Chapter 8: Tyros Kneels

Joel knocked at midnight, twice, hard.

Max opened the door.

Behind Joel's shoulder, in the shadow at the end of the corridor, a tall figure leaned on the wall with a black book.

Raven did not look up.

"You're late," Max said.

"I'm on time." Joel stepped in and shut the door. "Linda asked me to see how you were. I told her I would."

"That's the whole reason?"

"That's the reason I gave her."

He stood in the middle of the room in his black coat, hands behind his back.

He looked at the bed, the wardrobe across the shutter, and the single lamp.

"She wants a witness at your window," Joel said. "I told her I'd handle it. I told her you'd be easy."

"Am I?"

"I don't know what you are." Joel's grey eyes came back to him.

"This morning I was out of my mind with rut, and this afternoon I'm not."

"I've been to three healers. They say it's impossible."

"Maybe you're lucky."

"I'm never lucky."

"Then maybe," Max said, and shut the shutter's latch with a click, "you should find out why."

He crossed to Joel and took the front of his coat in both fists.

Joel's eyes widened. He didn't move.

"You came to ruin me," Max said. "Fine. Let's see you try."

He kissed him.

Joel went rigid for one second.

Then a sound broke out of him, low and furious, and his hands came up and fisted in Max's hair.

The kiss was hard and clumsy and hungry, with teeth and a bitten lip, and Joel's cold iron scent cracked open into something hot.

He shoved Max back against the wardrobe and kissed him harder.

"I hate you," Joel said against his mouth.

"I know."

"I'm going to hate this."

"I know that too."

Max reached down and cupped the thick hard line of Joel's cock through his trousers, and Joel's whole body jerked.

ROSE: Stored rut, one unit. Say the word.

"Night," Max said. "Domain."

The change took him all at once.

Heat roared through his chest and shoulders.

The stored rut rose up inside him, ten times larger than before, and it filled every muscle.

His cock swelled, thick and heavy, with the knot already aching at the root.

Joel gasped.

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