To Catch A Croc

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To Catch A Croc

ISBN: 978-1-77111-467-7

Cover art by Scott Carpenter

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Chapter One

Water surrounded him—colder than his kind generally tolerated. However, Denton Stills had lived in
the Northwest most of his life and adapted years ago. Temperatures most crocodiles couldn’t tolerate
no longer bothered him. He snapped playfully at a fish swimming by. He’d eaten a large dinner of
spaghetti before swimming. Probably not his smartest move, but he’d been hungry and the pasta had it
coming. Not to mention Harris had cooked and Denton didn’t have the heart to turn down anything the
bear shifter prepared for him.

Harris might be a big guy, but he had a gooey marshmallowy center and Denton loved him like a

brother. He’d eat enough pasta to make himself ill if it would make Harris smile.

Lashing his tail to propel through the water, Denton spied a white object at the bottom. A milk

carton had lodged itself in a layer of silt. While Denton’s ecological heart bemoaned the added
pollution, his creative side smiled, since the container was probably the remainder from last
summer’s milk carton derby. He always enjoyed watching people try to cross the lake on at least fifty
halves of the flimsy cartons. Of course his favorite part was when they sank and they bobbed in the
lake like soggy party favors.

Humans did the stupidest things sometimes in the pursuit of fun. Crocodiles didn’t need anything

more than a nice body of water and a heated spot afterward. The urge to return to his heated bit of
sand sent Denton circling around to head back to shore. Although it was dark, after one bad encounter
with a white haired lady and her yippy Chihuahua, Denton used more care when approaching shore.

He floated to the surface and took a good look around before walking to the edge and letting the

transformation take him. A tingle like a thousand bug bites went across his skin as the reptile
submerged beneath the surface to be taken over by Denton’s human form.

Denton sloshed the last few feet out of the lake and grabbed his clothes from the shrub he’d stashed

them under. Another quick glance around proved no one had spotted him yet. Good. He also didn’t
need  another  ticket  for  indecent  exposure.  Carey’s  head  would  explode  if  he  learned  Denton  had
wandered  to  Green  Lake  alone  at  night  to  grab  a  swim.  His  friend  always  went  on  about  how
dangerous  shifting  in  public  was,  as  if  a  human  knew  about  that  sort  of  thing.  Carey  might  be  a
superior  human,  but  even  he  didn’t  understand  the  shifter  compulsion  to  wallow  in  its  natural
environment. Well, as natural as a lake in the middle of a city could be. Formed by the Vashon glacier
fifty thousand years ago, the two hundred and fifty-three acre Green Lake always gave Denton a cozy
feel. And unlike Lake Washington, it didn’t have idiots in speedboats trying to run over an innocent
floating crocodile.

The cold breeze made him shiver. Denton hated winter. His sun-loving reptile half preferred

warmer climates, but he wouldn’t leave his friends for all the toasty sand in the world. He just needed

to go some place for vacation. Soon. He’d have to ask his friends what they thought about going to the
Caribbean. Surely they could put all their pennies together and afford a little trip. Denton thought
about all the hot locations they could visit—maybe go back to Australia. Memories of his parents’
horrible death at the hands of saltwater crocodile shifters halted that train of thought.

Maybe not.

For all he knew, his family house still stood in all its bloodstained glory. He’d never gone back to

check and he didn’t have any plans to do so now.

Hard objects rolled up Denton’s throat and filled his mouth. He played with them a bit with his

tongue before spitting them onto the ground. The stones helped him sink lower in the water as a
crocodile and luckily came back up when he returned to his two-legged form. Rocks in his human half
would only result in a trip to the emergency room.

As he emerged from the shrubbery, the scent of people approaching made Denton freeze in his

tracks. He hadn’t smelled that kind of shifter in a long, long time and in the cool Northwest country
he’d never thought to smell them again. What were they doing here? Why had they invaded his home?
Brutal memories sent fear icing over his chest and grabbed him by the throat. He started shaking again
but this time not from cold.

“Hello there, Freshie,” a hard voice said.

Two large shapes appeared from the darker area of the park.

Crap! Saltwater crocodile shifters!

He’d hoped for once his nose had been wrong and that his gun wasn’t still in his Jeep. The

saltwater or Indo-Pacific crocodiles were much larger than freshwater and it reflected in their human
form. Denton knew he couldn’t take them, especially two of them. In his animal state, Denton would
be several feet smaller than the strangers before him. Not to mention as a human, Denton was thin and
lanky, nothing like the muscular beef-meisters standing before him. His mind raced as he tried to
remember if anyone had mentioned salties moving into the area. He was pretty sure information like
that would’ve stuck in his head.

It annoyed him that Carey had been right. He never should’ve come to a public lake to swim in his

crocodile form. He’d hoped to escape detection in the dark. Apparently, although the humans didn’t
see him, the other crocs knew exactly where to find him.

“Hello,” Denton said, keeping a wary eye on the salties. He didn’t trust saltwater crocs—they

moved into territory and killed everything in their path. Sure, they couldn’t live in freshwater but that
didn’t stop them from keeping everyone else from living there either, especially if an area had both.

“We came to give you a friendly warning,” the man on the left said. He had muddy brown hair and

eyes that changed from black to brown in the dim street lights scattered around the park.

The man on the right stepped forward. “We thought you should know there’s a new bask in town

and we don’t want no freshies tainting up the waters.”

“I see. Thanks for the warning, but aren’t you guys a little north for crocs?” Most croc shifters

didn’t like to leave the warmer climates. Denton only lived in Seattle because that’s where his friends
were. If given the choice, he’d go live in Florida or someplace hotter. Only his heated rock and
almost scalding baths got him through the cold winters.

Denton kept his body facing them, not wanting to show the salties his back. Both of the men were

wider and more muscled than him. He didn’t care to give them the chance to pounce him unaware. He
knew how to protect himself, but with two men so much bigger and potentially more lethal, he didn’t
stand a chance.

“Now that’s for us to say, isn’t it?” the croc on the left growled.

“I suppose it is.” Denton tried to keep his voice level and non-confrontational. He hoped to get

away with minimal damage. His adoptive father, Aden Gale, was going to kick his ass once he
learned Denton had traveled without a weapon on him.

One of the salties stepped forward, and Denton stepped back. Fear had his heart beating a rapid

staccato in his chest. A bask of salt water crocs had destroyed his family when he was a young
hatchling. Denton only escaped because he’d been out swimming. Coming home to find his family in
pieces had gutted him.

He’d clung to the new friend he’d met at the watering hole. Carey, who was in Australia on

vacation, persuaded his father to take Denton home with them. For some reason the tough mercenary
couldn’t say no to his son who had him wrapped around his little kindergartener’s finger in an
inescapable bind. To this day, he didn’t know how they’d smuggled him into the country. He didn’t
want to know how they got him legal-looking paperwork.

He wished he’d told someone where he was going. Anyone. Instead he’d snuck out of the house

without saying a word.

Idiot.

Now Denton yearned for his friend’s presence with the ferocity of a young child wishing for a pony

for Christmas.

“The boss said we couldn’t leave any bodies lying around, so we’re only here to deliver a friendly

reminder for you to get out of town.”

Before he could react, one huge fist punched Denton in the eye and sent him tumbling down to the

ground.

“Fuck.”

Laughing, the saltwater crocs approached. “You have one day to evacuate.”

Still stunned by the first hit, Denton didn’t scramble out of the way fast enough. One giant steel-

toed boot slammed into his ribs. He heard the crunch and snap of his bones shattering. He didn’t
remember much after that because everything went black.

When Denton came to, the sky was still black. Since he lay across the middle of a popular jogging

path, he doubted he’d been lying there twenty-four hours or someone would’ve had his body hauled
away by now.

Sitting up made spots appear before his eyes. His stomach heaved from the pain. He had to stand.

He tried for a little internal pep talk but his body apparently knew he was full of shit and ignored him.

Finally, Denton rolled over and crawled to his Jeep. Luckily, he’d found rare street parking close

by. His hands were bleeding from the bits of gravel by the time he made it to his car. If he shifted
now, his bones might reshape wrong or force him to stay a crocodile until he was completely healed.
His face throbbed along with the pain throughout the rest of his body. Everything hurt.

He glanced around the Jeep to make sure there weren’t any unpleasant surprises waiting for him. A

sniff didn’t reveal any strange scents. He didn’t know how the salties found him and he wasn’t sure if
they were still watching him.

His first instinct was to go home but, with Eaton on his blind date. that would leave him with the

bear shifter all alone. Harris would lose his temper if he saw Denton all battered and broken. Harris
generally had a calm, artistic nature but he protected his friends with the fierceness of a mama bear
with her cub. Denton didn’t have the energy to deal with that.

Normally, he would turn over problems like this to Carey but as soon as it became legal in Seattle,

Broden had proposed to Carey, married him, and dragged him up to Victoria for a honeymoon.

Carey deserved time away without Denton crying to him because the bigger crocs had beat him up.

He needed an alternative plan. The image forming in his mind of a tall dark-haired puma shifter gave
him comfort. Isaac Graham would help him out. Denton knew Broden had asked Isaac to keep an eye
on Carey’s friends while the alpha pair was gone. For the moment Denton needed a safe place to heal
and some help investigating where the crocs were staying.

Isaac was perfect.

Maybe he could get Isaac to hunt around a bit. Crocodile shifters, especially salties, weren’t

known for their subtlety. Denton was strange for his breed. He liked to be in the background unless he
was playing in the band. He preferred to write songs and design earth-friendly landscaping for
people. He didn’t want to bring trouble to his friends, but he knew if he disappeared they would be
more hurt than if he filleted them with a knife.

Denton needed to figure out where the salties had their home base and what they were doing here.

The water was too cold and the weather wasn’t warm enough for saltwater crocs. Hell, it wasn’t
warm enough for freshwater crocs, either, but after so many years Denton was used to it.

He needed a plan and he had a feeling Isaac was just the man to help him. With his idea fixed in his

mind, Denton climbed into his Jeep and headed for Isaac’s house.

It took half an hour to drive to Isaac’s house in West Seattle. Isaac had a million-dollar home by

Alki Beach with sound and mountain views. Denton hadn’t gone to the beach on his one visit when
Isaac had thrown a house warming party, but he’d enjoyed the salty air and sound of the gulls calling
to one another. Isaac’s Mediterranean villa sort of stuck out among the other architecture but Denton
found it charming. His fingers had itched to prune back Isaac’s overgrown roses but he’d resisted.
He’d figured it would be poor manners to hack a man’s bush without permission.

It was late enough that Denton easily found a coveted street-side parking spot. Sighing, he slid his

Jeep into a spot between a convertible and a car big enough to be an urban tank. Why anyone needed
such a large vehicle on Seattle’s narrow streets, Denton didn’t know. A mom who used it to haul her
kids to and from private school and soccer practice probably owned it. From the pristine paint job,
Denton doubted it had ever gone off road.

His mind focused on his injuries and the salties’ invasion, Denton almost stumbled across Isaac

sitting on his front steps.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Denton moved back down a few more steps. He clutched the

railing as the world spun around him.

Isaac rose to his feet. “What’s wrong?”

Denton gasped for breath as he fought to gather enough air in his probably punctured lungs. “What

makes you think something is wrong?”

Isaac wrapped an arm around Denton’s waist. “I’ve got you, babe, let’s get you inside and you can

tell me who I need to kill.” The world spun as his body left the earth.

“Hey, put me down.” The world continued to spin as Isaac carried him across the front door’s

threshold as if he were a new bride.

“Don’t fight me,” Isaac growled. “I need to check and see how badly you’re injured.”

For the first time since the salties’ attack, Denton felt safe. He rested his head on the puma shifter’s

chest, glad he’d come here to Isaac. Although he’d only met the puma shifter a few times before,
something about Isaac’s confidence appealed to Denton.

He tried to unobtrusively sniff Isaac. Taking in Isaac’s scent, further calmed down his inner

crocodile. The reptile wanted to bite down on the salties and snap their thick necks. Unfortunately,
Denton knew how that would end. He’d never be able to beat them in crocodile form. Fortunately, he
had a couple of high-powered rifles and a sharp shooter at hand. Right now, he needed to heal and
find out the location of their base.

Soft leather met Denton’s scraped hands as Isaac placed him on the world’s softest couch. “Oh,

this is nice.” He rested his neck on the padded arm and the room stopped spinning for a bit.

“What did they do to your beautiful face?” Isaac crouched beside Denton, tracing his eye with the

gentlest touch. “I’m definitely going to kill them.”

“Saltwater crocs,” Denton blurted out. “They found me down by the lake and told me to get out of

town.”

“I wonder why they didn’t kill you,” Isaac mused.

Denton would’ve taken offense but he’d wondered the same thing. Maybe they thought he wouldn’t

tell his friends and slink out of town.

“Maybe they’re afraid of Carey,” Denton whispered.

“Hmm, maybe. It’s well known he took down the wolves. They might hope to scare the rest of you

off before he comes back.”

Denton knew Harris was safe at the mansion and Eaton could escape if cornered. With his history

with the salties, Denton was the obvious choice to strong-arm first.

“And if you were too afraid to stay, you might be able to take everyone with you. But if they killed

you, Carey would want revenge…” Isaac mused.

“They’d all die,” Denton finished.

“What they didn’t know is that I’m going to kill them anyway,” Isaac growled. The venomous tone

in the puma shifter’s voice made Denton blink to see through his puffy eye.

“Why?” Denton knew Isaac was devoted to his alpha, but there was no reason for him to have that

level of animosity toward the salties.

“Because they touched what belongs to me,” Isaac said in the same hard voice. “I need to take off

your shirt.”

“Cut it!” Denton demanded. No way was he lifting his arms. He also didn’t have the energy to

figure out what Isaac was talking about. Denton didn’t belong to anyone. Not that he’d mind if Isaac
wanted to claim Denton as his, but they’d barely seen each other, much less dated. Surely it would
take more than that for a claiming? The pain distracted Denton from too much introspection.

“I’ll be right back.” Isaac stood and left the room.

Without the puma shifter to distract him, Denton closed his eyes. His chest hurt the worst of

anything and without Isaac there he could feel every ache, distinctly.

“Stay still.” Isaac demanded, rushing back into the room.

Denton held off the smart-ass comment hovering on his lips, mostly because voicing it would take

more effort than he was willing to expend.

Metal scissors slid against his skin, sending shivers down Denton’s spine. The domed touch pads

on his crocodile skin were flattened in his human shape but he still had the enhanced sensation.
Denton whimpered when his quickly drawn breath caused his ribs to hurt.

“I said stay still,” Isaac scolded.

“I can’t help it. Crocodiles have super sensitive skin,” Denton snapped.

“I’ve read that but I thought it was just your jaw and face.” Isaac’s gaze focused on him as if

Denton were the most fascinating person in the world.

“No, that’s alligators. For crocs, it’s all over the body.” Lust poured off of Isaac and smacked

Denton in the nose. His body hardened, increasing his rate of misery. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Isaac turned his attention back to cutting away Denton’s shirt but he could still smell

Isaac’s desire as it saturated the air with his scent.

“Making me hard. I hurt enough.” He didn’t want Isaac to know how much he lusted after him. His

crush was more than a little embarrassing.

Finally, his shirt was dropped to the floor and Isaac examined Denton’s chest. “Did they kick you

anywhere lower?”

“N-No,” Denton stuttered as Isaac’s fingers brushed across his nipples.

“Good. I’ll kill them quickly instead of drawing it out, then. I hate to say it, but you should

probably sleep as a human tonight and wait to change until tomorrow.”

Isaac’s compassionate expression broke him. He’d been fine through the examination, but that little

bit of sympathy released the floodgates. Sobs tore out of him, compounded by the pain the motion
caused.

“Honey, it’s all right. I can kill them slowly it if will make you feel better.” Isaac lifted Denton up

and settled him back down with Isaac beneath him.

He curled into the larger man, unable to bear looking into his eyes.

“Shh,” Isaac rubbed the base of Denton’s back in long soothing circles. “We’ll just rest a bit, then

I’ll take you to bed where you belong.”

Too tired to understand what Isaac was jabbering about, Denton pressed his nose into Isaac’s neck,

absorbing the scent until it became a part of him. He never thought he’d find the smell of a cat shifter
appealing, but Isaac smelled of comfort and home. Immediately, Denton’s inner crocodile calmed.
Both halves of Denton knew that he was where he needed to be.

“I’ll look into the location of the salties tomorrow. Let’s get you into bed.” Isaac’s voice rumbled

in his chest like a soothing balm to Denton’s ragged soul.

“I bet you say that to all the boys,” Denton teased.

“Only to the pretty ones.” Isaac kissed Denton’s forehead.

Once again Isaac’s strong arms lifted him. “I can walk, you know. Probably.”

“Uh, huh. When you’re more certain of that fact, you can climb the stairs on your own.”

Satisfied with that compromise, Denton snuggled in close. He enjoyed the floating sensation of

being carried. He doubted he’d feel it again anytime soon. Tomorrow, he could return to his usual
brash, snarky self. Tonight, he needed Isaac.

“I’ve gotta call home—Eaton and Harris will wonder what happened to me.”

“You can call when I get you upstairs.” Isaac said.

Denton took a deep breath. “You know this won’t work, right? I mean, you’re a puma and I’m a

crocodile. We’re one animal away from a bar joke.”

Isaac tilted his head. “What would be the third animal?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Denton snapped. He could feel his eyes change.

Isaac glanced down and desire wafted off of the cat shifter like a heady perfume.

“That’s so hot,” Isaac whispered.

“You like it when my eyes change?” Denton had heard that particular effect described as creepy,

eerie and downright frightening. Hot wasn’t something he usually heard.

“Oh, yeah.” Isaac said, his cheek against the top of Denton’s head like the big cat he was. His

erection, wide and long, rubbed against Denton’s hip as he carried him. Denton curled his fingers
against the urge to reach out and touch. He didn’t want to startle Isaac and be dropped on his ass.

Luckily, they entered the bedroom and Isaac placed him on a blissfully soft bed.

“I think this is a very bad idea,” Denton said as Isaac’s face came closer. “You are such a bad

idea.”

Denton’s attraction to Isaac overwhelmed him and made him pliant to Isaac’s advances. He

couldn’t say no even if he wanted to—his crocodile had chosen Isaac as theirs and Denton’s human
half wasn’t strong enough to deny them something they both wanted.

“Probably.” Isaac wrapped a hand around the back of Denton’s neck and crawled onto the bed

beside him. “But you are too gorgeous to resist.”

Unbidden, Denton began rubbing the bridge of his nose across Isaac’s jaw. A low rumble rolled up

his chest, a mating noise he’d never before emitted, as his animal half tried to coax his mate into
becoming his.

A blush rose on Denton’s cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbled against Isaac’s throat.

“Don’t be. I like that both halves of you are attracted to me. Scoot up.”

With Isaac’s assistance, Denton curled up on the bed alongside Isaac’s larger frame.

Isaac’s laid-back attitude appealed to Denton, who always had a fine layer of stress running

through his body. Denton sighed and let Isaac take his weight against him. Anyone with that much heat
should be used to bask on.

A low rumble went through Isaac’s body, making Denton lift his chin up to check out Isaac’s

expression. Isaac’s eye sparkled with amusement. “Comfortable?”

“You’re warm,” Denton said, as if that explained everything.

It must have, because Isaac pulled him closer. “Those salties really scared you.”

Denton nodded. Even more frightening was his new determination to kill every one of them before

they could hurt anyone else. Better to let Isaac think he needed protection than to admit he just wanted
them found so he could hunt them down. Yep, he’d go for the poor little croc routine. He snuggled in
closer. A shiver went through him, but it wasn’t fear.

“Call your friends, little croc, and then we can get some sleep.”

He knew he should be annoyed with the little croc comment but it would completely ruin the poor

little me routine he had going on if he said anything. “Okay,” He gave Isaac a shaky smile. The
Oscars should be calling to give him an award for his acting prowess.

Reaching into his pocket, he dialed Eaton.

“Hey, Denton, where are you?”

“I’m at Isaac’s place. I’m gonna spend the night.”

A loud hooting sound came from the other side. “Gonna get some kitty tail? What is it with

everyone going for cats lately? I prefer my men fine and feathered.”

Denton smiled. “How was your last blind date?”

The pain rushing through his body made Denton not really care about his friend’s latest dating

adventure, but if he didn’t ask, Eaton would know something was wrong.

“Let’s just say he wasn’t fine or feathery enough.”

Barely holding back laughter, Denton made reassuring noises. “I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

“Hmm, maybe. I heard the hawks were coming back into town.” The eagerness in Eaton’s voice

made Denton’s chest ache. He’d hoped Eaton’s crush on the gang leader would fade with time, but in
this case it appeared absence did make the heart grow fonder. Denton would have to take care of that
little problem once he could breathe easier again.

“Stay away from Marty. He’s no good,” Denton snapped, even as he knew the words were futile.

Eaton sighed. “But he looks so good in black leather.”

“You don’t want to be another feather on his belt,” Denton warned. While some men collected

phone numbers, rumor had it that Marty kept a feather from the shifted form of each bird shifter he’d
had sex with. Denton had heard the man was looking for a complete set and didn’t have a golden
eagle one yet.

Fucker.

“I’ll do my best, but I’m not making any promises. Now go enjoy your pussy. I’ll see you later.”

Eaton hung up before Denton could say anything more.

“Damn bird always has to have the last word,” Denton muttered.

“Problems at home?” Isaac asked, frowning at Denton’s tone.

“No. Eaton’s going to get his fool heart broke, that’s all,” Denton growled. He didn’t like the biker

gang leader or the rough crowd he traveled with. After he finished healing, the first thing he was
going to do tomorrow was have a little word with the hawk shifter.

“I’m sure he’s old enough to look out for himself,” Isaac said. His tone indicated he actually

thought Denton would stay out of Eaton’s business.

Denton made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. “Eaton’s the type to give his heart to

whoever asks for it.”

Eaton might be an amazing sharp shooter and have a brilliant mind, but emotionally he didn’t have

a lot of experience with men. If a man sweet-talked the beautiful eagle shifter, he’d probably believe
his lies. Denton would definitely talk to Marty tomorrow. There couldn’t be any mistake. Eaton
wasn’t going to be anyone’s feathery trophy. With Carey out of town, it was up to Denton to watch out
for their friend.

Isaac rubbed Denton’s back in a soothing motion. “Let’s get the rest of your clothes off, then we

Chapter Two

Denton fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Poor battered thing needed his rest.
Systematically, Isaac removed the rest of Denton’s clothing. He could give him another shirt in the
morning, and he’d put the rest of his clothes in the wash. After quickly taking care of that matter, Isaac
pulled off his own attire and climbed in beside Denton.

His inner puma gave a happy growl at the closeness of their mate. He’d dreamed of this moment.

For months, he’d imagined having Denton right here beside him in bed. However, none of his
fantasies involved the croc shifter being injured. Those saltwater crocs better get their crusty scales
out of town before Isaac got hold of them.

No one hurt his mate.

Over the past six weeks, Isaac had read everything he could about crocodiles and how they

behaved. He’d tried to get information from Carey to help his cause, but since he didn’t formally
declare himself interested, the human refused to help. Carey claimed that Denton would appreciate a
more direct approach, but Isaac had his doubts.

Isaac forced himself to keep a distance between them on the bed. As much as he wanted to tuck

Denton close, he didn’t want to add to his discomfort. By morning, Denton’s bones should’ve reset
and after a quick shift he’d be as good as new.

Isaac smiled at the thought of his surprise. When he’d thrown the open house last month, he hadn’t

displayed the house’s best feature because renovations weren’t quite finished. The real reason he’d
bought this house was the atrium attached to the back. It held an extravagant heated sandy bottom
pool. Isaac had plants placed along the sides and heat lamps installed intermittently along the shallow
edge.

Isaac hoped Denton appreciated his mating gift. It might not be a shiny diamond ring like Broden

gave Carey, but Isaac was trying to appeal to both halves of his sexy shifter. To cover his bases, he
had also bought a plain platinum band for Denton’s human form. Now he just had to run a group of
saltwater crocs out of town and claim his mate.

Smiling, Isaac followed Denton into sleep.

Isaac woke from the most wonderful dream only to find reality a little startling. An eight foot

crocodile lay across him. Its scaly hide rubbed against Isaac’s skin, a surprisingly soft sensation.

The crocodile’s teeth were a little too close to Isaac’s face for comfort. “Hey, croc buddy, I don’t

suppose you can turn back into your human form? Not that you’re not a handsome fellow, but I prefer
my lovers in their bipedal shape.”

The crocodile’s intelligent gaze swept over Isaac and he froze as he was weighed and measured. If

the reptile didn’t approve, Isaac would never get to claim Denton. He stayed still, careful not to show
fear. Fortunately, Australian freshwater crocs weren’t as aggressive as their relatives. The chances of
being bitten were much less with the smaller crocs.

“Denton, come out, come out,” Isaac called. “I’ll make you breakfast.”

As he watched, leathery hide turned to skin and yellow eyes turned to beautiful green.

The green eyes closed and before Isaac’s amused gaze, Denton fell back asleep.

Smiling, Isaac stroked the expanse of smooth naked skin.

How had this beautiful, giving man gone untouched for so long? Were all the shifters in town

completely crazy?

A smug smile tilted his lips. Stupid bastards. He wouldn’t make the same mistake. Denton was his.

Isaac’s inner puma clawed at him. The cat wanted to bite Denton and claim the croc shifter as his
own. It didn’t like the pretty guitarist wandering around unmarked where anyone might think they had
a chance at keeping him.

Denton belonged to Isaac.

He’d never felt this connection before, this strange urge to keep someone. His relationships before

were always more of a catch and release process. Go to a bar, lure a guy to his side, fuck him and let
him back out into the dating pool.

The thought of anyone else kissing Denton’s soft mouth or having the joy of being the source of heat

for the man’s reptile half, sent spikes of fury through Isaac.

“Shh,” Denton petted Isaac. “Everything’s okay.”

Isaac smiled. Even asleep, the crocodile shifter tried to soothe him. It spoke of an empathic

personality. Everything about Denton appealed to Isaac—his looks, his tough guy manner that hid a
sweet soul underneath and the tender way he accepted Isaac as the only one who could take care of
him.

Denton had a skittish air to him that told Isaac he needed to move slowly. If he were a more

generous man, he’d encourage Denton to find other shifters and get more sexual experience.

His puma growled low and mean as if the inner cat would take over if Isaac’s human half continued

to be so stupid.

“He’s too young,” Isaac whispered. Great, now he was arguing with himself. Soon he’d be losing

arguments, too.

Denton snapped awake, immediately alert. His green eyes were clear and unclouded from sleep.

“Whoa, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Isaac rubbed Denton’s back as he went into high alert.

Denton’s eyes went reptilian for a second and Isaac froze again. He could feel the crocodile peaking
out at him again.

Luckily after a few blinks, Denton’s eyes went back to their usual mossy green. “Morning,” he said

in a scratchy voice.

“Good morning.” He ran a hand down Denton’s hair and across his bare back, relishing the smooth

skin beneath his fingers just because he could. A low purr rolled unbidden up his chest. Denton’s
body against his was like finding that one piece of the puzzle and sliding it exactly where it belonged.

“It’s not your fault for waking me. Crocs don’t have rem sleep, so I’m an extremely light sleeper.”

Isaac frowned. Surely, Denton didn’t mean that. “What are you saying? You never dream? You’ve

never even had a dream?”

Denton blinked at Isaac as if he didn’t understand Isaac’s shock. “No, I’ve never dreamed. It’s not

a big deal. I don’t miss it, or anything.”

Isaac figured Denton couldn’t miss what he never knew. “Sorry, I guess I never thought about how

other shifters sleep.”

Mostly, Isaac had kept his love interests to other cats or humans. He’d never had to deal with a

reptile species before. However, Denton fascinated Isaac and he’d be willing to do a whole lot more
investigation before he’d let the sexy guitarist out of his grasp. He planned to keep Denton for a long
time. His puma purred at the thought.

“Feeling better?” Isaac asked. The swelling had disappeared from Denton’s eyes, but that hadn’t

been the worst injury.

Denton’s smile could’ve powered the city. “I feel amazing. Thanks for letting me crash here last

night. I wouldn’t have imposed, but you were the first person I thought of.”

Joy surged through Isaac as he recognized he wasn’t the only one who felt the connection between

them. Whether he knew it or not, Denton’s crocodile half had chosen its mate. Isaac barely restrained
himself from jumping up and down and doing a happy dance. Instead, Isaac pulled Denton closer and
rubbed his cheek across Denton’s head, marking Denton with his scent.

“You’re very cuddly in the morning,” Denton commented.

“How can I not be? I’ve got a lot to snuggle.” Isaac doubted he’d ever again be satisfied with

another cat or a human. The crocodile shifter in his arms was it for him.

Denton laughed. “I can feel how happy you are to wake up beside me.”

Isaac’s erection, pinned between them, was probably digging into Denton’s stomach. The croc

shifter didn’t make any complaints, so Isaac didn’t pull away. Isaac kissed Denton’s forehead. His
gaze caught on the clock.

“Oh, damn, I have to go.” His erection didn’t get the memo about Isaac going to work, because the

damn thing hardened enthusiastically against Denton.

“Not all of you is in on that plan,” Denton said with a smirk.

“Well, all of me will have to be disappointed. I promised Broden I’d take care of business while

he was gone, and part of that is keeping up with his meetings. I have an appointment with a new client
in an hour and morning traffic can be a bear.”

Denton frowned. “I’ve never understood that saying. I live with a bear and he’s the most laid back

person in the world. Bears get a bad rap,” Denton complained.

“Not all bears are artists with a zen-like calm,” Isaac replied. “Some growl and attack.”

“Harris only does that when you hide his watercolors outside and forget a storm is coming,”

Denton replied.

“And you would know that from firsthand experience?” Isaac asked.

“Living with Carey, I’ve learned important survival skills, and one of them is never confess to a

crime if they don’t have any proof.” Denton’s open smile made Isaac laugh.

He never knew what Denton might say next. Isaac found that fascinating.

There was so much more he needed to learn about his mate. What did Denton like? What did he

dislike? Did he have any allergies? Did he want a bossy controlling man to run his life for him? How
much did the crocodile control the human? Considering he’d woken up with a croc on his chest, he
hoped it only happened when Denton was injured. He didn’t think he could handle that jolt of shock
every morning.

“I thought you had to go to a meeting?” Denton asked, tipping his head toward the clock. The croc

shifter rolled over onto his back, exposing his cock, which appeared happy to see Isaac.

Maybe one day they could see how it felt to have Denton inside of him. Isaac had never been

fucked before because he’d never met anyone he trusted enough to let inside. Denton, he would trust.
The patient way the croc shifter handled his crazy friends told Isaac more than words how he’d take
care of being a more dominant partner.

Isaac took a deep breath and shoved down the surge of lust even as his puma half growled over the

delay. “Yeah, you’re right. I do need to get going.”

Unable to resist the sight of Denton splayed out before him, Isaac leaned over and kissed him. A

low hum vibrated his lips and he realized it wasn’t his cat half purring but a noise coming from
Denton.

“What is that sound your making?” Isaac asked.

Denton’s blush gave his cheeks an adorable pink. “It’s a mating call.”

Isaac couldn’t stop the smile crossing his face even if he wanted to. “Are you trying to lure me to

your side? Because I have to tell you, it’s working beautifully.”

Before Denton could speak, Isaac kissed him. The sound started up again but this time, Isaac didn’t

stop their embrace to ask about the action. He knew what it was now and he found it insanely
flattering.

After a few more kisses, Isaac pulled away from Denton’s tempting body and slid off the bed. “I’ve

really got to get to work now.”

Denton surprised him by getting out of bed too. “I’ve got to get going, too. You don’t know me well

enough to leave me alone in your house.”

“Your good friend married my good friend and we just slept together. I’m pretty sure that allows

me the comfort of thinking you won’t rob me blind if I leave you here alone,” Isaac said.

Denton narrowed his eyes. “You’re too trusting. Not that I would do anything but you shouldn’t

make a habit of leaving strange men alone in your house.”

Isaac didn’t know how he’d become the naïve ingénue in their relationship, but it wasn’t going to

last. “Baby, you might be strange but you’ll never be a stranger.”

Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around Denton and kissed the passionate man. He couldn’t

believe someone hadn’t taken Denton up on the affection he offered freely. Most people might find a
reptile shifter too cold, but not Isaac. He found Denton’s prickly personality a challenge. He liked to
poke beneath the surface and uncover the beautiful man underneath, even if it had the crocodile eyeing
him from time to time.

“I’ll get your clothes.” Isaac licked his lips, absorbing the flavor of the delicious shifter. In all his

years of dating, he’d never been this attracted to anyone before. It wasn’t just Denton’s good looks
and cocky attitude that pulled at Isaac, but the vulnerability just beneath the surface, a sensitivity that
came  out  in  the  songs  Denton  wrote  and  the  occasional  look  in  his  eyes  when  he  didn’t  think  Isaac
was  watching.  It  had  taken  Isaac  months  to  get  Denton  in  his  bed.  He  needed  to  plan  his  next  step
carefully.  His  long-term  goal  of  keeping  Denton  would  take  more  work  than  he’d  ever  put  forth
before. If he tried to hold on too tightly, Denton would run.

“Thanks, man. I’ll be out of your hair in two shakes of a croc’s tail,” Denton said.

Isaac shook head in amusement and forced himself to focus on the task at hand and not the naked

man standing before him. It would be way too easy to forget about work and drag the croc shifter back
to bed, but he’d made a promise, and if there was one thing Isaac prided himself on, it was keeping
his word.

With one last wistful look at Denton, he turned and left the room. It took more effort than it should

have to walk and not run to the washer. Good thing he had one of those all in one washer-dryers so he
didn’t have to worry about switching it out… His puma insisted that he rush back to the beautiful,
complicated man in his bedroom. Isaac straightened his spine and walked away. Denton needed his
clothes no matter how nice he looked naked.

Taking a long, slow breath to calm his raging hormones and a pissed off inner puma, Isaac grabbed

Denton’s clothes out of the dryer. He took a sniff and an unreasonable sorrow hit him that Denton’s
scent had vanished in the wash. His fingers tightened on the cloth as he focused on soothing his inner
animal while reminding himself that Denton still stood in his bedroom waiting for him to return.

“You alright?” Denton’s question sent Isaac spinning around, startled that he hadn’t heard the

crocodile shifter approach.

He gaped at all of Denton’s exposed skin. “Babe, you can’t walk around naked in my house. There

are too many windows.” Denton had to have passed through his living room with its wall of
uncovered glass in order to come down to the laundry.

“If anyone can see me, they have to be looking through binoculars on a boat and if they’re going to

that much effort, they probably deserve a free show.” Denton’s laughing gaze coaxed Isaac to join in
on his amusement. Isaac had an uncomfortable feeling Denton could get him to agree to just about
anything.

Isaac smiled. “Here.” He held out Denton’s clothes to him, plus the shirt he’d thrown alongside

them in the wash.

“Thanks.” Denton accepted the offering and dressed with the same casual elegance he infused in all

of his movements. For a reptile, he could move as languidly as a cat.

Watching Denton dress and undress could be a new favorite hobby of Isaac’s. Of course,

undressing would be the best part.

Without warning, Denton snuggled up to Isaac, making as much body-to-body contact as he could.

“What are you doing?” Isaac asked, scooting slightly away. Damn, that much body contact along with
the scent of Denton would break down Isaac’s resistance more than anything.

“Getting warm.” Denton shuffled closer again. “You give off the best heat. I never knew cat shifters

were as good as a space heater.”

Isaac laughed. “You just want me for my body.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing.” Denton pouted. “Don’t you like to be useful?”

“I thought I’d be useful by making you breakfast.”

Denton tilted his head as if to consider his options. “Heat or breakfast? Choices, choices. Hmmm.”

Denton settled his head on the crook of Isaac’s shoulder. A wave of affection rolled through Isaac. If
he could, he’d hold Denton close forever and protect him from all unfriendly shifters and the horror of
cold toes.

“Remember my meeting?” Isaac prompted.

Denton stepped away like Isaac knew he would. “I remember. I can just make myself some coffee

and toast. I don’t usually eat a heavy breakfast.”

“How about I throw in an apple, too. You need more nutrition than that,” Isaac scolded. The croc

shifter, with his fine muscled abs, bordered on skinny. He bet Denton burned through calories in ways
bodybuilders only dreamed of.

“Fine. I’ll eat an apple.” Denton rolled his eyes before turning and heading toward the kitchen.

Apparently even Isaac annoying him wouldn’t chase him away. A wave of relief almost wiped out

Isaac’s resolve to head off to work. The idea of staying home in bed and cuddling his croc shifter
appealed immensely.

“What do you do during the day? Carey didn’t mention you taking his shift.”

Denton laughed so hard he had to clutch the counter to stay upright. “Me take Carey’s place?” Isaac

grabbed the bread and set two slices in the toaster while he waited for Denton to finish wiping the
tears from his eyes.

“It was a perfectly reasonable question,” he replied, calmly.

“Um…no. I won’t be taking Carey’s place. I don’t do computers and my singing would scare off

the rest of our fans. The most I have to do is make sure the house doesn’t fall apart while he’s gone.
Anything else I do for Carey is above and beyond the scope of the expected.”

“Well, if you don’t work on computers like Carey, what is it you do?” Isaac asked. He couldn’t

remember anyone saying what Denton did besides write amazing songs for the band and play almost
every instrument.

“I’m a landscape designer, but I know plants and Harris has an eye for how they’ll look all

together. It usually goes better if we team up,” Denton explained.

“Do you have your own company, or do you work for someone?” Isaac asked as he sliced up an

apple. Curiosity ate at him. Neither Broden nor Carey would tell him anything. They insisted he
needed to have an actual conversation with Denton.

He hated that they might’ve been right.

“We subcontract for a couple of architects. They understand we prefer to work together without

interference. They’re human, but they know that Harris and I have another form. They think it gives
them a competitive edge.” Denton shrugged as if he didn’t understand their logic but was willing to
humor them, since they paid the bills.

“That could be true,” Isaac said after thinking it over. Some people might want to hire the duo just

to have the quirk of saying shifters worked on their home. The city of Seattle might have over six
hundred thousand people, but the shifter community was relatively small. Besides the wolf pack,
Denton’s friends, and the shifter security staff, there weren’t a lot of others in the city. Denton heard a
small group of vampires lived in the Fremont district, but so far that hadn’t been verified.

Denton shrugged. “We don’t do a lot of work for them. After we polish the design, we contract the

labor out. I don’t like the idea of being tied down to a regular job. I like coming home and sunning if I
want and Harris likes to paint at odd hours. We pretty much set our own schedule. I just need to alert
Harris in plenty of time if we have an appointment.”

“Sounds like it works for you,” Isaac wondered if he should be more concerned by Denton’s

apparent lack of motivation—but then as long as the croc shifter did something he enjoyed, who was
he to tell him it wasn’t enough? Not everyone sought to run their own company. Some people were
content working for others. Denton appeared to be that person. Isaac wouldn’t change him for the
world.

“It does, at least for now. I haven’t decided if I want to do it full time, you know, as a career.

Harris only does it to help me out. He’d rather hide in his studio and never come out. I think it’s good
for him to leave the mansion once in a while. He’d become a hermit if we let him,” Denton explained.

Isaac hid his expression by preparing a pot of coffee. The fact Denton saw nothing wrong with

rearranging his life to pull his friend out of his shell melted Isaac faster than a an ice cube in the
desert.

Finished with the toast and coffee, Isaac carried them over to the bar in the kitchen. He pulled out a

high stool for Denton to sit on. The croc shifter rolled his eyes at Isaac’s gallantry before settling
down.

“Where do you think the salties came from?” Isaac asked.

“Besides Australia?” Denton shrugged. “I’m not sure. They didn’t have an accent, but they

could’ve been transplants. Crocs are all over the world. The real question is why come up to colder
country. Crocs aren’t exactly known for liking areas with cold water, and the sound never really gets
super warm.”

Isaac nodded. “That’s true. Have you heard any rumors about other crocs in the area?”

Denton shook his head. “No. Not a peep. That’s why I was surprised when they showed up. I don’t

exactly have my finger on the pulse of the shifter world, but Aden would’ve warned me.”

“Aden? Carey’s dad? Why?” Isaac didn’t understand why a full human would even think about the

shifters much less track them.

“He keeps track of anything he believes might be a danger to us. I think big saltwater crocs trying to

take over the city would fall into that category.” Denton bit into his toast and licked the crumbs from
his butter-coated lips with a flick of his tongue.

That shouldn’t have been half as sexy as it was. Isaac’s cock perked up, adding its vote about

Denton’s appeal.

Isaac cleared his throat and tried to focus on the conversation. “Did they give you any clues about

their origin when they talked to you?”

Denton sighed. “No, just that they wanted me out of the way.”

“Why would they single you out? I mean, you’re just one croc shifter and not even a very big one.

You’re not an alpha in any way, and although you are dangerous in your own way, surely you can’t do
much damage to an entire bask or a float.” Isaac frowned. “What is a group of crocodiles called?”

“Bask outside the water. Float inside the water,” Denton said absently. From his practiced tone,

Isaac suspected Denton said that phrase often.

“Reptiles are weird,” Isaac replied.

“Yeah, because coughing up a fur ball is so much better. Are you going to help me or not?” Denton

scowled at Isaac.

“I’m thinking. You guys aren’t usually super territorial, right?”

“Not generally, but full crocs and human shifters don’t necessarily work the same. Freshies and

salties don’t always get along in croc form, and in human form we tend to hate each other. Salties try
to take the best areas because they are so much bigger. They’re kind of the bullies of the reptile
world.”

“Hmm, well, we have enough firepower to make sure they aren’t too pushy in the human one.”

Isaac scooted closer, sliding his fingers into Denton’s hair. He tucked his thumbs beneath Denton’s
chin and pushed it up until Denton faced him. “I won’t let them hurt you,” Isaac vowed.

Denton jerked out of Isaac’s hold. “I’m not worried about them hurting me. Carey is on his

honeymoon. I don’t want to have to call him and tell him I’ve got a problem. What kind of friend
would do that? I want him and Broden to have a nice time sipping tea or whatever the hell they want
to do.”

Isaac smiled as understanding struck him. “You want to deal with this without bringing Carey and

Broden into it.”

Denton clapped his hands together. “Now the gentleman gets the predicament. If I call Carey and

tell him crocodiles are invading the Pacific Northwest, he’ll either fall over laughing or he’ll drag his
mate back here to deal with the issue. I don’t want a pissed off fur ball telling me for the rest of my
life that I ruined his honeymoon.”

“Okay, okay. I get it. I’ve got a couple of staff members who don’t have much going on. I’ll send

them into town to sniff around. You can’t have a bunch of reptiles come into town and no one notice.”

Denton let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Now wasn’t the time to tell Denton how much he was willing to do to keep

him happy.

“Carey deserves his time alone with Broden.”

“We’ll do the best we can to make sure they don’t need to come back home before they’re ready.”

Isaac stepped closer and wrapped a hand around the back of Denton’s neck. “I’ve got you. I won’t let
you fall.”

Isaac meant that in many ways. He’d never leave Denton to handle any problem alone again. They

were meant to be together.

“I appreciate your help, Isaac, and I can pay you for your time. I don’t have a lot of cash, but I

recently finished a big job and should get a check soon.”

Isaac pulled Denton tighter against his body. “You don’t need to pay me—you’re practically

family. I don’t charge family.”

Denton relaxed against Isaac. “Thanks. I’m sure I can think of some way to thank you.”

“Mm, I’m sure you can.” Isaac replied. He would help Denton anyway but he knew he’d have

special appreciation for kicking the crocodile shifters’ ass for touching his mate.

Isaac slapped Denton’s ass. “Let’s get going. We both have a lot to do today. I’ll call you if I learn

anything new.”

Denton took a last sip of coffee before gathering all the dishes and putting them in the washer.

“Cool. I appreciate that.”

They parted with a kiss. Isaac could get used to leaving every morning with a brush of affection

still tingling across his lips.

Chapter Three

Denton hummed his latest song in the confines of his Jeep. Still in a good mood from his morning with
Isaac, he drove down Aurora Avenue to the little dive up north where he knew he’d find Marty and
his feathered friends. The place reeked of shifters, mostly of the feathered kind. Marty had purchased
the bar a little over a year ago and he always made it his first stop when he arrived back in Seattle.

It took him several long slow breaths before he trusted himself to set foot in the bar. He came for

information and to warn Marty about what would happen if he touched Eaton. The beautiful eagle
shifter didn’t need scum like Marty flapping around him and trying to get into his pants.

His crocodile half, barely hiding beneath the surface, was ready to attack some birds. Since the

smoking ban went into effect, even the grungiest bars no longer stank of nicotine but Denton could still
detect a whiff of smoke as he entered the dimly lit building. It took a great deal of effort not to sneer at
the bunch huddled around the pool table. This time, he’d brought his Glock tucked into the back of his
pants. He knew they could smell the gun cleaning oil, but they had no way of determining how many
weapons he carried.

Another glance around confirmed his determination that there was no way he would let Eaton hang

out with this crowd. His nerd bird friend would be eaten alive and not in a good way.

Marty lounged in a corner by the bar. His brown hair lay in soft layers across his head in an

imitation of his wings. Denton clenched his fingers to prevent from giving into his urge to yank the
silky strands from his head. The bastard looked up and gave Denton a smug smile as if he knew why
Denton was there and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.,

“Hey there, Denton. I bet you came to warn me away from your bird friend,” Marty didn’t appear

the least concerned about Denton’s appearance at his bar.

Denton stopped a foot from the hawk shifter. Glancing around, he verified that none of Marty’s

gang was waiting to pounce on him. He might be able to take on the hawks, but he didn’t dare give
them the element of surprise.

“I want you to leave Eaton alone. He’s too good for you.” Denton believed in putting all his cards

on the table.

“He is,” Marty agreed. “But I’m gonna have to claim him. He’s mine.”

Anger burned through Denton. “He’s not your mate.” Denton denied.

Marty nodded. “He is. I tried to deny it, but running from problems never made them go away.”

“How hard did you try?” Denton asked even as he remembered Marty leaving last year as if the

Hell’s Angels were on his ass.

“Fuck if I didn’t try my hardest. I don’t want to ruin that boy. You’re right—he is too good for me,

but I can’t let him go, either.” Marty’s gold eyes had a weary cast as if the leader had used up all his
energy and was clinging to the ledge with his fingernails in order to stay awake.

Denton sniffed.

Blood.

None of the gang members appeared aggressive, but they might be after the fight. Denton noticed

none of them approached to give Marty help either.

Crap!

Eaton would freak if he learned Denton left Marty to bleed to death on a bar stool in his rundown

bar.

“You’re bleeding. What happened?” Denton asked. He didn’t even try to appear sympathetic. He

just wanted the facts so he could decide what to do next.

“I got in a fight with the wrong shifter,” Marty grimaced as he wiggled into a different position.

The quick inhale of breath had Denton suspecting Marty felt pretty much like Denton did last night.

“Who?” Denton knew Marty’s answer before he spoke.

“Well, croc, I reckon they’re friends of yours. They were crocs and all.” Marty raised his

eyebrows as if he expected Denton to break down with a confession.

“Fucking salties!” Denton snarled. “Do you know where they went?”

Marty shook his head. “Not for sure. I heard them talking about storing stuff at the docks, but you

didn’t hear it from me. I don’t want to get involved in their shit.”

Denton didn’t point out the obvious. If the salties were attacking him, Marty was already involved.

“They’re trying to get me to leave town,” Denton confessed.

“Crap!” Marty paled. “Don’t take Eaton.”

If the hawk’s voice had been more demanding and not so broken, Denton might have been able to

steel his heart against the weird surge of compassion that struck him.

“Why haven’t they taken you to see a doctor?” Denton nodded toward the rest of the useless gang.

“Because I told them not to. I will heal—eventually.” Marty proclaimed.

“Why don’t you then?” The answer came to Denton even as he asked the question. “They broke

your arm, didn’t they?”

The only injury a flying shifter couldn’t easily recover from was the arm. Transforming from a

solid human arm to hollow bird bones could be catastrophic if the bones weren’t in good condition.

“Yeah,” Marty looked away, apparently finding the fuzzy television in the corner worthy of

renewed interest.

Denton ground his teeth together. “Tell you what. You tell me where you think the salties are based,

and I’ll let Eaton help heal you.”

If Eaton truly was Marty’s mate, being near him would speed the healing process. Even as the

thought passed through his head, he knew what his croc had been trying to tell him. Isaac belonged to
him. They were mates.

“Really? It’s not a trick?” The hope in Marty’s face almost made Denton sorry for being a bastard.

“As much as I’d prefer to keep you two apart, I need to find the salties more. Those bastards are

setting up base here for something and terrorizing everyone,” Denton explained. “Tell me where they
are.”

Not stopping the salties in whatever crooked business they were setting up would only make things

worse in the long run. In Australia, the salties cornered the market on drugs and prostitution. Denton’s
biggest fear was that they were spreading their territory to the US and starting a similar operation in
Seattle. He wouldn’t tolerate those bastards in his territory. He desperately wished he had Carey to
watch his back.

“I’d answer the man,” a cold voice spoke behind Denton. Most men would shiver at the sound of

Aden Gale behind them. For Denton, it was better than a warm hug. Carey’s father, who Denton had
long ago claimed as his own, had never let Denton down a day in his life. Although some might
question the man’s mental stability, his loyalty was unwavering.

“Afternoon, Dad,” Denton said.

A large hand clamped down on his shoulder, a reassuring sign of support. “Did you forget what I

taught you about back up?” The question might be casual but the heavy weight of disapproval filled
every syllable.

“Sorry, sir.” Denton didn’t offer any excuses. He knew he’d made a tactical mistake. The only

saving grace was he didn’t think the hawks would turn on him. They might not like him much, but
Marty wanted into Eaton’s pants bad enough not to hurt Denton. Eaton might be cerebral and lost in
his own world most of the time but he was fiercely devoted to his friends.

Marty paled.

Denton didn’t know if it was from blood loss or the sight of Aden but the hawk shifter didn’t look

so good.

“Why don’t we get him to the house and you can question him in private,” Aden suggested.

A quick glance around the room proved everyone was pointedly not looking in their direction.

Denton was more than a little surprised that the other hawks weren’t supporting their leader, but none
of them even glanced Marty’s way.

“Okay,” Denton nodded his head toward the door. “Come with us.”

Marty didn’t argue. He moved slowly, but nothing in his walk showed any damage to his legs that

would hold back his mobility.

Denton cast another glance around the room, surprised at the lack of resistance. Last time he’d seen

the pack, they’d been tighter than a virgin’s vagina. Something had changed.

The three of them returned silently to Denton’s Jeep.

“I left you a present under your seat,” Aden said. He slapped a hand on Denton’s back. “I’ll catch

up with you later. If you have any problems, you know how to get hold of me.”

“Thanks,” Denton said.

“You know I look out for my boys.” Aden stated it as a fact—of course, he’d bend over backward

to help out when Denton needed it.

Denton smiled as he climbed into the Jeep. He reached beneath his seat as Marty clambered inside.

A box of plastic explosives slid out from where it had been stashed.

“What the fuck is that?” Marty asked, his jaw dropping open.

“I believe that is my backup,” Denton said, pushing the box back where he found it. “Ready?”

Marty nodded. His mouth tightened and turned white around the edges. “Yeah, get me to Eaton and

I’ll be fine. I’m not going to say a word until I see him.”

Denton was beginning to doubt that Marty would tell him anything but calling him a liar probably

wasn’t the best way to get assistance. Besides, it wasn’t like Eaton wouldn’t hear about it if Denton
left Marty bleeding and injured in the bar—the hawk shifter would probably tattle on Denton himself.

They traveled home in silence, neither man having anything to say to the other.

As they approached the mansion, an eagle soared overhead. Denton laughed when Eaton buzzed the

Jeep. A wave of envy filled Denton. He didn’t want to be an eagle, but the truth was Eaton was the
only shifter in the house who could travel freely in his other form without anyone questioning him. A
crocodile would entail a call to animal services, as would a free ranging bear.

A golden eagle, however, only had to worry about being filmed by his legions of nature

photography fans.

“He’s so fucking beautiful.” The awe in Marty’s voice jerked Denton’s attention back to the hawk

shifter.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty bird,” Denton agreed.

“He’s beautiful anytime,” Marty corrected, his eyes never leaving the sight of Eaton soaring

overhead.

Denton wondered if maybe he’d miscalculated Marty’s affection for the eagle shifter. The tone of

wonder he heard didn’t sound like a guy just trying to get into a pretty boy’s pants.

“He’s probably having problems with his dissertation,” Denton mused. Whenever Eaton became

frustrated, he took to the sky. He claimed nothing cleared his head like catching a breeze.

“I bet he’ll figure it out. He’s brilliant.” Again the admiration coming from the hawk leader

distracted Denton.

Deciding to ignore it for now, he pressed the button and opened the gates.

“Fancy,” Marty said.

“It’s home.” Denton knew they lived better than they should. Carey’s grandmother had left them the

home in her will. Well, she’d left it to Carey, and he’d split it between the four of them because he
said it was their home and not just his. Denton’s life might have had a rocky start, but he’d landed
under a lucky star when Carey dragged him home.

Denton loved the old mansion. Stress dropped off his shoulders whenever he crossed the threshold.

Parking the Jeep in front of the house, he jumped out, leaving Marty to follow behind. He didn’t

bother offering a helping hand. He knew it wouldn’t be accepted.

Eaton whipped the front door open as they reached the top step. He was shirtless, barefoot and

with the top of his jeans unsnapped—it didn’t take a genius to figure out he’d rushed to dress after he
shifted.

“Marty? What are you doing here?” Eaton’s eager gaze ate the hawk shifter up as if Marty were his

favorite brand of candy and Eaton was on the third day of a new diet.

“He’s hurt,” Denton said before Marty could make up a bullshit excuse for being on their doorstep.

“The salties got hold of him.”

“What salties?” Eaton asked. A scowl crossed his handsome face as Denton realized no one had

briefed Eaton of this new predicament, least of all him.

“I’ll tell you once we get Marty settled. Maybe you can do some of your healing on him?”

On top of the possible mate healing, Eaton controlled a small bit of magic—all eagles did. He

rarely used it because when he did it took most of his energy. Denton knew Eaton would expend it on
Marty. He could tell from the softening of Eaton’s expression that he would do anything he could to
help the hawk shifter.

They hurried Marty into the downstairs bathroom where Denton then left the pair. “I’ll be in the

dining room when you’re ready to talk.”

He heard Eaton tell Marty to remove his shirt as he left. Denton didn’t want to be a third wheel,

and frankly, the thought of watching Eaton drool over Marty turned his stomach a bit. He loved Eaton
like a brother and no one wanted to see their brother’s crush naked.

Denton grabbed a platter of food out of the fridge. Harris liked to cook between art projects. There

was always something to snack on in the kitchen. Today it was a platter of fruit and meats.

“Hey, Denton.”

Harris entered the kitchen, his face splattered with paint.

“Hey, Harris. We have an afternoon appointment for a landscape job. Are you interested in coming

with me?”

“What time?”

He could tell by the faraway look in Harris’s eyes that his friend had already turned his attention

back to his art. Denton made a quick decision.

“How about we reschedule? I’m sure we could do next week.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want Mr. Anderson mad at us.” Harris focused briefly on Denton.

“I’ll call him. Okay?” Anderson would understand. He was a huge fan of Harris’s work and had a

bit of a crush on the bear shifter.

“Okay, if you think it’ll be all right?” Harris’s anxiety hung in the air like a dangerous viper

waiting to strike.

Denton gave into the sudden urge he had to give the bear shifter a hug. When Harris engulfed him in

his large arms, Denton gave a contented sigh.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” The edge in Isaac’s voice could’ve cut the air and probably

slice Denton in two if given the chance.

“Hi, Isaac,” Harris said in his deep, dream-soaked voice.

Chapter Four

If Isaac didn’t like the big bear shifter so much, he’d let his inner puma out to tear the man apart. How
dare he touch Denton?

His Denton.

A low growling noise rolled up his chest, shocking Isaac. His inner puma was trying to come out

so it could shred the competition. Isaac took a long deep breath to calm his beast.

“Are you doing yoga?” Harris asked curiously. “I really like yoga.”

“Let me go, Harris,” Denton said quietly.

“Oh, sorry.” Harris opened his arms and let the smaller man loose.

Denton patted Harris on his upper arm. “Thanks, buddy. Why don’t you go back to painting? I’ll let

you know if there’s a problem with Anderson.”

“‘kay, Den, if you’re sure.” Harris nodded his big head at Isaac and wandered out of the kitchen.

Isaac didn’t relax until he couldn’t scent the bear shifter any more. Competition for his mate’s

affections of any kind right now could push him over the edge. Until he claimed his mate, he wouldn’t
be comfortable with him touching other people.

“Why was he hugging you?” Damn, he’d meant to be smoother than that. It wasn’t really his

business. He just stopped by because the man he set to watch over Denton called and told him that his
lover had wandered into a well-known biker bar and left with another man.

“Because we’re good friends and I wanted a hug,” Denton’s scowl conveyed his annoyance. “What

are you doing here? I thought you had to work.”

“Who did you bring home?” Isaac asked. He knew he was blowing the entire thing. His accusing

tone probably didn’t help anything, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had planned to approach the
entire thing much more smoothly, but finding Denton in another man’s arms and hearing he’d picked
up a different man had thrown him off course.

“I brought home a hawk shifter I need to question. How did you know I brought someone home?”

Denton narrowed his eyes as he interrogated Isaac in return.

“Because I had you followed, of course. You didn’t think I was going to let you wander around

town unprotected when a gang of saltwater shifters were after your ass, did you?” Isaac couldn’t keep

the outrage from his voice.

Denton smiled. “You were worried about me?”

“Of course I was. You came to me last night all battered. I won’t take the chance it’ll happen

again.” He would do everything in his power to make sure it never happened again. No one would
touch his mate and live.

“Why don’t you go to the dining room with the others? Here, carry this. I’ll bring the tea.”

Others?

He quickly accepted the platter Denton handed to him and headed to where he remembered the

dining room to be.

His unspoken question was soon answered when he followed Denton into the living room to find

Eaton and a man fitting the description he was given of the person Denton brought home. From the
way Eaton was fussing over the newcomer, Isaac had nothing to worry about.

A quick sniff told him the stranger was a hawk shifter.

“Marty, this is Isaac Graham, Isaac this is Marty.”

“No last name?” Isaac asked.

Marty shrugged. If he had one, he wasn’t sharing it with the room at large.

“Marty was attacked by the same salties I encountered last night, or at least I think so. I brought him

here to let Eaton patch him up and to ask him questions,” Denton explained.

“Why didn’t you have Eaton patch you up last night?” Isaac asked. Not that he didn’t appreciate

being the person Denton turned to, but it would’ve made more sense to go home.

“Eaton was out on a date and I didn’t want to ruin it,” Denton explained.

From the expression on Marty’s face, that wasn’t an acceptable answer. “Who were you on a date

with?” Marty asked. The scowl on his face should’ve made Eaton rethink answering the question.

If the eagle shifter cared even a bit for the person he saw last night, it was apparent to Isaac it

would be better not to tell Marty any details.

“Some guy I met on a dating website,” Eaton said casually.

“How did it go?” Marty asked.

Isaac glanced at the hawk shifter and could practically feel the animosity oozing off of him. If Eaton

had two brain cells to bump together, he’d deny having a good time even if it was the best first date in

the history of dating. Isaac didn’t know the eagle shifter well, but he was supposedly brilliant—
hopefully that carried over to his dealing with men. It didn’t take more than a little observation to
realize the hawk shifter had a thing for Eaton.

Eaton shrugged. “There wasn’t any chemistry and the guy was human.” Eaton’s dismissive tone

clearly made Marty relax again.

“Good.” Marty smiled.

“Tell me about the Salties,” Denton demanded. The croc shifter quickly assembled a sandwich as

he waited for his answer.

That explained why Marty was there. Isaac lost interest once he realized the shifter wasn’t after his

croc. Now he could turn his attention to the important aspect of tracking down those damn salties.

Marty pulled apart the piece of bread he’d placed on his plate. His fingers betrayed the nerves not

reflected in his voice.

“As far as I know, they came into town last week. I hadn’t heard anything about them until then.

They walked into my bar as if they owned the place and demanded protection money.”

“Seriously?” Isaac had never heard of a group of shifters trying to shake another group of shifters

down. It was downright rude. To demand protection was to declare the other shifter incompetent and
unable to care for his people, the ultimate shifter insult.

Marty scowled. “Of course, seriously. Why would I make something like that up?”

Eaton placed his hand on Marty’s shoulder as if trying to remove some of the tension growing

there.

“Sorry. I just never heard of anything so stupid in my life. Do they actually think you’re going to

pay? You guys don’t even stay in town very long. You only own that bar because it’s convenient,”
Denton said.

As long as he’d known, hawk shifters left every year for migration.

“Like I told my boys, I’m sticking around from now on. My traveling days are over,” Marty said

firmly.

Eaton made a noise Isaac didn’t understand.

“When you said no to the protection, they beat you up? Why didn’t your gang step in?” That was the

most puzzling part for Isaac. Most flocks were pretty tight knit. For them to step back while a bunch of
crocs hit him shocked Isaac a bit.

Marty wiggled uncomfortably in his chair. “They’re mad at me because I’m quitting the gang.

They’re fighting amongst themselves to find a new leader. Helping me would be seen as weakness.”

“Bastards!” Eaton said. The words sounded strange coming from such an angelic looking man but,

from what Isaac had learned, the sweet-faced eagle had a sniper certification. Looks could be
deceiving in many ways.

“What do you know about the crocs’ home base?” Isaac asked, desperately trying to keep Marty on

track. The hawk easily strayed from his conversation if it looked like Eaton would be interested in
what he had to say.

“I heard them talking about their ship. It sounded like one of those that hauled containers to me. If

they came in under radar, they could smuggle in practically anything,” Marty said.

Isaac had to agree. “There are only a few places you can land a container ship and have it

offloaded for you. They’d have to bribe the crane operator to have any containers removed from their
ship but, if they have a hand in the union pocket, it would be possible.”

“Or if they’ve threatened the right people,” Marty said. “They seem like the kind of people to use

the stick instead of the carrot. They’d count on people being too afraid to say anything.”

“Their mistake,” Isaac said. The thrill of the hunt raced through his veins. He loved deciphering a

mystery. “I’ll send out some of my boys to investigate where the crocs might be hiding out. Container
ships aren’t tiny. They can’t be hiding just anywhere.”

“That would be great. It would be nice to get an idea of how many salties are here, too. If they are

just a vanguard, then we might be able to scare them off before they can make inroads into the Seattle
market. We have enough of our own criminals and drug dealers. We don’t need them imported,”
Denton snarled.

“That’s it, then. I’ll call around. Denton, you figure out what we’re going to do once we find them

and you two, decide how you want to help out.”

“Who put you in charge?” Marty snapped.

Isaac didn’t hesitate. He had to strike when he could. “Denton did when he agreed to be my mate.”

Denton’s mouth dropped open. Isaac decided that was the perfect moment to leave. He gave

Denton a quick kiss and left the mansion before Denton could deny he ever said any such thing. Isaac
didn’t even make it to his car before Aden intercepted him.

“You hurt that boy and I’ll have a new puma skin rug in my cabin,” Aden said without bothering

with the niceties of a greeting.

“Nice to see you again, sir. I have no interest in hurting Denton. I want him for a mate.”

Aden frowned at him. “You think a puma and a crocodile can be mates?”

“I think I’m willing to do anything to make it happen,” Isaac countered. He wanted to tell Carey’s

father to go fuck himself but the fact Denton considered the man his father held him back. Well, that,

and truthfully, Aden was one scary man. If eyes were truly the windows to the soul, then Aden’s had
permanently iced over, until no emotion could cross the wintry tundra of his being.

“Good. Denton’s a good boy. A little wild, but I figure it’s the croc in him. It needs to bite every

once in a while to prove its still wiggling. If you love him, don’t let his snap scare you away.”

Isaac barely prevented his jaw from dropping. That was actually good advice. “Thank you, sir, I’ll

keep that in mind.”

“You do that.” Aden walked away and vanished around the side of the house. If the man had

disappeared while Isaac had still been watching, he wouldn’t have been surprised about that, either.
Aden did eerie with a certain panache. Luckily, his son didn’t have that same skill.

Isaac ruthlessly suppressed the urge to give in and call Broden. He missed his boss and best friend

with a surprising ferocity. They’d never been apart for so long before. Luckily, he had Denton to keep
him distracted.

Pulling out his phone, Isaac began his calls. He needed to find those damn croc shifters before they

caused any real harm.

Chapter Five

Denton almost called Isaac back into the house.

“He really likes you,” Eaton said, a wide smile crossing his beautiful face.

“Did we go back to high school? Are you going to pass me a note next?” Denton asked, raising his

eyebrows.

“Yep and it’s going to say Isaac loves Denton,” Eaton said in a sing-song voice.

“Remind me to beat you later.” Denton grabbed a piece of cheese only to have Marty grab his

wrist.

“You touch my boy and I’ll snap your neck, lizard man.” Marty’s tone had none of the teasing that

had accompanied Denton’s threat.

The hawk’s grip tightened when Denton didn’t respond immediately. The soft click of a gun’s

hammer being pulled back sounded as loud as a firecracker in the stillness of the room.

“I’d advise you to release Denton before I put a bullet through your thick skull,” Aden said in his

deep drawl.

Marty slowly loosened each finger and carefully lifted his hand to show he’d released Denton.

“Sorry, sir, I lost my temper for a minute,” Marty replied respectfully.

“I don’t believe I’m the one you owe an apology to,” Aden growled.

Denton propped his left elbow on the table and set his chin on his fist. “I’m ready.” He batted his

eyelashes outrageously at Marty as he waited for his apology.

“I’m sorry I threatened to break your delicate bones,” Marty said through gritted teeth.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Denton grinned.

Aden lifted the gun from Marty’s head and Denton heard Eaton take a deep breath.

“Sorry, Eaton,” Aden said.

“That’s okay,” Eaton waved it off, even though the frightened expression his eyes told a different

story.

“Sorry, Eaton?” Marty’s shock made Denton laugh.

“Well, he’s not going to apologize to you. You were the one hurting his boy.” Denton pointed to

himself in case Marty didn’t get the message.

Marty rolled his eyes. “I see how this works.”

Eaton scooted closer to Marty.

To Denton’s surprise, Marty’s hard gaze softened at the eagle shifter. Maybe the hard ass shifter

did have a soft spot for Eaton.

Aden sat at the table. “What’s the plan?”

“Isaac is going to find out where the crocs are hiding out. They seem to like playing boogieman.

First they jump me, then they try to get protection money from Marty, and those are only the ones we
know about. There are bound to be more people they’re threatening who we know nothing about.
They aren’t randomly picking shifters—they are picking them for a reason.”

“True. We need to get numbers. Maybe your man can get them for us. I’ll give him until the end of

the day.” Aden stood up and walked out of the room.

“I wonder how he gets through security.” Eaton asked, watching Aden leave.

“He created it—he probably has a passkey or something,” Denton said. He had doubts even if they

bought a new system and installed it that anything could keep Carey’s father out. Not to mention they
didn’t want to. It might be eerie how he wandered in and out of the house, but the ex-Special Forces
soldier had protected them since childhood. Denton wouldn’t be the one who told Aden they didn’t
need him anymore. He’d rather shoot himself in the foot.

“He’s kind of creepy,” Marty said.

Eaton and Denton burst into laughter. “You have no idea,” Denton said.

Denton’s phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number. Curious, he answered the call.

“Hey, babe, I think I’ve got a line on the crocs. Chester called and told me there’s a container ship

just off Harbor Island. I think it might be the crocs. No one wanted to talk about it. I figure we should
check it out tonight.” Isaac enthusiasm came over the line.

“Okay. What time to you want to pick me up?”

“Be ready by seven. We can get something to eat afterward.”

“Will do.” Denton hung up before he gave into the urge to be mushy. Isaac might have decided they

were mates, but good meshing of personalities didn’t necessarily mean a good bonding.

“So you and Isaac? When did that happen?” Eaton asked.

“Last night.” Denton replied. “I’ve had my eye on him for a while but we hadn’t done anything.”

He might have drooled a bit on Isaac’s feet but he hadn’t acted on his interest.

“How was it?” Eaton asked, leaning forward as he waited for Denton’s reply.

Denton gave Marty a leery glance.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. Go ahead with your girl talk,” Marty waved a hand for them to

continue.

“Don’t you have a bar to return to? I can drop you off,” Denton offered.

Eaton wrapped a protective arm around Marty’s shoulders. “I told him he could stay a few days

until he gets everything straightened out. If you don’t mind. There’s the spare room on the third floor.”

Denton took in Eaton’s anxiety. The eagle shifter nibbled his lip as he waited for Denton’s verdict.

Carey had left him in charge. He didn’t have it in him to be a complete jerk, not with Eaton. If it was
merely about kicking Marty to the curb, he could do that with a clear conscience, but he’d never seen
Eaton this wound up about someone before.

“Sure, that’s fine.” He gave Eaton a reassuring smile. He didn’t like to upset his friend. Eaton

asked for so little when he pulled his head out of his books. If Eaton wanted Marty, he’d tie the damn
bird up and leave him in Eaton’s bed.

“Spare room?” Marty’s expression made Denton wonder if maybe Marty wouldn’t mind being left

as Eaton’s present.

“You don’t want to stay here?” Eaton asked. His puzzled frown had Denton biting the inside of his

cheek to hold back the laughter. Poor Marty.

Marty sighed. “No, that’s fine. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“Good.” Eaton bounced up and kissed Marty on the cheek. “I’ve got to go work on my dissertation.

Eat something. Denton could you…”

“Yes, I’ll show him the spare room,” Denton agreed.

“Thanks.” Eaton raced away, his mind probably already filled with some obscure equation only six

other people on the planet could decipher.

“Is anyone really that naïve?” Marty asked.

“It’s not that he’s naïve, he just doesn’t understand that anyone could find him interesting. He lives

in his head,” Denton explained.

“But he’s stunning,” Marty argued.

Denton shook his head. “You still don’t get it. Eaton doesn’t see a beautiful young man when he

looks in the mirror. He sees the son rejected by his parents when he came out. He sees someone who
needs to protect the people he loves. When he says he wants you to stay, he’s telling you he cares
enough to put you in his nest.” Denton didn’t know how to tell Marty what a big step this was for
Eaton.

“So even though he didn’t invite me into his bed, he still wants me?” Marty’s doubtful expression

had Denton ready to yank out his hair. When did he get appointed feather fucking godmother? He took
a deep breath to control his annoyance and grabbed onto his patience with a tight fist.

“Yes. If you want to keep Eaton, you’ll have to use words. He’s not the subtle type. You, me, and

your entire gang might figure out you’re staying behind for Eaton but it would never occur to him that
there was anything behind your not wanting to travel anymore,” Denton explained.

Marty didn’t speak for a long moment. “I’ll think about what you said. The direct approach is

usually my thing anyway.”

“Good, then you shouldn’t have any problems.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and sat up.

“I’ve got to get dressed. I’m going with Isaac to investigate a lead.”

“Do you want me to come?” Marty asked in a friendlier tone.

“No. You’re still injured. Eaton will kill me if you get hurt worse,” Dent explained.

Marty snorted. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of Eaton. What kind of badass crocodile are you?”

“The kind that knows one of my best friends is an excellent sharp shooter and will take a chunk out

of my ass if he thinks I put his love interest in danger,” Denton said. He didn’t feel shame or remorse
for respecting his friend.

“He’s really that good?” Marty asked. “I wouldn’t have thought he could focus.”

Denton shook his head. “You really don’t know him at all, do you? The reason Eaton appears so

absentminded all the time isn’t because he’s an airhead. It’s because he has so much going on inside.
When he focuses, it’s awe-inspiring.”

“I knew he was smart,” Marty said proudly.

“Did you know he got a medical degree by nineteen because he wanted to know what it felt like to

be a doctor? Three years later, he decided to be a physicist. He’s written papers I can barely
understand the titles of, much less the words underneath.”

Marty held up his hands. “I get it. He’s brilliant and too good for me.”

“Yes, he is,” Denton answered honestly. “But if you’re the one he wants, the one he’s focused on,

then you might as well surrender. Because Eaton always gets what he’s after. Always!”

Marty frowned. “I’m usually the pursuer in any relationship. I just wanted to get everything lined up

before I came to claim him. He’s special, you know. I can’t just grab him and tell him he’s mine. He
needs a gentler touch.”

How had he missed that Marty had a romantic streak? The hawk shifter had been getting his nest all

ready before he invited Eaton to be with him. From all the things he’d learned about Marty, not one
person had ever said the man had a softer side. Hard ass gang leader? Yes. Lovelorn suitor? Not so
much.

Denton folded his arms. “I don’t think Eaton needs any big gesture. Be honest with him and tell him

what you want.”

Marty groaned. “Fuck. I wanna lock him in a cage where no one can fucking touch him, or hurt him

or anything else. Is that so wrong?”

Denton took his time in answering. “The protecting part is good. You might want to rethink the cage

thing.”

“Not a real cage,” Marty flashed him a scornful look. “You know, a figurative one.”

“Ahh. Eaton is still young. Give him time. He’ll come around. I can tell he likes you, and I’ve

known him a long time.”

Marty narrowed his eyes, pinning Denton with a cold glare. “You ever touch him?” he asked in a

growly voice that would’ve made his puma proud.

“No, Marty, as far as I know, Eaton is still as pure as the untouched snow. Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” Marty snapped. “Hey, why don’t I scout around for you? I can at least do some checking

out. My arm might not be up to flying but I can take my motorcycle.”

Denton hesitated. He didn’t want to involve Marty, but it could be really helpful to know ahead of

time if the crocs were there. Not to mention, it would save him from having to be the lovelorn
advisor, a position that really didn’t suit him.

“I guess a quick check wouldn’t be too much to ask. Isaac said he thought they were on a container

ship by Harbor Island. Check and see if it’s parked at Terminal Eighteen. They can hold up to five
container ships there.”

Marty nodded. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’ve got to go back to the bar and grab my bike. I don’t

trust those bastards not to do anything to it while I’m gone. Lance has been aching to get hold of it.”

“Is he one of the guys who’s trying to take your alpha position?” Denton didn’t know much about

the hierarchy of hawks, but most alpha spots were only claimed by the strongest.

“Yeah, he’s kind of a shit, though. I’ve had to smack him down quite a bit over the years. The gang

doesn’t like that I’m just going to quit. They want me to fight and determine the next alpha.” Marty
flexed his right arm, showing off his bulging muscle. “Like I’m going to throw a fight to make them
feel better. Idiots. I’ll just grab a bus back to the bar. We’re not that far away.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Denton asked. The hairs on the back of his neck rose up as he

thought of Marty fighting the hawks on his own. That couldn’t end well. Eaton would kill him if Marty
had the snot beat out of him. He didn’t doubt the alpha could take them one-on-one, but if they
attacked as a group, Marty could be in trouble.

Marty made a scoffing noise in the back of his throat. “The day I can’t take on my own flock is the

day I don’t deserve Eaton. See you later, alligator,” Marty stood up to leave.

“That’s crocodile,” Denton snapped. “We’re not the same thing, pigeon.”

Marty laughed. “You know, when your eyes go all reptile, it’s kind of creepy. I like it.”

Chuckling, Marty walked out the door.

Denton wondered if Eaton would really mind if the guy he had his eye on disappeared.

Permanently.

At least Marty was out of his hair for a bit. Denton placed a call to Anderson and, as suspected, the

guy didn’t care if they delayed their quote on the next job as long as Harris was working.

“We’ll do it next Monday,” Denton assured Anderson after promising to let him get a sneak peak at

Harris’s work. The man was more than a little obsessed, but since he always treated Harris nicely,
Denton hadn’t stepped in. Not to mention that the little blush Harris always got when Anderson was
mentioned was freaking adorable.

Looking at the clock, Denton decided he had time to work on his songs for a bit before he met up

with Isaac. Plenty of time to smooth out that last stanza that was bugging him.

Chapter Six

Isaac pulled in front of the mansion, happy once again that Broden had left him the security remote to
access the grounds without having to bother anyone. Since Harris was usually the one at home, he
hated to disturb the artist when he might be in the middle of a creative surge.

He frowned when he found the front door unlocked. Generally, they were more security conscious

than that. The sound of music lured him to the back of the house where he discovered Denton playing
the guitar on a couch with pages of sheet music surrounding him. Denton paused halfway through the
song and jotted down a few notes.

Love for Denton caught Isaac by the throat and threatened to strangle him. He took a slow,

measured breath. Damn, Denton was beautiful. From his elegant fingers plucking the guitar strings to
his bent dark head, the perfection of his mate struck Isaac hard.

“Hey, when did you get here?” Denton said. His welcoming smile drew Isaac forward to greet him.

Without a word, he cupped Denton’s face between his hands and kissed him. Heat poured between

them as Denton’s soft lips slid across Isaac’s. There was little he wouldn’t do for his mate—except
give him up. Unable to resist the lure of skin, he slid his fingers beneath Denton’s shirt and absorbed
the smooth glide of silky skin beneath his hands.

“I need you,” he whispered against Denton’s mouth.

“Mmm, good. That makes it mutual.” Denton growled in a deep voice. He fisted Isaac’s shirt with

one hand and yanked him closer. Isaac braced his forearms against the back of the couch so he
wouldn’t crush Denton’s guitar.

“This would probably work better in your bedroom,” Isaac offered.

“Hmm. Yeah.” Another kiss wiped away every thought in his head like an eraser to the blackboard

of his mind.

Denton bit Isaac’s bottom lip, making it throb. The small sting translated to his cock as need more,

now. “Bed,” he gasped against Denton’s mouth.

He wouldn’t take Denton here in the open where anyone could wander by. His puma snarled at the

thought of another person seeing his Denton naked. That couldn’t be allowed.

Leaning back, he carefully lifted Denton’s guitar and set it aside.

“Hold tight,” he warned. Denton wrapped his arms around Isaac’s neck. Isaac grabbed Denton’s

ass and lifted him up, forcing the croc shifter to wrap his legs around Isaac’s waist.

“Mmm, I like you wrapped around me,” Isaac said. He gripped Denton tighter, making sure he had

a firm hold on his lover. Dropping Denton wasn’t going to happen.

“You might want to put me down. My room is upstairs,” Denton said, smiling.

“Are you saying you don’t think I can carry you all that way?” Isaac challenged.

“I’m saying I don’t want you to throw out your back,” Denton teased.

“Hmm, maybe you’re right.” With a flex of his arms, Isaac pushed Denton up and across his

shoulder. He slapped Denton’s ass with a loud smack.

“Hey!”

“Don’t wiggle, it might injure me. I’m fragile.” Isaac headed for the grand staircase. “Am I going

left or right?”

“Right. I can walk, you know.”

Isaac patted Denton’s ass. “I know, but I like you this way.”

“Upside down?” Denton’s body shook with his laughter.

Isaac clamped an arm across Denton’s legs so his mate wouldn’t fall.

“No. With your ass easily accessible,” Isaac admitted.

“I think I’m getting dizzy,” Denton complained.

“We’ll be there soon.” Isaac followed the scent of his crocodile man down the hall until he

stopped in front of the door that smelled most like his lover.

He turned the knob and pushed his way into the room, mindful of his mate’s precarious spot on his

shoulder. The bedroom had amazing light with dark wood furniture and a big bed with a green velvet
comforter that he knew would match Denton’s eyes.

Isaac dropped Denton onto the surface. He grinned as his mate bounced.

“I give you a seven for your dismount,” Isaac said.

Denton pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. “Really, only a seven?”

Isaac’s mouth watered at the sight of Denton’s muscled stomach and chest. The man had little body

fat. “Dismount seven, body ten.”

“Good answer,” Denton remarked.

“I thought so.” Isaac stripped out of his clothes with more speed than he ever used getting into

them. By the time he was done, Denton had removed the rest of his outfit also.

Denton’s gaze darkened as he watched Isaac climb over him, staying on his hand and knees above

Denton’s body.

“I want to be your mate, Isaac. Will you accept me?” Denton’s vulnerable gaze pierced Isaac’s

soul, keeping him frozen in place.

“How could you not know you are everything I’ve ever wanted?” Isaac said. He wondered where

he went wrong that Denton didn’t know how much they were fated to be together. “I don’t believe in
love at first sight, but my other half has wanted to claim you since you sashayed up on that stage as if
you owned the world and everyone else was only there to serve you.”

Denton blushed. The crocodile shifter was an intriguing combination of brash confidence and shy

uncertainty. The stars would dim and tumble from the sky before Isaac tired of his complicated lover.

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely. Will you be my mate, Denton Stills?” Isaac asked. In the wild, pumas took what they

wanted, but attacking Denton and biting him without warning could result in a crocodile mauling—
something Isaac planned to avoid for the rest of his life, if possible.

“Yes.” Tears shone in Denton’s eyes. He ignored them in favor of kissing his mate. Denton agreed

to be his!

Their kiss was a tangling of tongues and a meeting of breath as two strong personalities merged and

became what the other person needed.

Isaac kissed, licked and nipped his way down Denton’s neck until he reached the juncture between

shoulder and neck. “Are you sure?”

After that bite, the claiming mark, Denton could never be with another person again. “I will be your

one and only for the rest of your life.”

Isaac had to be sure. He wouldn’t tie Denton to him until he knew they were both ready. He’d been

ready since the first sight of the cocky guitarist, but he’d had lovers before. To be someone’s first and
last was a position he never thought he’d find himself in.

“Make me yours,” Denton replied. His voice, strong and steady, had no hesitation, no doubt,

nothing trembling in soft answer. Denton knew what he wanted and he wanted Isaac.

Isaac’s inner puma gave a victory howl. His mating teeth dropped and he chomped down on

Denton’s shoulder.

“Oh, fuck!” Denton cursed. The filthy words pouring from Denton’s mouth hardened Isaac’s cock

until he worried he’d spill before he sank into the hot body of his mate.

The connection between them flashed like a solar flare into Isaac’s mind. Denton’s emotions

poured into him as if he was the only receptacle capable of accepting the overflow of his lover’s
mind and body. Joy, love and a clawing need rushed through him, twisting and turning through his
body until he didn’t know who had the original thought or emotion. Isaac cradled Denton close. He
accepted everything as he accepted Denton as his own.

“I need to bite.” Denton’s words came out more of a hiss than a growl. Releasing the mauled flesh

from between his teeth, Isaac lapped at the wound until the marks faded slightly and went from angry
red to a paler, healthier tone.

Denton’s eyes had gone reptilian. Isaac shivered beneath the gator’s regard. Taking a deep breath,

he bent down and tilted his head up, exposing his throat.

The hand Denton wrapped around the back of Isaac’s neck had more strength than he’d expect from

the slim shifter, but then the human part no longer had control. Isaac focused on his mate—on
Denton’s courage, his strength, and the big heart he gave away to his friends without hesitation.

“I’m yours,” Isaac promised. The bite, when it came, sliced through his skin with surprising ease

and little pain. The connection between them jolted him for the second time that night. He’d heard of
shifters who bonded together on a deeper level but he never thought he’d be one of them.

Keeping enough tension in his arms to hold himself up, Isaac relaxed into Denton’s embrace. After

a long minute, Denton released his toothy hold on Isaac’s shoulder. He didn’t lick or soothe the
wound.

Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to heal me?”

“No,” Denton replied, his eyes still glowing their reptilian sheen. “I want you to remember that

you’re mine with every breath you take.”

“I don’t think it’s something I’m going to forget,” Isaac soothed. He could feel the crocodile’s

yearning to bite and bite again. Fortunately, Denton didn’t give in to his inner animal’s compulsions.

“Fuck me, Isaac!” Denton demanded. “Make me yours.”

“Babe, you’re already mine.” Isaac grabbed the lube sitting on the table beside Denton’s bed. The

tube was slightly crushed and half full but when Isaac squirted some on his fingers, he found plenty
still inside.

Denton grinned. “It’s my jack off lube.”

“Good quality,” Isaac mused, spreading it across his fingers.

“My cock deserves only the very best,” Denton replied, grinning.

“Mm, I can’t argue with that.” Isaac scooted back and spread Denton’s legs wide. Denton’s sweet

ass beckoned to him. “Turn around. I want to fuck you hard and this way I won’t have you pull a leg
muscle or anything.”

Denton laughed, a loud joyous sound that grabbed Isaac in the gut. He’d never get tired of hearing

that particular noise. If he could make Denton happy for the rest of his life, then he’d have a life well
lived.

With more care than necessary for a shifter, he prepped Denton. Circling Denton’s rim, he coated it

with a generous supply of lube before dipping in one finger.

“Yesss,” Denton hissed.

“You sound more snake than crocodile,” Isaac teased.

“You’re lucky I’m not a snake—I’d strangle you with my tail.” Denton shook his ass. “Now show

me how well a pussy can fuck.”

Isaac slapped Denton’s ass, pleased at the handprint he formed on the pale skin.

“I don’t think you’re doing that right,” Denton mused. “I know I’m not super experienced and all,

but I’m pretty sure you are supposed to fuck my ass, not slap it.”

“I’m multi-talented. I can do both.” Isaac shoved two lubed fingers inside before slapping Denton’s

other cheek until both sides were flushed pink.

“You’re a kinky bastard, aren’t you?” Denton didn’t sound overly worried about the prospect.

“Not usually,” Isaac admitted. “You bring out the kink in me.”

He coated his erection with enough slick for four men and lined the tip of his cock to Denton’s

opening. With a slow push, he squeezed inside.

“Oh, fuck, you’re so tight you’re strangling my dick.” Isaac worried he’d come before he even got

halfway inside. The heat and silky smoothness surrounding his erection yanked a whimper from his
throat.

Never had anyone wrapped around him with such perfection, filling him with comfort as if he were

coming home after a long arid trip across a lonely desert. Isaac’s heart ached as he realized what he’d
missed all this time. No one would ever be good enough again. After sex with Denton, he was ruined
for anyone else. This mating, this bonding would last him for the rest of his life as he lived in a state
of complete perfection.

“If you don’t fucking move soon, I will fucking kill you,” Denton snarled.

Isaac bit his lip hard enough to draw blood in order to hold back the laughter since he didn’t want

to die from a crocodile mauling. Gripping Denton’s hips tightly enough to leave bruises, Isaac pulled

out slowly before snapping his hips back inside, making sure to hit the spot that sent Denton
scrambling for purchase on his soft comforter.

“Was that good enough?” Isaac froze halfway inside Denton as he waited for his answer.

Denton slammed his body back until his ass met the root of Isaac’s erection. “Lazy cat. Do I have to

do all the work?”

The sarcastic tone would’ve worked better if Denton didn’t gasp between words or finish off with

a long, low moan.

Isaac placed a wet kiss in the middle of Denton’s back, then between his shoulder blades and

finished with wet lick across the bite mark on his neck.

Denton whimpered.

“Easy, babe, we aren’t running a marathon, we’re making love. Good sex takes time and

commitment. I’ve got plenty of both.” In fact, Isaac planned to spend the rest of his life proving to
Denton how good things could be between them.

“You’re going to be committed if you don’t get on with it,” Denton muttered through gritted teeth.

Isaac gave more kisses as he moved slowly in and out of Denton’s body, making sure to bump the

perfect spot each time. He slid his hands across Denton’s luscious skin, mapping out every inch until
he knew, if blindfolded with twenty men to pick from, he would still know which one was his, even
without the divine scent of his mate distracting him.

Denton clenched his ass, yanking a gasp from Isaac. “Tricky croc,” he scolded.

“Fuck me!” Denton insisted.

Isaac gave a mock sigh of frustration while grinning madly. The plus side of Denton being face

down was he couldn’t easily see Isaac’s expression.

“I know you’re grinning. Now do your duty to your mate.”

“I am. I’m worshipping you.” Isaac tentatively pumped his hips just enough to tease Denton.

“I’m more of a hands-on deity. I prefer to be fucked until I can’t remember my name,” Denton

instructed.

“Ahh. Well, your wishes are my dirty fantasies.” Isaac slammed into Denton, forcing the croc

shifter to brace with his forearms or be shoved face first into the mattress.

Isaac continued his brutal rhythm, carefully monitoring Denton’s comfort level. When the croc

shifter’s passion flared hotter than a beach bonfire, Isaac bit Denton’s neck again.

Denton shouted out his release. The sound echoed in the room and shattered Isaac’s concentration.

Satisfied he’d pleased his mate, Isaac gave in to his needs and pumped his seed into Denton before
collapsing against his back. It took all his remaining strength to pull out carefully and roll over to lie
beside his lover.

Gasping, he turned to meet Denton’s satisfied expression with one of his own. “What’s your

name?”

“Could be George.” Denton frowned. “Or Barney.”

“Barney was a dinosaur, not a crocodile,” Isaac corrected.

“If I don’t know my name, how should I know my species?” Denton’s eyes glowed with a teasing

light.

“Hmm, good point. I rescind my correction, Barney George.”

Denton laughed.

The bedroom door slammed open.

“Guys, have you seen Marty?” Eaton’s concerned expression threw cold water on the warm ashes

of their desire.

“He was going to check out the container ship after he went to the bar to retrieve his bike,” Denton

said.

Eaton nibbled his bottom lip. “How long ago was that?”

Denton’s gaze went to the alarm clock on the table. “Shit! Five hours ago. He should’ve been back

by now. Did you try calling him?”

“Five times. He’s not answering.” Eaton frowned. “You don’t think he’s ignoring me, do you?”

“No.” Denton sat up completely, his entire focus on his friend. “He’s completely in love with you.

Trust me on this. We’re going to take a shower, then we’ll go after Marty. Call Aden and see if he
knows anything.”

Isaac watched, fascinated, as Denton went from melted lover to take charge leader. Denton’s strong

personality appealed to Isaac. People always thought he wanted to be in charge because of his size,
but if Denton ever wanted to take control of their lovemaking, Isaac would easily give up control.

“I’ll call Aden.” Eaton left the bedroom without another word, apparently confident Denton would

take care of everything now.

Although the shower involved dripping naked bodies, Isaac resisted the urge to pin Denton to the

cold tile wall. If he tasted Denton’s mouth again, they wouldn’t get out of there and Eaton would

probably march into the bathroom to demand where they were.

“Have you and Eaton ever fooled around?” From previous discussions, Isaac knew no one else had

ever breached Denton anally, but there were a lot of things to do in between.

“No. Eww.” Denton’s disgusted expression made Isaac laugh.

“What? He’s cute.”

He knew he’d said the wrong thing when Denton froze and his eyes took on an inhuman shine. “You

think he’s cute?”

“For a blond,” Isaac rushed to say. “I prefer my men darker and not feathered. I don’t think a puma

and a bird would make good mates.”

Denton reached for his clothes without saying a word. Isaac slowly dressed, not wanting to add to

the unnerving silence filling the room. Apparently the crocodile didn’t have a sense of humor about
anyone but Denton touching Isaac.

“We should see if Eaton learned anything from his phone calls,” Denton said, still not turning to

look at Isaac.

He had to see Denton’s face. Isaac reached out and spun Denton around. “Don’t make more of this

than there is. I was concerned about anyone else touching what is mine. I’m not interested in Eaton. In
case you didn’t notice, I’m interested in you.”

“Okay.” Denton didn’t look convinced but he nodded and tried to pull away. He frowned when

Isaac didn’t release him.

“I didn’t buy Eaton a house with a fucking pool when I don’t like to swim. Understand?” Isaac’s

heart leapt to his throat as he waited for his words to sink in.

Joy filled Denton’s face. “You bought that house for me? Wait, what pool?”

“The house is your mating present. The atrium has a sandy-bottomed pool with heat lamps.”

“When were you going to give it to me?” Denton asked, his eyes troubled.

“When life stopped being such a crisis. The way things are going, apparently when you turn fifty.

You do want to live with me, right? I know this is your home…” he trailed off because he didn’t
know what to say from there. If Denton preferred the Queen Anne mansion to Isaac’s house, he
couldn’t blame him. It was a beautiful place that Denton had called home for years.

“No! I want to be with you. This place is great, but I can always come visit. The best part of this

house is the people inside it and they’ll always be my family.” Denton’s expression didn’t show any
regret. Isaac hoped Denton would always feel that way.

Chapter Seven

One look at Eaton’s expression and Denton knew everything wasn’t all right.

“What happened?” he asked softly. Eaton looked like he might break apart if he had to deal with

one more thing.

“The gang said Marty came and got his motorcycle but then disappeared. No one has heard from

him since. They said it was four hours ago. He should’ve been back by now.”

Denton wanted to say something nice and reassuring but he came up dry. Eaton was right, Marty

should’ve returned. “Maybe he found something interesting and is waiting for us to come. He knew
we’d be there later.”

Eaton and Isaac both gave him looks that said they knew he was an idiot but they cared about him

anyway. He wondered if they practiced their synchronicity.

“Something has happened, I can feel it,” Eaton persisted.

“Can you think of anywhere else he might have gone?” Denton asked. He didn’t know if Eaton and

Marty had a connection or not. Was it possible for Eaton to really know something had happened or
was he just projecting?

“Isaac and I will follow his footsteps and see if we can find him, okay?” Denton said.

“I can’t reach Aden either. He’s not answering,” Eaton said, shaking his phone at them. “I can’t get

hold of anyone.”

“You didn’t try Carey, right?” Denton glared at his friend, daring him to confess.

Eaton shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that. Carey doesn’t like Marty and I don’t want to ruin his

honeymoon. Broden would never forgive me.”

Denton thought Eaton’s assessment was probably right. When it came to upsetting Carey, Broden

didn’t forgive much.

“Okay, keep your phone close by and we’ll go investigate,” Denton said.

“But I want to come too,” Eaton whined. “I can fly overhead and see if I can spot Marty’s bike.”

“And what will you do then?” Denton asked.

Eaton hung his head in defeat. “I could come in human form and watch your back.”

“If we need a sharpshooter, we are past the surveillance stage. We’re just going to explore whether

the salties are at the port. If they aren’t, we’ll come back home and try to find them elsewhere. If they
are, then we discover how many are hiding out and plan accordingly.”

“If they took Marty, I will get him back.” Eaton’s pretty face took a hard edge. Denton knew from

experience that Eaton might be a mild-mannered genius, but if he needed to protect his family, he did
so with lethal force.

Somewhere along the way, Eaton had chosen Marty as his. If anyone was responsible for taking the

hawk shifter, Denton hoped they had their will in place and their papers all in order.

“I’ll call,” Denton assured his friend.

Eaton nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

Now that he knew how much Eaton cared for Marty, Denton knew his friend was placing a great

deal of trust in him. He followed Isaac out of the house. A black SUV squatted on the drive. “Let’s
take your car. It will blend a little better,” Denton said.

“You just love me for my heated seats,” Isaac teased.

“Yep.” The first time he’d ridden in the SUV, Denton had discovered the beauty of heated seats. He

thought about having them added to his Jeep but for now it was cost prohibitive.

Denton climbed into the passenger seat and quickly fiddled with the settings until his ass turned

toasty. Sighing, he leaned back his head and soaked in the comfort.

“You look like a happy reptile,” Isaac observed.

“It’s like a heated rock,” Denton smiled.

“Crocodiles don’t bask on rocks,” Isaac said.

“How do you know? I’m the crocodile.”

“Because I did my research. You’re a freshwater croc. You like murky water and lying in the sand

to heat.”

“I could lie on a rock.” Denton folded his arms and looked out the window. Now wasn’t the time to

tell Isaac about his basking rock. He wondered if he could swipe it from the mansion to take it with
him to Isaac’s house without the inquisitive kitty noticing.

“You can lie on whatever you want as long as you do it near me,” Isaac said.

“Thanks.” Denton felt better. The drive to the bar passed relatively quickly, though Denton was

quick to note that Isaac lost every bit of his sanity after he got behind a wheel. When they reached the
bar, it was all he could do not to jump out and kiss the earth in excitement. No longer was the world
spinning out of his control.

“You are a little melodramatic, aren’t you?” Isaac asked dryly.

“No. You shouldn’t be licensed to drive a golf cart, much less a full-sized motor vehicle.” Denton

scolded. “I’d better drive the rest of the way.”

“Over my dead body,” Isaac snapped.

“Don’t make it necessary,” Denton replied.

Isaac tossed over the keys. Denton knew his mate would pick the fight back up another time. Right

now, Marty was on the clock. Who knew what the salties were doing to him while they exchanged
light banter?

They entered the bar shoulder to shoulder. Denton made sure to meet each shifter’s gaze before

moving on. Not one of them looked guilty.

Crap.

“Is Marty still gone?” One of the hawks stepped forward.

Denton had no idea of his name. The feathered ones all blended together with their black leather

and cropped hair, like little clones that joined the dark side as one group.

“Yes. We’re still looking for him.” Denton agreed. He didn’t give details—it wasn’t their

business. Not anymore.

“I’d like to help,” the strange hawk replied.

All the clone hawks nodded their agreement.

“At this point, we’re trying to determine if he made it to Terminal Eighteen or not.”

“I can fly there and come back quickly,” the helpful hawk shifter offered.

Several others added their agreement.

“I think an entire flock of hawks would attract too much attention. A couple of you should do the

trick, if you’re willing.”

Again lots of nods were his answer.

“What’s your name?” Denton asked the eager hawk.

“Benji. This is Tim,” he pointed to the shifter on his right. “We’d both like to go.”

“Okay. Fly there and report back. Look for Marty’s motorcycle and for salties.”

“Will do.”

The two men eagerly left the bar to do their work.

“Who do you think you are to order my men around,” a snarly voice asked.

Denton turned to face this new speaker. A black-haired man with the usual biker leathers marched

through the crowd. From the scornful looks he received from the rest of the flock, Denton knew this
must be Lance, the guy Marty said was going for his alpha position.

“I asked you a question,” Lance replied.

Denton opened his mouth to speak when a whiff of scent crossed his nose. “When did you last see

Marty?”

Lance folded his arms and looked down at Denton. “What business is it of yours?”

“Four hours ago,” another helpful hawk offered.

“How come the scent of Marty is fresher on your skin then?” Denton narrowed his eyes

suspiciously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lance scowled at him. “Why would you come here and

try to cause problems?”

“You may not know this, but crocodiles have a keen sense of smell and I can smell Marty all over

you.” Denton stepped forward. Lance spun around and Denton knew he was going to try and fly away.
“Someone stop him.”

Before any of the hawk shifters could do anything, a large puma rushed past Denton and pounced on

Lance. The beige cat let out a loud snarl when Lance tried to wiggle out of his hold.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” Denton said. The cat stood almost three feet tall from floor to

shoulder.

When Denton approached the puma, it rubbed its cheek against Denton’s hip. “Good kitty, yes, you

are. When you change back, I’ll give you a treat later.”

He scratched beneath Isaac’s chin, pleased when the big yellow eyes half-closed in bliss.

“I killed him. He deserved to die!” Lance shouted.

Immediately Denton’s attention returned to their captive. He crouched down until Lance met his

eyes. He felt his eyes shift as he looked at the trapped hawk. “You better hope he’s not dead, because
his mate is good with a gun and will take it very badly if you killed Marty.”

Fear clawed at Denton. His friend would be mateless for the rest of his life if Lance really had

killed Marty.

“Where is he?” Denton demanded.

“I’ll never tell!” Lance vowed.

Denton stood up. “Do you want to eat him or should I?”

Isaac-puma tilted his furry head.

“I thought we’d start at his feet, and hopefully he won’t bleed to death before he confesses. My

croc will enjoy the toes, I think.”

Truthfully, he had to concentrate very carefully not to puke on the bar floor.

Denton focused and let his mouth stretch in a manner worthy of the best horror movie master.

Screams deafened his hearing before he had a chance to do anything more.

“I’ll talk. I’ll talk! He’s underneath. Underneath the bar! P-please, please don’t eat me.”

The smell of urine filled the room. Denton transformed back to full human. He ran his tongue over

his teeth to verify they were back to their normal shape. “Show us!”

Isaac stayed in his puma form as they followed Lance behind the bar.

With shaking hands, Lance pulled back the rubber mat exposing a hatch below. He pulled it open.

Marty lay still and pale on the ground underneath. From the angle of his arms, Denton wondered if
he’d ever be able to fly again.

“Fuck, you broke him,” Denton whispered.

The sound of glass shattering was the only warning he had. Blood spurted from a hole in Lance’s

forehead.

“Where is he?” Eaton stood in the middle of the bar. The rest of the hawks were lined up as far

away from him as possible. Denton couldn’t blame them. Eaton had enough weapons and ammo
strapped to his body to make Rambo green with envy.

“He’s down there,” Denton pointed.

“I’ll get him,” a soft voice spoke.

When had Harris arrived?

Denton raised an eyebrow at his friend.

“I couldn’t let Eaton come alone,” Harris said softly.

Denton wisely refrained from commenting. He dragged Lance out of the way so Harris could get in

there. The space behind the bar didn’t have a lot of room.

Harris hopped into the small access hole and scooped Marty up in his arms. “He’s breathing,” he

told Eaton.

“Good.” Eaton’s hands shook a bit when he caught sight of Marty. “Let’s get him home.”

Denton shoved Lance into the hole, closed the hatch, then slapped the rubber mat back over the

opening.

“Hey, what are we supposed to do about Lance?” one of the braver hawks asked.

Denton shrugged. “How should I know? It’s not my bar.”

The bar door burst open and Benji and his friend rushed inside.

“They’re there. No sign of Marty but I saw salties all over the port, at least two-dozen,” Benji’s

words all rushed together, but Denton deciphered them easily.

“Thanks, you two did great.” He resisted the urge to pet them like the eager puppies they seemed.

He headed for the door with his puma following close behind.

“What do we do now?” Benji asked.

“You find a new leader and do what you usually do?” Denton replied.

“But your eagle friend is our new leader, since he killed Lance,” Benji said.

Denton almost laughed but he doubted the hawks in the room would appreciate that action. “Okay,

here’s the deal. Eaton is going to take care of Marty. While Marty heals, you guys can help me with
my little project.”

Epilogue

Denton floated blissfully in the warm water. He loved his pool. As a mating gift, it didn’t get any
better than this. He lazily flicked his tail back and forth, enjoying the silky water across his skin.

He enjoyed the house he shared with Isaac. He’d moved in as soon as the hawks began living in the

Queen Anne mansion. Turned out they didn’t have any place to sleep. Their old landlord had sold
their apartments the last time they left and all their belongings were in boxes.

Eaton took pity on them, but said Carey would have the final say.

They had earned their keep, though. The saltwater crocs couldn’t overcome the large quantity of

plastic explosives the hawks transported to the cargo ship. It was enough to destroy their containers,
kill most of the crocs but not sink the ship. Denton hadn’t wanted to be responsible for an oil spill if
the ship sank, since he didn’t know what else the crocs might have wanted to bring ashore.

Sadly, after five days, Marty still hadn’t recovered. Eaton sat beside him daily, hoping he’d come

out of his self-induced coma, but nothing yet.

“Come out, come out, little croc,” Isaac’s voice reached Denton through the water.

He lazily swam over to his lover.

“Shift. I want to speak with the man, not the swamp monster,” Isaac scolded.

Denton shifted. “I’m not a swamp monster,” he protested.

“Not a very good one, anyway. I think the goldfish are mocking you,” Isaac teased.

“There aren’t any goldfish.” He took a quick look to verify. Isaac did like to leave surprises. He let

Isaac put the platinum ring back on his finger. They weren’t married, but Isaac said it reassured him
when humans knew Denton was taken.

“There,” Isaac said, satisfaction oozing from him.

“Now that you have me properly claimed, what did you want?” Denton asked.

“This.” Isaac wrapped Denton in his arms and kissed him as if they hadn’t made love in the past

hour.

Denton willingly surrendered to his mate. The worry in the back of his mind that the salties

wouldn’t give up so easily ate away at him. He’d have to be careful to keep an eye out. Especially