Todd Ruger is a sentry, a very good one, some might say the best. He was eleven when he and Nick were bound as master and slave. Todd spent the years Nick lived in the slave village waiting for the day Nick could leave and they’d be together, bit by bit building a life for both of them. He took his role of master seriously. It was his responsibility to provide for Nick, protect him and along the way he learned to love him. Todd loved Nick deeply and completely. They were more than a pair of sentries. Todd and Nick were friends, lovers, mates.<br><br>Eighteen months ago, Nick left the small village where he’d spent his entire life being raised and trained as a slave. Blessed with a unique skill set, Nick became a sentry. He took his place beside his master, Todd Ruger, defending society against the many paranormal threats that abound. They became more than master and slave, they became mates. Nick had found a home with Todd and together they became a family. Eventually, Nick’s special abilities and skills attract the attention of the second most powerful man in New Colorado Protectorate’s government, Vice Chancellor Clarke. Or, maybe certain people knew of Nick all along and just now had cause to use him. He believes Nick might be the answer to explaining Chancellor Shaffer’s sudden, unusual behavior.<br><br>Forced to go undercover the Chancellor’s Estate, Todd and Nick discover an ancient and deadly creature preying on residents of the estate. The same creature that is radically effecting Chancellor Shaffer. A creature only Nick can see in its true form. It hunts using specialized skills and has Todd and Nick in its crosshairs. Even if they defeat the creature and survive, they still face the possibility of being torn from each other when their lives are thrown into chaos by the thing they’re hunting.

Together Bound

His suspicions on how the meeting and the morning had gone were confirmed within a half hour of the children leaving. He stiffened when he heard the sound of now-familiar footsteps nearing the classroom. The door swung shut, but the sound of a lock snicking into place never came. Nick relaxed his shoulders, maybe he wasn’t going to have to endure another attack.


Turning, he half expected to see a face other than the chancellor’s and wondered if the kelbit had jumped hosts already. It hadn’t yet, he could see that at once, but it needed to. There was something off about the creature. For the first time, it seemed nervous and edgy. Licking its lips, the chancellor walked across the room to where Nick stood in front of the desk.


Standing quietly, gauging his opponent, Nick watched placidly as it stalked closer to him.


The chancellor’s lips split into a wide, shiver-inducing grin. “You humans and your bodies are so entertaining. There is so much to explore.”


Chapter 51