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A Total-E-Bound Publication
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More Than Pride
ISBN # 978-1-78184-001-6
©Copyright Amber Kell 2012
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright May 2012
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form,
whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of
the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound
Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil
proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs
and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator
of the artwork.
Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL,
United Kingdom.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This
story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.
This story contains 59 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book
containing 7 pages.
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Supernatural Mates
MORE THAN PRIDE
Amber Kell
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Book six in the Supernatural Mates Series
Some lions need two mates to soothe the savage beast.
After watching the happiness his fellow pride mates found with their matches, Dillon longs
for a mate of his own. Unfortunately the perfect mate doesn’t just fall from the sky…or does
he? Trouble gets stirred up when bird and feline breeds mix together. Chester came to the
pride house to infiltrate their tight-knit group. Will he endanger his life and that of his family
in the name of love? And will Evin be able to leave the owl shifters in his crazy brother’s
hands as the owls seek to take over pride territory?
Intrigue, betrayal and hot men finding true love—when lovers cast aside their personal
problems they find they have more than pride to keep them together.
Dedication
For my shifter-loving fans who wanted something a little different.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following
wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Hummer: General Motors
The Exorcist: Warner Brothers
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Amber Kell
6
Chapter One
Dillon sat on the back porch enjoying the cool evening breeze with a cold Mason jar of
sun tea in his hand. He yawned, tired after his long day of helping clear out the west garden
for spring planting. He generally didn’t mind pitching in—a pride was only as strong as its
weakest member and Dillon had decided long ago that he wouldn’t be the weakest. He
might have been born the runt of the litter but time dedicated to building up his body and a
late growth spurt had helped him rise to the second strongest of the pride. Now only the
alpha pair was stronger than him…and Adrian didn’t really count because Dillon had met
few people as vicious as Talan’s sweet wolf mate.
Sighing, Dillon pushed at the deck with his foot, sending the wooden swing tilting
higher.
His life should’ve been just about fucking perfect. He had a good job as overseer of the
pride’s work teams and sometimes as a representative for their alpha. Talan trusted him to
negotiate treaties and represent him when he couldn’t get away. Why, then, did he feel
hollow inside? The last few days it had taken effort to even drag himself out of bed. Nothing
seemed to bring him joy anymore. Not even the cubs running around the house could bring
out his usual smile. Now that both Kevin and Talan had mates, he longed for one of his own.
A sigh ripped through his chest. None of the local lions appealed to him, and although
he’d started to take a look at Adrian’s pack for potential mates, he hadn’t found a wolf
partner who appealed to him either. Was it too much to hope to find one perfect man? Hell,
he’d even take a woman if she made his heart beat faster.
“Meow.”
The tiny sound caught Dillon’s attention. He stopped the sway of the swing to peer into
the darkness. A large tabby cat pranced through the high grasses, attacking dandelions as he
crossed the field.
Walk. Walk. Pounce.
The animal followed that pattern over and over as it approached. Dozens of hapless
dandelions lost their fluff as it moved closer.
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“Hey there, little fella,” Dillon said, keeping his voice low and soothing. What a cute
cat. However, Dillon needed to get the small creature off the pride lands before he became a
lion snack. “Come here,” he cooed to the pretty cat.
An owl’s screech made the hairs on the back of Dillon’s neck stand up straight. He leapt
off the porch and ran towards the tabby as a great horned owl launched off a nearby tree.
The bird zeroed in on the cat, and, before Dillon’s horrified gaze, swooped down and
grabbed the feline in its claws.
“No!” Dillon screamed. He scooped up a rock off the ground and threw it at the bird.
His stone hit its mark, striking the avian on the wing.
The owl screeched, releasing its grip on the small animal. To Dillon’s surprise, the tabby
flipped midair and transformed. Fur changed to smooth, muscled skin and red-gold hair
flowed across a well-shaped skull. Instead of a fluffy cat, a naked man landed on his feet in
the grass. The cat shifter crouched down like a feral creature afraid to be out in the wide
open. His brilliant hair shone in the moonlight and even in human form the man’s eyes
shimmered reflectively.
Another cry came from the owl. It landed several feet away and transformed into a tall
muscular man with brown and white speckled hair. Bruises covered him from face to torso.
His ribs stood out in sharp relief against his battered mocha-coloured skin.
The owl man swayed for a moment before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head
and he collapsed onto the ground.
Why the hell were a cat and an owl intruding on lion land? Concern for the injured
shifter had Dillon moving towards the avian first.
“I hope you two have a good reason for being on our land. I’d hate to have to kill you,”
Dillon muttered as he reached the owl shifter’s side. He brushed the stranger’s bruised skin
with gentle fingers, carefully feeling around for any deeper injuries. As far as he could see, all
the bad wounds were on the surface, nothing broken. He didn’t know if it was because the
man had shifted several times already or because there truly wasn’t more damage—though
the fact that the bruises had survived the shift told Dillon they must’ve started out quite
severe.
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He hoped the owl shifter woke up with a good excuse, or Talan was going to have
puppies at this show of such blatant disrespect. Any proper shifter should know better than
to intrude on a lion’s pride land and expect to survive the encounter.
Dillon leant down and picked up the collapsed shifter, even though he had at least an
inch on Dillon in height. The owl’s human mass wasn’t anything near a lion’s weight.
Turning back towards the pride house, Dillon almost ran into the cat shifter.
“What are you doing here?” Dillon glared at the stranger. It was difficult to keep his
gaze above the man’s neck when a quick downward flick of his eyes revealed the man was
golden everywhere. Dillon tried to keep his look steady. Shifters might be comfortable with
nudity but it was still considered rude to stare.
“I-I’m s-sorry to be on your territory,” the cat shifter stuttered.
Dillon could smell the terror rolling off the smaller man. A long scratch crossed his right
arm from where the owl’s claws had grabbed him.
“Who are you?”
“Chester.”
Dillon waited for more but the stranger stood there staring at him without speaking.
Deciding he needed to get the owl shifter inside, Dillon brushed past Chester and trudged
towards the house.
“And you’re from?” he asked without glancing at the other man.
The sudden silence had Dillon breaking his determination not to look at the pretty man.
Chester stood two feet away nibbling on his bottom lip. Dillon strove to ignore the urge
to bite Chester’s mouth himself and see if he tasted as sweet as he looked.
“I’m not really from anywhere,” he said at last.
Before Dillon could comment on that strange statement, the cat man draped across his
shoulder spoke.
“Sorry about trying to eat you—my owl was just really hungry,” the bird shifter
interrupted.
Rough and deep, his tone settled in Dillon’s balls and made his cock rise up to pay
attention.
“You can set me down now.”
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Chester gave the birdman a quick look from beneath his long, golden lashes. “That’s
okay.” He rubbed his quickly healing wound and took a baby step away from the other
shifters.
Dillon carefully placed the man on his feet, keeping an arm around his waist for
support. Despite the strength in his voice, the owl shifter swayed a bit.
“Thank you.”
Between the pretty kitty and the sexy bird, his dick wanted to come out and visit. After
all, the other two were naked…why didn’t it get to play? Dillon shook his head to banish his
inappropriate thoughts. He needed to represent the pack, not indulge in a quick three-way.
“I’m Evin.” The owl’s gaze challenged him, but Dillon didn’t look away from anyone
except his alpha. He let a low growl roll up his throat until Evin broke his stare.
“Sorry.” Evin examined the ground with great interest.
“Uh-huh. So why are you two here?” He folded his arms across his chest as he waited
for their answers.
“I’m lost,” Chester blurted out. He hung his head as if he were confessing a great sin.
Dillon felt a strange urge to cuddle the lean man to his chest and keep him close, but he
resisted because he could hear a thread of a lie in the kitty’s words.
“I need to meet with Talan,” Evin stated. His cool tone and powerful presence made
Dillon’s inner cat want to purr and roll over for a belly scratch.
“Why?” Dillon didn’t budge. Just because someone showed up and wished to speak to
their alpha didn’t give them automatic access.
The back door opened. “Hey, Dillon, you want a cookie?”
Dillon’s heart skipped a beat as Adrian sauntered out onto the porch. With a powerful
bound, he leapt in front of the alpha mate, protecting Adrian with his body.
Adrian peered up at him. “What’s going on?”
To Dillon’s surprise, Evin gave Adrian a low bow. “I have important information I need
to share with you and your mate.”
“Oh?”
Dillon watched with amusement as Adrian gave the intruder a careful examination.
Adrian may come across as a nice man without an ounce of malice in his body, but Dillon
had seen the colder side of the alpha mate and did his best to make sure Adrian’s ruthless
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wolf half rarely needed to come out and play. Adrian’s baking skills might have won him the
pride’s affections, but it was his more lethal abilities that had earned him the pride’s respect.
Dillon had no doubt that, if someone tried to attack, they’d only get halfway through a shift
before Adrian killed them with his poison-tipped claws.
Still, his lion instincts urged him to protect the smaller member of his pride.
Adrian bit into a snickerdoodle as he regarded Evin with a cool assessing gaze. A
delicious-smelling assortment of cookies covered the tray that Adrian balanced easily in one
hand. Dillon resisted the urge to grab a pastry, waiting until the alpha mate’s safety was
assured.
“Why do you need to talk to him and how do you know who I am?” Adrian asked.
Dillon shook his head. “Everyone knows who you are, Adrian. Talan’s the only lion
alpha without a lion mate.”
“Really?” Adrian’s surprise made Dillon laugh despite the odd situation. Sometimes the
wolf had no clue of politics outside of a pack.
“Yes, really.”
“The hunters are heading this way,” Evin said. “My brother, Tilden, made a deal with
them in exchange for the pride lands when they take out the lions. Tilden is crazy. After the
wildfires last month destroyed our habitat, the owl shifters are becoming increasingly
displeased with Tilden’s handling of the crisis. When I protested, he had me starved and
beaten. They only left me alone because they thought I was too injured to fly.”
Dillon gave the man his full attention. “What hunters?”
“I don’t know where they came from. When they first arrived they spoke about the
lions stealing their experiments, but once I voiced my objections to hurting other shifters,
they didn’t let me attend the rest of the meetings. They’re the ones who attacked me, so they
are evidently following my brother’s orders, at least until they get what they want. They
wear a lot of camo and carry big guns.”
“Well, they can’t have their experiments back,” Adrian growled. “The ones that chose
to stay are part of my pride now.”
Dillon watched uneasily as the wolf slid behind Adrian’s eyes, a frightening
transformation.
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“I came to tell Talan what I know,” Evin said. “I don’t support shifters turning on each
other. If we don’t protect other shifters, we might as well be humans.”
“Ahh…you’re one of the safety lieutenants, aren’t you?” Adrian asked.
“Yeah.” Evin nodded. “May I come in?”
More years ago than Dillon could remember, the shifter council had set up a safety net
for shifters. When there was a concern for shifter safety, a shifter could go to any lieutenant
to seek help. That person would look into the charges and report back to the council. To have
his own brother go rogue had to be a blow for the stalwart-looking man.
“Sure, Talan is in the living room. Some sort of vampire show is on.” Adrian rolled his
eyes and made a disgusted sound. “I don’t know why he watches that crap. Like there are
any vampires.”
Dillon watched the look of relief cross Evin’s face. “Thank you. I promised myself if I
survived I’d warn the lions.”
“Afterwards we’ll get you something to eat. You’ve got to be hungry after your flight.”
Dillon noticed Adrian diplomatically didn’t mention Evin’s appearance. The wolf made
a damn fine pride alpha mate.
Stepping aside, Dillon let the owl shifter pass. The man didn’t smell of deceit or anger
but he did smell deliciously tantalising. Dillon’s fangs pushed through his gums and pricked
his bottom lip as Evin’s scent filled his nose. Shaking his head, he tried to dispel the odd
attraction. He’d always admired owls but he didn’t have a fetish about them.
Once Adrian and Evin had disappeared inside, he turned his attention back to the cat
shifter. He’d all but forgotten Chester in his urge to see Evin settled.
Chester stood there silently, watching Dillon, as motionless as a cat about to pounce.
“Do you have a home, little cat?”
Chester ducked his head, avoiding Dillon’s eyes. “No.”
“Where’s your family?”
“Dead.” Chester swallowed as if trying to keep down the tears.
Whenever his family had died, it was apparent that Chester still hadn’t got over their
deaths. Dillon’s heart ached for the pretty shifter.
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“Come here.” Dillon held out his arms. Chester leapt into them as if he had been just
waiting for the invitation. The younger man trembled in his arms. “Where have you been
living?”
Chester mumbled into Dillon’s chest. “Nowhere and everywhere. I’ve travelled around
trying to avoid animal control, dogs and cars. I didn’t mean to intrude on your territory.
Damn you smell good.” A low purr rolled through Chester’s thin chest. Dillon could damn
near feel all the younger man’s ribs with his fingers.
“You need to eat something. Come inside—we can at least give you a meal.”
Chester removed himself from Dillon’s arms and scooted out of reach. Dillon snarled at
the separation. The shaking man held his ground even if he couldn’t meet Dillon’s eyes.
Apparently the wooden porch held a previously undiscovered fascination. “I’m not a charity
case.”
“Get into the house.” Dillon made it an order instead of a request. Obviously the man
needed someone to save him from himself. Dillon opened the door and pointed inside.
Obediently, Chester shuffled past him. He politely waited until Dillon joined him
before entering any further. Dillon wrapped his hand around the back of Chester’s neck in an
unbreakable hold, like he would scruff a cat. Moving them both forward, he headed towards
the kitchen.
They found Adrian scooting cookies from a hot baking sheet onto a cooling rack. The
entire place smelt like Christmas.
Dillon tilted his head. “Is there a particular reason you’re making sugar cookies in
May?”
Adrian’s luminous smile brightened the room. “There’s never a bad time to make
cookies.”
“True.” Dillon couldn’t argue with that kind of logic. “This is Chester. Do you have
something more substantial he can eat?”
“Sure. I think there’s some venison stew in the fridge.” Adrian set down his bakeware,
opened the refrigerator and pulled out a large container. After putting several scoops in a
soup bowl, he popped it into the microwave. “That should be ready in two minutes. I’m
going to go get some work done while the cookies are cooling. Eat whatever you want,
Chester. Let us know if you need anything.”
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With a final smile at the pair of them, Adrian left the room.
“What does he do?” Chester asked.
“Besides keep the alpha in line? He’s a game programmer.”
“Huh. He seems nice but he smells odd.”
“He’s a wolf shifter.” Dillon moved closer to Chester, unable to resist stroking the silky
bare skin. When Chester began to purr, Dillon snatched his hand back. “Um…sorry. Wait
here and I’ll get you something to wear.”
“Why?” Chester tilted his head as he examined Dillon with his odd gold eyes. “I don’t
mind being naked.”
Dillon ground his teeth together. “Because if you don’t get some clothes on, I’m going
to fuck you in the middle of the pride kitchen and I don’t think the others would appreciate
coming in here and finding my cock buried in your ass.” Shifters were casual about nudity
but sex generally was kept within the privacy of their rooms or remote outside locations.
“Oh.” Chester blushed a bright red. “Yeah, I didn’t think about that. I-I like you
touching me.”
Dillon brushed his lips across the top of Chester’s head, his chest tightening with
unnamed emotions. “Wait here and I’ll get you some clothes.” He vanished down the hall
before he could give up on his resolve not to molest a complete stranger in his pride family’s
kitchen.
Chester stood perfectly still as Dillon walked away. Betraying the kind shifter would
break his heart. When he’d agreed to give in to the humans’ blackmail, he hadn’t thought
about the people he’d be spying on. Apparently, word among shifter hate groups was that
the lion prides were difficult to infiltrate, but open to other shifters.
The poison they’d injected into Chester’s body would kill him in five days if he didn’t
come back with news about the pride. Having a photographic memory, he’d be able to draw
them a map and tell them all about the pride members and any weaknesses. Chester didn’t
want to die—not when he’d never really had a chance to live. However, after meeting Dillon,
Chester didn’t want to hurt him, either.
A loud beep from the microwave announced that his stew was finished. Chester’s
stomach growled in response, as if it knew the food was for him and wanted it now.
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“Shhh, you’re lucky I don’t starve you.” The poison slowly moving its way through his
system would kill him way before starvation anyway.
“Still naked, kitty cat?” The owl shifter had found clothing somewhere and now had a
pair of jeans and a tight T-shirt lovingly caressing his thin body. Chester quickly swallowed
his drool. He hadn’t forgiven the owl for his part in causing Chester’s moment of terror. The
fear from being snatched off the ground and dangled from a pair of large talons lived fresh in
his mind.
“Um, Dillon went to get me clothes,” he said in a shaky voice.
The owl shifter’s hot gaze slid up and down Chester’s body, a visual caress. Chester
shivered beneath the stare.
“I think it would be a shame to cover you.” Evin’s deep voice poured across Chester
like warm chocolate. He barely stopped the responding purr. He had a feeling that any show
of weakness and Evin would have him ass up on the closest surface despite what Dillon had
said about no sex in the kitchen.
Chester cleared his throat. “Dillon thought it would be best if I had clothes so I don’t
upset the others.” He didn’t mention what Dillon had said about fucking him.
Avoiding the owl shifter, he scurried over to the microwave and took out the bowl of
hot soup. Luckily the glass hadn’t got too hot because Chester needed the distraction. He
opened and closed several drawers before he found a spoon, but at least the search had kept
his gaze away from the sexy owl man.
“What are you doing here, little one?”
Chester slammed the drawer shut. “I’m not little,” he growled. He could almost feel his
hackles rise.
Evin settled on a stool on the opposite side of the counter, keeping his motions slow
and non-threatening. “I didn’t mean to anger you, Chester. I’m just having some fun.”
Chester took a bite of the stew. The chunks of vegetables and meat were welcome
additions to his empty stomach. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a solid meal.
They hadn’t been big on feeding him during his time in the cage. After three months of
barely any food and constant beatings he’d been willing to agree to just about anything to get
out of there. Unfortunately his captors had figured that out, which was why they’d injected
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him and his brother with poison. If he didn’t care about dying himself, they were hoping the
idea of his brother’s death would keep him compliant.
He knew they weren’t bluffing. They’d shown him the bodies of the shifters who’d
refused them before.
Swallowing back the bile rising in his throat at the memory, Chester set down his bowl.
“Hey, are you all right?” Evin reached across the counter and covered Chester’s hand
with his own. “I didn’t really hurt you when I grabbed you, did I?”
It had been easier to ignore Evin when Chester thought he was an ass. Chester blinked
back tears over Evin’s concern.
“What’s going on?” Dillon’s sharp tone had Chester spinning around to face the lion.
Dillon’s narrow-eyed gaze sent chills down Chester’s spine. The lion shifter looked like he
might rip Evin apart.
Instinct he didn’t understand had him stepping between the two men. The heat level
rose in the room as Chester felt both of the men on either side of him. Their clothes rubbed
his cock and ass and his body hardened at the proximity of so much sexy male. He took a
deep breath and inhaled Dillon’s luscious scent. He might not survive this infiltration
mission, but he wasn’t going to go down without being beneath the lion shifter at least once.
The feel of Evin’s jeans brushing against his bare ass made Chester nervously scoot
closer to the lion shifter. Dillon wrapped an arm around Chester and swung him to the
opposite side of him. Dillon shoved clothes at Chester. “Here, go and get dressed.”
Chester bit his lip. His gaze swung back and forth, judging the mood between the men.
“It will be fine.” Dillon stroked Chester’s hair and rubbed the back of his neck in a
soothing manner.
“Okay.” Chester bobbed his head up and down.
Unwilling to leave the two men alone, he walked over by the wall and began to pull on
the simple jeans and T-shirt that were the staple of any shifter’s closet. Almost every shifter
house had extra clothes in a variety of sizes to accommodate visitors.
A pair of groans had him looking up. Two sets of eyes were focused on Chester. He
gulped, feeling like prey to larger, more dangerous predators. He’d already experienced that
once today but for some reason in human form it was much sexier. He wouldn’t mind being
pounced on by the sexy men before him.
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“Um, thanks for the clothes.” He focused on Dillon, who unsettled him less than the
owl shifter.
Dillon’s smile brightened the room. “You’re very welcome, kitten.”
Chester growled. “I’m not a kitten.”
Evin smiled. “You are almost more of a kitten in your human form.”
Dillon laughed.
Chester walked over and kicked Evin in the shins. It only made him grin. Chester
scowled at the owl shifter.
“Eat your stew.” Dillon pointed back towards the bowl. “You look like you haven’t
eaten in a while. I’ll get you some too, Evin.”
Returning to the fridge, Dillon put together another bowl of stew and popped it into the
microwave. The kitchen remained quiet with nothing to be heard but the sounds of the
microwave and the scrape of Chester’s spoon across the bottom of his bowl.
Chester didn’t argue with Dillon’s assessment of his hunger, but he also wasn’t going to
explain his captivity and how he’d barely escaped with his life. His brother hadn’t been so
lucky. He swallowed back the tears along with the stew. He couldn’t focus on Garfield now.
He needed to keep focused.
Dillon wrapped an arm around Chester and pulled him protectively into his arms. “Are
you all right?”
Chester nodded but didn’t speak. He couldn’t talk through the lump in his throat. He
couldn’t remember the last time someone had shown him any tenderness. His parents had
died when he was young, and Garfield had been a good brother but was not a warm person.
The ding of the microwave saved him as Dillon felt the need to play host and fetch the
food for Evin.
Chester put his bowl in the dishwasher as Evin polished off his food with lightning
speed. Chester obviously wasn’t the only one who hadn’t eaten for a while.
“Don’t smother him,” Evin muttered after putting his own bowl in the dishwasher.
Dillon roared like the big-ass lion Chester suspected he was.
“Hey, big guy, I’m just trying to help,” Evin said.
Chester glanced up to see that Dillon’s fangs had dropped and now extended past his
lips.
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Damn that was sexy. Before his brain could catch up with his body, Chester walked
over to Dillon, went onto his tiptoes and kissed the lion shifter.
A low rolling growl vibrated his lips.
“Mmmhmmm,” Chester agreed. Heat poured through him like a warm furnace and his
cock hardened as he rubbed against the large shifter’s body. His conscience tried to whisper
that he wasn’t in any condition to mate with someone but his body overruled his pesky
brain. It had been so long since he’d felt the slide of someone inside him. Too long.
An odd sound snapped him out of the passionate haze caused by warm hands and a
man who knew what to do with them.
“What?” Chester whimpered when Dillon lifted his mouth to snarl at the owl shifter.
“D-don’t touch him,” Evin’s rough voice sounded as if he’d gargled rocks.
Chester turned around in the shelter of Dillon’s arms to face the other man.
Evin’s skin had tiny feathers fanning around his eyebrows and cheeks, and his face had
the fierce cast of his owl form.
Dillon wrapped an arm across Chester’s front keeping him tight against his body.
“What’s the problem, Evin?” Dillon kept his voice level as if he didn’t want to trigger the
other shifter’s change.
“Mate.” Evin’s neck bobbed as his bird half tried to break past its human guardian.
“Oh, hell no.” Dillon’s grip on Chester tightened almost painfully. “He’s mine. You’ve
got feathers in your head if you think you can have him.”
Oh, crap. There was no way this was going to end well.
Dillon let out a full lion roar. Chester clamped his hands over his ears.
“What the hell is going on in here?” A new voice entered the fray and this one had
Chester’s spine snapping to attention.
Taking a deep breath, Chester dared to peek around Dillon’s wide chest.
Talan.
Pictures of the man didn’t do him justice. Where Dillon was large and muscular, Talan
was even more so. The leader of the lions was a beautiful man. Chester could almost feel the
man’s aura of command wrap around him and demand he submit. Adrian stood beside the
lion. Chester would’ve thought the smaller wolf shifter would appear diminished beside his
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larger mate, but instead it was almost as if he were part of the whole. As if Talan would be
missing something if there weren’t a wolf-shifter-sized shape standing beside him.
“Mate!” Evin insisted, his voice ending in a hoot as the man tried to fight back his bird
nature.
“Who’s your mate?” Talan’s eyes raked over Chester and he froze like a mouse spotted
by a hawk.
Evin moved his head in that boneless way again. Chester gave an involuntary shudder.
He’d seen The Exorcist and Linda Blair had nothing on Evin. If he spewed up a mouse pellet,
Chester was out of there.
“I-I don’t know,” Evin replied with a soft hoot.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Dillon growled. “How can you not know?”
Evin glared at Dillon. “When you stand together, I can’t tell which one of you is my
mate.”
“Dillon, release the cat shifter and step to the side. I want you apart so Evin can sense
you separately,” Talan ordered.
Evin twitched as Dillon released his hold on the kitten. The big lion had a majestic
masculine beauty. Evin could almost imagine the man in lion form prancing around the
grasslands. Chester fidgeted beneath Evin’s stare. He didn’t know if it was his owl features
showing, or whether the younger man truly held a grudge from Evin grabbing him earlier,
but he appeared intensely nervous over being watched.
“Can you tell?” The alpha’s tone indicated that he thought Evin was an idiot for not
being able to know his mate right away.
“Not all of us can tell at first sight,” Evin snapped.
“By a picture,” Talan said in a smug tone. “I knew Adrian was mine by a photo. Now
figure out which one is your mate. I’ll not have you tearing apart my pride by breaking
Dillon’s heart. Dillon, is Chester your mate?”
“Yes.” There was no prevarication in Dillon’s tone. “Chester is my mate.”
“Then the matter is resolved,” Talan proclaimed. “Evin, you are free to stay and seek
shelter with us, but I won’t have you causing problems between a mated pair.”
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A protest lodged in Evin’s throat but what could he say? He didn’t know which of them
was his mate and Talan was right. If he claimed Chester, Dillon would rip him apart. It
didn’t matter that he was equally attracted to Dillon—big and buff had always excited him in
the past and this time was no different.
Evin shook his head to clear out the fantasies running rampant through his imagination.
He’d find another place to live. He couldn’t stay here and watch the two men he wanted for
his own find joy exclusively with each other.
“What if they are both his mates?” Adrian spoke up.
“What?” Talan frowned at the wolf shifter. “What are you talking about, love?”
Adrian shrugged. “What if they are all mates? There are a few cases of three people
being mated. This could be one of those times. Why not?”
Why not, indeed? It happened more with birds than any of the cat breeds but it wasn’t
unheard of…though Evin had never thought he’d be put in that sort of situation. Of course,
he’d never thought his brother would go insane and make a deal with psychotic hunters
either. Life was just full of surprises.
“I’ve never heard of it happening with lions,” Talan said, but his tone was musing, not
dismissive. Evin had a feeling that, if anyone else had suggested the idea, Talan would have
tossed it out the window.
“It happens with bird shifters,” Adrian argued. “I’ve even heard of it happening in a
few of the wolf packs. None in my pack, but I have heard of it.”
Talan snarled at Adrian, his expression so much like a pissed off cat that Evin had to
hold back laughter. “You don’t belong to a pack, you belong to a pride.”
Adrian shook his head. “I consider it like dual citizenship. I’m not going to break ties
with my brother, so you’ll just have to cope.”
Evin turned his head fast to hide his laughter. Adrian had no fear of his mate. When
confronted by his mate’s fierce frown, the wolf stood his ground and didn’t change his calm
expression even when Talan snarled. He just waited him out.
Talan gripped the back of Adrian’s head and kissed him until he melted against the
larger man. When the alpha finally released his mate, Adrian swayed slightly. “As long as
your first loyalty is to me.”
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“Always,” Adrian responded without hesitation. “Now, how are we going to figure this
out?”
Adrian examined each of them carefully. Evin could almost feel the man dissecting
different ideas and tossing them aside.
“We could go with the old tried and true method,” Talan mused.
“Throw them in a room together and not let them come out until they fuck?” Adrian
asked.
“Yep.” Talan gave Evin a wide grin. “That way, you’ll either come out mated or
dinner—it’s all the same to me. The shifter council might give me hell but I’m sure they’ll get
over it.”
Adrian shook his head at his mate’s statement. “Dillon, do you want to use your room
or someplace neutral.”
Dillon smiled. “I’ll use my room. My bed’s big enough and we’re kind of short with all
the newcomers.”
“True,” Adrian agreed.
“Then get to it.” Talan turned and headed to the door. He grabbed Adrian by the wrist
on his way out, dragging the smaller man behind him.
“Is he always like that?” Evin asked, tilting his head towards the departing couple.
Dillon folded his arms across his chest. “Like what?”
“Dismissive of other breeds.”
“I’ll let that slide because you’re new here, but Talan has the biggest fucking heart of
any alpha I’ve ever met. Most alphas would rip you apart and send you back to your nest in
pieces just for being on their land. When a bunch of homeless shifters were dumped on our
porch, Talan didn’t kick them out on their asses. Instead, he found most of them homes or
jobs to support themselves. He might give Adrian a hard time about his pack, but if Adrian’s
brother had any problems, you’d find a pride of lions protecting his back. I’ve met a lot of
alphas in my life and Talan’s one of the good ones.”
Evin held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean any harm. He just doesn’t seem to
like birds.”
“I think he’s more concerned about you claiming my kitten than the fact that you sprout
feathers.”
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Evin shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I’m not a kitten.” Chester snarled like a pissed off cat. Evin laughed.
“Of course you’re not.” Dillon stroked Chester’s head like a pet. “You’re a bad-ass
tabby.”
“That’s right.” Chester nodded his head, his amber eyes flashing.
Evin had never seen a person who so closely resembled his shifter form while human
before. Chester’s wavy red-gold strands had a tabby pattern, and his eyes, although with
human pupils, were the same amber as a cat’s. He was fascinating.
“My bedroom’s back here.” Dillon led the way down the hall towards the back of the
building. Chester obediently followed Dillon, and Evin followed Chester’s amazing ass,
which looked like it would fill his hands to perfection. Until Dillon led the way into another
room, Evin barely paid attention to where they were going.
“This is it.” Dillon announced, circling around and closing the door behind them. His
not so subtle locking of the door sounded loud to Evin’s ears. His survival instincts had him
searching for other exits. Luckily the two big windows appeared to open wide and would
allow perfect egress for an aerial-minded shifter.
Once satisfied that exits were available, he turned his attention to the rest of the room.
It took him a moment to realise what he was staring at. All along the walls were pictures of
owls. Photos, sketches and small statues decorated Dillon’s room—all owls.
“Wow, that’s a lot of birds,” Chester said in awe.
Evin caught Dillon’s gaze. “I guess you don’t really have any question as to me being
your mate, do you?”
Dillon shook his head. “I just didn’t think you’d believe me, and I didn’t know if I could
give up Chester to accept you. It’s easier to take a kitten than a bird.”
“You were willing to give him up for me?” Chester asked.
“Yeah, and I know I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life.”
Dillon’s expression went a lot towards soothing Evin’s battered heart. He’d always
wondered why the birds pairing off at the nest had never appealed to him. The few hurried
encounters he’d had never calmed him or kept him sated. He’d thought for a long time that
maybe he wasn’t worthy of a mate. Now he found out he was, in fact, worthy of two…and
what fine mates they were.
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“I think we should follow Talan’s advice and make sure we’re compatible.” Evin
couldn’t stop the wide smile crossing his face…not for all the honey seed in the world.
Taking a deep breath he pushed his bird back under the surface. He doubted either man
wanted to kiss him with a feathery face.
“You make a handsome human,” Chester remarked.
Evin thought he detected a bit of relief over his reversion to fully human. He’d let it go
this time. Eventually the kitten would have to get used to all of his forms but right now he’d
do whatever made life easier.
Keeping an eye on Dillon, Evin moved cautiously closer. Thinking they were mates was
a far cry from watching a stranger kiss the one you were already positive was your mate.
Owl statues notwithstanding, just because Dillon had dreamt of an owl didn’t mean Evin
was the owl he’d been dreaming about.
“Go ahead,” Dillon encouraged, breaking the last bit of restraint Evin had scraped
together.
Evin stepped closer to Chester and waited for a nod from the man before brushing his
lips against the cat shifter’s. Chester let out a little moan. Taking that as further permission to
continue, Evin kissed him again.
“Oh fuck, you two look so good together.” Dillon let out a soft noise of need.
Evin barely paid him any attention as he leaned in to absorb the perfection of Chester’s
mouth against his. A low purr vibrated his lips. Evin laughed.
He couldn’t remember the last time his heart hadn’t borne the burden of the bird
shifters. His brother was the leader but Evin worked as his second in command. At least he
had, until his brother had gone bat-shit crazy. He willingly let all his problems fade into the
background while he claimed his mate.
A low growl had him lifting his mouth. Dillon watched them with hungry eyes.
Reluctantly he released Chester, grabbing the man before he fell. “Strip,” Evin ordered before
turning his attention to Dillon.
“I guess that makes me next,” Dillon said. His voice, rough with desire, went straight to
Evin’s balls.
Evin cleared his throat. “I guess it does.”
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Where his attraction to Chester was warm like a summer day, his attraction to Dillon
crackled like an out-of-control forest fire. Dillon’s taller physique threw him off for a
moment. His lovers were usually shorter or Evin’s height. He’d never kissed a man taller
than himself. As one of the larger owls in the aviary, Evin had never made love to anyone as
big as Dillon. He didn’t know if he would like being in the more submissive position.
However, he doubted he would have a choice. Dillon exuded alpha characteristics that were
only overpowered by the man’s pride alpha. Evin didn’t know how pride hierarchy worked,
but he’d bet Dillon was at the top of the power ladder.
Dillon broke their kiss, his eyes showing a flash of cat in the pupils.
Evin gave a low growl that sounded suspiciously like a cat purr. Damn, the felines were
already wearing off on him.
Dillon began to pull off his shirt and a soft voice whispered “Wow” from the bed. Evin
had to agree. The lion shifter’s chest was definitely wow-worthy. Muscles rippled as Dillon
removed the garment and tossed it on the floor behind him. His eyes never left Evin during
the entire proceeding.
Dillon licked his lips.
Evin shuddered.
A low purr came from the bed. Evin and Dillon turned to see Chester lying on his back,
his legs spread and his hand wrapped around his long, dripping cock.
“Do you want first taste or shall I?” Dillon asked.
“You go ahead.” As much as he wanted to taste Chester, he didn’t want to ruin his
chances by annoying the lion shifter. He had no doubt that Dillon could have him tossed out
and banned from the lions’ lands with only a few words. Talan had as much as told Evin it
was Dillon’s show.
Dillon examined him for a moment as if assessing his sincerity before nodding and
heading towards the needy kitty on the bed.
“Feeling lonely, kitten?”
“You’re too dressed,” Chester complained.
“Sorry.” Dillon’s smile said he was more amused than anything.
“Get rid of your pants, now!” Chester insisted.
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Laughing, Dillon obeyed the demanding man, revealing a big cock that had Evin
clenching his ass cheeks and Chester smiling with joy.
“Oh, definitely wow.” Chester flipped over and crawled towards Dillon, his
movements slinky like the animal he had hiding inside.
Chester dragged his eyes away from Dillon to meet Evin’s gaze. “You strip too.”
“Yes, kitten.” Joy bubbled through him at Chester’s intent gaze. If he could get any
fragments of attention from either of his mates, he’d accept whatever scraps they tossed his
way.
Dillon turned to watch Evin remove his clothing. He’d never been self-conscious…most
shifters weren’t. They spent too much time naked between transitions from animal to man to
overthink their bodies. Evin knew he was in shape. He’d known a few shifters who weren’t,
but somehow he’d never really thought about being a sexual object before. The focused
expression on the two men’s faces before him told him it was time to reconsider.
A blush crossed his face. Damn, he’d never live that down.
“Don’t take forever,” Dillon teased. “Or did you want help?”
The thought of two sets of hands stripping and caressing his body made him harder
than concrete.
“I think that’s a yes,” Chester said, smiling.
“I think you might be right,” Dillon agreed
Dillon stalked over to Evin, his every stride mimicking his lion form. Evin bet Dillon
made a beautiful beast.
Chester hopped off the bed in a move Evin had to admire as it bounced his dick up and
down in an oddly inviting manner. His fingers twitched with the need to feel the hard shaft
in his palm. Gorgeous man.
Before he had a chance to touch Chester, he was sandwiched between two hot, naked
bodies. Chester pulled Evin’s shirt off and licked Evin’s shoulder with his catlike, rough
tongue. Tingles of sensation went down his spine and straight to his erection.
“Look what I found.” Dillon cupped Evin’s cock and rubbed his palm against the
placket of Evin’s pants. He couldn’t stop the whimper passing his lips. When Dillon dropped
to his knees before him, Evin sighed.
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Dillon’s green eyes sparkled with mischief as he unsnapped Evin’s pants and, in one
quick shove, pushed them down to Evin’s feet.
“Ohh, what are you going to do with it?” Chester asked.
The cat shifter wrapped his arms around Evin’s waist, snuggling him from behind.
Evin tried to remember the last time someone had held him. His usual sexual
encounters involved a hurried fuck against a wall or in the back room of some bar. Birds
didn’t get attached to anyone who wasn’t their mate. They had sex with random strangers
until they found their perfect match. Evin had had enough sex in his past to know this was
completely different. Dillon’s touch didn’t feel impersonal or rushed as if he were trying to
get Evin off as quickly as possible so he could have his turn. Dillon touched Evin like he
cared about the man attached to the cock.
“Nice.” Dillon’s deep voice smoothed over the ragged edges of Evin’s soul.
Evin shifted uneasily with his limited mobility. His nerves shook over the vulnerability
of his position, with his ankles bound in the denim and his body open to the two men
surrounding him. Evin had to force himself to stand still.
Dillon rubbed his large, warm hands up and down Evin’s thighs. The heat soothed him
and calmed the bird inside, who urged him to shift and take flight.
“Easy, honey.” Chester kissed Evin’s cheek. “Dillon’s going to take care of you.”
Dillon’s mouth sank onto Evin’s cock. Perfect suction, wet heat and the sight of a
stunning naked man on his knees brought all of Evin’s fantasies to life. When Chester was
added to the equation—and how could he not include the hot, young stud trying to drill a
hole into Evin’s back?—it took little time before he was gripping Dillon’s thick hair to warn
the man.
“Give it to him, Evin. He wants to taste you.” A low purr in his ear sent him over the
edge with a shout.
Chester rubbed his erection in the crease of Evin’s ass as Evin emptied his balls into
Dillon’s willing mouth. Dillon swallowed quickly and, just as Evin became uncomfortably
sensitive, Dillon released him. Good thing Chester stood behind him because otherwise Evin
would’ve pooled like a puddle onto the floor. It would have been an easy feat since all his
bones had dissolved.
“He’s so pretty,” Chester cooed, sliding a finger down Evin’s cheek.
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Evin snorted. “I’m not pretty. You’re the pretty one.”
Dillon helped Evin out of his pants before climbing to his feet.
“Evin’s right—you are the pretty one,” Dillon agreed.
Evin leant forward to capture Dillon’s mouth, but before he could make contact, the lion
shifter lifted him up and tossed him over his shoulder.
“Hey,” Evin protested.
Dillon slapped Evin’s bare ass. “Hush.”
“Ooh, look at that colour.” A hand slid across Evin’s butt cheek, light and cautious.
Even if Dillon hadn’t been using both hands to steady him, Evin would’ve known Chester’s
fingers anywhere. The younger man’s touch was now branded on his soul.
Evin bounced on the bed where Dillon had dropped him. Chester let out a whoop and
threw himself onto the mattress.
A wide smile stretched Evin’s lips. When had he last laughed? The troubles of the bird
nation wore him down on a day-to-day basis. The fighting between breeds, the fear of
hunters, and his brother’s manic swings from pleased leader to irrational asshole ate away at
him.
The happy sigh Chester gave as he snuggled up with Evin caused an unfamiliar, warm
sensation in his chest. “Don’t you want us to take care of that?” He pointed at Chester’s
erection, which hadn’t gone down in the least.
Chester nodded. “Please. I want Dillon to fuck me. You can fuck me tomorrow.”
Eyeing Dillon’s cock, Evin thought Chester would be too sore the next day for anything.
“Turn over, baby.” Dillon grabbed a tube of lube from the top of his nightstand.
“Expecting company?” Evin’s happy complacency vanished at the thought of Dillon
with anyone besides him or Chester. They hadn’t even been properly mated yet and Evin
already hated the idea of anyone else ever touching Dillon.
Dillon gave him a wry smile. “Let’s just say I’ve been taking things in hand for a while
now.”
“Oh.” That was different. He didn’t mind if Dillon self-pleasured…especially if he got
to watch.
Chester happily turned over onto his stomach and lifted his ass, shaking it at Dillon as if
trying to tempt him. Evin could have told Chester that Dillon didn’t need any extra
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encouragement. The lion shifter’s eyes were glued to Chester as he slicked himself up.
Luckily there was no need for a condom between shifters since they couldn’t catch diseases.
Evin relaxed after watching Dillon apply enough lube for three averagely endowed
men. He had worried that Dillon’s size might harm Chester, but the lion shifter’s care let
some of his worries ease.
Chester fidgeted impatiently as he waited for his mate to enter him. Now that he’d
found out one of his mates belonged to the lion pride, he knew he couldn’t betray them. He
wondered if the poison would hurt when it started killing him or if it would be painless.
Knowing the bastards who had injected him, he could probably count on it being a
horrifyingly awful process. He felt bad for his brother, because his dying among the lions
meant that Garfield wouldn’t get the antidote either. However, Garfield had whispered to
Chester before he’d left to run for it. Garfield didn’t expect him to return. His brother had
also prepared himself for death.
All worries about poison and his impending demise vanished when Dillon slowly
penetrated him, pushing away Chester’s concerns with the stretch of his hole around the lion
shifter’s huge cock.
“Ohhh…”
Dillon froze. “Am I hurting you?”
Chester moaned. “In all the best ways.” He wiggled experimentally. “More.”
He’d never been so full before. His past lovers had been toothpicks next to Dillon’s size.
Spreading his legs for better balance, he tried to stay in position while Dillon filled him. He
almost jumped when soft fabric brushed his stomach.
“I thought you might want some support,” Evin said, repositioning the pillow so it was
fully beneath Chester’s stomach.
“Thanks.” He gave Evin a grateful smile as he relaxed and relieved some of the strain
on his arms and back.
Evin kissed Chester’s cheek, such a sweet gesture from a rough-hewn man. His heart
melted beneath the care of the two big, tough men with soft, squishy insides. He doubted
he’d have long to enjoy them.
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When Dillon finally stopped pushing forward, his entire body covered Chester from
head to toe. Clenching his ass, Chester tried to tighten around Dillon’s shaft but since he was
already fully stretched it was difficult to move.
“I’ve got you, honey.” Dillon’s warm voice calmed Chester’s skittish kitten half. The
furry tabby wanted to snuggle with the lion. Well, it could just do that later after his human
half got the pounding he needed.
“Fuck me.” Right now he didn’t want flowers and hearts. He needed a hard, deep
claiming more than his next breath and, since he didn’t know when his last would be, he
meant it.
Taking Chester at his word, Dillon gripped Chester’s hips and gave him what he
wanted.
“Yes, right there.” Dillon slid at the perfect angle, pegging Chester’s prostate. By habit,
he resisted the urge to make noises. Blending with humans had taught him to suppress his
animal side during sex.
“Let go, sweetness,” Dillon growled in his ear.
Chester purred, the vibration shaking his entire body.
“Oh, hell yes!” Dillon shouted.
The tips of his fingers ached as he clutched the sheet and his claws threatened to extend.
Concentrating on the feel of Dillon slamming inside him, Chester gave a start of
surprise when a hand wrapped around his cock. Turning his head, he caught Evin’s grin.
“Look what I found,” Evin teased.
“Bring him off!” Dillon demanded.
Evin didn’t argue as he slid his hand up and down Chester’s shaft, lubricating his hand
with the pre-cum dribbling from the tip.
Noises babbled from Chester’s mouth that he didn’t even recognise as his own as he
came all over Evin’s hand and the pillow. Soon a low groan and the shuddering of Dillon’s
large body behind him told him his lover had also found his release. When Dillon’s mouth
brushed the juncture between Chester’s neck and shoulder, Chester snapped away as far as
he could with them still linked together.
“Don’t bite!” Panic raced through him, snatching away the afterglow of his orgasm.
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Dillon slowly slid out of Chester, his touch fading as he moved away. Tears filled
Chester’s eyes. After he’d stopped shaking, he carefully climbed off the bed and headed for
the bathroom. Terror made his legs rubbery as he stumbled away from the two men he
wished he could keep but knew he was more likely to destroy. His mates would only survive
his death if he didn’t fully bond with them. He was selfish enough to have sex with his
mates, but not to bind them to him forever.
When Dillon had almost bitten him to leave a mating mark, Chester had freaked. What
if by biting him Dillon became poisoned? He couldn’t be responsible for infecting the man he
could easily love.
Sobbing, he slammed the door shut behind him and locked it with a shaking hand. He
wasn’t worthy of these amazing men. Chester turned on the shower. He waited for the water
to start steaming before he stepped inside. There wasn’t enough water in the world to wash
away his sorrow.
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Chapter Two
Dillon watched Chester run away. Heartbroken and sick to his stomach, he turned to
Evin. “He doesn’t want my mark.”
Evin’s brown eyes reflected Dillon’s concern. “I’ll go talk to him and find out what’s
going on.”
Dillon nodded. He rubbed his chest where it ached from his mate’s rejection.
The owl shifter pressed a soft kiss on Dillon’s lips. “I’ll be back. Remember…the kid is
nuts about you.”
Dillon had thought the same thing up until about a minute ago, but it was never good
when someone fled the room after sex. There was no positive spin he could come up with to
explain that behaviour.
Evin patted Dillon’s shoulder as he followed after Chester. Dillon watched Evin try to
open the door.
“It’s locked.”
“Break it open. I don’t care.” Dillon knew he sounded like a lifeless zombie but what
did he have to care about anymore? He’d lived his life hoping to find his other half. Now,
after finding there were two men in his mating, it looked as if he was going to be the odd
man out.
Giving Evin a half-hearted smile, he grabbed some wet wipes from the side table and
cleaned himself up. Not bothering to see if Evin made it inside, Dillon dressed quickly and
fled the room. Hell, with this much heartache he might never return.
The silence of the pack house reflected well the emptiness he felt inside. He came to a
sudden halt when he walked past Talan’s study and found the alpha pair kissing. It wasn’t
that he’d never seen them kiss before, but this time he saw the entire interaction. He
understood that, while Adrian allowed Talan to control the kiss, he could end the encounter
at any time. Talan would never touch his smaller partner with the intent to harm and he
trusted Adrian to tell him if they had any problems. They were a matched pair in every way
and their kiss was a thing of beauty.
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After a moment the alphas separated and two sets of lust-filled eyes turned towards
Dillon.
“Can we help you with something?” Talan asked.
“I need an assignment away from the pride.” As soon as the words left his lips, he knew
that was the best approach. He couldn’t stand to be there as Evin and Chester mated and
became a bonded pair like Talan and Adrian. He wanted both of his mates to have the best
and maybe that shouldn’t include Dillon.
He tried to stand strong beneath Talan’s hard examination and Adrian’s gentler
concern.
“What happened?” Talan asked.
“I-I don’t want to talk about it.” Dillon’s throat tightened as tears threatened to choke
him.
“How do you feel about wolves?” Adrian asked, changing the subject.
As neither of his mates was a wolf shifter, Dillon had a ready answer. “I adore wolves.”
Adrian’s brilliant smile soothed his battered spirits. “My brother is having some issues
with hunters. We think the ones Evin came to warn us about are starting with my brother’s
pack. We want you to check it out and let us know your opinion of the situation first-hand
and report back to us. Kade can’t leave to check it out because my sister-in-law is pregnant.
We’d appreciate it if we could send someone we trust. An impartial observer.”
“It’s not that we don’t believe the wolves—we just need someone who has some
experience in scouting things out,” Talan interjected.
Adrian nodded. “What do you say?”
“I’ll do it.” It was the perfect solution. He could step away for a few days and still be
close enough if his mates needed anything.
“Great.” He turned to go but was stopped by Adrian’s soft question.
“What do you want me to tell them?”
He didn’t turn back to face the wolf shifter as his shoulders tightened. “Tell them to
enjoy their bond.”
He didn’t return to his room—the less he saw of his mates loving each other without
him, the better off he’d be. Dillon grabbed a set of keys off the key rack by the front door and
didn’t look back.
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* * * *
Evin’s heart ached for Dillon but it also hurt for whatever was eating away at Chester.
Torn between two lovers, Evin chose to talk to the more fragile of the pair. He had no doubt
Dillon could handle anything thrown his way but Chester looked as if he’d already had one
too many things weighing down his soul.
Since Dillon had already given him permission to enter, Evin spared little time in
popping the bathroom door off the hinges and walking inside. Steam billowed around him
as he approached the shower. The sound of sobbing reached his ears.
Pulling back the curtain revealed Chester curled up in a ball at the bottom of the
enormous shower. There was probably room to fit an entire pride of lions in there. Evin
crouched down to Chester’s level.
“Hey, are you all right?” He wished he could blame Dillon for this catastrophe but he’d
watched the lion shifter closely and he hadn’t seen that Dillon had done anything wrong.
“I-Is D-Dillon mad?” Chester’s teeth chattered and his entire body shook despite the
scalding water temperature.
“No.” Dillon had looked devastated to Evin, but not angry. He kept that opinion to
himself. “Come on out of there. We have to talk.”
Chester shivered. “P-promise not to hate me.”
“Promise.” Evin didn’t know what was eating away at the younger man but obviously
it was something he thought was terrible. Considering his apparent youth, Evin doubted it
could possibly be as bad as Chester was acting. “Now, let’s get you out of there.”
Straightening up, Evin turned off the water before helping Chester to his feet. Evin’s
mind kept drifting back to Dillon and how broken he’d appeared at Chester’s rejection.
Chester gave him a grateful smile when Evin handed him a towel. “Thanks.”
“We’ll have to go get Dillon so we can all talk. I won’t have him thinking we talked
behind his back.”
Chester shivered again.
After making sure Chester was completely dry, Evin took his hand and led him back to
the bedroom.
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Chester whipped his head around as he searched the area. “Where’s Dillon?”
“I don’t know.” A sinking sensation filled Evin’s chest. He couldn’t lose one of his
mates…not when he’d just found him.
“Get dressed. We’ll see if we can find him.” Since they hadn’t officially mated with
Dillon, they didn’t have a psychic link between them. Evin had no idea where the lion shifter
might have gone but he knew whom to ask.
A few minutes later they left Dillon’s bedroom. Evin found Talan and Adrian sitting in
the kitchen with a stack of pancakes piled in front of them.
Evin stopped in his tracks when Talan shot him a blood-chilling glare.
“You know where he went, don’t you?”
“Apparently to get away from his mates that he worried he was traumatising,” Talan
responded. “He said you two were better off without him.”
“Oh, no!” Chester exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his waist. “This is all my
fault.”
Evin wanted to make him feel better but he couldn’t push the lie past his lips. It was
Chester’s fault. If he hadn’t had some sort of meltdown when Dillon tried to claim him, they
wouldn’t all be in this mess.
“We’ll get him back,” he said instead. Turning to the alpha pair, he asked, “Where did
he go?”
Adrian spoke first. “I asked him to investigate some hunters encroaching on my family
pack.”
“No!” Chester shouted.
Evin slid an arm around the fragile man. “What’s wrong?”
“The hunters. He can’t go see them. They’re counting on it. They sent me here.”
Evin removed his arm. “What do you mean, they sent you? Are you working for
them?” He didn’t understand people who aided the enemy. Why would you help someone
whose goal was to eradicate your species?
Talan stood and approached Chester. It took all Evin’s resolve not to step in front of his
mate and block the lion’s approach.
“What do you know about these hunters?” Talan asked.
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The lion growl underlying his words sent a shiver of fear down Evin’s back. He didn’t
frighten easily but the look in the alpha’s eyes would scare a more stalwart person than
himself.
A fine trembling shook Chester’s frame. Evin couldn’t stand it anymore. He placed a
supportive hand on Chester’s back, rubbing it soothingly. Chester relaxed into his touch.
After licking his lips and swallowing a few times, he started speaking. “My parents
were killed by a rabid dog when I was a young child. For a long time it was just me and my
brother, Garfield.”
Evin gave a surprised laugh.
Chester turned towards him. “Yeah, I know, my mother had a wicked sense of humour,
and he does look a lot like an orange tabby cat, just not as fat. I hadn’t talked to Garfield for a
few years. I travel around and can’t always afford a phone, so I usually call him when I get to
someplace stable. Two months ago I called and a stranger answered the phone. He told me
my brother was in trouble. I-I went to see him and found out a group of men had taken over
his house. They had him in a cat carrier so small he couldn’t change even if he wanted to.”
Rage tore through Evin. No one should be treated that way.
“They told me they had been tracking the lion shifters for a while and figured the best
way to catch a shifter is to send in another shifter. Th-they injected me with a poison. They
said it would kill me if I didn’t return in a week with everything I can tell them about the lion
shifters’ base. To make sure I did what they said, they injected Garfield too. I-I don’t care if I
die—my life hasn’t been much anyway—but my brother doesn’t deserve this. He helped
raise me. He wasn’t the warm cuddly type but he’s the only family I have left. He told me to
r-run.” Tears welled in Chester’s eyes.
“That’s why you wouldn’t let Dillon bite you, isn’t it? You were afraid he’d get
poisoned.”
Chester nodded. “Yeah, I couldn’t take the chance.”
“You should’ve told him,” Adrian said, a scowl marring the pretty shifter’s face. “He
thinks you’ve denied his claim.”
“No!” Chester shouted. “No. I just wanted to protect him. I didn’t expect to find my
mate, much less two of them. I couldn’t infect him.”
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Talan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I wonder how long they’ve been trying
to get to us. We’ve had some problems lately with People Against Werekin. Do you think
they’re part of that organisation? That might have put us on their hit list.”
Chester shrugged. “They didn’t find me worthy of discussing the details. They saw me
as a pawn and treated me like that. It could be the same people. I did hear something about a
society, but, like I said, they didn’t really talk to me until they shot me full of poison.”
Evin sniffed at Chester. “You don’t smell infected.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not,” Adrian warned. “If it’s PAW, they used to have an entire
lab at their disposal and we don’t know how many more they might have that we don’t
know about. They could easily have developed a poison.”
“True,” Talan agreed.
“Dillon might have gone straight into a trap,” Evin snarled. “You can debate my
possible poisoning later. Right now we need to go after him and make sure he’s safe. He
could’ve been captured and we’d never know it.”
Talan narrowed his eyes. “As Dillon left about two minutes ago, I think, even if he were
captured, they wouldn’t have had the chance to do much. I value each member of my pride
and I don’t appreciate you behaving as if I were negligent in their care.”
Fear dried the moisture in Evin’s throat. In either form, the alpha lion would have little
trouble killing Evin if he tried to protect Chester.
To Evin’s surprise, Adrian pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialled with the
speaker turned on. A minute later Dillon’s voice came across the line.
“Hello, Adrian.”
Adrian didn’t bother to return the greeting. “Dillon, get back here—your mate is in
trouble.” Adrian hung up before Dillon had a chance to respond.
“Do you think he’ll come?” Chester asked.
“Yes, Chester. I’m sure he’ll come,” Adrian said in a gentle voice.
Evin rubbed Chester’s back. How had everything fallen apart so quickly? He’d come to
warn of hunters and his brother’s collaboration and had met his mates, only to lose one right
away and have the possibility of losing the other one.
A door banged open somewhere in the house. “Adrian!” Dillon’s voice echoed from
down the hall.
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Adrian smirked. “In here.”
Dillon came skidding into the room. His frantic gaze swept over Chester and Evin
before settling on Adrian. “What’s going on?”
“We’ll let you talk then we’ll decide what to do.” Adrian grabbed Talan’s arm and
pulled him out of the room, their pancakes abandoned.
Chester leapt at Dillon. Instinctively, the lion shifter caught him. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought they’d captured you,” Chester sobbed.
Dillon turned a questioning look towards Evin, who stepped in and told him
everything Chester had shared with them.
“We need to go and rescue your brother, find the poison cure and find out who these
people really are,” Dillon said.
Evin nodded. “As long as we stand together we can beat them.” It sounded trite and
something a Hollywood hero would say, but he stood by his statement. If things went well
he would spend the rest of his life with these complex, beautiful men. Bad guys with drugs
and guns were not going to stand in his way of the life he could imagine.
He might not have planned to mate with two feline shifters, but he wasn’t going to back
away from the chance, either.
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Chapter Three
“We need to corner them at their hideout,” Evin insisted.
“I don’t want them to kill Garfield.” Chester gnawed on his nail in between statements.
He twitched more than a cat in a room full of rockers. Evin had no doubt that, if Chester had
been in cat form, his tail would be flicking madly back and forth.
Adrian and Talan sat on the couch across from Evin, Chester and Dillon. Other
members of the pride sat around the room, but Evin’s focus was on the alpha pair. They were
the ones who would make the final decision.
“I can send some of the smaller bird shifters. I know a pair of wrens who could do it
without anyone suspecting a thing,” Evin offered.
He knew Chen and Marlen would be happy to be of some help. The mated pair had
been tossed out of their home aviary for loving each other. The owls had taken them in
because they were great at security. No one expected a small bird to turn into a six-foot-tall
man. He only hoped they were still willing to talk to him after his banishment from the flock.
“Good—you do that,” Talan said, pulling Evin back into the conversation. He found
focusing difficult while surrounded by his mates. Chester’s warm body sat on one side of
him, with Dillon’s hard muscled form on the other. His hormones raged at the thought of
being sandwiched between them.
Blinking, he focused on the alpha. He was supposed to do something.
“Call your friends,” Dillon whispered in his ear.
Warm breath caressed his lobe and heat flashed through his body. It took him a
moment to get himself under control to answer. “Um, yeah, I’ll go do that.”
Standing up, he walked stiffly towards the doorway, seeking a quieter spot to make his
call. The lions were a loud bunch and if he wanted to hear Chen then he’d have to go
someplace quieter.
The big porch outside the pride house beckoned. Sitting on the swing, Evin dialled.
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“Where the hell are you!” Chen shouted. “This place is falling apart. There are hunters
running around like they own the place and all the bird shifters are freaking out. Tilden’s
ordering us to attack some lion shifters. What the fuck is up with that?”
“Have you seen the hunters?
“Yeah, there’s twelve of them here and I think more are on the way. Tilden is sending
out some owls to scout the territory. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks, Chen. I’m at the lions’ pride and they think the hunters are part of the People
Against Werekin. They’re dangerous and they torture shifters for research. Stay as far away
from them as you can. When you get the chance, grab Marlen and head out here. I need
someone to spy on a wolf pack’s territory. We think the hunters have moved in there. I need
you to tell me if they are the same group. If you can help, I’m sure I can get the lions to find
you a new home.”
Chen cleared his throat. “Why would the lions take us in?”
Evin could hear the nerves in his friend’s voice. “Because one of them is my mate.”
He held the phone away from his ear at the high screeching yell of joy.
“Congrats, Ev! We’ll be there as soon as we can. I don’t want Tilden to become
suspicious. Take care of your mate.” Chen hung up before Evin could tell him he had two
mates. At least he’d confirmed his suspicions that there were more of them than he’d
thought. If Tilden convinced all the rest of the owls to help him, then there would be a war
between shifter kind. Evin hoped his people would refuse, but Tilden could be persuasive
and if he had the hunters on his side he might use force to bend them to his will.
Sighing, he went to tell his mates the news.
“So we still don’t know anything. It might be best for me to return to the people who
sent me here,” Chester said.
“I’m curious about why they’re doing a two-pronged attack,” Talan said, rubbing his
chin in thought. “I mean, why send Chester in to scout around if they have the owls to spy
for them, and what made them think we’d accept a shifter into our midst that we didn’t
know?”
“If they knew we took the others, they may think we’d respond better to a feline. You
and I would both be more suspicious of an owl who suddenly needed sanctuary. A lion
pride wouldn’t be any flier’s first choice.” Adrian gave Evin an apologetic smile.
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“No, you’re right. I only came here to warn you. If I wanted to seek sanctuary I would
go to another aviary, as most of the winged do.”
“I think they will send owls, but an owl will only be able to look outside. They were
hoping I could get into the building,” Chester said.
“And you did.” Evin examined his mate, noticing how his hands shook a bit and his
colour was pale. “Do you have a doctor here?” he asked the alphas.
Talan shook his head. “There’s a hospital down the way but I doubt any of them would
be able to help with an unknown poison. The best shot we have is to return to the cabin and
get the hunters or whoever the hell they are and rescue your brother.”
“Everyone get some rest. We’ll discuss our plan in the morning,” Adrian said. “We’ve
all had a long night.”
There was a general consensus and everyone filed out.
Chester followed Dillon and Evin down the hall. He couldn’t believe he had two mates
and they weren’t mad at him. Now he had to find a way for them to claim each other.
Despite what everyone said, Chester had no illusions he’d survive this experience. Even his
optimistic tendencies couldn’t let him find a happy ending to the situation.
As soon as they entered Dillon’s bedroom and slammed the door shut behind them,
Evin jumped Dillon…literally. The owl shifter leapt at Dillon and knocked him onto the
mattress.
“Help me get him naked,” Evin said over his shoulder at Chester.
“Um, okay.” He could worry about little things like hunters, owl infestations and death
by poison tomorrow. Today he would enjoy his mates. He’d fixate about everything else
when he woke up the next day.
Dillon smiled at Chester and he swore he could feel his heart tumble in his chest. The
pair of them lay on the bed with Evin’s busy fingers unfastening Dillon’s pants. He took a
moment to appreciate the beauty of his mates. Dillon’s large golden body and Evin’s dark,
smooth skin drew him closer. Before he’d even realised he was moving, he stroked a hand
across Dillon’s shoulder.
Grabbing the bottom of Evin’s shirt, he yanked it up and off his sleek form. The man
needed more food. Chester was certain Evin hadn’t shared everything his brother had made
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him suffer through. The owl shifter had obviously glossed over the details and Chester had
no wish to make him relive the situation.
He pressed a kiss to Evin’s shoulder. “I want you and Dillon to claim each other. You
need to have a solid bond in case I don’t make it.”
“No!” Dillon shouted, sitting up and grabbing Chester.
Chester gave a squeak as Dillon yanked him down until he lay on top of the lion’s big
form.
“You can’t think like that. You will get better.” The lion shifter’s sincere expression
made Chester’s heart ache.
“I’m being practical. You need to claim each other. You know I’m right.” Chester had
never felt so strongly about anything before. Often shifters didn’t survive the death of a
mate. Chester hoped if his mates were bonded they would be fine if the poison claimed his
life.
“He’s right,” Evin said. “I don’t like it, but he’s right. If he doesn’t survive the poison I
don’t want to lose you too.”
Dillon opened his mouth as if to protest. He grabbed Chester tightly until he could
barely breathe. “I don’t want you to die,” Dillon whispered against Chester’s hair just loud
enough so he could hear it.
Chester swallowed back his tears. “I don’t want to die either. If we stop the hunters
maybe I can be saved.”
“Oh, we’ll stop them.” Dillon growled. “If you die, nothing will save them.”
Chester pushed up until Dillon had to let him go. “You need to let Evin claim you and
then you should claim him back.”
“What about you?”
Avoiding Dillon’s eyes, Chester fidgeted with his mate’s shirt. “I can wait. One way or
another, we’ll know in a bit.”
He didn’t like the sadness in Dillon’s eyes but there wasn’t anything he could do about
it.
Leaning forward, he kissed Dillon, keeping his touch soft and loving. He recognised
Evin’s impatient hands when unseen fingers unfastened his pants and slid them off along
with his underwear. Dillon’s pants slid away beneath him.
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Chester lifted his mouth and scooted to the side. Evin was right there pulling off his
shirt.
“It’s only fair—you removed mine.” Evin grinned.
Evin also received a kiss. Chester pushed him towards Dillon. If he didn’t give them a
nudge, his lovers would try to stall until Chester could join them.
After a long lingering look at Chester, Evin turned his attention to Dillon. Watching his
mates kiss made Chester moan. It was like watching a private porn movie as two strong men
battled it out to take control of the lovemaking. Panting, Chester wrapped a hand around his
cock. Ever since he’d kissed both of his mates, his body was revved up for some action. He
didn’t have the heart to break the news that he wasn’t getting any.
“Evin, slick up. I want to see you fuck Dillon.” The way Dillon tensed made Chester
wonder if it would be Evin’s only chance. He hoped not. As much as he loved to bottom, he
didn’t want to be the only bottom in this relationship. Being torn between two strong men
would be challenging enough without being the only receiver.
Chester stroked Dillon’s cheek, hoping to calm his mate. “Are you all right? Have you
bottomed before?”
Dillon nodded. “Yeah, but it’s been a while.”
Evin poured a generous amount of lube on his fingers before sliding them beneath
Dillon’s balls. The lion shifter spread his legs and moved his feet up until his heels touched
his ass.
“You need to get used to this, lover,” Evin said in a lust-roughened voice. “You are too
beautiful not to let me pound your ass from time to time.”
“We’ll see.” Dillon gave Evin a taunting smile.
Chester smothered his laugh. Evin’s expression took on a determined look. The man
definitely planned to take Dillon up on the challenge.
From Dillon’s grunt, Evin’s finger had made it inside.
“Relax, babe,” Evin muttered. “I’ve got you.”
Dillon’s big body lost a bit of tension as Evin prepared him. Chester kissed Dillon and
stroked his mate’s chest to help the process. After all, Chester was the one insisting on this
mating—the least he could do was make sure that Dillon relaxed enough to enjoy Evin’s
lovemaking.
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“I’m good… Fuck me,” Dillon urged after Evin went from one to two fingers, then from
two to three.
“Patience,” Evin scolded.
“I could start ripping off feathers,” Dillon offered.
Evin laughed. “Okay, I get the idea. Turn over. I can mark you better that way.”
Dillon rolled and presented his ass. Chester moaned and dragged his hand slowly up
and down his shaft. The scent of sex began to saturate the air, increasing Chester’s desire. His
mates smelt amazing. Leaning down, he lapped at Dillon’s shoulder, enjoying the salty
flavour of his mate.
He watched as Evin entered Dillon at a slow, steady rate, carefully making sure Dillon
didn’t experience too much discomfort.
“Oooh…” Dillon’s low moans had Chester biting his lip. The sounds of need made
Chester pump his hand up and down faster in time to Evin’s thrusts into Dillon’s ass. With a
low roar, Dillon shoved back into Evin’s motions. “That’s so good.”
“Yes,” Evin sighed.
Chester watched as Evin’s hand transformed into a bird claw. With ruthless precision
he reached around the front of Dillon and sliced his neck from base to shoulder, gouging a
deep scratch into the lion shifter’s neck. Blood splattered like a crimson shower across the
pillow.
“Holy crap.” Chester groaned as Dillon gave a shout and came into the sheets below.
Evin’s eyes completely transformed into owlish orbs—feathers decorated around his
eyes even as the rest of him was completely human.
“What did you expect? I don’t have fangs.”
“I guess I never thought about it before,” Chester confessed. Truly he’d not envisioned
how birds marked each other at all. “Are you all right, Dillon?”
A sloppy smile crossed the lion shifter’s lips. “Yeah. I’m good.”
Evin gripped Dillon’s hips and proceeded to pound his way through his orgasm,
eventually collapsing on Dillon’s back. Dillon easily accepted his lover’s weight as a long,
satisfied purr filled the air.
Laughing, Evin kissed the scratch he’d left behind. “Mating with a bird is more brutal
than with you cats. That doesn’t make it less binding, though.”
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Chester nodded but his erection had disappeared with the spurt of blood. Evin’s eyes
narrowed on him until he felt like that kitten dangling in the air again.
“Is that going to be a problem for you?” Evin asked.
Chester shook his head. He didn’t know if it would or not, but with Evin staring at him,
he’d wasn’t going to admit to anything.
“I need a shower,” Dillon mumbled into his pillow, “and possibly a nap.”
After some grumbling about the best way to arrange three people, the trio piled into
bed and fell asleep.
* * * *
The next morning Chester woke to the sensation of two men surrounding him with
their warmth. Damn, that was hot…in more ways than one. It took concentrated effort to
wiggle to the bottom of the bed and escape the overwhelming affection so he could go pee.
His stomach churned uneasily as he rose but he couldn’t ignore nature’s call.
Returning to the bed, he began to sweat and tingles travelled from his hands to his feet.
“Hey, honey.” Dillon peered out from beneath the blankets to give him a sleepy smile.
“Um…hi.” He tried to put more welcome into his voice but spots were dancing in front
of his eyes and abruptly everything went black.
Dillon let out a ferocious roar at the sight of his mate collapsing. “Get Talan!” he
shouted to Evin.
That order proved to not be necessary when the alpha mates rushed into the room.
“What happened?” Talan asked. He caught sight of Chester unconscious. “Did the
poison take effect?”
“I don’t know.” Dillon ran a hand through his hair. “He seemed fine but when he stood
up, he collapsed.”
Adrian was already on the phone talking to someone. When he hung up his face was
stern. “The hospital said Dr Henrikson is out of town. He’s the only shifter doctor I know.”
“What about James’ father? He did all those experiments. He might be able to help,”
Talan mused.
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“The man who began PAW?” Adrian gave Talan an expression that showed he thought
his mate had lost his ever-loving mind.
“Hey, if we’re trying to find a solution for Chester’s poison, who better than Andrew
Everett? The man is a genius. A mad genius, maybe, but he successfully prevented his son
from shifting for years.”
“I think his intentions are good,” Dillon said, looking down at Chester’s still form. “I’m
willing to give him a chance…if you are?” He turned to Evin to get a second opinion.
“Yeah. Anything. I don’t know how much time we have.”
“Okay.” Adrian started dialling again.
“What if he doesn’t want to help?” Dillon asked.
“He will. The man might have made some mistakes in his past but he’s taken to coming
to town more often to bond with his son. Anyone that determined to bridge a relationship
with his shifter son can’t be harbouring too hard of feelings towards shifters,” Talan assured
him. But Dillon didn’t miss the questioning look he passed to his mate.
Adrian seemed to get the answer he wanted because, when he’d hung up, he had a
satisfied expression on his face. “Andrew is on his way. He’s going to stop and get some stuff
from the local pharmacist. He says he might know what the poison is or at least enough to
delay it a bit.”
Fear rattled through Dillon’s body. “I’m going to take a quick shower.” He looked
towards Evin.
“I’ll keep an eye on him while you’re gone. If he shows any signs of doing worse I’ll
come get you.”
Dillon nodded. He needed to do something. He struggled against the urge to shift into a
lion and guard his mate from all others. He couldn’t let his instincts take over, not right now.
Jumping in the shower, he prayed that his beautiful mate would survive. His hands shook so
much that he dropped the soap three times. Images of Chester’s sparkling eyes and
memories of his gentle touch conspired to have tears dropping down Dillon’s face.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered to the running water. “It has to be.”
When he returned to the room, nothing had changed yet. Andrew still hadn’t shown.
“His breathing is good,” Adrian said by way of greeting. “And his heartbeat is steady.”
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“Okay.” What did you say in a situation like this where you knew your mate was close
to death?
“I’m going to take my shower.”
Dillon looked into Evin’s eyes and saw that the sorrow in the bird shifter matched his
own. He nodded without speaking. There was nothing he could say and nothing that could
be done until their mad scientist showed up.
Chester’s slow breathing was the only sound in the room until a knock on the
doorframe turned their attention to a pair of tall men. One of the men had an oriental cast to
his smooth features and the other appeared to have Native American blood from his hooked
nose and his dark eyes. They definitely looked like a matched set in the way they
subconsciously leaned into each other as they stood in the doorway.
“Can I help you?” Talan asked in a cool tone.
“I’m Chen and this is Marlen. Ev said you could use us.”
“Are you the wren shifters?” Talan asked in a disbelieving tone.
Dillon couldn’t blame him. The men were thin but tall. How they transformed into tiny
birds fought against the bounds of even shifter physics.
“Yeah, that’s us,” Marlen said.
“You made good time,” Adrian commented.
“Our leader has gone nuts,” Chen said with a scowl. “He ordered the owls to attack the
pride land.”
Talan snarled. “How many can we be expecting?”
Marlen snorted. “Are you kidding? We might have let Tilden lead us, but he’s off his
cracker if he thinks we’re going to go against lion shifters. I’ve seen you guys in action before
and everyone’s heard the story of your mate there.”
Chen nodded his agreement as they both looked speculatively at Adrian.
“You guys don’t follow your alpha?” Talan asked as if it would never occur to him that
people would rebel against a leader.
“First of all, we don’t call him our alpha. He’s our leader and we follow him when he’s
not power hungry and stupid in the head from dealing with the wrong kind of humans. He
didn’t listen to any of us when we told him they were bad people. If he doesn’t feel the need
to listen to us, we won’t listen to him,” Chen insisted.
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“What can you tell us?” Talan asked.
“There are currently fifteen of the bastards at the aviary. They treat us like we’re dirt
beneath their feet and Tilden refuses to see the problem. The rest of the birds are thinking of
overthrowing him.”
Dillon bit his lip. He didn’t know Evin’s relationship with his brother but if the man
had had him beaten and starved it couldn’t be a very good one. “Evin’s in the shower. He’d
probably like to know about this.”
He nearly stepped back when the two wrens focused their gaze on him with identical
expressions of intent.
“What?” he asked, nervously clearing his throat.
“You must be Evin’s lion.” Chen’s smile could’ve lit up a city block.
Marlen’s wasn’t any less brilliant. “We’re so happy he found someone.”
“He found two someones.” Dillon pointed to the bed. “Chester’s suffering from a
poison the hunters gave him. We’re waiting for a doctor to come and see if he can help.”
“Oh, poor Ev,” Chen said, walking closer to examine Chester. “What kind of shifter is
he?”
“A cat.”
Marlen tilted his head. “Panther? Cougar?”
“House.” Dillon hid his smile as the pair gave him enquiring glances. “He’s a house
cat.”
“Huh.”
“Interesting.”
Dillon was about to ask what was so interesting about that when Andrew Everett
walked through the doorway and both of the wren shifters froze.
“Hello, everyone.” Andrew paused in the doorway. The man appeared to be barely
hitting his fifties and was handsome in a distinguished way, but Dillon wouldn’t consider
him breath-taking. However, the wrens froze as they watched the man approach.
Andrew scanned the room and caught sight of Chester. “I see this must be the patient.”
For the first time Dillon noticed the old-fashioned doctor’s bag the man carried with
him.
“Yes, this is Chester, my mate.”
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Andrew gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m learning about mates. I’ll do whatever I can
to save yours.”
Dillon couldn’t miss the sincerity in the other man’s eyes. “Thanks.”
“Chen and Marlen, if you’d come with me and give me what info you can about the
hunters that would be great. We can’t find out more about the antidote until Chester wakes
up and shares the location of the hunters’ hideout.” Talan motioned to the wrens who
showed no sign of moving.
“We’ll wait until Chester wakes up,” Chen said.
“Yeah, that would be best,” Marlen countered.
Neither of the birds looked away from Andrew. Dillon wondered if they’d even notice
if Chester died.
“Hey, guys.” Evin walked back into the room wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt.
Neither of the wrens tore their gaze away from Andrew to greet their friend.
Evin rifled through Dillon’s drawers and swiped a shirt. Dillon smiled in delight. He
was glad his mate felt comfortable sharing their belongings…not to mention, it would prove
to others that Evin belonged to him.
“Your friends seem fascinated with Andrew,” Dillon said with a smile.
Andrew looked up at the wrens for a long moment. A blush stained his cheeks as he
turned his concentration back to Chester.
Neither wren commented but they didn’t move their gaze from Andrew, either.
Taking out a needle, Andrew drew a vial of blood from the still shifter. Chester didn’t
even twitch during the ordeal. “I’m going to take this with me to see if I can create at least a
temporary counter-potion. If they used what I think they did, then it will take too long to
make a cure. We need to get the one they already have or he’ll die.”
Dillon appreciated that the scientist didn’t try to sugarcoat the situation. “Can you wake
him up enough for him to tell us where his brother and the cure are located?” Adrian asked.
“I think so.” After a bit of rummaging he pulled a pre-loaded syringe out of his bag and
popped off the top. “This should shock his system enough to snap him awake but not kill
him. It’s sort of a liquid adrenaline. I think he’s having an allergic reaction to the poison.
From what you’ve told me, he should’ve had several more days before the poison attacked
his system so strongly.” He paused to meet Dillon’s eyes.
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“Go ahead,” Dillon urged him. Usually he’d be against jolting his sweet mate but
desperate times called for psychotically dangerous measures.
Even though he was expecting it when Andrew slammed the needle into his mate’s
thigh, the wren shifters had to grab Dillon’s arms so he didn’t tear Andrew apart.
“You can’t hurt him,” Marlen whispered desperately in Dillon’s ear. “He’s our mate.”
Dillon stopped struggling as surprise swept through him. He’d never heard of a human
mating with birds. He looked over at Chen who gave him a nod in confirmation.
Chester shot up off the bed. Sitting upright—gasping, his eyes wide open—he made
noises that wrenched at Dillon’s heart. Chester’s wild expression calmed only after he found
first Dillon and then Evin beside him.
“You’re all right?” Chester asked after he took a deep breath.
Dillon shook free of the birds and took Chester’s hands in his. “We’re fine. You’re
having a reaction to the poison and we need you to tell us where the people are that have
your brother.”
“Dillon!” Evin hissed.
“What? We don’t have time to tiptoe around this. We need that antidote.”
Chester’s eyes started to blink closed.
Dillon shook him. “Tell me where they are.”
In a slow, slurred voice, Chester told them the location of the place. From his
description it was less than ten miles away. “Okay, honey, you can sleep now. We’ll take care
of this.”
Dillon’s hands transformed into claws and the rest of his body soon followed. With a
loud roar, he shook off the remnants of his clothing. A shrill cry had him tilting his head to
see an owl perched on the back of a chair.
“Before you two go rushing off, take the wrens with you to scout ahead. You aren’t any
match for a posse of armed hunters, not to mention you should take a car—you don’t know
for sure how far away the place is.” Talan frowned in a disapproving way, telling Dillon in
more than words how much he disapproved of his ‘shift and charge’ technique. Dillon
lowered his head, indicating he understood his alpha’s disapproval.
The owl gave a disappointed screech at Dillon. Dillon roared back.
Chen laughed.
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Keys sailed through the air towards the wrens. “Take a Hummer and a few pack
members. If you crash it, Adrian won’t be the least bit upset,” Talan said with a grin towards
his mate.
Adrian rolled his eyes.
If Dillon had been in his human form, he would’ve also rolled his eyes over the familiar
argument. Instead he tamely followed the wrens. They didn’t have time to mess around. The
poison was travelling too quickly through Chester’s body.
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Chapter Four
Evin swooped down over the treetops and spotted a cabin nestled in the woods. He
didn’t dare to get too close—after all, they knew about shifters and specifically about owls.
Getting shot and having no way to save Chester didn’t figure in his plans for the afternoon.
He settled for landing in the upper branches where he could see into the second floor
windows.
Peeking inside, he spied one man in camouflage looking out of the window. He didn’t
appear to have any weapons on him but then, they didn’t expect anyone to attack. In fact,
Evin wondered if they really expected the tabby cat to return or if they were just stalling.
What could they achieve by sending Chester in as a distraction?
From his perch, Evin watched Chen and Marlen land on the windowsill. He’d kept
them away from the humans, so the hunters might not know about the tiny birds. He knew
the strangers thought they were all owls, and his brother hadn’t disabused them of the
notion because he wanted to appear strong. Tilden had never considered the smaller birds to
be of much worth. He’d only kept them around because he knew Evin would cause him
problems if he chased them away.
Tilden might be the bad brother and a poor leader, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d waited
until he had more people on his side before he tried to get rid of Evin. The cut of deception
still stung. They might not have been super close, but they were brothers.
A sharp tweet snapped Evin out of his melancholy thoughts. There were five people
and a cat carrier inside, according to Chen’s chirping. Evin didn’t respond. A hoot in the
middle of the day would attract the attention of the people inside.
To Evin’s astonishment, one of the men inside opened the window, leaned out and lit a
cigarette.
Chen took advantage.
The wren shifter fluttered inside, shifted and slammed his fist into the human. After the
hunter went down, Chen let out a long, shrill whistle before opening the window wider.
Marlen hopped up to the sill and fluttered in after him.
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After the two men were clear, Evin glided through the window. Once his claws hit the
floor, he shifted.
Shaking his head, he looked at his accomplices. “We’re probably the least intimidating
rescuers in history. Three naked, unarmed men.”
Chen grinned. “Good thing we’ve got backup.”
Screams came from down below mixed with the roar of lions. Footsteps thundered
towards them. They took out the two men who rushed in with a few well-placed punches. It
was amazing what you could get away with if you took someone by surprise.
An enormous lion with a blood-covered mouth trotted over to Evin and deposited a
human arm at his feet. Then he plopped down on his ass and waited for praise.
“You are seriously disturbed,” Evin said. “I’m not thanking you for your present,
either.”
The lion made a sad noise.
Chen walked over and scratched Dillon behind the ear. “Who’s a good maneater? You
are! Yes, you are.”
Dillon closed his eyes and let out a rolling half purr, half growl.
“I’d rather be shot by the hunters.” Evin shoved past the cooing pair and made his way
to the staircase. No noise from below. Still careful, Evin went down each step, mindful of his
feet placement. He didn’t want a creaking piece of wood to be responsible for his downfall.
When he reached the bottom, he realised he hadn’t needed to be so careful. Pieces of the
hunters littered the cabin and he didn’t want to think about the bright splashes of red
dripping from the walls. A dozen lions sprawled about with varying degrees of satisfaction
on their faces. One of the lions lay next to a cat cage in the corner.
The female lion occasionally batted at the cage door but didn’t seem able to muster the
energy to turn into her human form. Evin didn’t know the lions well enough to be able to
name which lion pressed her nose towards the still cat inside.
“Hey, let me see.”
A low growl had him lifting his hands up to show he didn’t mean any harm.
“Tia, scoot back.” Dillon’s voice directly behind him made Evin jump a little. He hadn’t
heard his mate approach.
The lion shifted a few steps back, her eyes never leaving the cat in the cage.
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Evin opened the cage. There was no lock on it. No need when the only person who
would want to save the cat shifter was already gone. Reaching in, he lifted out the small
animal inside. He’d thought Chester small for a cat shifter, but his brother wasn’t any bigger.
“I found some vials.” One of the other lion shifters spoke—Kevin or Kyle or something
like that. Evin knew he’d learn their names eventually but a two-minute orientation hadn’t
helped them stick in his head.
“Did you find some needles too?” Evin asked hopefully.
The lion shifter shook his head. “We don’t know if this is the right stuff, anyway.”
“I’ll take one to Andrew and he can tell us.” Chen transformed into a wren, snatched
the vial from the lion’s hand and flew out of the open door.
“Good thinking, bringing Andrew with us,” Dillon told Evin.
Evin gave a wry smile. “I don’t think the wrens would’ve left him behind.”
The wrens had insisted on bringing Andrew then had equally insisted he stay in the
truck a mile away so he wouldn’t be in the direct line of fire. The older man had appeared a
bit embarrassed by the wrens’ attention, but he’d wanted to help out.
“We’ll take the cat with us,” Dillon decided. “We can’t wait to find out if this is the right
stuff or not. He’s fading fast. Grab all the vials—that way we’ll have everything.”
Evin felt a spurt of pride at how quickly the others jumped to Dillon’s orders.
“Come on, love,” Dillon said, “we have a cat to save.”
The female lion shifted into human form and held out her hands. “I’ll carry him.”
Shrugging, Evin handed the animal over. There was really only one cat he cared about.
He might want Chester’s brother to make it but he needed Chester to be okay.
A truck screeched into the gravel driveway with Andrew at the wheel. The human slid
out of the vehicle with a syringe in his hand. “I think this should help.”
Approaching the cat, he stopped when Tia hissed at him.
“You do that again, kitty, and I’ll rip out your whiskers,” Marlen warned.
“And I’ll help him,” Chen chimed in.
The two wrens looked like they were going to rip the lion shifter apart.
“Hey, it’s all right. She’s just being protective.” Andrew made soothing noises at the
two bird shifters then addressed Tia. “This is to counteract the poison in his system.”
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Tia gave him a suspicious glare but obligingly held out the feline.
Andrew carefully inserted the needle into the cat’s shoulder and pushed the plunger.
“It will be a while before it takes effect,” he warned.
“Okay. I’ll hold him in the car,” Tia insisted.
“Let’s go with Andrew—we’ll get to Chester faster.” The extended cab truck fitted
Dillon, Evin, Tia with Garfield, and Andrew. The wrens turned back into their small bird
forms so they could travel with everyone else. The rest of the lions could follow in their own
vehicles after they’d cleaned up the cabin. They needed to get back to Chester.
* * * *
Chester floated on a sea of sensation. His stomach debated on rebelling and becoming
seasick but a few swallows kept the bile down. He was dying. He knew it. Luckily, it
appeared to be a relatively painless endeavour. He thought of his mates and lost some of his
drifting feeling. He hoped they were happy together and wouldn’t mourn him for too long.
“Chester, wake the fuck up,” someone growled.
Dillon?
Forcing his eyes open, Chester looked up into the concerned expressions of his mates.
Damn they were gorgeous.
“There you are.” Dillon’s smile made him blink.
“What happened?”
“We found the antidote. Your directions were perfect.”
A flush of pride swept through Chester. He couldn’t remember the last time someone
had told him they were pleased with something he had done outside of the bedroom.
“Thanks. Am I cured?”
“We think so.”
Chester turned his head to face Evin.
The owl shifter shrugged. “We won’t know for certain until Andrew comes and tests
whether or not the poison has left your system.”
“What about Garfield?” He almost hated to ask.
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“We got to him in time. We learned it wasn’t that you were allergic to the poison—they
just gave the wrong dosage for your shifter size. Andrew was able to calculate the correct
amount of antidote since he originally created it.”
Chester opened his mouth to ask questions but decided he didn’t want to know. “When
can I see him?”
“It might be a while.” Dillon grinned. “That depends on when Tia is willing to release
him. She’s kind of fixated right now. I think they might be mates.”
“Really? Two cats mating with two lions? That’s so strange.” Chester hoped the lion did
turn out to be mates with his brother. Garfield needed something good in his life and he’d be
part of the same pride as Chester. That made him wonder… “Are we joining the pride?” He
didn’t want to take away Evin’s choices.
Evin nodded. “I’m not going back to my brother. He made his own choices. While you
were sleeping, at least half of the owls in the aviary arrived here, asking for sanctuary. Talan
has put them on temporary status. They’re allowed to sleep on the lands but aren’t allowed
in the pack house. We can’t trust yet that none of them are working for Tilden. If they want
to stay here they’ll have to earn their place in the pack. There is talk they might buy some
land from Talan and start their own aviary.”
“Any news about your brother?” Chester asked Evin.
“Not yet.” Evin shrugged as if the issue didn’t bother him. “We’re keeping a careful
watch on all the newcomers and the wrens are keeping an ear to the ground about Tilden.
Right now all we can do is wait.”
“And mark you as ours,” Dillon added.
“Andrew said if you have the energy to shift it might heal you faster.”
“I-I can try.” He didn’t really want to shift, not when his stomach swirled like a
whirlwind, but to cure the poison and claim his mates he’d put up with the discomfort.
Closing his eyes, Chester concentrated on his cat self—changing his two hands to paws,
imagining his long elegant whiskers and swishy tail.
“Meow.”
“Who’s a pretty kitty?” Dillon scratched Chester’s chin with his long fingers. “Now turn
back into my beautiful boy.”
Chester meowed at the lack of petting.
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“Change.” Dillon’s voice didn’t allow for misunderstanding.
Chester focused on his human half. He shivered when the air hit his bare skin. “I miss
the fur,” he complained.
“I know, babe.” Dillon gave him a sympathetic smile.
Andrew walked into the bedroom as if on cue. The older man appeared frazzled by the
young men dogging his heels.
“You will be the perfect mate,” Marlen said.
“We will rely on each other,” Chen piped up.
“No.” Andrew approached Chester and he could see the man pull his professional
cloak back on. “You are looking better. Would you mind if I took some blood?”
Chester offered his arm.
With quick efficient motions, the scientist filled a vial from Chester’s arm. As Chester
watched, Andrew took another tube from his pocket and unscrewed the cap that had a
dropper inside. Opening the blood vial, he put two drops from the new container into the
blood vial. The contents turned a brilliant yellow, like fingerpaint.
“What does that mean?” Chester asked.
Andrew patted Chester on the shoulder. “It means the poison is mostly out of your
system. There are a few veins of red, which means there are traces, but definitely not enough
to affect your mates.”
“Thank you, Andrew.” Dillon wrapped an arm around the scientist, which he quickly
removed when angry chirps filled the air. “Sorry, guys.”
Chen slid his hand to the base of Andrew’s back and Marlen grabbed his arm.
Sandwiched between the wrens, there was no chance of escape.
“I kind of feel sorry for that guy. He has no idea what he’s in for,” Evin said, shaking
his head.
“Yeah, imagine having to deal with two mates.” Dillon made a scoffing sound before
the three of them burst out laughing.
“You heard what the doctor said—it’s time to claim me.” Chester gave his mates a
come-hither look.
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“Well, who am I to argue with a doctor’s orders?” Dillon stripped off his clothes and
crawled onto the bed with sexy feline grace while Evin removed his clothes quickly and
efficiently. To Chester what was important was that they were naked.
Surrounded by warm, bare skin, Chester’s cock rose to greet his mates. Rubbing against
Dillon in the front, he tilted his hips to offer his ass to Evin. Since Dillon had already fucked
him once, it was only fair to let the owl shifter go next.
“Fuck him, Evin. He’s so beautiful when he needs.”
Chester nodded. Hell, he’d agree to anything if it involved these two sexy men mating
with him for life. He must’ve been very good in his previous existence because his karma
rocked.
“Get me the lube,” Evin demanded.
Chester moaned when Dillon kissed Evin as if his life depended on it.
When the two men broke apart, Dillon’s eyes were hazy with lust and Evin licked his
lips as if trying to savour Dillon’s taste.
Dillon handed over the familiar tube to Evin.
“Thanks.” Another kiss was exchanged.
“Now! I want one of you in me now!” Chester demanded. Before, he’d wanted Evin,
but now he’d take either of them as long as one of them fucked him soon.
“Patience, kitten,” Evin said absently as he lubed up his fingers and slid them behind
Chester’s balls. First one finger, then two. The owl shifter didn’t give Chester much time to
adjust but Chester’s body didn’t mind… It stretched and adjusted for the invasion with
wholehearted enthusiasm.
“I’m ready,” Chester said in case Evin had missed the obvious.
“I want you to suck Dillon while I fuck you,” Evan said. “When we’re together, no one
gets left out.”
Chester licked his lips at the sight of Dillon’s cock. The head had a shiny sheen as a dab
of pre-cum dripped from the bright pink head.
“Scoot up,” Chester insisted.
Dillon obliged. Evin moved Chester to allow Dillon to climb up and lean against the
pillows. When everyone was aligned to his satisfaction, Evin released Chester.
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Chester eyed his treat with a soft purr. Now that he didn’t have to worry about
infecting his mates, he was going to enjoy his claiming. Wrapping his lips around the damp
head of Dillon’s cock, Chester made sure to have good suction. He gripped the base of
Dillon’s shaft with his fist to steady it as he lapped and gently nibbled on the head. “I love a
good cock in the morning,” he sighed.
“It’s afternoon,” Evin said with amusement.
“Whatever.” Chester didn’t really care what time it was as long as he had Dillon right
where he wanted him and Evin almost there. “Fuck me!” he demanded.
“You’re a bossy little thing.” Evin chuckled.
“I’m not little.” At five feet ten, Chester thought of himself as average height—what
was medium to tall in the human world was smaller in the shifter realm. Both of his mates
were much taller and bigger than him. Even Evin, who had been starved and was gangly,
still towered over him and when he gained a little weight he would definitely be bigger.
Chester didn’t mind at all but he wouldn’t let them call him little like he was a child trying to
get to the grown-ups’ table.
“How about you’re just bossy, then?” Evin kissed Chester before he could say anything
else and he forgot what he wanted to argue about. Chester’s lust-filled mind couldn’t process
any thoughts, and it didn’t improve when Evin turned Chester’s head and his lips were then
taken by Dillon.
Oh…
So wonderful.
Heat poured down his spine and the base of his back itched where his tail grew. His
kitty half urged Chester to let go and allow him to come out and play. Chester put a firm lid
on kitty’s needs. To mate with his lovers, he needed to stay in his human form.
Pulling away from Dillon’s distracting lips, Chester slid his lips down Dillon’s neck to
nip at the jugular, then travelled towards Dillon’s chest where he bit a taunting nipple. He
smiled at the sudden inhalation of breath and the stillness of the lion. Someone liked nipple
play. He filed that information away for later. Right now he was interested in the grand
prize.
Dillon’s cock waved at Chester as if trying to seek his attention. “Don’t worry, you
beauty, I haven’t forgotten you.”
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It bobbed even more from Dillon’s laughter.
Chester kept his grip gentle as he stopped the movement so he could lick at the tip.
“Mmm,” he hummed in satisfaction. None of his other encounters had ever tasted as good as
his lion shifter. He didn’t know if being mates made the difference but he’d definitely have to
check Evin’s flavour later.
Eagerly lapping up Dillon’s pre-cum, he gasped when cold lube entered his ass. He
hadn’t forgotten Evin, exactly, but he’d been distracted.
Evin laughed. “Forgot you were surrounded, didn’t you?”
He could feel the blush staining his cheeks but he wouldn’t give in. “Hush and fuck
me,” he grumbled.
“Yes, your highness,” Evin said.
Chester turned his head to look at Evin over his shoulder. “Now that’s the proper
attitude.” He got a smack on the ass for his sassy response. His cock, surprisingly, became
harder.
“Oooh, I think he likes that, Evin,” Dillon purred.
“Hmm. I’ll spank you later. Right now I need to be inside your ass more than I need air.
Come on, honey…relax and let me inside.”
The need in Evin’s voice had Chester leaning towards Dillon and spreading his legs to
give his lover better access.
Evin pushed even more lube inside Chester’s body.
“Enough! Fuck me already!”
Despite his big words, Chester still gasped when Evin pushed inside. However, the
initial bite quickly faded as Evin expertly pegged Chester’s prostate. He let out a strangled
scream as his lover pounded into him with perfect finesse.
“Right there, oh yes, there.” Chester babbled.
A strong hand wrapped around his cock. Chester blinked to focus on this new
experience. Dillon had slid down so he could reach Chester’s cock. For a second Chester felt a
flash of guilt over forgetting about Dillon’s blowjob, then his mate did a twisty thing with his
hand and Chester damn near forgot to breathe.
“Give it up, honey,” Dillon rumbled.
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Evin gave another perfect shove inside him and, with a gasp, Chester spilled all over
Dillon’s hand. Before he had a chance to enjoy the warm, cosy aftermath, a painful slash to
his neck made him cry out.
“Shhh, babe… Evin’s marking you,” Dillon soothed, lapping at the wound.
The pain went from sharp, to dull, to a warm sensation that poured down his spine and
pulled purrs from his throat.
“You and Dillon can claim me later when you claim each other,” Evin promised.
Chester nodded. He had a lot of things to do tomorrow. Check in on his brother, bond
with his mates, and, although he didn’t feel invested in the owl and lion battle, it affected
Evin so he’d have to do what he could to support his lover.
“Tomorrow,” Evin whispered in his ear. “We’ll deal with everything tomorrow.”
Chester smiled. That sounded like a great idea.
Coming Soon from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Robert’s Rancher
Amber Kell
Released 25
th
June 2012
Excerpt
Chapter One
Robert circled the spoon inside his coffee cup, watching the cream swirl. Depression sat
like a heavy stone on his chest. How had his life been reduced to this? By all standards,
people would consider him successful. Why couldn’t he find the perfect guy? Hell, his
imaginary partner didn’t even have to be perfect—he just had to not want Robert’s money.
The few times he thought he’d found a keeper had turned out to be giant fiascos. One guy
had tried to leave Robert’s house with Robert’s new laptop and another had tried to sweet
talk him into financing a play.
He must have a broken ‘loser alert’ sensor.
Now, at thirty years old, he lived alone and didn’t have any romantic prospects in sight
since two months ago, when the last gay man he’d liked had hooked up with a sexy cowboy.
Sadly, from what Robert had observed, they were ridiculously happy together.
“Hey Robert, did you like the new quiche recipe?” Tyler Remington approached
Robert’s table, wiping his hands on his chef’s apron.
“It was amazing as usual.” He mustered up a smile for Tyler. It wasn’t Tyler’s fault the
man had let a cowboy sweep him off his feet.
Tyler settled into the chair opposite him. “What’s wrong? You’ve been moping for
days.”
Robert propped his chin on his hand. “I’m lonely,” he confessed.
Tyler gave him a startled look. “Why? You’re handsome, rich and when you’re not
trying too hard to impress someone, you’re a nice guy.”
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Although he knew he would sound like a pouting teenager, Robert couldn’t help
himself. “I can’t believe you fell for Cody.”
Tyler laughed. “Robert, we would’ve never been compatible. I’m not butch enough for
you. I’ve seen you watching the cowboys when you come out to the ranch. You can barely
keep your drool from forming a puddle on the ground.”
“Being attracted to someone and finding someone to share your life with aren’t
necessarily the same thing. And other than Cody, the rest of the guys at your ranch are
straighter than a board.”
“Maybe not.” A crafty expression filled Tyler’s bright blue eyes. “We’re getting another
hand next week. Jeffrey’s cousin, Glen, is coming to work for us. The ranch he worked on
before was sold to some developer to build a bunch of condos or something. Jeff told me he
prefers men.”
Robert shook his head. “If he’s just moved here, I doubt he wants to get involved with
someone right away.” He held up his hand to stop Tyler’s protest. “And you know as well as
I do it takes more than being gay to be compatible.”
“True, but don’t rule him out without meeting him.”
“Fine. I’ll meet him but I’m not making any promises.”
“I’m not asking you to have sex. I’m talking about coffee, maybe a muffin if you want to
get wild.”
Robert laughed. “Okay, I can do that.”
“Good. Besides, if you don’t find someone soon, Joe is going to start getting some
ideas.” Tyler tilted his head to the right and Robert’s gaze traced where Tyler indicated.
Joe Walker stood beside the divider that shielded the servers’ area from the diners. His
arms were crossed and a scowl creased his forehead as he watched the two men talk.
Although Robert knew his waiter was gay, Joe didn’t make the eligible list.
“You know I don’t mess around with my employees. That’s why I didn’t ask you to be
my chef until I was certain it wasn’t going to work out.”
“Does Joe know that?” Tyler’s blue eyes reflected concern.
“He should.” Robert bit his bottom lip as he considered the situation. Joe had flirted
with him in the past. Robert had put it down as harmless and never flirted back. He didn’t
want to show any sign of favouritism to his employees. “I’ll talk to him if it gets out of hand.”
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“Good.” Tyler patted Robert’s hand. “I don’t want you to get put in a bad situation,
especially if he tries to get you for sexual harassment. Make sure you talk to him with at least
one witness around.”
Robert laughed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Tyler. I can handle one young man.”
“Maybe.” Tyler didn’t look completely convinced and Robert had no idea why. After
all, he wasn’t a shy eighteen-year-old anymore. He’d been making his own decisions for a
long time now.
“It’ll be fine. Do we have enough chocolate tarts for the dinner crowd? We ran out
yesterday and I thought there was going to be an uprising.”
Tyler shook his head. “We’ll be fine. I doubled the batch from yesterday so everyone
who could possibly want one will be able to have one.”
“Good.” Robert stood and threw his napkin on the table. “Thanks for your help. I’ll see
you in a couple of days. I’ve got to go out of town tonight to look over some property my
investment manager is trying to get me to throw some money at.”
Tyler waved. “Try to stay out of trouble.”
Robert shook his head at the chef. “Why would I want to do that? Getting into trouble is
one of the few forms of entertainment I have.”
Tyler laughed. “I see.”
Waving on his way out the door, Robert left his restaurant with a lighter step. He didn’t
know if this new hand would be the romantic apple of his eye but he always liked meeting
people. If nothing else, maybe Robert could make a friend.
* * * *
Glen King pulled his dusty truck up to the ranch gates. A wave of relief shot through
him at the fat cows and the healthy looking wheat fields he’d passed on the way to the main
house. His cousin hadn’t exaggerated the ranch’s excellent condition. He hoped the job
Jeffrey had promised was there too, since everything he owned was piled in the back of his
pickup. Despite three years of promising Glen first shot at purchasing his ranch, Ted Hill had
sold the place right out from under him. Bitterness left a sour taste in Glen’s mouth and
churned his stomach as he reflected on what a fool he’d been to trust Hill’s word. When he’d
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confronted Hill, his ex-boss had had the nerve to tell Glen he should’ve got the promise in
writing. Glen had barely resisted going to jail for murder.
“Bastard,” Glen muttered, reflecting on the conversation. How he’d longed to throttle
the old rancher. It must have shown in his eyes because Hill had definitely looked a little
nervous at the end. Glen had gathered everything he’d owned, called his cousin and asked
about spots on the ranch where Jeffrey worked. Luckily it sounded like they were expanding
and needed experienced hands. Meanwhile, the dream of owning his own piece of land had
slipped through Glen’s fingertips.
It took him several minutes of driving on the ranch road before he spotted the main
buildings. A low white ranch house, a couple of barns and a structure that was probably the
bunkhouse, dotted the landscape in front of him. Deciding he’d best find his new boss before
hunting his cousin, Glen pulled up in front of the main building.
Glen sat in his truck for a long while examining the white picket fence, bright flowers
and red door of the home. Jeff had told him two men owned the ranch, and one of them had
recently hooked up with the other partner’s brother. It was one of the main reasons he’d
asked to come. A ranch owned by at least one gay guy couldn’t have any homophobic
assholes on staff, or at least if there were, they’d more than likely keep it to themselves.
Pushing open the driver’s side door, Glen slid off the bench seat. His boots hit the
ground with a jarring thud. After a daylong road trip, the leg he’d once broken, and never
had properly set, ached like a motherfucker. He made sure his feet were steady before
slamming the door shut. He didn’t want to show up looking like he’d been dragged along
ten miles of bad road. His new employer didn’t need to know how hard up he was—body
and soul. There wasn’t a cowboy alive who hadn’t broken, sprained or damaged at least one
body part…and if there was, they weren’t working hard enough.
Glen’s muscles stretched and loosened as he walked towards the building. By the time
he reached the freshly painted front porch he was walking almost normally—a bit
bowlegged, but normal for him.
Before he knocked on the door, it was whipped open and a gorgeous young man
peered at him through the screen door. “Hello!”
“Um, hello there.” Glen replied. “I’m looking for Baron Remington. Is he here?”
“Nope.” The blond’s brilliant smile took the sting out of his response. “I’m about to
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announce lunch so you might as well come in and grab something to eat. You must be
Jeffrey’s cousin.”
The screen door opened and the slim young man motioned him inside.
“Yeah, I’m Glen King.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Tyler. Baron’s my brother.”
They shook hands. Glen kept his touch gentle. He didn’t want to hurt the smaller man.
Not to mention if he was brother and lover to the owners, it was best to stay on his good side.
Tyler pulled a smartphone from his pocket and pushed a series of buttons before
returning it to his pocket. “The men will be here in a minute. I suggest you come stand over
here by me so you don’t get trampled.”
The words had barely left Tyler’s lips when the sound of footsteps reached Glen’s ears.
Loud voices echoed in the entry and a line began to form into a room on the left. Looking to
the right, he realised it wasn’t the dining area.
He turned a curious look towards Tyler.
“Oh, they’re washing up. Margaret, the old cook, has them trained. She’s gone to live
with her relatives now, but luckily she broke them in while she was here.”
The grin he received warmed him on the inside, a sensation that ended quickly when a
big man with dark eyes and dark hair looked at Glen as if he were measuring the size of
Glen’s coffin and fixing to put him in it.
“Hey babe,” Tyler’s smile could’ve powered the county.
The big cowboy’s expression went from maniacal to tender in the space of a second.
Right in front of everyone, the man walked over, cupped Tyler’s face and plastered the
hottest kiss Glen had ever seen outside of a porn video smack on Tyler’s lips.
He discreetly adjusted himself as he watched the two men embrace.
When the cowboy released Tyler, the smaller man’s eyes weren’t focused and his lips
had a tempting sheen. He blinked repeatedly at Glen.
“Cody, this is Glen. He’s Jeffrey’s cousin,” Tyler said, pointing towards Glen.
“Glen!”
He turned to see Jeff walking towards him. Jeff wrapped his thickly muscled arms
around Glen and thumped him on the back. When Glen finally freed himself, he turned to
shake Cody’s hand.
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“Nice to meet you.” He gave Cody a firm grip, though not fighting for dominance. Even
if his kiss with Tyler hadn’t confirmed his identity, Glen could almost feel the air of
leadership pouring off the other man.
“Same here,” Cody said. He tucked Tyler in the crook of his arm and scooped his lover
along as they walked to the dining room. “Jeff says you’ve been on a ranch since you were
young.”
“Yeah, I grew up on one. My daddy’s health didn’t let him keep it so we moved to the
city when I was in my teens. As soon as I could, I went back to it.” Glen couldn’t live without
his horses and cattle. He hadn’t thrived in the city. He had hated the concrete, the noise and
the incessant flow of people. Wide-open spaces and the smell of animals were his loves.
Cody gave him an understanding look. “We are short-handed right now and Jeffrey
gave you a good recommendation. We’ll try you out for a few weeks and see how you fit in
here. For now you can sit down and enjoy the best food in the country.”
Mutters of agreement rang around the table and an adorable blush crossed Tyler’s
cheeks. A warning glance from Cody had him quickly shifting his gaze.
Got it. Don’t look at Tyler. “I’ll go wash up.”
He headed to the bathroom and quickly cleaned his dusty and sweaty hands. Returning
to the dining room, he found an empty seat next to his cousin. Jeff gave him a wide smile and
a friendly slap on the back. His cousin looked happy and healthy. Good. Of all his relatives,
Jeff had always been one of Glen’s favourites.
A platter of chicken was handed over followed by mashed potatoes and buttery corn.
The first bite had him closing his eyes to better absorb the flavour. Spices exploded across his
tongue as juice from the chicken filled his mouth.
Damn, that was good.
Swallowing, Glen opened his eyes to see the ranch hands watching him with
amusement. “This is amazing.”
Jeff laughed. “Tyler’s the best damn cook I’ve ever met.”
“You made this?” He couldn’t stop the surprise in his voice. That would teach him to
judge someone by appearance. Tyler had looked too pretty to be of much use, however
anyone who cooked like this was worth his weight in gold…and considering Tyler wasn’t
very big, more than his weight in gold.
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Tyler blushed. “Yeah, it’s my thing.”
The chef kissed his lover on the cheek and headed to a door Glen guessed led to the
kitchen.
He saw the ranch hands were all staring at him. “You’re lucky. At my last ranch we had
an old cook who thought if the meat was more tender than shoe leather he was spoiling us.”
The men around the table laughed. “Tyler spoils us something rotten, and he also plans
the menus for a fancy place in town,” Jeff told him.
Glen took a bite of the potatoes and barely held back a moan. Hell, he’d work for room
and board if it included this type of cooking. Who really needed money anyway?
Jeff chuckled. “Three meals a day. Tyler doesn’t always make breakfast, depending on
his schedule, but there’ll be something to eat.”
Nodding, Glen finished up his meal as he listened to the talk swirl around him. He
didn’t even pretend to pay attention once he bit into a biscuit. It took Jeff mentioning his
name twice before he focused on his cousin’s words.
“What?”
“Did you want to come with me to check out the ranch after lunch? I’ve got to fix a
fence hole in the back field and I can show you around on the way.”
Glen nodded. “Sounds good.”
Cody broke in. “Baron will be back home in a few hours. When he returns he can tell
you what we’ll expect you to do. I’m going into town to pick up some supplies.”
“Yes, boss.” Glen settled in to finish his meal. Anything he needed to do could wait
until he finished his chicken. Jeff must have agreed because he helped himself to another
wing.
About the Author
Amber is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in
Dallas with her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog.
Amber loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and
author biography at
.
Also by Amber Kell
Dangerous Lovers: Catching Mr Right
Yearning Love: Taking Care of Charlie
Yearning Love: Protecting Francis
Supernatural Mates: From Pack to Pride
Supernatural Mates: A Prideful Mate
Supernatural Mates: A Prideless Man
Supernatural Mates: Nothing To Do With Pride
Supernatural Mates: Talan’s Treasure
Planetary Submissives: Chalice
Planetary Submissives: Orlin’s Fall
Heart Attack: My Subby Valentine
Scared Stiff: Protecting His Soul
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