Savage bite, p.1
Savage Bite, page 1
part #2 of Shifter Kings Series
Savage Bite
Shifter Kings 2
AJA FOXX
Copyright © 2019
Greyson Bailey had followed Shifter King Montgomery Beck for years. He stood by his side through thick and thin, fought numerous battles with him, and was even there when the man eventually claimed his omega after twenty-five years of waiting for him. Greyson just wished he could find a bit of that happiness of his own.
When he's sent to oversee the omegas at the monastery where Fagan grew up, he finds more trouble than a simple shifter, even a warrior like himself, can handle. He wakes up wounded in an alley with no idea how he got there, who had shot him, or why the omega kneeling next to him smells so damn alluring.
Davan has spent his entire life in a monastery being trained to serve whatever master he was given to. He learned every fighting skill he could, not to protect his master, but to protect himself. He had no intention of spending his life serving someone he didn't know.
The man he saved and dragged to the alley is a different story. Davan desperately wants to get to know him better, but the people who hurt Greyson have other ideas. Chased through the streets of the city, Davan and Greyson have to fight for their future. Together they just might have a chance at happiness.
~~~
Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains
explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters
involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are
willing participants.
Copyright
Savage Bite (Shifter Kings 2)
Copyright © Aja Foxx, 2019
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ISBN: 9780463941720
Cover Design by Sinfully Sweet Designs
Editing by Jon Fischer
First Electronic Edition September 2019
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from the authors. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
About the Author
Chapter One
"Please, please, please," a soft voice filled with panic prickled at Greyson Bailey's consciousness. "You have to wake up, mister."
A good shake to his shoulders had his eyes snapping open. They widened when he realized the most beautiful man he'd ever seen was leaning over him. He was simply stunning. Porcelain like skin smattered with freckles, high cheekbones, and auburn hair so deep, it looked like living flame.
"Hello."
Not a stellar opening, but his brain was stuck on dumb.
"You're awake."
"Yes." He figured that was pretty clear as he'd just spoken to the guy.
He could be wrong.
"You need to get up," the guy insisted, pulling at Greyson's shoulders. "They're coming. If they find us, they will kill us. Please, get up. We have to hide."
Whoa.
Greyson started to sit up until a sharp pain sliced through him. He winced as he reached down and pressed a hand to his side. He frowned when he felt something wet. His hand came away bloody. "What the hell?"
"You've been shot."
Greyson's head snapped up. "I've been what?"
"They shot you."
"Who are they?" He needed to know whose throat to rip out.
"I don't know exactly. They just showed up at the monastery and started ordering everyone around. Headmaster Eithar seemed to know who they were, but he was really upset with them." The young man swallowed hard. "They killed Headmaster Eithar when he protested. They shot him just like they shot you."
Well, that wasn't good.
Greyson pushed himself into a sitting position and glanced around. "Where the hell are we?"
"We're in an alley a few blocks from the monastery. Once they shot you and the headmaster, they started rounding up the omegas. A few of us escaped out the back. We took you with us."
It was hard to tell if there were stars in the young man's eyes when he looked up at Greyson. They were milky white, just like Fagan's. "You're an omega, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"My name is Greyson, not sir."
Eyebrows of flame snapped together as the man frowned. "You're not a master?"
Greyson's upper lip curled back in disgust. "No, I am not a master."
"But I heard you before, when you took Fagan away. How could you do that if you aren't a master?"
"Long story." One he didn't think he had time to explain, not right now. If there were people after them, they needed to get back home, not hide out in some alleyway. "Help me to my feet. We need to go."
"Oh, the others will be back soon. We can't leave without them."
"Others?"
The smile that suddenly crossed the young man's face stole Greyson's breath. It brightened up the man's entire face. "My friends."
"Omegas?"
"Yes. We shared a dorm in the west wing."
West wing. Right. Fagan had mentioned the west wing.
"Just how many of you are there?" he asked.
The man's eyelashes lowered as he glanced down. "There were ten of us before Fagan got taken away, nine after that. Only three of us got away. I don't know what happened to the others, but I don't think they got away."
Greyson didn't know what propelled him to grab the young man around the neck and pull him close, tucking the guy's head under his chin as he hugged him close, but the feeling was overwhelming. "I'm sorry you went through that...uh...what is your name?"
"Davan," he whispered as he snuggled into Greyson's embrace. "But you can call me whatever you want."
He wanted to call Davan his, but he wasn't a shifter king, which meant the strong feelings churning around inside of him could never see the light of day.
Davan was not his.
Greyson had been attracted to people in the past. He was breathing after all, but he'd never felt such an overwhelming need to care for and protect someone. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to hold onto Davan and never let him go. Just the thought of letting Davan go was making his stomach clench, and he didn't understand that. He'd just met the guy.
"Why do I have a briefcase handcuffed to my wrist?" Greyson lifted his arm and stared at the silver case with a bit of wonder and a whole lot of trepidation. "This isn't my briefcase."
He didn't own one.
"I don't know," Davan replied as he pushed back from Greyson. "When you and Headmaster Eithar came out of his office, you were complaining about having to have that attached to your wrist. We tried to get it off of you, but we don't have a key."
Greyson frowned. "I don't think I do either." He reached down with his free hand and searched his pockets. When he came up empty, he patted down his shirt. "Nope. No key."
"So, why do you have it attached to your wrist?"
"I have no bloody idea."
He knew he didn't like it, though. He jiggled his wrist in frustration.
"Ssshh!" Davan grabbed for him. "You can't make noises like that. These guys have really good hearing."
Probably shifters, which didn't make a whole lot of sense in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the omegas being trained at the monastery were supposed to go to shifter kings. Shifter kings, not every day shifters.
That didn't explain why there were shifters at the monastery, which meant they might have been humans. That made much more sense. The facility was supposed to be operated by humans. That was part of the peace treaty set down ages ago between the Sidhe, shifters, and humans.
Shifters provided a shifter king and four of his most loyal warriors to guard the high council to ensure the bonds of brotherhood. The Sidhe provided an omega to be mated to the shifter king to ensure that shifters always protected the high council. And the humans provided the care and training to the omegas to ensure that the compassion and empathy for those not as strong as shifters or as wise as the Sidhe were not forgotten.
It had been that way for a thousand years.
Until recently, anyway. As they had found out when Greyson went to collect his shifter king's omega mate, someone had taken the rules of the peace treaty and used them t
Still didn't explain the briefcase.
Greyson's legs were a little shaky when he climbed to his feet. He suspected it was due to the gunshot wound in his side. He'd need to shift pretty soon or he risked infection or worse. He just didn't think shifting while he had the briefcase attached to his wrist was a good idea. It could severe a limb.
He also wasn't sure it was a good idea to shift in front of Davan. If he was anything like Fagan, he had no clue what a shifter was.
Greyson was really glad he hadn't had to explain that to Fagan. He couldn't imagine trying to convince someone that shifters were real or that they were a Sidhe omega and not totally human. The whole "omegas could carry young" thing was another one he couldn't imagine explaining. That was even wilder than shifters being real.
Noise at the end of the alley alerted Greyson that they had company coming. He grabbed Davan and shoved the man behind him even as he tried to quell the growl building up in his throat.
He let a little bit of his tiger through and sniffed the air. He quickly crinkled his nose as bile rose up in his throat. All he could smell was rotting food, garbage, sewage, and blood. Not a winning combination.
Greyson narrowed his eyes, peering through the darkness. "How many others did you say were with you?"
"There were three of us that got away," Davan replied. "Why?"
"I think that's them." Two dark figures huddled near a dumpster at the far end of the alley. Greyson couldn't quite make out if they were trying to hide from him or from someone else, but they definitely didn't want to be seen. Besides, he couldn't figure out any other reason two men would be hiding behind a dumpster in a dark alley.
"Oh, it's probably Tynian and Adrian. They went to stand at the end of the alley to warn us if anyone was coming. We don't know if anyone is following us. We also need to find a place to hide for a little while."
Greyson remembered what Fagan had taught him about dealing with blind people so he grabbed Davan's hand and wrapped it around his arm. "I'll make sure you don't run into anything."
"You've done this before."
"Fagan," was all he said.
"Of course," Davan replied. "He doesn't like using his walking stick."
"How do you feel about it?"
Davan shrugged. "It's a useful tool."
Greyson was pretty sure that didn't answer his question, but pressing Davan for more could make the man clam up all together. If Davan was anything like Fagan, he was reeling from being out in the real world.
He'd need something solid to hang onto, and Greyson ached to be that something, which told him a lot. Mostly, he needed to get Davan and his friends somewhere safe, somewhere that he was not tempted to try and claim then gorgeous little man.
"I'd like to take you and your friends to Fagan unless you have an objection."
Davan's forehead creased as he frowned. "Why would I have an objection?"
"You may not," Greyson replied. "I just want you to be able to have a say in what happens to you."
If anything, Davan looked even more confused. "Why?"
"Because it's the right thing to do."
"Then I want to stay with you."
Greyson wanted that, too, more than he could imagine. He just didn't think it was a good idea. Davan was too much of a temptation. He looked too sweet and smelled ever sweeter. Greyson wanted to lick him and find out if he tasted better.
"We'll see what happens."
Chapter Two
Davan held tight the Greyson's arm as the man led him through the alley. Except for the guards and the elders, he hadn't had that much exposure to the outside world. Greyson intrigued him. There was just something about the tall, muscular man that caught his interest.
The fact that he was warm and smelled fantastic was beside the point.
"Where's Fagan?"
"With his mate."
Davan cocked his head as he tried to remember the definition of that word. When he did, it didn't make any sense. A mate was a spouse or buddy. As far as he knew, Fagan didn't have either. "Fagan is married?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"He didn't go to his master?" That's where every omega who left the monastery went. They all knew from a very early age that they were being trained to serve their masters, whoever they were.
Davan had never met his master, although he had been told he had one. According to Headmaster Eithar, he was to meet his master on his twenty-fifth birthday, which was next week. He couldn't really say he was looking forward to meeting some faceless stranger who would control his entire world, but getting out of the monastery was a plus.
He hated that place.
"No, he went to his mate."
Davan was still confused. "So, is he married or isn't he?"
"He is married in the ways of my people."
Oh. That made much more sense. "Who are your people?"
"That's a long story, Davan." Greyson patted his hand. "I'm sure Fagan will explain it to you when he sees you."
As much as Davan wanted to ask more questions, he didn't want to push Greyson. If he did, the man might clam up entirely and Davan really liked listening to the man talk. He had a smooth, thick voice that struck a chord deep inside of Davan where his fantasies lived.
"Call out to your friends, Davan," Greyson directed. "I don't want them to freak out when they see me."
Davan could understand that, except his friends couldn't see. "Tynian, Adrian," he said in a tone just above a whisper. "Come out."
There was a rustle of movement then a voice filled with fear called out, "Davan?"
"Yes."
"Who's with you?" Tynian asked.
Davan felt Greyson jerk and suspected the guy was shocked that a blind man could tell he was standing there. Most people were, unless they went through the same grueling training all the omegas had.
"It's the guy who got shot," Davan said. "His name is Greyson. He's friends with Fagan and he's going to take us to him."
"Fagan?" Adrian asked as he stepped closer. "He knows where Fagan is?"
"I do," Greyson replied before Davan could say anything. "And I would be happy to take you to him."
"Will his master get angry if we show up unannounced?"
"Uh..." Davan wasn't sure how to answer that. "Greyson says Fagan doesn't have a master. He has a mate."
Adrian gasped. "Fagan's married?"
"In the ways of Greyson's people, yes." At least, that's what Greyson said.
"Who are his people?" Tynian asked.
Greyson stiffened.
"Greyson said he'd explain everything to us, but not right now. We need to get out of here before—" Davan cried out when he was suddenly shoved forward. If he hadn't plowed into Adrian and Tynian, he would have crashed to the ground.
"Hide!" Greyson shouted right before he took off running.
Davan swallowed hard then held his breath as he grabbed his two friends and pushed them away from whatever was happening behind him. He didn't know what was going on exactly, but the wave of burning rage that slammed into him almost took him to his knees.
He gave his friends a push as he shouted, "Go! Run!"
He didn't know what was out there, but Greyson was fighting it alone. Davan couldn't allow that. The man had been nothing but nice to him since the second they met. He even got shot trying to keep them safe from whoever broke into the monastery.
As soon as he heard the thunder of feet running away, Davan crouched down and prepared himself to fight. He'd been trained to protect his master, but it always helped to have an advantage.
Davan glanced toward where all the noise was coming from. This was the part he was hesitant about. He didn't want to hit Greyson by accident.
He decided to go with his instincts and took a swing at the first hand that reached for him. Someone grunted. Davan swung in that direction. The sickening crack he heard when his hand connected was one Davan doubted he'd ever forget. He hated violence, but there were times when it was called for.
