1 Chapter 1

Centuries years ago, cataclysmic natural disasters brought the world to its knees. For hundreds of years the people of North America struggled to create a new society on top of the ashes of the old one. The continent divided into protectorates that operated under a different kind of law for a different kind of world.

People stayed on the continent of their birth and in some areas slavery became an accepted and ritualistic form of existence binding slave and owner. Once owner and slave were paired, commonly referred to as bonded, it was for life regardless of whatever personal relationship developed between the two. Ownership of a slave was only transferred upon the death of the original master or mistress.

This is the world Todd Ruger was born into.

As a child, Todd’s life changed when he was bound to an extraordinary boy named Nick and they became master and slave. Nick grew up, trained and educated in the ways of the sentry, hunters of the type of prey that should only exist in legends and nightmares, but were very real. On Nick’s twenty-second birthday, Todd took him away from the village he’d lived his entire life. It became Todd’s responsibility to care for Nick, to teach him what he’d need to know to survive and fight as a sentry in the real world. Nick’s ability to see signs of evil in not only people but the paranormal became a valuable tool.

Now there was talk of war between New Colorado and neighboring West Caldera. Unrest, political posturing, and intrigue were everywhere, in every paper, in every tavern and café.

Todd was of the firm opinion that sentries in general—and he and Nick in particular—didn’t mix well with politics. Unfortunately, Nick, his abilities, and being a slave as well as a sentry, made it impossible for them to steer clear of the things they wanted to avoid.

Eighteen months after Todd and Nick bonded as master and slave, then became mates, the world of politics landed on them with a solid punch and it would take everything they had to survive. 1

Todd’s hand gripped the doorjamb so hard his knuckles went white and his hand and arm cramped.

This wasn’t happening. It wasn’tgoddamn happening. No one could do this. It couldn’t possibly be legal and it certainly wasn’t right. He couldn’t let Nick see this, he couldn’t. Yet Todd had no way of not showing him. Nick would have to know and he was going to freak

Todd had heard the rumors and stories of special slaves, a group kept secret by the government for years and had no idea how Nick or his ability were involved, if at all. Todd wasn’t even sure he completely believed all the rumors, which were sketchy at best. Even those rumors couldn’t explain this

Mind racing, he went through scenario after scenario, not wanting to face any of them and completely panicked by the realization he’d have to face them all.

Pounding on the front door made him start and gulp air into his constricting lungs. Three days, the letter said three days; why was someone here now? It took a few seconds for him to process that someone on the other side of the door was calling his name and it was a voice he recognized.

Todd staggered from the kitchen to the front door, and yanked it open without checking to see who it was, something he’d never done before. Apparently, Nick wasn’t the only one who was going to freak. Todd was well into his own freak-out. His vision swam, and he stood staring at the man in front of him for a few more seconds before croaking, “Jimmy?”

The older man brushed past him and into the apartment before shutting the door firmly behind him. Hands gripping Todd’s shoulders hard, Jimmy gave Todd a slight shake as his eyes scanned the apartment.

“Where’s Nick?”

“They can’t do this!” Todd backed up a step. “No one can do this. They can’t just takehim. Can they?”

Jimmy’s hands dropped to his sides. “Hell, kid, I wouldn’t have thought so. I don’t know. Todd, where is he?”

“Eminent domain is for property, to build roads and hospitals. Not to take people.”

“Todd! Where the hell is Nick?”

Blinking, Todd lifted his gaze from the paper in his hand to Jimmy’s face. “He’s…it’s Sunday.” Jimmy literally snarled at him. Shaking his head, Todd cleared his throat and concentrated. “It’s Sunday. When we’re in town, we get breakfast at a café near here. He went to pick it up. That’s where I get the coffee you and Nick like so much. Nicky loves the coffee…” Todd’s voice trailed off.

Did Jimmy mean to imply they’d snatched Nick off the street?

Gaze going back to the letter, Todd scanned the words again.