Chained Hearts

Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1

Its tongue slipped inside Nick’s tunic, slithered over his pecs, teasing at his n****e before sliding up and inserting itself between his lips. Oily bitterness dripped down the back of his throat.

Nick didn’t want this.

Nick jolted awake.

Sitting up, he gulped in large breaths, trying desperately to vanquish the images his mind dredged up to invade his sleep. Something reached across his chest and pressed against his sternum, startling him enough he jerked away from the touch, gasping softly.

It slid across his jaw, leaving a wet, slimy trail over his cheek.

“N’kky.” Todd’s voice was rough and slurred. Todd propped himself up on an elbow. Exhaling a loud, shaky breath, he stretched his other arm farther across Nick’s chest.

“Juss me. Stay. Shhh,” Todd mumbled, tightening his grip so he pulled Nick in closer against his chest, his lips soft on the back of Nick’s neck, and his warm breath on Nick’s skin as he talked. “What’s a matter?”

Todd’s words ran together and it took Nick a few seconds to work out what he’d said.

“I…a dream…Todd.” Nick turned so he could face his mate. “Nightmare. Really bad.”

Todd exhaled. “Another one?”

“What if the kelbit had a mate? There had to be more than one, right? What if it wants some sort of revenge?”

Todd squinted at him. The moon was barely a quarter full and set low in the sky. It was stuffy inside the wagon and still nice enough they often slept outside, though realistically, they probably only had a few more weeks before weather forced them inside every night. They were moving farther north every day.

Todd rubbed at his neck before wiping at his eyes and shook his head. “Huh?”

When Todd scooted away, Nick grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

Stopping, Todd turned and looked Nick up and down then reached out and brushed two fingers through Nick’s bangs. “I’m not going anywhere, just to the wagon.”

He only went as far as the water barrel and cups hanging off the back of the wagon. They always made sure to camp close to a stream or pond, somewhere they could get fresh water. They were far enough north that at this time of year, early fall, the streams and rivers cooled down at night and the water was pleasantly cold. The barrel was emptied and refilled nightly.

Opening the spout, Todd poured water into one of the tin cups and handed it off to Nick then sat beside him. “Here, drink this.”

Nick didn’t realize how thirsty he was until the cool water slipped down his throat. It tasted good and made him feel a bit better. He emptied the cup and held it against his knee, hands shaking.

“They reproduce somehow, right? What if the one we killed had a mate?”

“Why do you think that?” Todd filled a second cup of water for himself, downed half, and left the rest in the cup, setting it off to the side.

“It could, right?”

“I suppose. You read the same information I did, Nick. They mate and reproduce when they’re in their natural form, not when they have a host.”

“And they mate for life.” Nick drew in a few shaky breaths.

“Nick,” Todd sighed, took Nick’s cup, and refilled it, pressing it back into Nick’s hands. “We have no proof there was a mate. And if there was, I have no idea how it’d—”

“She. It would be a she.”

Todd rubbed the skin under his eyes. “I have no idea how she’d track us.”

“Todd, there’s…every time I sleep…it’s there…she’s there. Right along with him and how he was all over me. I can still feel that tongue and everything it did, every touch…”

Scooting closer, Todd held Nick’s face in both hands. “Nick. Nicky…shush…stop. Nothing is here. We’ve seen no sign of anything following us. You and I check every day. You’ve been with me.” Sliding a hand down to Nick’s shoulder, Todd urged him to lean forward. He lifted Nick’s shirt and peeled away the bandage over his scapula. “Let me see.” Todd pulled in a breath and let out a long sigh. “It’s still not healing well.”

Nick shivered when Todd’s fingers gently touched his skin. He turned his head as far as he could, trying to see over his shoulder. Todd chuckled soft and low, leaned in, and brushed a light kiss over the back of Nick’s neck between his slave collar and where his hair curled up.

“What I dream is worse than what actually happened.”

“You’re my mate, and I’m never leaving you alone and vulnerable like that again. Anything will have to go through me first. Even if she is following us, we’ll deal with her, just like we dealt with him.” Todd patted the bandage back into place. “In the morning, when there’s better light, I’ll clean that again, scrub it good, and re-bandage it. I think it might be getting infected again.”

The festering wound from the kelbit bite explained why Nick hadn’t been feeling well for the last day and a half. Rolling his shoulder a few times, Nick stretched his arm up and around in a circle.

“I wish the stupid thing would get better already.”

“There’s still some of that antiseptic cream the doctor gave me before we left the Estate. We’ll look for more when we stop to stock up on supplies.”

Nick felt the movement of Todd’s lips as his master talked against his skin. Todd had inched close enough that his legs bracketed Nick’s. His arms wound around Nick’s waist and pulled Nick flush against his chest.

Nick let out a long, slow breath then tipped his head when Todd licked slow, luxurious trails along Nick’s throat. He reached back and felt along the covered wound with his fingertips. “It’s starting to hurt more.”

Todd’s hands roamed lightly over Nick’s shoulder and gently massaged his neck. “And not letting you sleep well, either, I bet.”

He moved his fingertips in soothing strokes up and down Nick’s neck, then continued kneading Nick’s back, shoulders, and arms. Eyes drifting closed, Nick relaxed back, sinking against the warmth and muscle of Todd’s body.

Tongue oozed over his jaw, along his lips, it forced its way inside. Nick jerked to the side, away from the long tongue. It was Todd’s face he saw, not the kelbit’s. That long tongue, dripping with oily venom was coming out of Todd’s mouth. Nick was stunned and confused. This shouldn’t be happening, wasn’t real, his mind screamed. Still, the scene played on. Todd’s face split into a manic grin, then his lips curled into a snarl. His face morphed into Shaffer’s then into the kelbit’s. Lashing out, Nick connected with the hideous face, knocking the head away from the body. Todd’s head rolled away, eyes staring up. Cut off its head. Sever the spinal cord. Todd’s eyes blinked, and the bodiless head rolled back and forth a few times while it laughed.

“Nick!”

Someone—something—had ahold of Nick’s shoulders, spun him around and shook him—hard. Nick blinked and rubbed at his eyes. Todd let go of Nick and moved back. He rubbed his jaw while sliding it side to side. “Ow. Christ, who taught you to hit so hard?”

“I…you…I didn’t mean…Todd, I’m sorry.” He’d hit Todd? His mate. His master. The thought made his stomach turn and his head pound. Yet, nearly every night Nick relived driving a knife into the creature’s neck and severing its head that wore Todd’s face before he’d watched it roll away, eyes open and staring. Each nightly show his subconscious put on was ten times worse than his final fight with the kelbit had been and even more frightening. Nick shuddered.

“Nicky, come on…come here.” Todd pulled him close again. “Stop this. It’s okay. We’re okay. Tell me about them, everything.”

Sighing, Nick straightened, leaning away from Todd far enough to look out at the trees for a minute. He nodded slowly.

“They’re always the same. The kelbit comes after me, just like it did at the Chancellor’s Estate, but then it gets worse. I can’t get away, and what it does…it goes a lot further. There are two in my dreams and the one still alive is pissed we killed her mate. Then…” His voice cracked, and he shivered again. “Then I have to kill it—kill you. I can see that thing’s head with your face on it coming off the body and rolling away. Watching me, always watching me.”

Todd rubbed up and down Nick’s spine. It felt good, and Nick relaxed into the strength of Todd’s hand and gentleness of his touch. “Nicky, you have to let it go. For me, please?”

Winding his arms around Todd’s middle, Nick swallowed down his fear and memories, nodded, and nestled against Todd, hanging on tight and relaxing when Todd’s arms pressed in close, holding him just as tightly. “I’m trying. It doesn’t want to let go of me.”