Jordan

 

 

Jordan sighed, and leaned back in his chair. He was restless and needed something more to do during the day while Maddison and Benjamin were in school. He loved volunteering but he needed more, so he was updating his résumé. He had no illusion that he was going to get a job working with Pryde Industries. They never even talked about Jordan looking for another job, since the status of their relationship changed; they were mated but he didn’t want to be handed a job just because they were boyfriends.

Partner sounds better, hell, I don’t know. This whole mating stuff is still fucking confusing. Wait, since we’re mated does it make me Duncan’s wife or is it husband?

He sat there stunned at his own question and didn’t want to think of what the answer might truly be. He thought back to earlier that morning and what had happened. He didn’t want to admit it, but he did overreact about the entire situation that morning. But he felt too embarrassed to walk back into Duncan’s bedroom and apologize. Truthfully, he had asked himself the same question.

He thought about going to see his parents later and have her tell him more of what to expect, but his mind rebelled from the idea. He was starting to feel a bit of resentment that he was left in the dark about his heritage all his life.  He was aware of the guilt his parents were feeling then and now. His mother might not have said it, but Jordan knew that she blamed herself for her sister’s death. He couldn’t tell what kind of guilt his father was carrying around.

Laxus Sutton was a very hard man to read at times. Jordan still felt that something should have tipped him off while he was growing up. Thinking back, except for the slight resemblance with his mother, he’d never seen anyone else that looked like him. All this time he thought the white stripe in her hair was from premature gray hair or a family trait.

Jordan decided that he was going to have to bite the bullet and pay his parents a visit. Honestly, he understood everything they did was to protect him. But he would have been better prepared about the whole mating thing and what he was. How was he supposed to control his abilities if he didn’t know what they were? His phone vibrated, he picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” he answered.

“I didn’t think you would pick up,” Duncan told him. “Still mad at me?”

“I wasn’t mad at you, really,” Jordan told him truthfully.

“So what was all of that this morning?” Duncan asked.

“Can we talk about that some other time?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Jordan thought Duncan had hung up.

“Yeah, sure,” he finally answered.

“Why did you call?” Jordan asked.

“I’m not going to be home early tonight, just wanted you to know in case you got worried.”

“Do you have a meeting or something?”

“More or less,” Duncan told him.

Jordan wanted to ask more questions but didn’t. They were still feeling their way through the whole mating thing. Sex aside, they still needed to learn how to trust each other fully.

“Does this have something to do with the hunter thing you mentioned the other night?”

“In a way,” Duncan answered.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” Their conversation sounded so stifled compared to the other times they’ve talked.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Duncan answered.

“Okay, thanks for telling me.” Jordan hung up before Duncan could say anything else. Well, that was a bit childish. Way to prove I’m ready for a grown-up relationship.

“You could have just told him you’re sorry for being a douche,” Ryland told him from the seat next to him. “And how are you sure we don’t need his help, considering who we’re getting ready to see?”

“Shut up,” Duncan groused. “It’s pretty much the same, isn’t it?”

“What’s that?”

“Relationships,” Duncan sighed.

“What did you think because now you’re with a guy things would be easy? Relationships take a lot of work no matter the gender.”

“Yeah, I’m seeing that now. No need to be a dick about it,” Duncan admitted. The smile on Ryland’s face told him he was enjoying whatever spat was going on with him and Jordan. “Get that smile off your face,” he growled with no heat to it.

Ryland chuckled. “I can’t help it, finally, the perfect Duncan Pryde reduced to a pouting baby because his mate won’t put up with his shit.”

He knew what Ryland meant and didn’t take offense. “Come on, let’s go. I want to get this done and over with.”

They exited the car and walked up to the abandoned warehouse, but knew it was just a front. They walked up to the door and knocked three times like they were instructed to.

The flap opened showing dark eyes. “Yeah?”

“Cinder and Ash,” Ryland whispered.

“Give me a minute,” the voice on the other side of the door told them then slammed the flap.

“You think this is a good idea?” Ryland asked him.

“No, but from what your informant told us, sanguines are being affected as well. Including a few clans outside the area. The hunters are not only targeting one sect but every damn shifter sect.”

“We have no choice but to work with them,” Ryland added. “Promise me one thing before we go in there.”

“What?” Duncan asked confusingly.

“Don’t kill anyone, we’re already at war with hunters, I don’t want to be at war with them as well.”

“I can’t promise that, their kind fucking irritates me,” Duncan told him honestly.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Ryland whispered.

The door opened for them and the bouncer stepped aside to let them in. Duncan walked in first, followed by Ryland covering his back. There was another guard standing in front of them, looking at them with a critical eye.

“We need to search you for weapons,” the second guard said.

Duncan turned and looked back at Ryland who shrugged his shoulders. Sighing, Duncan raised his hands in surrender and let the man check him for weapons, even though he knew he didn’t have one. Duncan could hear the music coming from the upper floor of the club that he couldn’t hear from outside. He looked up after the guard was done patting him down and a good-looking man was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at them.

He suspected that he was the owner and the man he was there to see. The owner walked, or rather glided, down the stairs and Duncan was able to get a good look at him. Blond hair and sparkling gray eyes, he was also a bit shorter than Duncan. Duncan hated the man on sight for more than one reason.

“Alpha Pryde, welcome to my coven.” The man extended his hand for a shake. “Bronx Harrison. I think we have a friend in common.”

A familiar scent wafted under Duncan’s nose that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “I’m not sure who you might be talking about,” Duncan said coyly taking his hand and shaking it. He was about to pull away when Harrison held onto his hand.

“No need to be coy, Alpha Pryde,” Harrison said with a smile that grated on Duncan’s nerves.

Duncan hated sanguines, they were cocky sons of bitches who thought the shifter sect owed them something.  The hate was mutual. Both sanguines and lykosians would love nothing but to wipe each other off the face of the earth.

“Are we going to stand here all night or take this somewhere else?” Duncan asked pulling his hand away.

“Straight to the point I see.” Harrison nodded. “Follow me.”

They walked up the stairs and Duncan was able to look down and see the entire club. It was decorated in crimson red and gold with black trim. At a quick glance, it looked like a normal club, people dancing, drinking, and talking if he ignored the sanguines feeding off their willing human prey. Hopefully they’re willing. Sanguines are known to be manipulative and had no problem skirting the rules to fit their agenda.

“Beautiful sight, isn’t it?” Duncan did not answer Harrison, who was standing beside him. “It’s been a while since I brought him here. I think the last time was before he started working for you.”

Duncan knew what the bastard was trying to do, and he was not going to fall for it.

“He doesn’t know this, but he’s a member of this coven and everyone would give their life to protect him.”

Duncan growled under his breath, he was trying to hold in his anger. How dare this whelp try to intimidate me? He was there because of his pack. He needed to protect his people. And that included his mate.

“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Duncan asked.

“What does?”

“That’s he’s my mate and not yours?” Duncan asked, hating himself for stooping to the blood sucker’s taunts. He also didn’t miss the shock on the other man’s face. But he erased it before Duncan could enjoy rubbing it in Harrison’s face. “He’s not yours to protect anymore, he’s mine.”

 “Don’t hurt him, Alpha Pryde, or you will have me to deal with,” Harrison said, staring Duncan down for a few minutes.

Duncan would have laughed at the second threat coming from the blood sucker. “Shouldn’t I be telling you that, since he has no idea about you? And you probably knew about his heritage this entire time.”

“You’re much smarter than I gave you credit for.”

“So glad I meet your approval,” Duncan said rolling his eyes. “I’m not here for you, Harrison. I couldn't care less what happens to your coven. But in the end, it’s going to affect my mate once he finds out who you are, and that’s why I’m here.” The words “kiss my ass and die for all I care” were left unsaid but implied.

“Touché, Alpha Pryde.” The cocky bastard smirked again. All Duncan could think was punching the fucker and wiping the smirk off his face.

“Then let’s get down to the reason why we came here. I would like to get home to my mate,” Duncan told him. He wanted to get the hell out of the gaudy-ass club.

“It seems we are both under attack by an unseen force,” Harrison said.

“Tell me what you know,” Duncan told him.

“Just the same as you. A couple of months ago one of my trusted coven members went missing. He was prone to go days without staying in contact with me, but after three weeks and I didn't hear from him, I knew something was wrong.”

“How many of your people have you lost so far?”

“Six teenagers and two of my enforcers,” Harrison told him.

“How are they getting the drugs in here without you noticing?” Ryland asked.

“Through our blood donors.”

“Shit,” Duncan said, leaning back in his chair.

“As far as I can tell they've been watching us for months, paying attention to who comes and goes in all the clubs I own.”

“They were tracking your patterns?”

“Yes,” Harrison answered. “We've changed things up a bit since then, but we are not foolish to think they won't figure things out. It appears things have slowed down for now. But we need to find out who is doing this.”

“I think the hunters are behind this or another sect working with the hunters,” Duncan told him.

“How do you know this?” Harrison asked, sitting forward in his chair. “All of my contacts told me the hunters have no knowledge of what's going on. I think one of us is being lied to, Alpha Pryde.”

“Whoever your source was, lied to you,” Ryland added.

“We caught a hunter a few weeks back, but he’s not talking,” Duncan added. He wanted everything on the table. He had a feeling Harrison was going to be in his life, whether he liked it or not.

“Either I’m being lied to, or you’re the one being lied to.”

Things were getting more complicated the more they tried to get information. Could the hunter be lying to me?

“Either way, I hate being in the dark and not being able to see an attack coming,” Duncan said.

“I agree.”

“I have an idea for you that might work in both of our favors,” Duncan told him.

“I'm all ears.”

“We are going to play a little game called follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole.”

Harrison gave him a strange look. “What?” he asked.

“You’re not the innocent playboy everyone believes you to be,” Harrison commented.

Duncan grunted and Ryland snickered beside him.

“I’m the Alpha for a reason,” Duncan said, sounding as if he was puffing out his chest to show just how scary he could be. Fuck, I must sound like a jealous idiot. “Let’s get to work,” he said, closing off the conversation and concentrating on the reason they were there.

Kallen dodged another branch as he ran through the woods. They let me go? Why? It was the same questions he'd been asking himself for the past few minutes.  He couldn’t believe it. The Alpha had walked in the room and told him since he wasn’t giving them any information he was free to go. And just like that, he left the door open and walked away. Not thinking at the time that he might be running straight into a trap, Kallen got up and ran out of the room and kept running. His father was always beating in his head that he was an idiot, and Kallen couldn’t help but think he was right, especially now. He could see excellent in the dark which was why he kept checking behind him to see if he was being followed but so far nothing.

He had to get back to the compound, he knew it might be a lost cause and the rest of the party he came with was already gone. He also didn’t want to lead whoever might be following to the compound they took over. It was a chance he was taking, but he needed to get word back to his father about the wolves. The wolves were still chasing their tails trying to figure out who is killing them. Truthfully, Kallen had no idea either.

All he knew was that his father was somehow involved in the whole thing. And Kallen was pulled into it without even being asked. He didn’t want to think about what was going to happen. He stopped to catch his breath and to get his bearings. He was in the thick of the woods. When they had gone after the three wolves, they were in town and now he was lost. He froze when he heard a branch break.  

Shit, they found me, fear crawled down his spine. He was not a fighter like his older brothers. Being a hunter was not something he wanted to do with his life, it was simply the life he was born into. Slowly he reached down and picked up the thick branch sitting at his foot. If he was going to die at least he would die fighting, or trying to anyway. He held the branch to his chest and waited for his killer to come out from his hiding spot.

The branches moved, and a deer ran out of the bushes to the other side of the woods.  Kallen sighed in relief, he was letting his imagination get the better of him.  He threw the thick branch to the ground and turned to run but was stopped when he saw a pair of menacing red eyes staring back at him, accompanied by sharp vampire fangs. He went to scream but his voice failed him. He was grabbed as fangs sunk into the jugular of his neck.

I guess I'm going to die tonight, anyway.

“Did you have to bite him?” Duncan asked.

“You said to get the information any way I can,” Harrison deadpanned. He was staring at the hunter in a weird way and Duncan wondered if anyone else noticed it.

“So did you see anything that could help us?”

“He doesn’t know anything,” Harrison answered. Duncan felt as if Harrison was keeping something from him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, he’s the son of the head hunter, but his father doesn’t tell him anything. He doesn’t trust him,” he said then looked at Duncan.

“He’s dying.”

“I didn’t think you took a lot of blood from him.” Duncan looked back down to the man lying on the ground.

“Not from me, I tasted it in his blood. He tastes like death. He’s been poisoned.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Duncan asked. Harrison looked at Duncan. “Are you accusing someone in my pack of killing him?”

“No, it would be easy to place the blame on you—” Harrison didn’t get a chance to finish his statement because the hunter woke up coughing. Duncan and Harrison looked down at the man who had blood coming out of his mouth.

“Kill me….” he gasped out. “You have to do it,” the hunter said.

“No,” Harrison told him.

“I’m dead either way.” The hunter opened his eyes. “Please,” he begged.

“Why, why should I kill you?” Harrison asked him.

“Because I don’t have any value,” he panted. “I knew I was going to die the minute I went back. My father already sees me as a failure.”

Duncan looked at Harrison, who was staring down at the hunter with a sad expression on his face and then it hit him. Mate!

“Please forgive me, but I can’t let you die,” Harrison whispered before he bent down and bit the hunter on his neck. Duncan stood and turned his back, giving them some privacy. Ryland and Parker did the same thing. The two men that came with Harrison did as well. “That’s it, my little one, drink,” Duncan heard a few minutes later. There was movement behind him and he turned to look. “Thank you, Alpha Pryde. I will be in touch with you in a couple of days. I need time with my mate.”

“Yes, I understand. I will keep you up to date on anything that I find out,” Duncan told him.

“Thank you,” Harrison said as he ran out of the woods at a sanguine speed.

Well, that was unexpected. There was nothing else for him to do but go home. It didn’t seem as if he was going to find out anything now that the hunter was mated to the vampire. Duncan hated to wait for something else to happen or for whoever was behind all the poisoned drugs to fuck up before he was able to track them down. He walked back the way he came, heading to the bunker. So, the hunter was dying? Maybe he was trying to get caught and hoped that Duncan would kill him? 

“Where’s the hunter?” Blayze asked when he entered the bunker.

“Gone,” Duncan answered.

“I take it the plan didn’t go as well as you hoped.”

“It took a completely different turn. Listen, I can’t talk about it right now. I’m tired and hungry and I need to see my mate. Clean up in here for me and head home.”

“No problem.”

He left Blayze in the bunker and ran home on two legs, wanting to see his mate more than anything else. He did not like the way they’d left things, or the short conversation they had earlier. He needed to hold Jordan in his arms and make sure that everything was fine between them. Reaching his backyard, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Jordan sitting on the porch.

“What are you doing out here so late?” Duncan asked him.

“Ironically, I was waiting for you. Ryland told me you asked him to bring your car home,” Jordan answered.

Duncan walked over and sat beside him on the porch and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, Jordan leaned in close and rested his head on Duncan’s shoulder.

“Was your business taken care of?”

Duncan debated if he should tell Jordan about his friend being a sanguine, but thought better of it. That was Harrison’s duty to reveal who or what he was to Jordan himself. “Not really,” he answered truthfully.

“You know whatever it is, I’m here to help you with your problems. Isn’t that the job of a mate?”

Duncan smiled. “I don’t want to bombard you with my problems.”

“It was pack stuff, right?” Duncan nodded. “I noticed how carefully you worded your words the other night. I can tell you were trying not to scare them. But something big is going on, isn’t it?”

Duncan sighed and pulled Jordan closer to him. “Yeah,” he answered.

“Then don’t worry about censoring yourself with me. I can handle whatever you need to tell me. So, lay it on me,” Jordan assured him.

Duncan saw no need to hide what was going on with his mate. Sooner or later he was going to have to tell Jordan what was going on. “A couple months ago,” he started telling Jordan everything that had been happening since finding the first teenager dead.

“So aconite does affect your kind, I guess the movies aren’t wrong about that.”

Duncan chuckled. “I wish I could say it wasn’t true, but that’s one of the things we hoped wouldn’t have been known to the world. But aconite is dangerous to us just as holy water burns sanguines, or for you, vampires.”

“Huh, who would have thought. What else do I need to know?”

“About my kind or sanguines?”

“Since I’m mated to a lykosian, I rather hear about their weakness.”

“That’s basically it, other than our mates.  If any person wants to bring a shifter to heel, and do what they want, they can take our mates from us. It’s also one way to die quickly.”

“So, I’m your weakness?”

“In more ways than one,” Duncan whispered, looking down at him.

“You know how to flatter me, don’t you?”

“That’s not flattery, baby, that’s the absolute truth,” Duncan told him as he leaned down and kissed him on his lips.

Their kiss was short and sweet. “Okay, continue with your story,” Jordan told him once they stopped kissing. “I want to be able to help you any way I can.”

“Okay.” Duncan nodded. “But I need to have some space between us, right now I would rather take you to bed and make sweet love to you rather than talk about pack issues.”

“If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a treat tonight.”

“I’m not sleeping alone tonight?”

“Not as long as I’m around or for as long as you want me.”

“I will always want you,” Duncan told him. “Everything won’t be perfect between us. But we have to talk things out with each other. I’ll admit that this whole relationship thing is new to me.”

“Are you talking about being with a guy or on a whole?”

“Both, I’ve never been a relationship type of person.”

Jordan stared at him for a few minutes. “The longest relationship I’ve had was with Bronx, who I can’t wait for you to meet, by the way.”

Duncan hoped Jordan didn’t see the change in his mood at the mention of Harrison’s name. He hated keeping things from his mate, but again, he would have to answer questions that weren’t his to answer.

“Be patient with me, Duncan. You might be new to a gay relationship. But I’m new to all this supernatural stuff.”

“We’ll take it as it comes,” Duncan told him. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere and neither are you.”

“You better believe it,” Jordan said with a smile.

“Good, let me finish explaining everything that’s going on,” Duncan said as he began where he left off, as he explained more to Jordan. After he was finished, they sat quietly staring at the stars.

“What about a sting operation that you see on those cop drama television shows?” Jordan asked.

“A sting operation?” Confusion showed on Duncan’s face.

“Yeah, you know, like on those shows where they have the informant or the low guy in the hierarchy accidentally sell drugs or whatever to an undercover cop and gets busted and ends up giving up his boss for time out of jail. Why don’t you do something like that?”

Duncan thought about that for a minute, that idea could actually work. It would need to be fine-tuned, but as simple as the idea sounded he would be able to get some answers and find out exactly who was behind what was going on. “It just might work,” Duncan said, voicing his thoughts.

“Of course it will, and I’m going to help you,” Jordan told him.

Duncan was ready to agree with Jordan helping him until he heard the next statement.

“And I’ll pose as the buyer.”

“The hell you will, I don’t want you involved in this!” Duncan exclaimed.

“Why the hell not?” Jordan asked, pulling away from Duncan. “I know how to take care of myself, Duncan.”

“Did you hear me say that you can’t?” Duncan snapped. “But things could go south really bad and I don’t want you hurt.”

“So it’s okay for you to jump head-on into danger, but not me?” Jordan asked standing up glaring down at Duncan.

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Duncan asked getting up.  

“Of course I am!” Jordan yelled.

“Why must everything be a fucking argument with you? Can you for once just listen to me and not fight me on every damn thing?” Duncan argued back.

“Why can’t you just let me help you without arguing with me?”

“I don’t need your help, Jordan. This is pack business, nothing for you to concern yourself about.” Duncan immediately regretted the words before they left his mouth.

“I see,” was all Jordan said. He sighed and walked over to the door, his hand touched the handle. “Let me know exactly what pack business concerns me, so that I know exactly when to keep my mouth shut.”

Shit. “Jordan, wait.” Duncan stopped him. “I keep fucking this up.”

“Are you asking or telling me? Because you do have a way of putting your foot in your mouth,” Jordan said turning around.

“Both I guess.” Duncan sighed, taking a closer step to Jordan. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”

“How did you mean it, Duncan?”

“Of course, I need your help. Until you came into my life a couple months ago, I hadn’t realized just how much I needed you.”

“I’m not trying to be a burden or push you into agreeing with me to make me feel better,” Jordan told him.

“I know.” Duncan nodded. “Look, let me talk with Ryland and the others, see what we can work out.”

“So are you going to let me help?” Jordan looked up at him with a hopeful look on his face.

“Yeah, but you have to do everything I say. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Okay,” Jordan said eagerly.

“Come here,” Duncan said, pulling Jordan into his arms. “It’s going to get harder for me to say no to you, isn’t it?”

Jordan wrapped his arms around Duncan’s neck and looked up at him. “All you have to do is say yes the first time and things will be so much easier for you.”

“Is that so?” Duncan whispered, lowering his head and connecting their lips, not giving Jordan a chance to answer.  Duncan slid his hands down and groped Jordan’s butt, pushing their hips close together. He could smell Jordan’s arousal as he realized they hadn’t made love since their first night of their mating.  He slowly separated their lips and kissed his way down to Jordan’s neck. “Are the kids in bed?”

“Yes.” Jordan hissed when Duncan bit down and started sucking on his neck. He backed them up until Jordan’s back hit the closed door.

“So it’s just old folks up then?”

“Hey, I’m not old.” Jordan tried to argue, but it came out in a moan when Duncan scraped his canines against the mark he just sucked on.

“I think I found the perfect way to make you agree with me,” Duncan whispered against his neck.

Jordan didn’t answer, it seemed his mind was on something else as he wrapped one of his legs around Duncan and started rubbing against him, building up friction. Duncan heard the low rumble coming from his chest. He trailed his hand down and reached inside Jordan’s sweatpants and started jerking his erection slowly. Jordan started moving his hips in tandem with his hand movements. Duncan raised his head to watch Jordan’s beautiful face that was filled with unbridled arousal. He was filled with pride as he watched Jordan bite down on his bottom lip as he tried not to lose control.  

“Let it go, let me hear you, baby,” Duncan whispered in his ear. He pinched the head of Jordan’s cock causing his body to visibly shake.

Duncan noticed that each time he applied a bit of pain in their lovemaking it turned Jordan on more. It excited him more than he thought it would. He applied a little more pressure on Jordan’s leaking erection as he bit down on his neck. Jordan buried his face in Duncan’s neck and screamed as he came. Jordan’s breath felt hot in his neck and Duncan couldn’t help the groan that came from him. Before he could say anything, Jordan pushed him back a bit and went to his knees.

He unbuckled Duncan’s pants and pulled them, along with his underwear, down his hips. His erection popped out and hit Jordan in his face. He was about to apologize but he couldn’t form the words when Jordan licked the head of his cock and moaned. His cock was sucked in between Jordan’s hot, wet lips. His knees buckled, and he had to brace his hands on the door to stop from falling over.

Jordan slowly sucked his cock inch by inch until the whole thing was in his mouth and touching the back of his throat. “Fucking hell,” Duncan moaned, reaching down with one of his hands and grabbed the back of his head. Jordan pulled back slowly smearing the head of Duncan’s cock on his lips, jerking the shaft at the same time. It was driving Duncan crazy. He was already on the verge of coming just from watching Jordan’s climax. Duncan looked down and was mesmerized watching Jordan’s head bob back and forth as he took his cock. The fingers on the back of Jordan’s head tightened, and he was sure Jordan would have a headache once the arousal high went down. Jordan reached up and fondled Duncan’s balls, squeezing and pulling on them, drawing out sounds from him he never knew he could make.

His hips started to move in the same rhythm as Jordan’s lips. He knew it was coming and he couldn’t warn Jordan in time before he spurted into his mate’s mouth. He expected Jordan to pull back but he swallowed Duncan’s cock further drinking down his semen.  Duncan’s cock slipped from Jordan’s lips and his knees almost buckled. Jordan stood to his feet and their lips connected. He was able to taste his cum in Jordan’s mouth, a low growl built up inside of him. He was still hard, and he wanted to be inside of Jordan again. He wanted to claim his mate one more time. He lifted Jordan off the floor and his mate’s legs easily wound around his hips automatically. He ripped Jordan’s sweatpants in half then positioned his cock at his entrance, pushing in slowly until his balls were sandwiched between Jordan’s butt cheeks.  

Jordan leaned his head back on the door and whimpered, “Shit, Duncan.” His legs tightened around Duncan’s hips. He didn’t want to be gentle as he fucked Jordan. Sharp nails dug into his shoulders through his shirt. The door shook and rattled loudly by the force of their coupling, anyone listening or watching would think it would break. But Duncan nor Jordan cared, the only thing that mattered was seeing the entranced look in those beautiful red eyes that entrapped him the first time they met. They were glowing and Duncan wished Jordan could see himself at that very moment.

Duncan felt his canines elongate and itched to pierce Jordan’s skin. He couldn’t wait any longer, his body burned with need, sweat soaked through his shirt, and he wished they were completely naked. He wanted to feel Jordan’s hot wet skin against his. The sounds of their pleasurable moans were loud enough to wake the neighbors if he had any. But even then, Duncan wouldn’t stop making love to his man. The feeling of being inside Jordan was indescribable. The man did things to him that no one else ever had.  

They did not speak, and they did not need to. Their body spoke the words for them. Jordan pumped his hips faster as he felt his impending orgasm. Jordan tilted his head to the side, giving Duncan what he wanted. Not needing to be told twice, Duncan sunk his canines into Jordan’s neck. Blood gushed into his mouth and cum spurted from his cock, coating his mate’s inner walls. Jordan groaned long and hard as he came again for the second time. Duncan retracted his canines and licked the wound, healing it. He licked his lips, tasting the trails of blood that escaped his mouth. They stood there using the door to keep them from collapsing to the floor, holding onto each other waiting for Duncan’s knot to go down. Whispers of comfort and affection passed through their whispered lips as they basked in their afterglow.

Duncan stared at the résumé in front of him. He wasn’t trying to snoop, he really wasn’t. He’d come down for a glass of water and remembered there was something he wanted to check quickly. Jordan’s laptop was open, unlocked, and sitting on the kitchen table. It made no sense to go to his office to use his own, so he decided to use Jordan’s laptop instead. He’d been having a hard time sleeping since his conversation with Jordan the other night. He also had no idea why Jordan would be looking for a job. He had a perfectly good job as the kids’ caregiver and since they were mated, Jordan automatically became part owner of Pryde Industries.

But that wasn’t something Jordan would know. There were a lot of things they still hadn’t talked about yet. He figured Jordan was satisfied and was okay staying at home with the twins. Other than Jordan being his mate, Duncan trusted him with the twins more than anyone else. He scanned down to the bottom of the document and read the last line that made him chuckle. Jordan asking if he was Duncan’s wife?

“Far from it,” mumbled Duncan.

He leaned back in his chair trying to figure out what to do. Despite his words a couple of nights ago, he didn’t want Jordan anywhere close to the trouble he had a feeling that was coming. He needed to find a way to keep Jordan busy without him realizing what Duncan was actually doing. Pulling out his cell, Duncan sent a message for Sebastian to call him as soon as possible, saying that it was a Pryde Industries matter as well as a pack matter. Jordan was going to pitch a fit when he finally figured out what Duncan was going to do.

I better prepare for the argument coming my way.

Thinking better of it, he also added a mental note to purchase a new sofa, he pictured himself sleeping on it for a few days. He simply needed to change a few things. Closing down Jordan’s laptop, he got up and made his way back up the stairs. He was definitely going to end up sleeping on the couch. He’d avoided it so far, but Duncan knew sooner or later it was going to happen. He was bound to fuck something else up.

Jordan grabbed his cell answering it after the third ring. “Hey, Bronx, what’s up?”

“Hey, I’m going to have to cancel our lunch date. Something important came up.”

“Is everything alright?” Jordan asked.

“Yeah, everything is cool. I just need to take care of some work issues,” Bronx told him.

“I’m kind of bored, is there anything I can help you with?”

“Nah, I got this,” Bronx told him. “Let’s get together next week.”

“Okay,” Jordan said dejectedly then hung up the phone. He threw it on the coffee table in front of him. He slouched down on the couch and hated the way he was feeling. He was bored as hell and was hoping that a few of the places he applied to would start calling him soon for interviews. He would’ve told Duncan what he was up to, but he didn’t want to start another argument after they were starting to get closer. He looked at his watch and saw that it was still early, wondering what his mother was doing. He reached for his phone about to call her when the doorbell rang. Throwing it back to the couch, Jordan went to answer, hoping it was a nosey neighbor that would help him pass the time until it was time to pick up the kids.

“Mr. Sutton?” the guy standing in the sharpest suit Jordan had ever seen asked.

“Yes.”

“Sorry to disturb you at home.”

“That’s okay, what can I do for you?” Jordan asked politely.

The man smiled. “Tell me, Mr. Sutton, are you home alone?”

The hairs on the back of Jordan’s neck stood up, and he sensed danger. Slowly he started to back away from the door as he tried to close it. The man must have noticed and Jordan wasn’t quick enough. The man slammed his hand and pushed against the door the second he realized Jordan was about to shut it in his face. The force caused Jordan to fall flat on his ass. The stranger walked into the house as Jordan backed up, hoping to get away from him. He was searching behind himself for something to throw but couldn’t find anything. The man jumped on him, stopping his movements. Jordan would’ve been grateful if only one of those damn special abilities would’ve worked.

“I really didn’t want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice.”

“Yeah, well, fuck you, asshole!” Jordan yelled, smacking the man hard on both sides of the head and bucking his hips, throwing the man on top of him off kilter. His attacker yelled and grabbed his head, giving Jordan a chance to knee him in the crotch hard. The man screamed and rolled over to the side and off Jordan, as he grabbed his crotch. Jordan got up and ran to the back of the house and out the door. He didn’t think that there would be another man waiting and ran right into his arms. He was struggling and felt a prick in the side of his neck before his body went completely limp, at least he was able to see and hear everything around him.

“All you had to do was get the fucker,” the man holding him said.

“Yeah, whatever. Let’s get the fuck out of here before the wolf comes back,” the other one said.  

He was lifted and thrown over the man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his thoughts, maybe he could get away like he did when Duncan was trying to help him turn back into a wolf. Turning into his wolf would be better, but the more he tried the more nervous he got and nothing happened. There was nothing he could do. He only hoped that Duncan would find him.

“Let’s hope the shit we gave him doesn’t wear off until we have him tucked away at the compound,” the one walking beside them said.

“Shut the hell up, stupid, what if he can hear us,” the one carrying chastised.

Jordan’s head was lifted roughly, he snapped his eyes closed and pretend he was out cold. “Nah, he’s knocked out.” He was slapped in the face hard. “See, he didn’t even move.” He smacked Jordan hard in the face again. “Payback for my bleeding ears, you little shit.”

Son of a bitch! Once I figure out what the hell is going on, I’m going to kill the fucker that slapped me.

He was thrown roughly down on a hard surface and had to hold in the scream that would give him away when his head hit something hard. There was a loud slamming sound, and he suspected he was in a trunk when he heard other doors closing. Opening his eyes, he tried to move his body but couldn’t. Whatever he was injected with numbed his entire body as well as what little abilities he knew he had. There was nothing he could do but lie in the dark and wait to see what would happen next. He just prayed Duncan found him very soon.