Bonedust

hitched in his throat, thinking of Jeremie’s hand on his arm, snapping the bone with one solid twist. It ached dully, deeply, but he wiggled his fingers and was surprised to find them movable. He tried his toes next, and his bare feet burrowed into soft and silky fur.
    He leaned up slightly, finding Pandora curled up at the end of the bed, her side rising and falling but her fur matted with dried blood. He pressed his eyes shut at the sounds of her screams as she’d fought off those two black devils. The same devils, he could’ve bet, that haunted Gabriel. He no longer blamed the man for fearing dogs.
    His eyes settled to rest on Gabe’s face, on the high cheekbones and the pouty lips just visible within the beam of light. He smiled and reached out to brush a curl from Gabriel’s cheek, and stopped himself.
    No more beating around the bush—it was time to decide. Either he lived in fear and backed away, let this beautiful, loving man escape him to walk out of his life for good… Or he embraced his fear and dove headfirst into the relationship, a relationship that could last months or even years. Maybe forever. The idea of waking up next to Gabe each and every morning made him long for that.
    His fingers found Gabe’s face, stroking the soft skin. Gabriel took a soft breath, then opened his eyes, those dark depths filled with love. “Hey…” His voice was roughened and Urban recalled his screams.
    “Hey, babe…” Urban’s eyes trailed down to Gabriel’s bare chest, where the wounds were already closing up. Jeremie’s name was carved into his flesh, so deep that it would scar, but Gabriel didn’t seem bothered. Not even as Urban touched the J and winced. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there. Protecting you. I let my head run away with me…and I almost lost you.”
    “It’s okay. What’s one more scar?” His lips were a rueful shape. He reached over and stroked his fingers down Urban’s cheek. “Are you…going to stay? Stay with me now that I’m a free man, no longer haunted by demons. I can wait for you, as long as you need me to wait, Urban. I promise. I can give you time and space and whatever else you need. Just…eventually come back to me. I love you.” His voice was soft.
    Urban’s heart hammered, but he already knew his answer. He’d known his answer when he’d found Gabriel’s bed empty, that sick hollow feeling emptying him out. He reached for Gabe, splaying fingers across his cheek before cupping it.
    “I love you too. I’m sorry… I’ve spent my entire life being afraid of love, afraid of commitment, and look where it’s gotten me. I’m a fool, Gabriel. I’m a fool and I don’t nearly deserve you, and—” He was stopped mid-sentence by Gabe’s fingertips on his lips.
    The man wore a wicked smile as he looped his arms around Urban’s waist and pulled him flush against him. “Shut up and kiss me,” he whispered, his breath warm and inviting against Urban’s lips and Urban did what his heart told him to do—he kissed him.

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    About The Author: Xoe Xanders is a quirky small-town punk princess who writes dark, sexy, paranormal things. She writes both straight and gay romance—love is love, no matter race, color, or gender. You can stalk her on Twitter or on her website: http://xoexanders.wordpress.com/

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    Chapter One

    He lived for this, the roar of the crowd, girls screaming their names, holding up huge poster board signs with bold letters and glitter. The pulse of Micah’s drums behind him, all staccato beats and the crash of the cymbals. The rock-steady rhythm of the bass, strings plucked by Benji’s deft fingers. And the weight of the Fender in his grip, fingers pressing against frets as he spiraled into a solo that would’ve given Lucifer himself a run for his money—if the devil was the frontman of a rock band.
    The lyrics leapt forward like powerful horses, led by the siren’s call of the music, and somewhere in his throat they went from simple words to something beautiful, his voice husky and soft in the echo of the microphone. He crooned the words and he could’ve sworn a woman in the front row fainted. Cocky, sure, but it was true.
    Zane Alexander knew how to sing, and sing well. The music thundered around him, shooting straight