Drawing Out His Wolf

On the Road: In order to come home, first you must leave it.

Deke  Sommers  knows  staying  with  his  boyfriend  is  a  bad
idea. Michael enjoys ménages just a little too much and often
tries  to  get  Deke  to  share  someone  with  him.  Deke  is  not
interested.  He  gives  Michael  permission  to  occasionally
enjoy them on his own as long as he’s safe and honest about
it.  Unfortunately,  that’s  not  enough  for  Michael,  and  he
surprises  Deke  by  inviting  a  couple  of  friends  to  his
apartment to play with him.

Deke does the only thing he can…he flees. Calling up his

life-long friend, Dirk, who is traveling with his vampire
lover, Deke asks for help. Dirk tells him to meet him in Stone
Ridge. There, Deke once again sees Luther Caldwell, a wolf
shifter he met over lunch in Las Vegas months ago and
hasn’t been able to get out of his mind since. Except, Luther
is straight, or in the closet, isn’t he?

When Luther is neither shy nor reticent upon their

meeting, claiming they are mates, can Deke trust another
dominant male?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of near rape.

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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.

Drawing Out His Wolf

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0062-0

Cover art by Carmen Waters

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Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

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Chapter One

ain erupted through Deke Sommers’ temple. He
stumbled sideways, his hip slamming into the end table.

Crying out, Deke attempted to angle around the table and
away from the hands reaching for him.

“Get away!”
Deke slapped ineffectively at the men reaching for him

with  one  hand  while  clutching  the  towel  around  his  waist
with  the  other.  A  heavy  hand  gripped  his  upper  arm,
stopping  him  from  further  retreat.  Deke  twisted,  but  he
couldn’t pull free. Pressure from the hold sent pain ripping
through his shoulder and arm.

“Let go!” Deke howled. “Leave me alone!”
“Deke! Hey, easy! You’re okay.”
The sound of someone’s soothing words filtered into

Deke’s mind, and suddenly everything seemed a bit fuzzy.
He twisted away from the hands holding him, again. Then,
he froze, realizing they weren’t trying to hold him down.
Instead, they petted his arms and back.

Deke pried his eyes open, uncertain when he’d closed

them.  Instead  of  seeing  a  brightly  lit  apartment  foyer,  he
found  himself  in  a  dimly  lit  bedroom.  Deke  squeaked,  fear
riding  him.  When  had  they  managed  to  drag  him  to  a
bedroom?

Then, light flooded the room, making Deke squint.
“Easy, Deke,” a soft, melodious voice urged. “You’re

okay. You’re safe.”

Charlie Richards

Peering around the space, Deke’s chest heaved as he tried

to calm his racing heart and get enough air into his lungs. He
lay in bed. The sheets twisted around his body felt damp
and cold against his sweaty skin. Looking at the man who
sat on the bed near his hip, who gently petted his shoulder,
Deke flushed, this time from embarrassment.

Deke’s best friend, Dirk Lemans, rested his hand on his

shoulder. His expression held concern as the skinny redhead
gently rubbed Deke’s chilled flesh. Sebastian Russo, Dirk’s
vampire lover, stood behind Dirk.

“Shit,” Deke hissed, groaning. “Did I wake everyone?”
While Dirk grimaced, Sebastian offered him an

understanding smile. “You’re staying in a house full of
paranormals with super-sensitive hearing. I’m going with
yes.”

Groaning, Deke pushed to a sitting position and rubbed

his hands over his face. Paranormals…right. A couple of years
before, Dirk had gone on vacation and ended up kidnapped
by dingo shifters. He’d escaped and fled home to
Sacramento. It’d taken Deke weeks to get his friend to open
up and share the story—or most of it—with him. That had
been their first introduction to the paranormal world.

Fortunately for Dirk, it hadn’t been the last.
A couple of months ago, Dirk had gone to a convention in

Las Vegas. Sebastian had approached him on the plane, then
hit on him at the convention. Dirk had freaked out when he
thought Sebastian was a shape shifter and contacted Deke in
a panic.

When Deke had arrived, he’d found Dirk had kissed and

made up with Sebastian. Then, his friend’s new lover had sat
them down and explained the paranormal world to them.
Deke had found himself introduced to a number of vampires
and shifters that day.

Drawing Out His Wolf

The image of a blond haired, broad-shouldered male

pushed into his mind. Luther Caldwell. Blond, bronzed,
sexy, built big and broad with compelling blue eyes that
Deke would love to get lost in. Luther had also been quick to
point out that he had a daughter.

Oh, well. He’s still great masturbation fodder.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Deke turned to look at Dirk, remembering where he was

and why. Too bad. It was much nicer thinking of the sexy
but straight wolf shifter rather than his current predicament.

Not that I need to worry about shit like that right now,

Deke mentally chided himself.

“No,” Deke grumbled. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He

would have lied and said he didn’t remember, but he’d tried
that once…and Sebastian had caught him. Evidently,
paranormals could scent a lie. Damn inconvenient. “It’s the
same shit anyway,” he muttered.

After getting an ass-reaming—and not the kind he

enjoyed—from Sebastian, Deke had shared why he’d left
California in the middle of the day in a bath towel. He sure
didn’t want to think about that now, either.

“You want a cup of tea?” Dirk offered.
Deke nodded, glancing toward the window. He spotted

the pale rays of the sun just beginning to lighten the sky.
“That’d be nice,” he conceded. Returning his focus to his
friend, he forced a tight smile. “Shower first, though.”

Sebastian nodded where he stood behind Dirk. “I’ll get it

started for you.”

Before Deke could state that he could start his own damn

shower, Sebastian patted his lover on the shoulder, then
turned and left. Dirk squeezed Deke’s shoulder, then let go
and rocked to his feet. “Herbal or black?”

Deke shoved his blankets off and swung his legs over the

side of the bed. Resting for a few minutes, his muscles still

Charlie Richards

trembling from the nightmare, he rubbed his face. “Mmm,
Earl Grey if you have it,” he mumbled between his fingers.

“I do. See you in the kitchen.”
Deke nodded absently, but didn’t bother watching his

friend go. Instead, when he heard the water start in the
bedroom’s attached bathroom, he turned his head and
watched Sebastian stride from the room.

“Wait a couple of minutes for the steam to build,” the

vampire advised softly. “The heat will help clear the
pressure in your head.”

His brows lifting, Deke muttered, “You don’t get sick, so

how would you know?”

Sebastian winked. “I’ve had my share of hangovers,” he

quipped before exiting the room, closing the door softly
behind him.

Deke nodded absently, unable to help but watch the

man’s ass until the door blocked his view. Damn fine sight in
those  sleep  pants.  Rubbing  his  face  again,  Deke  mentally
rolled  his  eyes  at  himself.  While  he  knew  Dirk  wouldn’t
begrudge him a look, no way would he ever try to poach his
best  friend’s  man…even  if  he  didn’t  know  that  bonded
vampires never strayed from their beloveds.

“Too bad I don’t have one of my own,” Deke muttered,

finally  rising  from  the  mattress.  Shoving  his  sleep  pants
down  and  kicking  them  off,  he  grumbled,  “As  if  I  want  to
get  involved  with  another  overbearing,  controlling  alpha
male.”

Deke shuffled across the room. Pinching his bottom lip

with his top teeth, he used the bite of pain to keep focused
and moving. His head hurt, the edges of his vision hazed
with black spots, and his muscles ached as if he’d run a
marathon.

When he opened the door a wall of steam hit him.

Breathing deeply, he took in the hot, moist air, immediately

Drawing Out His Wolf

feeling the effects on his headache. It was like breathing in
the steam from a massive cup of tea. Hell, the steam even
seemed to be scented. Deke glanced around and spotted the
small bowl of heated rocks on the shelf.

Lavender.
That explained the smell.
Sighing, Deke made his way to the shower and stepped

inside the large stall. He turned down the temperature just a
smidge. No sense in burning his nearly hairless skin off his
hide. Deke settled on the built-in seat and tilted his head
back, leaning against the wall.

The pulsing spray pounded at just the right angle to hit

his  lap,  legs,  and  lower  chest.  Enjoying  the  massage-like
feeling,  he  spread  his  legs  and  moaned  as  the  water
cascaded  gently  over  his  cock  and  balls.  His  head  lolling
against  the  wall,  he  hummed  at  the  pleasure  trickling
through  him,  replacing  the  stress,  and  cleaning  away  the
sweat.

Smiling, Deke peered through half-lidded eyes at the

ceiling  as  he  took  thorough  advantage  of  the  shower’s
benefits.  Without  much  interest,  he  took  in  the  tile  work
lining  the  walls.  Someone  had  done  an  intricate  job  of
alternating white, brown, and tan squares in no pattern Deke
could discern.

So pretty.
Deke finally felt the chills that had permeated his bones

ease to be replaced by the warmth of the steam. Tension that
he hadn’t been aware taxed his muscles, eased from him. He
felt boneless, relaxed, almost…peaceful.

When was the last time I felt this comfortable?
Deke didn’t know and he didn’t want to dwell on it.

Instead, he pushed to his feet and washed up.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, wrapped in a robe, Deke

meandered out of his room in search of tea. The sun had

Charlie Richards

come up enough to shine long beams of light along the
massive bay windows, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

Deke spotted several men at the counter, reminding him

that  he  wasn’t  actually  in  Dirk’s  home.  When  he’d  fled
Sacramento, his instinct drove him to head east. At the first
gas  station,  he’d  bummed  a  cell  phone  and  contacted  his
best  friend.  He  hadn’t  seen  Dirk  in  four  months,  but  that
hadn’t  stopped  Dirk  from  giving  him  an  address  in  a  little
podunk mountain town called Stone Ridge, Colorado.

Upon arrival, two men he hadn’t recognized had greeted

Deke. He’d just about run, but then the shaggy-haired,
heavily muscled, blond guy had pulled him into a
shockingly gentle bear hug. After several seconds, the man
had released him and—his massive paws on his shoulders—
had held Deke at arm’s length.

The man had introduced himself as Frankie Drunger.

He’d  released  one  of  Deke’s  shoulders  while  sliding  the
other  arm  so  it  wrapped  around  his  torso,  gently  turning
Deke  toward  the  house.  Then,  Deke  had  faced  the  other
man…who  gazed  upon  Frankie  with  an  amused,  loving
expression.

“This is my mate, Vincent Marché,” Frankie had blathered

on, leading Deke toward the house. “He just talked to Seb
and he and Dirk just landed at Colin City airport. They
should be here within the hour.”

That had settled some of Deke’s nerves, as had Vincent’s

offer of a cup of tea and a shower. He’d been living in
Frankie and Vincent’s home for the last three days, holed up
in his room, recovering from—

Deke focused on the here and now and moved toward the

five men clustered around the bar. He joined the group and
smiled at the newcomer. “Hey, Lex,” he greeted the
vampire. “When did you get here?”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Having flown to Vegas to rescue his friend, Deke had

planned  to  hate  all  paranormals.  When  Deke  had  met  the
tall, blond vampire, Lexington Paistro, to his surprise,  he’d
found  he’d  liked  the  man.  He  was  glad,  too,  because  he
enjoyed flirting with the male and appreciated knowing  he
didn’t have to worry about the guy expecting more. Lex was
just as big a flirt as Deke was.

Lex peered at him over his coffee mug, his pale brown

eyes sweeping over Deke’s face for a second before he
replied, “This morning at about two.”

Glancing at the clock, Deke grimaced. “Damn,” he

murmured, reading the time on the microwave. Six-thirteen.
“I’m sorry I woke you.”

Shrugging, Lex winked. “Don’t worry about it, cutie. I’ve

gone days without sleep before. I’ll still have plenty of
energy to kick your ass at poker tonight.”

Deke appreciated the vampire downplaying why

everyone in the house was awake on a Saturday morning
before seven AM. “How about I sit on your lap and watch,
instead?” he teased, batting his eyelashes. “I’m sure that’ll be
more fun for both of us.”

He didn’t care for poker, but had told the guys that he’d

go that evening. He’d never been one to sit at home all day,
so after being cooped up for so long, he was more than
ready to take any opportunity to get his social fix.

Lex chuckled, his eyes warm. “Oh, cutie, then neither of us

would win anything.”

Deke snickered as he reached out and took the cup of tea

Dirk offered.

Walking into the home of Carson Angeni, Deke had to

admit—just to himself—that he felt a bit nervous. He heard
the noise of dozens of laughing men and realized he was
about to be surrounded by a hell of a lot of large males.

Charlie Richards

Vivid memories of Michael’s big friends grabbing him
pushed at Deke’s psyche. He shivered, pausing in the foyer.

“Relax, no one here will hurt you,” Lex purred into his

ear, slinging an arm around his shoulders and using the
hold to get him moving again.

Deke glanced at Lex and gave the friendly vampire an

appreciative smile. “Sorry, just getting stuck in my head too
much these days,” he admitted softly.

Lex nodded as he continued to guide him down the hall,

past a couple of closed doors to a massive great room. On
the right, a pair of poker tables had been set up. Filled to
capacity, six men sat around each table, talking and joshing
each other.

His heart feeling as if it skipped a beat in his chest, Deke

found his gaze captivated by a big, blond man sitting at the
far table. Luther Caldwell. Deke shivered as he watched the
wolf shifter pick up his beer, bring it to his lips, and drink
from the can. He stared as the man’s Adam’s apple bobbed
and the arm holding the can flexed.

Deke swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. Blood

flowed south, filling his dick. Damn, he wanted some of that.

“Someone you want me to introduce you to?” Lex teased,

leaning close to speak quietly, directly into his ear.

Turning his head just enough to glance at Lex, Deke

mumbled, “Huh?”

Lex snickered. “You just got turned on by someone,” he

replied. “I can smell it.” Then, moving his head to rest on
Deke’s shoulder, Lex swept his gaze around the room. “Oh,
look who’s here. Luther Caldwell. Maybe we should go say
hi.”

“No, uh, no,” Deke instantly responded. “I think I want a

drink.” He pulled away and headed left, away from the
poker players and toward the open concept kitchen. “You
want one?”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chuckling, Lex followed. “Sure, then I’m gonna find

Carson and put my name down on the list to play next. You
want me to add yours?”

Deke shook his head. “No. I really don’t want to play. I

just came to get out of the house,” he admitted. Having
reached the kitchen, he grabbed a couple of beers from the
ice-filled sink and handed one to Lex. “I’m not one to sit at
home, even when—” He bit off his words and grimaced.

Lex nodded in understanding. “Find someone to talk to

and relax, cutie,” he recommended. Then, squeezing his
shoulder, he reminded, “No one here will hurt you.” Then,
he winked. “Just don’t flirt with the wrong man.”

His jaw sagging at that parting shot, Deke watched Lex

stride away. Wait, how was he supposed to know who the
wrong man was?

“Hey, Deke,” a deep voice called, drawing Deke’s

attention.

Sweeping his gaze around the room, Deke spotted a

massive  African  American  male  lounging  on  a  sofa.
Opposite  the  great  room—in  what  probably  should  have
been  the  dining  room—a  number  of  sofas  and  cushioned
chairs lined the walls. It created an arc around a large coffee
table heavily  laden with a myriad of chips, dips, and other
snacks.

The African American smiled at Deke. “Will ye bring me

a beer, Deke?”

Curious how the big male knew his name, Deke nodded.

He grabbed another beer and headed toward the man. “Do I
know you?” he asked, handing it over.

“Nay,” the man replied. “Have a seat,” he ordered,

indicating the space next to him.

Uneasy, Deke settled on the edge of the cushion. He

clutched his bottle in both hands, trying to keep the scowl
off his face. “Who are you?” he asked softly.

Charlie Richards

Holding out a hand, the man replied, “Declan McIntire.”
Deke’s eyes widened. He’d heard that name…this was the

alpha wolf shifter of the area? He commanded all the other
shifters and their mates. Deke hesitated a second, then took
the man’s hand. Surprise filled him when the man’s grip was
firm, but not painful, and brief…just the standard,
functionary handshake.

Declan’s dark gray-eyed gaze swept over him. “Thanks,”

he said, surprising Deke further. Grinning, showing off an
even set of pearly whites, Declan added, “For the beer.”

“You’re welcome,” Deke responded immediately.

Glancing from the man to the men milling around the area,
laughing, talking, and playing, he asked, “Why aren’t you
playing?” He pointed toward the tables with his beer.

“I hate poker,” Declan replied. As if sensing Deke’s

confusion, Declan added, “Me mate, Lark, enjoys playing
with his friends, so when we can get a sitter for our daughter
Sara, we come. Besides,” he added. “It’s a great way to get a
feel for how me pack is doing.”

Deke nodded slowly. Still, why had the man invited him

over? He wasn’t pack. “Then, uh, shouldn’t you be talking to
some of them?” He tried to express confusion, and not come
off as rude.

Declan just smiled and shrugged. “The night is young.”

He cocked his head. “I noticed ye had an eye out for Luther.
Have ye met him?”

His jaw sagging open, Deke just stared. How the hell?
Chuckling, Declan lifted the hand not holding his beer

and tapped his nose. “I’m the alpha. I could scent it.” His
smile faded. “I scented a few other things, Deke,” he added.
Leaning close, his expression turned serious. “Lust, to be
sure, but also pain, fear, even a bit of panic.” Declan’s brows
drew together. “But mostly fear. Ye want to talk about it?”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Deke’s knee-jerk reaction was to deny, deny, deny, but

when he opened his mouth, he couldn’t force the words out.
Snapping his jaw shut, he fought the burn of tears at the
back of his eyes. He swallowed hard, trying to get a hold of
himself.

“Ah, pup,” Declan murmured. Reaching out, he rested his

massive paw of a hand on the back of Deke’s neck and
massaged. “Ye went through somethin’ hard on the heart. If
ye want to talk, I have a good ear.” He winked. “Part of bein’
the alpha.”

Frowning, Deke whispered, “Why would you care about

me? How do you even know who I am?”

Declan smiled, his dark eyes warm. “I’m the alpha. It’s me

job to care for those in me pack. And while ye may not
actually be part of me pack, ye are in me territory. So,
anything ye want to talk about?”

Maybe it was the way the man seemed to peer directly

into Deke’s soul. Maybe it was how he gently massaged his
neck. Hell, maybe it was because he was a complete stranger
and Deke desperately needed to get what happened off his
chest, but had feared judgment from his friends.

Deke nodded and, in quiet stilted whispers, told Declan

exactly why he’d fled from Michael.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Two

faint scent tickled Luther Caldwell’s senses, distracting
him from the game. He felt his blood heat, flowing

southward in response to the pleasant smell. He cleared his
throat before taking a long swig of his beer.

“You in?” Rowen St. Paul asked.
Luther returned his attention to the game, where it should

be. “Fold,” he stated, tossing in his eight-deuce off-suit. No
point in losing more than the ante. Instead, Luther peered at
the guys at the table.

Rowen sat directly to his left, and the science teacher

stared at his cards through designer glasses. Luther knew
Rowen wore the tinted frames to shield his eyes, hiding
possible tells. Unfortunately, Luther hadn’t had the heart to
tell the dark-haired shifter that he gave more away with the
twitches of his lips than with the dilation of his eyes. He’d
do better if he grew a goatee.

“I’ll meet your bet,” Rowen said, finally deciding. “And

raise you ten.”

Next, was Parker Jones, a wolf shifter who worked as an

on-call  firefighter  while  writing  gothic  crime  novels  in  his
spare time. He’d heard through the grapevine that the man’s
prior lover, a human, had been a wiz at stocks and had left
him  loaded  when  he’d  passed  of  cancer.  Luther  saw  a
lingering sadness behind Parker’s green eyes and he hadn’t
heard  of  the  shifter  taking  a  lover  since  Donnie’s  passing
twelve years before.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“I’ll call,” Parker stated quietly, his expression—

impressively—completely neutral.

Toby Dallow scowled at his cards behind his thick, black

glasses. The human research assistant pursed his lips and
heaved a sigh. “I fold,” he muttered. “I’m gonna get another
drink.” The pudgy, five-foot-nine human rose from his seat,
pushing his chair backward with his thick thighs.

“What are ye drinking?” Shane Alvaro asked absently.

The beta wolf didn’t even look up from his cards as he
decided what to do.

However, from the tension in his shoulders, Toby must

have realized he expected an answer. Snorting, the human
snarked, “Don’t worry. It’s sweet tea, Dad.”

Shane turned his head, his brows shooting to his hairline.

When Toby’s face turned beet red, the beta smirked and
chuckled. “Guess I deserved that.” Then, his eyes narrowed,
still filled with mirth. “Still, I happen to know yer birthday
isn’t for another couple of months. No alcohol.”

“Geez,” Toby muttered. “You’re worse than my parents.”

Still, the man grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve tried beer and I
think it’s disgusting.”

The other men chuckled while Lark—Declan McIntire’s

human mate—the final man at their table, piped up, “Hey, I
prefer margaritas myself.” The flamboyant blond winked.
“When you turn twenty-one, I’ll make you all kinds of nifty
drinks. We’ll find something tasty for ya.”

“You’re on,” Toby agreed, grinning.
After Toby had left, the game moved on.
Luther watched his fellow players, the hand progressing

quickly. Within two minutes, Parker laid down an ace and a
king. Combined with the community cards in the center of
the table, he had a full house, ace high, winning him the
hand.

Charlie Richards

Shane groaned, tossing in a suited king, queen. “Shit,

missed my royal straight because ye had the fucking ace,” he
grumbled.

Parker grinned, raking in the chips. “Can’t use language

like that around your new toddler, so you gotta get it all out
here, huh?” he teased.

“Damn straight,” Shane snapped.
The beta’s mate, Caroline, had had their cub nearly a year

before.  It  had  been  the  talk  of  the  pack  when  the  she-wolf
had  scolded  Shane  in  public  when  he’d  cussed.  He’d
evidently  taken to cussing a blue streak everywhere  except
around his mate and cub.

Luther sucked in a gasp to start chuckling, and nearly

groaned  as  the  heady,  sweet  scent  of…something,  wait,
someone, someone he recognized—Deke Sommers! Gritting his
teeth, Luther swallowed hard. He’d tried to get the memory
of the sexy human, how he’d looked, smelled, spoken, out of
his mind…at least, until he could do something about him. It
hadn’t  worked.  In  the  dark  hours  of  the  night,  Deke’s
handsome  visage  had  entered  his  dreams,  driving  him  to
experience some of the most amazing wet dreams of his life.

While Luther loved the feelings, he feared the implication

all at the same time. The life that he prepared to turn upside
down wasn’t just his own life. It was his daughter’s as well.
He feared how Stephani would take the news that his mate
was a man.

Now, Luther swept his gaze over the room. He spotted

Lex, a vampire he’d met in Vegas—one who’d seemed a
little too friendly with Deke.

“Luther, what’s wrong?” His beta’s question yanked

Luther out of his thoughts.

Luther suddenly realized he growled softly and had the

attention of everyone at the table. Shit! Clearing his throat,
he frowned at his pile of chips. “Sorry. I…” He paused,

Drawing Out His Wolf

knowing if he lied, every other shifter at the table would
know it.

“Guess that’s my queue that I need a break,” Luther

muttered.  He  shoved  from  the  table.  He  took  a  couple  of
seconds  to  scoop  his  pile  of  chips  into  his  pockets,  then
strode from the table. He fully expected Shane to follow and
demand  an  answer,  so  when  he  reached  the  kitchen  sink,
grabbed a beer, and turned to find the beta directly behind
him, Luther wasn’t surprised.

Opening his mouth, Luther planned to ask to discuss it

later, except, at that second, he glanced over Shane’s
shoulder, and his throat constricted. Seated on the sofa, right
next to Declan, was Deke. Luther snapped his jaw shut as his
mouth went dry. The slender blond wore comfortable
charcoal gray slacks with a black, form-fitting t-shirt. He sat
with one sneaker-clad foot tucked up under his firm, round
bubble butt, the other foot resting on the floor.

Even dressed conservatively, Deke was the sexiest thing

Luther had ever seen.

Then, Luther spotted the tension radiating off Deke’s lean

frame. The human leaned close to Declan. His fists clenched
together in his lap, knuckles nearly white, as he whispered
earnestly.

In response, Declan rested his right hand on Deke’s neck.

His fingers moved rhythmically, betraying how he
massaged Deke’s neck. The human seemed to press into his
contact, taking reassurance just as another shifter would.

What the fuck is going on?
“Luther, what the hell, man?” Shane snapped, gripping

his upper arm and giving him a hard shake.

Yanking his gaze away from his obviously distressed

mate, Luther stared at the beta.

Awe, fuck! When did I start thinking of him that way?
“What’s going on with ye?” Shane demanded, scowling.

His scent told that he was more concerned than upset. “Ye’re

Charlie Richards

suddenly acting like ye have a burr in yer paw. What’s
wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, Luther struggled to get his pulse

under control. He set the unopened beer aside and focused
fully on Shane. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” he
muttered. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and
discreetly peered Deke and Declan’s way again.

To his surprise, Declan no longer sat beside Deke. Instead,

Lark had taken the alpha’s place—when he’d left the poker
game,  Luther  had  no  idea—and  the  nurse’s  hand  had
replaced  Declan’s  own.  Deke  had  his  head  between  his
knees  and  appeared  to  be  doing  some  deep  breathing
exercises.  Whatever  they’d  been  speaking  about,  it  had
seriously upset the man.

Luther’s wolf growled in the back of his mind. Need to

see what had upset Deke so much surged through him. He
pushed away from the counter and started that way. He
only got two steps before two things happened—Shane
grabbed his upper arm and jerked him to a stop, and Declan
appeared directly in front of him, blocking his way.

“Come with me,” Declan ordered gruffly.
Never in his life had Luther felt a desire to disobey his

alpha…until now. He wanted to go to Deke, pull him close
and soothe away his fears, whatever they might be. Shane
squeezed where he still held his arm and growled just loud
enough for Luther to hear it.

Jerking his gaze to his beta, Luther swallowed and

nodded. “Yes, Sir,” he whispered as he started his ass
moving. With one more glance toward Deke, he locked
gazes with the human for just a second before Lark offering
him a shot glass drew his attention away.

“Luther,” Declan rumbled. “In here.”
Luther followed his alpha into a room that appeared to be

a study or den. Once inside, Shane closed the door behind

Drawing Out His Wolf

him and crossed the room to a bar. “Is this going to require
drinks all around?” he asked, smirking.

Declan shrugged. “Aye, why not?” he responded heavily.
Confusion filling him, Luther watched as Shane pulled

out three shot glasses, then he lifted a bottle of amber liquid
from behind the bar. Before he could pour, the door behind
Luther opened and he quickly stepped aside so it wouldn’t
hit him. He watched Carson and Jared join them in the
room.

Carson gave Declan an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Alpha.

You know Jared has a problem with others in his space.”

Nodding, Declan gripped Luther’s arm and led him to a

chair. “Then, I’ll make this quick.” He pointed at the seat.
“Sit.”

Luther settled onto the chair. “What’s going on?” he

asked, even though that’s not what he really wanted to
know.

Declan crossed his arms over his chest. “Is Deke Sommers

yer mate?”

Gaping, Luther peered up at his alpha. “I-I—” He

managed to snap his mouth closed, then rested his head on
his palm. “Yeah. Yeah, he is.”

“How long have ye known?” Declan asked.
His mouth dry, Luther whispered hoarsely, “Months,” he

admitted. “Since Vegas.”

“And ye haven’t done anything about it?” Declan asked

brusquely, almost coldly.

Luther placed his right hand on the back of his neck and

rubbed at the tension suddenly there. “I have Stephani to
think of and Dirk told me Deke was in a relationship.” That
sounded like pathetic excuses even to his own ears. Meeting
his alpha’s gaze, he admitted, “Stephani goes to camp next
month for a couple of weeks with her friends. Her last bit of
freedom before school restarts. I’d planned to head to

Charlie Richards

Sacramento and look him up at that time…see if he was even
interested and if we’re compatible.”

Shane snorted, handing him a shot glass. “Fate set ye up

and ye’re worried about compatibility?” He shook his head.

Luther took the glass and downed the alcohol, the high-

end scotch burning just right. He cleared his throat. “Yeah,
probably a stupid concern,” he mumbled. Focusing his gaze
on Declan, he gathered his courage and asked, “Why was
Deke so upset?”

Declan held his gaze for a few seconds, his stormy gray

eyes narrowed, as if assessing Luther. Finally, he heaved a
heavy sigh. Frowning, Declan stated, “Deke went through
something traumatic at the hands of his ex-boyfriend. If ye
cannot take care of yer mate properly, continue to stay away
from him.” After that command, his alpha turned and strode
from the room.

Luther gasped, his eyes widening as he watched his alpha

disappear. “Oh, Gods,” he whimpered, his wolf cowering in
the back of his mind. He peered around the room at the
other men.

Carson grimaced, sympathy in his eyes.
Shane handed him another shot of scotch, from the smell

of it. “Drink,” he ordered.

After Luther had downed it, he rubbed his hands over his

face. “I’ve completely fucked up,” he mumbled.

“Well, at least you know how to unfuck it,” Jared stated

glibly.

Luther yanked his gaze from the floor and gaped at the

enforcer’s mate. “Huh?”

Scoffing, Jared leaned against the wall. “Get your head

out of your ass and claim your mate like a good little
shifter.” He smirked. “Fate will make your life a living hell if
you keep fighting it.” His eyes narrowed, gleaming with

Drawing Out His Wolf

mischief, and his voice took on a husky note. “Trust me.
Those wet dreams are not better than the real thing.”

Luther’s face flushed. “I-I’m gonna go,” he whispered. “It

seems I have some thinking to do.” Like, how to break it to
his daughter that, one way or another, their lives were about
to change.

A night of thinking, pacing his home’s study, and restless

dozing did nothing to make things clearer.

Luther knew what his wolf wanted…hunt down their

mate,  figure  out  what  was  wrong,  and  fix  it.  Still,  what
would that mean for his daughter? Would Stephani hate him
for  mating  a  male?  He’d  never  shown  any  interest  in  men
while  around  her.  He’d  kept  that  part  of  himself  carefully
hidden away while raising his daughter.

“Hey!” Stephani announced her presence by wandering

into the room, already dressed in jeans and a nice top. She
plopped onto the other end of the sofa and slurped a sip of
her beverage. “You look like shit,” she stated bluntly. “Late
night?”

Glaring at his daughter, Luther snapped, “What

interaction between us makes you think it’s okay for you to
talk to me that way?” He sniffed the air, then shoved to his
feet and stalked toward her. “Give me that.” Before Stephani
could respond, he snatched the cup of coffee from his
daughter’s hand and gulped the hot liquid. He fought back a
grimace at the too sweet taste.

“Hey!” Stephani squealed, jumping up. “Give that back!”
Luther held his daughter’s gaze for several long seconds,

then held the mug out. When she reached for it, he pulled it
away. “Language?” he growled.

Stephani rolled her eyes, but at least she muttered, “Yes,

Dad.”

Charlie Richards

Luther handed her the cup of coffee. Hell, it wasn’t as if

he wanted the rest of it. Heading to the kitchen to get his
own coffee, he noted his daughter followed.

“So, what?” Stephani pressed, settling on a bar stool. “I

saw the car outside, but you look like you’re hung over. You
didn’t drive drunk, did you?”

His cup of black coffee halfway to his lips, Luther’s eyes

widened. He paused and muttered, “Of course not,” before
taking a sip. “I didn’t get drunk. I just had trouble sleeping,”
he grumbled. “Had a lot on my mind.”

“Is that why you completely missed the doorbell?”
As Stephani spoke the words, Leopold, Leo to his friends,

Caldwell strode into the room. “Morning!” the other man
greeted. Then, his brows drew together as he gazed upon
him with apparent concern. “Damn, you just get up?”

“More like I didn’t actually go to sleep,” Luther muttered,

reacting  to  Leo’s  much  stronger  wolf  instead  of  thinking.
Damn,  that  just  showed  how  tired  he  was.  Growling,  he
looked  to  his  daughter.  “Are  you  ready  for  the  training
session this afternoon?”

Stephani’s eyes narrowed, but after a couple of seconds,

she nodded. “Yep. You gonna be awake enough to
chaperone?”

Luther nodded. “You plan to go shopping with your

friends  this  morning,”  he  stated.  “Leo  has  a  business
meeting.” He shrugged. “I’ll take a nap and be ready by one.
You  just  make  certain  you’re  not  late  getting  home,”  he
reminded,  pointing  at  her.  “I  know  how  much  you  lose
yourself in your shopping.”

Stephani snorted. “Whatever.” In true teenager fashion,

she stood and flounced from the room. “I’ll be on time,” she
hollered over her shoulder.

Luther saw his cousin’s concerned look, but he ignored it

in favor of more coffee.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Three

eke didn’t know how he’d been talked into this. His
words about not liking sitting around the house had

surely bit him on the ass. Shaking his head, he peered
around as he watched the cars come and go, and shifters
dropping off their children for training.

A group of adults, led by Frankie, Carson, and Nick

Greely—a  wolf  shifter  tracker—assigned  each  child  to
different  groups  as  they  arrived.  The  kids  ranged  in  ages
from  twelve  to  fifteen.  Evidently,  the  run  was  supposed  to
judge  a  number  of  things,  from  speed  of  shifting,  to  their
ability to track a scent, to thinking outside the box as his or
her animal.

When Deke had asked about that last one, Frankie had

told him that those who excelled in pack ranks knew how to
think  beyond  their  animal’s  common  instincts.  They  could
control  their  desire  to  chase  after  a  bunny  that  bounded
across  their  path.  They  could  employ  decoy  techniques  to
make tracking themselves more difficult. Some would show
talent for directing other wolves.

Lex stepped up next to Deke and slung his arm over his

shoulder. “Quite the production, huh?”

Deke glanced at the vampire, then returned to watching

Frankie with the children. He nodded. “Yeah. Do vampires
go through this?” he asked, waving at the men giving
instruction to the children.

Charlie Richards

When Deke had asked Lex why he was going with them,

the  vampire  had  explained  that  the  group planned  to  have
him,  Sebastian,  and  Caspian  create  trails  that  criss-crossed.
Carson,  Nick,  and  Cliff  MacDougal—the  pack’s  head
tracker—would each go with a group of cubs and see  how
well  they  worked  together  as  wolves  and  if  they  could
follow  their  assigned  vampire’s  convoluted  path.  Frankie
had  explained  that  Deke’s  job  was  to  wander  the  woods
with him and do his best to disrupt the scent tracks, making
the cub’s job even more difficult.

A motorcycle pulled into the parking area, the engine

roaring,  snagging  Deke’s  attention.  His  jaw  sagged  open
when he spotted Luther pull his helmet  from his head and
help a teenage girl from the back of his large Harley. Deke
snapped  his  jaw  shut  and  gulped  at  the  sexy  sight  of  the
man in jeans and a leather jacket.

“Damn,” Deke whispered.
Lex must have followed his line of sight, for he leaned

close and purred into his ear, “Oh, he is very sexy, isn’t he? I
hear he’s supposed to be one of the chaperones.” Lex rubbed
his lips over Deke’s neck as he whispered, “Shifters get
naked before changing form. Soon, you’ll get to see his
naked ass.”

As Lex spoke, he placed a hand on Deke’s back and slid

that hand down his spine. He slipped his hand inside Deke’s
back pocket and palmed his butt cheek.

Deke shivered at the images in his mind, conjured by

Lex’s words.

“Just think of the firm skin and hard muscles under those

jeans and leather jacket. Bet you wanna lick ’em, huh?” Lex
continued.

Whimpering at the mental picture of yards of bronzed,

naked skin, Deke whined, “Yes. Fuck he’s so hot.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chuckling softly, Lex licked a stripe behind Deke’s ear.

He squeezed Deke’s ass once more. “Hang onto this,” he
ordered softly. “You’re gonna need it.”

That’s when Deke felt it. Lex had slipped something into

Deke’s  back  pocket  along  with  his  fingers.  Now,  he  drew
away  his  hand  and  left  whatever  it  was  behind.  Turning
toward  the  vampire,  who  now  drew  away  and  put  a  few
steps between them, Deke asked, “What?”

A wicked grin on his face, Lex winked. “Lube.”
Deke scowled as he watched the vampire’s retreating

figure. “What the hell would I need that for?” he shouted.

Lex glanced over his shoulder, mischief gleaming in his

light brown eyes. He just laughed.

Shaking his head, Deke made his way toward Frankie

where  the  wolf  shifter  now  stood  off  to  the  side  watching
Cliff  and  Nick  give  pointers  on  tracking.  Frankie’s  nose
wrinkled and he turned to look at Deke. “You reek of Lex.
What  have  you  been  doing?”  he  asked  in  what  Deke  had
learned quickly was Frankie’s usual blunt fashion.

Deke shrugged. “Nothing. He was just giving me crap,”

he muttered. “So, when do we start hiking?” he asked,
wiggling his toes in his borrowed hiking boots. “And how
did you talk me into this again?”

Frankie grinned. “Would you rather be sitting at the

house?”

“No,” Deke responded, sighing. “I suppose not.”
“Oh, the vamps are heading out,” Frankie commented,

pointing toward Sebastian, Lexington, and Caspian.

As Deke watched, the three vampires grinned at each

other and bumped fists. Then, with supernatural speed, their
forms almost a blur, they sprinted into the forest and
disappeared. Deke’s brows shot up. “Wow,” he muttered.
“Impressive.”

Charlie Richards

“Pretty cool, huh?” Frankie responded. He lifted a hand

and motioned. “Let’s get moving.”

Deke nodded, but couldn’t resist peering left and eyeing

Luther’s masculine form appreciatively one more time. As if
sensing someone watching him, Luther turned and met his
gaze. The wolf shifter narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze
over Deke’s body once, twice. A slow, predatory smile
spread over the man’s face and he slowly licked his lips.

Shivering at the heat in the other male’s gaze, Deke

swallowed hard. Confused by the sudden change in the
man, hell, he certainly hadn’t acknowledged any attraction
the first time they’d met…or even last night.

Of course, Deke wasn’t in very good form last night. After

he’d shared his tale with Declan, he’d essentially had a panic
attack. Lark had helped him from the room and tucked him
in a bedroom until he’d calmed down. By the time he’d
rejoined the party, it’d been winding down and Luther had
already left.

Pulling his gaze away from Luther’s perusal, Deke saw

Frankie standing at the edge of the trees smirking at him. He
jogged over to the man. Not wanting to discuss it, instead he
asked, “How come Vince isn’t helping?”

“The pack is too familiar with his scent,” Frankie

explained, hiking into the forest. “They would be able to
track him too easily.”

“Oh, and I’m with you because my scent is unfamiliar,

too?”

Frankie nodded. He grinned at him. “And I’m with you

so you don’t get lost.”

Deke chuckled. “Thanks, because that wouldn’t take long

at  all.”  He’d  grown  up  in  a  city.  While  he’d  occasionally
hiked,  it’d  been  on  well-used  paths  in  parks.  He’d  never
been  in  a  place  like  this.  With  how  the  trees  towered  over

Drawing Out His Wolf

him and vegetation surrounded him, he found it scary and
thrilling all at the same time.

For over an hour, Deke and Frankie hiked. He asked once

why they kept changing directions, since it felt like they
were going in circles. Frankie had explained that whenever
they crossed the trail of one of the vampires, he adjusted
their course.

Suddenly, Frankie stopped and tilted his head back. He

sniffed the air. Frowning, the wolf shifter slowly turned,
seeming to peer through the trees, searching for something.

“What’s wrong?” Deke asked, nerves surfacing.
Frankie focused on something in the trees. “Luther, what

are you doing here?” he asked, clearly confused. “Aren’t you
supposed to be chaperoning one of the groups?”

Deke followed Frankie’s gaze and gasped. A large dark

wolf, his fur a mix of black, brown, with a smattering of
blond thrown in, stood fifteen feet away. Ignoring Frankie,
the animal’s odd blue-eyed gaze appeared fixated on Deke.

“Luther?” Frankie questioned again.
The wolf, Luther, padded forward several steps, then

paused in a pine-needle strewn patch between logs. He
started to shift.

Watching the fur recede, bones slide beneath hide, and

hearing the muscles and tendons pop, Deke couldn’t help
but cringe.

Frankie glanced at him and waved a hand. “Relax. There

must just be a problem.”

Deke nodded, unable to take his gaze away from the

transforming  shifter.  Luther?  “You,  uh—”  He  paused  and
swallowed.  “You  all  are  aware  in  wolf  form,  right?  I
remember,  um,  being  told  that.”  While  his buddy  had  told
him  about  shifter’s  existence,  seeing  it  was  something  else
entirely.

Charlie Richards

Nodding, Frankie smiled. “Oh, yeah. None of us would

ever hurt you.”

Finally, Luther—having completed the change—slowly

rose from his crouch. His blue eyes—just as his wolf’s had—
burned with some unknown emotion. Deke couldn’t help
but sweep his gaze over Luther’s naked form.

Luther’s shoulders were just as broad as his leather coat

had hinted. Muscles bunched in his arms as he clenched his
fists. A smattering of chest hair led between firm pectorals
and over eight-pack abs. His half-hard dick jutted from the
thin bush at his groin.

Saliva pooled in Deke’s mouth as desire filled him. He

wanted to drop to his knees and swallow that dick down.
He’d suck it to full mast, then lick and lave the bulbous head
like a lollipop. What would his pre-cum taste like? What
about his seed?

“Is there a problem, Luther?” Frankie asked.
“Yes,” Luther growled throatily.
The irritated tone caused Deke to yank his attention back

to Luther’s face.

Luther stalked forward slowly, his hands clenching and

unclenching, his gaze sweeping over Deke. “You reek of that
vampire,” he snarled.

Frankie snorted. “I told him the same thing!”
“It is not acceptable,” Luther stated, drawing closer. “You

are my mate!” he claimed in a low snarl. “You should only
smell of me!”

Deke’s jaw sagged open, his head tilting upward as

Luther continued toward him. He took a step backward, but
his back landing against something hard, a tree trunk from
the feel of it, instantly stopped his retreat.

Luther kept coming until he pressed his naked chest

against Deke’s shirt-clad one. The shifter spread his legs a bit
to even out their heights. He lifted his arms and gripped

Drawing Out His Wolf

Deke’s waist in a loose hold, his thumbs rubbing back and
forth over his hip bones. Panting softly, Deke stared into
Luther’s blue eyes.

Holding his gaze for a couple of seconds, Luther’s eyes

narrowed. He lowered his gaze to Deke’s shoulder and
grumbled, “I don’t like that vampire’s smell on you.”

Luther tipped his head forward and tucked his nose

against Deke’s neck. On instinct, Deke tilted his head.
Growling softly, Luther rubbed his face along Deke’s neck,
moving his cheek and chin over the same location Lex had
not that long ago. This time, though, Deke’s body instantly
responded, going from half-hard to full mast in his jeans.

Deke gasped, “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Fixing the problem,” Luther snapped.
“Uh, Luther?” Frankie stepped into Deke’s line of sight.

“Should I, um, leave you alone with Deke?”

“Yes,” Luther replied.
In the same instant, Deke squeaked, “No.”
Luther growled and lifted his head, pinning him with a

sharp gaze. “You think I would harm you?”

Deke instantly shook his head. “No. I’m afraid I’ll ask you

to fuck me with that  big dick of yours. God, you’re hung.”
Shit!  He  couldn’t  believe  he’d  said  that,  but  damn  was  it
true.  His  ass  clenched,  wanting  to  feel  the  hard  prick
currently digging into his stomach reaming his ass.

Letting out a low growl, Luther smirked, his eyes alight

with something feral. “I can certainly do that.”

“Okay,” Frankie responded, chuckling. “I suppose you’re

in good hands then, Deke.” Frankie looked at Luther. “You’ll
make sure Deke gets home, right, Luther?”

Sliding his gaze away from Deke, Luther peered at the

other shifter. “I will take care of my mate from now on,” he
claimed gruffly. “We’ll be along to your house to pick up his
things in a few hours.”

Charlie Richards

Deke gaped, indignation rising. Moving his hands from

where he’d instinctively placed them on Luther’s sides, he
ran them up to his pecs and pushed, hard. Still, it barely
moved the man, but it did regain his attention.

“You can’t just pin me to a tree, say we’re mates, and

think you can run my life,” Deke snapped. “I have my own
life. It might be shitty sometimes, but I get to decide!”

Luther’s jaw tensed. He cut a gaze toward a still waiting,

now frowning, Frankie. “Leave.”

Frankie still looked uncertain, glancing between them, but

he did take a step backward. Finally, he looked at Deke and
offered, “Let him put his scent on you, then tell him again.
He’s a little, um—” His brows crinkled, struggling with
what he seemed to want to say. “Someone else’s scent is on
you and he’s been denying your mating for months, so
he’s—”

When Frankie paused again, Deke nodded. “I get it.” He

didn’t like it, but he got it. “His wolf’s possessive mating
urges have taken over, haven’t they?”

A relieved grin creased Frankie’s face. “Right!” He lifted a

hand, palm out, as if to reassure. “Don’t worry, though. He
won’t hurt you.”

Deke nodded. “I’ll see you later, Frankie.”
Frankie nodded back, then turned away and started

jogging through the forest.

Once Frankie had disappeared, Deke focused on Luther.

Keeping his tone even, he stated, “I may be a skinny, little
twink, but I just ran away from a man trying to run my life.”
He held Luther’s blue-eyed gaze steadily as he finished
calmly, “Mate or not, I won’t allow you that control, either.”

Luther stared at him for what felt like an eternity, but was

probably only a few seconds. He blinked once, twice, then
the odd light in his eyes disappeared. He swallowed hard,
his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Then, to Deke’s shock, Luther wrapped his arms around

him and pulled him into a tight embrace. He tucked his face
against Deke’s neck and nuzzled him. “Forgive me,” he
whispered. “Please, forgive me.”

Uncertain what he should do, Deke returned the man’s

embrace. He gently petted Luther’s back and mumbled, “It’s
okay.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Four

hame flooded Luther, and he clutched Deke to him. He
held his mate tightly, whispering his apologies. He’d

never forced himself on anyone, and for his wolf to attempt
it now, never had he felt such remorse.

“No, it’s not okay,” Luther muttered. Lifting his head, he

hated the look of concern in Deke’s eyes. Luther should be
the one checking that Deke was okay. Fuck! Easing his hold
a bit, Luther straightened and peered down at his mate.
“What I was trying to force was wrong. You’re absolutely
right. I didn’t mean to force you in any way. I—”

Luther grimaced and flushed, his blood heating at his

thoughts.  Knowing  he  had  to  be  forthright,  he  admitted,
“Between  smelling  Lex  all  over  you,  setting  off  my  wolf’s
desire  to  mark  you,  combined  with  how  long  I’ve  been
trying to come to grips with Fate choosing you as my mate, I
just—” Luther groaned. “And fuck! You admitted you want
my dick in your ass.”

“Probably not the best thing for me to say under the

circumstances,” Deke whispered. “Guess neither one of us
has a clear head right now, huh?”

Meeting his mate’s searching gaze, Luther smiled. “I

suppose not.” He rubbed one hand up and down Deke’s
spine as he kept the other solidly around his mate’s waist.
“Can I take you home, so we can talk about this?”

Deke shook his head, his expression serious.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Luther’s hand froze on his mate’s upper back. Was Deke

denying him after all? “No?”

Deke shook his head again. “No. No talking. You can take

me home and fuck me though.”

His jaw sagging open, Luther gaped at him. “Y-you want

to—” Lust and need for this man heated Luther from the
inside out. “Just like that?”

Deke bucked his hips, pressing his groin against Luther’s

throbbing prick. “I don’t think so well when I’m horny,” he
told him. “How about we fuck, take the edge off, then you
can tell me why the sudden turnaround?”

At the talk of fucking, Luther’s balls had begun to tighten.

The base of his spine tingled. Just holding his mate and
having him speak so bluntly about screwing had Luther on a
razor’s edge.

“Shit,” Luther muttered. “It’s been too long,” he admitted,

shivers racking him. “Not since Vegas, and I don’t think I
can wait.”

“Mmm,” Deke purred. He grinned at Luther, his green

eyes  bright,  not  hiding  his  attraction  one  bit.  “How  about
this, then,  big guy,” he whispered. “You promise no  biting
on  our  first  fuck,  and  I’ll  blow  you,  then  suck  you  until
you’re  hard  again,  then  let  you  pound  my  empty,  needy
ass.”

Groaning, Luther’s hips bucked. His balls pulled tight.

“Yes,” he gasped. “I can promise that.” Hell, he’d promise
anything to be able to fulfill the images Deke sent running
through his head.

No biting. Yeah, I can do that.
If he had to clench his jaw shut and tear up the inside of

his own mouth, he’d make sure it happened.

Taking Luther at his word, Deke dropped to his knees

before him. Without any other warning, Deke gripped his
hip with his left hand, the base of his nearly painful cock

Charlie Richards

with his right hand, and angled it down for his mouth. Deke
opened wide and swallowed Luther to the root.

Luther couldn’t help it. He was too on the edge and

seeing  his  mate  on  his  knees  servicing  him,  feeling  the  hot
cavern  of  his  mouth  and  the  strong  sucking  pulls  on  his
sensitive  shaft,  then  to  have  Deke  lodge  his  sensitive  glans
into his throat and swallow…nirvana. Roaring, Luther came.

His balls tight to his body, Luther jerked as his cum

blasted from him into his mate’s waiting mouth. His dick
twitched and jerked in the confines of Deke’s mouth, his
seed escaping, sending jolts of bliss through his body.

Deke hummed, expressing his own pleasure and making

Luther’s shaft vibrate at the same time. Luther threaded his
fingers through Deke’s hair and pulled his head back a little
bit,  so  he  could  pull  partway  out.  Even  with  bliss  already
pinging  through  his  system,  the  sight  of  Deke’s  lips
stretched  wide  around  his  prick  sent  a  fresh  bolt  of  lust
through  him.  He  rocked  his  hips,  watching  his  spit-slicked
erection slide between his mate’s pink lips.

“Oh, Gods,” Luther whined. “So pretty.”
Peering through his lashes, Deke’s green eyes glowed.

Somehow, he managed to grin mischievously, even with his
mouth full of dick. At that same second, Luther felt Deke’s
tongue tickle the sensitive bit of wrinkled flesh beneath his
head  right  before  he  dipped  his  tongue  into  Luther’s
sensitive  piss-slit.  Luther  gasped  and  shuddered.  His  cock,
which  had  never  truly  softened,  hardened  again  as  if  he’d
never shot. His balls rolled in his sack.

“Deke,” he gasped.
Never had he received head where his lover actually

looked like they were having so much fun, getting so much
enjoyment, from playing with his dick.

Luther spotted movement below his groin and realized

Deke’s hands were no longer on him. At some point after

Drawing Out His Wolf

Luther  had  taken  over—gripping  Deke’s  head  and  rocking
his  hips—his  mate  had  released  him  and  reached  for  his
own  pants.  Twisting  a  bit,  Luther  looked  lower  and  saw
Deke had managed to shove his jeans to his knees. He held a
single  use  packet  of  lube  in  one  hand  and  the  other  hand
was—

“Oh Gods!” Luther moaned, his hips bucking

instinctively.

Deke’s mouth welcomed him in, sucking hard on the

retreat.

“You have your fingers in your ass,” Luther stated.
Humming again, Deke continued sucking him.
Luther’s balls rolled, his testicles tingling. His entire groin

felt  hot,  flushed,  and  his  nipples  beaded.  “Want  you,”  he
whined. Knowing he sounded like a needy, sex-starved pup
looking  for  his  first  fuck,  Luther  couldn’t  help  it.  The
knowledge  that  he  was  gonna  slide  his  spit-slicked,  aching
erection  into  this  cute  man’s  hot,  tight  hole  just  about  had
him  pushing  the  man  face  first  to  the  ground  so  he  could
drive into his waiting heat.

Deke must have read the desperation on his face, for at

that  second,  he  pulled  off  of  Luther’s  dick.  Unable  to  help
the whine that escaped him, Luther managed to release his
mate’s hair, letting him go. Deke pulled his fingers free of his
ass as he stood in one fluid motion. He wrapped those same
fingers  around  Luther’s  prick,  jacking  slowly,  and  Luther
realized  he  was  adding  the  rest  of  the  lube  to  his  already
saliva coated cock.

“You’re big, sexy wolf,” Deke crooned. “Wanna get you

nice and wet so you’ll slide easy into my tight ass. You’ll fill
me up so good, won’t you?”

Luther’s hands clenched and relaxed where they hung at

his sides. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from where Deke’s

Charlie Richards

small hand wrapped around him, working him, slicking him
up.

“I-I’ll fill you up,” Luther panted. “I’ll sink my cum so

deep inside you that you’ll taste it in your throat.” He would
never have said anything like that to the women he’d
screwed, but hearing Deke’s blunt words seemed to tear the
filter off his own mouth. “I’m gonna take my cock and drive
it into your ass, Deke. You’ll feel me for days, every time you
sit, every time you stand, every time you move.” With each
declaration, he thrust his hips forward and back, letting
Deke jack him. “You’re gonna know it was me that gave you
that pleasure.”

Deke’s face and neck appeared flushed as his head lolled

on  his  shoulders  and  he  moaned.  “Oh,  Luther.  Yeah,  can’t
wait. Want you to plow my ass. Never been bareback before.
Wanna  feel  your  cum  drip  from  my  hole,  coat  my  thighs.
Fuck, I’ll get a plug and shove it in me, trapping your seed in
my  chute.”  Deke  groaned,  his  swollen  lips  parted  as  he
panted,  obviously  enjoying  his  own  words.  “You  can  take
out the plug any time you want and slide your cock into me.
I’ll be stretched from the plug and greased by your cum. You
can have my ass any time you want.”

“N-now,” Luther growled.
Luther pulled out of Deke’s hold, taking a step back. He

reached down and gripped his mate under his arms, hauling
him up as he spun him. “Lean over and place your hands on
the tree,” he ordered gruffly, more eager to sink his prick
into his mate’s willing ass than he’d even been on his first
fuck.

The way Deke immediately obeyed, no hesitation, drove

Luther’s lust higher. He loved how this man responded to
him, his touch, his voice, and he loved how his own body
responded with that same enthusiasm and need right back.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Gripping the base of his greased dick with his left hand,

Luther settled his right hand on Deke’s ass. He used his hold
to spread Deke’s cheeks, revealing his lubed, stretched star.
Luther guided his cock head to his mate’s pink hole. As soon
as his cap touched Deke’s most intimate part, his mate
arched his back and rocked toward him, welcoming the
invasion to come.

“So hot, so sexy,” Luther muttered under his breath as he

pressed.  After  the  briefest  of  resistance,  his  crown  popped
past  the  guardian  muscle,  sinking  into  the  hottest,  tightest
channel  he’d  ever  felt.  Hissing  through  clenched  teeth,
Luther pushed and pushed, sinking into the blessed squeeze
that was his mate’s body.

Deke moaned his encouragement, arching into his hold.

“Fuck, yeah. Put it in,” he urged breathily.

Luther did as instructed. With one final shove, he buried

his dick balls deep inside his mate. Hearing Deke’s wanton
moan, feeling the muscle rippling along his length, and
knowing it was his mate encasing him, Luther almost shot
off in that instant.

Clamping his hand on Deke’s waist, Luther forced his hot

as hell human to still. The way Deke took his dick, the way
he spoke, revealed experience beyond even Luther’s years.
He’d feel jealous if it didn’t culminate in the sexy as all get-
out mate in his arms.

“Stay still,” Luther ordered gruffly. “Now that I have you,

I want to enjoy this.”

Deke whined and wriggled in his hold, causing his ass

muscles  to  undulate  around  Luther’s  shaft,  massaging  his
length. Growling, Luther glanced over his shoulder, looking
for  a  stump  he’d  seen  upon  arrival.  When  he  found  it,  he
wrapped his arms around Deke, one around his chest to grip
his  opposite  shoulder,  the  other  around  his  hips,  trapping
Deke’s dick against his forearm.

Charlie Richards

“I said stay still,” Luther rumbled, backing them one slow

step at a time. “My dick is in your ass. That means I’m in
charge. When your dick is in my ass, I’ll do whatever you
say. Deal?”

Reaching the stump, Luther settled his ass on it, pleased it

wasn’t  too  uncomfortable.  Hell,  as  a  wolf  shifter,  he’d  sat
and even laid in plenty more uncomfortable places than this.
It  wasn’t  until  he’d  gotten  Deke  situated  as  he  wanted—
Deke’s  legs  draped  so  they  fell  outside  of  his  own,  Deke’s
arms  down  and  gripping  Luther’s  hips,  and  Deke’s  head
resting on his shoulder—that Luther realized the man hadn’t
responded.

Luther peered down at his sexy mate, enjoying the view

of  him  sprawled  across  his  lap,  impaled  on  his  dick,  with
Deke’s  own  prick  bobbing  in  the  air.  He  rested  his  right
hand  on  Deke’s  inner  thigh,  using  his  thumb  to  trace  the
thick  vein  running  along  the  base.  Placing  his  left  hand  on
Deke’s  chest,  he  gently  massaged  his  right  nipple.  Luther
lowered his head and nuzzled along Deke’s head.

“Hey,” Luther crooned. “Did I say something wrong?” he

asked. “Did I get too dominant on you? Shifters can get a
little…intense.”

Deke tilted his head a bit and looked Luther in the eye.

“Can I really fuck you, too?”

Luther’s brows shot up. Had he said that? Yes, he had.

He’d told Deke that when Deke’s dick was in his ass, he
could be in charge, which implied that, at some point, it
would happen. Never would he break his word to his mate.

“Yes, Deke,” Luther murmured, peppering gentle kisses

along his jaw to the back of his ear. “I admit I fear it a bit, but
I will not deny you. I can’t expect you to be the bottom all
the time. That’s not fair in a partnership.”

Deke’s grin could have lit up the world. “Wow, Fate sure

knows her stuff!”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Barking a laugh, Luther nodded. “I’ve heard that.” He

rolled his hips, hissing at the friction while enjoying the soft
sigh that escaped Deke’s lips. “I’ll admit,” he ground out.
“When I first scented you as my mate, one of the things that
had me running was the idea of a dick in my ass,” he ground
out. “Plus, my daughter, who I should not be thinking about
while I’m fucking you.”

Grunting, Deke muttered, “Good call. You know I’ll make

it good for you, right?”

Luther rolled his hips, sliding his cock in Deke’s channel.

He  reveled  in  the  sensations  coupled  with  the  panting,
pleasurable  sounds  escaping  his  mate.  “I  know,”  he
mumbled. “Seeing you like this, loving how I feel in you,  I
want that. I want to know what it’ll feel like.”

“Damn,” Deke whined. “Just listening to you and feeling

your big cock press against my prostate is gonna make me
shoot.”

Chuckling roughly, Luther continued his slow ruts. “Feel

free to any time, sweet human,” he urged. “My balls feel so
tight, I’m surprised I can’t feel them in the back of my throat.
I wanna let go and paint your insides. I wish I had that plug
right now. I’d fill you up and cork you,” he muttered, once
more unable to shut up. Something in him needed to share
all his mental images with his mate. “I’ll take you home and
we’ll chat, and all the while I’ll know that you have my seed
buried deep inside your sexy bubble butt.” He shoved up
harder, liking the idea of his cum kept deep inside his mate.

“We’ll get hungry and make lunch,” Luther commented

absently, rutting inside his mate, reveling in the fact that he
could now do so, no longer fighting his body’s urges. “I’ll
rub up against you every chance I get and when we sit down
for lunch, I’ll take you into the den, instead. I have this big
easy chair,” he told Deke. “I’ll lower my pants and show you
how hard you make me. I’ll take your pants off you. I’ll take

Charlie Richards

the  plug  out,  and  I’ll  put  you  on  my  lap  just  like  this.”
Luther nipped Deke’s ear, then whispered, “You’ll sit on my
lap  with  my  dick  in  your  ass  as  I  feed  you  and  play  with
your  pretty  dick.”  To  accentuate  his  point,  Luther  gripped
Deke’s dick and gave it a firm squeeze as he jacked.

Deke moaned and writhed in his grip. His dick jerked and

pulsed,  spewing  spurts  of  creamy  white  seed  all  over  the
ground in front of them. When his mate’s muscles clamped
on  his  shaft,  Luther  gave  in  to  his  own  need,  shooting  his
seed  deep  inside  his  mate,  Luther  realized  that  this,  right
here, was perfect.

He prayed his daughter would understand, because now

that he’d had Deke, he’d never give him up.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Five

eke slid off the motorcycle. Luther had told him it was
a Harley something or other, not that he’d paid

attention. Cars and other transportation didn’t matter to
Deke. As long as it got him from point A to B, Deke didn’t
care.

Still, Luther’s house on the other hand, that made an

impression on Deke. It wasn’t actually large, more a medium
sized structure. Deke loved the wood façade, the massive
windows stretching vertically on the front of the home and
the pretty pitched roof. There was even a picket fence and
everything.

“Do you have a dog?” Deke blurted out.
Luther reached out and took the helmet Deke had

borrowed from him. “No,” Luther responded. “I don’t have
a dog. Stephani is pushing for one.” He smirked and met
Deke’s gaze. “You gonna join her side on that? Maybe gang
up on me?” He winked. “Be the good parent?”

Deke snorted. “Dude, I am not Stephani’s parent. No

matter how long we’re together, I’ll never be her father. You
are,” he assured. He settled his hand on Luther’s shoulder
and rubbed. “As far as ganging up, you will only feel that
way because, when it happens, you’ll know you’re wrong.”

His brows lowering into a mock scowl, Luther wrapped

his arms around Deke’s waist and brought them together.
“Really? I’ll be wrong?” he growled.

Charlie Richards

“Yup,” Deke whispered, really liking how it felt to have

Luther hold him. His grip was comfortable, not too tight as if
trying to force him to stay still, but secure enough for Deke
to feel…safe. Tipping his head back so he could give his new
lover a cheeky grin, he murmured, “You’ll figure out pretty
quick that I’m always right.”

Grinning down at Deke, Luther palmed his lower back

with one hand and used the other to cup Deke’s jaw. “Pretty
sure of that, are you?” he murmured, running his thumb
along the corner of his bottom lip.

Deke’s face tingled at the gentle touch. Sighing, he

lowered his lids to half-mast and nuzzled into his hold.
“You’ve done a one eighty,” he mumbled. “Why?”

Luther’s grin faded to a sad smile. “Let’s go inside,” he

urged, easing away from him. “We’ll get comfortable and
talk.”

Nodding, trepidation filled Deke, but he did as Luther

recommended. Did he really want to know what had
changed in Luther’s life that—wait! “Is this because of Lex’s
scent being on me?” he asked warily. “Did you come after
me because of that?”

“I’m not gonna lie and say no. I only want truth between

us,” Luther replied. “Scenting Lex all over you like that,
hell—” His tone dipped to a soft growl as he opened his
door and ushered them inside the home. Turning to frown at
Deke, he stated, “Seeing you across the parking lot with his
arm over your shoulder and then practically hanging off you
like he did. I wanted to rip his fangs out.”

Deke’s brows shot up. “You noticed that? There really

isn’t anything going on between us. We’re just friends.”

“I know,” Luther replied. “He was being manipulative. I

hear he’s got an evilly mischievous streak,” he muttered,
shaking his head.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Taking Deke’s hand, Luther led the way through the

foyer, past a front sitting area, and down a hallway to what
appeared to be a den or TV living room. Deke peered at the
large  tan  sofa  and  matching  loveseat  and  chairs.  Though  a
bit  worn,  they  looked  comfortable.  He  saw  a  dark  green
afghan  folded  and  draped  over  one  of  the  arms  of  the
loveseat.

“Do you want a drink?” Luther asked.
Deke nodded. “That’d be great. Thanks. Uh, water is

fine.”

Cupping Deke’s jaw, Luther leaned toward him. He

closed the distance between them, hesitating just an instant
before sealing his lips over Deke’s own. Sliding their mouths
together, he kept the kiss light, sweet, just as Deke imagined
a first kiss should be.

When Luther lifted his head a few seconds later, he

smiled, his eyes lit with warmth as he moved his gaze over
Deke’s face. “Make yourself at home,” he whispered. “I’ll be
right back.”

Unable to find his voice, Deke just nodded.
Luther pressed one more soft kiss to Deke’s lips, then

released him and walked away.

The pictures on the walls drew Deke’s attention. He

slowly  wandered  around  the  room.  The  smiling  visage  of
Luther  and—Deke  assumed—Stephani  peered  out  at  him.
What  appeared  to  be  school  pictures  were  mixed  with
candid  shots.  He  saw  several  pictures  of  Luther  and
Stephani at what was obviously her birthday parties. There
was one of Stephani in a soccer uniform with three friends,
also in uniform.

“Those are Stephani’s best friends, Peggy, Maranda, and

Sharon.”

Deke just managed to hold in his squeak as he spun

around to face Luther. He held his hand to his chest and

Charlie Richards

stared wide-eyed at the man. “Shit, you startled me,” he
murmured.

“Sorry,” Luther apologized. He held out the glass in his

left hand. “Water?”

“Thanks,” Deke replied, suddenly feeling uneasy

surrounded  by  all  these  memories  of  Luther  and  his
daughter.  The  last  time  he’d  spoken  to  his  parents,  hell,
anyone in his family, it’d been to fight about him being gay.
They’d  been  tired  of  tolerating  his  deviant  lifestyle  and
wanted  him  to  stop  behaving  in  a  manner  that  hurt  the
whole  family.  It’d  been  eye-opening.  He’d  thought  they’d
accepted him.

After taking a gulp of the water, Deke turned back to the

pictures. “You look happy,” he whispered.

“Most of the time,” Luther agreed, a smile in his voice.

“She’s a good kid. Only occasionally tests me.”

Sighing, Deke asked, “How do you think she’s going to

react to me? To this?” He waved his free hand between
them, still unable to look at Luther. He didn’t think he could
forgive himself if he created a rift between father and
daughter.

Luther wrapped his arms around Deke from behind and

rested  his  chin  on  his  right  shoulder.  “Stephani  is  a  wolf
shifter,  Deke,  just  like  me.  She  understands  mates.  It  may
take her a bit to wrap her mind around it, but she will,” he
stated  firmly,  clearly  believing  his  words.  “She  has  a  good
head on her shoulders.”

Deke nodded, hoping Luther was right. He couldn’t help

but find himself falling hard and fast for the man holding
him. Personally, Deke felt seeing another’s home revealed
more about the man than the brief conversations they’d had.
Not to mention, the sex had been amazing.

“So, who took all these photos? Is Stephani’s mom still

around?” Deke asked.

Damn, that could be awkward.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“No,” Luther replied almost curtly. “Stephani’s mother

was a one night stand and a broken condom. When Candice
realized she was pregnant, I was actually the fourth man she
asked to submit to a paternity test,” he growled.

Deke turned in Luther’s arms and wrapped his own

around the man. “Damn. Sorry I asked.”

Luther shrugged. “I shouldn’t have hooked up with her

anyway, but I’m not sorry I got Stephani out of it.”

Snorting, Deke replied, “We’ve all hooked up with people

we  shouldn’t.”  Hence,  his  own  need  to  run  from  Michael.
Thinking  about  him,  Deke  thought  maybe  moving  in  with
Luther  wasn’t  such  a  bad  idea…once  he’d  met  and  been
accepted by Luther’s daughter anyway.

“Most of the pictures were taken by my cousin, Leo,”

Luther said, changing the topic. Deke didn’t mind that at all.
“You’ll meet him soon enough. He had business meetings
today, but he wanted news on how Stephani did in training
today.” Smiling down at him, Luther said wryly, “She’s the
defacto leader of her little group, so we both think she’s
gonna end up being a strong wolf…if she can ever figure out
how to be punctual.”

Deke liked the relaxed way Luther talked about his

family. Stress-free and happy, he seemed to have good
relationships with them. It’d be nice to see how they actually
interacted, to see that kind of respect in action. It’d been so
long since he’d experienced it in a relationship.

Of course, then Luther had to ask the inevitable.
“What about your family?” Luther questioned. “Are they

all back in Sacramento?” He grinned and waggled his
brows. “Am I gonna have to ask your father for your hand
or something?”

Deke’s jaw sagged open. Shock flooded him, replacing the

internal cringe he’d experienced at having to discuss his

Charlie Richards

family. “Wow, I’d forgotten that paranormals move so fast,”
he mumbled, instead.

Luther blew out a breath. Pinching his lips together, he

nodded. “Yeah. Compared to humans, we do. Once we find
our mate, we—” Pausing, Luther blinked, swallowing hard.
He eased his hold and stepped away. Sliding his right hand
down Deke’s left arm, Luther gripped his hand. “Come sit. I
owe you an explanation.”

Sighing, Deke followed Luther’s urging and they settled

on the loveseat together. Evidently, now that Luther had
him in his arms, he wasn’t going to allow Deke to go far. As
soon as Luther released Deke’s hand, he placed his right arm
over the back of the cushion and held him pressed loosely
against his side.

“I’m not going anywhere just yet,” Deke whispered.

Turning his body, he pressed his shoulder into the shifter’s
side and placed his right hand on Luther’s chest. He rubbed
lightly, feeling Luther’s pounding heart under his fingertips.
“Talk to me,” he urged. “Tell me what changed. Was it just
proximity? Out of sight out of mind?”

“You’re blunt,” Luther mumbled gruffly.
Deke shrugged. “Guess I just don’t see the point in

beating around the bush. If we mate, this will create
upheaval in both of our lives.”

Luther pressed a kiss to his temple. “There is no if for me,

sweet human.” He whispered the admission. “I’m sorry I
walked away the first time. It’d been a long, long time since
I’d been attracted to a man and even longer since I’d acted
on it.”

Nuzzling Deke’s temple, he continued, “I asked after you

the next time I saw Dirk a couple of days later, but you’d
already flown back to Sacramento. I figured I’d give myself
time to wrap my head around Fate choosing a male mate.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

He shrugged. “I needed time to decide if I was going to
pursue you or let you go.”

“You were going to let me go, weren’t you?” Deke hated

asking, but that’s really what it sounded like.

“No, actually,” Luther responded instantly. “Stephani is

going  to  summer  camp  for  two  weeks  next  month  before
school  starts  again.  I  had  planned  to  seek  you  out  then.  It
was driving my wolf and I  nuts that  I  knew who  my mate
was  but  didn’t  have  you  with  me.”  Luther  gripped  Deke’s
nape and urged him to tilt his head back. “You showing up
just sped up my plans.”

Grimacing, Luther admitted, “I scented you last night, but

when  I  spotted  you,  you  were  talking  to  Declan.”  He
frowned  and  shook  his  head.  “I’m  just  a  few  years  shy  of
two hundred, Deke. I’ve been known by a number of names
and  have  done  dozens  of  jobs.  I’ve  followed  Declan  across
an ocean and half a continent. When that wolf told me to get
my head of out my ass or walk away from you, it scared the
ever-loving shit out of me.”

“Oh,” Deke whispered. “Yeah, I—” He paused and

grimaced. “I can see why you’d follow him. He has a good
ear.”

Luther nodded. “He’s a good alpha. He takes care of his

own.”

Deke grunted. “In answer to your earlier question, I don’t

talk to my family. I came out when I was sixteen. I thought
they  were  okay  with  it.”  He  frowned.  “Maybe  at  the  time,
they were.” Pursing his lips, Deke peered up at Luther. “You
know.  Now  that  I  think  about  it,  my  parents  started  the
disapproving  attitude  after  becoming  members  at  their
country  club.  For  some  reason,  appearance  became
everything to them.”

“Anyway,” Deke continued. “Thanksgiving dinner two

years ago, they gave me an ultimatum. Stop being a fag or

Charlie Richards

stop being their son.” He scoffed and waved a hand at
himself, indicating the eyeliner he wore. “You can imagine
which I chose.”

“I am grateful for that,” Luther told him. “Although, I am

sorry your family caused you pain.”

Deke grimaced. “I guess the worst part was losing my

brother and sister. My brother, Derek, is older by a year.
He’s a big guy, quarterback, captain of the football team, and
he protected me in high school, even after I came out.” He
sighed. “It really sucked when he didn’t speak up against
them.”

“Well, I’ll give you my family,” Luther offered, then he

winked. “Of course, once you meet them, you may not want
them.”

Snickering, Deke smiled up at Luther. “Doesn’t everyone

feel that way about their family?” he teased.

Luther lowered his head and pecked a quick kiss to

Deke’s lips. “They probably do.” Then, he tightened his grip
on Deke’s nape and sealed his mouth over his.

Deke enjoyed the firm pressure of Luther’s lips against his

own for several seconds. Then, Luther nipped his lower lip
before swiping his tongue across it. Understanding the silent
request for him to open, Deke did just that. Luther
immediately thrust his tongue into Deke’s mouth and
lapped at Deke’s own appendage.

Humming at the pleasant stimulation, Deke felt his blood

heat and flow south. He opened wider and tilted his head,
slotting their mouths together more fully.

Luther growled at the move, growing more aggressive.

He  swirled  his  tongue  around  Deke’s  mouth,  exploring,
dominating,  consuming.  Deke  moaned  and  twisted  his
fingers into Luther’s shirt, suddenly  wishing the man were
naked again so he could feel the heat of his skin.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Deke turned more fully as Luther tightened his right arm.

Swinging his leg over Luther’s lap, he straddled the man. As
soon as his hard dick felt the pressure of his lover’s
answering erection, Deke hissed.

Tearing his mouth away from Luther’s, Deke lifted his

head and gasped in a much needed lungful of oxygen. He
rested his hands on Luther’s shoulders and rocked his hips.
Applying pressure to both their erections, he earned a grunt
and hiss from Luther.

“Damn, Luther,” Deke muttered. “How the hell do you

get me so hot so fast?”

Luther moved both hands to Deke’s hips, urging him to

continue moving as he lifted his own hips into the rutting
motion. Through gritted teeth, he replied, “Y-you’re my
mate. It’s a paranormal thing.”

Deke jerked a nod as he felt his balls pull tight. “So weird.

God, I can’t believe I’m going to come again,” he whined.
Lowering a hand to his fly, Deke struggled to open his jeans.

“Yeah,” Luther encouraged. “Let me see it.”
Obeying, Deke yanked open his button-fly, releasing his

dick. Never had he been so happy to no longer be wearing
underwear, since he’d used it to clean himself up earlier in
the woods. As soon as his hard shaft pressed between the
flaps, Luther reached for him.

Luther only had to jack him once before his balls let go

and he spurted. Deke groaned and shuddered, watching
through half-mast eyelids as streams of his white seed
erupted from his slit to land on Luther’s t-shirt.

“Damn, what a pretty sight,” Luther rumbled.
Releasing Deke’s dick, Luther lifted his fingers to his

mouth, licking the traces of cum from them. Deke watched
the pleased smile curve Luther’s lips as he hummed. Luther
winked, then wiped his saliva on his own t-shirt before
reaching out and cupping Deke’s jaw.

Charlie Richards

Luther brought their mouths together again, and Deke

went along willingly. After swiping his tongue over Deke’s
lips, he prodded his lips. Deke happily opened for him,
welcoming his lover’s tongue. He sucked the appendage
lightly, tasting himself on Luther.

Deke pulled away from the kiss and grinned at his lover.

Rocking his hips, he felt the ridge of Luther’s erection
pressing against his balls. “You want me to suck you off?”
he offered.

“How could I refuse that offer?”
Grinning, Deke slid from his lover’s lap. His knees hit the

hardwood floor and he reached for Luther’s fly.

Just as Deke opened the button and gripped the zipper

tab, a bang sounded through the house. Deke froze and
peered up at Luther, seeing he had his head tilted as he
sniffed the air.

“Who—”
“Dad, you here?”
Well, that answered that question. Deke realized he was

about to meet Luther’s daughter.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Six

uther felt the blood drain from his face…and his dick.
“Shit,” he hissed.

At the same time, Deke squeaked and pushed away,

falling on his ass.

Jumping to his feet, Luther rebuttoned his fly, then

grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and yanked it over his head.
By  the  time  he  could  see  again,  Luther  realized  Deke  had
buttoned  up  his  jeans.  Luther  held  his  soiled  shirt  in  one
hand  and  offered  his  other  to  his  mate.  “Come  on,
sweetheart. You ready to be introduced to my daughter?”

Deke took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to

his feet. “Is fleeing out the back door an option?”

Luther frowned. “I’d like to be truthful with Stephani. I’m

not going to hide you like some dirty little secret,” he said,
lifting the hand he held and placing it on his chest. “You’re
my mate. Even if you want time to get to know her, that’s
not gonna change.”

“I’m sorry,” Deke immediately apologized, grimacing.

“That was a stupid thing to say.” He flattened the hand
Luther held so it lay flushed to his chest and rubbed lightly
over his pec muscle. “I just don’t want to fuck up your
relationship with your daughter the way I did with my own
family.”

Shaking his head, Luther tossed the t-shirt to the floor,

wrapped his arm around Deke’s waist, and pulled him to

Charlie Richards

him. “You didn’t mess that up,” he countered. “They did
that all on their own with their bigoted attitude.”

“Dad?” Stephani called again.
Luther held Deke’s gaze and lifted one brow, silently

entreating his mate to choose.

Deke swept his gaze over his face for a second, then

smiled. “Thanks for allowing me to choose,” he whispered.

Nodding, Luther smiled. “Always.”
“Guess it’s time to meet her.”
“We’re in the back living room, Steph,” Luther called, still

holding Deke’s gaze. Then, he leaned down and whispered
into Deke’s ear. “Rain check on the blowjob.”

Deke’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly in surprise.
Luther wanted to taste those lips again, but refrained as,

out of the corner of his eye, he watched Stephani bounce into
the room. After offering Deke an encouraging smile, he
pulled his gaze away from his mate and focused on
Stephani.

Stopping just inside the doorway, Stephani glanced

between them. “Um, are you in the middle of something?”
she asked, pursing her lips.

“Never too busy for you. You know that,” Luther stated.

“Besides, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

Stephani glanced toward Deke and offered him a smile,

then returned her focus to Luther. With her thumb, she
pointed over her shoulder. “Synthia is here, too. She brought
me home.”

Luther just managed to keep from grimacing. The female

shifter  had  been  after  him  for  months.  Evidently,  her
biological  clock  was  ticking  and  she’d  tagged  him  as  the
perfect  mate,  since  he’d  already  fathered  a  child.  If  he
weren’t such a strong wolf, he might have given in since she
was  pretty  powerful  in  her  own  right.  She  wasn’t  best
friends with the beta’s mate, Caroline, for nothing.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“I thought Carson was bringing you home,” Luther

commented. “Did something happen?”

“Oh, no,” Stephani assured. “She insisted, so Carson

could go home to his mate.”

When Luther had shifted and immediately given chase to

Deke instead of staying with the group he was supposed to
chaperone, Carson had chased him down and tackled him.
The enforcer had easily subdued him and had gripped his
neck, growling softly. Luther had shifted back to human and
seconds later, Carson had done the same.

One scowl from the enforcer, and Luther had spilled that

his urge to track down his mate was too strong to deny any
longer. Carson had reminded him of the alpha’s words, be all
in  or  leave  him  alone.  Luther  had  assured  him  that  he’d
planned  to  track  Deke  down  the  following  month  when
Stephani  was  away.  Then,  remembering  his  daughter,  he’d
asked Carson to bring her home.

The enforcer had agreed, so it didn’t take much of a leap

to know why Synthia had stepped in. She wanted another
run at him.

Luther sighed and nodded. “Is she in the front room?”

There was a reason he’d led Deke to the back. He’d wanted
to assure they had at least a moment to get themselves
together if they’d been surprised like this.

Stephani nodded. “Yeah, she’s waiting for you. I told her

I’d track you down.” Cocking her head, she swept her gaze
over them, probably taking in the way Luther held Deke’s
hand to his chest, his naked chest. Confusion in her
expression, she asked, “Um, what’s going on?”

While Luther lowered his and Deke’s hand away from his

chest, even when his mate tugged, he refused to release him.
“Stephani,” Luther stated. “I’ve told you about mates. Fated
mates,” he amended.

Charlie Richards

Still confused, her brows creased, Stephani nodded.

“Yeah.”

“This is Deke Sommers.” Figuring the rip-off-the-band-

aide approach was best, Luther softly stated, “Deke is my
mate, Stephani. Fate has finally brought us together.”

Stephani’s brows drew together. “But, Synthia said—”

She paused and cocked her head. “Synthia isn’t your mate?”

Luther’s eyes widened. “No,” he instantly replied,

confused. “I’ve known Synthia for decades. We’re pack-
mates, but there’s nothing between us.”

Scowling, Stephani put her hands on her hips and looked

between them. “So, what? You’re bisexual all of a sudden
and you didn’t tell me? How come you’ve never dated a
man before? How come you didn’t tell me?”

“Uh, I haven’t really dated too many women, either,”

Luther  pointed  out,  struggling  with  his  daughter’s  odd
reaction.  She  didn’t  seem  angry  about  it,  so  much  as
offended.  “I  didn’t  see  how  who  I  found  attractive  was
appropriate conversation to share with my daughter.”

Curling her lip, Stephani snapped, “Well, you’d better tell

Synthia, then, because she has a different idea.” Flouncing
from the room, Luther heard her stomp through the house.
After a few seconds, he heard a bang, telling him she’d
slammed her bedroom door.

Bowing his head, Luther swallowed hard. That had not

gone how he’d imagined at all. Of course, he hadn’t planned
on being pushed into blurting it out like that, either. If damn
Synthia hadn’t been waiting in another room, he would have
worked up to it.

“I’m sorry.”
Luther lifted his head and gazed at Deke. Seeing his

mate’s tortured expression, he quickly shook his head.
“Don’t apologize, sweetheart,” he pleaded. “She’ll come

Drawing Out His Wolf

around. She wasn’t angry that you’re a man,” he assured,
confident he’d read his daughter correctly.

“Are you sure?” Deke wrapped his free hand around his

waist. He attempted to pull away, again. “She seemed pretty
upset.”

Releasing his mate’s hand, Luther rested both of his own

on  Deke’s  waist.  “Yes.  This  has  nothing  to  do  with  you.  I
promise.”  He  leaned  down  and  gently  pecked  a  kiss  to
Deke’s  lips.  Barely  lifting  his  head,  their  lips  still  touching,
he  whispered,  “Give me  five  minutes  to  get  rid  of  Synthia,
then  we’ll  make  supper  and  wait  for  Stephani  to  decide  to
tell me what truly has her in such a fit.”

Deke beamed up at him. “Okay.”
After pressing one more quick kiss to his mate’s mouth,

Luther eased away. Grinning, he teased, “You’re very
distracting, sweetheart. I could kiss you all day.”

Smirking, Deke replied, “Well, that would make

preparing dinner interesting.”

Luther chuckled. “It would indeed.” He turned away and

headed out of the room. From the sound of a soft tread
behind him, Luther knew Deke followed.

Striding into the front sitting room, Luther spotted

Synthia  standing  by  the  mirror  hanging  opposite  the  hall
closet. Stephani had insisted one be hung  there a couple of
years  before,  saying  she  needed  one  last  opportunity  to
check how she looked before going to school every morning.
Luther  didn’t  really  understand,  but  he’d  agreed  and  had
allowed her to pick out a mirror, then he’d helped her hang
it.

It seemed Stephani had been right, for Synthia did the

same. She peered into the mirror, her fingertip to her upper
lip as if correcting some minor flaw in her lipstick.

Charlie Richards

“Good afternoon, Synthia,” Luther greeted cordially.

“Thank you for bringing Stephani home. I’m certain Carson
appreciated getting out of the task.”

Synthia had turned at the first sound of his voice. She

scrunched her brows together just a little as she pouted her
lips.  “Of  course,  Luther,  dear,”  she  all  but  cooed,  walking
toward him, hips swaying in what  was probably supposed
to  be  a  seductive  fashion.  “Is  everything  all  right?  Carson
said  you  had  some  unexpected  personal  business  to  attend
to.”

She kept coming as she spoke, edging into Luther’s

personal space. She lifted her hands and placed them on his
bare chest. Rubbing over his pecs, she purred, “If there’s
anything I can do to help, you know all you need to do is
ask.”

Luther’s brows shot up at her aggressiveness. While she’d

pursued him in the past, asking him on hiking outings and
out to dinner, joining his table and flirting with him while at
pack barbeques, she’d never called him endearments or
made blatant overtures such as these.

His shoulders tensing, his skin nearly crawling where she

touched him, Luther reached up and gripped Synthia’s
wrists. He lifted her hands from his body, surprised by the
amount of force it took him to remove them.

“Synthia,” Luther growled. “This is not appropriate.”
“I just thought you may want some help relaxing,”

Synthia responded, pulling her hands away.

Luther released her, scowling, not liking her behavior in

the least.

Smiling coyly, Synthia reached out and touched his

shoulder this time. “You’re so tense. I can help with that,”
she offered, sliding her hand down his upper arm.

“Not appropriate,” Luther snapped, growing past

irritation to anger. He knocked her arm away and stepped

Drawing Out His Wolf

away from her. “The personal matter I needed to see to was
finding my mate.”

“Your mate?” Synthia’s lip curled and she scowled.

“What are you talking about?” Her gaze shifted left, finally
noting that they weren’t alone. “Who’s that?”

Luther stepped close to Deke and wrapped his arm

around the smaller man’s waist. Deke stood stiffly, his arms
wrapped around his own torso as if hugging himself.
Rubbing up and down Deke’s side, Luther tried to soothe his
tense, confused human.

Deciding blunt would be best, hopefully then Synthia

would get the picture, Luther continued to rub Deke’s side
as he stated, “Synthia, this is Deke Sommers, my mate.”

Synthia curled her lip, making her appear far less

attractive than Luther knew she could. “You’re claiming to
be a fag now?” she screeched. “Is this some kind of plague
that’s affecting our people?”

Narrowing his eyes, Luther growled low in his throat.

“Synthia, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day
to bring my daughter home,” he just managed to keep from
snarling. “It’d be best if you left now.”

“That scrawny fag is not your mate!” she screamed, even

stomping her foot. “I am a far better choice to be your mate. I
am a strong wolf. He is a scrawny human. Worthless for
building the pack. I can give you more strong cubs. He
cannot. I am far better suited!”

Shaking his head, Luther felt his wolf’s hackles rise.

“Damn  it,  Synthia,”  he  rumbled,  tired  of  her  attitude,  her
insults, and her determined stubbornness. “This is not about
choosing.  Fate  has  already  done  that,  and  she’s  done  a
fucking  fantastic  job.  I’ve  had  more  enjoyment  and
relaxation in Deke’s company in the last twelve hours than I
have  with  any  other  in  years,”  he  claimed,  tightening  his
hold on Deke.

Charlie Richards

Deke angled his body, putting his chest flush to Luther’s

side.  “Hey,  relax,”  he  soothed,  resting  his  left  hand  on
Luther’s  stomach  while  using  his  right  to  rub  his  back,  up
and down his spine. “You know not everyone is accepting.”
Then,  to  Luther’s  shock—and  even  a  bit  of  pride—Deke
fixed  his  gaze  on  Synthia  and  spoke  condescendingly,
“Especially when they’re sore losers.”

“Why you little—”
“Don’t you finish that, Synthia,” Luther roared. “Your

welcome has officially worn out. Get out of my house!”

Synthia’s green eyes blazed with hostility as she glanced

between  them.  Then,  in  the  blink  of  an  eye,  her  expression
cleared.  She  offered  a  simpering  smile  and  shrugged  one
slender  shoulder  as  if  she  didn’t  have  a  care  in  the  world.
Turning  away,  she  strutted  toward  the  door,  swinging  her
hips.

At the door, Synthia paused and looked over her

shoulder. She curved her red lips in what could only be
considered a sad smile as she focused on Deke. “I’m sorry
that he’s playing with you like this, human,” she murmured.
“Luther has never had a lover more than a couple of days.”
Synthia smirked. “Don’t come crying to our people when he
gets tired of you and sends you on your way.”

With that parting shot, Synthia left the house.
Luther sighed and shook his head. He turned fully to

Deke, wrapped his left arm around his waist, and cupped
his nape with his right hand. “I am sorry you had to hear
and see all that.”

To Luther’s pleasure, Deke turned his head and rested his

cheek on his shoulder. “It’s okay. You can’t expect everyone
to be accepting,” he murmured. “You just need your family
and your alpha, right?”

“Right,” Luther replied.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Running his hand up and down Deke’s spine, Luther took

a few minutes just to enjoy holding the man. Soon he’d have
to deal with his daughter, but for now, this was all he
wanted. Sighing, Luther settled his chin on the top of his
mate’s head and enjoyed the embrace.

After a few seconds, Deke softly asked, “Did you mean it,

when you said you felt more relaxed with me than you have
in years?”

“Yes,” Luther responded instantly, continuing to hold his

mate. “It was like I hadn’t even known what I was missing
until I met you.” He paused, trying to find the right words.
“With you near me I feel...content.”

Deke sighed, nuzzling Luther’s chest, settling his cheek

more firmly against his shoulder. “Me, too,” he whispered.

Smiling, Luther rolled his chin along Deke’s head, so he

could kiss the top of his mate’s head before returning to their
prior position.

A flash of movement caught his attention and Luther

spotted Stephani peeking around the corner of the hall. For
several seconds, he held his daughter’s gaze. She stared
back, nibbling her bottom lip, her brows drawn together.

Luther recognized her deep thoughts expression, so when

she turned away and disappeared back down the hallway,
he didn’t feel concern. Instead, Luther felt hope.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Seven

s much as Deke enjoyed their embrace, his stomach
rumbling betrayed another need. He grinned upon

hearing Luther’s chuckle. When Luther’s hold loosened,
Deke eased away from the other man and peered up at him
shyly.

Deke didn’t remember the last time he’d just stood in

another man’s arms with no expectation of anything else. It
had felt…really nice.

“So, we could have steak and eggs, steak and baked

potatoes, or maybe steak with mac and cheese,” Luther told
him.

“Oh, um.” Deke drew his brows together and nibbled his

bottom lip. “Well, I guess I could just have the eggs or
potato. I’m a vegetarian.”

Luther’s blue eyes widened almost comically. “A

vegetarian?”

Deke nibbled his bottom lip a few seconds longer, then

couldn’t  hold  his  straight  face  any  longer.  Bursting  out  in
laughter,  Deke  nearly  doubled  over  with  his  mirth.  He
realized  after  a  moment  that  Luther  hadn’t  joined  in,  said
anything,  or  even  moved.  Managing  to  get  himself  under
control,  Deke  straightened  and  grinned  tentatively  at  his
lover.

His brows drawn together, Luther stared at him with a

serious expression.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Swallowing hard, Deke tried not to feel like a kid caught

doing something wrong. He tried to figure out if Luther was
actually upset with him, because the shifter had the
disapproving, scowling father thing down.

“Um, sorry?” Deke whispered.
Luther snapped his arm out and grabbed Deke’s waist,

reeling him in. Deke felt his back pressed against Luther’s
chest. Growling into his ear, Luther rumbled, “You’re gonna
keep me on my toes, aren’t you, mate?”

Deke tilted his head so he could peer over his shoulder up

at Luther. Seeing the smirking tilt of his lover’s lips, he
answered the expression with a grin of his own. “Maybe,”
he whispered.

Chuckling, Luther leaned down and pecked a kiss to

Deke’s lips. “Good.” With that, he released Deke. “Come on.
I really do have more than just steak,” he added, winking.

Laughing, Deke followed Luther down the hall to the

kitchen. “So, I do actually eat meat,” Deke told Luther, who
lifted a brow and smirked. Deke leaned on the counter and
licked his lips, before lowering his voice huskily and saying,
“What self-respecting gay man doesn’t eat meat.”

Luther’s jaw gaped for a second, then he barked out a

laugh. “Oh, sweetheart. That was terrible!”

“Still, you laughed,” Deke pointed out, grinning. He

appreciated that Luther didn’t have a problem with his
humor. Then, a thought occurred. “Um, am I allowed to say
stuff like that now? What if—” He paused and glanced
around, then whispered, “What if Stephani walked into the
room?”

As if on cue, Stephani strolled into the room, her head

tilted  and  nose  in  the  air.  “I’ve  had  Sex  Ed,”  she  stated
breezily. “And I go to a public school. I’m pretty sure there
isn’t  much  you  could  say  that  I  haven’t  heard  before.”  She
hopped  up  onto  a  barstool  and  leaned  against  the  counter.

Charlie Richards

She tilted her head and lifted one brow imperiously. “Don’t
you remember being a sixteen year old boy? Gay or straight,
ya’ll are perverts.”

“Steph!” Luther growled, scowling.
Deke snorted and shrugged. “She’s right.” Taking a

chance, he peered through his lashes and held Luther’s gaze
as he stated, “Maybe your very fine nearly two hundred
year old ass is just too old to remember.”

Luther’s jaw sagged open. His jaw gaped in obvious

shock. For two seconds, silence reined in the kitchen, then
Stephani burst out laughing. Luther growled, his eyes
narrowed to slits.

“You did not just call me old!”
“At least he thinks your ass is sexy,” Stephani crowed.

She held out her hand in a fist. “Nice one.”

Deke winked at Luther before bumping the young

shifter’s fist with his own. Glancing furtively at his lover,
Deke hoped the other man hadn’t truly taken offense. When
Luther discreetly winked, relief filled him.

Returning his focus to Stephani, Deke watched her cock

her head and stare at him. She swept her gaze over Deke,
seeming to assess him. “So, you and my dad, huh?”

Deke risked another glance toward Luther. The shifter

turned away and opened the refrigerator. No help there.
Returning his focus to Stephani, Deke shrugged. “It would
seem so.”

“How’d you meet?” Stephani asked. “You in town for

vacation or something?”

Swallowing hard, Deke really didn’t want to talk about

why he’d ended up in town. “Or something,” he mumbled.
Clearing his throat, he turned to Luther and asked, “So, you
want me to whip up something to go with those steaks?
Something other than eggs, a baked potato, or mac and
cheese, anyway?”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Luther turned to face him, his mouth open, but whatever

expression was on his face—or hell, maybe Deke’s scent
gave him away—caused him to smile. “You can cook?”

“Very well,” Deke admitted. “I’ve been cooking for me

and—” He paused and cleared his throat, then finished,
“Well, my exes have never complained.” No, Michael had
loved Deke’s cooking. It was other areas of their relationship
that had completely sucked.

Not interested in discussing that, yet, Deke rounded the

kitchen counter and opened the pantry. “You guys allergic
to anything?”

“No,” Luther replied softly, drawing the word out. “I’ll

go turn on the grill to heat, then prep the meat.” He started
past  him,  then  paused.  Completely  unselfconscious,  Luther
leaned  over  and  pecked  a  kiss  to  Deke’s  cheek  before
whispering,  “There’s  a  story  there.  I  hope  someday  you’ll
trust me enough to tell it.”

Luther straightened and headed out of the kitchen.

“Stephani, do you know if Leo is coming over?” he asked as
he passed her.

“I don’t know,” Stephani replied, staring down at her

phone, thumbs moving swiftly.

“Set four plates, just in case,” Luther ordered.
“Okay,” she replied without looking up from the device.
Deke’s brows shot up and he looked at Luther,

amusement filling him. Was that normal for teenagers? He
just managed to hold in his snicker at Luther’s closed eyes
and God help me expression.

“I’ll be right back to flavor the steaks,” Luther grumbled,

turning away.

As soon as the sliding glass door closed behind Luther,

Stephani looked up from her phone and snickered. “I only
do that to him because it drives him nuts,” she stated,

Charlie Richards

moving around Deke in the kitchen to the cupboard. “So,
you love him?”

Gaping, Deke nearly dropped the cucumber he’d just

pulled from the refrigerator. “Uh. I’m not—” He felt his face
heat. Sighing, he placed the cucumber on the counter and
turned to the girl. “Look. I’m still getting to know your dad.
Maybe someday I’ll love him, but right now—” Deke
shrugged. “I just want to know he’s not gonna try to change
me and that he’ll accept me for me.”

Stephani twirled a loose strand of blond hair around her

finger for a few seconds, just staring. Then, she nodded.
“Don’t hurt my dad, Deke,” Stephani ordered, pulling plates
from the cupboard and heading toward the dining room
table.

“I’ll do my best not to,” Deke murmured, trying to figure

out how he’d gotten into this situation in the first place.

“Cool. Then you should tell him about whatever’s

bothering you,” Stephani added. “We can both smell how
upset and nervous you are about something.”

Frowning, Deke pulled a knife from the block on the

counter and aggressively started cutting the cucumber. He
shook his head, unable to come up with a reply. It wasn’t
like he wanted to fight with the girl.

“Sore point. Got it,” Stephani chatted on as if Deke had

replied. The sound of plates clicking onto the table filled the
silence for a few seconds. Then, she crossed to the counter
and leaned across it. “So, now that I know dad obviously
doesn’t have a problem with same sex relationships—” She
paused, her brow crinkling. “I mean, seeing friends or your
alpha or whatever doing it is one thing, right? But your own
kid?”

Deke’s head snapped up. Pain shot through his finger and

he hissed, yanking his attention back to what he was doing.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Seeing the blood welling up from his forefinger, he jerked it
away from the food.

“Shit,” he hissed. He stuck his finger in his mouth and

sucked on it for a second, then turned around and went to
the  sink.  Running  his  finger  under  a  stream  of  water,  he
glanced over his shoulder. “Are you practicing your coming
out  speech?”  he  asked.  “Because  your  timing  kinda  sucks.
Next time, make sure no one is wielding a sharp object. You
never  know  if  they’re  gonna  take  it  badly,”  he  added
bitterly.

“Huh,” Stephani responded. “Point taken. You okay?”
“Deke?” Luther called from near the sliding glass door.

“You okay? How come I smell your blood?”

Turning from the sink, Deke held up his finger. “Sorry.

Cut my finger on a knife,” he admitted.

“Geez, sweetheart,” Luther called, striding toward him.
“Here,” Stephani offered, holding out a box and a paper

towel. “There’s Neosporin inside with band aids.”

Deke took the towel first, drying his hand. He glanced

around, wondering where she’d gotten the supplies, since he
couldn’t remember her leaving the kitchen. Spotting an open
drawer underneath the microwave, he figured he had his
answer.

Luther took the box while Deke still dried his hand.

Opening it, he pulled out a bandage and the Neosporin. “Let
me see,” he urged softly.

Holding out his hand, Deke watched in silence as Luther

inspected the cut, then played doctor. “I’m fine. Ya know?”
he murmured, even as he appreciated how nice it was to be
taken care of by a lover.

“I’m sure, Deke,” Luther responded. “It’s not deep, but

we’re not mated yet and scenting your blood freaked me out
as much as it turned me—” He snapped his jaw shut, his
face taking on an interestingly rosy hue.

Charlie Richards

Deke smiled, squeezing Luther’s hand where he still held

him. “Thanks,” he whispered.

Clearing his throat, Luther nodded, then released him and

stepped back. As he washed his hands, he asked, “So, how
do you like your steak?”

“Medium rare,” Deke replied. While Luther had his back

turned,  Deke  lifted  a  brow  at  Stephani,  who  shifted  her
weight  from  foot  to  foot  and  nibbled  her  lower  lip.  Deke
tilted his head toward her father and sent his second  brow
up beside the first.

Stephani huffed. “Dad, it’s my fault Deke cut himself.”
“Oh?” Luther asked, pulling seasonings from the pantry.
Deke washed the knife, then returned to cutting just as

Luther moved to the refrigerator and pulled out the steaks.
He set them on the counter where he’d spread out the
seasonings. He watched Luther turn his back to the counter,
prop his elbows on it, and give his full attention to his
daughter.

Twisting her hands together, Stephani’s tension seemed

almost palpable. She swallowed once, then blurted out,
“You know how I always tell you that Peggy is my best
friend?”

Luther nodded. “Sure. You’ve been friends since you

were two.”

“She’s not just my best friend, she’s my girlfriend.” She

said the words so fast that even Deke had trouble
understanding her…and he knew what she was trying to
say, sort of.

“Your—What?” Luther asked, obviously struggling.
Deke sighed. “Luther,” he murmured. Turning to the

refrigerator, he helped himself to two beers and a can of
soda. “Here,” he said, holding out one of the beers and the
soda. “Why don’t you guys take some drinks to the study?”
he urged. “I’ll take over the kitchen, make a salad, and see

Drawing Out His Wolf

what ingredients you have for a casserole or something, and
you and Stephani can go talk.”

When a clearly confused Luther reached out and took the

drinks, Deke held onto them and used their hold to pull him
forward just enough to press a quick peck to his lips. “Take
your time. I’ll put the steaks back in the fridge.”

Nodding, obviously still confused, Luther nodded.

“Okay.”

Deke offered Stephani an encouraging smile, feeling a bit

bad for both of them. He might not know them well, but he
understood how hard keeping secrets was. No wonder
Stephani had been upset. She could really have used
Luther’s support while trying to figure out feelings she must
have been developing for her best friend.

Watching them leave the room, Deke mentally wished

them the best.

Hoping to have some nice sides ready to go with the

steaks when the pair finally finished, Deke focused on
raiding the cupboard and getting to work. He found all the
fixings needed for a cheesy pea, corn, and potato casserole,
so quickly peeled the potatoes and tossed them in a pot to
boil, adding a pinch of salt for flavoring.

Next he returned to the abandoned cucumber and

finished slicing that. Setting that aside, he prepped the rest
of the ingredients for the casserole, relieved to find the sour
cream was just under the expiration date.

Deke had just slid the casserole into the oven when he

heard  a  door  thud.  Not  thinking  anything  of  it,  he  started
shredding  a  head  of  lettuce,  pulling  off  the  parts  that  had
started to wilt. He chuckled, thinking of how anti-vegetables
these  shifters  seemed  to  be.  They  bought  vegetables,  then
didn’t use them.

When arms slid around his waist, Deke immediately

assumed it was Luther. Then, a scent he didn’t recognize

Charlie Richards

filled his nostrils. Earthy and masculine, not unpleasant, but
it sure as hell didn’t belong to his lover.

“Hey, cutie. It smells fantastic in here,” purred a deep

voice Deke didn’t recognize. The man’s chin rested on his
shoulder as he continued, “If this is how you cook for a
friend, I’d love to take you home and get real friendly.”

Panic tightened Deke’s lungs as memories of Michael’s

friends pawing at him flashed through his mind. His vision
grayed as his pulse spiked. A shudder worked through his
body as sweat broke out on his temples.

Twisting wildly, Deke screamed. “Get away!”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Eight

uther didn’t know how he’d missed it. He must have
been so wrapped up in the realization that his mate was

a man that he’d completely missed when his daughter had
started developing feelings for her friend. If only he’d come
clean about finding his mate when it happened, Stephani
wouldn’t have had to go through the confusing process on
her own.

No father of the year award for me.
Now understanding why Stephani had been so upset

upon discovering his attraction to Deke, Luther hoped to do
everything  he  could  to  ease  his  daughter’s  fears.  He’d
already  reassured  her  once  that  feeling  those  kinds  of
attractions  to  the  same  sex  was  perfectly  acceptable.  He
loved her no matter what.

Stephani had even asked how Luther had known Deke

was his mate. That one had thrown him. It wasn’t often a
shifter found and recognized their mate before even
reaching the age of consent. It just confirmed how strong a
wolf Stephani would grow to be.

Of course, there was the little problem that Peggy was

human. Luther had never begrudged Stephani her human
friends, just cautioning her on the importance of keeping her
secret. Sharon was also human, while Maranda was a fellow
wolf shifter.

“Does Peggy know?” Luther asked, curious how many

people knew before him.

Charlie Richards

Stephani shook her head. “We haven’t, um, done

anything but, like, hold hands and um—” She twisted her
hands in her lap, her face turning a light shade of pink.
“Kiss.”

She muttered the admission so quietly, Luther wasn’t

certain  he’d  have  heard  it  if  he  didn’t  have  such  great
hearing.  Trying  to  be  understanding,  he  reached  over  and
settled  his  hand  over  her  own,  stilling  her  restless
movements.

Luther smiled encouragingly at Stephani. “You’re young.

There’s no rush.”

“I know,” she agreed. “I just—”
“Get away!” Deke’s screamed, panic-laden words echoed

even through the closed study door.

Luther leaped to his feet, already heading toward the

door, Stephani two steps behind him. “We’ll revisit this,” he
assured even as he yanked the door open and charged from
the room. Instincts rode him hard, telling him to find his
mate.

Sprinting through the dining room, Luther came to a

sliding stop upon seeing Leo kneeling on the floor next to
the refrigerator. He had his hands spread out to each side,
both were empty as he murmured, “Hey, easy buddy, you’re
okay,” to someone out of sight behind the island.

Upon seeing them, Leo glanced their way just a second

before focusing on the person out of sight, who Luther felt
certain must be Deke—a terrified Deke, judging by his scent.
“I’m sorry, Lu, I didn’t mean to freak out your friend,” Leo
murmured, still keeping his tone soothing. “What the hell
has he been through?”

Luther had no idea, but he planned to find out. “Stay

there,” he ordered as he rounded the other side of the island
slowly.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Upon seeing Deke, Luther’s heart nearly broke. His mate

sat  on  his  ass,  his  knees  pulled  to  his  chest,  and  he  held  a
paring knife in front of him. From the looks of it, he’d used it
to  slice  the  cucumbers,  then  had  started  in  on  the  head  of
lettuce, which was now strewn all over the countertop and
sink.  His  green  eyes  were  wide,  the  pupils  dilated,  in  his
pale face.

From the glazed expression on Deke’s face, Luther didn’t

think he quite realized where he was. Upon seeing Luther,
Deke swung the knife back and forth, obviously uncertain
who to wave it at, himself or Leo. “Stay back!” he screeched.

“Deke, look at me,” Luther ordered softly.
Deke obeyed. The hand holding the knife trembled.
“Sweetheart, it’s Luther,” he rumbled softly. “No one here

will hurt you. You’re safe.”

“S-safe?” Deke mumbled, then glanced over at Leo, who

still knelt on the floor, and Stephani, who now stood at the
counter, a concerned frown on her face.

“Deke, look at me,” Luther ordered again. After a second,

Deke obeyed. “Come here, Deke,” he said, holding up his
hand, palm up. “Come to me. Let me help you.”

Within one second and the next, Deke launched himself at

Luther. He grunted, in part by the impact of his human’s
small, solid body landing against his own. Also, Deke hadn’t
dropped the knife and the blade sliced across his forearm.

Ignoring the pain, Luther wrapped his arms around Deke

and tucked him close. He allowed the momentum to push
him backward, his ass landing on the hardwood floor. Once
he had his mate cradled on his lap and in his arms, Luther
wrapped his own hand around the handle of the small knife
and eased it from Deke’s grip. He tossed it carelessly aside,
not caring where it fell in favor of holding his mate tight and
offering him comfort.

Charlie Richards

“What the hell happened to him?” Leo asked. “Who is

he?”

Too busy rocking his mate, Luther didn’t bother to

answer. He ran his hands over Deke’s body, searching for
injury, but he found nothing.

“That’s Deke Sommers,” Stephani answered for him, her

voice soft, troubled. “Deke is Dad’s mate.”

“Your mate?” Leo gaped. “When the hell did you find

your mate? How come no one bothered to fucking call me?”

Deke cringed in Luther’s arms at Leo’s raised voice. He

tried to fold in on himself even tighter while pressing closer
to Luther’s torso. In response, Luther cupped his mate’s jaw
and pressed his face to his chest under his chin. He
massaged the skin just below Deke’s ear gently, doing his
best to reassure him.

“Easy, Deke,” Luther crooned as he glared at his cousin.

“That’s just Leopold. He’s my cousin and would never hurt
you.”

When Deke finally stopped shuddering in Luther’s grip,

he focused on Leo and asked, “What happened? When did
you get here?”

Leo sat on his ass opposite Luther, his back pressed

against the refrigerator. “I am sorry, man,” he immediately
apologized. “When I found your front door unlocked, I
figured you’d left it open for me, so I let myself in.”

Luther nodded absently, realizing he hadn’t locked it after

Synthia left. Of course, he never would have barred Leo
entrance anyway, and had in fact been meaning to give his
cousin a key.

“Well, I smelled something amazing cooking and

followed my nose to the kitchen.” Leo paused and flushed, a
hint of red creeping up his neck. “I saw your cute man there
shimmying around the kitchen and I guess I kinda surprised
him when I hugged him from behind.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Luther glared, just holding in his growl, knowing that

would  only  undo  the  progress  Deke  had  made.  At  the
moment, his mate  lay quiet and still in his arms, no  longer
whimpering, his breathing  coming  easier. If Deke’s grip on
Luther’s forearm hadn’t been so tight, he’d have thought his
mate had dropped off to sleep.

Leo held up his hands in placation. “I didn’t know he was

your mate. I didn’t know hugging him from behind and
teasing him would freak him out.”

“Teasing him?” Luther’s brows shot up. Remembering

what  his  alpha  had  said,  that  Deke  had  gone  through
something painful, he wondered if this could have reminded
him of that  somehow. Surely he would have heard back in
Vegas  if  Deke  had  been  hurt  by  the  dingo  shifters  as  his
friend Dirk had been. “What did you say to him?”

Rubbing his forefingers over his brow, Leo appeared to be

thinking back on his words. “I said…I said it smelled
fantastic and that if this is how he cooked for a friend, could
I take him home and get to know him.”

“Friendly,” Deke mumbled. “You wanted to get real

friendly.” He pulled away from Luther’s hold just a bit and
looked up at him, sadness in his gaze. “I don’t want to be
shared. I don’t like ménages. I don’t do that anymore.” Tears
gleamed on Deke’s eyelashes as he whispered, “They never
turn out good for me.”

Rage and jealousy surged through Luther, but he knew he

couldn’t show it. He wanted to track down and tear apart
the man who’d hurt his mate. First, he had to know who that
person was. Lowering his head so his lips were near Deke’s
ear, Luther asked, “I will never share you, my mate. You are
mine and mine alone. I will gut anyone who tries to take you
away from me.”

To Luther’s relief, Deke cracked a smile. “Possessive

much?”

Charlie Richards

Luther chuckled and nodded, resting his forehead against

Deke’s own. “Very much so,” he admitted. He pressed a soft
kiss to Deke’s lips, then asked, “Are you willing to tell me
what happened?”

Deke sighed, tipping his head away slightly to look at him

clearly. “Yeah,” he whispered. “After that freak out, I guess
you deserve to know, huh?”

“I’d be happy to listen,” Luther replied, hating to offer his

mate an out, “but only if you want me to know. Just keep in
mind, if you need protection, I can’t do it if I don’t know
from what or whom. Hmm?”

Nodding, Deke pushed away from him. While loath to let

him  go,  Luther  obeyed  the  unspoken  request  and  released
his  lover.  “Let  me  check  the  casserole,”  Deke  whispered,
obviously  buying  some  time.  “Then,  um,  can  we  talk  over
supper?  I’m  not  sure  if  I  can  eat  much,  but,  well,  it’d  be  a
shame for my wonderful cooking to go to waste.”

Luther nodded. “Of course.” He turned to Leo. “Will you

and Stephani cook the steaks while me and Deke clean up in
here and finish the salad?” At this point, with his wolf still
snarling for vengeance in the back of his mind, there was no
way Luther could leave Deke’s side.

Leo heaved to his feet and nodded. “Sure thing. How long

do you need for whatever it is you’re cooking, Deke?”

“Let me look,” Deke muttered, obviously uncomfortable

with the scrutiny.

While Deke peeked into the oven, Luther moved around

him to the other counter and started cleaning up the lettuce.
He kept what he thought was good and tossed what he
didn’t.

Evidently, Leo realized the same thing about Deke,

because he opened the refrigerator and took out the plate of
steaks. Turning, he glanced around then headed toward the
seasonings still strewn across the island.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“You still use these?” Leo asked, picking up one, reading

the label, then putting it back down. Grinning widely at
Luther, he teased, “How does your wolf stand it?”

Luther snorted. “A little variety never hurt anyone.”
“Is that why I got to choose between a baked potato, mac

and cheese, or eggs?” Deke asked, closing the oven door and
turning around to lean against the counter. “Because you
like variety?”

While the quiet quip sounded forced to Luther’s ears,

especially  since  he  knew  how  Deke’s  carefree  teasing
actually  sounded,  he  appreciated  that  his  mate  was  trying.
While  Leo  guffawed,  Luther  sidled  up  to  his  mate  and
wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“Well, I don’t like too much variety,” Luther rumbled,

winking. “Although, whatever you have in the oven does
smell amazing, my mate.”

Deke smiled at him, some of the light returning to his

green eyes. Then, he turned to Leo. “Sorry I freaked out on
you,” he said. “I’ll, uh, I’ll explain everything over dinner,”
he assured. “And the casserole will take another ten minutes
to cook and five or so to cool before cutting.”

“Twenty minutes, cute stuff,” Leo responded, still

chortling. “You got it.” He turned to Stephani. “Come on,
pretty girl,” he urged, picking up a couple of seasonings.
“You can show me how your father doctors these steaks.”

Stephani appeared uncertain, her brows drawn as she

glanced around at the men.

Luther gave Deke a reassuring smile before releasing him.

Moving around the island, he crossed to his daughter and
pulled her into a tight embrace. He nuzzled her temple,
showing her affection and soothing her wolf.

“I guess we all have some adjusting to do,” Luther

whispered. “Can you give it time?”

Charlie Richards

Sighing, Stephani’s arms clutching at his back tightly, she

muttered, “I’ve never had to share you before.”

“I know, baby. It’ll be a change,” Luther responded,

racking his brain for some way to reassure his daughter that
this  wouldn’t  mean  he  wouldn’t  be  there  for  her.  Easing
away, Luther settled his hands on her shoulders and smiled
at  her.  “If  Peggy  really  is  your  mate,  I’d  never  ask  you  to
stop  seeing  her  or  spending  time  with  her.  Think  of  it  like
that, huh?”

Stephani sighed, her brows furrowing. “Yeah, I can

understand.” She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Still, it’s
not like I’ll get used to it overnight.”

Luther nodded. “I know. It’s not an overnight thing for

any of us, but we’ll work it out.” He grinned. “It’s in our
wolf nature. It won’t be as hard as you think.”

“I just hope Deke’s okay,” Stephani stated, stepping back

and heading outside after Leo.

Me, too.
Luther turned and watched Deke in his kitchen. The

human hummed as he continued preparing a salad, but his
shoulders remained tense. He figured it was partly because
of what had happened and partly because of their upcoming
conversation. Either way, Luther vowed to find a way to
help him past this, whatever it took.

Keeping half his attention on his mate, Luther finished the

job Stephani had started earlier and set the table.

Before long, the casserole was baked, the steaks were

cooked, and the salad ready.

Luther settled at the table with the others and they all dug

in. After his first bite of the creamy, cheesy potato and
veggie casserole, he hummed in amazed appreciation. He
swallowed and met Deke’s pleased grin.

“You like?” Deke asked, smirking.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“Very much so,” Luther responded. “Where’d you learn

to cook?”

Leo snorted. “Hell, I don’t care where you learned to cook

as long as I can drop in way more often than a few times a
month.”

“Thanks a lot, Uncle Leo,” Stephani grumbled. “Family

not good enough to increase visits now?”

“Well, of course,” Leo responded glibly, stabbing a bite of

steak. “Family is why I come several times a month. This,”
he said, pointing with his bite of meat at the other food,
“would just be incentive to come more often.” Snickering,
Leo shoved the food into his mouth. He started chewing as
he winked at the teenager.

“I learned from my grandmother,” Deke cut in, probably

anticipating the coming argument. Leo always had a way of
riling Stephani as only family could. “She tried to teach my
sister first, but she could burn water, and did so a few times.
Finally, nana conceded and taught me instead.”

From the way Deke shrugged and continued to focus on

the food, Luther realized it was a sore spot for his mate. Not
only had his nana settled to teach him, he’d eventually been
ostracized by the rest of his family as well. Luther reached
over placed his left hand over Deke’s right. “You are
welcome to experiment in our kitchen any time you want.”

“Our kitchen?” Deke repeated, his brows shooting up.
Realizing he couldn’t take back his slip, Luther shrugged

and offered a crooked grin. “We did already discuss how
shifters moved fast.”

Deke nodded slowly, his expression sobering. “Then, you

should probably know that, the reason I came out here was
to get away from my boyfriend, and he doesn’t like it when
people cross him.”

Luther cocked his head, fighting back the bile that filled

his throat upon hearing Deke call someone else his

Charlie Richards

boyfriend. While he had no right to feel jealous, he still did.
He took a deep breath, then forced a smile as he squeezed
his mate’s hand.

“Sweetheart, what happened with past relationships is

just that. Past,” Luther assured. “You’re mine to care for
now.”

Deke swept his gaze over the others before settling fear-

filled eyes on Luther. “I don’t want to see anything happen
to you because you got mixed up in my problems.”

“Then you’d better tell me about your problems,” Luther

urged. “That way, we can work through them together.” He
glanced toward Stephani and Leo, as they both listened with
rapt attention. He returned his focus to Deke. “As a family.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Nine

family.
Deke shivered at the idea. Other than Dirk, who he’d

sort of felt like he’d lost when his friend had mated with the
globe-trotting vampire, he hadn’t felt like he had a family in
a long time. Could he trust this? Then, he realized, probably.

Luther thought he was his mate. From Dirk’s

explanations and stories when he and Sebastian traveled, the
vampire always put his happiness first. While Deke realized
he’d be sharing who came first with Stephani, he knew he
could live with that. He hadn’t had anyone to truly call his
own in…ever.

Michael had always wanted ménages. Even at the

beginning  of  their  relationship.  It  should  have  been  a  dead
giveaway  that  it  wouldn’t  work,  but  he’d  just  been
disowned  by  his  own  family  and  he’d  been  desperate  for
affection.  Having  never  enjoyed  threesomes,  he’d  given
Michael an open relationship.

Deke wouldn’t have to do that here.
Luther would be devoted to him.
Taking in a deep breath, Deke breathed out slowly. “I

already told you about my family disowning me a couple of
years ago,” he started slowly. “I met Michael a few weeks
after that.” He shrugged. “I was lonely. He was nice…most
of the time.”

Charlie Richards

Deke paused, glancing from Luther’s calm expression to

his daughter’s curious one. “Uh, should I—” He cleared his
throat, shifting in his chair uncomfortably.

Stephani’s eyes widened and she gave a very unladylike

snort. “Puh-lease,” she snarked, leaning back and crossing
her arms over her breasts. “I grew up with these two,” she
said, jutting her chin at Luther and Leo. “Leo’s got the
biggest mouth of anyone in the pack.”

Leo frowned. “I do not. You should hear Kyle!” Leo

turned to Deke. “He’s a trucker. He has one hell of a potty
mouth.”

“Thank you for making our point,” Luther cut in dryly.

He rolled his eyes. “Leo never could curb his tongue.”
Squeezing Deke’s hand again, Luther assured, “You’re
welcome to speak freely.”

Deke nodded slowly. “Well, uh—” He focused on his

salad,  picking  at  the  leaves  limp  with  dressing.  “Michael
likes ménages and I don’t do that anymore. I told him that,
as  long  as  he  was  safe,  he  could  occasionally  feel  free  to
indulge.  He  kept  pushing  me  to  join  him,  saying  he  had  a
few friends that would love an opportunity to join us.” Deke
had  known,  even  then,  what  that  had  meant.  Michael’s
friends wanted to fuck him.

No thanks. Deke chose who fucked him.
Grimacing, Deke admitted, “That always caused fights.

We’d split up, then he’d apologize and I’d take him back.”
He shook his head, disgust at himself filling him. “Evidently,
he got tired of me saying no,” he stated bitterly. “He brought
friends over anyway and they tried to—” Deke paused and
clenched his jaw for a few seconds, struggling as memories
of being grabbed took hold.

“Hey, easy,” Luther purred, squeezing his hand. “You’re

okay. You’re here now. No one can hurt you.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Giving the shifter a smile, Deke murmured, “I got away,

got in my car, and drove. Finally, I called Dirk, and he said
to  meet  him  here.  That  was  five  days  ago.”  His  voice
hitched.  “I  have  nightmares  and  I  don’t  know  what  to  do
with myself. I’m sure I’ve lost my job by now and I can’t go
back  to  my  apartment  and  get  my  things  for  fear  that
Michael will be waiting.”

“One step at a time, Deke,” Luther urged. “We can find

where Michael is and if he’s looking for you. I know plenty
of shifters that would be happy to accompany us to
Sacramento to get whatever things you want. You never
have to see him again, if that is your wish.”

“Hell,” Leo cut in. “If you want, we could give Michael a

sound thrashing. Sounds like the man could use one.”

Deke’s jaw sagged open. “No,” he cried. “Don’t do that.”
Leo scowled. “Why? Surely you’re not protecting him.”
“No,” Deke said again. “I just—I don’t want you to stoop

to his level.”

“If that’s your wish, Deke,” Luther agreed. “We’ll look

into his whereabouts and go from there.”

“Thanks,” Deke murmured, relieved.
Luther nodded and sent a pointed look Leo’s way. The

shifter placed his fork across his empty plate and nodded.
“Right,” he said, rising from the table. “What’s the rest of
Michael’s name and where does he live?”

Deke’s brows lifted. Surprise filling him. “Oh, um, yeah.”

Realizing Leo meant to start the search right that second, he
rattled off Michael’s information.

“I’ll keep you posted,” Leo stated, striding from the room,

pulling his cell phone off a clip on his belt as he went.

Stephani sighed. “Figures. He always gets out of cleaning

the dishes.”

“I’ll do them,” Deke offered, jumping to his feet.
“Are you sure?” Luther asked. “You did help cook.”

Charlie Richards

“You didn’t,” Stephani said, pointing at her father.
Deke smiled at their byplay, his tension easing. “Tell you

what,” he said. “I’ll take washing duties if you two clear the
table and dry.”

“Who clears and who dries?” Stephani asked, eyes

narrowed.

Luther held out his fist. “Roshambo.”
Smirking, Stephani held up her fist, too. “One, two,

three.”

In the next instant, Luther held his hand flat and Stephani

held out two fingers. She laughed and pretended to cut
Luther’s paper with her scissors. “I win. I choose.”

Laughing, Luther nodded. “All right.”
Stephani’s eyes sparkled, mischief lighting them. “I’ll

clear, then I’m gonna go to Peggy’s house for the night.” She
waggled her brows. “Give you newlyweds a chance to—”
She whistled suggestively.

Deke felt his cheeks heat even as he attempted to

suppress a snort of laughter. He failed, covering his mouth
as he headed to the kitchen with his plate.

“No more talk like that, young lady,” Luther grumbled,

but Deke noted that his lover didn’t successfully suppress
his chuckles, either.

Deke felt his nerves intensify as he followed Luther down

the hall toward the bedroom. All through cleaning the
kitchen, the wolf shifter had gifted him with soft touches
and meaningful, lusty looks. At this point, Deke’s dick stood
straight and ready in his jeans.

He sure felt grateful now that Leo had agreed to take

Stephani to her friend’s house.

Luther guided Deke into the bedroom, then pointed to the

open door on the right. “That’s a bathroom. There are a
couple of new toothbrushes under the sink. Feel free to clean

Drawing Out His Wolf

up. I’m gonna call Frankie and let him know you’ll be
staying the night.”

Deke nodded and turned toward the room. Before he’d

taken more than two steps, Luther gripped his arm and
gently spun him. The wolf shifter smiled at him. “Aren’t you
forgetting something?”

Peering up at Luther in confusion, Deke asked, “What?”
“This,” Luther purred.
Luther lowered his head and captured Deke’s mouth. He

thrust his tongue in deep, and Deke opened wide to accept
his lover’s thick appendage. Sucking it lightly, he sighed into
the other man’s mouth. Luther growled softly, then pulled
away, much to Deke’s disappointment.

“Easy, Deke,” Luther rumbled throatily. “We do much

more than that and neither of us will get cleaned up and I do
have plans for us this evening.”

“Y-yeah, okay,” Deke agreed. He really did want to clean

up. “You mind if I shower?”

Luther winked. “Feel free to come out naked. I haven’t

had the chance to explore you, yet.”

Heat flushing his neck and face, Deke took a step

backward, then another. He reached for the fly of his jeans as
he moved. He unbuttoned just enough to show off the top of
his pubic bush…and the crown of his weeping dick.

His eyes widening, Luther’s nostrils flared. He growled.
Deke grinned, liking that he could affect the other man so.

“Be right back,” he teased, turning and giving his ass a
wiggle so the jeans slid down to reveal a bit more of his
globes with each step.

By the time Deke reached the bathroom, he heard

Luther’s groan as he complained, “Gonna be the death of
me, sexy mate.”

As Deke went about cleaning up—and he had to stand at

the toilet thinking unsexy thoughts way too long so he could

Charlie Richards

finally ease the ache in his bladder—he half expected Luther
to join him. When the wolf shifter didn’t, Deke finished his
wash quickly, wanting to see what else the man had in
mind.

When Deke opened the door, he found Luther lounging

on the bed. The comforter had been shoved to the foot of the
bed and his lover lay sprawled on the navy blue sheet.
Completely naked, Luther lay with his left hand behind his
head where it rested on the pillow. He had his legs spread,
and with his right hand, he slowly stroked his ridged dick.

Luther pulled his left hand from behind his head and held

it out. “Come here, mate. I have news.”

Deke moved toward the bed. After crawling onto it, he

took Luther’s hand. His mate released his own prick and
gripped Deke’s waist, guiding him, until he lay on the other
man between his legs, pressed together from groin to chest.
Deke shivered at the intimate contact.

Cupping his jaw with his left hand, Luther gripped

Deke’s ass firmly with the right one, effectively holding him
in place. “I need to tell you something, Deke,” Luther
murmured, holding his gaze with his serious expression.

Concern filling him, Deke rested his elbows on the sheets

on either side of Luther’s upper arms and gripped his
shoulders with his hands. “What is it?”

“I talked with Leo,” Luther told him. “He already spoke

with one of our pack’s hackers. Raul Braga. Raul tracked
Michael’s credit cards and his purchases indicate that he’s
headed this way.”

Deke felt his breath hitch in his throat as fear filled him.

“Really?”

“Afraid so. And that’s not all.”
“There’s more?” Deke squeaked. He’d be embarrassed if

his body wasn’t starting to shake with panic.

Drawing Out His Wolf

“Yes,” Luther whispered. He moved his hand from

Deke’s jaw around to his back and began smoothing it up
and down his spine. “I spoke with Frankie, too. They were in
town for supper this evening and Dirk is certain he spotted
Michael. He recognized him and the guy’s sedan.”

Deke whimpered. He lowered his head to Luther’s

shoulder and shivered. “What am I going to do?”

“I’ll tell you what you’re going to do,” Luther rumbled

into his ear. “You’re going to reach down and touch my
hole.”

Snapping his head up, Deke gaped at the man. “What?”
Seeing the feral light in Luther’s eyes, feeling the man’s

hands on his body, stroking and soothing, squeezing and
massaging, Deke shuddered. Luther grinned. “Go ahead, my
mate,” Luther urged. “I know you want to.” He spread his
legs even wider. “Reach down and touch my taint. Tell me
what you feel.”

Just like that, Deke felt his cock thickening right back up.

Unable to help himself, he obeyed. Deke reached down and
cupped Luther’s balls, rolling the hard orbs for just a
second—earning a hiss from his lover—before moving on
and reaching lower.

When he felt the slick fluid coating Luther’s anus, Deke’s

gaze returned to his lover’s face. Unable to help himself, he
slid a finger into the shifter. He felt little resistance, his digit
instantly surrounded by slick heat, so he added a second.
Crooking his fingers, Deke searched for that pleasurable
spot.

Luther grunted under him, his body jerking.
Deke returned his focus to his lover’s face as he finger-

fucked the man. Luther groaned and growled, his chest
heaving. A feral grin on his face, Luther rocked into Deke’s
penetration. “Got myself ready while you were in the
shower,” he ground out through gritted teeth.

Charlie Richards

“Why?” Deke managed to pant. His prick throbbed,

aching  where  he  unconsciously  rutted  against  his  lover’s
thigh.  He  added  another  finger,  amazed  to  feel  this  big
man’s  body  give  to  his  pressure,  easily  accepting  his
ministrations.

“Everyone needs to feel in control sometime, my mate,

and I can give this to you.”

Affection for Luther filled Deke, amazed at the gift he was

handing him. His doubts about the man beneath him faded
to be replaced with the greatest wonder. “I can have you?”

Luther chuckled roughly. “Oh, Deke,” he murmured, his

hands  never  staying  in  the  same  place  as  they  petted  and
coaxed  Deke’s  body  into  an  inferno  of  need.  “You  already
have  me.  Be  warned,  though,  while  you  fill  me  with  that
pretty cock of yours, I have every intention of biting you and
completing the bonding process.” Finally,  his hands stilled.
“Can you handle that?”

Awe filled Deke that Luther would give him this. His

lover  had  expressed  his  fears,  explaining  that  he’d  never
bottomed.  Yet,  still,  Luther  was  willing  to  do  this  for  him,
recognizing  Deke’s  need.  He  wanted  to  belong  to  this  man
with every fiber of his being.

Meeting Luther’s passion-darkened blue eyes, Deke

grinned. “Oh, yes. I can handle that.”

Luther growled, his hands cupping Deke’s ass. “Then do

it.”

His cock aching, his balls already pulled dangerously

tight, Deke needed no further urging. Adjusting his hips, he
felt his sensitive glans bounce against Luther’s balls as he
pulled his fingers free. He wrapped his slick fingers around
himself and swiped once, twice, coating himself. Then, he
guided his prick to his lover’s waiting hole.

Deke pushed. His erection slid past the tight ring of

muscle. Whimpering his pleasure, Deke continued to move,

Drawing Out His Wolf

rutting  slowly,  trying  not  to  hurt  Luther  even  as  his  own
urge  to  thrust,  to  get  deeper,  to  feel  his  lover  encase  his
throbbing prick, kept him moving. Finally, Deke felt his balls
nestle  against  the  crack  of  Luther’s  ass  and  he  managed  to
still his hips.

Shudders of pleasure worked through Deke, radiating out

from his groin and through his entire body. His balls ached
deliciously, threatening his imminent release.

Prying his eyes open—Deke wasn’t certain when he’d

closed them—he peered down at the amazing man beneath
him. “Wow.”

Luther grinned up at him, no hint of pain or discomfort in

his expression. “Yeah,” he purred. “Wow.” Holding Deke
tight, he lifted his legs and wrapped them around Deke’s
waist. “Fuck me, mate.”

Groaning, Deke could do little else. He pulled his cock

almost all the way out, then drove into his lover. Instincts
long suppressed surged through him, and Deke rutted into
his mate over and over. Knowing he wouldn’t last long, he
managed to adjust his angle and peg his lover’s gland on
every move.

Grunting, Luther rocked with him, accepting each rut.

“Fuck,” he growled into Deke’s ear. “I’m so close. Give it to
me. Fill me with your seed.”

Deke screamed as his orgasm burned through him like a

flash fire. His balls emptied and his dick swelled, coating
Luther’s rectum with his seed.

“That’s it,” Luther all but hissed. “Making you mine.”
That was all the warning Deke received before sharp teeth

settled  at  the  point  where  his  shoulder  met  his  neck  and
sank into him. Pain caused his body to jolt, followed by the
most  blissful  wave  of  pleasure.  Dark  spots  danced  behind
his  vision  as  Deke  became  aware  of  the  warm  wetness

Charlie Richards

coating his stomach. His own dick spurted again, filling
Luther’s chute with several more bursts of his cum.

“Luther,” Deke slurred, too blissed to think of anything

but the heady endorphins pinging through his system.

His lover hummed, licking his neck. Then, he muttered

into his ear, “My mate.”

“Yeah.” To Deke, nothing sounded better.

Drawing Out His Wolf

Chapter Ten

uther strode through the small, one bedroom apartment.
“So, how much hot water are you going to be in for

coming and clearing out his apartment on your own?”

Turning, Luther spotted Jared lounging in the only

comfortable-looking chair in the shabby place. He just
managed to hold back his frown. Luther had asked the man
for his help, after all. Well, him and his mate, Carson.

Luther sighed and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

Shrugging, he replied, “I thought your philosophy was that
it’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.”

Jared hummed, his gaze straying to Carson. “Oh, it is.

And what wonderful begging we’ve endured. Isn’t that
right, Injun,” he crooned.

Carson chuckled, his gaze straying to them as he wrapped

tissue paper around a picture frame and settled it into an
open box. “Indeed,” the enforcer rumbled. “You gonna get
off your ass and help, babe?”

Heaving a put-upon sigh, Jared shoved to his feet. “Very

well.”

Luther chuckled, even as his concerns filled him. Jared

was right. Luther had no idea how Deke would react when
he found out he’d convinced fellow pack shifter, Manon
Lemelle, to fly them to Sacramento in his helicopter. He’d
told his mate that he had pack business that would take him
out of town for twenty-four hours.

Charlie Richards

It’d been true, from a certain point of view. Luther knew

Deke hated being unsettled, what with his stuff hundreds of
miles away and the threat of Michael still hanging over his
head. No one had seen or heard from the human for almost
two weeks. It was like he’d completely fallen off the grid.

Leaving his cousin to watch over Deke while Luther

didn’t know if Michael remained a threat had not been easy.
Still, he trusted Leo, not only to care for his mate, and since
this week had started Stephani’s two-week session at camp,
it had been now or never.

“Your boy got too many clothes to fit in dis bags, bra,”

Manon called from the bedroom. “Maybe you should
decide, eh?” He winked. “Lotta fun tings in dat nightstand,
too,” he added, pointing behind him.

Growling, Luther stalked toward the other wolf. Manon

just laughed and backed away, returning to pulling drawers
out of the dresser and wrapping them with shipping wrap to
hold everything inside it. They might be shifters, but full
dressers were still heavy.

Luther had already hired a long-haul transport company.

All they had to do was fill up the pod he’d rented, then the
company would pick it up and transport it to Luther’s home
in Stone Ridge. Luther would place everything in his garage
and his mate could go through it at his leisure.

He still couldn’t believe it’d taken an entire week to talk

Deke into moving in with him. He prayed this wouldn’t
cause his mate to think about moving out. That would suck.

Pushing away his concerns, Luther returned to filling

boxes and carrying them to the pod. After several hours,
Luther and the others started in on the furniture. They’d just
finished clearing out the small dining room set and four
chairs when Luther heard a shout.

“Hey! Who are you guys and what are you doing?”

Drawing Out His Wolf

Luther straightened from his position in the kitchen

where he’d been wrapping dishes and placing them in a box.
Manon paused next to him, his brows lifted in question.
Shrugging, Luther headed to the living room where he saw a
tall, broad-shouldered blond man confronting Carson and
Jared.

“I think the real question is who are you?” Luther stated.
“Actually, I can answer that,” Jared cut in, smirking. He

stepped around the glaring blond man, pointing at him.
“Luther Caldwell, allow me to introduce Derek Sommers.
Derek,” he continued with a grin. “This is Luther Caldwell.
He’s your brother’s partner.”

Derek’s jaw sagged open. “What? You’re not Michael.”

His  eyes  narrowed  and  he  glanced  around  at  all  of  them.
“The man wasn’t good enough for my brother, but he kept
taking  the  bastard  back.  Now  try  again.  Explain  who  you
are,”  he  snapped.  He  crossed  his  arms  over  his  chest  and
took  on  a  combative  stance.  “You  friends  of  that  asshole?
You moving Deke in with him?”

Luther bit back his first response, to blast the man with

vitriol for cutting the man out of his life. Except, obviously
the man must have at least kept track of him. “If you knew
that Michael was no good for Deke, why didn’t you step in?”
he asked, crossing his arms, mirroring the other man.

“I thought he had enough self-respect to figure it out on

his own,” Derek grumbled.

“You and your family did your best to strip him of self-

respect when you disowned him,” Luther growled. “Not
that I think you need any explanation, but no, I’m not
friends with that cheating asshole. If I ever get my hands on
that bastard, I will—”

“Easy, bra,” Manon urged, resting a hand on Luther’s

shoulder. Luther settled at the enforcer’s command. Manon

Charlie Richards

stepped around him and asked, “You disown your brother,
so what you be doin’ here?”

Derek glanced around at the men, maybe just then

realizing he was heavily outnumbered…not that they’d ever
hurt  him.  “Look,  I  can’t  go  against  my  parents,  no  matter
how  much  I  want  to,”  he  muttered.  “But  I  never  stopped
watching out for him, okay? I just—I just didn’t know how
to  get  him  away  from  Michael  without  my  parents  finding
out about it.”

“Your parents have something on you?” Jared asked, his

interest evidently piqued.

His jaw clenching, Derek ignored the question. Instead, he

turned back to Manon. “When I didn’t see Deke at his usual
haunts for a few days, and he didn’t go into work, I tried to
find him, but couldn’t, so I paid the landlady a hundred
bucks to let me know if there was any activity at his
apartment. She called me as soon as you guys arrived.”

Luther nodded slowly. “Okay, then I’ll tell you this. Deke

is no longer with Michael. He’s with me and my life mission
is to make him as happy and comfortable as I can for the rest
of our days.”

“You’re good to him?” Derek murmured, searching his

face, obviously seeking some truth. “You won’t allow
Michael to hurt him anymore?”

While Luther really wanted to throw Derek out of the

apartment,  tell  him  to  go  fuck  himself,  this  was  Deke’s
brother.  Between  the  way  his  mate  had  spoken  about  him
and  how  big  his  mate’s  heart  seemed  to  be—accepting
Stephani and never once asking to be placed ahead of her—
Luther knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’d welcome
Derek without a second thought.

Luther reached into his back pocket and pulled out his

wallet. Flipping it open, he thumbed through the contents.
He found a business card and tugged it out, then handed it

Drawing Out His Wolf

to Derek. The human looked at it and read it, his brow
crinkling in confusion as he looked back at Luther.

“Look,” Luther stated gruffly. “Your brother loves you. If

you ever decide to get out from under your parent’s thumb,
you come see us. Deke would love to have you back in his
life,” he stated with conviction.

Derek grimaced. “I don’t know about that,” he mumbled.

“It’s been years.”

“And he still speaks fondly of you,” Luther told him. “He

still loves to regale anyone who’ll listen about you decking
the baseball player that tried to shove him in his locker when
he was in tenth grade.”

Jared snorted. “I heard that one,” he said, drawing

attention. His hazel eyes glittered as he smirked at Derek.
“Of course, you do realize that, if you hurt him, I repay
emotional hurt with the physical kind.”

Derek blanched. “Uh, okay.”
Luther would have laughed, but he knew just how

serious Jared was.

Frowning down at the card again, Derek stated, “Hey,

this says you work as a carpenter in Stone Ridge, Colorado.”
His head snapped up and he met Luther’s gaze. “Deke’s in
Colorado?”

“He will be soon as we get dis shit packed and out dere,”

Manon said. “You helpin’ or hinderin’?”

Derek glanced at the card again, then shoved it into his

back pocket. “Uh, I have a couple of hours. Sure.”

The group had been working in relative silence for an

hour when Luther heard Carson growl from the front room.
Pausing, he exited the bathroom, one of the last rooms to still
have miscellaneous stuff in it, and poked his head out. He
almost chuckled when he saw that the quite a bit smaller
Jared had Carson pressed against the wall.

Charlie Richards

Carson had his legs splayed, lowering his height the

couple of inches needed to align their groins. His hands
were on Jared’s ass. The enforcer’s long, loose black hair
waved wildly as he gave as good as he got, kissing Jared to
within an inch of his life.

Smirking, Luther watched the pair fight for dominance

for a second. Missing his own mate more than he could ever
express, he began to turn away. Luther spotted Derek
standing at the kitchen counter, a coffee mug halfway to his
lips. His jaw hung open, expressing his shock just as clearly
as his wide eyes did.

Luther stepped toward Derek, clearing his throat. It took

twice more, each louder than the next, before the human
finally yanked his gaze away from the pair making out.
“Something wrong?” Luther asked coolly.

Derek’s eyes were still wide. He glanced toward the

kissing couple for a split second, then his face flushed as he
returned his gaze to Luther. “They’re, uh…they’re a
couple?”

Before Luther had a chance to respond, Manon came out

of the bedroom carrying a box. “Dis be the last of it in dere.
I—Oh, dey be at it again? Don’t dey know the bed already
be packed?”

Luther snorted. “The shower curtain is still up. They

could always take their quickie in there.”

Evidently, that caught at least one of the men’s attention,

for  Jared  yanked  his  lips  from  Carson’s  and,  with  a  feral
growl,  turned  to  look  at  him.  “Now  there  is  an  excellent
idea,”  he  murmured,  his  hips  rubbing  blatantly  against
Carson’s.  He  returned  his  focus  on  Carson  and  he  purred,
“Oh, Injun. I think it’s time we take care of a little personal
business.”

“My mate,” Carson rumbled. “I’ll more than take care of

you.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

With that, Carson showed off his shifter strength by

shoving Jared away from him. Jared laughed as he stumbled
backward several steps. Just as quickly, Carson reached out
and grabbed Jared’s wrist before stalking toward the
bathroom.

Luther hustled out of their way. He reached into a bag on

the floor, one he’d emptied the contents of Deke’s nightstand
into earlier—some of those items he found very interesting.
“Here,” he called, pulling out a tube and tossing it toward
the men.

Carson caught it easily in his free hand. Then, he

disappeared into the small room with Jared, slamming the
door behind them.

Manon snickered. “What you give dem?”
Luther shrugged. “Lube.”
“Lube? What are they—” Derek started.
A loud thud from the bathroom followed by the sound of

masculine chuckles and grunts drifted through the thin
door.

Sighing, Luther turned and headed toward the door.

“Time to make a pizza run, I think,” he said. Manon nodded,
walking beside him, still carrying his box.

“Wha—”
Derek tried again, but Luther cut him off with a hand on

his shoulder. “Come with me if you want me to give you a
general idea of what they’re doing in there. Otherwise, feel
free to stick around and listen.” He winked. “You’ll get a
very good idea that way. Those two are not quiet.”

Gaping, Derek nodded. “I’ve never seen two men go at it

like that,” he muttered, stumbling toward the door.

“No?” Luther queried. “Not even stumbled across it in

porn?”

Derek reached down and adjusted his crotch. “No,” he

denied. “Is it always that hot?”

Charlie Richards

Well, well, Luther thought, maybe it ran in the family.

Instead of saying anything of the sort, as he led the way
from the apartment he commented, “I find it that hot, but
then I love your brother, so—”

“You love Deke?”
Shit, the words had been out of his mouth before he’d

even thought about them. Which, of course, meant that, yes,
they were true. He nodded. “I do, and I sure look forward to
getting back to him.”

Three hours later, Luther said good-bye to Derek. Every

once in a while, he had seen a bit of Deke in the man, and he
sure hoped the man figured out his own shit and tried to
mend bridges with his mate. Deke would appreciate that.

Standing at the airport waiting for Manon to receive

clearance  to  take  off,  Luther’s  cell  phone  buzzed  in  his
pocket.  He  pulled  it out  and  saw  the  number  for  his  home
phone  show  up  on  it.  Smiling,  he  answered  and  greeted,
“Deke?”

“No, it’s Leo,” the man answered. “We have a problem.”
“Michael?” Luther immediately growled.
“I’m not sure. Not that I scented, anyway,” Leo answered.
Luther frowned. It wasn’t like his cousin to beat around

the bush. “Well, what is it? What’s going on?”

“When I got to your place, Deke wasn’t here. When I

called his phone, it went straight to voicemail,” Leo told
him. “I noticed Synthia’s scent in the foyer and the kitchen,
but no other I don’t recognize.”

Luther’s heart froze in his throat. “Synthia? What the fuck

was she doing there?” She had no business being in or near
his house.

“I don’t know, Lu,” Leo replied. “I called Frankie and

Dirk, but nobody has seen him or heard from him in hours.”

Drawing Out His Wolf

“Son of a bitch,” Luther snarled. “Keep looking. We’re

just leaving.” Ending the call, he whipped his head this way
and that, searching for Manon. Finally, he found him exiting
from the private hanger, striding toward him and the
chopper.

“Hurry up!” Luther hollered. “Deke’s missing.”
Manon broke into a sprint. “Climb in,” he ordered,

waving toward the bird.

Within minutes they were all on board and strapped in.
It was the longest hours of Luther’s life.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Eleven

eke couldn’t believe he’d fallen for that. Damn it all!
When would he learn that not everyone could be

trusted?

When he’d peered through the peephole and seen

Synthia, he’d called through the door, asking what she
wanted. She’d smiled widely, held up a plate of cookies, and
said she wanted to apologize and welcome him to the pack.

Self-consciously, Deke had reached up and touched the

claiming mark on his neck. He’d managed to hold out a
week, but it hadn’t taken him long to realize that he hadn’t
wanted to be anywhere but with Luther, in his bed, making
love with him…and that’s what he realized it was.

Making love. Have I ever truly been in love with anyone?
Not until then.
Still, Synthia was pack, so he’d let her in. He’d offered her

a drink and led the way to the kitchen. Deke knew now that
he should never have turned his back on her. She’d knocked
him on the head with God knew what and he’d fallen like a
sack  of  potatoes.  He  figured  he’d  only  been  out  for  a  few
seconds,  but  it  was  long  enough  for  her  to  truss  his  arms
with something. She’d tossed him over her shoulder—which
was  kind  of  impressive,  considering  she  was  a  woman—
carried him outside and tossed him into the bed of her pick-
up truck.

Staring at the blue sky, Deke tried to figure out where he

was from the shapes of the trees. That didn’t work though.

Drawing Out His Wolf

He just wasn’t familiar enough with the trees. Would howling
help? Deke almost snickered at the thought. Maybe Synthia
had hit him on the head a little harder than he’d thought.

It couldn’t hurt though, right? Snickering, feeling a little

light headed, and a lot sore, Deke opened his mouth and
howled. After a few seconds of nothing but truck motor and
getting tossed around in the bed—damn, he was gonna have
some hellish bruises if he made it through this—Deke
opened his mouth and howled again.

Within seconds, the little sliding window opened and

Synthia yelled, “Shut up, stupid human!”

Just because it pissed her off, Deke did it again, and again.

He howled even as she pulled the truck over and leaped into
the bed of the truck. He howled until she pulled a roll of
duct tape from a toolbox in the bed, yanked off a piece, and
strapped it over his mouth.

Synthia sneered, gripped his hair, and slammed it against

the metal bed of the truck.

Damn, that hurt.
That was the last thing he thought before darkness

converged…again.

“What the hell did you do to him?”
Deke wanted to cringe at the angry sounding man, but

some  instinct  told  him  to  keep  feigning  sleep.  Keeping  his
breathing  even,  he  tried  to  figure  out  where  he  was,  who
was  around  him,  and  how  in  blue  blazes  he’d  ended  up
there.

“I brought him to you, just like I promised,” a woman

replied, sounding bored.

“I didn’t tell you to hit him or truss him up,” the guy

replied.

The woman snorted. “Your boyfriend is shacking up with

my boyfriend and you expect me to be nice to him? Fuck
you,” she snarled.

Charlie Richards

“Never gonna happen,” muttered another male.
“As if I’d let you near me with your pathetic dick,” the

woman responded just as snidely.

“Enough,” the first man shouted. “It makes it a little hard

for me and my friends to remind Deke of his place if he’s
unconscious,” he claimed.

“What?” the woman snapped. “You said if I brought

Deke to you, Michael, you’d get him out of town.”

“No, Synthia,” Michael snarled back. “I said I’d teach him

a lesson and take him home. You need to learn to listen.” His
tone turned cool. “Maybe that’s why you can’t keep your
man. You don’t listen.”

Another round of cussing each other out started, and

Deke  finally  remembered  what  had  happened.  He’d  been
living with Luther and only going out of the house when he
was  with  friends  because  no  one  could  figure  out  where
Michael  had  gone.  Evidently,  he’d  holed  up  in  the  woods
somewhere and had teamed up with Synthia.

Even as Deke wondered how that happened, he cracked

his eyelids open. He wished he hadn’t. Two other men stood
leaning against the wall, watching him. They were the same
men Michael had brought over to the house all those weeks
ago. The men he’d run from.

Deke met the gaze of the bigger guy, and the man

grinned. “Hey, Mike, your little boy toy is awake.”

If Deke had had the energy, he would have growled at the

man. He hated being called a boy toy. Just because he was
short, lithe, and occasionally liked to wear eyeliner and lip
gloss, he wasn’t anyone’s toy, least of all, Michael’s.

Michael’s face appeared in Deke’s line of sight as the man

lowered to his knees in front of him. When Michael reached
for him, Deke wanted to cringe away from him, but he held
steady, worried about the odd, almost manic look in his ex-

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boyfriend’s eyes. His head already hurt, and while Michael
had never hit him before, anything could change.

“Easy, baby,” Michael crooned. “Stay still. I’m gonna take

this off you.”

Deke couldn’t help his cringe. Fortunately, Michael must

have interpreted that it was due to the pull of the tape on his
lips. In part, it was, but most of it was due to Michael’s
hands on him.

“Are you okay, baby?” Michael asked, his thumb tracing

over Deke’s upper lip.

Trying to decide how to play the situation, Deke

whispered, “My head hurts.” It wasn’t the only thing that
hurt, but normally head injuries were what people worried
about most, right? Besides, he was mated to Luther. He had
increased healing abilities. Any cuts, abrasions, or bruises
gained by bouncing around in the bed of Synthia’s pick-up
while she barreled down a dirt road would heal so quickly
that, if Michael kept him long enough, his ex might notice.

Michael slid his other hand through Deke’s hair, feeling

around his skull.

Deke hissed as pain spiked through his temples.
Glaring, Michael lifted his head and snapped, “What’d

you hit him with?”

Synthia shrugged, arms crossed over her breasts,

completely unrepentant. “A water glass.”

Right, Deke remembered leaving an empty glass on the

counter. He’d planned to reuse it.

Note to self, always use the dishwasher.
“That’s it?” Michael asked incredulously. “There are two

welts here and one is bleeding.”

“That explains the sticky feeling,” Deke mumbled. Seeing

dissention between them, he murmured, “That must be from
when she slammed my head into the bed of her truck.”

Michael stood and rounded on Synthia. “What? Why the

fuck would you do that?”

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Curling her lip, Synthia snarled, “The little shit wouldn’t

stop howling. I didn’t hit him that hard.”

“Well, get lost, bitch,” Michael ordered. “I’ll take it from

here.”

Synthia scowled. “You said you were taking him away

from here. I want him gone before I leave.”

Michael shrugged. “Then you’ll have to wait until I

remind Deke of his place.”

Huffing, Synthia crossed to a chair at a small table set up

in the corner and promptly sat. She crossed her legs primly
and lifted one eyebrow.

The big man still leaning against the wall snickered,

drawing attention to him. “You gonna watch us fuck him?”

Deke felt the blood drain from his face. “What?” he

squeaked.

Michael returned his attention to Deke, giving him a

condescending  smile.  “Now,  Deke.  You  didn’t  think  I’d
come all the way out here to get you and not punish you for
your  bad  behavior?  I’ve  had  to  take  emergency  vacation
leave  from  work.  I’ve  lost  money  because  you  forgot  who
was  in  charge.”  He  knelt  down  and  reached  for  Deke,
picking  him  up.  “I’m  going  to  fuck  you,  then  I’m  going  to
give  you  to  my  friends.  I’m  sure  once  they’re  done,  you’ll
appreciate how giving I am.”

Oh, hell, no!
Struggling against Michael’s grip, Deke managed to flop

out of his hold. With his hands tied behind his back, he
landed awkwardly against his shoulder. Pain flared through
his torso, but Deke ignored it. He tried to wriggle like an
inch worm away from his ex.

Michael glared and grabbed his leg.
Deke kicked out, making contact with Michael’s shoulder.
His ex flinched backward. Snarling, Michael lunged

forward again. He grabbed Deke’s bound arms and jerked

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101

him to his feet. Deke couldn’t hold in his cry of pain as fire
shot through his shoulder.

Releasing him with one hand, Michael swatted his ass—

hard—as he snapped, “Damn it, Deke. Don’t make this
harder than it needs to be.”

Unable to hold his tongue any longer, Deke snarled, “I’m

not your boyfriend anymore, Michael. I dumped your
possessive ass.”

Michael’s glare turned feral. He pulled back his hand and

smacked Deke across the face. “Oh, baby. You are mine,” he
declared, his eyes narrowed in anger. “I’d been using kid
gloves with you before, took it easy on you, but no more. By
the time we’re finished with you, you’ll have no doubt who
you belong to.”

“No matter what you do to me,” Deke gasped, fighting

through the dizzying wave of pain as Michael manhandled
him and shoved him onto the bed. Tumbling onto his back,
agony rolled through his shoulder again, making focusing
difficult. Still, he managed to finish, “I’ll never be yours.”

Curling his lip, Michael’s cold smirk scared Deke even

more than his yelling. “You say that now, but you’ll change
your tune.”

Deke would have tried to kick him again when Michael

reached down and gripped his fly. Unfortunately, Michael’s
friends stepped up on either side of him and grabbed his
legs. With his hands bound behind his back and his legs held
in tight, probably bruising holds, he could do little more
than wriggle his hips.

Too bad that also put strain on his arms, which sent

spikes  of  agony  through  his  shoulder.  As  Michael  yanked
his  jeans  and  underwear  down,  Deke  wondered  idly  if  it’d
been  dislocated.  Black  spots  began  to  mar  his  vision.  With
the  hope  that  if  he  passed  out,  Michael  would  delay  his

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punishment, he began to wriggle in earnest, jerking this way
and that.

Unfortunately, in response, Michael and his friends used

their holds to flip Deke to his stomach. Then, someone
pressed a hand to his back just between his shoulder blades.
Another person gripped his hip while a third hand palmed
his right ass cheek.

Deke let out a scream. Hell, maybe he was being kept

close enough for someone to hear him.

“Oh, yeah, slut,” one of the strangers cackled. “Show me

how you like it. Let me hear you.”

Deke turned his head and peered up at his captors,

struggling with deciding to shut up just to spite the bastard,
or whether he should scream again. The bigger male grinned
widely, obviously enjoying himself. The more slender man
looked a little uncomfortable, but kept glancing at the bigger
guy as if looking for instruction.

Suddenly, all of them froze.
“What was that,” the more slender man squeaked.
A howl echoed faintly in the distance.
Deke reacted instantly and howled back. He didn’t know

if a wolf’s howls actually meant anything, but he figured he
could convey pain, which was easy. Besides, the only wolves
around here were shifters. He just hoped they weren’t in
league with Synthia.

“Shut him up!” Synthia screamed, appearing beside the

bed.

She grabbed a pillow and shoved it over his face, cutting

him off mid howl.

That answered that. Unfortunately, it also made it hard to

breathe. Deke turned his head the other way, struggling to
get enough air into his lungs.

“You have to get him out of here,” Synthia demanded.

“All of you. Gone. Now!”

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103

“We’ll go when we’re damn good and ready,” Michael

roared.

The sound of breaking glass and splintering wood

sounded through the cabin. Deke tried to peer around the
wall of people, but he need not have worried. They backed
away from the bed, splitting down the middle, revealing a
massive black wolf. It appeared grizzled and even a little old
with the few gray hairs on its muzzle. The animal growled,
low in his throat as he stalked toward the group. A second
black wolf, this one slightly smaller and leaner, flanked him.

“You have no business here,” Synthia stated, obviously

trying to sound stern. “Leave now.”

The big wolf ignored her. He leaped onto the bed and

began  sniffing  Deke.  Staying  still,  Deke  tried  not  to  shiver
when  a  cold  nose  ran  across  his  naked  hip.  Then,  the
shifter’s muzzle moved up his t-shirt-clad back to his neck.
He  sniffed  at  Deke’s  neck,  obviously  scenting  the  claiming
mark on his neck.

“Just stay still, Deke,” Michael ordered. “We’ll, uh, we’ll

think of something.”

Finally, the wolf lifted his head and stared at him, his

dark eyes peering into Deke’s own. He cocked his head,
glanced around at the others in the room, then refocused on
him. Deke could see the question in the creature’s eyes, clear
as day.

“Please, help me,” Deke whispered. He didn’t recognize

the wolf, but the intelligence was hard to miss. Besides,
Frankie had said shifters were cognizant in animal form.
“I’m Luther Caldwell’s mate. Synthia kidnapped me.”

A low growl escaped the wolf, showing off an impressive

mouth full of very sharp teeth. The sight and sound would
have freaked Deke out, except the wolf wasn’t growling at
him. The wolf turned on the bed, then lay down, his chest
over Deke’s naked ass, hiding him from view.

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Deke let out a slow breath, tears burning at the backs of

his eyes. He swallowed hard, trying to control himself as a
wave of relief washed over him. “Thank you,” he whispered,
just keeping his voice from cracking.

The wolf chuffed.
“Fuck this,” the big stranger said. “Let’s get out of here.”
When the man moved toward the door, the smaller black

wolf planted himself in front of the doorway. Head lowered,
canines exposed, the wolf snarled and snapped at him.

“Shit,” the smaller male squeaked, backing against the

wall and wringing his hands.

“Oh, get out of the way, Laramie,” Synthia ordered. She’d

obviously recognized both shifters and was still trying to
come off as the most dominant of the group. “We’re
leaving!”

Instead of moving, the wolf, Laramie, threw his head back

and howled.

Synthia’s eyes widened. “I’m not going down for this,”

she hissed. She turned and leaped head first out the broken
window that the wolves had evidently entered through. The
sound of tearing fabric and popping bones and muscle
reached Deke, telling him she’d shifted.

“Oh, my God!” the small male squeaked. His blue eyes

rolled into the back of his head and he crumpled to the floor.

Deke had no idea how long he laid there, the wolf draped

over him. Turning his head, Deke noticed the other kept
himself between the door and the window, making certain
no one else escaped.

Finally, a knock sounded on the other side of the door.

Laramie moved aside and barked. Declan strode into the
cabin, followed by Lark, Shane, Leo, and several men Deke
didn’t know.

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105

Declan, flanked by one of the strangers, crossed to the

still-standing men, and ordered, “On yer knees. Hands on
yer head.”

Lark and Leo rushed across the room to the bed. When

they reached Deke’s side, the wolf hopped from the bed. Leo
produced a knife, slicing the bonds holding his arms behind
his back. Painful tingles shot up his extremities. Deke
whimpered and hissed.

“Easy,” Lark urged, reaching out and massaging his arms.

“It’ll be okay in a few minutes.” Then, Lark’s gaze fixated on
Deke’s shoulder. “Awe, damn,” he whispered as he began
fingering Deke’s shoulder and upper arm. “Dislocated,” he
confirmed.

“Pop it back in,” Deke ordered.
“You sure?” Lark asked, concern filling his eyes.
Deke nodded. “Yeah, just—Fuck!”
Before he’d even finished speaking, Lark used his hold on

his shoulder and arm to jerk him. Pain spiked through Deke,
followed by a dull throb.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Leo murmured, wrapping an

arm around his torso and helping him to his feet. He
gripped the waist of Deke’s jeans and tugged them up.
“Luther will be very happy to see you safe.”

Deke sighed and pressed close to Leo. “Me, too.”
Lark touched his good shoulder. “I’ll go with you. I’d like

to check you out fully.”

Nodding, Deke began hobbling toward the door, then he

paused and turned to see a naked, heavily bearded man
leaning against the wall watching him. Stepping up to him,
he swallowed hard, then threw himself at the man.

“I’m glad ye’re okay,” the man rumbled, his voice deep

and soothing.

“Thanks to you and your friend.”

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106

“Friends,” the man gently corrected. “Good idea, howlin’

the way ye did.” He cupped Deke’s jaw and tilted his head
back  so  their  gazes  met.  His  smile  appeared  kind.  “Ye
sounded  like  a  stuck  pig  more  than  a  wolf,  but  it  certainly
got  our  attention.  As  soon  as  we  peeked  through  the
window and saw what was going on, we sent  Jamie to get
Declan.  Laramie  and  I  just  held  the  bastards  off,”  he
murmured, easing him back a pace. “I’m Michel McDover.”

“Deke Sommers,” he replied. “I’m in your debt.”
“As am I.” Leo stepped forward. “Good to see you again,

Michel.”

Michel sniffed the air. “Ye’re not his mate.” His eyes

narrowed. “Where is Deke’s mate?”

“Luther is on his way from Sacramento, flying as fast as

Manon can possibly go, I’m sure,” Leo replied.

“Sacramento,” Deke said. “What’s he doing there?”
Leo grimaced. “It seems you and Luther will have a

number of things to talk about.”

As Deke allowed Leo to lead him out the door, he heard

Michel tell Declan that Synthia was involved. He sure hoped
the bitch got what was coming to her.

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107

Chapter Twelve

uther opened the door to his home and stalked through
the house.

It’d been four days since Deke’s abduction and the only

reason  Luther  had  agreed  to  leave  his  mate  this  day  was
because  Kade,  one  of  the  pack’s  enforcers,  had  finally
tracked  down  Synthia.  When  Luther  had  asked  Deke  what
kind of restitution he wanted for her treachery, he’d asked if
there was something akin to a human restraining order. He
just hadn’t ever wanted to see her again.

While Luther couldn’t guarantee—well, not unless they

killed Synthia, which Deke had refused—that she wouldn’t
return,  she  could  be  branded  and  banned  from  their  pack.
He’d  explained  that  Frankie’s  brother,  Reb,  was  a  tattoo
artist.  The  shifter  would  place  a  small  figure  eight  on  the
inside of Synthia’s left wrist in magick ink—yes,  there really
are  witches  and  warlocks—which  would  mark  her  as  a  mate
traitor—someone who couldn’t be trusted with a mate.

When Deke had asked how Synthia even knew of his

trouble with Michael, Declan had explained that Shane’s
mate, Caroline, was best friends with Synthia. Shane had
discussed the problem with Caroline, and his mate had told
Synthia, unwittingly arming the jealous wolf with an idea of
how to get rid of Deke.

Deke had even said he didn’t want to be involved in

sentencing Michael and his friends for their attempted rape.
Luther actually appreciated that and had no qualms about

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requesting the humans be put to death for their actions. Hell,
if  they  were  willing  to  do  that  to  Deke,  then  it  stood  to
reason  that  if  they  hadn’t  raped  someone  in  the  past,  they
would  in  the  future.  Luther  personally  believed  he  was
doing the world a favor.

Jared had said it would be done.
While Luther figured word would get around to Deke

eventually of Michael’s execution, he hoped it wouldn’t be
for a while, yet. He didn’t want anything to change his
sweet, sassy, soft-hearted mate.

Luther knew he’d been smothering Deke ever since, but

his wolf just wouldn’t allow his mate out of his sight. Truth
be told, Luther had been enjoying their time together,
knowing the opportunity to have sex in any room of the
house at any time would end when Stephani returned from
camp.

With that thought in mind, Luther rounded a corner and

stopped dead in his tracks. He gulped, watching Deke shake
his hips as he worked on something at the counter. Wearing
only a pair of jean short shorts that Luther had never before
seen, Deke’s bubble butt seemed to bounce before him and
his fingers twitched to grip those globes.

Luther must have made some noise, for Deke turned and

grinned widely. “Hey, you’re back. Everything go all right?”

“Yes,” Luther croaked, swallowing to get moisture to his

suddenly dry throat. “Where’d you get those?”

Deke chuckled and spun. “You like? Jason came over. The

company he orders his clothes from sent the wrong size and
he thought they may fit me.” Deke grinned. “He was right.
So?”

Since the incident—as Deke and Jason had come to call it—

Deke had been welcomed by Michel’s circle. He hung with
Michel’s mate, Jason, as well as fellow wolf shifter Jamie.
Luther knew that, in the future, if he ever couldn’t find his

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109

mate, he could call one of those guys and they’d be able to
tell him.

Hell, Luther and Leo had joined Michel and his crew for a

barbeque already, then enjoyed a run in the forest in wolf
form. He didn’t even have to worry about leaving his mate
alone, because he had Jason and Laramie’s mate, Denise, to
hang out with.

Taking in the whole picture of his mate, Luther’s gaze

snagged on the blue nail polish on Deke’s toes, then on the
eyeliner accentuating his mate’s sparkling green eyes. “Yes,”
he murmured. “Gods yes. You’re absolutely fuckable.”

Luther’s cock ached in his suddenly too tight jeans and he

pressed the heel of his palm against it.

Grinning, Deke rubbed a slender-fingered palm over his

flat belly. “Mmm, glad you like.”

“I do,” Luther rumbled, stalking forward. That’s when he

spotted it. He wasn’t the only one turned on. The flushed
cap of Deke’s erection could just be seen, only partly hidden
by the waistband of his tiny shorts. Rumbling softly, Luther
reached out and dipped his fingertip into Deke’s shorts,
massaging his mate’s cock head. “Finish making lunch,” he
ordered gruffly. “I’m gonna watch.” He scooped up a bead
of pre-cum and, lifting his finger to his mouth, licked it from
his finger.

Deke moaned. “O-okay, but I’m almost done,” he

admitted breathily. “I made chicken salad sandwiches.”

“Really?” Luther responded, a better idea pushing into

his mind. When Deke nodded, he grinned back. “Okay,
hurry up then, sweetheart. I’ll set up a TV tray in the den.”

“Okay,” Deke murmured, panting.
Luther eased away from Deke, running his hand over his

mate’s stomach as he drew away. Taking that first step away
from his sexy human proved difficult, especially when he

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looked again at his mate’s sweet ass and remembered what
he’d inserted into it earlier that morning.

Palming one of Deke’s globes, Luther dug his fingertips

into the crease. “Are you still wearing the plug?” he asked
even as he found and jostled the base.

Deke froze and groaned. “Y-yes,” he gasped.
“Good.”
Luther released Deke and strode from the kitchen. Once

inside the study, he set up a TV tray next to his large
recliner. He stood there for a few seconds trying to get
himself under control. When he finally felt like he wouldn’t
blow the second he touched his dick, he stripped, folding his
clothes and placing them on the coffee table.

Reaching into the drawer of one of the end tables, Luther

grabbed a tube of lube, then settled on his easy chair. He
poured a dollop of slick onto his prick, then placed the tube
on the chair next to his hip. Gripping himself, Luther spread
the lube up and down his cock.

Deke walked in at that instant and froze, gasping. “Oh,”

he murmured, the plate he held shaking a bit in his grip.

Humming with pleasure at Deke’s response, Luther

released his cock and grabbed a tissue from the box on the
end  table.  He  wiped  his  fingers,  then  beckoned  his  mate
forward.  Deke  strode  to  him.  As  soon  as  he  was  close
enough,  Luther  gripped  his  mate’s  hip  with  his  left  hand
and took the plate with his right.

“We’ll put this aside for now,” Luther stated, setting the

plate on the TV tray.

“I thought you were hungry,” Deke murmured huskily,

his gaze fixed on Luther’s thick shaft.

“Oh, I am,” Luther assured, returning his focus to Deke

and his groin. He made quick work of his mate’s fly,
smoothing his thumb along the thick vein running along the
base of his dick. “I’m very hungry.”

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111

Then, Luther leaned forward and wrapped his lips

around Deke’s flared cap. Sucking lightly, he enjoyed the
sounds of his mate’s gasps and whines as he licked along the
length and tickled the wrinkled skin under the head.

When Deke’s hands landed on his shoulders and pushed,

Luther did as his mate entreated. He released Deke’s prick
and grinned widely at his mate.

“Your mouth feels amazing,” Deke whispered.
“Your dick is the perfect mouthful,” Luther responded,

pushing his mate’s shorts down his legs. “But I’m ready for
something else,” he stated. Cupping his mate’s cheeks, he
pried them apart and rubbed over the base of the plug,
jostling it in his lover’s ass.

“Luther,” Deke whined, shuddering in his grip. “Stop!

I’m gonna come.”

“Can’t have that quite yet. Kick off your shorts, Deke.”
As soon as Deke obeyed, Luther turned him around,

located  the  plug,  and  eased  it  from  his  mate’s  chute.  He
reveled in the shiver that worked through Deke, loving how
responsive the man was to his every touch. Then, he helped
Deke  onto  his  lap,  positioning  his  dick  in  the  process  and
allowed  the  momentum  of  rocking  back  in  the  seat  and
reclining the chair to drive his prick deep into his mate.

Sighing, Luther wrapped his arms around his mate and

held  him  close.  He  nuzzled  Deke’s  neck,  enjoying  the
sensation  of  having  his  cock  buried  in  the  man’s  hot,  tight
grip.  No  matter  how  often  he  fucked  his  mate,  his  body
always  seemed  to  be  ready  for  more  and  he  prayed  it’d
always be that way. Luther relaxed in the knowledge that he
held his mate in his arms, safe and healthy.

Deke turned his head where it rested on Luther’s

shoulder and kissed, then nipped, his neck.

Luther hummed. He turned his head and captured Deke’s

mouth. He thrust his tongue deep and dueled with his

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112

mate’s. Luther growled, tasting and exploring his mate’s
mouth, reveling in Deke’s unique taste.

Finally, Luther broke the kiss and sighed. He loosened his

grip  so  he  could  run his  hands  over  Deke’s  chest,  abs,  and
hips.  “I  was  so  worried  about  you,”  he  whispered  the
admission,  rocking  his  hips  slowly,  stimulating  them  both.
“The  flight  home  was  the  longest  hours  of  my  life.  I  owe
your new friends so much.”

Deke moaned, his head digging into Luther’s shoulder as

he arched his body. He rolled his hips and gripped the arms
of the chair, using his hold to drive his ass down and meet
Luther’s movements. “I knew you’d come for me. No matter
what.”

“I never wanted you to go through more pain,” Luther

rumbled. “This is where you should be. In my arms, safe and
secure.”

“I am,” Deke moaned. “I am. Your family saved me. I’m

okay,” he assured, nuzzling his face into Luther’s neck. “I’m
here, sweet shifter.”

Luther continued to move slowly as he peered down

Deke’s body. “Deke,” he moaned, taking in his mate’s lean
lines and toned flesh. “Love how you feel wrapped around
me as I’m wrapped around you. So perfect. Love you so
much.”

He didn’t realize he’d blurted that out until Deke froze

above him.

Turning his head, Deke stared at him, his jaw gaping a

bit.

Clearing his throat, Luther murmured, “I know it’s trite to

blurt that out during sex, but it doesn’t make it any less
true.”

Deke smiled, the expression full of warmth and affection.

“I appreciate you saying that.” He winked. “Even if I am
impaled on your dick at the moment.” Then, he sobered,

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113

“Because I love you, too. I knew before I moved in with you,
that’s why I finally agreed. I knew this was where I’m
supposed to be.”

Luther couldn’t help but grin widely. “On my dick?”
Growling, Deke rocked forward, pulling halfway off

Luther’s dick, then driving back down.

Hissing through clenched teeth, Luther tightened his hold

on Deke’s waist. “Deke.”

“Mmm,” Deke murmured. “I thought we were having a

serious moment. Declaring our love and all,” he muttered,
clenching and releasing his ass muscles, probably because
Luther now held his hips still.

“Shit,” Luther mumbled. “I’m sorry. We were and I

fucked it up.” Sighing, trying to get them back to where they
were, he stated, “Sweetheart, I love you. I love that Fate put
you in my path, and I love that you moved in with me.” He
slid his nose along Deke’s neck, then scraped his teeth back
down the slender column of flesh. “I don’t ever want you to
doubt that.”

Deke tilted his head, offering him more room. “Oh, I

don’t,” he purred. “Don’t you doubt that, either, sexy
shifter.”

Luther rumbled softly, enjoying the feel of Deke’s skin

underneath his fingertips. He released Deke’s hips. “Take
what you want, my mate,” he urged. “Ride my dick.”

Massaging Deke’s chest, his sides, his abs, Luther sighed

as he mate planted his feet on either side of his calves where
they rested on the fold-out footrest. Deke did exactly as
Luther suggested. Between his hold on the armrests and the
positioning of his feet, he arched his back, drove the back of
his head into Luther’s shoulder, and began a slow, steady
rhythm, rising and falling on Luther’s dick.

“Fuck, Luther,” Deke whined. “Your dick feels so good

plugging my ass.”

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“Yeah,” Luther snarled. “Like seeing you fuck yourself on

my dick, moving up and down, making your cock bounce.
Fuck! So sexy.” Luther growled, unable to pull his gaze
away from Deke’s bouncing prick.

As Deke’s hips jacked up and down, his cock waved like a

flagpole, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. “Look at
you,” Luther whined. “Your prick is so pretty. You’re gonna
come without a touch, aren’t you, sweetheart?” he urged.

“Oh, yeah,” Deke whined. “Your cock fills me so good,

fills me just right. Your cap rubs over my prostate, sending
sparks through my system. Makes me so hot for you.”

“Yeah,” Luther snarled. “You ready to come? I’ll sink my

teeth into you, just like my prick is sunk in your ass. You’re
gonna go off like a geyser, sending your seed shooting into
the air. It’ll be so beautiful, spraying your seed like a
fountain.”

Deke moaned. “Oh. Oh, fuck yeah!”
Luther wasted no time sinking his teeth deep into Deke’s

shoulder.

Blood flowed over his tongue and he moaned at the

heady  taste.  Deke  screamed,  and  just  as  Luther  had
predicted,  his  mate’s  cock  jerked  once,  then  spurted,
shooting  streams  of  seed  high  into  the  air.  The  seed
splattered  on  and  around  them,  the  heady  scent  filling  the
air.

Deke’s warm chute rippled along Luther’s length, milking

him. Groaning, Luther didn’t fight his need. His balls pulled
tight and he spilled, shooting his seed into his lover’s
channel. Deke slowed, his breath coming in harsh pants.

“Holy shit,” Deke mumbled. “How do you do this to

me?”

Luther pulled his teeth from his mate’s neck. Licking

Deke’s neck, he healed the claiming mark. “Oh, sweet
Deke,” he crooned, enjoying the blissful ping of endorphins.

Drawing Out His Wolf

115

“It is you who are truly amazing. You are truly a gift from
Fate.”

Sighing, sagging against him, Deke relaxed against him.

His head lolled so he could meet Luther’s gaze. “Wow.”

Grinning at his mate, Luther winked. “Oh, yeah,

sweetheart. Just think. In a few minutes, we’re gonna do it
all again.”

“I don’t think I can get it up again anytime soon,” Deke

warned, smirking.

Luther chuckled. Doing his best not to jostle his mate too

much, he reached for the plate of chicken salad sandwiches.
“You will,” he promised. He set the plate on Deke’s abs,
completely unmindful of the cum coating him, and picked
up a sandwich corner. He held it to Deke’s mouth.

After his mate had bitten off a corner, Luther winked and

took a bite for himself. After swallowing the sandwich, he
murmured, “You do make an amazing chicken salad
sandwich, love.”

Wriggling a bit on his lap, Deke chuckled. “Thanks,” he

replied after swallowing.

Luther held up the last bite of the sandwich corner and

fed it to his lover. “Just think,” he crooned into Deke’s ear.
“By  the  time  we’re  done  eating  all  these  sandwich  corners
you  made  for  us,  my  dick  will  be  hard  again.”  He  kissed
Deke’s  neck.  “And  so  will  yours.  I  will  turn  you  over  that
coffee  table  and  fuck  you  to  completion,”  he  promised.
“Then,  I’m  going  to  carry  you  upstairs  to  the  shower  and
wash you before giving you a choice.”

Shivering, Deke met his gaze. “What choice?”
Grinning widely, Luther stated, “We can curl up in bed

and fuck away the day, or we can go out and buy some more
of those sexy shorts.”

Deke’s green eyes sparkled. “We better get started then.”
Luther fed his mate another bite. He couldn’t agree more.

About the Author

Charlie started writing fantasy when she was eight, and after
stumbling onto her first erotic romance at age nineteen, she
realized  her  true  calling.  She  now  focuses  on  writing  gay
erotic  romance,  normally  of  the  paranormal  variety,  with
heroes  of  all  kinds.  With  the  help  and  support  of  her
husband,  Charlie  finally  fulfilled  one  of  her  life-long
goals…move to acreage with her horses. You can often find
her  curled  up  with  her  laptop  and  a  cup  of  tea  or  glass  of
wine, creating her next adventure. Charlie enjoys exploring
the  mountains  of  her  new  Oregon  home  on  horseback,  4-
wheeler, or motorcycle.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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