Forbidden Obsession

FORBIDDEN OBSESSION MM URBAN FANTASY ROMANCE PARANORMAL HUNGER BOOK THREE LEE COLGIN Forbidden Obsession: MM Urban Fantasy Romance Copyright © 2023 by Lee Colgin ISBN 978-1-970161-30-4 Cover design by Natasha Snow www.natashasnowdesigns.com Editing by Tanja Ongkiehong Proofreading by Lori Parks All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. CONTENTS About This Book Content Warning Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Epilogue Also by Lee Colgin About the Author ABOUT THIS BOOK Coyote shifter Rudy Winslow is adapting to life in a new city when he spots a man whose very presence steals his heart. The man is bewitching. Bewitching…and grumpy. Samuel has no interest in the shifter who's been following him around like a lovesick pup, even if he is adorable. Adorable…and persistent. Born a vampire before the Great Wars, Samuel's had plenty of time to make enemies. If he can't best his latest foe, it'll be Rudy who pays the price. Samuel doesn't do relationships—and he won't bend the rules for Rudy—but that doesn't mean he wants the coyote to suffer. Stuck with Samuel as the vampire plots revenge, Rudy leaps at the chance to win over his reluctant mate. But can they harness the power of their fated bond, or will Samuel's dark past overcome the future they've yet to claim? CONTENT WARNING Forbidden Obsession contains adult scenes intended for mature readers, including non-consent, dubious consent, domestic abuse, mentions of torture, death and grieving of a loved one, car accident, graphic violence, and stalking—none of the bad stuff happens between the two main characters. Almost all the content warnings are in scenes of flashbacks/backstory. CHAPTER ONE Rudy Exploring his new city, if one could call Stonesburg a city, would have to wait. Rudy hurried past the old red-brick storefronts to the Eternal Knight Club, where he’d promised to meet his friends. Running late, he barely registered the scenery of the quaint little downtown he would now call home. Once a prosperous mill town, Stonesburg had gained and lost its human population with the textile industry. When the mills closed, humans largely abandoned the place, and supernaturals moved in. Rudy had chosen it to be near his friends from university, but he couldn’t fathom why they’d picked it. Aside from the rolling foothills to the west, Stonesburg didn’t have much to offer. Crisp night air chilled his nose and flushed his cheeks. A drink would warm him up, and after a day spent unpacking, it was exactly what Rudy needed. He found the place, swung open one of the ornately carved double doors, and stepped inside. A dimly lit interior greeted him, hazy with sweet-smelling cigar smoke wafting toward the rafters. Couples danced to a low, jazzy beat pulsing in the background. A row of booths lined the far wall. Spotting his rowdy group holding down a corner booth, Rudy headed their way. A fleeting glance toward the long bar on the other side of the club and he stopped in his tracks. Who is that? Rudy’s heart beat double time. An exquisite man sat straight-backed on a stool, one svelte thigh crossed over the other. In his elegant fingers dangled a cream-colored smoking pipe. A pretty bartender held the man’s attention while Rudy gawked. Hair as dark as charcoal fell in shining waves past his shoulders as he leaned toward the man seated next to him, and said something that made the other two laugh. Rudy desperately wanted to know what he’d said. Needed to hear his voice. Yearned to touch his soft hair. The sudden importance of this total stranger scattered his thoughts and twisted his gut. What was happening to him? The man spun his head as if he sensed he was being watched. Dark brown eyes glinted upward and homed in on where Rudy stood frozen. His expression went from neutral to annoyed in a flash. I should look away. I’m being rude. Inside him, the coyote whined, eager to approach. Demanding it. Rudy couldn’t tear his gaze away from the vision before him. The vision before him was pissed. Eyes narrowed, lips pursed, jaw tight. Uh-oh. Unable to resist, Rudy drew close anyway. The man’s glower darkened. Rudy turned his hands out, palms up, and hunched his shoulders. Not a threat. He glanced at the fellow in the next seat and to the bartender, who were watching the situation unfold with unveiled curiosity. Then he focused his gaze back to the pretty… Hmm, what was he? Vampire? He had that otherworldly stillness some older vampires sometimes possessed, though he looked quite young. Younger than Rudy at least. Maybe twenty? Desperate to make a good impression, Rudy intended to say something clever, but words tumbled out before his brain caught up. “You’re stunning. Who are you?” The man peered over his shoulder at the bartender. “Lark, is he talking to me?” Even his voice was lovely, a sweet tenor with precise pronunciation. “He sure is,” she replied, laughter in her tone. “Can’t you make him leave?” Lark scowled. “Be nice to my customers.” With an exasperated sigh, the man turned back to Rudy, lips pressed in a hard line, one ebony eyebrow raised. “Well? Let’s have it. What do you want?” Rudy found him more striking up close, his dark features a beautiful contrast against skin so pale he nearly glowed. “To meet you. I’ve never seen anyone like you.” That was true enough, but his looks weren’t the only thing