Jasper Read online

  When Jasper had the logs the way he wanted, he replaced the poker in the stand and crossed his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged under his shirt. It was a distraction Trevor didn’t need. He wanted to hear the rest of the story so they could get it out of the way. He needed to know why Theron was after Jasper. What happened in the past to make him come back now? Did he want Jasper back in his life? Or did he want to torment him for some wrong he felt had been done to him?

  “It had been so long since I had a home, since I had someone to call family, that I was immediately sucked into what he was offering. I didn’t stop to think he might have an ulterior motive for seeking me out. I went willingly with him to his father’s home. I pledged my loyalty to the Gargoyle King of Greece. At first, I kept fishing with my mentor, but as the days went on, my loyalty was tested more and more. I missed a day here, a day there, until days became weeks. My mentor couldn’t count on me, so he had no choice but to end our working relationship. At first it didn’t bother me. I figured I would do what was asked of me within the clan and then I would be able to buy that boat like I originally planned. Theron had other ideas.

  “It was him more than his father who demanded my time. One night he asked me to his home for supper. I went, unaware of his plans for the evening. I arrived, and he treated me to an extravagant meal. He was the perfect host, making sure my every need was supplied. After a couple hours of drinking and him getting to know my past, he kissed me. To say I was surprised is an understatement. It wasn’t a soft kiss, but one that let me know he was in charge. At first I protested, but he was the King’s son. If he was gay, surely it was okay for me to let go of my secret, at least with him in the privacy of his home. So, I allowed him to kiss me. I had never kissed anyone so I didn’t know what to expect. I thought the way he kissed was the way everyone went about it. Hard, fast, no passion, only domination. I allowed him to dominate me.

  “When he broke free, he said he wanted to show me something. I followed him downstairs to what I thought was a dojo. I hadn’t studied martial arts, but I recognized some of the equipment he had in the room. He explained what some of the paraphernalia was and asked if I would be interested in a demonstration.

  “I didn’t want to offend the son of the King of my new clan so I agreed. The first time he tied me up, he left my clothes on underneath the ropes. While he was tying the intricate knots, he explained how Hojojutsu was a form of martial arts where the captive is tied up. He then went on to explain Kinbaku was the more sensual form of rope play. What he didn’t explain were his intentions and the extreme ways he planned to use me. I’m not going to lie; being tied up and thinking about finally having a companion was a turning point in my life. I had spent over two hundred years as a virgin. It’s a surprise my dick hadn’t fallen off from all the tugging I’d done at that point.”

  As he told his story, Jasper’s Irish accent came through. The longer he spoke of his past, the thicker his brogue became. If it wasn’t such an obvious traumatic tale, Trevor might have found it sexy. Instead, it hurt his heart.

  Jasper continued, “Anyway, I agreed to whatever it was he wanted to do. At first, it was sensual. He tied me up and made me feel good. The longer it went on, the rougher he got. When I complained, he called me a girl. Said if I couldn’t handle a little pain, I wasn’t Gargoyle enough to remain in their clan. After that point, he got rougher, and I kept my mouth shut. Until one day I didn’t. I’m not going to scar your mind with the sordid details, but let’s just say he took things farther than I was willing to go, even for the sake of having a clan. He left me tied up for almost a week. Every night he would come downstairs and torment me. Even with my Gargoyle strength, I couldn’t break free of my restraints. Every night I struggled and fought against him the best I could. When it finally dawned on me he was getting off on my struggles, I stopped. The last night I was bound, I didn’t move. Didn’t say a word. I did my best to ignore him. He hit me over and over, trying to get a rise out of me. He did unspeakable things to my body, trying every way he could to make me angry. I was seething inside, but I refused to play his game any longer. It worked. He cut the ropes that bound me and told me to get out. Get out of his house and out of Greece. I was no longer welcome in their clan.

  “It took me a few minutes to get the feeling back in my limbs enough to move, but when I did I went to my shack that amazingly had remained untouched. I retrieved the sword I had hidden beneath the floor. I waited until nightfall and returned to his home. Before I left Greece, I confronted my tormentor.”

  When Jasper didn’t continue, Trevor asked, “What happened then?”

  Jasper finally looked at him and said, “I tried to kill Theron Gianopoulos.”

  Chapter Twelve

  There was no way Jasper could tell Trevor the extent of torture Theron put him through. For months he endured pain at the hands of the first man he’d given his body to. At first, Jasper believed Theron when he told him it was the way things were between men who had sex. Jasper had made the mistake of telling Theron he was a virgin. It didn’t make Theron go any easier on him the first time he fucked him. Looking back on it, it probably made things worse. Theron knew Jasper didn’t know how things were supposed to go, so he treated him harshly, not preparing his hole before slamming his barely lubed shaft all the way to the hilt. Theron didn’t give Jasper time to heal. He tied him up the next night and did whatever he wanted to Jasper’s body.

  The once mighty warrior was reduced to a sex slave. Every night, Theron tied him up in the intricate knotwork, keeping his hands immobile. The ropes traversed between his ass cheeks, up the front of his body, separating each ball while keeping his cock bound so if he got an erection, the pain was excruciating, not pleasurable. His nipples were clamped with a connecting chain attached to the rope around his hands. If Jasper tried to move his hands, his nipples would be pulled to the point he thought they would be ripped off. Jasper’s body remained battered and bruised the entire time he allowed himself to be used. He had no one to blame but himself. He allowed it to happen all because he wanted to belong to a clan. When Theron tied him up and held him suspended from a hook attached to the ceiling for a week, he finally realized Theron would never care for him. He had to get away.

  If he had been as strong as he was when he was a Redshank, Theron would not be in New Atlanta following Trevor. Theron would be in the afterworld paying for his sins. “I tried to kill him. If I had waited to gain my strength back, I’m sure I would have succeeded. Instead, I let my emotions fuel my rage, and I went after him while I was still weak. Theron could have killed me that night. I still to this day can’t figure out why he didn’t. He had disarmed me and was poised to take the fatal strike that would remove my head from my shoulders. Instead, he walked away. I thanked the gods and promised to make them proud of me. I gathered my things and journeyed north.”

  Jasper waited for Trevor to pack his things and head for the door. He had been a coward who allowed himself to be used by a sadist. He refused to look at Trevor for fear of what he’d see in his mate’s face. He was still a coward.

  “I’ll go,” Trevor said.

  Jasper turned to find Trevor standing next to him, looking unsure rather than disgusted as he expected.

  “I don’t blame you.” And he didn’t. Why would Trevor want someone who was a coward?

  “No, I’ll go with you. To the manor.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do something because I’ve pressured you into it. Or because you feel sorry for me.” Jasper couldn’t believe Trevor wasn’t going home.

  “Feel sorry for you? You’re a badass. Yes, you went through a horrible ordeal that I can’t begin to imagine the parts I know you left out on my behalf. I don’t know what happened in those next two hundred years, but the man… uh Gargoyle… standing in front of me is not someone to feel sorry for, unless you count the fact the fates have deemed me your mate. That’s something to pity you over.”

  “Trev…”

&n
bsp; “Jas…” Trevor placed his hand tentatively on Jasper’s chest. “I don’t want to cause someone to miss breakfast on my account. Besides, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Priscilla’s cooking.”

  He wasn’t lying. Even little Amelia, who only wanted mac and cheese, loved to eat at the manor. Jasper trailed a fingertip down Trevor’s face, his eyes searching Trevor’s. He saw no pity there, no judgment. The face staring back at him cause his heart to soar. Trevor placed his hands on Jasper’s cheeks and ran his fingers through the whiskers there. “I love this,” he said right before he tugged Jasper’s head down for a kiss. It was such a light touching of lips, but it was filled with so much emotion, Jasper thought he might collapse. Badass? Yeah right.

  When Trevor pulled back, he said, “I don’t know when you normally go to bed, but I’m ready to call it a night. If you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. I want you to feel at home here. You don’t have to ask permission to go to bed or roam around or make yourself something to eat or drink. I want you to think of this as your home whether you spend the night here and there or move in permanently. No pressure, just telling you how it is.”

  Jasper was kind of glad Trevor went to bed. He needed time alone to decompress after sharing part of his past that nobody else knew. Nobody. Instead of pouring a glass of whiskey, Jasper took the bottle and headed out to the back deck. He sat down and opened the bottle, taking in a long drink. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and leaned his head back against the chair. The Georgia night air was nice and cool. Jasper wouldn’t mind if it was cold and the ground was covered in snow. He did miss the colder climate of Northern Europe. Maybe he would get back there some day.

  He reached out with his senses. Trevor was moving around the spare bedroom, unpacking the clothes he’d brought from his apartment. Jasper refused to call it his home. Godsdamnit! He wanted this to be Trevor’s home. He took another long pull from the whiskey bottle. The shower in the hallway bathroom turned on, and Jasper tried his best to block out all that beautiful, pale skin. He was outside to calm his beast, not give it anymore reason to stay riled.

  Thinking about the time he spent with Theron caused his spirit to come alive and want to kill something. It wanted revenge for being tied up and unable to defend itself. For a long time after he left Greece, Jasper was unable to unfurl his wings. It was as if his inner shifter blamed him for going back night after night for the same outcome. Even if Jasper had hoped things would calm down and Theron might once again give him pleasure instead of pain, his inner Goyle had known better. It wasn’t until he met the gypsies and held the red stone in his hand that his Gargoyle came out of hiding. He pulled the jasper out of his pocket and stroked his thumb over the smooth surface. The gypsy told him the rock would keep him grounded, and it did. Whenever he needed to calm down, he rubbed the stone and let it work its magic.

  He knew the moment Trevor stepped to the window and looked out. He could only imagine what his mate must think, seeing him sitting with a bottle of liquor in one hand and a rock in the other. Jasper resisted the urge to look up at the window. He knew if he did, it wouldn’t be long before he was up the stairs and in Trevor’s room, removing his clothes and feasting on his beautiful cock. Instead, he took another pull off the bottle before setting it on the deck floor. He stood and walked down the steps that led to the yard.

  The moon, a little over half full, was bright in the sky with no lights around to mar its beauty. Jasper felt its pull. He removed his shirt, letting it drop to the ground. He opened his arms wide, lifting his face to drink in its power. Jasper allowed his wings to unfurl even though he couldn’t take to the skies. He thought back to the bridge and Trevor reaching out to touch his wings. As much as he would love to give Trevor that privilege, he would not allow it until they were truly mates. His wings were an extension of his spirit. It was all he had left of himself to give someone, and that someone would have to agree to be his for eternity.

  Retracting his wings before the urge to fly was too great, he pulled his shirt back on and headed inside. He replaced the cap on the bottle and set it on the counter. He turned out all the lights except for a lamp in the living room in case Trevor decided to come back downstairs during the middle of the night. He set the alarm, something he’d never done before Theron showed up, and made his way up the stairs. The light was off in the guest bedroom. He prayed for the day when that room was no longer used by Trevor. He wanted his mate to be waiting for him in their bed.

  He took a quick shower, taking great pains to stay away from his dick that was begging for attention. He didn’t want to jack off with Trevor in the next room. Not that he would hear him, but still. He wanted to save his load for Trevor should he ever decide to give him head again. Jasper climbed into his bed, appreciating the cool sheets on his naked skin. He hated clothes. He missed the days of wearing nothing but a kilt. Maybe when he reinvented himself again, he would move to the north where it snowed nine months out of the year and wear nothing but kilts every day. If Trevor decided he didn’t want to be Jasper’s mate, he would accept what time they had while Trevor aged. When he was no longer of this earth, Jasper would leave New Atlanta and hide out in the snow for the rest of his days.

  Jasper looked at the clock. Again. For two hours and thirteen minutes, he’d lain there while the sounds of Trevor tossing and turning in the other room floated across the hall. His breathing wasn’t even, so he was either awake or having a fitful sleep. Jasper wanted to go to him, wrap him in his arms, and hold him. He was fighting with himself about staying put when he heard Trevor rise. He went into the bathroom, took a piss, washed his hands, and went back to bed. Ten minutes later, he rose and walked to Jasper’s open door. Instead of coming into the room, Trevor stood there debating on what to do.

  “Come on in,” he decided for him.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said as he walked around to the empty side of the bed. Jasper threw back the sheet and patted the mattress next to him.

  “I wasn’t asleep.”

  Trevor lay down and stayed on his side. He was on his back, staring at the ceiling. Jasper had to touch him, so he pulled Trevor to him, turning him so he could spoon him from behind. He wrapped his arms around him like he’d been aching to do for hours. He kissed Trevor’s bare shoulder and settled in. Trevor wiggled farther back into Jasper and sighed. It wasn’t a troubled sigh but one of contentment. His breathing evened out quickly, and soon, light snores were coming from his throat. Jasper allowed the sound to soothe him to sleep.

  Sometime during the night Jasper had rolled to his back and Trevor had turned over. He had his head on Jasper’s shoulder and half his body was draped over Jasper’s. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept so soundly. Glancing at the clock, he smiled knowing they had plenty of time before they were supposed to be at Rafael’s. Trevor’s morning wood was evident against his leg. He wanted nothing more than to roll his mate over, pull his sleeping pants down, and devour his cock until he was good and awake. Even though Trevor had come to him in the night, he didn’t know if it was for comfort or for something else. He would let Trevor make the first move if they got physical again.

  Deciding the hard cock was too much temptation, Jasper headed downstairs and started the coffee pot. When he slid out from beneath Trevor, he moaned and grabbed on tighter. “Where’re you going? I’m so warm,” he mumbled.

  Jasper returned to where he was and said, “I was going to make coffee and let you sleep a while longer.”

  “Uh uh.”

  “Uh uh?” Jasper chuckled at the still sleeping man snuggled into his side. When Trevor rubbed his erection against Jasper’s leg, he knew why uh uh. Trevor wanted a proper good morning wake up.

  “Can we…” Trevor opened his eyes, blinking the sleep away. “Can we take care of each other? Do we have time?”

  Jasper gripped Trevor’s shaft through the cotton material and stroked. “We have all the time you want.” He meant it, too. If they
were late for breakfast, he would take the King aside and explain the situation to him. No doubt he would be forgiven. Jasper had seen Rafael with Kaya. His world stopped when she was in his presence. They had disappeared into their bedroom more than once when they had company. The mate pull was that strong.

  Trevor pushed his pants down his legs and kicked them off under the cover. He rolled onto his side so he could have easier access to Jasper. Morning breath be damned, they kissed each other while stroking. Jasper pushed Trevor to his back and straddled his thighs, bringing their cocks together in his hand. He used spit as lube, not taking the time to get the bottle of lube out of the bedside drawer. Trevor propped up on his elbows as Jasper rubbed their shafts at the same time, his breathing getting more erratic the longer he watched. Jasper wanted so badly to push Trevor’s thighs farther apart, lift his knees and thrust his dick deep inside his mate. The thought alone had his balls letting him know they were about to erupt. “I’m coming, Baby,” he warned Trevor.

  Trevor was right there with him as he flopped back on the bed and shoved his shaft faster and harder into Jasper’s hand. “Oh, fuck. Oh, god, Jasper.” He grunted through his orgasm, both their come landing on his chest and neck. Jasper let out a low growl as the last of his spasms subsided. He swirled a finger through their mixed spunk and stuck it in his mouth.