by
- Not That Kind of Demon
- Sweet Things for a Crocodile
- Cuddles for the Bear
Is it true you’re an assassin? Can you kill him for me?
Devon, bear shifter assassin, had been communicating with someone online, but when the conversation takes a sinister turn, he turns to his friends for help. Days later he’s on a plane, planning to intercept the person who has his online friend captive… the Fates move in mysterious ways.
But isn’t that a better way to go? Isn’t it better to actually leave my fate in the hands of the gods instead of the man who plans to kill me anyway?
Wren’s life has been one shit-fest after another. Now, at the end of his tether, he does the only thing he thought he could do to escape his situation. But standing on a ledge, four stories high, he learns the Fates had plans for him that didn’t involve him dying anytime soon.
“Do you know anything about the paranormal world?”
Wren’s new life with Devon brings on one new surprise after another. Finding out he’s part of the paranormal world is one thing, shifting for the first time is something else entirely. But the Agency Devon works for knows what happened to Wren didn’t happen in isolation, and when Devon is pressured to interrogate Wren for information he doesn’t think he has, Wren starts to wonder if his new life is all it’s cracked up to be.
TW: During the earlier chapters from Wren’s perspective, he is in a really negative mental state, including thoughts of suicide ideation. If this is a trigger for you, please take care of your mental health and give this story a miss.
Although Cuddles for the Bear can be read as a standalone, reading the previous two books in the series will give you a more solid background of the secondary characters and how Assassin’s Alley came to be.
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: Ageless/Immortal
Protagonist 2 Age: Ageless/Immortal
Tropes: Fated Mates / Soul Mates
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
“I do wish you had come and talked to me about this earlier.” Cyrus and Python were sprawled out on the couch in the little apartment above Cyrus’s workshop. It was only a two minutes’ walk from the Assassin’s Alley itself, and Devon was pleased that he had caught them alone and semi-dressed.
“Er… I don’t know what you mean. Why would I inform you about a random online friendship? There was nothing to tell… well, mostly. I should’ve mentioned I’d disclosed my work, but that was one random conversation among many.”
Devon was caught off guard by Cyrus’s apparent casual attitude. “Do you mean you knew I was talking with BlueKnight64? Since when?”
READ MORE“We’ve been tracking that conversation for about six months,” Cyrus said. “You weren’t the focus of the initial investigation – it was BK’s situation that was the cause of concern. Originally it was determined by the powers that be that we weren’t going to interfere because you were keeping an eye on your young friend, which was what was needed.
“Even telling him about your work – you didn’t disclose where you were, or put anyone else at risk and honestly, it was hoped that your friend would be reassured by the admission and see you as someone who might help him. At that point the situation wasn’t getting much worse than it already was.”
Devon felt his heart drop to his stomach. “Wait, are you telling me the situation that BlueKnight64 is in is one that’s caught the agency’s notice? What’s happened? Who’s he being trapped by? I...”
He paced up and down, tugging at his hair. “I didn’t feel at any point that he was in a situation where I needed to intervene until tonight. There were a few little things I noticed, of course I did. He never mentioned friends, or going out anywhere, but he could have easily been introverted or even be physically challenged in some way limiting his ability to go out. I… It never clicked there was anything sinister about his situation.
“It was only in this last conversation that he said about how he wasn’t allowed out and how this person kept calling him mine. And even then, I mean, what could I say if this was a mating situation?”
Devon flung his arms wide as he turned toward his friends. “Think about that. What if BlueKnight64 is human and doesn’t understand the nuances around being the fated mate of a shifter or a vampire? All paranormals are possessive about their mates.”
“Yeah, mates also treat their partners will love and respect – did you forget that bit? Your BlueKnight64’s not mated and there’s a good chance he’s not human either,” Python said in a drawl. “Believe me, he probably wishes he was, because he’d be treated a damn sight better than he is. But still… I’m sorry, babe,” he said to Cyrus, patting his knee. “You’re the handler here, you can handle it.”
“Like you don’t stick your nose in agency business every five minutes.” Cyrus chuckled. “Put bluntly, BK was paid for.”
Devon’s knees gave out and he dropped to the floor. All he could think was of the witty posts, the way BK made him laugh on days when he didn’t think it would be possible to do that again. His legs just couldn’t hold him up anymore and when he tried to respond, the lump in his throat wouldn’t let a word out. All this time and he was selling himself…?
Cyrus, who quickly graduated to certified asshole in Devon’s opinion, laughed. “Oh, my gods you should see your face. You really jumped to the wrong idea, didn’t you?”
Devon glared. It was the best reaction he could manage, his mind still processing a hurt he didn’t fully understand. He had to have good reason. Lots of people do that sort of thing. I’ve paid for services a time or two in the past… But for some reason Cyrus’s statement just didn’t jibe with all he believed about his online friend.
“I’m sorry. That was mean of me,” Cyrus said softly, clearly realizing Devon didn’t see the joke. “I should’ve been more specific. BK is a slave, purchased from his parents - apparently although that’s debatable - when he was fourteen years old.”
“Fourteen?” Devon shook his head. “That can’t be right. I… I remember celebrating his twenty-fifth birthday with him a few months ago. Was he lying to me?”
“No.” Cyrus looked grim. “Your online friend has been a slave for nine… no, it’s eleven years now. Sorry, maths is not my skillset. BK is twenty-five. That’s what’s got the agency more concerned and why I wished you’d come and talked to me about this situation sooner - when you shared your line of work with him, for example.”
“I didn’t know about any of this.” Devon huffed. “What’s the significance of this young man being twenty-five, apart from him being a legal adult in most paranormal circles.”
“Put bluntly, the guy who bought him is bored with him. From what interactions have shown, and from the information we’ve been given, BlueKnight64 used to be very fearful, very submissive. Not in a sexual way,” Python broke in. “That’s the one redeeming feature in all of this mess. Their relationship isn’t like that. But this piece of shit has already been making your little online warrior realize that his days are... yeah, he’s not got much of a future. BK knows who this person is. He knows far too much. He’s probably not aware of what he does know. But as the person holding him is paranormal, it is on us to take care of him.”
COLLAPSE
