Carter's Tryck [Brac Pack 17] by Lynn Hagen

Tryck
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    mate’s. Was it because Carter was Elven? Whatever it was, it was the most beautiful thing Tryck had ever witnessed.
    Tryck roared as he came, pounding hard until he was spent, sated.
    “Tryck.” Carter shook his head back and forth, sweat glistening on his body. “The union is complete.”
    “I saw us…” He wasn’t sure what he should say. He pulled his mate to him, draping the smaller man over his chest, petting his beautiful hair.
    “Wow, I was afraid of that ?” Carter grinned, his golden eyes sparkling.
    “No more fears.” Tryck kissed his head and settled back, that gnawing emptiness slowly easing. That something he yearned for was lying in his arms now.

    * * * *
    Carter sat in the den, tugging at the stupid bracelet. There had to be a way to get it off. It was small and fragile in looks. Too bad looks were deceiving. He shifted around a little, trying to relieve the soreness in his bum from the claiming.
    “What wrong?” Keata asked as he flopped down on the couch.
    “That nasty blue man put this on my wrist, and now I can’t shimmer.” Carter was ready to go find a crowbar. Something had to work.
    “We could cut open.” Keata pointed to Carter’s wrist.
    “And what would we use to cut it open?” Carter quirked a brow at the little man. Keata’s smooth skin turned crimson as he shrugged.
    “We could go to horse barn.”
    Well, it was a shot, a long one, but what did he have to lose?
    “Fine, show me the way.”
    “Where are you two going?” Nero asked from the archway of the den.

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    Lynn Hagen
    “Horse barn.” Carter followed Keata through the kitchen and out of the back door, Nero trailing behind them. He wanted to ask about the blue gloves, but he didn’t know the man that well, yet.
    He had a feeling being mated to Tryck, that his life was about to change. Carter thought of Teaky. He needed to get home, get a change of clothes, and let his roommate and best friend know he was okay.
    Maybe Teaky knew a way to get this damn thing off. His best friend was smart. If anyone could figure it out, he could.
    Carter felt an evil vibe as soon as the three entered the barn.
    Something wasn’t right. His eyes scanned the small building, looking for anything unusual. Nothing seemed out of place, but that feeling wouldn’t go away.
    “Here.” Keata handed Carter a pair of bolt cutters. Carter tried to slide one side in between his wrist and the trinket, but the jaws of the cutters were too big. Well, it was worth a try.
    Nero dug through the small room in the back, pulling out a pair of wire cutters. “Maybe this, it’s smaller.” Carter was able to slide the wire cutters in between the bracelet and his wrist. So far, so good. He pressed the handle together, but it wouldn’t cut.
    “Let us try.” Keata and Nero both grabbed the handles, squeezing with all their might, but it didn’t even make a dent.
    Carter was getting pissed. He grabbed the wire cutters and threw them across the barn. He wanted to shimmer. You never thought about things you took for granted until you didn’t have them anymore.
    The three tried to scramble behind one another when a man came from behind one of the horses. “What do we have here?”
    “Same thing I was going to ask you, buster.” Carter tried his hardest to hide the tremor in his voice. He wasn’t the bravest in the world, but it seemed the two men behind him were even more chicken than he was. Who was this guy?

    Carter’s Tryck
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    “W–We live here. You don’t,” Nero said from behind Carter.
    Hell, Carter was trying to get behind Nero. Just because he was the tallest didn’t mean he was the bravest.
    “I can smell her on you.” The man inched closer, baring his fangs.
    “Oh boy, a vampire,” Nero squeaked. The little blue-gloved man ran behind Carter and Keata, once again putting him up front. Didn’t these two know he had more chicken in him than a poultry factory?
    “Smell who?” Carter chuckled nervously. “I’m