Charlie Richards Wolves of Stone Ridge 05 Finding Balance

Out of the cage: Sometimes you don’t need a leash to bind
two beings together.

Todd Abernathy spent three weeks in a cage.

Experimented on by scientists, he retreated deep into his
wolf to survive. The night of his rescue, the scent of his mate
was the only thing that convinced him to return to human
form. Small for a wolf shifter, it didn’t surprise Todd when
his brother Phillip insisted on joining the local wolf pack
with him. His larger, younger half-brother had felt
responsible for him since puberty. But Phillip couldn’t help
him find the mate he’d scented, and when Todd finally
figured out that Detective Lyle Sullivan was the man he was
searching for, the human had been captured by the same
men who’d experimented on Todd.

Lyle’s escape almost comes too late, because the

experiments done to him scramble his DNA, nearly killing
him. The only way to save Lyle is to complete the
experimental procedure the scientists started on him. Todd’s
relief that the recovering Lyle recognizes him as his mate is
short-lived. Lyle starts exhibiting increasingly aggressive
and dangerous tendencies. Can Todd find a way to help his
mate accept what’s happening to him and teach him how to
co-exist with the new creature living inside his mind? Or
will Lyle lose himself to the beast and force his friends to put
him down?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Finding Balance

ISBN: 978-1-77111-074-7

Cover art by Angela Waters

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Finding Balance

Wolves of Stone Ridge Five

Charlie Richards

For the impatient ones…you know who you are. Thanks

for the pushing!

Chapter One

ho is he?”

Lyle forced the words out of his dry, scratchy

throat and struggled to keep conscious long enough to wait
for the answer. Every time he’d managed to drag his mind to
wakefulness, he’d seen the cute brunet that reminded him of
an angel. Sometimes he’d be singing softly to Lyle, holding
his hand. Sometimes he’d be reading a book to him,
although he couldn’t remember even one of the stories. And
sometimes, like now, he’d be curled up in a chair by Lyle’s
bed fast asleep.

But he didn’t know the man.
“His name is Todd Abernathy.” Doctor Ailean

Carmichael crossed the small room and started checking
equipment. “Welcome back,” he added with a smile.

Lyle barely managed to crinkle his brow, but even that

movement sent pain coursing through his skull. He couldn’t
place the name. “Should I know him?” The idea that he’d
lost some of his memories in the hellhole he’d been kept in
for however long it was sent spikes of panic through him.

Monitors beeped and Ailean spun from where he was

reading vitals and leaned over Lyle. He found his gaze
pinned by the shifter’s light brown eyes. “Take slow, deep
breaths. You’ve never met him. He’s pack.”

Pack. And he’d never met him. Relief slowly seeped into

Lyle and his eyes slid closed. “What’s he doing here?” he
scraped out. Then he forced his eyes back open as he stared

“W

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at Todd in a new light. “He looks a little small to be a
bodyguard.”

Ailean chuckled, straightening. “He’s not a bodyguard.”

Ailean followed Lyle’s gaze and stared at Todd. “Todd is
one of the shifters you all rescued from the warehouse,” he
explained. “He stayed in the area because he recognized his
mate’s scent. It just took him a while to find you.”

His head swam and he swallowed hard. What the hell is

Ailean telling me? “Huh?”

A spoon filled with a couple ice chips appeared before

him. He opened, gratefully accepting the offering. He rolled
the ice around his mouth twice before letting it settle on his
tongue and slowly melt. It hurt to swallow the liquid, but
the moisture was well worth the discomfort.

“Todd is convinced you’re his mate, Lyle, and from the

way you’ve been reacting to his presence, I believe he’s
correct,” Ailean said, holding out another spoonful of ice.

“I’ve been unconscious. I haven’t been awake to react,” he

denied before taking the offered ice again.

“Sometimes, how we respond unconsciously is very

telling,” Ailean commented. “You’re much calmer when
Todd’s here, and since he refuses to leave, it has worked out
very well.”

He could feel his eyes getting heavy again. He wouldn’t

be able to stay awake much longer. Lyle decided he’d try to
figure out the whole mate issue later. “How long?” he
managed to ask.

Ailean grimaced. “You were held captive for two weeks.

You were in Colin City Hospital for seven days. We moved
you to Declan and Lark’s place two days ago, which is when
I stopped giving you sedatives. Grady will be pleased
you’ve finally woken. We were getting concerned.” Moving
away, he checked the monitors again before crossing back to
him. “Are you in any pain? How do you…feel?”

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The way the doctor asked the questions raised Lyle’s

internal alarms, but he was too tired to work it out. “Like
I’ve been fucked, and not in a good way. So cold,” he
muttered, shivering. His eyes slid closed. He felt the weight
of another blanket being settled and tucked around him,
warming him.

There was so much to think about, but he needed a nap

first. Just a short one.

The next time he woke, itching pain radiated up his left

arm. It felt worse than the nasty bout of poison oak he’d had
when he was twelve. He’d never thought anything could
sting that badly. He was wrong, and Lyle immediately
began to rub the offending skin against the blanket. It didn’t
help. Grunting in frustration, he pried his eyes open and
stared at the irritated flesh.

His eyes widened in shock and he couldn’t hold in the

startled squeak. His breathing picked up as panic shot
through him. “Doc!” he screamed. “Doc!” He jerked
forward, pulling wires and setting off monitors.

Hands instantly gripped his shoulders, easing him back

down onto the bed. Beautiful brown eyes filled with concern
captured his gaze, and the face of the man he thought of as
his guardian angel stared down at him. “Easy, love,” the
man crooned. “Everything is fine.”

“Angel,” he gasped. Even as he allowed Todd to settle

him back on the bed, he tore his gaze away and stared down
at the brownish green skin covering the entire inside of his
forearm and palm of his left arm. “What’s wrong with me?”

Fingers feathered through his hair, massaging his scalp.

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong with you,” Todd assured.

Lyle shook his head in disbelief, opening his mouth to

protest. The door slamming open cut him off. Lark rushed
into the room while a wide-eyed Sara hovered in the

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doorway. Reaching the bed, Lark slid to a stop and stared
down at him.

“Holy shit. You scared the life out of us. What’s wrong?”

he asked, his gaze sweeping over him.

“What’s wrong?” Lyle snapped. He glanced between the

two men, taking in Lark’s confused look and Todd’s worried
expression. “This, Doc! What the fuck is this?” He turned his
arm over and lifted his arm. “Oh my god,” he gasped, seeing
that the crusty skin now extended up the inside of his elbow
as well.

Panic hit again and he feverishly scratched at the itchy

skin. When he realized he could hardly feel his nails on the
strange rough texture, his breathing escalated and he
couldn’t stop the howl of distress.

Lark spun around, muttering a curse as he grabbed for a

vial, needle and syringe. “Hang on,” he grunted, inserting
the needle into the port and dispensing it. “Focus on your
mate,” he ordered.

Lyle frowned, the words distracting him. Does everyone

know about this mate thing but me? He turned and glared at
Todd. He opened his mouth, but Todd beat him to it.

“I can explain,” he said, his tone smooth and soothing.

“Right now I need you to listen. You have to calm down.”

He wanted to tell Todd exactly what he thought of that

idea, but the words stuck in his throat. How the hell am I

supposed to calm down when I have some kind of itchy skin

irritation spreading over my arm?

Todd gripped his head and forced him to focus on his

handsome face. “Take a slow, deep breath,” he ordered.
“Then close your eyes and focus on the sound of my voice.”

Seconds later, Lyle found himself following Todd’s

orders. “Good,” the beautiful man whispered. “Now think
about your job at the office.” His crinkling brow must have
alerted Todd to his confusion because he kept talking.

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“You’re sitting at your desk. You’re filling out paperwork.
You’re typing information into your computer.”

To his surprise, as he visualized himself working on the

mundane tasks that made up the behind-the-scenes work of
a detective, his breathing slowed and calm filled him.
Slowly, the itching faded and relief flooded his body.

“There. That’s better,” Lark whispered.
Lyle pried his eyes back open to find a concerned smile

curving Todd’s lips. Fighting the fatigue that tried to swamp
him again, he moved his head and looked at his arm. The
odd rash had disappeared.

“What happened?” he asked, frowning. “What’d ya give

me, Doc?”

“Only a sedative to help you relax,” Lark said, lifting a

brow as he tilted his chin toward Todd.

The pretty brunet’s smile turned sad. He cupped Lyle’s

jaw and kissed his forehead. “Those scientists made changes
to your body, my mate. Nothing life threatening, now that
Drake corrected what they gave you,” he hurried to explain,
“but you’re a shifter now. You’ll need to learn
to…control…the animal that will slowly emerge.”

“Holy shit!” he hissed. “A shifter?” His heart began to

race again as he glanced between the men. “How the hell
did that happen? What kind?”

Todd’s hand rifling through his hair calmed him, and

wasn’t that just the damnedest thing?

“We’re not sure. It’s a bit of a long story, and when you’re

feeling up to it, we’ll explain everything.”

The man’s soft voice lulled his senses and Lyle felt

himself begin to drift again. “Humans can’t be turned into
shifters,” he murmured after a moment. “Grady told me so.”
The hand paused for just a second, but it was enough to cut
through his lethargy.

“I’m sorry, love,” Todd’s soft voice whispered.

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“Someone’s found a way to change that.”

Lyle’s eyes snapped back open. “You’re lying,” he

snarled. A rage he’d never felt before filled him. “I’m not a
shifter. I’m a human being. A detective.” He shoved off the
man’s hand and tried to force his body into a sitting
position. This is crazy! He had to get out of here. He had to
find Grady. His partner would give him straight answers.

To his surprise, his legs and arms responded with no

problem. The colors of the objects in the room began to
subtly change, brightening, tones becoming more vivid. He
suddenly felt stronger, more sure. He moved to swing his
legs over the side of the bed.

“Shit, he’s starting to shift.”
He ignored Lark’s ridiculous words and tried to stand.

Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, trying to
force him back down on the bed. He growled and struggled,
trying to get away. A lean chest pressed against his back and
a heady, earthy scent filled his nostrils. He stilled and turned
his head, inhaling more deeply the smell of the man behind
him. His cock stirred, filling quickly, thickening and tenting
the hospital gown he wore.

Turning in Todd’s grip, he met the wide-eyed, shocked

gaze of the man who held him. “Nice,” Lyle growled, his
voice rougher than he’d ever heard it.

With a burst of strength, fueled by his sudden lust, Lyle

twisted around and pinned Todd onto the bed. “You smell
good.” His hands skimmed over the slender form under him
while he rubbed his throbbing cock against the man’s thigh.
“I want you.” He’d never been ruled by his dick before, but
burying his shaft inside this angel’s body seemed to be the
most important thing in the world right then, and fuck the
others in the room.

“Okay,” Todd replied, his breath coming in rough pants.
A feral growl rumbled through his chest as excitement

Finding Balance

unlike any other coursed through his body. When Todd
tilted his head in obvious submission, Lyle buried his face in
the smaller man’s neck and started nibbling a wet line up the
tendons. Lyle slid a hand down Todd’s side, finding toned
skin stretched over ribs and firm abs.

Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his shoulder. He

snapped his head up and growled at Lark, who was just
pulling a needle from his body. Before he could move,
darkness swamped him and he collapsed on top of his sexy
angel.

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Chapter Two

odd let out a strangled breath as Lyle’s full weight
settled over him. His gaze met Lark’s worried blue eyes,

and the two men maneuvered the detective off him.
Grunting, he slid off the bed and helped right his mate
under the covers. He tried to ignore the pressure his
suddenly too tight denim applied to his throbbing cock.
He’d so wanted to allow Lyle to have his way with him, but
he knew the man wasn’t actually in control. His animal was.

“Are you all right?” Lark asked softly.
Running a hand through his thick dark hair, he nodded

then forced a crooked grin. “That was interesting.

Lark chuckled. “Well, I guess that answers the question

about whether or not his animal will come out, huh? And
did you see his eyes? Definitely reptilian.”

“Yeah, but we still don’t know what kind of reptile. After

seeing the almost leathery look of his skin, I sure hope
Drake’s right and he’s not a snake!”

“Not a fan of snakes?” Lark teased as he double-checked

Lyle’s vitals, making certain the sedative hadn’t harmed
him.

Todd grimaced. “They’re fine, I guess. I just wouldn’t

want to wake up next to one,” he admitted.

“Yeah, me neither.”
“How will we convince him he’s now a shifter?” Todd

asked, worry lacing his voice.

Finding Balance

Lark headed toward the door, Todd following slowly.

“He’ll come back around this evening. I’ll ask the guys to be
available to talk to him. Maybe he’ll believe them, since he’s
known them for years.” He wrapped an arm around Sara’s
shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Don’t worry, sweetie.
Everything will be fine.”

Watching from the doorway as the pair made their way

down the hall, Todd wished he could believe that.

Todd was having the best dream. His mate leaned over

him, a heated gleam filling his dark chocolate eyes. Lyle
knelt between his legs, unbuttoned his jeans, only to tease
Todd by lowering his zipper with agonizing slowness.
Gripping the arms of his chair, he bucked up into the touch,
desperate for pressure on his aching erection, but Lyle jerked
his hands away, leaving him wanting.

Letting out a frustrated groan, he begged with his eyes.

Lyle gave him a lascivious wink, then leaned down and took
the zipper into his mouth, lowering it the rest of the way.

Heat from Lyle’s breath saturated through his jeans and

boxers, sending delicious tingles up his shaft. A bead of pre-
cum leaked from his slit, soaking the fabric stretched around
the head of his sensitive cock. Lyle’s nostrils flared, telling
Todd he’d caught the scent of his arousal. The man pressed
his nose against Todd’s groin, breathing deeply as he
nudged aside the flaps of his pants to reveal the slender
erection cased in thin fabric.

Todd nearly came when Lyle pulled the head of his cock

into his mouth, sucking the pre-cum through the fabric. His
hips bucked convulsively, threatening to unseat Lyle’s
mouth. Lyle wrapped one large hand around Todd’s hip,
holding him in place. With the other hand, he fished out
Todd’s dick, sliding his slender rod through the hole of his
boxers.

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Lyle gave his erection one long, slow lick which sent

tingles down to his balls, making them pull tight to his body.
He trembled, trying desperately not to come from just that
feeling as he watched Lyle’s sexy eyes glow with pleasure
and desire.

“You want more, angel?” Lyle crooned.
Panting softly, his voice lost to him, Todd could only nod.
Lyle grinned at his predicament, a smug gleam entering

his eyes. As the man lowered his head and opened his
mouth, a downstairs door slamming jerked Todd out of the
pleasant dream. To his shock, heat still enveloped his dick
and his eyes popped open.

A startled gasp escaped him at the sight before him. Lyle

had woken early, slipped out of bed and now pleasured
Todd’s cock. His pants were truly open, his boxers shoved
down and Lyle’s hot, wet mouth sucked hard on his shaft.

“Oh, god, Lyle,” he groaned. “You look so good with

your lips around my dick.”

The man between his thighs lifted his gaze to meet his,

arching a brow in amusement. Seconds later, he broke the
gaze and swallowed Todd’s cock to the root. He cried out in
ecstasy as pleasure shot up his spine, ricocheted off his skull
and slammed back through his body to his balls. He
trembled, his hands convulsing on the grip of the chair as he
struggled not to come.

Sensing his impending release, Lyle wrapped large hands

under his ass, lifted him from the chair, and deposited him
on the bed, all without releasing Todd’s dick. He couldn’t
think, couldn’t breathe, and sure as hell couldn’t raise any
protest when his clothes were torn from his body, literally.
He heard fabric tear and shoes were tossed to gods knew
where.

A tongue massaging his glans almost had Todd shooting,

but Lyle’s rough hand cupped his nuts and tugged them

Finding Balance

away from his body, easing his impending orgasm. Lyle
gave one more hard, slow suck on Todd’s cock and then he
let it slip from his lips with an audible pop.

Trying desperately to catch his breath, his eyes widened

when he watched Lyle crawl up his body, eying him like a
predator would its prey.

“I want to lick and suck every inch of your gorgeous

body, Todd. I want to nibble your flesh and leave my mark
on you.” His voice deepened to a low growl. “I want to
spread your ass open and sink my cock in so deep you’ll feel
me in your throat.”

Lyle’s head lowered and he nuzzled Todd’s neck,

breathing deeply. Todd tilted his neck, giving the man
greater access to the delicate tendons in his throat,
submitting completely to his mate. A shudder worked
through him as he felt Lyle’s tongue lick a long line up his
throat. When Lyle settled his bigger body onto him, chest to
chest, thigh to thigh, and cock to cock, he couldn’t hold back
a deep moan and a large dollop of pre-cum oozed from the
head of his dick in anticipation.

Rocking his cock against him, their pre-ejaculate oozing

between them, Lyle set up a slow, sensuous grind. It wasn’t
nearly enough to get him off, but tremors raced through his
body nonetheless, making it difficult to focus on Lyle’s next
words.

“If you don’t want that, angel, stop me now, otherwise in

about two minutes this cock,” Lyle thrust his hips a little
harder in emphasis, the friction making Todd’s breath hitch,
“is going to be buried deep in your tight ass.”

“Yes,” he managed to hiss. “Please, Lyle. Sink your thick

cock inside me. I want to feel it splitting me wide open.”

A deep growl rumbled through the chest of the man

above him. Lyle’s eyes gleamed with heat and need. For a
second they shifted, revealing the vertical slit of his animal.

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Then Lyle blinked, and his eyes once again returned to their
human shape.

Before Todd could gather enough thought to question

Lyle, the man’s hips began moving again, grinding against
him in swift glides, his intention clear. “Come for me, my
lovely.” His head lowered and nuzzled his cheek for several
thrusts before Lyle nibbled and sucked on the sensitive skin
below Todd’s ear. “Then I’m going to line your hole with
your sweet cream. I’m going to use it to stretch your ass, and
with your semen soothing the way, I’m going to bury my
dick in you.”

The erotic images his mate’s words created sent Todd

over the edge, his breath leaving him in a long, low groan.

Lyle continued to grind against him, his movements

encouraging even more cum to shoot from his cock. When
he finally stopped coming, three ejaculates later, he felt like
his balls had been drained and turned inside out, and it was
the best feeling he’d had in so, so long.

His eyes slipped closed and his breathing labored as he

floated in post-orgasmic bliss. His senses barely registered
when Lyle shifted above him, bent Todd’s knees and forced
his thighs wider.

“Look at me, Todd,” Lyle ordered gruffly.
Todd pried his eyes open. He grinned at the burning lust

he saw glowing in Lyle’s dark eyes. His mate may not yet
believe he was a shifter, but Lyle felt the mating pull
regardless. Todd’s cock twitched as blood once again flowed
south and began to fill his shaft again. He gripped the backs
of his thighs, spreading himself open even further as he
pulled his legs to either side of his chest.

Lyle rocked back to his knees, one hand languidly

stroking his thick, eight-inch dick as he looked his fill. Todd
blushed, his gaze riveted to the hand holding the cock he
desperately wanted to fill him. “What a truly stunning sight

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you are, Todd, all spread out and wanton for me. Your cum
glistens on your curls and abs. Your body flushed from
pleasure.”

A smug smile flooded Lyle’s features with hunger as he

ran the fingertip of his free hand up Todd’s renewed cock,
tracing the throbbing vein. “You’re hard again just at the
idea of me sinking my thick dick into your tight ass, aren’t
you? Do you want this, lovely?” he asked, waving his cock
like a flag for a second. “Do you want this filling you?”

Lyle fell silent, and jerking his gaze upward to meet his

hot stare, Todd realized the man actually expected an
answer. He had to swallow twice before working enough
moisture into his throat to answer. “Yes.”

His smile turned into a grin. “You want my cum to spill in

you? Fill you up?”

This time he answered without hesitation, the dirty talk

making him even hotter and loosening his tongue. “Yes,
Lyle. I want that. My hole aches for you to shove your
perfect cock inside and split me open,” he whispered. “I
want to feel it move inside me. Let me clench my muscles
around you and milk your cock to completion. I want to feel
your cum flood my ass, feel it drip out of my hole and down
my thighs, marking me as yours.”

From the way Lyle paused in stroking his shaft, Todd

worried he’d said too much, gone too far. He fervently
prayed Lyle wouldn’t stop now. Then Lyle let out a hiss,
scooped up a dollop of Todd’s cum and rubbed it over the
muscles guarding his back door. A cry of pleasure-pain
burst from Todd’s throat as Lyle slipped one finger into his
ass. It wasn’t enough.

“More. Please, more. I need…”
Lyle cut off his pleading by scooping up more cum and

shoving two fingers all the way into Todd as far as they
could go. Shouting his pleasure, he relished the burn as his

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mate began to quickly work him open. He loved the bite of
pain, the sting shooting through his system, telling him
another fondled him with urgency.

He’d had lovers in the past refuse to give him that bit of

pain-pleasure he craved so much, not understanding his
needs. To have his mate fulfill that deep-seated desire
without even needing to be asked assured Todd all the more
that Fate knew what she was doing.

“Need you now, angel.”
The strangled words returned Todd to the moment, and

he forced his unconsciously writhing body to still as he
looked up into Lyle’s tormented gaze. “Take me now.” He
rolled his hips, lifting them higher, presenting himself to his
mate as best he could in this position.

Spitting into his palm, Lyle wet his cock before guiding it

to Todd’s stretched hole. Without further words, Lyle
pressed hard against his offered ass, popping the head of his
cock past his guardian muscle. But he didn’t stop there,
instead continuing in one long, forceful glide until he rested
balls deep in Todd’s ass. “That’s what I needed,” he
growled, freezing inside Todd, Lyle’s forehead pressed to
his.

After several seconds, where Todd wanted to scream for

Lyle to move, even as he prayed for him to remain just like
that for eternity, Lyle did something even better. His eyes
opened, and holding Todd’s gaze, he pressed their lips
together in their first kiss. It was hot and hungry, filled with
all the passion and need their joined bodies begged for.

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Chapter Three

s he plundered the smaller man’s mouth, Lyle kept his
gaze fixed on Todd’s eyes, staring into their lovely

brown depths. What is it about this man that calls to me so
much? The second he’d woken, turned his head, and spotted
the sexy brunet sleeping in the chair, the erection that had
subsided due to whatever sleeping concoction Lark had
injected him with had reared back to life with a vengeance. If

that damn fool doctor hadn’t stopped me earlier, how many
positions could I have taken Todd in already?

As his tongue stroked and dueled with Todd’s, his brain

began to shut down, and he relished the sensations rocking
through his body, reminding him that he was alive and
healthy. With his cock buried in the man’s hot ass, his
explored every inch of his new lover’s mouth, enjoying
every discovery. He couldn’t wait to do this to the rest of
Todd, learning everything about him. What made him
moan, what made him laugh, and most important, what
made him lose his mind to shattering orgasm.

Finally, in spite of the fact that he loved the way the man

beneath him wriggled and clutched at him, trying to get him
to move as he held him pinned and at his mercy, his
throbbing dick could no longer be ignored. Lyle broke the
kiss, and staring deep into Todd’s light brown eyes, began a
slow thrust and retreat. His body shuddered, pleasure
radiating out from his cock, as the tight muscles surrounding

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him squeezed and rippled.

Lyle thrust faster and faster into the sexy man below him.

A curious sensation rippled up his spine, one he’d never felt
before. His jaw tingled and his teeth began to ache. His
vision did the strange brightening thing that had happened
earlier. A gasp from Todd had him focusing on the hot man
under him, and Lyle froze.

The lust in Todd’s eyes was tempered by shock. The

man’s hard, dripping shaft oozing against his abs told Lyle
he wasn’t hurting his mate, so…Mate? Where did that come
from? Then he remembered. Ailean and Lark had mentioned
it when he’d woken. When had that been?

“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop,” Todd groaned. “You’re

so sexy when your eyes shift. I love knowing you lose
control from the pleasure my body gives you.”

Lyle blinked, and his eyesight returned to normal. He

wanted to ask what Todd was talking about, but the heavy
ache in his balls made him want something else first. He
began to move again, the warm, wet friction on his cock
coupled with the way Todd’s muscles clenched around him
had him at the brink in seconds.

Wanting Todd to come again, and knowing his lover

seemed to like a bit of pain with his pleasure, he gave in to
the unfamiliar desire to mark the man and buried his face in
Todd’s neck. He nibbled the salty, sweaty skin, enjoying
Todd’s shudders as much as the light, masculine scent and
flavor of the man. Lyle bit Todd, not hard enough to break
skin, but hard enough to leave teeth marks on the man’s
neck.

Todd gasped, his body tensing for just a second below

him, before he jerked and howled like the wolf Lyle knew he
was. The feel and smell of Todd’s cum flooded the space
between them. Todd’s rectum tightened even further,
strangling his dick in delicious pressure. Unable to hold

Finding Balance

back, Lyle thrust twice more. His cock swelled, his balls
contracted, and his cum spurted into the confines of Todd’s
ass as Lyle’s body shuddered. His arms tightened
convulsively, holding Todd tighter to him, and he emptied
everything he had into the man.

It took several minutes before his senses began to return,

and he realized he clutched Todd tighter than he should. If
he weren’t a shifter, he’d probably have broken the man’s
spine. When he finally lifted his head, the warm smile on
Todd’s face sent relief flooding through him. He hadn’t hurt
him. The fact that he never wanted to hurt this man, when it
popped into his head, sent surprise and confusion through
him. He’d never felt that way about a lover before.

His softening dick slid from the warm confines of the

body beneath him, distracting him, and making another fact
broadside him. “Oh my god, Todd. I’m so sorry! I didn’t
even think about using a condom. Please forgive me,” he
pleaded. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so
careless. Careful had always been Lyle’s middle name!

“It’s okay—”
Lyle shook his head, interrupting the man. “No. I should

have had more control than that,” he growled, shamed by
his behavior. “I have no idea what I could have gotten from
all those tests those scientists did on me. I should never have
put you in danger that way.”

Todd sighed and dropped his head on the pillow, his soft

brown eyes sad. “First, you know I’m a shifter. Shifters can’t
get most human diseases. Second, you’re going to have to
accept it eventually, Lyle.” Seeing him cock his head in
confusion, Todd lifted a hand and cupped his jaw, tracing
the scratchy stubble with his thumb. “You’re a shifter now,
too,” he whispered, his expression entreating Lyle to believe
him.

Heaving a sigh, he rolled over and stared up at the

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ceiling. Todd curled into his side, and he instinctively put
his arm around the smaller man and pulled him close. “I get
that you think you’re telling me the truth,” he murmured to
the ceiling. “I’m just having a hard time wrapping my mind
around it.”

Todd nodded against his chest, and Lyle looked over at

his sexy angel. “Ailean told me we’re mates.”

“Yeah.” He lifted his head and frowned. “I know this is a

lot to take in right now. I’ll–I’ll understand if you want me to
leave you alone for a while.”

“What?” Lyle growled, lifting onto an elbow to stare

down at the man. “No! Your place is here, with me,” he
snarled, surprising himself with the intensity of his feelings.

The look of relief that lit up Todd’s face had Lyle leaning

down to press his lips to his. Before he could deepen the
kiss, he heard several footsteps climbing the stairs. Lyle
cocked his head to listen to their progress. A soft knock
confirmed his suspicion that they’d stopped outside their
room, but it was enough time for Lyle to reach down and
grab the quilt that had been shoved to the foot of the bed
during their lovemaking. He pulled it over them right before
Lark, Declan, Grady, and Chief Parkinson walked into the
room.

Lyle’s brows shot up in surprise. “Chief?” he muttered in

disbelief. What the hell is he doing here? He turned his
questioning gaze to his partner. “Grady?”

“Sorry, Lyle. I should have checked to see if you were up

for visitors,” the big tiger shifter said, grimacing sheepishly.

Lyle wanted to ask just how much the human knew, but

held his tongue. Silence would better serve his purposes for
gathering information.

“Well, it’s good to see ye’re feeling better,” Declan stated,

smirking. Standing behind the other men, he discreetly
sniffed the air and then winked at the pair.

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His eyes widened, and his gaze locked back on Chief

Parkinson. He couldn’t even be sure the man knew he was
gay. The fact that his boss was actually staring out the
window instead of at him was telling. The chief cleared his
throat and said, “You’ve been missing nearly a month,
Detective Sullivan. Your partner reported your appearance
this morning. He said you’d been labeled as a John Doe at
Colin City Hospital since you showed up without any
identification. It took a while to run your prints.” Finally, the
chief’s gaze focused on Lyle. “Do you remember what
happened?”

Lyle remained quiet a moment, gathering his thoughts.

“Some things,” he ventured. “I remember walking out of the
station and heading down the alley across the street, going
to my car. I remember something slamming me on the back
of the head. After that, everything becomes really
disjointed.” He raised a hand to his face, pinching the bridge
of his nose.

Swallowing hard, he tried to decide what to share with

his chief and what needed to wait until he’d left. A hand on
his arm got his attention, and he found Lark pressing a cup
of water into his hand. Lyle took it gratefully, just then
realizing how dry his throat actually was. Odd that I didn’t
notice it before. He took several slow swallows, glancing at
Todd. No, not so odd. He mate was fucking hot in a sweet and
sultry way. But then he remembered how Todd reacted to
his touch, not to mention the dirty talk they’d shared, and
knew a little devil hid beneath the exterior of his angel.

The memories had his dick thickening, and he growled

softly. He wanted the man again and suddenly found it
difficult to concentrate on why he couldn’t pull the wolf
under him and sink his cock into…

“Lyle,” Grady’s deep voice called out gruffly. “Focus!”
He gave himself a mental slap and pulled his gaze away

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from a now blushing Todd. His breath shuddered out of him
and he grimaced when he met his frowning chief. “Sorry,”
he muttered, searching for an excuse. “The meds I’m on are
messing with my brain.” He focused on the blanket spread
over his legs and said, “I was in and out of consciousness. I
remember a lot of pain and a couple people stabbing me
with needles, although they’re faces are hazy. I’m not certain
I could identify them.”

Lyle frowned, shivering as he remembered his time held

captive. The pervasive cold he’d felt earlier seeped through
him again, and he pulled Todd close, trying to soak up the
little wolf’s heat. He swallowed hard and found his voice
again. “At one point I was strapped to a bed and several IVs
were inserted into me.” He shuddered at the memories, and
those were the ones he could actually understand. It was
when he thought he was unconscious, but couldn’t be sure,
things began to lose cohesiveness.

“Do you remember how you escaped?” the chief asked.

“Do you remember where you were held?”

The man’s questions told him some of what Grady hadn’t

shared. Lyle frowned. “After they removed me from the IVs,
they tossed me into a room similar to a prison cell. I don’t
know how, but at one point, the power in the building went
out. Because everything was electronic, the doors unlocked.”
He frowned, realizing how odd it was that the scientists
wouldn’t have generators to keep the cells locked in case of
power failure. Am I missing something? He tried to think
back, but pain exploded in his head, causing him to cry out
and clutch his head.

Todd’s arms were around him instantly, and he curled

into the man’s side. Burying his face in Todd’s neck, he
breathed in the man’s scent, allowing it to soothe him.
“Easy,” his angel crooned. “You’re here now. You’re safe.”

He nodded, but didn’t move from his position. “Okay.

Finding Balance

That’s enough interrogation for my patient,” Lark stated
firmly. “I’m sorry, Chief, but you’ll have to come back
another time. Lyle needs rest.”

“Hell, no! He ain’t resting. If the faggot is well enough for

that deviant behavior, then he’s well enough to answer my
questions!”

Lyle froze. Todd tensed. He could have heard a pin drop

on the hardwood floor after his boss’s colorful outburst.
Hearing a low growl fill the room, it took him a second to
realize he made the sound. He lifted his head from Todd’s
chest and glared at the chief. “I’ve been awake all of twenty-
four hours and my boyfriend is the only thing keeping me
sane, you self-righteous prick,” he snarled. “I don’t give a
fuck if you don’t like that I’m gay!”

He watched Chief Parkinson’s face turn an interesting

shade of red, but couldn’t find it in himself to feel any
remorse for his outburst. Sure he wasn’t out and proud, but
he wasn’t in the closet by any means. Lyle hadn’t realized he
worked for such a bigoted ass. The chief stalked toward the
bed, hand lifted as though he wanted to strike him, and Lyle
caught a whiff of the man’s scent, sweat covered by dark
musk cologne. The smell triggered something primal,
something protective in Lyle’s brain and he roared,
launching toward the man.

Todd grabbed him from behind, wrestling him back to the

bed. His sight did the odd brightening thing again, and he
watched Grady and Declan rush a shouting chief from the
room. The words bounced around Lyle’s head like white
noise, not understanding any of it. The only thing that
penetrated was Todd’s crooning.

After the door slammed shut, blocking the others from

view, Lyle shuddered, his growls easing to an end. A sharp
jab to his shoulder brought his attention to where Lark was
once again pulling a needle from his arm. “It’s just a mild

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sedative, Lyle,” the little blond said. “It won’t knock you
out. It’ll just help you calm down.”

Lyle nodded, curling his big body around Todd. “I’m so

sorry, my angel. I didn’t know my boss was a homophobic
ass,” he whispered.

“It’s okay. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Everything

is fine.” Todd accentuated the words with a kiss.

Another thought finally hit him. “Holy shit. I just cussed

out my boss!” He groaned and buried his face back in
Todd’s neck, breathing in the man’s relaxing scent like it was
the only thing that’d keep him alive. “I can’t believe I did
that!” It didn’t take a genius to realize his emotions were all
over the place.

Todd kissed his forehead again. “Don’t worry,” he

whispered. “I’m sure we can blame it on the drugs.” Lyle
lifted his head, staring hopefully at the man upon hearing
Todd’s words.

“And can you imagine the ass-chewing Declan is giving

him right now?” Lark cut in. Lyle took in the man’s frown
and his hand resting on his cocked hip. “Imagine the nerve
of that man! Coming into our home and bashing gays.
Fucking idiot, if you ask me.”

The two men’s words made him smile. They were trying

so hard to reassure him. “I still think I’m probably out of a
job,” he whispered.

“Oh, hell no,” Lark snarked. “He can’t fire you for your

sexual orientation. He’ll have his ass handed to him in court
if he tries that shit!”

That had Lyle’s brows shooting up. “Court?”
Todd squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to

the man he clung to. “My brother Phillip is a lawyer.”

“Huh, okay,” he murmured. “And what are you, angel?”
Todd’s heated flush surprised Lyle, and he gave the man

a reassuring squeeze. “I’m a grease monkey,” Todd

Finding Balance

admitted. “Although I enjoy working on cars, I really like
fixing bikes.”

“Motorcycles? Really? Any particular kind?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I like most kinds. I work

at a shop in Stone Ridge part time that’s owned by Trace
Lancaster. He’s pack, so he’s been really understanding
about giving me so much time off.”

“That sure does seem to help, huh? Working at a pack

owned business.” He watched Todd nod and could feel his
mind start to drift. Between the sex and the altercation with
his boss, Lyle felt wiped out.

Seeing his predicament, Todd wrapped his arms around

Lyle and encouraged him to tuck his head under Todd’s
chin. “Get some more rest,” he ordered softly.

Laying against the other man, he thought he muttered,

“Okay,” but couldn’t really be sure as he caved to the pull of
sleep.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Four

nce he felt certain Lyle was asleep, Todd eased out of the
bed and crossed to the dresser. He pulled out a pair of

fresh jeans and a blue t-shirt. Smiling slightly, he followed
Lark out of the room. “Now that he’s woken and proved
he’s coherent, I’m ready for a shower.” He’d had a hard time
convincing his wolf to leave his mate’s side over the past
week and a half, but now his animal had calmed
considerably.

Lark grinned and stared at his neck. “Nice love bite. It

doesn’t look like it broke skin, but he definitely doesn’t seem
to be adverse to the idea of you and him being mates, huh?”
he teased.

Todd released a relieved sigh and smiled. “Fortunately

not. I just hope he realizes we mate for life,” he added
ruefully.

“Ask Grady what he’s said to him about mates. After

seven years working together, I’d think it would have come
up at least once, especially since he recently found Gordon,”
Lark pointed out.

Nodding, he said, “I’ll do that. Be down in a few to help

prepare supper.”

“You don’t have to do that.”
Raising a hand, he waved away the objection. “I really

need to feel useful,” he admitted. “I’ve been sitting vigil for
so long, I feel like my muscles are going to atrophy.”

Finding Balance

Lark laughed. “I can certainly appreciate that. All right.

We’re grilling steaks tonight, so I’ll leave you in charge of
potato salad. How does that sound?”

“Perfect!”
Enjoying the hot water sluicing over his cramped muscles

just a little too much, he didn’t make it downstairs for nearly
twenty minutes. “Hey, guys. Yup, you still look hot
together,” he teased, walking in on a kissing Grady and
Gordon.

When they broke apart, Grady winked. “Hello, Todd.

Lyle is looking a lot better today. It’s good to see.”

“Yeah,” he said, his smile fading. “Was that little display

normal? Or is it new?”

“Well, he’s always had a bit of a temper, but that was a

bigger blow-up than I’ve ever seen.” He shrugged, lifting his
lips in a wry smile. “With everything that has happened,
along with our boss being an ass, I’m not really surprised.”

Letting out a breath, Todd smiled. “Good. With our not

knowing what animal he now shares his mind with, I was
hoping his temper wasn’t a reflection of his beast.”

“Don’t worry, Todd,” Declan reassured, entering the

dining room through a sliding door. He held a pair of tongs
he’d been using to turn the steaks on the grill. “Between all
of us, I’m certain we can ease him into his new attributes.”

“I hope so, Alpha,” Todd murmured.
Declan clasped him on the shoulder before moving past

him, picking up a potato, and tossing it to Todd, who caught
it by reflex. “I believe Lark put ye on salad duty.” He
grinned. “Get to it, and don’t forget the onions.”

Chuckling, he nodded. “Yes, Alpha. But if your mate

won’t kiss you because he doesn’t like my potato salad don’t
come crying to me.” Todd laughed when Declan growled
playfully at him, then turned to the bowl of freshly washed
potatoes. He got to work, grateful to have something so

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mundane to focus on.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked into the dining room

carrying a large bowl of fresh potato salad just as Declan
entered with two plates of steaks. He’d just set the bowl on
the table when a pair of strong arms wrapped around him
from behind and gave him a squeeze. He laughed, inhaling
the familiar scent of his brother. “I came as soon as I heard,”
Phillip said, giving him another brotherly squeeze. “I’m glad
Lyle’s finally come round.”

Todd nodded, opening his mouth to reply when an angry,

hissing roar shook the walls. Everyone’s heads snapped
toward the sound, and Todd’s jaw dropped when he spotted
the large head peering over the upstairs railing at them.

“What the hell is that?” Phillip whispered, his arms

tightening as he protectively tried to move Todd behind
him.

The yellow vertical-pupil eyes focused on them and

another low growl echoed through the silent room. A claw
gripped the banister and the creature began to pull its
sinuous body over the railing, revealing muscled legs with
nearly three-inch claws.

“Lyle,” Todd whispered, struggling to get away from his

brother. He needed to go to his mate, calm him. He could see
the anger and agitation in every slow move the massive
lizard made. “Let me go!” he growled.

“What the hell are you doing?” his brother barked, trying

to hold him back.

Another snarl ripped through the room, showing off

jagged teeth and a forked tongue. “That’s my mate, and
you’re pissing him off,” Todd snapped.

“He’s right,” Declan murmured. “Go to yer mate, Todd.

Just take it slow. We need to be sure he recognizes ye in this
form.”

To his relief, Phillip released him, and Todd started

Finding Balance

slowly toward the twelve-foot reptile. “Easy now, Lyle.
There’s no threat here,” he crooned, separating himself from
the others and crossing to the stairs. “We’re all friends.”

The lizard watched his progress while keeping one eye on

the others. Climbing the stairs, Todd took his time, pleased
when the snarling stopped and the agitated movements of
the long tail slowed. Todd swept his gaze over the big
animal, still uncertain what kind of lizard it actually was. It
had the traditional low-slung body and mottled green and
brown flesh with red banding on its back. Three-inch claws
adorned each foot attached to short, thick legs, and a six-foot
tail that doubled the length of the creature’s body.

Todd reached up a hand and stroked Lyle’s long, smooth

head. He smiled as Lyle’s forked tongue flicked out, scenting
him.

“You’re quite stunning, whatever you are,” he

murmured. “But if you want to eat dinner with us, I need
you to return to your human form.” Brushing lightly over
the animal’s face, he realized he had the creature’s full
attention, so he continued to ramble. “I made potato salad,
and Lark baked apple pie. Declan grilled steaks. Alpha
makes the best rare steaks.”

Suddenly, the skin under his fingers rippled and the

creature let out a low, pained groan. Lyle convulsed, his
body shuddering as his limbs realigned, his jaw and face
shrank, and his body contorted, slipping back into the form
of a human.

Todd knelt, helping Lyle settle on his knees.
“Then you’ve never had one of my steaks.”
It took a second for the man’s whispered words to make

sense, but then Todd grinned. “I look forward to trying one
of yours,” he replied. “Are you up to joining us? Or do you
want to go back to bed?”

“No.” Lyle gripped Todd’s wrist in what would have

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been a bone-crushing grip if Todd hadn’t been a shifter, as it
was, he’d still probably end up with a bruise. “Need to be
with you.”

“Of course, love,” he replied. “Let’s get you some clothes,

and then we’ll go get some food. Okay?”

“Yeah.”
Wrapping an arm around Lyle’s waist, he helped him

back to the bedroom and found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.
“We’ll need to work on your grip, handsome,” he said
conversationally. “Now that you have increased strength,
you’ll need to learn how to keep it under wraps with
humans.”

“What do you mean?” Lyle asked.
Todd turned to him and wrapped both arms around his

waist to pull him close. “You have shifter strength now,
Lyle. You have to remember to keep your grip light.”

For a second, Lyle just stared at him. Then his dark eyes

widened. “Oh, shit, angel! I didn’t hurt you, did I? I never
want to hurt you!”

“No, no,” Todd hurried to reassure. “You didn’t hurt me.

I’m just warning you because if I wasn’t a shifter, you might
have.” He reached up and traced the pads of his fingers
along Lyle’s jaw and over his lips. Standing on his toes, he
gently kissed his mate. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

Lyle nodded slowly, his look still concerned. Todd

threaded the fingers of one hand through Lyle’s and led the
man to the dining room.

“Hey, partner! Glad to see you looking better!” Grady

greeted with a grin. He rose from the table and grabbed
another plate, handing it to Lyle while gripping his shoulder
with the other hand. “Welcome back to us, Lyle.”

“It’s good to be back,” he murmured, looking around the

group. “Well, mostly.”

“You’ll be fine once you get used to it,” Grady said.

Finding Balance

“You’re a tough bastard,” he added with a grin.

To Todd’s relief, Lyle smirked and said dryly, “Thanks, I

think.” After snagging his steak and adding potato salad,
beans, and broccoli salad, he turned to look at Declan. “I
appreciate you letting me stay here while I recover.”

“It’s because of us that ye were pulled into this,” Declan

replied. “Ye’re welcome here for the duration of yer
recovery.”

“My recovery? You think I’ll need to stay much longer?”

Lyle said before taking a bite of steak.

“It really depends on you,” Declan replied. “Once ye can

control yer shift, then we’ll talk about ye going back to
work.”

“Control my shift?” Lyle frowned, took a bite of steak and

chewed thoughtfully. “Is that what happened on the stairs?”
He shook his head. “I thought I was just out of my fucking
mind with rage, and I have no clue why,” he whispered.

Todd frowned and rested his hand on Lyle’s arm to draw

his attention. “Why were you upset?”

Letting out a breath, Lyle’s brows creased and held his

gaze. “I could smell the food and was hungry, so I came
down the hall to see if I could get some. When I paused at
the landing, I looked down into the dining room and saw
you in the arms of another man.”

Lyle blinked, and his eyes shifted to his reptile’s. A low

growl rumbled through his chest and his gaze locked on
Phillip. Springing to his feet, his chair toppling backward,
Lyle leaped across the table, scattering dishes, and grabbed
the lapels of Phillip’s button-down shirt. He pulled Phillip
out of his chair, swung him around and slammed him into a
wall. “Why were you touching my mate!” he roared.

Jumping up, Todd rushed around the table, desperate to

separate his mate and his brother before serious harm
happened to either of the men. He knew how dominant his

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brother could be and wasn’t surprised to see a feral look
coming over Phillip’s eyes as he struggled to stay calm.

He plastered himself to Lyle’s back, soaking his mate in

his scent. “Easy, Lyle, easy,” he crooned. He settled his
hands over Lyle’s and eased his grip on Phillip’s shirt and
neck. “I’m your mate. This is Phillip. He’s my brother.” He
rubbed his cheek against the back of Lyle’s neck since he
couldn’t quite reach the other man’s cheek.

Seeing spots of hide sprout on Lyle’s forearms, he pulled

his mate tighter to him. “You’re the only one I want.
Remember what I told you in our bedroom. Stop and
breathe. Think about that cubicle at your office. How boring
it is to do all that paperwork. Focus on that, love.”

Seconds later, to his immense relief, the last of Lyle’s grip

on Phillip released and his arms dropped to his sides. Todd
found himself with an armful of sagging mate. He stumbled,
but managed to stay upright as someone slid a chair next to
them, and he eased Lyle onto it. Keeping one arm around
the man, Todd lifted apologetic eyes to Phillip.

Phillip grimaced and slipped away. “Why do I always

seem to be the one coming between unmated couples? I’m
not even gay!” he groused, but he gave Todd an amused
smile.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” Lyle

moaned, leaning into Todd’s massaging touch.

Declan knelt in front of Lyle, reaching up and grasping

his chin to force him to look at him. “Yer animal is a big
fucking predator, Lyle. Ye’ll need to learn to control his
aggressive tendencies. I think yoga and meditation exercises
will help ye. Plus, if ye let yer animal out on a regular basis,
it’ll help ye keep control as well.”

“What is my animal?” Lyle whispered. “All I remember is

the world getting brighter and everything looked smaller.”
Then he shrugged. “Well, along with seeing some rather

Finding Balance

impressive looking claws.”

“Well, we’re not really sure,” Todd admitted.
Lyle frowned, his gaze lifting and sweeping over the

others in the room. “What do you mean?”

Declan cleared his throat and shrugged. “We’ve not seen

a lizard shifter before. We’re not certain what kind of lizard
ye are, Lyle.”

“It’d be easy to find out.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Five

yle turned to look at the speaker, a small brown-haired
girl. She was maybe thirteen, give or take a year. He’d

never really been great at guessing kid’s ages. He
remembered her as Sara, Declan and Lark’s adopted
daughter.

“Aye?” Declan said, cocking his head in a very canine

way as he stared at her. “How do ye plan to do that, Sara?”

The youngster had the audacity to roll her eyes at her

alpha. “We have internet. We’ll just look him up.”

“Of course,” Lark replied, laughing. “Why didn’t we

think of that, sweetie?”

Sara shrugged. “I don’t know.” Sara slipped off her chair

and headed out of the room, pausing to look at the men in
the room. “Well, come on. I’ll show you.”

To Lyle’s surprise, without a word, all the men in the

room followed the girl. Todd wrapped an arm around his
back and helped him from the chair. The close proximity to
the man, along with his amazing scent, had Lyle thinking of
all kinds of wicked things he wanted to do to Todd instead
of joining the others. Trying to clear his head, he found his
feet, took his mate’s hand and followed everyone out of the
room.

Sara led down the hall and into a large study. The room

contained a good sized desk and several leather couches and
chairs. It looked as though Declan held pack meetings with

Finding Balance

his inner circle there. The girl settled behind a computer, and
everyone gathered around her. A few minutes later, she
turned the monitor around and showed a number of
pictures.

“What the fuck is that,” Lyle whispered. To his surprise,

he felt something shift in the back of his mind, a presence
almost, that gave a hissing growl of approval at the pictures
and then settled back down.

“This is a Nile Monitor,” Sara replied. “It says they can

grow up to nine feet, have powerful legs and jaws, and well-
muscled bodies.” Grinning, she pointed to a picture of a
young monitor. “You had pointed teeth like the young
monitors.”

“But he was quite a bit larger than nine feet,” Todd

pointed out. “I would put him more in the twelve to thirteen
range.”

“Being larger than average is pretty normal for a shifter,”

Declan assured. “And even though ye have the teeth of a
young one, ye’re probably full grown.” He shrugged.
“Shifters sometimes have adaptations, plus ye were turned
into one, not born.”

“But how did an African animal end up in me?” Lyle

whispered, his brain churning with all this bizarre
information.

“I can answer that,” a soft voice came from the doorway

behind him.

The skinny black man looked vaguely familiar to Lyle.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

Doctor Carmichael appeared behind the man. “Ah, here

you all are,” he said. He grabbed the other man’s hand and
led him past Lyle. He dropped onto a couch and pulled the
other man onto his lap. “What’s going on?” His gaze finally
settled on Lyle and he grinned. “Lyle! It’s good to see you
up and about. How are you feeling? Lark and Todd are

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taking good care you, I trust?”

When Lyle couldn’t find the words to answer, Ailean’s

brows lifted and he looked around the room, his gaze finally
landing on the monitor. “Ah, monitors. Cool, aren’t they?”
His comment was greeted by silence, which had him lifting a
brow. “What?”

“I’m Drake Whitton,” the slender man on Ailean’s lap

stated, as he patted the doctor’s hand to soothe the sting of
being interrupted. “When you escaped, you crawled into the
back of my car and I took you to the hospital. To Ailean,” he
added. “I was at the complex you escaped from because I’m
a scientist.” He began to twist his fingers in agitation, his
body trembling.

“Easy, little mate,” Ailean crooned. “It wasn’t your fault.

Remember?”

“In a way, it was,” Drake replied. He turned a beseeching

gaze on Lyle and said, “I didn’t mean for any of this to
happen.”

At first only confusion clouded his brain, but then another

thought struck. “You experimented on me?” he growled. He
could feel that strange presence in his mind again, this time
bringing a feeling of aggression. He struggled to control it,
taking deep breaths.

“No!” Drake denied. Then his shoulders sagged. “Not

directly.”

“Well? Which is it?” Lyle snarled.
Todd wrapped an arm around his waist and led him to a

sofa. “Easy, Lyle,” he murmured. “Just let him explain.”

He gave a jerky nod before looking again at Drake. The

man grimaced and said, “I was hired by them as a
contractor. They gave me DNA from an animal in Africa.
When I reported that it had both human and reptilian
components, they wanted to know if I could somehow create
a serum to give humans some of the reptile’s

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characteristics.”

“Reptile characteristics?” Lyle muttered. “Why?”
A flush made the man’s chocolate skin even darker. “I’m

a scientist,” he whispered. “I didn’t ask. They were paying
me for a job, so I did it.” Drake stared at his fingers. “I didn’t
know they were using my research to experiment on you,
Lyle.” His head lifted and tears made the man’s eyes glitter.
“Honest to God I didn’t!”

Todd’s hand rubbing his back, along with his scent in

Lyle’s nostrils, kept him from doing anything rash. He could
still feel his animal’s anger at the scientist’s manipulations.
“So turning me into a shifter wasn’t what they intended?”

“No,” Ailean responded. “Whatever they did to you

almost killed you. If Drake hadn’t figured out a way to
convert you into a shifter, you would have died.”

His serious expression had Lyle letting out a long breath.

On one hand, if Drake hadn’t done the experiments for the
company, Lyle wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
Then he shook his head and started speaking. “Ailean is
right, Drake. Even if you hadn’t done the research for them,
they would have found someone else to do it.” He scoffed as
a memory flashed through him. “And then you wouldn’t
have been there for me to hijack.”

Drake’s eyes widened. “You remember that?”
“Vaguely,” he admitted. “I guess thanks are in order.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
Lyle shrugged, finally beginning to feel at ease. He settled

back onto the couch and wrapped an arm around Todd’s
shoulders, pulling his sweet smelling angel against his side.
He looked at Declan and frowned. “So is shifting always that
painful? I just about thought my insides were going to
explode.”

“Normally it’s more a mixture of odd sensations than

pain,” the wolf alpha said, “but with ye being made and not

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born, I have no idea how it will impact ye.” He frowned. “I’ll
help ye make it through yer shift a few times and see if that
doesn’t work out the kinks.”

Though he shivered at the thought of going through that

amount of pain again, he still nodded. “Okay.”

“But first, you need to eat more and get back to bed,”

Lark ordered.

“Sure.” Lyle let Todd help him off the couch. The fatigue

rolled over him swiftly, and he stumbled.

“To bed first, then I’ll bring a plate to you,” Todd advised,

leading him from the room.

On their way out, they heard Declan ask Ailean why

they’d stopped by.

“I wanted to check on my patient one more time before

Drake and I head to Denver,” Ailean replied. “We’re visiting
Drake’s sister and mother and looking into artificial
insemination. We’re going to be gone for a week, so I’d also
like to know if you’ll keep an eye on Dagus while we’re
gone.”

Declan’s response was lost to him when Todd shut the

door behind them. Climbing the stairs took every last shred
of energy he had left. Relief flooded him when he dropped
unceremoniously onto the bed and groaned. “I feel like I’m
dead on my feet and I’ve only been up for a couple hours,”
he grumbled into the pillow.

He felt the bed dip. Turning his head slightly and

cracking an eye open, he watched Todd settle on his ass.
“Just relax,” he whispered. Todd maneuvered his limbs and
helped him remove his shirt. Then Todd’s hands settled on
Lyle’s shoulders and slowly began to massage away the
knots.

A few moments later, he found himself so relaxed he

could barely manage to react when he heard the bedroom
door open. Grady appeared in his line of vision with a plate

Finding Balance

holding a steak and fries. Lyle let out a grunt and shifted.
Todd took the hint and rolled off him to sit on the bed. Lyle
grinned, leaned up on one elbow and gave him a quick kiss.
“Your fingers are amazing, angel. Thanks.”

Todd smiled. “I’m happy to help.”
“You do. Help,” he added. He received another smile that

sent an unfamiliar warmth and pleasure through Lyle’s
chest, which he couldn’t even begin to explain. Instead he
rolled over on the bed and pulled himself up to rest his back
against the headboard. He turned to Grady and motioned
for the plate. “Is that for me?”

“Of course,” the detective replied, handing him the plate.

“Made those fries special just for you. I know how much you
like them,” he added with a wink. “Dinner kind of got
interrupted.”

Holding it to his nose, Lyle inhaled deeply and moaned.

“Oh, yeah. Steak and fries. Nothing better.” He grinned and
took the knife and fork a chuckling Grady held out for him.
He wasted no time digging into the food, savoring the
perfectly rare steak.

He paused, a thought occurring to him. “So, how did you

know I wanted my steak rare instead of medium rare, like
usual?”

Grady grinned, showing off straight teeth. “We keep

telling you. You’re a shifter now, Lyle. If you’re a shifter
predator, you like your meat rare.”

“Right,” he drawled, drawing the word out. He turned to

Todd, and held up a bite of steak. “Hungry?”

Todd nodded and leaned forward, opening his mouth.

Lyle slipped a juicy piece of meat between his parted lips.
His tongue flicked out, licking the juices off Lyle’s fingers,
sending goose bumps up his arm and a shiver down his
body. He growled and set the nearly empty plate aside.
Cupping Todd’s head, he pulled the smaller man’s face to

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his and latched onto his mouth.

“Whoa, whoa, you two! We need to talk before you go at

it again.” A new voice broke into his blissful moment,
making him aware of Grady’s laughter.

Lyle reluctantly ended the kiss and turned to look at

Gordon, who now stood next to Grady. Gordon grinned
fondly at Todd and shook his head. “Can’t you control
yourselves for ten minutes?”

Not liking the way Grady’s mate was looking at his angel,

he let out a snarl and pulled Todd close. “Mine!”

Todd tapped his chest, getting his attention. “I’m yours,”

he assured, rubbing a soothing hand over his shoulder.
“He’s just teasing.” He smiled up at Lyle, his brown eyes
gleaming with affection. “Take a slow, deep breath, and
calm down, handsome.”

Following Todd’s directions, Lyle felt the odd presence in

the back of his mind settle. “Sorry,” he said ruefully. “I
really don’t know why I keep snapping like that,” he
admitted.

“That’s what we’d like to talk to you about,” Grady said.

“The chief knows you’re recovering from a form of torture,
but we didn’t tell him everything about why you were
kidnapped or how you were…affected.” Grady shuddered
and grimaced. “I’m truly sorry you were dragged into this
by the Crystal Lake Corporation.”

Lyle shrugged. “I would have become involved anyway,

right? Everyone keeps calling Todd my mate.” He frowned
for a second. “Even this animal I feel in the back of my mind
thinks of him as my mate. Would that still be the case if I
hadn’t become a…well, a shifter?”

He forced the question out, knowing he had to accept the

inevitable eventually. Just because he only understood bits
and pieces of what happened when he shifted into the
animal, didn’t mean it didn’t happen or wasn’t real. His life

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had been turned upside down once, six years ago when his
partner had revealed he could turn into a Bengal tiger and
that shifters were real. Now his life was being turned upside
down again. He’d lived through the experience once. He
knew he could do it again, especially since this time he had
an angel at his side.

Todd nodded. “I knew you were my mate, even when

you were human. It’s why I petitioned Declan to join his
pack. I wanted to find you.” His smile turned to a grimace.
“I’m just sorry it took me so long to do it.” He lifted a hand
and cupped Lyle’s face. “I wish I could have stopped them
from hurting you.”

The soft look in Todd’s eyes touched something deep

inside Lyle, something none of his other boyfriends had ever
reached before. It scared him and excited him at the same
time, and he knew he’d have to figure out what it meant
soon.

He nuzzled into Todd’s touch. “It’s not your fault, my

angel,” he whispered before turning his head and kissing the
smaller man’s palm. After getting a smile from the beautiful
wolf, he looked at Grady. “Why do I get angry any time
some other guy shows affection toward Todd?”

“Because you’re not mated with him, yet,” Gordon

replied bluntly. “Once you claim him, then that feeling of
jealousy will ease. Other shifters will know he’s taken.” The
hefty shifter grinned. “Besides, shifters mate for life. He’s
been looking for you for months. You’re the only one he
wants.”

Something eased in his chest, a sense of belonging clicked

into place. He smiled cheekily at Todd. “Yeah?”

His angel blushed, his skin darkening to a rosy bronze.

“Yeah. Ever since I scented you when you helped rescue the
shifters from the warehouse. I know you’re probably not
ready for a relationship, not with everything that’s

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happened to you recently, but…” He swallowed hard, his
Adam’s Apple bobbing. “I’m here when you are.”

Smiling, Lyle squeezed the arm he had wrapped around

Todd. “I’ve never been able to keep a relationship together
for more than a few weeks, Todd,” he told him, determined
to be honest with the smaller man. “But with you I want to
try.” At Todd’s hopeful smile, Lyle gave him a quick peck on
the lips and then looked at the two big men sitting curled up
together in the chair Todd had occupied earlier. How they
managed to fit, Lyle wasn’t certain, but they seemed
comfortable. “You talked about claiming. What is that?”

“I noticed that nip on Todd’s shoulder,” Grady pointed

out, making him blush. Lyle started to mumble an apology,
but the big shifter waved a hand, and Lyle snapped his
mouth shut. “You’re just feeling the natural urge a shifter
feels to claim his mate.” He grinned and looked at Gordon,
his eyes glittering with sudden desire. “It binds mates
together in the most pleasurable of ways,” he growled.

Lyle’s brows lifted in surprise, amazed at the tiger’s

sudden change. Almost instant lust would be the only way
Lyle could describe it. He glanced at Todd and met his gaze.
A shy smile lit the man’s eyes, and Todd ducked his head
and shivered. “The idea turns me on,” he whispered.

“I didn’t understand what I was doing before,” he

replied, pecking a kiss to Todd’s lips. “I want to be in control
when I claim you, angel.” He didn’t mention he needed to be
certain it was the best thing for both of them. It was only
right before his kidnapping that he had even started
thinking about settling down, and now he was being handed
a partner and mate. He admitted to liking what he’d learned
so far of the man, but Lyle couldn’t shake the feeling that
things were moving just a little too fast for him.

A jaw-cracking yawn overtook him, and Lyle felt his

brain churn sluggishly. Too much had happened in the last

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twelve hours, and he needed time to assimilate it all.
Running a hand over his face, Lyle grimaced. “Sorry. It’s
been a long day.”

Gordon and Grady rose. “You have a lot to think about,

old friend,” Grady said, seeming to instantly understand his
reticence to discuss anything else. “Get some sleep. We’ll be
around to answer any more questions you have, and I’m
certain Todd won’t be too far,” he added with a wink.

Slumping down in the bed, his arms around Todd, he

watched the other men leave. “I’ve never been good at
expressing my feelings, Todd,” he murmured into the man’s
hair, feeling the urge to doze off.

“I understand, Lyle,” Todd said into his neck, his hands

rubbing his chest. “This is a lot for anyone to take in.”

“I’m so overwhelmed, angel,” Lyle admitted. “I just need

a little time.”

That was the last thing he remembered before sleep took

him again.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Six

odd slipped from the bed and gave his mate a soft kiss.
Lyle snuffled softly in his sleep, before his eyes snapped

open, and the man wrapped his arms around Todd and
pulled him back onto the bed. Todd giggled, opening his
mouth and accepting the deep kiss Lyle gave him.

Todd pulled back from the kiss and grinned. “Good

morning,” he teased.

Lyle grinned back. “Already? I feel like I just fell asleep.”
“Afraid so,” Todd replied, trailing his fingers down Lyle’s

back. It was a good thing they were both fully clothed, or
he’d be sorely tempted to give in to what his hard cock
wanted and beg Lyle to fuck him into the mattress. “And
I’ve gotta go to work,” he added ruefully.

A low growl greeted his announcement. “I don’t want

you to go.”

“I’m sorry, handsome,” Todd said. “Trace has been

gracious to let me have this much time off, being a new
employee and all.” He smiled and rubbed his cheek against
Lyle’s neck. “I’m sorry I woke you. I didn’t mean to.”

“I’m a light sleeper,” Lyle revealed. Then he lifted his

head and glared down at Todd. “And don’t ever try to sneak
from my bed again. I admit I don’t understand everything
that’s happening to me, but the idea of you disappearing
pisses me off to no end.” He shuddered and took a deep
breath, then eased his grip on Todd. “Sorry. It looks like I

Finding Balance

have a lot to learn about control.”

“I’ll be back before supper. You rest and regain your

strength this morning,” Todd crooned. “Declan’s supposed
to be home around two this afternoon. He’s going to help
you with that control and learning to shift when you want
instead of when your animal wants.”

Lyle grunted, easing off him. “This is so damn surreal.”
Todd rose from the bed and smiled fondly at him. “I

know, but we only want you to be safe. If you were to shift
in the middle of a crowd of humans, there’d be hell to pay,”
he said, chagrin filling his voice.

“I know,” he ground out. “And I can read between the

lines. It’s not just my safety everyone is concerned about.
There’s a bigger picture here.” Todd knew his stunned
expression showed, because Lyle reached up and stroked his
hand. “It’s okay. They’re right. I’m a danger to shifter society
right now.”

He swallowed hard. “I just don’t want anything to

happen to you,” Todd whispered.

“Hey,” Lyle crooned. “I’ll learn. Don’t worry, sweet

angel.” He sat up against the headboard and tugged on
Todd’s arm. He went willingly, crawling onto his mate’s lap.
The erection that had faded during the serious conversation
began to manifest again and he couldn’t stop from rocking
against Lyle.

Lyle grunted, lifting his hips to meet his thrusts. “It’ll all

be fine,” he growled, his eyes shifting for a second before
returning to normal. “I’ll learn, angel, for no other reason
than to be with you.”

His mate’s promise sent warmth through Todd’s system,

and he sighed. “I don’t really have time for this,” he
grunted, but continued to move against Lyle.

“We’ll be quick,” Lyle said, panting.
He reached between them and shoved down the front of

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both their sweats. Their cocks slapped together, sending
sparks of pleasure to Todd’s balls. When Lyle rolled his
palm over both their cock’s heads, Todd huffed a breath and
pushed closer. Lyle wrapped his fist around both their
pricks and stroked.

“Oh, yeah,” Todd whispered, his balls pulling tight.

“Very quick.”

Todd settled his hand on Lyle’s adjusting his grip and

moderating his stroke. “Just like that,” he ordered.

Lyle hissed. “Fuck yeah.”
They rocked their hips, grinding against each other as

they jacked their pricks. Rolling their fingers over the heads
of their cocks every few strokes, they used the steady stream
of pre-cum to ease the way. It only took a moment for
Todd’s balls to tingle and his shaft to swell. The fingers of
his other hand clenched where he clutched Lyle’s shoulder,
and Todd came with a silent howl.

Lyle’s body tensed and jerked beneath him. Seconds later,

a second stream of spunk coated his fingers, and the heady
scent of Lyle’s essence filled Todd’s nostrils. Todd panted,
enjoying Lyle’s petting hands as he floated on the pleasant
wave of endorphins.

“Now it’s a good morning,” Lyle whispered.
The puffs of air ghosting over Todd’s ear created by his

words sent a shiver down his spine. Todd managed to lift
his head and smile. “Definitely.” He took another moment to
enjoy the afterglow before he pecked a kiss on Lyle’s lips
and eased away from him. He pulled his t-shirt over his
head and used it to clean them both up. Pausing at the
doorway, he smiled back at his already dozing mate. “I’ll see
you tonight.”

Lyle grunted in response.

Todd gently closed the hood on the new BMW and wiped

Finding Balance

his hands on a rag. Footsteps echoed on the cement floor,
and he turned toward his approaching boss.

“Todd, are you finished there?” Trace asked.
“Yes, Mister Lancaster. The oil change is done and she’s

ready to go,” he replied, pointing over his shoulder at the
car.

The older wolf nodded. “Good. You have a call. Take it in

my office.”

He cocked his head and watched his boss walk away,

wondering who would be calling him here. Taking the steps
up to the office two at a time, Todd hurried to find out.
Picking up the handset, he greeted the caller. “Todd
Abernathy here.”

“Todd, thank the gods,” Declan’s Irish lilt was more

pronounced than Todd had ever heard it, instantly putting
the small wolf on alert.

“What’s wrong, Alpha?”
His immediate thought for Lyle’s welfare became well

founded when Declan said, “I was helpin’ Lyle learn how to
control his shift. He’d successfully gotten into his animal
form, but after moving through the forest for fifteen
minutes, he suddenly flicked out his tongue like he’d gotten
a scent and took off.” Declan growled in frustration. “I
shoulda had Grady join us. Lyle’s a bit big to subdue by
meself.”

Todd knew how hard that admission was for the alpha

wolf, and certainly wasn’t going to comment on it. Instead,
he said, “Do you know where he’s going?” Dread filled him
that he’d found his kidnapper’s scent and planned to take
revenge.

“From his direction, I think he’s headed toward town.

Toward you,” Declan added. “I need ye to head to the west
side of town and start scenting for him. I’ve asked Grady
and Gordon to swing over that way, too, since they’re also

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familiar with his scent.”

“Yes, Alpha. I’ll head out right now!”
After hanging up the phone, he hurried down the stairs

and found Trace speaking with Chris, a fellow mechanic,
this one human.

Trace turned at his approach. “Gotta go?”
“Yes, sir,” he said. “It’s Lyle…” He paused, uncertain

how to explain in front of Chris. The man had never made
any indication that he knew about shifters.

Trace held up a hand. “I understand. If you can’t be here

tomorrow, call me.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, Todd nodded. “Thank you,

sir.”

In the employee locker room, he peeled off his coveralls.

He paused and grabbed a clean set of coveralls off a shelf
that should fit Lyle and then ran to his old Chevy S-10. Todd
crossed his fingers and turned the key, relief flooding him
when the engine roared to life. He knew if he wasn’t a
mechanic, this old rust bucket would have been laid to rest
years ago.

He drove as fast as he dared, definitely more than the law

dictated, hurrying to the west side of town. He rolled down
his window as he slowly crept up one side street and down
another on the outskirts of Stone Ridge. Spotting Grady’s
truck, he honked once. Seconds later, Grady parked behind
him, got out of his truck, and jogged to his door.

“Smell anything yet?” the big detective asked.
Todd shook his head. “No. Do you think I should get out

and head into the woods?”

Resting his hands on his hips, Grady stared into the

forest. “I’m not sure. I’d hate to miss him. I can’t figure out
what possessed him to travel to town anyway.” He stiffened
and sniffed Todd’s neck. “Unless it’s because his animal
wants to claim you, and Lyle’s dragging his feet,” he mused.

Finding Balance

Blushing, Todd shrugged. “I told him I’d give him time,

remember? We’ve really only known each other a day. An
animal has been forced on him, sure, but I still have to treat
him like a human in most respects.”

Grady nodded. “I can see that, but him pulling shit like

this is dangerous. He needs to learn control.”

“I know,” Todd replied. “He just needs more time.” He

pleaded understanding with his eyes, knowing Grady
worried about what someone would say if they saw a
massive monitor lizard in town, or worse, Lyle shifting to
human form in front of someone.

Seeing his concern, Grady gripped his shoulder and

squeezed. “Relax. I’m certainly not going to recommend we
do anything to him. He’s my friend. If push comes to shove,
we’ll just move you both into hiding while he figures out
how to control his lizard.”

Todd nodded, although he hated the idea. It sounded too

much like his time in a cage. This one would just be a bigger
cage. He sighed. “Thanks.”

A snarling hiss interrupted their conversation. They both

turned to see Lyle, still in lizard form, staring at them from
the trees. His tongue flicked out, scenting the air.

Grady released Todd and stepped away from him. “He’s

got some of the worst timing,” he muttered. “Go to him.”

Not needing to be ordered twice, Todd swept the area,

grateful to see no one around. He hurried to his agitated
mate, quickly running his hands over the thick hide of his
head, neck and body. “You silly man,” he chided gently.
“You shouldn’t be here like this. What were you thinking?”
He kissed Lyle’s snout, trying to take the sting out of his
words while still making his point.

The big lizard bumped him with his head and then

rubbed his body against Todd’s, nearly knocking him over.
The animal hissed before moving to Todd’s other side and

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doing it again. It occurred to him that Lyle’s lizard was
trying to replace the scent of others with his own, so he
stepped behind the cover of trees, knelt down and let the
lizard rub against him as much as he liked. After five
minutes the animal finally seemed satisfied, for it stepped
back and hissed again.

Todd smiled. “I can’t really understand you like this,

Lyle. Why don’t you shift back, and we’ll head back to
Declan’s, okay?”

It took a moment of coaxing, but finally the lizard’s body

shuddered. It lay down and curled around itself as Todd
heard the telltale sound of muscle popping and bones
cracking. He cringed at an exceptionally painful sounding
noise and rubbed his hands over Lyle’s body as he slowly
returned to his human form.

“If I never have to do that again, I’ll die a happy man,”

Lyle panted, pain filling his voice.

“I’m sorry it hurts so much, handsome,” Todd crooned.

“Was it at least better than the first time?”

Lyle heaved a sigh before nodding once. “Yeah. I think so.

That’s a good sign, right?”

Todd nodded. “Definitely. I have some coveralls that

should fit you in my truck. Can you stand?”

Although he nodded, Lyle still needed to lean on Todd to

get to his feet. He swayed, and Todd wrapped an arm
around his waist. He fought back a ripple of desire as his
hand came into contact with hard muscle, but just the
knowledge that his mate was naked and there with him had
Todd’s shaft swelling.

“Mmmm,” Lyle murmured, rubbing his cheek over the

top of Todd’s head. “Are you wearing cologne, angel?”

He fought a blush, realizing his scent had increased. Todd

shook his head. “I don’t wear cologne. Shifters find most
artificial scents overpowering and obnoxious.”

Finding Balance

“Well, you smell amazing,” Lyle growled.
Todd felt a hand land on his ass and squeeze, making his

cock twitch in his jeans. “Oh, shit,” he whined. “Stop
teasing. We can’t do anything here.”

Finally, Lyle seemed to note where he was. “Damn! I

made it all the way to town?”

“Yeah, you did,” Grady cut in, holding out the coveralls

that had been on Todd’s bench seat. “Put these on. I don’t
need to be blinded by your skinny ass,” he growled good-
naturedly.

Lyle flipped him off before reaching for the clothes and

yanking them on.

“So, what were you thinking that made you decide to take

a jaunt into town in animal form?” Grady asked quietly. He
crossed his arms over his chest, waiting expectantly.

After zipping the clothes up just enough to keep them on,

Lyle paused and glanced between them. He frowned, his
brows scrunching as he tried to formulate an answer.
Finally, he sighed and said, “I was missing Todd.” Lyle
pulled him to his chest, and Todd went willingly, enjoying
his mate’s need to touch. “I guess I didn’t realize how late
he’d end up working, and with me sitting in Declan’s living
room, bored out of my mind, I must have let it get to me,
and ended up transferring the desire to my animal. When
Declan finally got home and we worked on shifting, Todd
was all I could think about,” he finished with a shrug. “I
won’t let it happen again.”

Grady nodded. “Okay. No harm done,” he said, his gaze

sweeping the area. “Why don’t you head home, Todd. I’ll
call Declan and let him know we intercepted Lyle at the
edge of town and that you’re headed back.”

Todd nodded and he and Lyle climbed into the truck.

Grady grabbed the passenger door before Lyle could close it,
and his gaze shifted between the two. “How about me and

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Gordon swing by tomorrow after work? Gordon would
probably enjoy a swim, and I bet your monitor would like
the pool, too.”

Grinning at the idea, Todd nodded emphatically. “That’d

be great.” He settled a hand on Lyle’s thigh to get his
attention. “It’ll be good to let your animal out just to play. It
makes them so much easier to handle when you’re upset or
tired, since they don’t feel as antsy by being trapped all the
time.”

Lyle nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask Lark if I can use their internet

tomorrow. I’d like to check my accounts and do some
research on monitor behavior. Maybe I can get a better feel
for it.”

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” Grady said.
Lyle nodded, hunching in his seat. “Thanks, man. I

appreciate it.”

After another nod, Grady slammed the door shut and

Todd started the truck. Ten minutes later, they were out of
town with only trees for company.

“I’m sorry I’m so much trouble,” Lyle whispered, his

voice unexpectedly thick with emotion.

Todd’s brows lifted and he glanced at his mate before

returning his gaze to the road. He settled a hand on the back
of Lyle’s neck and kneaded the muscles there, worried at all
the tension he found. “You can’t expect to learn control over
night, Lyle. Give yourself some time.”

The man nodded, but the tension under Todd’s fingers

didn’t change. Returning his hand to the wheel, Todd
nibbled his bottom lip and said, “I had trouble shifting when
I hit puberty. I didn’t have the heart to tell my father.”

“Why not?” Lyle asked curiously. He rolled his head

away from where it rested against the window, so he could
look at Todd. “Would he have been upset?”

“I don’t think so,” Todd replied slowly. “But he was the

Finding Balance

pack beta, so having a defective son would have shamed
him.”

Lyle frowned. “I thought shifting came naturally for you

all.”

Todd grimaced, thinking back. “Normally it does, but my

mother was human. She wasn’t my father’s true mate, but
he’d fallen in love with her just the same. The pack alpha
was a bigoted man who thought shifters should only mate
with other shifters, so he refused to give his permission for
my father to tell my mother about shifters and marry her.”
He glanced over at Lyle and found he had his mate’s
complete attention, and the man’s eyes were wide with
shock. “Not all shifter packs are as liberal as this one.”

“I guess not,” Lyle said. He reached over and rested a

hand on Todd’s thigh. “What happened?”

He could almost feel the concern radiating from Lyle, and

it warmed Todd as he remembered those first few years
without his father there to guide him. “My father obeyed the
alpha, but couldn’t give up the human he loved. I was the
result of a blown condom. My mother didn’t tell him. When
she realized he wouldn’t marry her, she moved away from
the town, and him, and raised me by herself until I was
nine.”

He stared at the road in silence for a second, and Todd

appreciated that Lyle let him think. Finally, he swallowed
hard and said, “On her way to work, three weeks before my
tenth birthday, her car was hit by a drunk driver. While
lying on her deathbed, she told me about my dad and had
social services contact him. He came, my mother passed, and
he took me to live with his pack.”

“Oh my god, angel,” Lyle whispered, his hand massaging

Todd’s leg. “That must have been so traumatic for you!”

Todd nodded as he turned the truck into Declan’s

driveway. He could hardly believe they’d arrived already.

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Something in Todd’s heart melted when Lyle unbuckled
their seatbelts, slid closer on the bench seat, and pulled him
into his lap, arranging him so he straddled Lyle’s legs and
faced him.

He smiled. “I didn’t start telling you this for sympathy.”
“I know,” Lyle smirked, “but having you next to me and

not being able to touch you was driving me crazy.”

Liking that he affected his mate so much, he leaned

forward and pecked his lips lightly. He was about to kiss
him again, when Lyle pulled back and frowned. “I thought
you said Phillip is your brother.”

He jerked back, surprised by the comment, then grinned

impishly. “Oh, right. You distracted me.” Lyle shrugged, but
waited for him to go on. After giving him another peck, he
said, “Phillip is my half-brother. He’s three years younger
than me. After my mother left town, my father found his
true mate. They had one son. Phillip.”

“How did he take getting a brother?”
Leaning into Lyle, he thought back over those first few

years. “It was an adjustment for everyone. My stepmother
was extremely understanding, but she wasn’t my mom, you
know?” He sighed and cuddled closer. “I was just starting to
feel like part of their family when puberty hit, and they
explained about shifters. It scared the hell out of me,” he
whispered. “I fought it with everything in me, which only
made it worse.”

He trembled, remembering the pain, the confusion he felt

as he went through puberty and he tried to hold back his
wolf. “Eventually it was Phillip who discovered I was
getting hassled by younger kids who’d already shifted. My
father always said I hadn’t shifted yet because my mother
was human, so he wasn’t worried that I was what he called a
late bloomer. Phillip pried the truth out of me.” Todd
grimaced. “My wolf had tried to come out a number of

Finding Balance

times, but I’d suppressed him, painfully, for almost a year.”

Smiling fondly, Todd remembered that year. His brother

had been so understanding, surprisingly so. “Phillip had
always been big for his age, and he’d shifted early. He
appointed himself my bodyguard and taught me how to
shift, how to control my wolf. Once I could do that, it didn’t
hurt to shift anymore.” He sat up and smiled. “As you can
see, he still feels the need to protect me.”

Lyle nuzzled his neck for a few seconds before

whispering, “Well, now it’s my job. He’ll just have to get
used to it.”

Todd chuckled, enjoying the pinging sensations shooting

down his neck and arms. “Yeah.”

“You’re mine, aren’t you, angel,” Lyle growled

possessively.

The sound went straight to Todd’s cock. “Oh, yes,” he

hissed, grinding his dick into Lyle’s.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Seven

hank you for telling me about yourself, sweet angel,”
Lyle crooned into Todd’s ear. He still couldn’t believe

everything that this sweet, seemingly innocent, man had
gone through. And still his heart was so big. Lyle felt himself
falling just a little bit further for him.

Todd tucked his face into the crook of Lyle’s neck and

whimpered. “You’ll find your own balance soon, handsome.
The balance between giving yourself over to your animal
while still being able to control it.”

Lyle smiled, kissing Todd’s temple. He loved the faith his

man had in him. He’d do anything to live up to those
expectations. “With you here beside me, I know I can.”

Todd lifted his head, his eyes shining with warmth and

acceptance. Lyle sealed his mouth over Todd’s, nibbling his
lips before sliding his tongue inside and mapping his mouth.
Slipping his hands under Todd’s shirt, he traced the bumps
on the man’s spine. Suddenly, he couldn’t get close enough.
He needed more. He needed skin.

Jerking the door open with one hand, Lyle held Todd

close and slid them both out of the truck. Todd giggled
when Lyle tossed him over his shoulder, and he grinned at
the sound. He liked hearing the joy in his mate’s laughter.

He ignored the amused expressions on Lark and Declan’s

faces when he bounded through the dining room and up the
stairs. He didn’t stop moving until after he’d slammed their

“T

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bedroom door shut and tossed Todd onto their bed. Then he
just stared, enjoying the sight of his angel’s gorgeous smile
as he lay sprawled across the comforter gazing up at him.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” Todd teased,

sliding a hand down his chest to cup his cock through the
denim.

A strangled groan escaped Lyle, and his eyes narrowed.

He dropped the suspenders of his borrowed coveralls,
letting them pool at his feet. Stepping out of them, Lyle
reached down and stroked his pulsing dick slowly. “You’re
the one holding things up, my angel.”

Todd grinned up at him as he kicked off his shoes,

shimmied out of his pants, his socks, and then whipped his
shirt over his head. His grin still firmly in place, he rested
one hand on his chest and plucked his nipples. With the
other hand, Todd reached down and gripped his cock,
pulling on it firmly and arching into his own touch.

Snarling, Lyle leaped onto the bed. He grabbed Todd’s

wrists, yanking his hands away from his body. “You are a
very naughty angel,” he declared.

Todd bucked his body, rubbing his leaking dick against

him. “What are you going to do about it?”

Lyle’s brows lifted for a second, then a feral smile curved

his lips as he remembered Todd’s earlier enjoyment of a
slight bite of pain. “Naughty mates deserve punishment.”
Before Todd could react, Lyle released Todd’s arms and
flipped him onto his stomach. Lyle gripped Todd’s hips and
lifted them before bringing the palm of one hand down hard
on his ass.

Todd howled, but Lyle recognized it as a sign of

enjoyment. He didn’t let him move as he reined several
more quick swats to the smaller man’s backside. By the third
spank, Todd was rocking back into the blows, lifting his butt
higher as if searching for each one. Even though his mate’s

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rosy ass was a beautiful sight, and his jerking cock proved
how much he wanted to darken it to a cherry red, Lyle
remembered that this was supposed to be a punishment, so
he abruptly stopped, listening for a few seconds to Todd’s
whimper of protest.

Lyle released his hip and reached down to grip Todd’s

cock, finding it swollen and dripping. He stroked it lightly,
knowing it wasn’t nearly enough stimulation. Lyle’s own
dick throbbed. He draped himself over Todd, feeling the
heat from the red skin of Todd’s ass soak into his cock as he
rubbed it along his crease.

“I’m going to pound into you, angel, and you’re not going

to come until I tell you. Understand?” He breathed the
words against the sensitive skin of Todd’s neck, feeling the
tremble go through the man he held.

“Yes, mate. Take me now,” Todd pleaded.
As much as he wanted to, common sense prevailed. Todd

moaned when Lyle pulled away to grab the lube out of the
nightstand. Grinning, he lifted Todd and positioned him
near the headboard. “Grip the bars,” he ordered.

Todd did it quickly, wrapping each hand around a

spindle before widening his legs and sticking his ass out in
invitation. Lyle poured the cool liquid onto his cock, hissing
as it hit his sensitive skin. Then he poured a generous
amount onto Todd’s crack. The smaller man jerked at the
sudden sensation of cold liquid on hot skin. Lyle quickly
spread the dripping lube around Todd’s pucker before
sliding two fingers into his mate’s channel.

He rubbed his free hand over Todd’s reddened cheeks,

loving the skin contrast, as he quickly stretched his mate. It
didn’t take long for Todd to be rocking back onto his fingers,
moaning softly, begging for more with his actions and
sounds. When Lyle pulled his fingers away, Todd’s ass
thrust back, searching for the stimulation. Lyle moved the

Finding Balance

head of his prick to Todd’s opening, but caught his mate’s
hips before he could impale himself on it.

Snarling, Todd glanced over his shoulder at Lyle. Lyle

grinned and held Todd’s gaze as he rammed into Todd,
filling him with one thrust. A guttural vibration rose
through Lyle’s chest as tight heat enveloped his dick,
squeezing and rippling around his length. He wrapped his
arms around Todd’s chest, feeling the smaller man lean into
him, as if trying to merge their bodies.

Lyle stayed still for several long seconds, relishing the

sensations racking his body. Todd’s whimpers and struggle
to move his hips caught Lyle’s attention and his grip
tightened. “Stop,” he ordered.

Todd stilled, although he didn’t seem able to quiet his

whimpers. He nuzzled the back of Todd’s neck, licking and
nipping. When he could stay still no longer, he buried his
face in Todd’s nape, pulled his dick out and slammed back
home. After that, Lyle couldn’t control his hips, and he
hammered into Todd again and again, relishing the ripple
and squeeze of Todd’s inner muscles as he rocked back into
each thrust.

As the tingle started at the base of his spine and his balls

pulled tight against his body, he could feel his teeth shifting,
sharpening. He recognized his animal’s desire to bite, to
claim the man he fucked. Clenching his jaw, he refused to
give in to the urge. Instead, he reached down and gripped
Todd’s cock, jacking it with the same rhythm of his hips.

“Now, angel,” he ground out.
Todd howled as his penis exploded, dispelling streams of

cum across the pillow, headboard, and Lyle’s hand. The
tight squeeze caused by Todd’s jerking body threw Lyle
over the edge. Lyle’s cock spewed his seed, burying it deep
inside Todd’s ass. Lyle trembled and twitched, riding the
high of his release.

Charlie Richards

When finally able to string a coherent thought, Lyle

carefully pulled his softening cock free of Todd’s body. He
unwrapped Todd’s fingers from the posts, pulled him close,
and dropped them both onto the bed, vowing to clean them
up in just a few minutes.

But first, he wanted to hold this man that had so quickly

wormed his way into his heart.

The evening couldn’t come fast enough for Lyle. He hated

being cooped up with very little to occupy him. He’d spent
several hours that morning on the computer pouring over
sites to learn more about the Nile Monitor.

They were interesting creatures, powerful and quick.

They could be deadly when they attacked with their whip-
like tail or if they managed to get their strong jaws latched
around something. A carnivorous animal, they ate a wide
range of food from carrion, to eggs, to fish or even squirrels,
often gulping their food down whole.

Lyle shivered at that, wondering if shifters ate in their

animal form often.

He settled on the bed and ran his palms over his face,

then splayed his fingers around the tendons of his neck and
gently massaged them. He’d done very little but sleep and
rest over the past few days, but still he felt fatigue dragging
him under. Knowing if he wanted to keep up with the other
men this evening he’d need his strength. He let sleep take
him.

The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs pulled Lyle

from his nap. He lifted his head when he heard a gentle
knock on his door. “Come in,” he called.

Lark appeared, a smile on his pale, fine-boned features.

“Hey there.” He set the tray he carried on the nightstand,
giving Lyle time to drag himself up to lean on the
headboard. Lark turned and handed him a glass of water

Finding Balance

and a couple large Ibuprofen. “Here. These are the eight
hundreds,” he said with a wink. “I’m giving them to you
now with a snack because if you practice shifting with the
guys later you may need them.”

A smirk curved the corner of Lyle’s mouth and he

downed the offered pills. “Good idea,” he said after
swallowing. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” Lark’s smile softened. “I hate to see anyone in

pain. That’s why I became a doctor.” Next he settled a tray
with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. “Eat up, then come
downstairs. You can help me pack your picnic.”

“Picnic? I thought we were just going for a hike,” he said,

before taking a large bite of eggs and moaning
appreciatively. “Damn. Why does food taste so much better
now?”

Lark shrugged. “Heightened senses, probably,” he

replied. “And I got a call from Gordon with the change of
plans. He wanted to make certain you’d be ready in thirty
minutes, and when he heard we had leftover potato salad,
he asked if he could commandeer it.” Lark laughed, heading
out of the room. “Seems the big guy likes your mate’s
cooking.”

A flash of jealousy spiked through Lyle and a growl

rolled through his chest. Biting off the sound, he took a deep
breath and forced calm through him. He lifted his gaze to
Lark and grimaced. “Sorry.”

“Claim him. You’ll feel better.”
Before he could even formulate a reply to Lark’s parting

comment, the man disappeared out the door. “Shit,” he
grunted. Taking a bite of toast he shook his head. They’d just
met, so how could everyone just expect him to bind them
together? At least Todd understood his desire to wait.

Besides, there’s no way in hell I’m going to jeopardize Todd’s life

by binding us together until I’ve managed to get my shit together!

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He already liked the man way too much to do that.

Once done eating, Lyle slipped from the bed and pulled

on jeans and a sweatshirt, needing it to fight the chill he
always seemed to have when Todd wasn’t around. He
paused while pulling on a worn pair of Adidas, realizing it
could be because his animal was a reptile. He’d have to
remember to ask someone about that sometime. He grinned
at the sneakers, loving that Grady had thought to grab them.
They were comfortable, and reminded him of his life
before…well, just before.

A sigh slipped from his lips. Things would never be the

same again. But do I really want them to be? I may have never

met Todd…

Shoving his confusing thoughts aside, Lyle joined Lark in

the kitchen. Between the two, it only took a few minutes to
make nearly a dozen turkey sandwiches and pack the potato
salad into a container. He took the opportunity to lick the
spoon and hummed his approval. “Yeah, I can see why
Gordon would like this so much.”

“Well, sure. As an elephant, this is probably better than

steak to him.”

“You better not let Grady hear you call him that,” Lyle

snapped, his brows lifting in shock at Lark’s words. “Just
cause he’s a little overweight doesn’t mean—”

“Oh, no!” Lark cut him off. “Gordon really is an

elephant.” At his non-comprehending look, Lark laughed.
“He’s an Asian elephant shifter.”

Lyle paused, his hand hovering over the basket, still

holding the squeeze mayonnaise bottle. It took him a second
to catch on to what Lark had said. His brows shot up.
“Really? I guess I hadn’t heard that.” He scoffed. “Sorry for
snapping, man.”

Lark laughed. “You were defending a friend. I think it’s

great.”

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The slamming of the front door halted their conversation,

and while closing the flaps on the picnic basket, he followed
Lark’s gaze and looked toward the hallway. Declan
appeared around the corner, and he only had eyes for his
mate. The big alpha male opened his arms and Lark
squealed as he launched himself at Declan. The two men
came together in a heated kiss as the little blond wrapped
his arms and legs around Declan like an octopus and held on
tight, trusting the alpha to hold him.

Another image super-imposed itself over Lyle’s eyes, and

he imagined himself holding Todd like that, no matter that
he only had a couple inches on the man. He could hear
Todd’s shout of joy at his return and could almost feel the
smaller man’s body in his arms. He sucked in a deep breath
and smiled. Yup, I’ve got it damn bad already!

“Hello, Lyle. How are ye feeling?”
Declan’s deep voice brought Lyle’s attention back to the

present. “I’m good. I’m looking forward to getting out of the
house for a bit.”

“I can certainly understand that,” Declan replied,

clapping him on the shoulder good naturedly. He opened
his mouth to say more, but stopped when a loud knock
pounded on the door before they heard it swing open and
closed. Several pairs of footsteps sounded from the hallway.
Seconds later, three large men sauntered into the room.
Declan turned and greeted them.

One of them strode toward Lyle and clasped him in a

quick, one armed man-hug. “It’s good to see ye up and
around, Lyle. We were all worried.”

Lyle grinned at Cliff MacDougal. “Don’t worry. I’ll be

back at poker to take your money in no time,” he promised.

“That’s good to hear, man,” Cliff replied with a grin, “but

it’s me who’ll clean ye out.”

“You can try,” Lyle quipped. “You can try.”

Charlie Richards

He turned when he heard whispered words between

Declan and another dark-haired man. Seeing that he’d
caught his gaze, the alpha paused and introduced the other
two men. “This is Shane Alvaro, my beta, and this is Nick
Greely. Nick and Cliff are both trackers for the pack.”

Lyle held out a hand, shaking each in turn. “Nice to meet

you,” he replied automatically.

Shane’s grip tightened slightly, not releasing his hand,

and Lyle’s gaze narrowed as he searched the other man’s
brown eyes. “What?” he snarled.

A low rumble from Shane’s throat raised Lyle’s ire higher,

and he could feel his beast hiss in anger.

“Just because you’re not officially pack yet, doesn’t mean

you can disrespect me,” Shane growled.

It took several seconds for Lyle to push back the anger

and realize just what the other man meant. Shit! Declan
introduced him as his beta. Much to his monitor’s irritation,
Lyle forced his gaze down, dropping eye contact, and
whispered roughly, “My apologies, beta. I meant no
offense.”

“Accepted,” Shane replied gruffly.
Declan cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention,

but he looked at Lark when he spoke. “We’re going to the
office to conference call with Carson. Will ye bring us some
sandwiches, please, baby?”

Although it was posed as a question, they all knew it

wasn’t, but Lark didn’t seem to mind the order. “Sure thing,
stud,” Lark said, pecking Declan’s lips before dancing—
yeah, he actually danced—around the kitchen and started
pulling out more turkey and bread. The four wolves strode
from the room.

“Hey,” Lyle murmured, going to the counter and helping

to make more sandwiches. “Where’s Carson? I thought he
was part of the forest rangers.”

Finding Balance

Lark flashed him a smile. “He’s also a wolf. Grady found

information that there could have been another sect of
scientists doing experiments years ago in Georgia. Carson is
down there trying to find out more.”

“He’s a wolf, too?” He paused where he was slathering

mayonnaise on a slice of bread. “How the hell did I miss
that?”

Laughing lightly, Lark nodded. “Yeah. They’re all over

the place, huh?”

“That they are,” Lyle whispered. He’d only met the big

Native American a couple times, but Grady had never
mentioned he was a shifter, too. Maybe it had to do with the
other man’s reclusive nature. Grady probably didn’t feel he
had the right to share that information.

He heard the slamming of the door again, but this time it

was the wonderful scent that seized up his mind, making his
hand pause over the slice of bread he held. He dropped the
knife and bread on a plate and turned just as Todd walked
into the kitchen. A sound more like a hiss than a growl
escaped his throat as he stalked toward his mate and swept
him into his arms. He lowered his head and claimed Todd’s
lips in a deep, spine-tingling kiss. Lyle savored the little
wolf’s taste as he responded enthusiastically, and their
tongues tangled.

Wolf whistles and laughter finally broke through Lyle’s

lustful haze. Lifting his head, he realized Todd now rested
on the counter and he stood between the man’s legs, their
bodies plastered together with his arms wrapped around the
wolf. He rested his head against Todd, struggling to catch
his breath. He smiled. “Welcome home, my angel.”

“Thanks,” Todd whispered, a grin splitting his kiss-

swollen lips.

After he felt certain his and Todd’s erections weren’t

completely noticeable in their jeans, he helped Todd off the

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counter. “What can I say? I was really happy to see him.”

Lark laughed and picked up the plate. “Yeah. Really,

really happy. You all get out of here and enjoy your picnic,”
he added with another laugh before he headed down the
hall with the plate and a twelve pack of beer.

“I need to change real quick before we head out,” Todd

said.

“Sure. We’ll meet you on the porch,” Lyle replied, giving

him one more kiss before he let him go. Todd scampered
from the room and bounded up the stairs. Lyle smiled after
him, watching him go.

A hand on his back caught his attention, and he turned to

see a smirking Grady. “That was quite a sight,” he teased.

Lyle flipped him off and grabbed the basket. “Let’s go.”

He heard laughter behind him and couldn’t stop the grin.
Yeah, he’d given them a hell of a sight and didn’t feel any
remorse about it.

He heard the other two men’s footsteps and paused to

look at them. Grady had an arm wrapped around Gordon,
and his head was bent to whisper something into the other
man’s ear before he nuzzled it. To his surprise, Gordon
shook his head and frowned at the tiger shifter.

“Tell him,” Gordon ordered.
He saw the slight tension fill Grady’s shoulders and he

nodded once. Turning to Lyle, Grady told him, “Bobby
Truman stopped into the office today.”

The name had his brows lifting. “Oh, I should have

thought to contact him. Is he okay?”

“He seemed fine,” Grady said slowly. He opened his

mouth, clearly hesitating. Lyle lifted a brow, prompting
Grady to admit, “This isn’t the first time he’s dropped by.”

Lyle groaned. “Shit! This complicates things,” he

grumbled, running a hand over his face. He didn’t know
what the hell he’d tell his ex-boyfriend…well, soon to be ex-

Finding Balance

boyfriend, since they’d never actually broken up. Lyle really
thought Bobby would have just moved on when he
disappeared. The younger man was such a party boy.

“Hey, is everything all right?”
Todd’s voice made Lyle turn to face the doors. The

shorter man now wore comfortable looking blue jeans and a
green polo shirt. He held out his arms, suddenly needing to
hold his mate. To his eternal gratitude, Todd didn’t hesitate
to come to him. He wrapped him up, ducked his head, and
tucked his nose into Todd’s neck. Inhaling deeply, he
breathed in Todd’s relaxing scent.

Todd’s hands rubbed his back and he purred, “Hey,

handsome. What’s wrong?”

“I’m fucking cheating on my boyfriend with you.” Lyle

shuddered, unable to believe those words actually came out
of his mouth. When Todd tensed, he forced his head up so
he could see the shorter man’s face. “I’m so sorry.”

To his surprise, Todd cupped his cheek. “No. It’s my

fault. I knew you had a boyfriend before you were taken,
and it didn’t even occur to me to say anything. I—” He
dipped his chin and broke eye contact. “I’m sorry.”

Lyle shook his head. “Even if you knew I’d been seeing

someone, I came at you pretty strong. There was no way for
you to know I hadn’t broken up with Bobby before getting
kidnapped.” He crooked a finger under Todd’s chin and
lifted his face so he could stare into his angel’s eyes. “I’ll fix
this. I don’t want anyone but you.” He wouldn’t allow Todd
to break their gaze until the pretty man nodded.

“Well, then,” Grady said, drawing their attention. “No

time like the present.” He pulled out his cell phone and
dialed a number. “Bobby Truman? Yes, this is Detective
Stryker. I need you to meet me at this address in twenty
minutes.” After rattling off an address Lyle didn’t recognize,
he paused before saying, “Yes, that’s right. I’ll see in

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twenty.”

Hanging up his phone, he glanced around at the group.

“Well, it looks like our picnic has been delayed for an hour.
We’ll take Gordon’s sedan.”

“Where the hell are we going?” Lyle asked, shocked at the

sudden turn of events.

“My offices,” Gordon replied, grabbing the picnic basket

from where Lyle rested it on a table. “I’ll put this away for
when we get back.”

A surreal feeling settled over Lyle as he allowed a tense

Todd to lead him to the car and help him inside. A soft kiss
on his cheek jump-started his brain. Lyle turned and smiled
at Todd. Yes, I’ll definitely fix this.

Finding Balance

Chapter Eight

odd kept his hand wrapped in Lyle’s, praying that his
mate’s words were true. That Lyle wanted Todd and not

this human they were going to see. He’d been so happy to
get home, feeling ecstatic by the welcome he’d received from
Lyle, and now this.

They pulled up to a small business complex where

Gordon kept his psychiatrist practice, and they all piled out.
Gordon let them into the building and they settled onto the
couches in the waiting room.

To his surprise, and immense relief, Lyle pulled Todd

onto the couch next to him and wrapped an arm around his
waist, tucking him close. Lyle buried his nose into the crook
of Todd’s neck and nuzzled his skin. Todd wrapped a hand
around Lyle’s neck and massaged it gently. “Everything
okay?” he asked tentatively.

Lyle lifted his head and smiled, warmth filling his eyes.

“It will be. I find your scent relaxing.”

“That’s as it should be,” Todd whispered.
Cocking his head, Lyle asked, “What do you mean?”
“Our mate’s presence relaxes us when we’re upset,”

Gordon explained, then smirked. “Or it drives us to
distraction.”

A lecherous grin lit up Lyle’s face as he gazed at Todd. “I

can certainly believe that.”

Before he could formulate a reply, a knock on the door

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caught everyone’s attention. He couldn’t stop his body from
tensing as Grady rose and opened the door. This time it was
Lyle’s turn to soothe, lifting his arm and gripping his neck,
massaging gently. Todd settled back against the couch,
pressing more firmly into Lyle’s comforting grip.

Todd had to admit, the man who stepped through the

door could only be described as hot, in a cute, twinky kind of
way. He stood five-foot-eight, had thick black hair cut into
an artfully messy do, and vibrant green eyes. His slender
body moved with a dancer’s grace.

The human glanced around the room. When his gaze

landed on Lyle, his eyes rounded and he rushed forward. He
dropped to his knees and reached for Lyle’s hand. Todd had
to bite back a growl as Bobby touched his mate.

“Oh, God, Lyle, I’ve been so worried!” His big, green eyes

swept over Lyle’s face. “You’ve lost weight. What
happened? Where have you been?” he whispered, reaching
a hand up to touch his face.

Todd couldn’t stop the growl that rumbled through him

at that point. The sight of this human touching Lyle so
intimately sent jealousy unlike anything he’d ever felt before
rushing through his system. Bobby’s shocked gaze landed
on him, and Todd leaped to his feet. He wrapped his arms
around his midsection and stalked to the other side of the
room before his wolf could do something they’d both regret.

“Todd!” Lyle’s surprised voice echoed across the room.
He glanced back and saw Lyle standing in front of the

couch. For a second, his concerned gaze focused on him
before dropping to the young man still gripping his hand.
Gordon rose and crossed to Todd. The elephant shifter
dropped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed gently. “It’ll
be fine, Todd,” he softly reassured.

Lyle stiffened at seeing the contact, then looked at Bobby

and grimaced. “Bobby, I was kidnapped and tortured by a

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group of people from one of my cases. I can’t tell you more
about them because the case isn’t closed.” He lifted a hand
and cupped Bobby’s face. “This is hard for me,” he
whispered. “We’d only been dating a couple months. We
hadn’t even discussed being exclusive.”

Bobby’s jaw dropped, and he jerked away from Lyle. “Oh.

Oh, I guess…I guess I just assumed…” He turned and
headed toward the door, a frown creasing his brow.

“Wait,” Lyle cried, lunging forward. He grabbed Bobby,

wrapped his arms around him, and crushed the human’s
back to his chest. The move made Todd cringe, but his
mate’s scent told him there was nothing even remotely
sexual about the embrace. Instead, it was meant to comfort,
and only his heightened senses allowed him to hear Lyle’s
next words. “Even though we never discussed it, I was
faithful to you. There was no one else while we were
dating.” Then he sighed. “Not until Todd.”

“Todd?” Bobby whispered, glancing to the left where

Todd stood watching.

“Yes. He was at the hospital every day. Every time I

managed to wake, he was there.” Lyle looked over his
shoulder at Todd, and something flashed behind his mate’s
eyes. “He’s been through what I have. Abuse. Experiments.
He helped me cope. Helped me understand how to go on.”
Lyle’s eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them back. “I fell
in love with him.”

Todd gasped, unable to believe what he’d heard. “You

love me?”

“I do, Todd. You’re the angel that saved me.”
Bobby gripped Lyle’s arms, gently disengaging them and

stepped out of his embrace. He turned to face them and
swallowed. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lyle.” He smiled and
glanced between them. “And for the record? I’m happy
you’ve found love, but I think you should be holding him

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when you say that.”

Lyle’s brows shot up, and he glanced around the room.

“Really? Are you sure you’re okay?”

After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly,

Bobby’s smile turned understanding. “Yeah. Let’s face it,” he
added with a slight shrug, “We had fun together, but I got
the feeling you were about done with the bar scene stage of
your life.”

Lyle smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Bobby.”
The slender brunet winked at Todd. “Take good care of

him. He’s a keeper.”

Todd crossed to Lyle and wrapped an arm around his

waist, his wolf finally settling. “I will.”

“There is one more thing, Bobby,” Grady said, stepping

forward. “Don’t spread it around that you’ve seen Lyle. It
still may not be safe for him.”

Bobby’s eyes rounded. “Of course! I won’t say anything

to anyone until I hear from you otherwise.”

Grady grinned. “Good man.”
They watched in silence as Bobby exited the building,

climbed into his car, and drove away. After a few seconds of
silence, Todd tilted his head back and smiled up at Lyle. “I
love you, too.”

Lyle’s grin lighted his brown eyes beyond anything than

Todd had seen. Seconds later, the light turned feral and his
mate snarled, “Mine!” Then his lips crashed down on Todd’s
and he found himself the recipient of a long, slow, thorough
kiss.

When it became imperative to breathe, Todd pulled his

lips away. He found himself looking into Lyle’s disgruntled
face. He grinned. “Yeah, I’m yours.”

They would have continued to stare at each other for the

gods knew how long but Grady slapped them both on the
back. “I’m glad we got that settled.” Grady’s look was

Finding Balance

serious as he stared at Lyle. “I knew how seriously you took
being faithful to a guy. I’m sorry it took me so long to say
something. I just…” He shook his head. “I wanted you to
have a chance with Todd,” he finally finished with a shrug.

Lyle stared at Grady for a moment before nodding. “I

understand. I thank you, my friend.” Lyle grabbed Grady
and pulled him into a quick hug.

When they released, the tiger shifter grinned. “Is anyone

else hungry? I’m ready for that picnic!”

Todd laughed, gave Lyle one more squeeze, more to

assure his wolf than himself, and then nodded. “Yup. I’m
definitely hungry!”

Thirty minutes later had them all traipsing through the

woods, Lyle and Gordon each carrying a basket. Todd
looked around at the trees, inhaling deeply. He grabbed
Lyle’s hand and pulled him to a stop. “Do you mind if I go
for a run?”

From the startled expression that crossed Lyle’s face and

then quickly cleared, Todd knew his mate had been
confused for a second as to his meaning. Then Lyle smiled
and shrugged. “Sure.” He looked at Grady. “When will we
reach the clearing?”

Grady grinned. “Walking as humans, we’ll be there in

about an hour.” He turned to Gordon, his look suddenly
hopeful.

Gordon chuckled, and waved a hand. “Go ahead, love.”
The look on Grady’s face appeared as if Gordon had

granted him the greatest treasure in life, or possibly given
his cat a bowl of cream. Grady grinned. “I’ll run with you.
It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve gotten a chance to let my
tiger out.”

Todd nodded. “Awesome.” He turned and kissed Lyle.

He’d meant it as a quick peck, but instead his mate pulled
him close and deepened the kiss for several seconds before

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releasing him and resting his forehead against his own.

“Stay safe, angel.”
“I will,” Todd promised.
“Don’t worry,” Grady said. “We’ll head toward Laremie’s

Rock and then to the clearing. We’ll beat you guys there
easy!”

After Lyle released him, Todd quickly pulled off his

clothes, folded them, and handed them to the suddenly
frowning man. He gave him a questioning look, and Lyle
grimaced. “I guess it didn’t occur to me that you’d have to
get naked in front of others,” he growled.

“Oh,” Todd whispered. He reached up and traced Lyle’s

face, smoothing out the lines. “It’s something you’ll have to
get used to, Lyle. Shifters aren’t big on modesty.”

Lyle blew out a breath and nodded. He pecked a quick

kiss onto Todd’s lips and took the clothes. “Have a fun run,
angel.”

Todd smiled, took a few steps away, and called upon his

wolf. The changes swept through him, making his limbs
pop, muscles contort, and skin ripple. Fur sprouted, and
seconds later he shook out his fur and settled it into place.
Opening his eyes to the shades of gray around him, he
yipped happily and danced around his mate.

Laughing, Lyle buried his hands in Todd’s fur and ruffled

it. “Go play, angel. I’ll see you at the clearing.”

Todd chuffed once then headed toward the woods.

Looking over his shoulder, he spotted the Bengal tiger. The
big cat growled low and then headed toward him. Todd
shivered, always impressed by Grady’s grace and power.
When he bumped his large head into Todd’s side, it
practically knocked him over. Todd snapped playfully at the
cat before tucking his tail close and taking off into the
woods.

They’d been running for thirty minutes when the pain

Finding Balance

stabbed into his hip. He yipped in surprise, but before he
could figure out what had happened, his vision swam, his
limbs grew heavy, and he collapsed. Dimly he heard a roar,
but couldn’t move his head to see what had happened to
Grady. A human loomed into Todd’s line of sight, one he
recognized. Fear speared through him right before
unconsciousness descended.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Nine

ordon led the way through the woods, Lyle following
close behind him. True to Grady’s statement, it took them

almost an hour to reach the clearing. When the trees broke,
Lyle sucked in a breath. He could feel his animal’s
excitement upon seeing the river and waterfall. It was an
odd sensation. One he hoped he could learn to get used to.

The elephant shifter glanced over at him and grinned.

From the look in Gordon’s dark gray eyes, Lyle wondered
what expression he saw on his face, then Gordon said, “I had
the same reaction you just did the first time Grady brought
me here. Of course, that was because he was trying to get me
to lose control of my animal, so I’d let it out to play,” he
added ruefully.

“How’d that work out for you?” He’d never heard of

shifters not letting their animals out, but what did he really
know about it?

“I fought it trunk and tail,” Gordon replied, snorting as he

headed across the clearing. He set down the basket and
blanket on a log and turned back to him. Lyle thought he
saw a haunted look flicker across Gordon’s features, but it
was gone so fast he may have been mistaken.

“I didn’t grow up with shifters, so I didn’t understand

that letting your animal out to romp in a safe environment
on a regular basis made it easier to control,” he explained.
“Grady brought me here to give my elephant a safe place to

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play. It’s done wonders for me.”

“Huh,” Lyle responded. He set down his own basket and

crossed his arms. “So if you let your animal out regularly,
he’s easier to control.”

“Right.”
“Well, what if it hurts to let him out?” Lyle asked. “I’m

supposed to allow myself to go through agony every week
just for an animal?”

Gordon smiled faintly. “The animal is part of you, Lyle,”

he said. “The only reason it hurts is because you fight the
shift. Relax your mind and body. Give yourself over to the
animal and it will be easier.”

“But if I give myself over to the animal, how can I control

it?” he asked dubiously.

“You don’t control the shift,” Gordon explained. “The

animal does. That’s why you hurt. Once the shift is
complete, then you exert control again.” The bigger man
grinned suddenly. “Don’t ever tell Grady I used this
analogy, but it’s like training a tiger to perform in the circus.
You gain your animal’s trust, then it will obey on
command.”

Lyle frowned. “Well, how do I earn its trust?”
“By not fighting its instincts,” Gordon answered. Lyle

stared at the ground, trying to wrap his mind around how to
do that. The other shifter’s hand landed on his shoulder and
squeezed gently. “I didn’t say it was easy, but part of that
instinct involves your mate.”

Letting out a slow breath, he nodded once. “I get what

you’re saying.”

After a moment of silence, Gordon asked, “Can I ask why

you’re waiting? You and Todd seem to fit so well.”

From Gordon’s expression, Lyle knew the shrink wanted

to say more, ask more questions, analyze his answers. But
Lyle felt grateful the man held his tongue. He smirked and

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said, “Part of it is the control problem. I sure don’t want to
cause Todd pain because of my lack of control.”

“Ah, well—”
“Hey, doc,” Lyle cut in, looking around the clearing.

“Shouldn’t they have been here by now?”

“Yeah…” Gordon said, drawing out the word. “They

should really have gotten here before us.”

“Do you know where the rock is that Grady was talking

about?” Lyle supposed at some point he’d become really
familiar with the woods, but at the moment he’d be lost
without Gordon.

He watched Gordon stare at the ground in thought for a

moment before nodded. “I think I do. You want to head that
way?”

Lyle couldn’t explain his sudden unease, but something

was telling him to find his mate. His eyes widened in
realization. “Shit. My animal really wants to go find Todd.”

“Well, I did say trust your instincts,” Gordon said. “Let’s

go.”

He knew Gordon tried to sound lighthearted, but the big

shifter didn’t quite pull it off. Evidently, Lyle wasn’t the only
one whose animal was jumpy.

They left the clearing, the pine trees closing around them

again. Instead of being beautiful and majestic, the forest now
appeared sinister and cold as fear iced its way into Lyle’s
heart. Gordon set a fast pace, climbing over logs and shoving
through brush, pushing them to move faster than an average
human could go.

Gordon stopped suddenly and Lyle almost ran into him.

He opened his mouth to question him, but Gordon held up a
hand and he snapped his mouth shut. When Gordon took a
long inhale through his nose, Lyle followed his lead and did
the same.

A faint lemongrass scent hit his nostrils and he snarled

Finding Balance

softly. “I know that scent.”

“So do I,” Gordon whispered. “Which way is it coming

from?”

“You’re asking me?”
Gordon frowned. “Elephants aren’t known for their

tracking abilities!” he hissed. “You’re a predator. Trust your
animal’s instincts!”

He glared at the canopy of branches above them for

several seconds, before allowing his eyes to close. Lyle
inhaled again, slowly this time, taking in as much scent as he
could. He had the sudden urge to stick out his tongue.
Following Gordon’s advice, he opened his mouth and
trusted his animal.

Lyle’s tongue flicked out, almost of its own accord.

Gordon gasped from next to him, but he ignored it as he
turned slowly in a circle, flicking his tongue out again and
again. His eyes snapped open. “This way.”

“Holy fuck,” Gordon whispered, following him closely. “I

thought partial shifts only happened while mating.”

“What do you mean?” Lyle asked distractedly. Why the

hell did the man want to talk about shifting now? They had mates

to find!

“Because your tongue was forked. It was fucking freaky.”
Gordon’s muttered explanation froze Lyle in his tracks.

He looked over his shoulder at the man and saw his pale,
shocked face. “No shit. It didn’t even hurt,” he commented
in wonder. Then he remembered why he’d been scenting in
the first place. “I’ll worry about it later. Let’s go.”

It only took five minutes of hiking for Lyle to realize he

could now smell Todd’s heady, earthy scent as well. They
crept forward, moving as swiftly as possible without making
a sound. The forest had gone still around them, telling them
they weren’t the only ones who’d passed that way in the last
few minutes.

Charlie Richards

“There,” Gordon whispered, grabbing Lyle’s arm and

halting his progress.

He peered through the trees. What he saw made his blood

run cold. Three men were busy rolling Grady’s unconscious
tiger onto a large litter. Todd’s wolf was already fastened to
a second, much smaller litter.

“Hurry up, Terry,” one man ordered. “We need to get out

of here before any of their friends realize they’re gone.”

Lyle could feel his monitor pushing at his mind, trying

desperately to emerge. A glance in Gordon’s direction
showed Lyle that the elephant wasn’t fairing much better.
“What the hell are we going to do?” Lyle snarled, anger
pulsing through his veins.

“I’m not sure,” Gordon replied. “Their leader,

Lemongrass, he’s not just a human anymore. Whatever
they’ve done to him has given him shifter strength and
healing abilities. There’s no way to know about the other
two. Plus they have those damn tranq guns.”

A low hiss tried to rumble through him, but he shut it

down, unwilling to give away their presence. “Can your
elephant get through these trees?”

It took a moment for Gordon to answer, but finally he

replied, “Yeah. I’ll need to circle around to the north before
shifting though.”

“How many hits can you safely take?”
That got Gordon’s attention, and the other shifter turned

to look at him. “No more than three. And that’s if they don’t
shoot me with an actual gun, if I can stay in animal form,
and if you can get me to Travis and Lark for detox.”

Lyle clenched his jaw. “Those are a lot of ifs.”
“Yeah,” Gordon whispered.
He could tell from the man’s tone that he didn’t like it

either. Turning to Gordon, he caught the man’s eye. “We can
always follow and see where they take them.”

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Gordon lifted his lip in a sneer. “No. I’d never be able to

live with myself if I sat back and allowed Grady to be
captured. What’s your plan?”

“Good man,” Lyle replied. “I feel the same about Todd.”

He let the outline of his plan firm up in his mind as he took
in the tree branches overhead. “After you walk me through
shifting, head north and give me a distraction. I’ll take care
of the rest.”

That had Gordon’s large hand gripping his arm and

drawing Lyle’s attention to his worried face. “Are you
sure?”

Hell, no! “Yes. I can do this.”
Gordon sucked in a breath as he stared at him. “Okay.”
They hiked a hundred yards away before Lyle stripped

down and knelt. He remembered Declan’s instruction to
clear his mind and to feel for his animal. Gordon’s words cut
into his concentration. “You’re thinking too hard. Just relax.
Let your lizard come to you. He’ll do the rest.”

As soon as he released the next slow exhale, he felt his

monitor stretch in his mind. The monitor’s presence
expanded, gaining control. He struggled not to try to rein it
in or control it, instead letting it have free rein as it took over
his body.

Instead of pain, warmth covered him as if he were

stepping into a steam-filled room. He felt his muscles pull,
his bones shift, and his skull contort, but there was no pain,
only an odd buzz, as if he’d had a few beers. His body
shivered and he opened his eyes. The vibrant colors that he
associated with being in his animal form exploded across his
vision. Scents and sounds bombarded him. He blinked,
trying to make sense of everything. Pine and earth and sage
mixed together with a hint of water, and underneath that he
caught his mate’s scent, but it had an acrid tinge to it that he
recognized instantly. Fear!

Charlie Richards

A low hiss escaped him, and he started moving, intent on

getting to Todd.

“Whoa, Lyle! Hold it!”
The whispered command brought Lyle to a stop, and he

swung his neck around to focus on the speaker. His tail
swished in agitation as he flicked his tongue out. The scent
of a large mammal crossed his tongue. Elephant. Gordon.

The circumstances came back to him, and Lyle reined in

the monitor’s desire to charge toward Todd. He reminded
his animal of what was at stake. He hissed softly at the other
shifter.

Gordon stared at him for a second before nodding.

“Okay. Give me five minutes to circle around and get into
position. I’ll give you the distraction you need.”

It took Lyle a second to remind the monitor of what

Gordon spoke about, then it bobbed its head in semblance of
a nod. Gordon took that as confirmation and began moving
through the woods as quickly as he could while still
remaining silent.

Lyle couldn’t say he had much of a plan, but he headed

back toward camp, trying not to cringe when every animal
fell silent as he passed. Flicking out his tongue, he lifted his
head to look at the tree canopy. Twisting his head this way
and that, the monitor took in how the branches interlocked.
He crossed to a trunk and began to climb, digging his three-
inch nails into the thick bark. He propelled his massive,
sinuous body up and up.

Maneuvering onto a branch, he scented the air before

choosing a direction and headed toward the strange
human’s camp. It took him several minutes, but he didn’t
hurry, knowing he needed to give Gordon time to get
around the camp and shift.

Finally, Lyle stared down at the camp. The humans had

finally managed to get the tiger onto the litter and were

Finding Balance

strapping him down. From the subtle shift in Todd’s scent,
he realized his little mate was beginning to wake. Flicking
out his tongue, he tried to figure out where Gordon could
be, but the gentle breeze blew in the wrong direction.

He surveyed the area, and then slowly made his way

through the trees. He watched one human shiver. He looked
up into the branches, surprisingly close to where Lyle
moved. Freezing, he waited.

“What’s wrong with you, man? Tie that last strap,” one

human said, smacking the arm of the one who stared into
the branches.

“I thought I heard something,” the watcher snapped back.
The first looked up into the trees, trying to follow his

gaze. After a second he said, “I don’t see anything.” He
smacked the other’s arm again. “Hurry up. The sooner we
get the tiger tied the sooner we can get out of here.”

After another couple seconds staring into the trees, the

other human dropped his gaze and returned his focus to his
work.

The bugle of an angry elephant startled everyone,

including Lyle. He nearly lost his grip on the limb where he
perched. Regaining his focus, he glanced in the direction of
the stomping creature before checking the reaction of the
humans below.

“Finish there,” Lemongrass shouted. “I’ll take care of this

abomination!”

Lyle just managed to bite back his angry hiss at the

altered human’s words, watching as he pulled a gun from a
holster at his hip. The other humans scrambled to obey. Lyle
tensed, waiting for his moment, and just as Gordon’s
elephant came into view, crashing through the trees,
snapping limbs and breaking branches, Lyle leaped from his
own branch, launching himself at the two humans still
hovering near Grady.

Charlie Richards

Pain rocked through his shoulder as he slammed into one

man, his two hundred pound body propelling him to the
ground. A grunt and howl of pain erupted from the form
beneath him. Lyle rose to his feet, his claws sinking deep
into the human’s chest. Panicked arms flailed at his body,
but his thick hide made the blows ineffective. Knowing the
man’s flight instinct would take over as soon as Lyle
released him, Lyle rushed at the other human.

The human screeched, jerking backward from where he’d

stood frozen, as if coming out of a stupor. He reached for a
gun at his belt. Before he could lift it, Lyle was on him, his
jaws latching onto the human’s outstretched arm. The bones
snapped between his jaws, and the human howled and
dropped the gun. He swung at Lyle’s face, landing a hard
blow just below his eye.

Lyle released the man’s arm and hissed, his mouth open

and showing off his short, jagged teeth. The sight from one
eye showed the first human he’d attacked limping away and
disappearing into the forest, confirming his hypothesis. His
other eye showed that Gordon had reached Lemongrass. He
saw the elephant swing his trunk and connect with
Lemongrass, sending him sailing across the clearing.

Movement from the human in front of him refocused

Lyle’s attention. He was drawing a weapon from behind his
back. Before he could aim, Lyle pounced on him. Wrapping
his jaws around the man’s neck, he clamped down and
yanked hard. Blood rushed between his teeth, filling his
mouth and flooding his jaws.

The taste excited him and disgusted him all at the same

time. The sound of another dart gun’s release drew Lyle’s
attention. He released the dead human from his jaws and
swung his head. He spotted Lemongrass on the ground
where he’d fallen, his gun still in hand. Gordon’s heavy
body shook the ground as he stumbled and fell.

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Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he rushed across the

clearing, growling and hissing. Lemongrass lifted his gun
again, but Lyle leaped sideways, dodging the dart. He
swung his massive tail, knocking the man’s chest.
Lemongrass slammed into the dirt again, the weapon
skittering from his grip. Lyle rushed forward, reared up on
his hind legs, and dropped his weight solidly down on
Lemongrass, pinning him to the ground. His jaws gaped as
he prepared to latch onto his neck and crush it.

“Lyle, stop!”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Ten

odd knew he wasn’t dreaming. In fact, he couldn’t have
been more proud, because if he had to guess, Lyle had

figured out how to at least sort of accept and control his
animal. At least Todd knew he’d feel proud if he could
actually focus for more than two seconds. His head still spun
from the damn drugs the bastard humans injected into him.

Lyle swung his head around to face him, but kept his

front legs firmly on Lemongrass’s chest. The massive lizard
hissed, but it didn’t sound quite as aggressive as the sounds
Todd had heard a few minutes ago. It sounded almost
questioning. Struggling to his knees, he looked at where his
mate pinned the man who’d almost succeeded in capturing
him a second time.

“I’m okay,” he managed to whisper.
He looked around the clearing and spotted Gordon, still

in elephant form. He lay on the ground, but his head was up.
The dilation of the shifter’s eyes told Todd that he’d been hit
at least once. “You going to be okay, Gordon?” he asked,
knowing the elephant had already had a dangerous reaction
when the foolish scientists had overdosed him on their
chemicals.

Relief flooded him when Gordon gave a slow nod. Taking

a deep breath, Todd settled on his hands and knees and
crawled toward Grady. He found the tiger still out like a
light. Carefully, he unbuckled the metal straps and removed

Finding Balance

the one holding down Grady’s head from the litter.

Dragging the short strap, he moved slowly toward the

man Lyle still held down. When he saw Todd coming,
Lemongrass began to struggle. Lyle snarled angrily, and the
man’s movements stilled. His eyes widened and his
breathing quickened. Todd grinned coldly, knowing it didn’t
reach his eyes. “My alpha will have some questions for you,”
he said.

“You won’t get anything from me,” the man sneered, but

his voice wavered slightly. The man’s scent told Todd that
Lemongrass feared them.

“We’ll see,” Todd replied, pushing the man’s arms behind

his back and tying them together with the metal strap. He
had to admit, the piece of malleable metal was very
impressive workmanship. He wondered where they’d
gotten it. Then again, maybe I don’t want to know.

Once he’d secured the man, he leaned back and rubbed

his hands over Lyle’s leathery hide. “I need you to go to
Declan’s and get help, handsome.”

He could tell from Lyle’s snarl that he didn’t like that

idea, and he swung his head to where the body of a human
sprawled. Todd glanced around, finally realizing that one
human was missing. He grabbed the dart gun Lemongrass
had dropped and brandished it in the air. “I’ll be careful.
Wolf hearing is very acute. If someone comes, I’ll know it.”

Lyle snarled again, his gaze swinging between the trussed

human and the other human’s body. Todd rolled his eyes.
“We weren’t looking for them. Now I am.” He rubbed Lyle’s
head. “Please, Lyle. You’re the only one that can go. Your
animal can find the way.”

After another hiss, the monitor’s large head nuzzled

Todd’s chest. Then Lyle turned and disappeared into the
woods. Todd shivered, but he knew it was more to do with
almost being caught again rather than the chill in the air.

Charlie Richards

Still, the desire to find warmth had him once more calling on
his wolf. He prowled around the clearing, grabbing the dart
guns with his teeth and setting them next to Grady’s still
sleeping form. Gordon struggled to his feet and crossed to
his mate, carefully lying back down and idly stroking the
tiger’s fur with his trunk. Todd lay down beside the pair,
working hard to stay alert and watch their prisoner.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but the sounds of

rustling caught his attention. Lifting his nose, Todd scented
the breeze. Relief flooded him as he recognized that his
alpha accompanied his mate. Todd let out a howl, joy filling
him when it was returned by three others.

When they appeared in the clearing, led by his mate,

Todd recognized Declan’s large brown wolf, Cliff’s black
wolf and Shane’s gray wolf. If he’d had the energy, he
would have jumped up to greet them. Instead, he realized he
could barely maintain a sitting position. Lyle crossed to him
and rubbed his head against him. Todd returned the
affection wholeheartedly. That is, until his lids began to
droop, the adrenaline that had sustained him depleted. He
dropped his head, letting out a sigh.

He listened to Declan order Cliff to take their prisoner to

the road. From their conversation, Todd realized they were
only a few hundred feet from an access road used by the
forest rangers, and Lark was bringing Grady’s truck.

Hands running through his fur made him shiver, and

Lyle’s scent surrounded him. “Hey, angel,” Lyle murmured.
“How are you holding up?”

Todd whined, rested his head in Lyle’s lap, and let his

mate’s soothing touch carry him into sleep.

At first, when consciousness returned, Todd thought they

were still in the woods, because his head still rested on
Lyle’s lap and his mate’s fingers still caressed his fur. But

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then the soft bed underneath him registered as well as
Travis’s scent.

He opened an eye and found the veterinarian leaning

over him, ready to insert a needle into his shoulder.

“Wait,” Lyle commanded softly. “He’s coming around.”
Todd whined before turning his head and licking the

hand that stroked him.

Lyle smiled. “Welcome back, angel. I’ve been worried

about you.” Then he grimaced. “And Phillip is downstairs
ready to barge up here and throttle me for allowing
something to happen to you,” he added ruefully.

If he’d been in human form, Todd would have rolled his

eyes. Human form…Todd initiated the shift. Seconds later,
naked and happy to be alive and in Lyle’s arms, he grinned
up at his mate. “Thank you.”

To his surprise, Lyle hissed angrily, the sound very

similar to what his animal made. Lyle grabbed the comforter
and pulled it over Todd, hiding him from the other man in
the room. Todd forced down his sigh.

“Eventually, you’ll have to get used to the fact that

shifters don’t have much modesty,” Travis pointed out, even
though he took several steps back from the bed.

Todd could hear Lyle force out a breath. “I’m sorry,

Travis,” he ground out. “I can’t seem to control this jealousy
sometimes.”

Travis smirked. “Well, Rainy tells me that the feeling

never truly dissipates, but if you claim your mate it becomes
more manageable.”

“That’s something I plan to remedy very shortly,” Lyle

snapped.

Todd blushed and opened his mouth to tell Lyle that he

shouldn’t feel pressured to claim him. He knew Lyle was
still human at heart and needed time, even if it made his
wolf whine in sadness.

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Travis crossed his arms over his chest and cut him off by

asking, “How are you feeling, Todd?”

He took a moment to take stock of his body. The buzzing

in his head was gone, so was the lethargy in his limbs. As a
matter of fact, the only thing he felt right now was grateful.
“Good. Happy to be here,” he replied frankly.

“We’re happy you’re here, too,” Travis said, while hefting

his travel bag.

Todd held up a hand, making the other man pause. “How

are Grady and Gordon?”

Travis smiled. “They’ll be fine. Grady was pumped up

with quite a bit more drugs than you, but Lark is detoxing
him. Gordon was hit with a couple darts, and since they
weren’t expecting him, it looks like they were loaded for
wolf, not elephant. It was enough to bring him down, but
not knock him out.” The veterinarian smiled. “He’ll be fine,
too.”

“Oh, good,” Todd said, letting out a sigh of relief. Then he

frowned. “What happened to Lemongrass?”

“I overheard Lark telling Gordon that Declan and Shane

took him to a little used Ranger house deep in the forest.
They’re interrogating him.” He grimaced. “Glad I don’t have
to witness that,” he muttered.

Todd knew the necessity of his alpha’s actions, but he still

shuddered. “Yeah, me neither, but the information he could
give us will be invaluable. We still know so little about
them,” he added. Seeing the veterinarian unable to meet his
eyes, Todd forced a smile and changed the subject. “So am I
going to be all right?”

He could hear the relief in Travis’s voice when he said, “I

give you a clean bill of health.”

“Good,” Lyle growled, pulling him close.
Travis grinned, winking lasciviously. “I’ll let everyone

know you’re fine and need a few minutes. Try to keep it

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down. I know how wolves like to howl.”

Lyle barked out a laugh as Travis let himself out of the

room. Todd felt heat creep up his neck, and he glanced up at
his mate before focusing on his fingers. “You don’t have to
claim me just because…” He blew out a breath. “We can
wait until you’re ready.”

“I’m sorry I blurted it out like that, angel,” Lyle

whispered. He settled down on the bed, taking Todd with
him. Tucking his face into the crook of Todd’s neck, he
nuzzled the sensitive skin behind his ear. “I wanted it to be a
private moment, not broadcasted amongst the wolves.”

“What do you— What do you mean?” Todd managed to

ask. He wrapped his arms around Lyle’s neck, sinking his
fingers in the man’s hair and tilting his head to give him
more access. Teeth nibbled the tender flesh where his neck
met shoulder and Todd’s wolf howled with the desire for its
mate to claim him.

“I mean,” Lyle whispered, “I plan to claim you very

shortly, my angel.”

Todd didn’t know if it was the warmth of Lyle’s breath

ghosting over the fine hairs on his neck or if it was the man’s
words, but a shudder rocked him. His cock filled so fast it
left him dizzy, and he moaned.

He could feel Lyle smile against his neck, heard the mirth

in his words. “You like the sound of that, don’t you, Todd?”

“Oh, yes!”
“Good,” Lyle growled.
Suddenly, Todd found himself on his back with two

hundred pounds of possessive, horny shifter rutting against
him. The pressure of Lyle’s hard shaft against his own felt
exquisite, but he loathed the sleep pants separating them.

He bucked his hips and whined, “Off. Take them off!”
Lyle pulled away and stripped the clothing. Todd heard

cloth tearing, and his mate’s hurried actions told him of

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Lyle’s excitement, ratcheting up his own need. Climbing
back on the bed, Lyle reached up and pulled the lube out of
the nightstand and dropped it next to Todd’s hip. Then
without warning, Lyle latched onto one of Todd’s nipples
and sucked hard.

The teeth nipping his flesh made his body bow as he

whimpered and tried to get closer to that delicious heat.
Fingers wrapped around his other nipple and pinched. The
dual sensations went straight to his cock, and he could feel a
drop of pearly essence drip from the head.

“So sweet. So responsive,” Lyle crooned against his flesh.

He switched sides, wrapping his lips around the other bud
and placed one hand on the other nipple. Todd had no idea
how Lyle did it one handed without seeing, but he heard the
snap of the lube bottle and then Lyle’s other hand reached
between his legs. Feeling the cool slick rub over his heated
flesh sent a fissure of pleasure through Todd. He opened his
legs wider and bucked his hips, trying to get that finger
inside him. Lyle popped off the nipple he worked and
grinned wickedly at Todd. His other hand moved to Todd’s
hip and he held him still while he gently rubbed the
wrinkled guardian muscle.

“Oh! Oh, please!” Todd whined, his fingers clutching the

sheets as his cock jerked and waved in the air between them,
another drop of pre-cum oozing from his slit.

Instead of entering him, Lyle continued to torture his

opening as he bent down and slowly licked Todd’s cock
from bottom to top like a popsicle, stopping to press his
tongue into the slit and dig for more juice. Lyle wrapped his
lips around just the head and sucked gently as he played
with the sensitive skin under Todd’s cap with his tongue.

When that finger playing with his ass finally sank into his

clenching channel, it immediately zeroed in on his prostate.
The dual sensations were too much, and Todd’s balls pulled

Finding Balance

tight. “Gonna…gonna…” he tried to warn.

Lyle hummed and sank down on Todd’s cock. His head

hit the back of Lyle’s throat, and Lyle lifted his gaze to stare
at Todd through his lashes. Then the bigger man swallowed,
massaging the head of Todd’s dick and it all became too
much. Todd threw his head back and howled as his cock
pulsed and shot stream after stream of seed into Lyle’s
mouth.

The other man pulled off slightly, swallowing quickly,

making certain he didn’t miss a drop. Feeling Lyle lick him
clean left Todd panting. “That was…that was…”

“Just the beginning,” Lyle crooned.
Todd glanced down in surprise as Lyle began to nibble

his way down the tender flesh of his inner thigh. The gentle
nips and licks, coupled with the fingers stretching his ass
and massaging his prostate every few strokes had Todd’s
cock filling again.

“Play with your nipples, Todd.”
The command in Lyle’s voice had Todd’s wolf rolling to

its back in his mind and showing its belly. He’d always
loved a dominant lover, and to have his mate know exactly
what he needed left him mentally singing Fate’s praises.
Obeying the man, Todd reached up and tweaked his already
swollen buds. Pleasurable pain shot from his chest straight
to his cock.

Lyle must have felt his hole spasm because he stopped

where he nibbled the tender flesh behind Todd’s knee and
grinned up at him. “I love how responsive you are, mate. I
bet I could make you come just by playing with your
nipples, couldn’t I? Would you like that?”

Todd’s eyes locked on Lyle as the monitor shifter reared

up and leaned over him, giving him a clear view of Lyle’s
dripping cock. He whined, wanting a taste.

Giving him a feral smile, he growled, “Oh, yes. You do

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like that thought, don’t you?” Todd nodded absently,
watching as Lyle gripped his own dick and started to slowly
stroke it in time with the fingers in Todd’s ass. “I could kneel
right here and finger your ass. You’d lie there and take it,
because I told you to. Wouldn’t you, Todd?”

He was so turned on he could barely speak. “Yessss,” he

hissed.

“Excellent,” Lyle purred. He leaned closer and blew

warm air over the head of Todd’s cock. Moving back again,
his dark eyes fixed on Todd’s and he growled, “Come.”

As if he were wired to obey, Todd’s cock erupted. Cum

flew from his slit, painting his stomach, chest and fingers
where they still played. Flying so high on endorphins, Todd
barely registered when Lyle pulled his fingers free, lined up
his cock, and slammed home in one smooth thrust.

Lyle didn’t stop, but quickly pulled out and rammed back

into Todd. “Look at me, angel,” Lyle ordered, and Todd
obeyed. He wrapped his arms around Lyle and held him
tight as the monitor shifter thrust into him over and over.
“You’re mine, Todd. My mate.”

“I’m yours,” Todd croaked out, the hot look in Lyle’s eyes

making his spent cock twitch.

Lyle grinned. “I’m going to claim you, Todd. Are you

ready?”

Joy flooded his system, and his struggling dick filled

again at the thought. “Please claim me,” he begged.

Taking him at his word, Lyle wrapped his jaws around

the flesh where his neck met shoulder and bit. More than
just canines sank into his flesh, holding him in place as Lyle
plunged into his ass over and over. The extra teeth sent just
the right spike of pain through Todd to mix with his
pleasure, and his balls tightened and filled his cock with
cum one more time. Howling his joy, Todd erupted again.
He felt Lyle follow him over that edge, flooding his ass with

Finding Balance

his essence. He hummed his pleasure as spots danced
behind his eyes.

Before Lyle had even managed to pull out, Todd smiled

and slid into a contented sleep.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Eleven

yle dozed, letting his mind drift in and out of
consciousness. At one point while he was awake, he

nuzzled his face into the nape of Todd’s neck, breathing in
the heady scent of his mate. He couldn’t believe the
difference in his animal, how satisfied it felt, which
transferred to his own comfort. His arms tightened
marginally as he pulled Todd just a bit closer before nodding
off again.

A roar of anger jerked Lyle out of his satisfied slumber.

Loud noises and raised voices coming from the main floor
had him leaping out of bed and grabbing a pair of jeans from
a drawer. His cop instincts kicked in and he searched for his
gun, until he remembered he didn’t have one here. Instead,
he now had an animal.

He remembered the experience in the woods, where he’d

had to track down his mate. Reaching inside himself, he
relinquished some control, and seconds later, his monitor
talons grew from his fingers and his tongue flicked out of his
mouth, scenting.

A gasp from the bed caught his attention and he turned to

find Todd staring at him in shock. For a second, he
wondered if it was revulsion, but then Todd reached out and
grabbed his hand. He flipped it over, staring at it. “That’s
amazing, Lyle!” he whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like
this!”

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Lyle ducked his head and pecked Todd’s lips. “Glad you

like it, angel,” he said. “Please stay here.”

“No way,” Todd snorted, rejecting his words. “I’ll stay

behind you, but don’t expect me to stay up here!”

He wanted to deny his mate’s words and lock him in the

bedroom, but Lyle was smart enough to realize that that
would cause nothing but trouble later. Giving a sharp nod,
he conceded. “Stay behind me then.”

He headed out of the room, keeping one eye on his mate

until he felt certain Todd would really do as he said. Angry
words echoed through the house. He waved a hand, silently
telling Todd to keep low. He carefully peeked over the
ledge, and more words told him that the voices were coming
from the office.

After a glance backwards, he swung over the ledge and

dropped lightly to the ground, feeling grateful for his
increased strength and agility. Lyle rushed down the hall
and slammed the door open, his claws at the ready.

His gaze landed first on a crying Drake Whitton, his

choking hiccups making the most noise. Dismissing the
distressed human, he turned and spotted an enraged Doctor
Carmichael facing down Declan. For his part, the alpha wolf
kept his temper in check, even as the doctor leaned into his
space and waved a finger in his face.

Both men registered his presence at the same time, and

Lyle found himself the recipient of an angry panther shifter
and a frowning wolf shifter. “You!” Ailean roared. “You
brought this on us!”

Having no idea of what the other man spoke, he met

Ailean’s attack with equal aggression. He ducked beneath
Ailean’s wild punch and slammed his shoulder into the
doctor’s midsection, driving him back with all the power he
could muster. He grabbed the arm the other man swung at
him, twisted under and around and pinned it to Ailean’s

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back. Keeping his grip, he shoved forward and slammed the
man face first into the wall.

He heard Ailean snarl, Drake scream and Todd shout.

Lyle stilled, keeping just enough weight on the doctor to
hold him in place. “Your mate saved my life, so I’m giving
you the chance to tell me why the hell you attacked me.”

Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around his bicep. Without

loosening his hold, he found Drake’s teary-eyed gaze.
“Please, please don’t hurt him. It’s not his fault. It’s their
fault. This is all their fault!”

Still the words made no sense, but Lyle realized they

needed to talk. He eased away from Ailean. He grabbed
Todd, who had kept his word and still stood behind him,
and pulled him further away from the pair. “What’s going
on?”

Watching warily, he saw Ailean push away from the wall

and straighten his shirt before rubbing his shoulder. “I
apologize. Drake is right. This is not your fault.”

“Tell them what’s happened, Ailean,” Declan ordered

softly.

Ailean pulled his mate close and tucked his face against

his chest. “Drake and I went to Denver to see his sister.” He
smiled sadly. “We both want a family and she’s agreed to
carry our child for us.” He bit back a sob of his own, and
Declan folded them into a hug.

“Congratulations,” Declan whispered. “When we get

Dagus back, he’ll be just as happy for ye.” He said. “Ye’ll
see.”

The name rang a bell, but Lyle couldn’t remember where

he’d heard it before. “Who’s Dagus? And what the hell
happened to him?”

Ailean lifted his head. “When we got home from Denver

this morning, we found Kyle Giovanni dead on the kitchen
floor and Dagus gone. This was left on the refrigerator.”

Finding Balance

He held out a scrap of paper and Lyle took it. “We have

someone you want,” he read, “and you have someone we
want. Bring Miach to our parking lot tomorrow night. Ten
o’clock. No shifters. We’ll trade.”

Everyone remained quiet for several seconds. Lyle’s jaw

clenched and rage swept through him. “Fucking bloody
hell.” He glared at the others in the room. “Who the hell is
Miach?”

“They want Lemongrass,” Declan growled. “Somehow

they must have found out we’re holding him prisoner. He
must be pretty important to them.”

“There was a third man in the woods,” Todd whispered.

“He fled and didn’t come back. He must have reported what
happened.”

“I’ll go. I’ll make the trade,” Lyle declared. He saw

several open their mouths to protest, and he swiped a hand
through the air. “They don’t know that Drake saved my life.
They think I’m dead! I’m the best chance you have. They
said no shifters, and they don’t know that I am one.”

After several long moments of silence, he became aware

of Todd trembling at his side. Lyle turned to find his mate’s
worried eyes fixed on him. “I just found you,” Todd
whispered. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Lyle smiled and kissed him, slow, deep, and tender.

“Nothing will happen to me. Nothing will keep me from
returning to your arms.”

Todd gave him a small smile and whispered, “I’m going

to hold you to that.”

After a second of nuzzling, Declan cleared his throat. “I

don’t bloody care what that note says. Me pack will expect
blood compensation for the loss of their brother. We will
have shifters close at hand.” Drake opened his mouth to
protest, but Declan’s wolf-like snarl had him snapping it
shut. “Ye don’t think we know how to be quiet, Drake? No

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one will even know we’re there!”

Lyle took the vest from Grady and wrapped it around

him. “Don’t do anything foolish,” his partner growled.

He grinned. “You know me.”
“Exactly,” Grady snarled.
Lyle smiled. “Don’t worry. Between me, my monitor and

this vest we’ll be just fine.” He rapped his knuckles on the
hard plates. “See? No darts or bullets to the chest. They’re
not expecting anything but a human. Besides,” he added,
smirking, “you always back me up.”

Grady’s frown and sigh surprised Lyle. Concern filled the

big tiger’s eyes when he lifted his gaze. “I failed you once. It
won’t happen again, old friend,” Grady vowed.

Realization set in and Lyle pulled Grady into a tight hug.

“Relax, big man,” he grunted. “That wasn’t your fault. We’ll
make these fuckers pay.” He could hear the hiss take over
his voice, but did nothing to stop it. He knew his animal
needed to express its irritation, and this was a safe way to do
it.

Pulling back, he zipped up the vest, pulled his jacket over

it, and headed to his car. In the back seat of the Toyota
Corolla, he could just make out the form of Miach Barolla.
Lyle settled into the driver’s seat and inhaled.
“Lemongrass,” he muttered. He knew the man had
undergone experiments, but he wondered if that was his
original scent or if he’d acquired it after whatever tests he’d
endured.

He looked into the rearview mirror and grinned. “You

know what they’ve done to us if far more inhuman than
anything shifters have done to humans, right?”

For a second the man’s eyes widened in shock, but then

he regained his composure and sneered. “You don’t know
what the hell you’re talking about. These creatures are

Finding Balance

abominations.”

Unwilling to give anything away, he just shook his head.

“They’ve lied to you, Miach. I’m sorry.”

Without waiting for a reply, Lyle shoved the car into

drive and slammed on the gas. It took just long enough to
get to the Crystal Lake Corporation’s building for his
adrenaline to kick in full force. He followed Drake’s
directions and rolled into the parking lot, parking as close to
the road as possible.

He wished for more trees as he slid from the vehicle,

recognizing his monitor’s desire for cover. He shared the
sentiment. Shoving the thoughts away, he rounded the car,
yanked open the back door, and helped Miach from the
vehicle. “Let’s get this over with,” he grunted.

Lyle placed a hand on Miach’s back and pushed him

forward firmly, keeping a step behind the altered human.
He’d heard about the man’s healing abilities, and didn’t
want to give the man the chance to show off increased speed
or strength. He paused halfway across the parking lot and
grabbed the chain between the man’s cuffed hands.

“Hold up. Let’s wait for your friends, shall we?”
His captive grunted. He glared over his shoulder at him.

“Why do you care about these beasts? They should all be
exterminated.”

“Why? Because they’re different?” Lyle asked curiously.

What lies have been told to this man?

“Because they’re a danger to the population,” he sneered.
Lyle barked out a laugh. “No they’re not. For the most

part they keep to themselves and leave humans alone. Your
bosses have killed far more shifters over the years than
shifters have killed humans,” he pointed out. “How is what
these scientists are doing any different than when the
German’s experimented on Jews in concentration camps?”

He couldn’t tell from the frown on the man’s face if Miach

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100

was actually thinking about his words. He didn’t suppose it
mattered anyway. The guy would disappear back into the
scientist’s organization soon enough.

“Come closer!” a voice called from the darkness.
“No. You come into the light.”
Lyle waited for several heartbeats and then two figures

shuffled from the dark shadows to the left of the building.
He watched Dagus stumble, but the man holding a gun
caught him before he could fall. Lyle frowned, confused by
the way the man cocked his head and stared at the sky, but
then he remembered what Drake had told him. His brother
was blind. Dagus was focused on listening. Lyle wanted to
tear the scientist apart for involving someone who couldn’t
even defend himself.

“Well, well, well. Detective Lyle Sullivan. So you

managed to survive after all,” the man sneered. “When you
escaped and we couldn’t find where you’d gone, we were
sure you’d crawled into a hole and died. You certainly were
close enough to it.”

“No thanks to you,” Lyle snarled, realizing this man must

be one of the scientists. With a thickly muscled body, military
cut dark hair, and a coldly calculating gleam in his eyes, Lyle
thought he might remember the man, but he’d have to get
closer to see the guy’s face better.

“So what did you end up with? Increased healing and

strength like Miach, there? Increased speed or agility?”

Unwilling to draw this out, and needing to get away from

the human before he did something to endanger Dagus Lyle
growled, “Release Dagus.”

“No, I don’t think I will,” the man drawled, a gun

appearing over Dagus’s shoulder. “I want to see what my
experiments have created.”

The dart hit Lyle’s leg before his brain even registered the

weapon. A heavy lethargy swept up his limb, spreading out

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101

like spider’s threads from the location of the wound. “Oh,
hell no!” Lyle snarled. His animal hissed angrily inside his
mind, and Lyle agreed. The change came quickly, his clothes
tearing from his expanding form, and seconds later he found
himself running swiftly across the twenty yards separating
them.

As he passed Miach, he swung his powerful tail and sent

the other man flying back toward the car. The scientist
shoved Dagus to the side. The blind man tried to flail his
arms to catch his balance, but the rope around his wrists
hindered him and he went down hard. Lyle hissed angrily at
the poor man’s treatment. He lunged forward the last stride
as the guy tried to reload his gun, and he clamped his jaws
around the scientist’s neck.

The unmistakable crack of a rifle shattered his

concentration, and agony exploded through his back. Lyle
jerked his head up and hissed out his pain to the dark
shadows around them. He swung his long neck around and
stared at the oozing bullet hole that was dangerously close
to his spine. Struggling to control the hurt, he returned his
focus to the man he pinned and realized the unexpected
move had torn out the scientist’s throat, but Lyle couldn’t
drum up any remorse.

Howls exploded through the night, and Lyle knew the

cavalry was coming. He struggled toward Dagus. The
human lay on his side, curled up in a fetal position. Before
Lyle could drag his bleeding, drugged body to the man, two
men materialized from the darkness.

“Take him back inside,” the one with the gun ordered,

pointing at Drake’s brother.

Lyle snarled and redoubled his efforts to drag himself to

Dagus, desperate to protect the human. But when the man
leveled the gun on him, Lyle froze, knowing he couldn’t
help Dagus if he were dead. Anger poured through him,

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102

mostly at himself for underestimating these guys. They were
obviously far more organized than what he’d given them
credit for.

“Don’t worry, Lyle,” the man said conversationally as he

moved closer. “We don’t want you again. Doctor Remus
made too many mistakes with you, obviously. We certainly
don’t want to make more abominations,” he sneered. “You’ll
have to turn human if you want any last words.”

Knowing he’d almost immediately succumb to darkness if

he returned to his human form right now, Lyle just hissed
again as he watched the other guy toss a sobbing Dagus over
his shoulder, impressive really since Drake’s brother was
taller and much more muscular. The fact that the man
carrying Dagus must also be altered flitted through Lyle’s
drugged mind.

“Very well,” the gunman said, pointing the barrel at his

head. “I’d much rather be inside before your friends arrive.”

Lyle made one last effort and lunged forward, unwilling

to just lie down and die. He had too much to live for. But he
fell short, his legs giving out. As the gunman laughed coldly,
Lyle’s thoughts turned to Todd, and he prayed Declan
would care for his mate. For several long seconds he relived
every touch, every caress from his angel.

“It’s too late for escape.”
Lyle recognized the deep voice, and he opened eyes that

he didn’t even realize he’d closed. Carson held the
struggling human in a choke hold. As the Native American’s
dark eyes met Lyle’s over the human’s shoulder, a chill went
up Lyle’s spine, and he prayed he never ended up on the
wrong side of the wolf enforcer.

An audible snap sent a shiver of a different sort through

Lyle as he watched Carson break the human’s neck. With a
last look of disdain, Carson released the body, ignoring it as
it crumpled to the ground. Instead he crossed to Lyle and

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103

knelt next to him. “This plan is shot to hell. Shift so I can get
us out of here. I may be stronger than a human, but even I
can’t carry your lizard ass.

Trusting Carson to take care of him, Lyle willed his body

to shift. Just as he’d feared, once the shift was complete,
darkness swamped him and he succumbed to
unconsciousness.

Lyle smiled, enjoying the sensation of Todd running his

fingers through his hair. “So nice,” he whispered, surprised
by how dry his throat was. And then why he lay in bed,
again, came back to him and he jerked his head around and
shouted, “Dagus!”

Pain shot up his back and he froze. “Shit.”
“Lie still,” Todd ordered softly, carefully holding him in

place on his side. “Take deep breaths and the pain will
pass.”

He followed his mate’s advice and slowly the pain seeped

from him. This time he didn’t move as he asked, “Did the
wolves get to Dagus before he was taken back into the
building?”

“I’m afraid not,” Todd replied. “We barely managed to

keep Miach from getting away, too.” Todd lowered himself
so he was in Lyle’s line of sight. “And if you ever pull a
stunt like that again, I will smack you,” he vowed.

“He shot me in the leg. They’d always targeted the chest

before.” From the look on Todd’s face, he knew his mate
wasn’t interested in excuses. “You’re right. No more one-
man rescue attempts. After all my years on the force, I
should have known better.”

“Yes, you should have. Just because you’re a shifter now,

it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. We run in packs for a
reason,” Todd scolded.

Lyle hazarded a nod, pleased that it didn’t send fresh

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104

waves of agony through him. “You’re right, my angel.”

A soft knock on the door caught their attention and Todd

called, “Come in.”

Declan entered, followed by Lark. “I’m getting tired of

seeing you in here like this,” Lark ribbed gently.

Lyle smiled slightly. “My mate just read me the riot act. I

don’t need it from you, too.”

“Then stop doing this to yourself and I won’t have to,”

Lark returned.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Lyle assured. “No

more heroics from me.”

“Does that mean ye don’t want to be part of Dagus’s

rescue party?” Declan asked, crossing his arms over his chest
and watching as Lark went about checking Lyle’s wound.

“When are you going in? Will I be well enough?” His

gaze shifted between the two men, wondering what Lark’s
small nod at Declan meant.

Declan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Lark seems to think

ye will be. Carson is checking the building out. It’s not too
big, but it appears to have impressive security. It could take
a couple days to figure out a way inside.” He paused a
second, a pained expression crossing his face. “The funeral
for Kyle is tomorrow evening. We’ll prepare a plan of attack
the day after.”

“I hope Dagus can last that long,” Todd whispered.
“He didn’t appear injured,” Lyle commented. “I didn’t

see any needle marks or anything, so maybe because he’s
blind they’re just keeping him as a bargaining chip. We do
still have Miach, after all.”

Declan nodded. “We’re keeping Drake as comfortable as

possible, but he’s pretty stressed out. There’s not much more
we can do right now.”

Lyle grimaced. “I’m sorry I failed.”
For a second Declan looked like he may say something,

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105

but then he just gave a curt nod and left the room. Lyle
looked toward Lark, hoping he could explain. Lark sighed.
“He’s not upset with you, nor does he blame you. He hates
when someone outwits him, not to mention losing someone
in his pack, especially when on an assignment. Kyle didn’t
have a mate, but he does have a sister. Comforting her is
taking a lot out of him.”

Lark patted his shoulder. “Your shifter healing means if

you stay in bed, you’ll be good as new in a couple days. Get
some rest.”

After Lark left, Lyle held up a hand to Todd. “Lay with

me. I want to hold you.” Todd looked over his body, clearly
uncertain. “Please,” Lyle pleaded.

Lyle shifted back on the bed as Todd carefully climbed on

next to him. Todd lay on his back, and Lyle draped over
him, keeping any pressure off his back. He rested his head
on his mate’s chest and inhaled the smaller man’s wonderful
scent. Taking Todd’s hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. “I
thought I was going to die,” he finally admitted.

“But you didn’t,” Todd whispered.
“No, I didn’t,” he said. “But at the time, you were all I

could think about. All I wanted was to find a way back to
you.” Lyle turned his head and stared into Todd’s gorgeous
brown eyes. “You’re my guardian angel, even when you’re
not there. I love you so much, Todd.”

Todd smiled down at him, the warmth in his eyes. “I will

forever be in Carson’s debt, because he brought you back to
me. I love you, too, Lyle.”

Lyle let out a breath and allowed his body to relax.

“Good, angel. That’s good.”

He felt Todd press a kiss to his forehead and smiled.
“I still plan to help get Dagus back,” he muttered.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Todd replied softly. “They are

our friends, and our pack. Now, get some sleep, handsome.

Charlie Richards

106

You’ll be fine soon enough, and then I plan to remind you of
all the reasons you should stay healthy.”

Chuckling, Lyle nodded. “That sounds fantastic.” Safe in

the arms of his angel and secure in the knowledge of Todd’s
love, Lyle fell asleep.

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her handsome,
supportive husband. She started writing fantasy when she
was eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic romance
at nineteen, she realized her true calling. She now focuses on
writing erotic romance, often of the paranormal variety, with
heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her
curled up with her laptop and a cup of tea or glass of wine,
creating her next story, which could pair a sexy hero with an
adventurous heroine…or maybe with another handsome
hero. Charlie enjoys horseback riding, jump lessons with
Apache, watching movies with her husband, and listening to
her muse tell her about her next project.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com