasional twittering singsongs of birds
outside. Normally, those were comforting sounds. Now, not so much, not with what Oliver s keen
senses told him to be true.
You go anywhere near him, and Ill kill you a second time.
Still no answer. Oliver knew better, however. An unseen presence clung to the cabin with
determined hands, watching their every movement with a tang of disgust and jealousy which tainted
the air with a faintly chemical scent. Oliver wondered briefly if Drew felt it as well, that phantom
weight of someone elses gaze on the back of his neck. Then again, he was only recently still human.
Oliver imagined Drew probably attributed that paranoid feeling of being watched to Harrys
distasteful collection of mounted heads. Oliver never liked Harrys penchant for keeping a trophy of
his kills to hang on the wall in his home as though he were proud. Hunting for food was one thing
Harry ate the rest of the animals he huntedbut mounting the heads for display begged for a magical
reverb of sorts. Oliver never understood how Harry didnt know better, but then again his father was
no prize wizard either. Zachary Patton dived into a bottle of vodka almost as soon as he was old
enough to drive to a liquor store and stayed there until well after Drews father left town in his fullyloaded car right after high school graduation. The fact either of his children, or his only grandchild
for that matter, turned out well was a minor miracle.
Still, though. Oliver wouldnt allow his guard to drop until he was sure Drew was the only
Patton still on this plane of existence.
It didnt take long for Oliver to carry in the cloth bags of groceries from the backseat of his
classic convertible Beetle. The seat wasnt all that big, but he figured he only needed to bring up the
bare essentials now. Drew could buy any more specific items at the store after he settled in.
If he settles in, Oliver thought, sighing as he placed the eggs in the fridge.
Oliver hadnt been nave for a long time. Mate bonds were eternal joinings which would leave
both partners connected to one another for the rest of their lives, but they werent anchors. Either
member could pack up in an instant and leave. Drew could always depart Mystic Lake and Homespun
and by extension, Oliverbut Oliver was sure he could convince Drew to stay. He just needed a
chance to explain everything to a sufficient degree that would entice Drew to give their bond a shot.
Upstairs, muffled singing rose from the bathroom. Oliver laughed softly to himself as he sliced
tomatoes for the sandwich he planned for Drew, occasionally slipping some food to a slobbery Gus,
who sat at his feet and stared plaintively up at him. Drew might not be able to access the shared
memories which now flowed between them like a great swelling river, but Oliver could. He knew
how Drew must have felt when he opened the bathroom door to reveal the expensive shower stall with
half a dozen nozzles. Harry may have been the rough-shaven epitome of a hunter and fisherman, but
he liked his toys. Drew, meanwhile, was handed the keys to a brownstone but not the money to care
for it. Hed been putting off restoring his antiquated bathroom for years.
Oliver paused, lowering the knife in his hand. No, that wasnt fair. If Drew couldnt connect with
him on that mental and emotional level just yet the way he could, Oliver shouldnt make use of it

either.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and mentally shut the door to the full storage room of
Drews memories. If other people in romantic relationships could reach one another without magic,
so could he.
He heard the shower shut off, and quickly finished with the sandwiches. A few minutes later
when Drew lightly jogged down the stairs, Oliver reached into the fridge and removed a couple of the
beers hed placed inside.
When he turned back around, he nearly swallowed his tongue. Drew had redressed in his jeans,
which clung to his damp skin in a way which urged Oliver s stark, never-ending hunger for this man
to burst to the surface. However, Drew didnt bother with putting his T-shirt back on. His bare skin, its
olive tone still too lacking in the suns kiss for Oliver s liking, glistened faintly with a hint of his time
in the shower. His muscles werent as defined as Oliver s, and his bodys silent taunting dance with
slimness told Oliver he didnt eat as much as he should. Well, that would end soon, if Oliver had any
say in it.
Drew noticed Oliver s amber gaze skimming over his chest, and his skin flushed a vivid pink.
He ducked his head and reached up to rub at his dark hair, which flopped in a wet curtain over his
eyes. Huffing, Drew ran his fingers through it until it slicked back away from his face. Oliver s own
fingers tingled, the chill of the beer cans doing little to numb them. He wanted so very much to rush
over and rumple Drews hair, to encourage the wild locks to dry with an attractive lack of restraint.
Hey, Drew said, his voice low.
Hi, Oliver replied, finally finding his voice again. You look better.
Thanks.
Oliver followed the full curve of Drews lips as he spoke, and he couldnt stop himself from
blurting out, May I kiss you?
Drews wide-eyed gaze jerked up until it locked with Oliver s. My lunch will get cold.
Its a sandwich, Drew. It wont get that cold.
A nervous breath shuddered from Drews chest, and his eyelids drooped in silent agreement.
Oliver internally cheered, then dived forward to devour those lips.
He tried to hold back, to restrain himself from showing Drew the extent of his overwhelming
desire. Itd been so long since another person enticed him even close to the way Drew did, since he
ignored the knowledge hed one day find his mate to spend a little time connecting with someone else.
Need surged through him, swallowing him in dizzying heat. His tongue slid against Drews in an
erotic caress, begging Drew with unspoken words to accept him, to stay with him, to give this
destined mating a chance. His shaking fingers gripped Drew at the waist, gently massaging the
fluttering muscles there.
When they finally separated, pulling only a hair s breadth from one another, Oliver savored
Drews kiss-swollen lips, the dazed lust clouding his eyes. The air shuddered out of Drews lungs
before he reluctantly released his grip on Oliver. Do I get to ask my questions now? Drew asked,
tearing his gaze away as he sat down at the kitchen island and picked up his sandwich.
Placing his hands on the edge of the island to keep himself from reaching across the island and
hauling Drew back into the protective barrier of his arms, Oliver forced a far calmer smile than he
felt capable of at the moment. Ask away.
Drew cocked an eyebrow, then said, Wizards?
Well, that was simple and straight-forward. I imagine Harry never told you anything.
I tried not to listen to most of what he said. I spent less of my time irrationally angry that way,

Drew grumbled, averting his gaze from Oliver s searching expression. Oliver didnt need much
clarification for that particular dodge. Everything Drew had said and done so far read very clearly as
Drew never being given a single clue as to his magical heritage from Harry. It was cruel, but it wasnt
surprising. So Harry was a wizard, Drew said, not really a question.
Oliver nodded nonetheless. Not a good one, but yes, he was. He leaned his hip against the
kitchen counter and studied Drew as he took a healthy bite of his sandwich. There was so little of
Harry in Drew that Oliver could scarcely believe Drew was a Patton were it not for those eyes. He
wondered briefly if Drew looked like his mother, his features more angular, his coloring darker, and
Oliver speculated on Native American or Latino blood on his mother s side. There would be time for
that line of questioning later, of course, but Oliver s curiosity about his incredibly handsome mate
would only allow itself to be held at bay for so long. He wanted to devour every molecule of Drew,
every miniscule bit of information, every twitch and quirk of his addictive face. He wanted to become
the worlds leading expert on Drew Patton, and he only hoped hed be up for the challenge.
Or that hed even be allowed to apply for the job.
Shaking aside his fervent hope, Oliver cleared his throat roughly and continued. There have
been a Warren wizard and a Patton wizard walking the earth for millennia. Maybe not by the same
name, of course, but always of the same family lines. The Warren wizards have always been longlived, but the Patton wizards bear the deeper well of magical power.
Are they the only wizards? The only... Drew waved a hand in the air as though trying to stir up
the memory of the names of other creatures dancing just out of reach.
Oliver grinned. No, were not the only magical beings in the world. Were not the only
wizards, nor are wizards the only beings around. Youll meet others, but theyre not important right
now. Right now, its just the two of us.
The implication of Oliver s statement made Drew jerk his head up, his beer can nearly slipping
from his hand. Their gazes locked, a frisson of invisible electricity crackling in the air between them.
Oliver clenched his fists at his side, intent on allowing Drew his distance, on giving the poor man
enough space to breathe while being battered with so much new information. No matter how much he
might want to spend every waking day for the next month in bed with Drew, touching and tasting
every blessed inch of skin he could bare, Oliver knew they needed to clean house first.
First, a hasty lesson in Magic 101, a little bit of venting on Drews part, and the complete
evacuation of the dark force still clinging to this house and its reluctant inhabitant with venomous
claws. Then, Oliver thought wryly, he could narrow his attention until all he needed to worry about
was firming his tenuous connection to his mate until Drew was willing to stay in town, with him.
Forever and ever.
Fair enough, Drew murmured, taking a swig of the beer.
Once Drew turned those brilliant eyes back to his meal, Oliver felt safe returning to the topic at
hand. Wizards have power. Every wizard has unimaginable power, and its simply a matter of
learning how to call forth that power and wield it. However, theres a catch. Only one member of the
family line may have possession of that power at any given time.
Drew frowned. Is that why Ive never done anything remotely magical?
Oliver nodded. Up until his death, Harry kept the Patton family magic. Once he passed on, he
would have left that magic to you. Whether he liked it or not, Oliver thought but didnt dare to say
aloud.
So my father could never do magic, Drew said softly. He huffed out a tired sigh. Explains a
lot.

What happened to him?

Drew picked absently at his sandwich as he spoke. My parents got into a car accident on their
way home from a vacation in Maine. The steering wheel crushed my father s chest and he died on the
way to the hospital. My mom lucked out, just broke her leg. I was born eight months later.
Eight months?
Mom said I must have been a present they got on vacation. Drews full lips twisted into a wry
smile. If Dad could have waved a hand and made that eight-wheeler swerve off the road instead of
into the other lane, Im guessing he would have done it.
Im sorry, Oliver said. He only vaguely remembered Gregory Patton, who never seemed to
want anything to do with his familys magic, who studied hard and graduated early and ran for the
border of Homespun as soon as he was able. Harry certainly never seemed to miss him, or any other
member of his family, either. He never even mentioned Drew at all, at least not to him, but he and
Harry had never engaged in all that many deep and meaningful conversations. Most of their
interactions consisted of four-letter words and insults about each other s mothers.
Drew shrugged and offered Oliver a weak smile. You werent the one driving the truck, he
said. Glancing down at his sandwich again, Drew grimaced at the meal hed pretty much picked to
death as they talked, and he pushed aside the plate before rising to his feet and closing the distance
between Oliver and himself.
Oliver hoped Drew couldnt see the anticipatory tensing of his muscles, the way his abs
clenched mere seconds before Drew lay his palm against them. The muscles quivered at his light
touch, betraying Oliver s anxious want.
So youre my mate, Drew said, his voice oddly light.
Trying to look more relaxed than he felt, Oliver forced a tight smile. He felt like he was trying
to catch an injured rabbit to take it to a vet, constantly attempting to keep from spooking it, not
wanting it to run off, needing it to stay. The gods forbid he come on too strong and send Drew
running for the road out of Homespun. Oliver wasnt sure he could survive that. Swallowing his fear,
Oliver nodded. All magical beings have another half, a mate, with which they share an eternal bond.
How they react to it depends on what sort of magical being they are, but the mate bond is always
forever.
Forever? The word choked off in Drews throat.
You dont want to be with me forever? Oliver blurted, unable to stop himself. He normally
wasnt so self-conscious or scared, but this wasnt a possible bullet wound in his future or a sword
fight to the supposed death. This was the man his parents promised him he would find one day, his
one perfect person. Drew might as well rip his heart from his chest and take it with him if he decided
Oliver, Homespun, the Patton legacy Hell, all of it just wasnt worth his trouble.
Drew tilted his head, shooting Oliver a questioning look past his lowered brows. Dont be
stupid, he warned, and the hand on Oliver s abs pressed against his chest once again in silent
reassurance. Oliver, I met youwhat, two hours ago? I only just learned that magic exists. I just need
breathing room, thats all.
His palm stroked in gentle calming circles on Oliver s chest, his fingertips skimming the bare
skin above the neckline of Oliver s loose tank top. Oliver s eyelids lowered as every muscle in his
body tingled in response. He felt like a spoiled cat being soothed by its master. He smothered the urge
to curl around Drew like a snuggly puppy, to press his nose into the rough skin under his jawline and
savor his sweet addictive scent. Hed seen his parents with each other, of course, had witnessed the
way they always sought out ways to caress the other s back or brush their fingers against each other

as they passed on their way through their castle. But he never thought about the way it must have
begun, when a young Lord Arthur Warren encountered a slim blonde milkmaid so plain no one else
took notice and pursued her with a fervor which made everyone in the village scratch their heads in
confusion. If only theyd known the same calling Oliver s father must have felt.
Hed told Oliver the story of meeting his mother, of course, but it was one thing to hear the
story from a lovesick wizard. It was another thing entirely to experience that sweeping heat pulling
him toward Drew like the inviting warmth of a roaring fire on a snowy winter s night.
Upstairs, something shattered.
Drew flinched, startled, then jerked his head toward the stairs. What was that?
Oliver didnt respond, simply clenched his jaw and tried to decide whether or not they should
run. He would like to think that it was just some inept burglar ransacking the house and doing a pisspoor job of it, but he knew better.
At their feet, Gus barked wildly for a short moment before Oliver could swear the bulldog was
clearing his throat. Then, as though it wasnt a startling new achievement, Gus spoke in a rough
English accent. Stay here, my lord. Ill charge forth to assess the battle!
Gus bounded forth before either Drew or Oliver could stop him, scrambling up the stairs as fast
as his pudgy legs would carry him.
Stay here, my ass, Drew grumbled, then started forward. Then, as if something in his brain
had abruptly kicked in, he paused and glanced over at Oliver. My dog just talked to me.
Not now? Oliver asked.
Reluctantly, Drew nodded. A talking dog could wait.
Talking mounted heads, on the other hand
Harrys collection of hunting trophies let loose with an unholy howl, their mouths gaping open
like an undead chorus. Oliver slipped between Drew and the wailing heads as they roared in anger at
the both of them. Over twenty pairs of glass eyes flared to life and scowled at Oliver and Drew under
stuffed brow ridges which furrowed with supernatural menace. Without looking, Oliver reached back
to grasp Drews hand, sucking in a calming breath as Drews fingers threaded through his.
I take it theyre not supposed to do that? Drew murmured.
Oliver took a chance to look over his shoulder at Drew and cock a questioning eyebrow.
Drew smiled awkwardly. You know, like those stupid singing fish?
No, Oliver said, not like the singing fish.
The howling grew louder, almost piercing in its intensity, and Oliver winced while Drew
clapped his hands over his ears. Drew pressed against his back as though searching for protection,
and Oliver wished there was more he could do. He wanted to grab onto Drew and make a run for it,
take him and his dog and just bring them both to his own home on the other side of the lake. Staying
at Harrys home as a growing threat emerged was arguably ludicrous, but it was also the Patton
homestead for the past three centuries. Drew shouldnt have to run.
An instant later, Gus raced down the stairs, far more agile than his stubby legs should carry him.
The dog ran to their side and spun around to bark at the stairs, drawing Oliver s attention to the
serpentine shadow slithering along the wall.
Something invisible and powerful jerked Oliver from Drews grasp, and Oliver hollered
Drews name as the unseen force flung him across the room. He slammed against the wall next to the
hunting trophies hard enough to force his eyes to shut and his teeth to bang together. Once he shook it
off, he opened his eyes only to see the animated animal heads snapping in his direction, trying to tear
at him like rabid beasts. Oliver flinched away, attempting to keep the heads from biting him, all while

watching the creature crawling down the stairs.

Sometimes, Oliver imagined what his dragon would look like. Its presence inside him always
comforted him, as though the creature kept a constant loyal watch over him from the time he was
born. It bounded eagerly through his mind like a happy puppy when he was young, and grew more
determined to protect Oliver the longer he was alive. Oliver never thought about what it would be like
if he could change into his dragon like the rest of the shifters he knew, who joined with their animals
in a more literal way. His dragon would never emerge, never take over his body and change him into
something even less human than he was now, and he liked it that way.
But what he saw across the room looked an awful lot like the worst possible monstrosity he
might become should his dragon ever struggle to the surface.
The beast which skittered down the stairs moved with reptilian agility, scaling over the furniture
and toward Drew with lightning-quick reflexes. Drew yelped and tumbled backward in his attempt to
escape, but almost immediately fell to the floor. Oliver strained against the force holding him in place
as the creature pounced on Drew like a hungry jungle cat. He begged his own dragon to summon up
some power, any power, to help him escape from this prison so he could go rescue his mate, but his
dragon could only yowl in futile frustration.
Drew struggled free, then rolled over to get a clear look at his attacker.
The moment he did, a hoarse scream burst from his chest.
Oliver grimaced and struggled against the invisible hand holding him to the wall, desperate to
get to his mate. The hideous creature shoving Drew to the floor hissed in his face, baring long sharp
fangs tinged pink with what might be fresh blood. Its humanoid features were overpowered by the
thick reptilian scales it sported and the smoking tendrils of heat which trailed from its flaring nostrils.
Drew reared back as it snarled at him, and Oliver swore he saw a flickering hint of recognition dart
through those unnaturally green eyes.
It was Harry. Oliver didnt know how he knew, but whatever this thing was, Harry was inside of
it.
The creature snapped its wild jaws at Drew once again, and Drew crabwalked backward until his
back slammed against the polished wood-grain wall. Oliver s eyes narrowed as he saw Drews
fingers start to glow, tingling an iridescent green. Drew didnt seem to notice, not even when he
pressed his hands against the hardwood floor and an increasing quake rumbled outward from his
palms. Oliver was suddenly grateful for whatever held him in place against his will. It would keep
him safe in the oncoming storm.
Drews power was coming in. And it was coming fast and hard.
Distantly, almost through a confused haze, Oliver heard the creatures vicious roar, felt the air
snap from the violent whipping of its long tail.
A moment later, the crackling energy searing Drews shaking body dispersed in an unseen
eruption. Another roar echoed in Oliver s ears, muffled but clearly agonized, before the dark
presence on the other side of the room vanished in the blink of an eye.
That was when everything went black.

Chapter 6

Drew?
A gentle caress swept over Drews cheek, light as a feather. Drew almost felt as though he was
floating on a fluffy cloud somewhere, with a nice plump pillow and a fuzzy blanket. God, this was the
calmest hed been in what felt like decades. Everything that happened since he crossed into Homespun
the surreal yet wonderful sex with Oliver, the sudden introduction to magic, the attack by whatever
that big lizard wasvanished in the embracing comfort of unconsciousness.
Unconsciousness?
Drew, please wake up.
Another stroke over his cheek, and Drews eyes fluttered open.
Oliver leaned over him, blatant concern welling in his amber eyes. Drew lie stretched out on the
living room couch, presumably placed there after he was knocked out. The man in question crouched
beside him, his hands ghosting over Drew in a worrisome assessment of his physical wellness.
When Drew spoke, his voice was still rough with sleep. Whatwhat happened? What was that
thing?
Oliver forced a weak smile. His enigmatic calm vanished in the face of his concern for Drew.
Hes gone. Not for good, but that burst of magic you threw his way surprised the hell out of him. He
made a run for it to wherever hes been hiding, Im guessing to regroup. His hands paused in
skimming over Drews still-lethargic body to gently squeeze his hands. Are you okay? Do you feel
all right? Theres a doctor in town who deals specifically with magical beings who can be here in
Im fine. A little bit of a headache, but nothing major. Almost by reflex, Drew reached up to
touch his head. He wasnt sure what he expected, but he wouldnt have been surprised to discover a
throbbing knot or a fist-sized hole in his skull. Instead, Drew was perfectly intact save for a bit of
soreness floating right behind his eyes.
Wincing as a sunbeam pouring in through the living room windows glowed in the corner of his
line of sight, Drew closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else. He. When you say he, you
mean Harry, dont you?
After a moment, Oliver murmured, Yes.
I thought he was dead.
He is. His dragon, however, is stubborn.
Drew opened his eyes wide, more startled than hed like to admit. That was his dragon? Wait,
theres something like that in me?
No, Oliver blurted out. It didnt reassure Drew quite as much as he imagined Oliver would
like. Whatever that thing is, its a mutated form of what we carry inside us. I knew Harry wasnt right
in the end, but I didnt suspect Oliver shook his head in a sad sort of disbelief, but before Drew
could question it his jaw clenched in determination as he sat up. Drew, theres something I need to
retrieve from my house. Im going to need you to stay here until I can come back with it.
With that thing in the house? Are you nuts?
Ive already called my friend Chris. You know, the man you spoke to at the garage? Hell
protect you while Im gone.
Drews brow furrowed. You watched me after I left the grocery store?
Something heartbreaking flashed in Oliver s amber eyes. When his warm palm stroked Drews
cheek, Drew tilted into the comforting curve of his hand with unapologetic longing. I had to make

sure you were okay. At least for the moment, Oliver said, his voice cracking in a way which belied
his outward strength. I only just found you. To lose you now would break me into such small pieces
Im not sure I could ever be made whole again.
Drews lips reluctantly tugged into a wobbly smile. You know, when you say things like that, it
makes it a lot easier to believe youre five hundred years old.
Oliver smiled back. If we didnt adapt, wed all look awfully silly, wouldnt we?
Says the man who owns a grocery store which looks as though it was ripped out of a dime
novel.
When Oliver laughed, it felt like a tangled knot of tension in Drews stomach unraveled in an
instant. What can we say? People like the vintage look.
Papa?
The eager voice pulled Drews attention to Gus, who peeked around the edge of the couch only
to shuffle his compact body closer when he saw Drew wide awake. Oh, good, youre in fine spirits
once again, the same voice said, each word inflected with a strong upper-class British accent. While
his lips didnt move, Guss tongue lolled out of his mouth as the voice carried through the air, his
happiness at Drews good health was evident.
How is he doing that? Drew asked Oliver out of the corner of his mouth, as though asking
Gus outright would offend the dog.
Oliver chuckled. A better question would be how you are doing that. Now that youre in touch
with your dragon, other animals are going to decide youre approachable.
Gus plopped his fat butt down on the floor and lifted his chin up as though he was reporting for
duty. I sallied forth to apprehend the blackguard who dared to assault you, but alas, I lost him
amongst the trees. I fear I am not the watchdog you deserve, and will turn in my dog license upon my
stained honor.
Drew managed a little wave of his hand, still stunned his dog was talking to him. His freaking
dog. Uh, dont worry about it, Gus.
The loud crunch of gravel under tires chorused outside, and almost immediately Gus shot
toward the front door like hed been fired out of a cannon. Someones here! Someones here! Wait
here, Papa, I shall scare him away!
I think Im going to need to have a serious talk with my dog, Drew muttered, then grimaced as
what he just said sunk in. I cant believe I just said that.
The sound of Oliver s low laugh in response felt like soft velvet which stroked Drews sensitive
cock. Drew tried not to show just how turned on by just that simple laugh, but the mischievous twinkle
in Oliver s eyes told him he wasnt hiding the sudden discomfort of his eager dick as well as hed
like. That will be Chris. You can trust him, I swear it.
Drew frowned. Why cant I come with you?
Oliver s worried expression softened at his inquiry. When Oliver stroked his thumb over the
rise of Drews cheekbone, Drew nuzzled into his touch once again like a shiny new reflex. That thing
is going to stay near you for now. It wants to take back its rightful place as the Patton wizard, which
means going after you and you alone. But it wont stop itself from taking out whoever it needs to if it
senses an opportunity to strike. We take you into town and its only going to follow us there.
You know that didnt make me feel any better, right?
Drew meant it to come out teasing and lighthearted, to chase away the prolonged unease they
both felt after the busy day theyd already had. But a sliver of his genuine worry must have slipped
through. Oliver slid over him as though slotting himself into the perfectly fitting cradle of Drews

body and possessed his mouth in a searing kiss. Drews fear melted into a puddle in his mind as
Oliver s deft tongue licked at his lips and delved inside to coax out Drews barely restrained passion.
Part of Drew wished he understood this more, that this overwhelming feeling swamping them
both wasnt something they struggled to stifle so they could take care of Harry. Whatever the reason
behind it, Drew just wanted to latch onto Oliver and haul him to the nearest bedroom for at least a
week.
When Oliver pulled away, he very nearly did tug him upstairs. But common sense kicked down
the door in his mind, and with a great deal of reluctance Drews needy grip on his arms relaxed.
Nice save, Drew whispered.
Oliver s broad smile was response enough.

* * * *

The entire time that Drew dug the deep hole at the far edge of the backyard, the shovel he
liberated from the garage making quick work of the soft earth, Chris sat on the edge of the back
porch. His booted feet dangled and swung a few inches above the healthy growth of grass shooting up
from the lawn, their bright-green shoots undisturbed by the threat of his boots weighing them down.
He could have helped, a point Drew thought about making more than once in the past hour or so, but
the lack of a second shovel stopped him. Oliver ordered him to stay and watch over Drew, and stay
Chris did.
He did, however, possess the good sense to start in on dinner preparations, and while Drew
slaved away in the warm summer sunlight, Chris silently peeled potatoes for mashing. The brown
skins curled to the ground in deftly cut strips, Chriss knife skimming over the potatoes in quick yet
careful strokes. Well, Drew thought wryly, at least hes doing something.
Finally, unable to withstand the silence anymore, Drew plunged the dull blade of the shovel into
the ground and walked over to retrieve his bottled water from the porch. After watching Chris peel
another potato, Drew said, Youre pretty good at that.
Chriss lips tugged into a faint smile, but Drew pressed on. No, really. You take off all of the
skin and dont take half of the potato with it. My mom would love you. I always hacked away at the
potato no matter what I did. Mom once said she would have gotten the same results out of me if shed
sent me outside with a sack of potatoes and an ax.
Chris laughed at that. Drew took it as a good sign. Chris looked pretty scary at first glance with
his shaved head, dark goatee, and multitude of tattoos, but if Oliver would willingly leave him alone
with the guy, he couldnt be so bad. It struck Drew that assuming Oliver s good opinion meant Chris
was a trustworthy person also meant Drew was putting an awful lot of stock in Oliver s opinion given
how long theyd known each other. Drew should be more worried Oliver wasnt a safe bet, not
counting on Oliver being a good person to extend that same trust to others.
That would be the smart thing to do. Then again, maybe it was time to start trusting his gut a
little more often.
After finishing another potato and tossing the peeled vegetable into the pot at his side, Chris put
aside the knife, then groaned and stretched out bulging muscles which Drew felt sure would give him
a complex. You seriously going to bury them all?
Im not a big fan of hunting. Or animal heads. Or talking animal heads that threaten to kill me
in my sleep.
You could just give them away. Im pretty sure the feed store would pay you a thousand bucks

or more for the whole collection. Plenty of people around here decorate like serial killers. Chris
gave a coyote pelt a particularly disgusted look which made Drew feel guilty by extension. He wasnt
sure whether or not Harry had been the one to kill and mount the coyote in question, but hed sure as
hell been the one to hang the admittedly beautiful pelt on the wall.
The sudden stark realization that the coyote might have once been another different kind of
shifter, someone Chris may have known once upon a time, unsettled Drew so much he gave the blade
of the shovel embedded in the ground an extra-hard kick. I cant give them away, Drew muttered.
Why not?
Drew glared at the cluttered pile of animal heads on the ground. I dont think theyre going to
stop talking if I do that.
Chris frowned. Why do you think that?
I dont know, Drew said, a little put off by how sure he was about it. Just a weird hunch.
It was more than a hunch, though. Drew somehow just knew, like some strange instinct which
flared to life over the course of a few short hours. Since this morning, something fundamental had
changed deep inside of him. There was no more ignoring the vital energy swirling through his chest
than there would have been if someone cracked his ribs open and released it into the wild. It knew
things, and because it was a part of him, he knew things whether he wanted to or not.
For example, Drew knew that burying these animal heads and pelts would disintegrate the magic
currently forcing them to act as supernatural speakers for a force greater than themselves. It felt like
such a simple fact, like two plus two equaling four. A small part of him thought Chris was a moron
for not knowing as much, although he stifled that tiny voice in his head easily enough.
Chris watched him dig for a long moment. You seem like youre handling all of this okay.
Well, my uncles a giant lizard and my dog can talk, Drew said with a shrug. Ill freak out
about everything else later.
You mean mating with Oliver.
Drew paused with his shovel stuck in the ground and pulled a face that his mother would have
told him not to make if he didnt want it to freeze like that. I still cant get over that. Mating. Makes us
sound like animals.
Everyone is an animal whether you change forms or not.
Drew shot Chris a wry look. You know what I mean.
And? Humans mate all of the time. They just dont mate for life.
So, what? Its an animal thing?
Chris shoved away from the porch and somehow managed to land on the grass without slipping
on the discarded potato peels. He made a rough dismissive laugh and smacked at his jeans as though
swiping at invisible dirt. You ever hear that saying about wolves mating for life? If you look it up,
its a myth. Not all animals mate for life, not even the ones you think stay together forever. Nah,
magical beings can do something animals and humans cant. They can recognize their perfect person.
Thats what mating is.
So youre saying Oliver s my perfect person? So Im stuck with Oliver for the rest of my life
whether I want to or not?
You sound thrilled about that, Chris said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.
Well, would you be? Oliver s great, but I like making my own choices. I mean, sure, I make
some pretty awful choices, which includes boyfriends, and lets not even talk about the cheating
bastard I just left
Gus lifted his head up from the porch slats he lay across and growled. That wretched fool! You

should have allowed me to attack his manhood and remove his sensitive parts with a good sharp bite!
And let you catch a mouthful of STDs? Not bloody likely. Drew smirked at Gus as the dog
huffed and slumped back down onto the porch, but almost immediately Drew grimaced and added,
Great, now Im starting to talk like the dog.
Chris took a few steps until he was within reach of Drew and gave his arm a firm squeeze. His
expression softened somewhat, giving the big bear of a man a less severe appearance which took
away some of Drews fears. You make the choice, Drew. You just know which one will make you
happiest.
A reluctant nod was the only answer Drew could provide at the moment. There was just so much
which had changed in the past day that he wasnt sure he would ever catch up. Discovering his
familys magical heritage would have been powerful enough to knock anyone for a loop. But the
added double-whammy of the vengeful lizard chasing him and his overwhelming desire for Oliver
made Drew feel as though the universe swept his feet out from under him. At this point, it was either
prioritize or lose his mind.
Whatever his priorities might be, the vicious roar of something inhuman from the woods shot
to the top of the list.
Oh, great, now what? Drew said, dropping the shovel and getting ready to bolt. Sure, he could
hold onto it and fight, but something told him it was smarter to run.
A pair of threatening growls made him look to the side. While he expected to see Gus on his feet
and baring his fangs, it was more than a little surprising to hear the threatening rumble coming from
Chriss throat. When Chris bared his own teeth only to display a set of menacing white fangs growing
sharper with each moment, Drew swallowed his questions and just decided to go with it.
The vile creature is once again awake! Let us fight the foul beast to the death as an army of
three! Gus scrambled down the porch steps and turned to charge toward the trees, but Drew leapt
forward and pounced before he could get very far. His fingers tightened on Guss collar, the leather
digging into his already work-worn hands as Gus attempted to break free.
Stay behind me, Drew, Chris ordered. Drews eyes widened at the terrifying sight of his dark
talons and rippling muscles, his body preparing itself for a fight in a way Drew couldnt even begin
to fathom at the moment.
He glanced over at the house, a frantic voice in his mind begging him to run inside, close the
door shut, and hope for the best. Am I safer back here than I am in there?
Oliver left me here to protect you. Do you trust him?
Oh, thats not fair, Drew yelled.
The creature chose that precise moment to emerge from the shaded safety of the woods. Its
iridescent scales flickered in the sunlight, scattering brilliant color like a freshly-caught rainbow
trout. Its emerald eyes sparkled as though theyd been polished by a professional jeweler. Yet all of its
wondrous beauty didnt eliminate the cold viciousness behind those eyes. Drew wondered in a daze if
Harrys rage fed his dragon, if the beast before him had only grown larger as it regained its strength
and curled up wherever it hid, just hating him and consuming that hate like a smorgasbord.
Youre seriously going to protect me from that? Drew stage-whispered.
Im going to try, Chris snapped, not backing down.
Youre a real comfort, you know that?
Harrys dragon snapped its menacing jaws at Chris, who simply roared back at him without fear.
When the frightening creature swiped a clawed foot at Chriss neck, Chris spun almost like a dancer
and attempted to tear at the weak underside of its neck with his own talons.

When a geyser of flames spouted from the dragons nostrils and seared the grass not far from
where Chris stood only a moment before, Drew said, Whoa, and hauled Gus back once again.
Papa, you must allow me to join the fray and fight for your honor! Gus barked, tugging in
frantic jerks at Drews hold.
In response, Drew wrapped his arms around Guss midsection, trying to get a better grip on the
wriggling bulldog. Like hell I will, he grumbled, making a mental note to keep Gus restrained until
they got this whole Harry situation under control.
Just then, Chriss bulky body flew over Drews head, knocked backward with a furious swipe of
the dragons lithe tail. Chris slammed into the freshly dug earth, skidding across the ground until his
jeans were clearly a lost cause. He still moved, thank God, but he was out for the count for at least the
next minute or so. It was far too long if Drew possessed any hope whatsoever of surviving the next
few minutes.
The beast slithered toward Drew in one rippling motion, so lightning-quick Drew almost
thought he must have teleported across the lawn. Drews skin tingled the closer it got, and for the first
time he wondered if it was his own bequeathed magic powering on in a subconscious form of selfdefense. As the dragon approached, Drews fists clenched, almost throbbing with ingrained magic,
and he was very nearly ready to drop Gus and stand up to fight the damn thing.
Harry!
The reptilian creatures head whirled toward the sound of Oliver s demanding voice. Oliver
stalked across the lawn, glowing golden in the sunlight like some avenging angel, a ratty old
backpack taking the place of the mighty wings he should have had. Hey, look what I found! he
shouted, and held up a blunt knife tarnished a deep shade of brown which didnt look as though it
could cut a stick of soft butter, much less a dragon that had grown larger since the last time they
encountered it.
Whatever its strength, it did the trick. The beast hissed at Oliver in a furious display, then
vanished into the forest again.
After a long moment, Drew finally broke the silence. What the hell is that?
Oliver s gaze dropped to the blade in his hand. What, this? Its a witchslayer s blade. It can
disintegrate a wizards dragon with a simple touch as long as it hasnt killed off another dragon
before.
Has it?
Would I be holding it if it hadnt? Oliver quipped, then pitched the knife toward the center of
the lake. It twirled through the air in a lazy pinwheel before splashing down in the dark blue water.
Drews mouth gaped open. Tell me that wasnt what you left me here for.
No, thats in my backpack. The knife was just to buy us some time. Oliver crouched over
Drew, who finally released Gus so he could focus on his mate. It didnt matter that he was seething
with anger and frustration right now, or that he was the one out of the two of them whod been the
target of Harrys rage. Drew itched to grab onto Oliver and touch him from head to toe, to examine
every inch of flesh for damage and make a running tally of each so hed know how much retribution
he was due.
Oliver s lips tugged into a teasing grin which almost made Drew wonder if Oliver really could
read his mind. A moment later, he sank down until the length of his muscular body pressed against
Drews. His searing heat warmed Drew through the single layer of his tank top, and Drew clenched
his fingers into the grass to keep from grabbing onto him, tearing away his shirt and sweats, and
fucking him right there and then.

The calming stroke of Oliver s fingers over his hair did nothing to alleviate Drews anger. You
all right, baby?
Not even remotely, Drew ground out past clenched teeth.
Oliver nodded in a way which convinced Drew he understood they needed to talk. Chris? he
asked, not looking away.
Nothing a few beers wont numb, Chris said with a raspy chuckle, clutching his shoulder and
working out a kink as he stood up. Shaking his head at the pair of them as they lie entangled on the
grass, he said, Pleasure to meet you, Drew.
Thank you, Drew grumbled past his clenched teeth as Chris strode past.
Oliver s roaming hands continued to explore him, his questing fingertips delving under the
waistband of Drews jeans. Drew shivered and closed his eyes in self-defense, desperate not to let
their passions swallow them alive once again.
With an angry huff, Drew shoved himself to his feet and stomped into the house. Sure, he might
be behaving like a tantrum-throwing toddler, but hed had just about enough of being chased and
having startling new information thrown at him with only the barest of explanations.
He wanted answers, and Oliver better start providing them to him.

Chapter 7

By the time Oliver summoned his courage and followed his mate into the house, Drew had
already poured himself a shot of whiskey from the liquor cabinet. He stood hunched over it when
Oliver walked into the living room, not glancing away from the glass as though if he did so, Harry
would appear out of nowhere and take that, too, along with any last shred of normality Drew could
latch onto.
Oliver wondered if perhaps Drew finally reached the point where even contemplating getting
drunk seemed like a stupid idea. With an angry shape-shifting dragon sneaking around the place, after
all, why take the risk? Harry might just show up when he was wasted and then how would he survive.
Oliver didnt like to think about it. He didnt like Harry when he was alive and he wasnt
growing any fonder of him now that he was threatening his mate.
How, Drew finally said, his words slow and deliberate, can you be so fucking calm all the
time?
With a shrug, Oliver settled himself down on one end of the couch. One of us has to be. And
Ive got centuries of experience keeping calm in stressful situations.
Drew spun toward him, those bottle-green eyes flashing with his tremulous emotions. See, you
cant keep saying things like that and not expect me to have at least a tiny emotional breakdown.
Oh, Ive been waiting for you to have a tiny emotional breakdown. Im fairly sure any sane
human with no experience with magic whatsoever is due at least one emotional breakdown once its
struck them in the face repeatedly in a short period of time.
Drew huffed out a heavy breath and ran both his hands through his hair in utter frustration.
Oliver only barely kept himself from getting up to sweep Drews tempting body into his arms and
attempt to divert his attention with a passionate kiss. Drew needed this. He needed to be able to let go
and release some of his shaky emotions before he exploded, which unsurprisingly was not something
Oliver desired, at least not outside of the bedroom.
Hell, once they made it into a bedroom. Five hundred years hed been alive, and this was
officially the longest day out of all of them.
Look, Drew said, the only reason I came here was to check the place out before I sold the
cabin. I didnt even plan to stay for any longer than a week. I figured the worst thing Id have to do
was clean out the fridge before I talked to the realtor, not exorcise the damn place of my uncles
angry lizard spirit. And I sure as hell didnt expect to have public sex with an incredibly hot wizard!
Well, to be fair, it wasnt all that public, considering the blinds were down, Oliver quipped,
not bothering to dig himself a deeper hole by thanking Drew for the compliments on his looks.
Drew glared at him. Not. Helping, he practically snarled.
Sighing, Oliver got to his feet and walked over to his mate, slipping his arms around his mate
before Drew could protest. He kept his grip loose in case Drew did want to be released, of course, not
wanting to be the sort of mate who ordered his mate around or forced him to do anything he didnt
want to do. Hed seen it before in other mates, the violent clash of personalities when one wanted to
lead and the other wasnt having it. Hed seen mates whose explosive passions turned into actual
explosions, and that was the last sort of mating he wanted to be a part of.
Oliver would make mistakes, to be sure. He certainly wasnt perfect by any stretch of the
imagination. But for Drew, he was willing to try and be the best man he could.
He pressed his body against Drews lean frame, savoring the answering hardness which

responded to his own cock swelling within his sweats. Simply touching Drew was enough to drive his
body to the brink. He stroked one hand over Drews smooth chest while brushing a soft kiss against
his full lips. Mating with me wasnt all that bad, was it?
The tip of Drews tongue darted out to chase the faint taste of Oliver on his lips, and Oliver
nearly dove in to follow it when it retreated back into Drews fascinating mouth. Okay, that might be
helping a little bit, Drew admitted.
Just for the record, our bond is strong enough for me to know what turns you on. Including
this. Oliver tweaked Drews nipple and savored the full-body shudder which rippled over his mate.
Drews brow furrowed. I dont feel
You wouldnt. I put up a wall so my memories wouldnt overwhelm you while youre still
coming to grips with all of this. A few things did slip through the cracks before I could erect the wall,
however.
Like what, exactly?
Oliver tilted his head just so and let loose with a teasing grin. Romance novels?
Drews cheeks pinked up as he blushed, and Oliver nearly jumped him all over again. There was
something incredibly adorable about the way the man could slide from one emotion to another. Hey,
I happen to like romance novels.
Oliver trailed a finger around one of Drews bare nipples, enjoying the way his breath hitched
from Oliver s touch. How does a gay man end up writing heterosexual romance novels?
Drew shrugged, absently tugging at the hem of Oliver s shirt. I broke my leg right after the end
of junior year and spent the rest of the summer laid up on my moms couch. I wasnt much of a reader
until all of the soap operas started to bore the pants off me, and the only other things in the house left
to amuse myself with were my mother s cheap romance novels. I ended up selling my first romance
under a pseudonym my senior year of college, and the rest is history.
Oliver knew some of this from what he gleaned before he slammed shut the door between his
mind and Drews. He clung to that mental image of a smaller, skinnier version of Drew, his hair spiky
and wild, chugging a soda with one hand holding a bodice ripper in the other. I cant even begin to
imagine you writing straight sex scenes.
I also write paranormal romance, you know. If I can write a vampire even though they dont
exist, I can write straight sex even though Ive never had any.
About the vampires, Oliver said, his voice trailing.
If you tell me they exist right now, I will do something spiteful to your dangly bits.
Even though you like them?
Dont test me. Im a powerful wizard, you know.
His smile could have lit up the sky on a starless night, but it didnt make Oliver feel as good as it
normally would. Before they went on, he needed to come clean. The last thing either one of them
could stand were more secrets. Drew, theres something else I have to tell you.
Drew cocked a dark eyebrow. Why do I have a feeling Im not going to like this?
The day Harry died Oliver pressed his lips together in frustration and said, No, let me
start over. Our clanswell, theyve never been what you would call friendly.
So? That doesnt have anything to do with us, right? Its not like its a rule we have to hate each
other.
No, it isnt, Oliver said. He leaned forward for just a moment to nuzzle Drews lips, then
pulled back with a groan before he could chicken out. Harry never believed that, though. Even when
he was a child, he was cruel to me. More so than he was to anyone else. He once waved a hand in my

grocery and made my entire stock disappear. I couldnt get it back. I needed to buy everything all over
again.
Youve been alive for five hundred years and you couldnt afford to restock a small grocery
store?
Youre changing the subject.
Sorry.
Dont be, Oliver said. Never be, he thought fondly. The Pattons have never been particularly
poor of funds either. Money has never been our issue. Its always been the sort of petty annoyances
you can engage in when you can simply wave your hand and have whatever you want. A Patton heir
plays a trick on me, I keep quiet with the knowledge I will outlive the little punk. Childish, I know, but
you take what you can get when youre a fairly powerless wizard.
Immortality is powerful, Drew teased.
Still changing the subject, Oliver said, smiling in spite of himself. Harry recently started
acting strangely. He didnt say anything cruel to me. He wasnt saying anything at all, to me or to
anyone else. And he always looked so angry. Oliver paused and tried to figure out how to tell this to
Drew. Like it or not, his mate was also Harrys heir. When Drews gaze locked with his, those
sparkling green eyes were encouraging, and Oliver pressed on. One day, we could all hear
explosions, all the way down in the middle of town. The others asked me to come up and check on
him. They didnt want anyone to get hurt.
Oliver, you know you can stop anytime you
No. I swore I would never lie to my mate. I refuse to omit something youll discover soon
enough the stronger your powers become.
Drews eyes widened, but after a moment he gave Oliver s sides a light squeeze, urging him to
continue.
When I arrived, Harry was nowhere to be found. I searched the cabin, checked the beaches,
couldnt find him anywhere. Then I saw it.
What?
A dragon. Harrys dragon.
Drew frowned. I thought you said a wizards dragon never comes out.
I said Ive never seen one emerge. In magic, witnessing a rare event means a lot. Ive never
seen a wizard shapeshift into a dragon in my entire lifetime, but Ive heard they occurred, usually
third- or fourth-hand. Rumors, unreliable witness accountsnot exactly dependable.
So Harry shapeshifted into his dragon, Drew said, sounding mystified. Oliver couldnt blame
him. He wasnt sure what spell Harry cast to pull off his transformation after death, but it certainly
worked. How would he even do that?
Oliver shook his head. I dont know. But he attacked me, shot flames at meI didnt have a
choice.
He couldnt bring himself to say what came next. Whatever power Oliver summoned to knock
Harry back into his human form worked, or at least they all thought it had. When Oliver awoke,
Harrys body lie before him with no signs of life whatsoever. The funeral director in town cremated
him, and that was the end of it, at least as far as Oliver, Rain, and the rest of Homespun thought.
Oliver finally opened his mouth to admit the rest of it, but Drew just seemed to understand. You
killed him.
After a long moment, Oliver nodded. I did.
In self-defense.

I still killed him.

In self-defense, Drew repeated softly. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, but somehow
Oliver knew they were more for what he had to go through than for his uncle. Im not stupid, Oliver.
And I never hero-worshipped Harry. I know how awful he could be. If you say something was wrong
with Harry that night, I believe you.
We still need to find out what, though.
Drews frown deepened. Why? Hes dead. What does it matter?
Because it might be the key to getting rid of whatever evil has permeated the cabin. And
because I dont want to lose you to the same fate. Oliver reached down beside the couch and lifted up
the book bag from where hed dropped it. Inside was the one thing which could tell them both what
needed to be done to ensure Harry, his spirit, and his dragon were all well and truly gone. First,
though, lets go make ourselves dinner before those potatoes go to waste.
Drew nodded, his jaw clenching as he silently steeled himself for what lie ahead. Oliver couldnt
be prouder of him.

Chapter 8

Drew awoke from his nap to the pleasing sensation of wet heat engulfing his hard cock.
Oh, sweet fuck, he moaned, coming to startling and abrupt consciousness. His hand snaked
down without clear thought, threading through Oliver s burnished-gold mane out of reflex.
We can do that later, Oliver murmured, then latched onto his dick once again.
In response to the tightening of Drews fingers in the soft mass of his hair, Oliver hummed
around the hard length of Drews throbbing prick. The tip of his tongue flickered into Drews slit,
gathering his leaking pre-cum like a rare treasure.
For a brief moment, Drew could swear he recognized a forking in Oliver s tongue, a splitsecond caress over either side of his swollen cock.
It should have been unsettling, an unnatural flash of his magical heritage. Instead, Drew bucked
into Oliver s welcoming mouth, thrusting with glorious abandon with the ingrained knowledge that
Oliver could and would take it. As if knowing Drews innermost thoughts, Oliver s talented mouth
sank all the way down to the root of his stiff prick. His orgasm danced just out of reach, a tantalizing
ebb and flow that taunted Drew with that delicious edge of passion.
Keep onoh, God, Oliver, your goddamn mouth is heavenly. Dont ever stop sucking me.
Oliver pulled away from his cock with an audible pop and smirked. That would make it awfully
hard for me to breathe eventually, you know.
Drew made a silly face and gave Oliver s head a playful push. Oliver s low rough laugh shot a
flood of languid heat through Drews heavy balls, and he hissed his breath in between his teeth to keep
from coming.
When he finally crashed to Earth from the power of Oliver s eager ministrations, Drew nearly
dove into unconsciousness all over again.
His chest heaving, Drew reached out blindly and ran his fingers over the golden stubble dusting
Oliver s cheeks. Thats so much better than an alarm clock, he murmured.
Oliver nipped at his fingertips, his white teeth scraping gently over Drews skin. Feel better
now?
From what? The nap or the blowjob?
Both, Oliver answered, his voice warm and fond.
Drew wasnt sure how to respond to that. Dinner was spent with the pair of them hunched over
an ancient tome full of spells Oliver called his familys book of secrets. Drew joked it couldnt
exactly be that secret if Oliver would simply let him see it, but Oliver s expression quickly chased
away most of his humor. Over the centuries, members of the Warren family scrawled magical recipes
in tightly written ink, the Warren familys gathered knowledge of the supernatural. Drew shoveled
heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and thick slices of roast beef into his mouth while marveling
over the finely-bound book and its precious contents. If Oliver thought showing him an old book
would intrigue him, he was right. Regardless of what was written on its flimsy pages, Drews fingers
itched to clutch the book to his chest and take in that wonderful singular scent old books always
seemed to carry.
On the other hand, it made him wonder if the Pattons possessed a similar book. A quick search
of the place by him and Oliver while the beef cooked didnt reveal one, but it wouldnt surprise either
of them if Harry hid it before his demise.
Oliver scratched over Drews abs with his blunt nails, nearly encouraging his still half-hard dick

to make an admirable comeback. Hell be bigger than he was before.

Hes already huge, Drew countered.
Youve never done anything like this before.
Drew forced a tight smile as he buttoned up his jeans and sat up. No time like the present.
Oliver opened his mouth for what was more than likely another weak attempt at talking Drew
out of going up against Harrys dragon. Before he could speak, however, Drew silenced him by
thrusting his tongue between Oliver s lips. Thankfully, Oliver took the hint. He eagerly sucked on the
appendage, driving Drew wild.
They both knew from Oliver s book of secrets what had to be done. Only the heir of a wizard
whod turned could take down him or her.
This responsibility was Drews.
As if on cue, the ground underneath the cabin rumbled as though the earth itself was growling.
Oliver gave his hand a light squeeze, then tugged him to his feet. You sure about this? he asked
again. Why, Drew wasnt sure. They couldnt run or hide, and they couldnt let the damn thing run
wild, not just in Homespun but anywhere else. They needed to end this.
With a stiff nod, Drew headed out the back door of the cabin, Oliver following close behind.
At first, they saw nothing as they descended the porch steps to the lawn. Even the filled-in grave
where Drew finished burying the animal heads was hard to see, but looked no different even after
their eyes adjusted to the change in light. The ground still trembled as though shaking in fear, and
Oliver pressed a reassuring hand on the small of Drews back.
Drew pressed his lips together in determination. He wasnt sure what he was going to do, but it
was just like Spider-Man, right? With great power comes great responsibility. If he was going to be a
wizard, then hed have to start by getting rid of the last wizard who held his power, whether he liked it
or not.
It was the unearthly roar which they witnessed first, a deep ominous sound no coming
earthquake or slowly approaching thunderstorm could match. The low-pitched threatening rumble
thrummed underfoot, sending an unnerving shiver racing through Drews battle-tense body.
He shot a quick glance in Oliver s direction, hoping he felt just as mind-numbingly terrified as
Drew did. Instead, he focused with silent intent on the unrestrained thrashing they could now hear in
the depths of the forest. His amber-gold eyes narrowed to spot the uprooted trees and shredded shrubs
which pitched into the air like loosened roofs in a tornado. Both of them followed the path of the
flying greenery with their eyes as the barely visible destruction grew ever closer through the pitchblack midnight darkness.
A moment later, a sparking geyser of explosive flames shot into the sky, bursting forth like a
fiery spear.
When Drews gaze dropped from the apex of its sudden and impressive height, a chill raced
through him as he spotted the growing conflagration beginning to devour the trees to the west.
Oliver? he murmured, too stunned to say much more. How the hell were they supposed to stop
a fire-breathing dragon?
Correction. How was he supposed to take down a fire-breathing dragon?
Well, at least Gus was locked in the basement for the night, or else he would have volunteered
some a ridiculous solution, presumably while running headfirst into battle and barking madly. Drew
didnt need a roasted bulldog right now on top of everything else.
When Harrys dragon emerged from the trees, eager flames devouring the trees he stomped
down in his wake with his massive clawed feet, Drew froze. It was one thing to talk about destroying a

dragon in theory. He could do anything in theory. He was a writer, for heavens sake. With his
imagination, he could probably come up with a plausible reason for anything.
But not for this. Never for this.
Who the hell was he kidding?
When the dragon swept forward, its newly-grown wings catching the air and fueling the
glowing smoke which poured from its nostrils, Drew couldnt move. He might as well have been a
deer in the headlights of his damn truck. The dragons jaw cracked open, and Drew mentally prepared
to burn.
Drew, no!
Oliver dove out of nowhere before Drew could even register hed leaped to block Harrys blast
from incinerating Drew in a sizzling column of orange-red flames. The heat still yanked all of the air
from Drews lungs in a demanding whoosh, suffocating him like a giants fist tightening around his
chest. Drews eyes watered as he focused on forcing his lungs to work once again, too busy worrying
about the light-headed sensation sweeping over him to check on Oliver or see where Harry was.
One breath, two breaths. In and out, in and out
It took far too long for the dizziness to subside, but once Drews head cleared he immediately
scrambled for the prone body at his feet. Oliver s tanned skin was barely visible, scorched over every
available surface with a thick black crust. A growing panic raced through Drews body and set his
heart on a frantic beat, and he deliriously thought Oliver looked like an overcooked marshmallow. A
heartbroken wail erupted from Drews throat, a sound he hadnt made since his mother passed away.
He stretched out one trembling hand and gently squeezed Oliver s shoulder.
He said he was immortal, and Drew suddenly, viciously hoped he hadnt been lying.
Come back to me, goddamn it, he hissed, resisting the urge to shake Oliver out of misdirected
anger.
Oliver let out a pained groan in response.
Drew pulled his hand away, startled, only to grimace when a strip of the hideous black crust
came with it. Disgusted, he shook his arm to dislodge the sticky patch from his palm, wiggling his
fingers until the tacky strip of crust fell into the grass. He reared away from it with a sneer on his
face, one hand falling by chance onto the same shoulder hed touched earlier on Oliver s battered
body.
This time, he encountered only smooth perfect skin.
More of it peeled away without Drew even touching it, the crisped skin slipping to the ground
and leaving fresh golden skin behind it. Drew nearly choked on a sob when he realized Oliver was
healing.
Behind him, Harrys dragon roared at the sky with such fury Drew could swear he heard a
window crack.
Summoning his courage, he rose to his feet and turned to face the huge creature almost
smirking down at him. Now that he knew his mate would be fine, Drew could focus on defeating the
son of a bitch who nearly turned him into a piece of charcoal.
Oliver might be alive, but Drew still reserved the right to be pissed off.
He took a step forwardto do what, he wasnt even sure he could have answeredonly to
encounter an invisible wall of something thick and viscous that swallowed him whole. He struggled
against its unseen bonds, but there didnt look to be an escape. Drew thought of Han Solo trapped in
carbonite, except in this case he was frozen in something he couldnt even identify.
The dragon slithered in front of him, its great body rippling in the moonlight, andand Drew

could swear that it leered at him.

He yanked at the invisible bonds to no avail.
Not like there was any sort of proof that Harrys spirit lived on in his escaped dragon, but Drew
could see the sharp bitterness behind his eyes. The crotchety old bastard got out of his body along
with his dragon and simply waited.
Drew didnt know exactly what Harrys plan for him was, but he didnt plan to wait and find out.
The ever-growing lizard swirled around him in a vicious twisting of the air like an enormous
hand wringing out a wet dishrag. Drew slammed his lips together and clenched his jaw to keep from
being suffocated by the unseen force, and fought against his unseen bonds even though he knew it
wouldnt work. Harrys magic was too strong. The longer he held Drew at bay, the stronger he
seemed to get.
His own dragon rolled under his skin, reminding Drew of those nature documentaries where
hungry alligators snapped onto their prey with their mighty jaws and spun in murky waters to tear
their victims to pieces. Drew snapped his own jaws unconsciously at the looming dragon, the
vengeful creature inside him wordlessly demanding to join the fight and defend their mate.
Let him, a familiar voice said in Drews head.
Oliver. That was Oliver.
Drew didnt think twice. He simply handed over the reins to his body to his dragon and held on
for the ride.
Later, Drew would wish he could remember any of it, at least more clearly than he did. Once the
dragon took control of his body, the world around him narrowed to a blurry yet dizzying pinpoint.
Drew supposed his mind needed to block it out just to keep from losing itself, even after the
disconcerting loss of sensation and muffled sounds gave way once again to the warm summer air and
clear starry night up above his head.
The only change from before his release of control was the still-smoldering corpse of a dragon
stretched out across the lawn.
Drew clamped a shaking hand over his mouth and nose against the charcoal stink of blackened
flesh and the awful smoky taste which hung in the air. A part of him wondered if his dragon had really
done all that, had torched Harrys dragon until the skin seared and crusted and then capped it all off by
putting out the fires in the surrounding trees. But he knew he had. Even if he didnt possess quite as
firm a grasp on his faculties as he would have liked in his dragon form, Drew could see what the
creature could do. But even better, it knew when to stop, shift back, and give him control once again.
Before him, the dragon corpse flaked and crumbled like a log in the heart of a campfire.
Somehow, Drew just knew that when the morning came, it would all be gone, just black dust blown
away on the night breeze, and that would be the last of Harry.
But that wasnt his priority. Not anymore.
Oliver. He needed to get to Oliver.
A sudden spark of energy burst through him, and it coursed through Drew with such wild
abandon he was beaming when he turned toward his mate. His giddy grin only grew brighter when he
saw Oliver on his feet, pristine and perfect, staring at Drew as though he hung the stars to spell out
Oliver s name for all time.
When they rushed to one another, the first brush of skin against skin caused both of them to
groan with relief.
Are you all right? Oliver s trembling hands skimmed over his entire body, skittering over his
head and neck and chest in jerky movements. He even knelt to check Drews legs, examining every

inch of his skin in a frantic need. Unsettled by Oliver s worry, Drew reached down and hauled Oliver
up. Instead of standing up straight, Oliver curled into him, settling against his heaving chest and
pressing his face into the sweaty curve of Drews neck.
Hey, Drew murmured, quiet and steady as though attempting to calm a skittish animal. Hey,
its okay, Oliver. He pressed one hand to Oliver s head, threading it through the golden mass of his
damp hair, then smoothed his other hand over Oliver s bare back. Oliver s jittery exhales skipped
over Drews skin, and he thought to himself that under any other situation, he might have found the
sensation both ticklish and erotic all at once. Calm down, baby, Im fine. Hes gone. Were safe.
For now, Oliver murmured. If he learned anything over the past five hundred years, it was that
life was a series of lulls interspersed with exciting times, both good and bad. The only way to savor
the life you had would be to make those lulls as joyful as one could manage.
If the reassuring touch of Drews curving hand cupping the back of his neck was any indication,
he completely understood what Oliver meant. As soon as Oliver recognized the rising heat in Drews
jewel-green eyes, his lips curled in an intoxicated smile. Drew enticed him like no other ever had, and
an overwhelming need to bond with him once again swelled through him and burst like a stoppered
geyser.
Take off your damn clothes, Oliver growled.
Drews smile spread across his face, then quirked up at one corner in a wide, welcoming
invitation.

Chapter 9

Once they were inside the house once again and finally ended up in the bedroom, Oliver didnt
wait for Drews hands to reach up and start the far-too-arduous process of stripping himself naked as
quickly as Oliver would like.
He pounced, feeling as though he was possessed by a whirlwind of flames tracing a searing path
along his too-tight skin. His nails growing pointed and sharp as the dragon inside him hungered for
its mate, Oliver skimmed his talons over Drews clothing and stripped him bare without a care for the
state of the removed garments. Seams popped and buttons skittered across the floor. Drew didnt ever
bother to help, lying back and allowing Oliver to take what he wanted, what he needed. If itd been
Oliver on the receiving end of that blast of blue fire, overwhelming fear would have swamped Drew
with such fervor he wouldnt have given a damn about the state of Oliver s clothes, either. He would
have torn them aside just as carelessly.
Oliver didnt require a mental link with Drew to know that. The gratitude behind his lustful gaze
said everything Oliver didnt need to hear.
As soon as Drew lay bare and perfect before him, his olive-toned skin glowing in the flare of
the dancing candlelight, Oliver lowered his mouth to Drews upper leg. He licked a long stripe from
Drews inner thigh to the neatly trimmed thatch of pitch-black curls clouding around his fat cock.
Drew released a pleased whimper, silently begging for more.
If Oliver could help itand if he knew him well enoughthe silence wouldnt last long.
With Drews tempting body lying pliant and willing underneath him, Oliver could manipulate
the younger man however he chose. He could bend those flexible legs of his far enough to expose
Drews fluttering hole, could delve his tongue inside and memorize the dark musky taste of his core.
Or Oliver could flip him over and press into the warm length of Drews body, skim his palms over
those toned muscles sprinkled with crisp dark hair, and lazily stretch him open until he screamed for
Oliver to pound into him with abandon. He could suck him, he could fuck him, he could make sweet
and precious love to the man he was meant to spend the rest of his life with.
So many options, and plenty of time to do them in.
Oliver s full lips curled in a wicked grin before he buried his face against the soft wrinkled skin
of Drews heavy balls and inhaled their intoxicating scent. The tip of his tongue darted out to trace
faint tracks over Drews taut sack, and Drew mewled.
Fuck, Oliver, Drew bit off in harsh rasps. Get up here already before I disintegrate.
He reached down to tug at Oliver s shoulder, but Oliver latched onto his flailing hand and
pressed his wrist to the mattress. No, he ordered. Youll come when I say you can come, and no
sooner.
A quick flash of something tense and unknown widened Drews green eyes, and for a moment
Oliver thought he may have pushed too hard. It wouldnt the first time his occasional need for
domination sent a lover racing for the door. It would simply be the first time it hurt.
Instead of bolting, however, Drew simply pressed his lips together and nodded, his entire body
turning languid and slack under Oliver s touch. The unflinching trust in his almost glowing eyes
would have weakened Oliver s knees if hed seen such a wondrous thing had he been standing.
When Oliver bent back Drews legs and delved into his entrance with his skilled tongue, Drews
moan drew out in what just might become Oliver s new favorite song. He rimmed Drews ass with
such eagerness that Drew almost scooted up the bed before thrusting back down toward him, unsure

of whether to flee or revel in Oliver s amazing artistry.

It took less magic than Oliver normally needed to summon something from thin airin this
case, lube. With a wave of his hand, his fingers were liberally slicked. He smiled with wicked intent as
he swirled his fingertips over Drews pucker before dipping inside. He glanced up at Drew to see his
heavy-lidded eyes watching Oliver open him up. Drews mouth grew slack as he groaned at Oliver s
ministration, his lust-edged voice rising in volume as Oliver spread him open.
When Oliver crawled up his body and pressed inside him, the raw beauty of Drews blissful
expression nearly broke Oliver s heart in the best of ways. So long hed waited for this connection
for someone, for this passionate whirlpool he would share with another person for the rest of his
days. Never would he have imagined that it would be one of the Pattons. But as he paused in his
motions to slide his hands over the length of Drews arms, Oliver didnt care. Their families rivalry
was dead. Now, it was only them.
Forever, he whispered, and his hopeful gaze locked with Drews.
Forever?
For a moment, Drew didnt even register he heard the softly spoken word. It wafted through the
blissfully silent bedroom like a dancing butterfly, teasing at the air with each light graceful
movement. Finally, it struck Drew that he had heard it, that Oliver said it, that he wanted an alwaysand-forever with Drew even after everything that happened. All of it wasnt Drews fault, of course.
But it was Harrys, and by extension Drew knew hed constantly fight off ripples of guilt for a good
long while.
Yet Oliver didnt care.
Would it be so bad, really, to give this completely unrealistic relationship a shot? Drew
wondered if it was some strange mental image for him to even consider this, the truth of their mate
bond, the solid invisible chain he felt connecting him to Oliver in a way hed never connect with
another human being. He could sense Oliver in the dark, if he were blind, if he lost his memory and
were dropped in the middle of the Australian outback. Hell, he could find Oliver on Mars, and would
count the seconds they were separated like links in the fence between them.
He slid his hand over Oliver s, his palm skimming over the knuckles, and laced their fingers
together.
Forever sounds pretty good, Drew said softly.
The smile which pressed a gentle kiss into the curve of Drews neck felt like a joyful agreement.

Epilogue

Just breathe.
I am breathing, Drew muttered, but there wasnt any malice in his words. Oliver was only
trying to help, and while everything they did in the past week to draw forth his magic only succeeded
in causing him to melt a few coffee cups, he could feel the magic bubbling up underneath his skin. It
roiled and writhed, threatening to boil over and flow out of him.
An instinctive part of Drews brain feared what might happen when he finally accessed his
magic with some measure of control, especially after what happened with Harry. But the reassuring
brush of Oliver s thumbs over his knuckles as he held Drews hands in his reminded Drew that if he
fell, Oliver would be there to catch him.
A week ago, Drew wasnt sure he wanted that. Now, he knew better.
He wanted it. Hell, hed never wanted anything more than he wanted Oliver, mate or not.
Youre thinking too hard, Oliver said, his voice teasing.
Drew pulled a face, even with his eyes still firmly shut, but lifted one of Oliver s hands to his
lips in an apologetic kiss. Im getting distracted, he said, and warmed from the inside at Oliver s
seductive laughter in response.
A breeze stirred the thick grass they sat on, tickling the bare skin on Drews calves, and he
cleared his throat before sitting up upright once again. He wriggled a little in the grass, not used to
sitting down for long periods of time without a set of ear buds in his ears and a cup of hot chai within
reach.
Maybe his writing habits were what he needed to focus on. He kept drowning in Oliver s calm
suggestionsbreathe deeply, search within yourself, savor the silence. It was like being mated to a
hotter version of Yoda. But he just couldnt seem to achieve the same relaxed ease he felt when he
curled up in a chair with his laptop and began to pound away at his latest novel. Maybe he was some
dumb clich, but even when things were at their worst, he enjoyed warming a blueberry muffin to
pick at as he worked and rifling through his old jazz albums for the best one to fit his mood. He loved
it when the familiar scent of fresh rain wafted through the cracked-open window.
And now he had another thing to love about writing his novels. Over the past week Drew fell in
love with the way Oliver chose to inspire him, with just the right response to a question or brief
kisses in passing or the heated way he would yank Drews pants down in fierce and sudden need.
On Tuesday, Oliver dragged him away from his laptop at midnight, when the only light on the
lake poured from the windows of their bedroom, and led him outside to a picnic spread by the lake.
Once Drews eyes acclimated to the night, he noticed the full moon high above them, its intense glow
luring his dragon closer to the surface. It purred happily and scampered about within him,
encouraged by the enthusiastic strokes of Oliver s warm palm over Drews swollen cock. When Drew
finally came, pearly semen spilling into the welcoming depths of Oliver s mouth, his gaze took in the
too-bright stars above them and filed away the memory like a precious diamond. The next day, he
scribbled down every minute detail of the encounter in a notebook as he ate breakfast, Oliver s arms
wound around his waist as he whispered a few naughty remarks into Drews ear to spur him on.
Things like thatOliver, writing, all of itfilled him with a warm wave of love and happiness.
Just picturing the memories bled all of the stress from him in a heartbeat.
Drew.
For a moment, Drew didnt even recognize Oliver was speaking to him, his mind awash in

pleasant mental images.

Drew, love, open your eyes.
This time, Oliver s words were tinged with amusement, and a slightly frustrated part of Drew
made him open his eyes and say, Just give me a min
He didnt finish the sentence. His jaw dropped open.
The two of them floated four feet off the ground, the light summer breeze ruffling the grass
they previously sat on. Drews hands instinctively tightened on Oliver s as he gaped down at the
ground. Youre not doing this, right?
When Drew managed to tear his gaze away from the ground, he took in Oliver s proud smile.
No, baby, this is all you.
Even as Oliver said it, Drew knew he was right. Magic thrummed through his bloodstream like
rich, bubbling hot chocolate, warming him from head to toe and sending a ticklish tingle skittering
over his skin. His dragon hissed and danced inside him, and Drew barely resisted a cheer.
Okay, so now what? Drew asked.
Now you get us down, Oliver teased.
Drew shot him a dark look, but Oliver didnt waver in his amusement. Drew learned quickly
enough Oliver wore a shield which Drews more negative moods just couldnt penetrate. Brent used
to take Drews complaints and frustrations and use them for fodder in every petty argument the two of
them dove into. Oliver simply navigated the murky waters of Drews emotions with deft ease and
maybe even a little enjoyment. Drew knew there was some saying about that, that someone who could
love you at your worst would love you the rest of the time just as fiercely, but Drew never
encountered anything even close to it in any of his other relationships. Just with Oliver.
Of course, this wasnt one of his other previous boyfriends. This was his mate, his perfect other
half.
His dragon purred again, and Drew agreed with the sentiment.
Now that his magic lapped at the edge of his consciousness like a steady ocean, Drew mentally
reached out and tugged at it, and it easily flowed where he ordered it to go. He pressed down on their
two bodies gently, and they slowly lowered to the ground again. A moment later, when their asses
finally rested on the grass with the natural pull of gravity, Drew finally released his hold on his
magic. It slid from his mental grasp but stayed close, just out of touch.
Drew laughed, joy swarming through him.
On the porch, Gus lifted his sleepy head at the sound, yawned, and went back to his afternoon
nap again.
Before Oliver knew what hit him, Drew pounced, landing in his lap and pushing him backward
in one fumbling movement. Drews giggles were infectious, and soon both of them could barely
breathe from the force of their laughter.
When they finally caught their breath, their gazes locked on one another, and Oliver reached up
to push Drews dark hair from his startlingly green eyes. One step at a time, he said softly.
Drew nodded, his grin dazzling. One step at a time.
He leaned forward to take possession of Oliver s addictive mouth, his hips instinctively
thrusting against the hard cock pressing against his through layers of fabric. He never would have
expected anything which happened to him from the moment he crossed the barrier into Homespun,
but he wouldnt trade any of itthe magic, the shapeshifting, not even the talking dogfor anything
in the world. Especially Oliver.
Drew had an eternity to show his mate just how important he was to him, and he couldnt wait

for any part of it.

THE END

AUTUMNWYNN.TUMBLR.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Autumn lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the town she grew up in. She's been writing ever
since high school when she first read a book that made her throw it against a wall and say, I can write
better than that! She has two different Kindles, one for her erotic fiction and one for everything else.
She likes her tea leaves loose, her music loud, and her men with a sharp sense of humor.


For all titles by Autumn Wynn, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/autumn-wynn




Siren Publishing, Inc.
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