“Who are you?”
“Ah, yes, your commander has met me, but we’ve not had the pleasure. My name is Jinn, and I’m an ancient Sorcerer of the Dark Arts. Some call me a genie, but that’s an oversimplification,” he scoffed. “I can change form to look like whoever or whatever I wish.”
“What did you do with Nix’s father?”
Jinn shrugged. “Unfortunately, the old man did not survive my borrowing his form. Such a shame, too, since he was very sincere about being a changed man. Ah, well, shit happens.”
“You fucking monster,” he whispered.
“I’ve been called worse.”
“And what do you want with me? I’m just a nurse,” he said shakily.
“No. You’re a Halfling with untapped power.” He ran a long, manicured black nail down the side of Noah’s cheek. “And you’re going to learn to love being my slave.”
“Get this straight—I’m not going to be your slave or anything else.”
Smirking, Jinn lifted his own wrist. Then he sliced a gash in it with a sharp, black fingernail. Blood welled on his skin, thick and dark as wine. Noah shuddered in revulsion, rearing back when the Sorcerer held the wrist to Noah’s lips.
“What the hell? Get that away from me!”
“Drink.”
“No!” But his eyes caught Jinn’s and he froze.
Suddenly everything in him wanted that drink. Craved the offering. He realized the Sorcerer was compelling him to obey, and his heart wept as he bent his head and tasted the blood.
The flavor was a wicked detonation on his tongue. It was sheer, liquid fire that arrowed to his cock, hardening him instantly. He wanted more. Needed it. The Sorcerer’s free hand stroked the back of Noah’s head as he latched on to the wrist and drank deeply, taking his fill.
“There now,” Jinn crooned. “That’s nice, isn’t it?”
Yes. So delicious.
“You want more. Take what you want, whenever you want it—that’s the first rule of the Dark Arts.”
He did. God help him, he couldn’t stop even though his soul screamed at him that this was a betrayal of his mate.
“A betrayal?” The Sorcerer chuckled. “You mean of the mate who won’t even claim you? The one who humiliated and rejected you time and again?”
Tears streamed down Noah’s face. That was true, every word.
“Why would you want that weakling, who refuses to allow his wolf to claim you? He lost his right to you. And I’m here for you now.”
Noah’s arousal was almost unbearable. By the time Jinn detached his wrist from Noah’s grip, Noah was close to coming. The bastard knew this, and kept him wanting.
“Soon, pet. See, you’re already mine. We’ll make our union official soon enough. In the meantime, you’re ready to move someplace much more comfortable for the two of us.”
Jinn untied Noah’s ankles but left his arms bound behind his back. Then he led him, now unresisting, out of the dank room and upstairs to a bedroom—one with a large bed, where he tied Noah to the frame.
“Don’t worry, I’ll return soon.”
After Jinn was gone, Noah lay in the gathering darkness, confused. Heartbroken. The once-golden thread of his fledgling bond with Nix was paper-thin and black. Sticky, as though coated in tar.
Now that the Sorcerer wasn’t in the room, his head was clearer. But another session or two like that one, and he’d be the bastard’s slave no matter how hard he fought.
Oh, yeah. He was in so much fucking trouble.
Nix. Please, find me.
*
Nix paced the conference room, aware that his friends’ earlier anger had morphed into worry and dread. He didn’t care about anything but getting his mate home safe and sound. Where Nix would spend the rest of his life making up for his horrible behavior.
Soon the sheriff strode in with Nick. He headed straight for Nix, expression grim. “I was told you’re not going to be sorry to hear this, but your father, Lucius Monroe, is dead. Probably since this morning, given the state of the body and the fact that the hotel manager in town had talked to him a few hours ago.”
Nix stared at him. He had to admit, a tiny part of him wondered if Noah had been right about the man changing for the better, and wanted to feel sad about his loss. But right now he had his mate to think about.
“Then . . . who kidnapped Noah? How the hell are we going to track him down?”
“I have the answer to that,” Nick said. “Everybody remember Jinn, the dark Sorcerer who got away from us? He killed Lucius and took his form, then kidnapped Noah to taunt us.”
“How do you know that? Did you see it in a vision?” Nix demanded.