Michael Sean Carved In Wood

ARVED

OOD

…Daniel’s cheeks heated and the man didn’t answer, just turned

and walked away from him. Wood grunted. He hadn’t meant to upset
Daniel. Still, his words had made his point.

“Daniel…I didn’t mean to be nasty.”
“It’s okay. You’re right.” Daniel nodded, then headed down the

hall away from him.

“You need to come back and eat some beans.” As an olive branch

it wasn’t much, but it was all he had.

“They’re yours. Thank you.” Daniel looked lost, worried.
“You need to eat, too.” He held out a hand.
“I probably need to get my truck, head back toward the

mountains.” Daniel reached for his hand.

He took it and squeezed. “You don’t want to do that. First of all,

we moved the truck so nobody would get suspicious. Second of all,
how are you going to get revenge all on your own?”

“I don’t know.” Daniel smelled so good.
“So stay.” He kept holding Daniel’s hand, looking into those eyes.
“I…” Daniel’s eyes dilated.
Fuck. He wanted. He swallowed, pushing that down. Daniel was

still healing, grieving.

Then the scent of arousal hit his nose, hunger. Need. Desire. He

wasn’t the only one who wanted, not by a long shot.

All his good intentions flew out the window and he brought his lips

down onto Daniel’s. The kiss set a fire inside him. Daniel’s surprised
moan was enough to have him step closer. He’d never connected with
anyone from the first touch like this, not wolf nor human. It was more
than just physical, stronger than that…

LSO

EAN

ICHAEL

Digging For Gold

Dirty Kisses

Full Disclosure

Office Hours

CARVED IN WOOD

SEAN MICHAEL

MBER

UILL

RESS

LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

ARVED

OOD

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-328-4

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 1

Daniel parked his truck in the garage and sat there, breathing

hard, sweat making his T-shirt stick to his chest and back. The
silver bullet in the back of his shoulder burned, making his
shoulder feel swollen and raw. His skin had healed well enough
over the last few days, but it was getting worse, the bullet grinding
on his bone.

Fuck, he was tired.
Daniel slipped out of his Chevy and headed toward the

elevator. All he had to do was check in, using Sam’s ID, and
meander up to his room. Sam had been dead for six days. The
thought was still enough to make his breath catch. Six. Days. He
closed his eyes, saying a soft prayer for his brother. He could do
this. He could.

CARVED IN WOOD

He headed across to the elevator and watched as the doors slid

open, revealing a big stud of a man leaning against the back of the
little box.

The guy came out, an eyebrow rose, and then the guy frowned

and leaned in toward him. “You’re a little fuzzy around the edges.”

“I…” Fuck. Fuck, he couldn’t fight. Not right now. He just

couldn’t.

“Wrong door.” He turned, heading back for his truck, grateful

as fuck that he was only two spaces away.

A low growl sounded and his arm was grabbed in a strong

hold. “Seriously, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

He cried out, snapping, the pain shooting up his arm.
The guy dragged him behind a column. “Shut the fuck up. I’m

trying to help.”

“I don’t know you. I was going to get a room!” Fucktard.
“You were going to get yourself killed. They’ve got hunters as

security here.” The hold on his arm never loosened and the guy
looked right and left, then began to drag him away from the
elevator, and from his truck.

“My truck.” His feet felt heavy, and he could hear his heart

beating.

“Probably reeks of whatever bumpkin area you’re coming

from.” The guy kept dragging him, then stopped in front of a black
SUV.

“F…fuck off.” So he wasn’t a city wolf. So the fuck what.
The guy ignored him, pushing him into the SUV and slamming

the door closed. His shoulder slammed into the seat and he almost
lost it, his eyes rolling back in his head.

This guy climbed into the driver’s seat, scented the air and

frowned. “You’re hurt?”

CARVED IN WOOD

“I’m okay.” No way was he confessing to the injury. “Just need

my truck, man.”

The guy started the engine and pulled out of his parking spot.

“You do know they hunt us, right?”

“I’ve heard the stories.” He knew. Sam knew. They all knew.

More than anyone, he knew.

“They aren’t just stories.”
If he wasn’t so pissed off, he’d think this guy’s growl was

awesome. “Okay. Drop me off at my truck.”

“It’s not safe.” They drove right out of the parking garage.
“You’re not safe.” He reached for the door. He didn’t trust this

guy. He was never going to trust anyone ever again.

“Safer than what’s in that hotel.” There was a loud click—the

sound of the locks being thrown—and they turned onto the road.

“My truck.” His hands were sweating, starting to shake. Fuck.
“Someone’ll get it for you. Bring it.”
“Bring it where? I just got here.” And he couldn’t go any

farther. He had to stop, to rest. His fucking shoulder was killing
him.

“I can’t tell you where. Not until we know you’re not a spy.”
“A spy for who? Shit, I just wanted to sleep.” Rest. Take a

fucking pain pill.

“You can where we’re going. You really don’t know how bad

it is here? There’s people actively hunting us. It’s nasty shit.”

“Oh.” Yeah. Yeah, he knew all about nasty shit. He’d thought

it was safer in the cities, but hell yeah, he knew.

They made several rights and then a couple of lefts and it felt

like they were going in circles, but he couldn’t tell. Hell, he could
barely fucking see.

Eventually, they pulled into another parking garage. “You still

CARVED IN WOOD

with me?”

“Uh-huh. We done?” He was tired.
“We’re here.” The guy turned off the engine and came around

to his door. His hand wrapped around his arm again and dragged
him out of the SUV. He flipped open a cell. “It’s Wood. I’m
bringing one in. I think he’s hurt. Yeah, we’re here already. ’Kay.”
Then the guy—Wood—closed and pocketed the phone before
dragging him to an elevator.

“I just want to sleep.” He needed to rest. Breathe.
“Not out in the open you don’t.” They got on the elevator and

headed down for what felt like a very long time.

By the end, he was sweating, shaking. They were met by two

men when the door opened.

“Were you followed?” asked one, as the other tsked and slid an

arm around him, supporting him.

“Nope. I don’t think anyone knew he was in town.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
“He isn’t going to be in town for very long if we don’t fix him

up,” complained the man supporting him. “Help me get him into
the infirmary.”

Their hands were cold. Icy. Making him shiver.
They got him into a room and sat him on a table. “Do you

know what’s wrong with you, son?”

He didn’t know what to say. He stared, swaying.
“Help me strip him, Wood.”
Wood and the other guy began undoing his shirt, popping

buttons.

“I… You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t.” He was covered in scars

from his captivity, most healed, but not all. Not by far. He tried to
fight them, but the shoulder was too bad, too sore.

CARVED IN WOOD

“Doc’s just trying to help you, kid.”
“Go gently, Wood, he’s hurt.” Doc’s voice had gentled.
“I just wanted to rest.” His wolf was trying to come.
“Shit, what the hell happened to him?”
“Silver bullet.” The words fell between them.
“God. Doc. Scars. A silver bullet. Who the fuck would do

something like this?” Wood was growling but good.

“You know who.” Doc shook his head. “You’re going to have

to hold him while I dig it out.”

“What?” Daniel tried to stand. Digging? No. No way.
Wood held him down. “You gotta listen to Doc, man.”
“You’ll die, son. It’s poisoning you.”
It hurt. It hurt too much to touch. He couldn’t let them touch

him.

“What do you need me to do, Doc?” Wood gave him a

sympathetic look.

“Just hold him down. We can’t risk him turning.”
“Let me go, man. I’m too fucking tired to fight.”
“We’re trying to help you.” Wood growled. Somehow that

made the words easier to understand.

“It’s going to hurt, son.” Doc touched his shoulder, squeezed it.

“But I can’t give you anything for the pain until the bullet’s out.”

Wood wrapped around him, strong arms holding him, tugging

his head against a solid shoulder. Pure fire hit him, and he howled,
the sound ripping from his throat, tearing away his humanity.

“Stay with us, kid.” Wood growled into his ear, fingers digging

into his arm. “You stay right here. You can snarl and bite at me
when Doc’s finished, I swear.”

“I didn’t mean to.” He blinked, his brother suddenly there,

almost solid. “Sam. Sammy, I tried! Please!”

CARVED IN WOOD

Sam reached for him, one hand outstretched and he wanted to

go.

“We’re losing him, Wood!”
He was shaken, Wood’s hands hard on him. “Stay. Stay with

us, kid. Come on. You want to tear me to pieces, right?”

“I want to sleep.” More than anything.
“Not yet,” growled Doc.
“Sorry, kid. No sleeping.” Wood pulled his head back and

stared into his eyes. “Look at me.”

He blinked, staring into pure gray. Deep, dark gray. By the

moon. Look. Look there.

“Good job, Wood. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”
Wood’s answer was a low rumble.
The pain flared again and he whimpered, still staring.
“Ignore old Doc. He’s always poking at someone or other.”
“Brother. Brother, are you coming?” Samuel’s voice was

coming from behind him, but he couldn’t look away from those
eyes.

“When this is over we’ll find somewhere private and you can

chase me, take a bite out of my ass.”

“He’s not chasing anyone for a few days, Wood.”
“Brother…” Sammy called to him, so softly, right there at his

shoulder.

“Sammy, let me be.”
“I know that, Doc—the man needs something to hold onto,

though.” Those eyes met his again. “Who’s Sammy?”

“My brother. They killed him. I tried to save him, you know? I

tried, so hard, but…” He’d been too late.

“Jesus. Wood, did you catch that?”
“I heard him, Doc.” Each word came with a new rumble, Wood

CARVED IN WOOD

clearly agitated.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized a lot.
“I doubt it’s your fucking fault.” Wood had a great growly

voice, he really did.

“Me, too.” He knew whose fault it was. They were being

driven out of the woods, out of the wilds and into farms like cattle.
Into work camps. Underground. Dark. It was awful.

“Almost done, boys. Just a little bit more.”
“Don’t you stop looking at me, kid.” Wood’s gaze locked with

his again.

“I want to go home.” The world stopped as the pain flared,

became huge and unbearable.

“Sure, kid. Sure. Soon. Okay? Doc won’t be at it for long.”
His lips opened, and suddenly everything stopped, black

around the edges.

“Doc? Did he stop breathing?”
“Keep him with us, Wood. The bullet’s out.”
“Come on, kid. Say something. Doc needs you to say

something.” Wood shook him.

He blinked. “’Kay.”
“It’s almost over. I swear.”
He nodded, the pain already beginning to fade.
“There you go, kid. Breathe for Doc, okay? He needs you to

just breathe and stay with us.”

Wood’s gray eyes were his whole world just now. Breathing.

He could do that. Maybe.

“I’ve got you, kid. Maybe when Doc is finished you can tell us

your name.”

“Dan. Danny. Daniel. McCready.” Would that make it stop?
“I’m Wood. This is Doc. And you’re lucky that I’m the one

CARVED IN WOOD

who found you first.”

He was just looking for a bed. That was it. Rest. Sleep.
“Okay, Wood. I’ve done what I can. He needs sleep now. Make

sure he gets plenty of water first, and give him more whenever he
wakes up, and if he gets worse, call me.”

“You got it, Doc.”
“Goin’ back to the hotel?” He needed to sleep. They’d take him

back there, right? He had Sammy’s ID.

“Not safe. You can stay here.” Wood helped him up and led

him down a hall.

His legs were rubbery, the universe spinning. Wood was solid,

though, arm around his shoulders, body right there for him to lean
against.

“Sorry, man. My truck…” Maybe he could sleep in his truck.
“Shut up.” Wood led him into a dark room and pushed him

down onto a bed.

“Oh.” He collapsed, boots on, his shoulder burning, his belt

digging into his belly.

Wood started pulling off his boots.
He fell asleep before the first one was off.

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 2

Wood yanked off both of Daniel’s boots, undid his belt, button,

and zipper before tugging off the man’s jeans as well. He ignored
the feeling in his belly that had been there since he’d first seen the
man, and pulled up the covers and turned out the light, leaving the
wounded and clearly exhausted wolf to sleep.

A silver bullet and the man wasn’t dead—there was a strength

in Daniel that Wood hadn’t ever seen before. Their kind did not
survive silver bullets. Especially not long enough to heal over the
top. Christ.

The pup had changed into wolf form a half dozen times, like

his control was totally shattered. What was maybe even more
worrisome than the silver bullet were the scars that had covered
Daniel’s body. Someone had tortured Daniel. Bad enough that they

CARVED IN WOOD

were being hunted and killed, but if death was no longer the worst
being done to them… Then his mission to keep any wolf he
discovered safe was more important than ever.

Wood put a few calls in to his contacts, giving them the

lowdown on Daniel and promising an update once he knew what
the hell had happened to the man.

Then he went and made sure he had plenty of food on hand. He

couldn’t risk Daniel leaving the underground stronghold until he
was sure Daniel understood that the city was no safe haven for
their kind. Wood didn’t know if such a place even existed
anymore.

When he found himself pacing restlessly, he went to stand

outside his room, where Daniel was, leaning against the wall as he
stood guard. Something about Daniel called to his instincts,
insisted he take extra special care of this one.

Soft, panicked cries hit his ears and he frowned. The sounds

were more wolf than human, but they were hurt, regardless. He
went in, and the light from the hallway fell across the figure on the
bed. Daniel was caught mid-shift, twisting on the bed, sweating
and crying out. Jesus, the poor guy.

Wood went over to the bed, and gently shook Daniel’s

shoulders. Daniel growled, eyes popping open, bright gold.

“It’s okay, Dan. You’re safe. No one here will hurt you.”
Daniel panted, staring at him, eyes huge, scared, hurt.
He kept hold of Daniel’s shoulders, not wanting to get hit if the

man lashed out because of pain and fear. He stared down and put
on his best commanding voice. “Easy, Dan. Easy. I have you.”

That shoulder was feverish, swollen, but the smell of rot had

disappeared. The wound was definitely healing now that the silver
bullet was out.

CARVED IN WOOD

When Wood was sure Dan wasn’t going to hit him, or bolt, he

let go of Daniel’s shoulders and settled, sitting next to him on the
bed.

“You want to try to sleep some more, or eat?”
“Eat? Eat. Please.”
“Kitchen’s a couple doors down—you think you can make it?”

He got up, held out an encouraging hand.

“Uh-huh.” Daniel struggled off the bed and immediately hit the

floor with a thump.

“Shit.” Wood tugged Daniel up, letting the guy lean on him.
“Sorry. Sorry.” Daniel moaned, leaning hard.
“Shh. It’s okay. Nice and slowly, okay?”
“Uh-huh. I saw Sam. He was here.”
Wood shook his head. “I don’t know any Sam.”
“No. No, he came in with me.”
“You were alone.” Unless this Sam had been hiding in the

truck. If so, no wonder Daniel had been so adamant about getting
back to it.

“He was here in the room! My brother!” Daniel’s cheeks were

burning, bright red.

Okay. Not in the truck. Good. Of course hallucinations weren’t

great either. Doc was still here at least, so the man could take a
look if he needed to.

“Okay, Dan. Okay.” He led Dan down the hall toward the

galley. He had to get water into the man. Dan wanted food, too, but
he was pretty sure water was their number one priority. “Come on,
sit.” He pushed Dan into a chair and grabbed a bottle out of the
fridge.

“Where…what is this place? Are you a pack?”
“Not a pack. That’s too dangerous. But we help each other,

CARVED IN WOOD

keep wolves safe.” He handed over the water and then put a pan on
for steak.

Daniel drank the water, hands shaking.
“Steak’ll be up in five.” He watched Daniel a moment, noticing

the lines of the man’s face, the way his throat worked. “What
happened?” he asked, nodding toward Daniel’s scars.

“I was in the camps.”
Wood frowned. No. No way. No one escaped from the camps,

if they were even real and not stories to scare them even more than
they already were scared. If they were real, it could trap them here
in the cities where they were easier to hunt down.

“How’d you get away?” Could it be this was a trick?
“Sam. We look alike. We fooled them. I worked while Sam

tunneled out under the walls from the bunks.”

“So what happened when you ran?”
“The alarms went off. They…the first bullet hit me. The second

hit him. His head…” Dan shook his head. “I had his supplies—the
fake credit card, the ID, the keys to a truck.”

Wood winced. That must have been horrific to see, even

without the bullet in the man’s shoulder. He wanted to hold Daniel,
comfort him.

“Do you know where the camps are?” If they had that data,

they could plan, hit them where it hurt.

“I know where I came out. I ran for two days.”
Wood forced himself not to show his elation at Daniel’s

answer. If they knew where the camps were, they could attack, free
others like Daniel who were prisoners. He wasn’t giving up on
rescuing wolves from the dangers of the city just because the
fucking camps were real. If anything, it made him more
determined.

CARVED IN WOOD

He finished up the steaks and put one in front of Daniel. “Eat.”

His questions could wait.

Daniel looked at the beef, the wolf surging visibly to the fore.
“Go on, eat,” he murmured gently.
Half lupine, half human, Daniel fell on the meat, snapping and

snarling, so hungry. Wood simply gave him the second steak when
the first was gone. He could eat later, when Daniel crashed again.
He was given a grateful grin, Daniel’s tongue lolling.

He grabbed the pitcher of milk next and poured Daniel a tall

glass. Daniel’s nostrils flared, and the man started whining, deep in
his throat.

“Easy, man, there’s plenty of everything.”
“Smells good.” The words were barely understandable.
“Well, drink up. There’s chocolate cake if you’re still hungry.”
The milk was devoured, lapped up, Daniel still ravenous. When

was the last time Daniel had eaten? He’d been running two days,
had found the truck somewhere, driven here…

Wood cut a huge slice out of the chocolate cake Doc had

brought with him. Doc always brought sweets. Wood was pretty
sure it was because Doc himself had a sweet tooth and liked to
make sure there was something for him to snack on whenever he
came.

“Can I have more milk? Please?”
Chuckling, Wood filled the glass again. It was good to see

Daniel eating—meant he was healing. And that seemed more
important to him with Daniel than it usually did with the wolves he
helped.

Daniel drank deep, fully human, then simply rested his head on

the table and fell asleep. Thunk. Wood went to get a pillow, then
put it under the man’s head and let him sleep.

CARVED IN WOOD

Doc wandered in, frowned. “What’s he doing out of bed?”
Wood grinned. “Sleeping.”
Doc scented the air and nodded, looking satisfied. “The

wound’s already healing. He’s a strong son of a bitch.”

“How long do you think he went through the torture, to leave

scars like that?”

“At least a couple of years.”
“Fuckers.” Bad enough they were hunted, but to be tortured on

top of that… It infuriated him. All they wanted was to live and let
live. It was only after the hunting and killing had begun that they’d
retaliated, taking their own back.

Doc nodded, sighed. “You going to leave him there?”
“I hate waking him just to make him go to bed.”
“He’ll wake himself, I’m sure.” Doc stretched. “I’m heading

out. I have to check on my normal patients, pretend to be one of
them for awhile.” Doc couldn’t afford to stay away from his “real
life” for long, but he came by regularly and would drop everything
to help when he was needed. He was a good man.

Wood clapped Doc on the back. “Be careful, old man.”
“Always.”
Daniel’s eyes popped open. “Don’t let them get you.”
Wood put his hand on Daniel’s good shoulder. “He won’t.”
Daniel’s head bobbed. The man was already half asleep again.
“You wanna get back to bed?”
Seeing as Daniel was awake again, sort of. Mostly. Kind of.
“I… Okay?”
“You’ll be more comfortable.” He helped Daniel stand, got him

supported and moving down the hall.

Daniel tripped along, letting him lead, more asleep than awake.

Wood ignored the heat of Daniel’s skin, he ignored the rangy

CARVED IN WOOD

muscles beneath that warm skin. He ignored the way his body was
responding and the heavy feeling in his belly. There was no way
on earth he was doing anything to this kid. No way. Daniel needed
to heal, needed to be able to mourn his brother and grieve his lost
innocence. He needed to help Wood get the men who had done
this.

Wood got that. He so got it.
He laid Daniel back down in bed. The man was already asleep

before he’d even pulled up the covers.

First thing: Daniel needed to get strong. Wood would make

sure that happened. There was something about this man.
Something amazing. The world needed amazing in it. He needed
amazing in his life.

Wood had one last, long look, and then went back to his post

outside Daniel’s door, standing guard.

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 3

“You have to run, Danny. You have to.” Blood trickled from

the corner of Samuel’s lip, which would have been horrifying if the
top of the man’s head hadn’t been gone, just an open, raw wound.

“Where?”
“Go to the city. To the train station. There’s a place there, a

locker. You get money, keys, papers. You run.”

Bullets started flying again and fire lodged inside him and he

cried out. “Sammy!”

“Now. Now, brother. You run.”
So he did, as fast as he could.
Somebody had him, though. Someone was shaking him,

making his shoulder ache. He was caught.

He growled, feet digging in. Go. Go. Hurry. “Sammy! They

CARVED IN WOOD

have me!”

The shaking got worse. “Daniel! Wake up!”
His eyes popped open and the world turned into this little,

simple, quiet room. “Oh, God. Where… They shot Samuel.”

The shaking turned to petting; a soft growling hum sounded,

soothing him. “Shh. Shh. You’re safe.”

He curled in, the scent of wolf familiar and good. The petting

continued, as did the soft noises. His comforter was warm.

“They shot my brother.” But he was free.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
He nodded. He was sorry, too. Samuel had been a good man. A

better wolf.

“You’re safe, though. And when you’re healed and stronger,

we’ll avenge him.”

Was there a we?
The hand rubbing circles on his skin was hypnotizing. He

growled softly, eyelids heavy.

“Are you hungry?”
He shook his head. He wanted to stay like this for a moment.
“Okay.” The petting continued, the warmth holding him. He

could believe nothing else existed right here, right now.

His eyes closed again and he melted down, focused on the

touch. He didn’t want it to end, the comfort, the warmth, the
feeling of safety. The illusion of home. He didn’t know how long
the guy—Wood?—would let him lie here, so he kept his eyes
closed and sank into every second of it.

“You’re okay. You’re good. I have you.”
Those touches—they almost made him cry. When was the last

time anyone but Sam had touched him with care? His breath
hitched and his eyes rolled in their sockets.

CARVED IN WOOD

“Shh. Shh. It’s okay, Dan. You’re okay.”
“Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah.” Oh God.
“No one is going to hurt you anymore. I swear it.”
“Who are you? Why am I here?”
“Name’s Wood. We met earlier, sort of. You’re in a safe place.

Do you remember Doc digging that bullet out of your shoulder?”
Wood had the most amazing dark gray eyes.

“I remember your eyes.”
“Yeah? I guess that’s a good thing, eh?”
“I suppose. It’s not bad.”
Wood chuckled. “Gee thanks.”
Daniel smiled, then began to chuckle. Wood gave him a smile

and nodded.

He guessed he needed to get up. Do…things. Wood didn’t

seem to be eager to hurry him along, though. That hand kept
moving, petting him.

“If you’re hungry, there’s plenty more food.”
“No. I’m okay.” He had a vague memory of steak and milk.
“Cool. We can just sit here if that’s what you want.”
He nodded. This was the most at ease he’d been in years.
“Whatever you want, man. We’re safe here, there’s food, it’s

warm, and it doesn’t smell like shit. Don’t laugh.” Wood did,
though it didn’t sound very amused. “The first place we holed up
opened into the sewers. They’re still one of our best allies, too. But
man, the stench can be overwhelming.”

“Okay.” Allies? They had allies? Sewers could be allies?
“This place has a back entrance through the sewers and the

normals won’t follow us down there. Not unless they’re hard core,
which clearly some of them are. I mean look at what happened to
you.”

CARVED IN WOOD

“I just… They took all of us.” They’d come during the moon in

helicopters with tranq guns. That had been… God, forever ago.

“The entire pack?”
He nodded. The old ones, the children, the shots had killed

them. Only the strong were taken. Kept.

“What did they make you do?”
Dan shook his head. Some of them had just worked. Some had

been sent for experiments. Some had been examples. “I dug.
Mines. In the mountains.”

He could feel the tension growing in Wood. “It infuriates me

that they think they can do this, that they can get away with it.”

“They do. They are dozens of us. Packs.” Not just his home

pack. There’d been wolves when they got there and that number
has been added to. Sometimes dozens at a time, sometimes just one
or two.

“If we got together, organized, we could fight them. We could

keep them from taking any more of us.”

Daniel nodded. “I know. I know where they are. Samuel and I

were going to kill them all.” He wanted that more than ever now.
He had to get them for Sammy.

“Hold that thought, Dan. Not today and probably not next

week, but we will stop them and make them pay.” There was a
fierceness in Wood’s voice, a determination.

He could only pray Wood was right.

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 4

Four days of giving up his bed left Wood feeling more than a

little growly. The fact that the man in his bed was so good-looking
and called to him deep inside didn’t help any. Horny, tired,
grumpy. He was a real joy to be around at this point.

He slammed the frying pan onto the stove, and dumped a can

of beans into it. He needed to make a meat run. They could live on
beans out of a can if they had to, but who wanted to do that?

Daniel came into the kitchen, dressed, shoes on. “Hey.”
He felt his eyebrows crawl up into his hair. He hadn’t thought

Daniel was well enough to get out of bed for any length of time, let
alone get dressed like he was going out. “Hey…”

Daniel offered him a half-smile. “Can I help?”
“Do you know how to dress up beans?” Frankly he’d rather eat

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Daniel than a can of beans. But the man was off-limits and beans
were the only alternative.

“Not really. I like them, though.”
“Cool. I need to make a supply run.”
“I will go.” Daniel looked very sure, for a skinny, still-healing

wolf.

“I appreciate the offer, but you don’t know the area, where to

find food, how to avoid trouble…”

“I’m just in the way here.”
“No, you’re not.” Had he made Daniel feel unwelcome in any

way? He hadn’t meant to. He didn’t think he had.

“I am. I’m in your bed. I can smell you.”
He couldn’t help teasing. “I smell bad, do I?”
“No.” The single word seemed heavy with meaning.
He caught Dan’s eyes and for a long moment they just stared at

each other.

Then Daniel looked away, backed off. “Anyway. I’ll go. I’ll

find us food.”

“No.” The last thing he needed was for Daniel to get found out.

Caught again, or worse, lead anyone back to this safehold. Daniel
had no clue where the grocery store was, even. “You could come
with me if you’re feeling up to it. Learn the lay of the land, how to
blend in.”

“I wouldn’t betray you.”
How had Daniel known that’s what he was thinking? He was

sure he hadn’t said it out loud. Of course, if Daniel had been
trapped for years instead of living free in the country, he’d know a
thing or two about being careful.

“Not on purpose, but you aren’t from the city, are you? You’ve

only lived with the pack?”

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“I would never betray our own.”
“I believe you.” He really did. And Daniel clearly knew what

kind of torture could be brought to bear. “And I don’t think you’d
do it on purpose.”

Daniel relaxed, like the man heard the truth in his words.
“I bet you’ll learn quickly enough. You seem like you’d catch

on quick.”

Daniel could be a huge asset. And the man was motivated.
“I’ll do whatever I need to.”
“I have a few…friends who’ll want to know what you know.

So we can strategize.” He was pretty sure the guys would want in
on going after a group that was kidnapping entire packs. It was
pretty high on his own agenda now and the only reason he wasn’t
pushing forward immediately was because Daniel wasn’t ready.

“Friends? Are they your packmates?”
“We don’t really have packs here in the city. We’ve come

together out of necessity. When you’re hunted, you tend to band
with others who are hunted, too.” Actual packs would be too
dangerous, make them vulnerable.

Daniel’s head tilted. “No packs?”
He shook his head. “That would give them a single target

comprised of a lot of people.”

“But we live in packs. That’s who we are.”
“And how did that work for your pack?” he snapped. Didn’t

Daniel understand? More people in a group, more targets. They
couldn’t live as a pack, not in the city.

Daniel’s cheeks heated and the man didn’t answer, just turned

and walked away from him. Wood grunted. He hadn’t meant to
upset Daniel. Still, his words had made his point.

“Daniel…”

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Daniel looked back over one shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I didn’t mean to be nasty.”
“It’s okay. You’re right.” Daniel nodded, then headed down the

hall away from him.

“You need to come back and eat some beans.” As an olive

branch it wasn’t much, but it was all he had.

“They’re yours. Thank you.” Daniel looked lost, worried.
“You need to eat, too.” He held out a hand.
“I probably need to get my truck, head back toward the

mountains.” Daniel reached for his hand.

He took it and squeezed. “You don’t want to do that. First of

all, we moved the truck so nobody would get suspicious. Second of
all, how are you going to get revenge all on your own?”

“I don’t know.” Daniel smelled so good.
“So stay.” He kept holding Daniel’s hand, looking into those

eyes.

“I…” Daniel’s eyes dilated.
Fuck. He wanted. He swallowed, pushing that down. Daniel

was still healing, grieving.

Then the scent of arousal hit his nose, hunger. Need. Desire. He

wasn’t the only one who wanted, not by a long shot.

All his good intentions flew out the window and he brought his

lips down onto Daniel’s. The kiss set a fire inside him. Daniel’s
surprised moan was enough to have him step closer. He’d never
connected with anyone from the first touch like this, not wolf nor
human. It was more than just physical, stronger than that.

He deepened the kiss slightly, teasing Daniel’s lips with his

tongue. Daniel’s mouth opened and his kiss was met with an
answering hunger. He grabbed hold of Daniel’s ass and tugged the
lean body up against his, feeling the proof of Daniel’s arousal

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against his thigh.

They rocked together, feasting on one another’s lips, low

sounds passing between them. He rhythmically squeezed Daniel’s
ass, reveling in the pleasure.

“The beans are burning.” Will, the only other person who

called this underground lair home, walked by, nudging him. “If
you’re going to fuck, go to your room, man. The pheromones will
be insane.”

“Take them off the stove for me.” He managed not to snarl at

Will, but it was a close thing. He hadn’t wanted to be interrupted.

“Sure, man.” Will grinned at Daniel, who just stared. The man

hadn’t met any of the rest of them yet, but Will was harmless—a
happy, joyful puppy.

“This is Daniel. He’s new. Daniel, this is Will.”
“Hey.” Will grinned, and with perfect timing added, “I’m

heading out for supplies today. You need anything?”

“I was going to show Daniel the ropes, but he’s still healing, so

if you’re going anyway… Meat is always good. And Daniel’s a big
fan of milk.” Will would probably pick up some fruit and
vegetables, too, but they were hardly on the top of his list, nor any
other wolf that he knew.

“Cool.” Will looked at Daniel. “He still smells new. Needs a

few more days. Go. Fuck.”

Wood rolled his eyes, but he grabbed hold of Daniel’s arm and

tugged him back to his room. Will was getting food, they were
getting their privacy. It was all good.

“I… Should I… Your people won’t growl?” Daniel asked.
Wood frowned. “About what?”
“Two males?”
“They know I’m a good man no matter who I choose to mate

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with.” It wasn’t anyone’s business that he didn’t like women.

Daniel looked at him. “I’m a good man. I tried to save people. I

worked hard.”

“Then why would anyone have a problem with us finding

pleasure together?” Or more. This felt like more than just a fuck.

“Two males don’t make puppies. Pups are important, yeah?”
Ah, the old ways, for the times when even self-pleasure was

discouraged so the packs didn’t fade away. Did people still live
like that?

“I won’t be bringing any into the world. Not until we’ve

changed how the world sees us.” And given his lack of interest in
women, probably never.

“I can’t.” Daniel said it like a challenge.
Couldn’t what? “Can’t what?”
Daniel shrugged. “Function with females.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “I never bothered trying.” He liked males.

Always had.

“We needed to. The Alpha needed us to.”
Wood just grunted. That kind of antiquated thinking wasn’t

helping their cause any. He and Dan didn’t need to argue about it,
though. There were far better things for them to do.

Wood grabbed Daniel again, brought their mouths together in a

wild, needy kiss. Yeah, nothing else mattered right this minute—
there was nothing but this kiss.

He pressed Daniel against the wall, hips working in a rhythm as

old as time. He groaned, the pleasure making his balls draw up.
Daniel pushed back, rocking against him, giving him enough fight
to make it hot. It was better than it had ever been before and he bit
at Daniel’s lower lip, sucking on the tender flesh.

Daniel groaned low, fingers wrapping around his arms and

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digging in. He liked it, liked the need inherent in the movements.
He liked that the eager mouth tasted like hunger.

He tugged on Daniel, dragging him over toward his bed. Daniel

rumbled softly, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

It smelled like Daniel here now, mixed in with him. He thought

they smelled good together. It smelled natural. Right.

Bending, he brought their mouths together again, It was

amazing how good it felt. He cupped the back of Daniel’s head,
tilting so the kiss could deepen. His prick pushed hard against his
zipper, reminding him just how fucking long it had been since he’d
gotten off with someone. Add that to the fact that Daniel tasted so
right…

He pushed Daniel back onto the bed, following and rubbing.

Daniel arched, bucking up under him, lips parted. He ground
Daniel back into the mattress, moaning as their cocks pressed
together. Strong fingers dragged along his back, along his ribs.

“Too many clothes.” He started tearing at Daniel’s.
“Careful. I don’t have any others.”
That made him pause, and he nodded. “No ripping.” He could

manage that. Probably.

“Thank you.” The shirt came up and off, baring that fine chest

again.

He reached immediately for it, fingers catching on the hair.

Heavily muscled from years of constant work, Daniel’s body
fascinated his fingers. He slid his hands over Daniel’s pecs, his
fingers spread wide, catching the lovely little nipples hidden in a
nest of hair. There weren’t many scars here—they seemed to be
concentrated on Daniel’s back. Daniel flexed for him and he
growled, happy.

He wrapped his mouth around one of Daniel’s nipples, teasing

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it with his tongue. He bit playfully, listening to Daniel’s little
sounds, the growls and barks. He bit a little harder, loving the way
Daniel tried to curl up around him when he did. Then he moaned
and moved to nip at Daniel’s collarbone.

“Stings.” Daniel’s fingers tangled in his hair, encouraged him

closer.

“You like it.” It wasn’t even a question. He bit again.
“Yes.” Daniel nodded, growled.
He grinned and pressed their mouths together, his fingers

finding one of Daniel’s nipples to pinch. Someone was used to
rough play, he could tell by the way Daniel met each kiss, bucked
underneath him. He could do rough.

He could also teach Daniel to go slow, to revel in it. This

wasn’t a furtive coupling. He licked at Daniel’s lips, kept this kiss
light. Daniel growled softly, tried to roll him. He didn’t allow it,
pressing Daniel into the mattress—one hand on Daniel’s chest, the
other on one arm, legs straddling the man’s hips—and continuing
to keep the kisses light, almost sweet.

“I… What are you doing?” The confusion was like a drug,

making him want more.

“Kissing you.” He gave Daniel a toothy smile and slowly rolled

his hips so their pricks rubbed together through far too many layers
of clothes. “I can tell you like it.”

“I do.” Daniel pushed up, trying to rock them faster.
He shook his head. “We’re gonna take it nice and slow until we

can’t anymore.”

Daniel looked honestly confused. “What?”
“Just roll with it. We don’t have anywhere to be.” He rolled

nice and slowly again, then backed off and began working on
Daniel’s jeans.

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The man had a fine, fat cock, crowned with a mass of chestnut

curls.

“Mmm. Look at that.” He wrapped his hand around it, jacked a

little.

Daniel rolled toward him, belly hard. He stroked that lovely

belly with his free hand, fingernails scoring lightly. Daniel grunted,
eyes flashing bright. He held the man’s eyes and repeated the
scraping over the soft skin.

Daniel groaned, his legs kicking restlessly. “Damn it.”
“Problem?” he asked, one eyebrow arching.
“No. No, sorry. That was just right.”
He did it again. “This?”
“Yes.” Daniel growled again.
“You’re a sexy beast.” He rubbed his thumb across the top of

Daniel’s cock.

Daniel arched up under him, groaned.
“Sensual.” He passed his thumb over Daniel’s cock head again.

“Needy.” And again.

White teeth snapped at the air. Someone liked that. He pressed

his thumb into the slit, really letting Daniel feel it. A low howl
filled the air, and Daniel thrashed. He bent and took another kiss,
pulling that sound into himself.

Daniel offered him more, hands hard on his shoulders, keeping

him close. He moved his hand slowly up and down Daniel’s prick,
keeping the pace slow. He loved the frustrated growl, the way
Daniel shivered. He pulled Daniel’s lower lip out, bit it gently.
Daniel’s soft little sounds made his cock ache.

Then he moved to Daniel’s throat, his teeth closing over tender

skin. Daniel stiffened, a soft curious sound on the air. He rumbled
low, refusing to back off, asking Daniel to give this to him. He

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began sucking, working up a mark, pulling the flavor into himself
even as he demanded Daniel’s submission.

Daniel’s heart pounded furiously and the strong muscles tensed

impossibly. He bit the skin in his mouth before soothing it with his
tongue. He kept making sounds, letting Daniel ease back. He
wasn’t here to hurt or to make Daniel feel small; he wanted
pleasure, pure and simple. They couldn’t deny their instincts, their
hearts.

He let go of Daniel’s prick, fingers sliding down into the man’s

open jeans to cup his balls. Those muscled legs spread, body
reaching for his fingers as Daniel’s chin lifted. Good pup. He
latched on to a new spot, pulling a second bruise up on Daniel’s
throat. His hum vibrated Daniel’s skin. It only took a second for
Daniel to start rocking on his fingers with the same rhythm as his
suction.

Fucking sensual man. It was a crime that Daniel had been

denied this. Daniel made lovely noises, wild and free.

He managed to get a finger behind Daniel’s balls where the

heat was tremendous.

“Need to come,” the man growled, hand pushing down

between them.

He knocked Daniel’s hand away. “Patience, Dan. We’ll get

there.”

Those curious eyes met his, lupine and bright, the desire

obvious.

“Naked first. Both of us.” This was more than a quick fuck and

he wanted it to be the best Daniel had ever had.

“What if someone comes in?”
“They won’t.” The door was closed, Will knew what they were

up to and anyone else who might stop by would figure it out.

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Daniel nodded, then tugged off Wood’s shirt. He raised his

arms so Daniel could pull it off and then he climbed off the bed
and tugged Daniel’s pants the rest of the way off. He’d admired the
naked body before, but now it was healthy and Daniel was awake.

He slid his hand along Daniel’s thigh, made a pleased noise in

the back of his throat. Body lightly furred, cock hard and needy—
Daniel was perfect.

He unzipped his own jeans and pulled them off, eager to get

flesh on flesh. Daniel’s fingers wrapped around his cock, started
stroking, base to tip.

“Not so fast, Dan. I keep telling you we have time.”
“Don’t you want it?”
He snorted and dropped his hand to his own hard prick, stroked

Daniel’s hand. “Of course I do. But I want to do it right.”

Daniel’s fingers squeezed him, thumb rubbing the tip and

making him growl.

Wood met Daniel’s eyes. “Wanna be inside you.”
“Inside me?” Daniel blinked. “I haven’t. Not that.”
“No? Do you want to?” Wood wanted to. Very much.
“Have you? Is it good?”
“I’ve always been the doer,” he admitted. “And it’s very good.”
Daniel looked at him. “Maybe. Maybe, I don’t know.”
“Let’s not worry about it.” He bent and kissed Daniel again,

working to get them back in the mood.

When Daniel learned how much pleasure the sweet hole could

give, then they’d discuss it again.

He lay down on Daniel, their pricks bumping and rubbing.

Daniel growled softly, nuzzling their cheeks together. He vocalized
softly in return, eyes dropping halfway closed. Daniel’s touches
slowed, dragging on his skin, petting him.

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Yes! That’s what he was looking for. They could take their

time, explore, make each other feel good. He offered Daniel praise.
Their kind blossomed under praise and support. “So good. Your
touches make me need.”

Daniel hummed softly, rumbling for him. He found the man’s

nipples, stroking them Daniel’s fingers dug into his muscles,
massaging. Groaning, he rocked his hips, pushing them together.

“More. More, please.” Daniel’s begging sounded so good.
He pushed his hand between them, wrapping both their cocks

together. The heat of Daniel’s cock against his felt so good.

“Oh, yes.” Daniel’s hand joined his.
They pulled together, hands moving fast and hard now. Daniel

fed him harsh, hungry sounds that he answered. He stared into
Daniel’s eyes, wanting Daniel to know it was him, not just some
random hook-up to get the edge off. Daniel was with Wood.

Daniel’s pupils dilated, his name growled out. He nodded and

squeezed their pricks hard. Spunk sprayed between them, the scent
wild and male. It pushed him over and he cried out, putting his
mark across Daniel’s belly.

The look of Daniel’s face was lax, almost dizzy. Wood

collapsed to the side of the man, their lower bodies tangled
together. Daniel’s fingers stroked down his spine.

He rumbled happily. “That was good.” Better than it had ever

been with anyone else. He wasn’t sure what that meant.

Daniel nodded, cuddled. Cuddled. Their kind didn’t cuddle. He

didn’t cuddle.

It felt good, though. Nice. He let his hand wrap around Daniel’s

hip. That felt even better.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the quiet, companionable

moment.

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 5

Daniel wandered around the rooms, restless, worried. No one

ever let him out. No one gave him his keys. He needed to go, run.
See the moon. He knew he needed to howl at the moon.

Will had come back with steak, milk, and fresh vegetables;

they were eating well enough.

And ever since they’d fucked, Wood watched him. It didn’t

seem to matter what time of day it was, he could feel the man’s
eyes on him. It was maddening. Fascinating.

There’d been a meeting earlier, with Wood, Doc, Will, and two

other men who’d smelled like some god-awful cologne. He hadn’t
been invited. “Soon,” Wood had promised.

Wood caught up to him in his bedroom, giving him a toothy

smile. “I was hoping to find you here.”

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Daniel nodded. Where else would he be?
Wood came right up to him and wrapped strong arms around

him, mouth landing on his without fanfare. The kiss was hungry,
deep, Wood’s tongue pushing into his mouth and taking no
prisoners. Tugging him in close, Wood was hard against him.

They backed up to the wall. Wood grabbed his hands and

tugged them up over his head, pressing them against the wall. He
gasped, stretched, body caught between fight and surrender. Hips
driving into his, Wood demanded it be surrender. Those fingers
squeezed his wrists, stretching him taller.

Wood’s kiss was hard, perfect, stealing his breath away. His

body ached and he found himself fighting the urge to melt. After
biting at his lower lip, Wood moved the kiss to his jaw, sucking on
his skin.

He growled softly, toes curling as he tensed. Wood growled

back, teeth on his throat now. Oh. Oh, fuck. He began to vibrate,
cock achingly hard.

Wood pulled his shirt up over his head, letting it catch on his

arms and hold them up for him. He tried to pull his arms free, the
wolf in him curious and worried. Wood tore open his pants,
distracting him by jacking his prick, hard and rough.

He yelped, eyes rolling back, body responding eagerly. Yes.

Yes. Please. Fuck.

“When you’ve come, I want you to suck me.”
He could learn Wood’s scent. He could. Not that he would

admit it. Wood kept jacking him, pulling at him and demanding his
pleasure. Dan snapped at the air, twisting, tugging at the shirt.

“You can come for me, Dan. Spill all over my hand.”
Barking with need, he shot, hips jerking convulsively.
“Yes. That’s it. That’s my wolf.”

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He swallowed, body chasing the echoes of pleasure, aching

happily. Wood’s hand kept moving, stretching his pleasure out. All
Daniel could do was shake, feel, hands opening and closing again
and again.

Wood’s mouth met his again, taking the last of his breath. His

caught arms settled, his elbows bending as his knees buckled.
Wood managed to get the T-shirt off as he caught him and gently
lowered him to his knees.

He nuzzled Wood’s prick, his wolf hungry and eager for the

scent, Wood’s flavor. Wood groaned, worked open his jeans.
Mouth watering, Daniel pulled Wood closer, cheek rubbing the
cloth of Wood’s briefs.

“You want it, Daniel?” Wood’s hand cupped the back of his

head.

He groaned and his lips parted. “Now.”
“Demanding.” Wood pressed Daniel’s face into his crotch.
Yes. He scrabbled at Wood’s waist, tearing the briefs down to

bare the fat prick. It slapped him in the face, and Wood moaned for
him. It was the easiest thing ever, to wrap his lips around the heavy
flesh, pull Wood in and suck, needing to learn the man’s flavor.

Both of Wood’s hands wrapped around his head, encouraging

him. Wood pushed deep, and the tip of his cock slipped into
Daniel’s throat. The thick cock dragged along his tongue on the
way out, and then Wood pushed back into his throat again.

He swallowed hard, eyes falling closed as he groaned. Wood

fucked his mouth, pressing into him over and over. The flavor—
wild and male—made his mouth water.

“Fuck, that’s good.”
Daniel looked up, met Wood’s eyes.
Wood grinned down at him. “Feels good, Dan.”

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It was a blow job. They were always good. Even bad blow jobs

were good.

“Don’t stop. Don’t fucking stop.” Wood pumped in and out of

his mouth.

He growled and sucked harder, pulling voraciously at the fat

prick filling his mouth. Wood’s eyes met his again, intense and
needy. The heavy, fuzzy sacs felt like velvet in his fingers as he
rolled them.

“Dan!” Wood moved harder, pushing deep into his throat every

time.

Swallowing again and again, he fought, making Wood work for

it. He could feel Wood’s balls draw up, knew it wouldn’t be long.
His fingers slipped behind, tapped the strip of skin behind.

“Fuck!” Wood shouted and slammed in as come poured down

his throat.

Daniel groaned, swallowing as he held onto Wood’s thighs.

Wood held on to his head, kept him in place. The pressure aroused
him, made him shudder, grab for his cock. Wood growled at him.
He looked up again, into those dark eyes.

“You already came once. Wait for the next one.”
Daniel liked the idea of next one. A lot.
Wood’s prick slid out from between his lips and the man

reached down to haul him up against strong muscles.

“Been wanting you all fucking day.” Wood growled the words

into his lips, biting at them like the man was starving for him.
“Couldn’t think of any other damn thing.” Wood dragged him over
to the bed, and they both dropped down onto it.

They tugged and pulled at each other’s clothes, soft growls on

the air. When they were both naked, Wood lay on top of him, skin
so hot, their chest hair rubbing. He had Wood’s ass, and he

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squeezed them closer together. Wood rolled them suddenly,
putting him on top and grabbing his ass. His own hands were now
trapped beneath Wood’s body.

He growled, playing, wiggling happily atop Wood. Wood’s

fingers slid into his crack. That was unnerving, but somehow
exciting, too. Those fingers moved across his hole, stroking his
skin. He felt his belly jerk with every touch. Damn.

Wolf grinned up at him, pushing in the tiniest bit now.
“I…” He leaned down, face in the curve of Wood’s shoulder.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Wood pressed again, but then

went back to rubbing around his hole, then in, then around it,
sparking nerves he didn’t even know he had.

He started panting, teeth testing Wood’s skin. Wood growled

softly, but didn’t stop what he was doing. Wood’s hands asked his
legs to part, to spread. When they did, the man stroked the patch of
skin between his balls and his hole. The zing was delicious, and he
rumbled happily, working his hands free from beneath Wood.

Wood poked that finger into him a little more this time. How

strange. His breath caught, head tilting as he focused on the
feeling. Wood smiled at him, finger pushing a little deeper this
time. There was no censure in the look, no teasing.

“You’re so hot inside.”
He was—he was burning up, confused, needy.
Wood’s finger went a little deeper. Should he let Wood do

that? Should he? Wood pulled his finger out, and then pushed it
back in again. The motion made him gasp, made his hips roll back.
and suddenly it wasn’t a question of should he, but how could he
make Wood do it again.

Wood slipped the fingers of his free hand into Dan’s mouth.

His lips closed instinctively, pulling on those sweet fingers,

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tugging hard. It made Wood moan and buck up beneath him, so he
sucked harder, nodding, loving the response.

He scraped the pads of Wood’s fingers and earned a loud bark

this time. He rumbled softly around that finger, tongue lashing the
tip.

“Fucking oral wolf,” muttered Wood.
He was. He liked tasting.
The tip of Wood’s finger slid into him with the same rhythm as

the fingers that Wood was pushing into his mouth, over and over.
He focused on the pleasure, on the odd, interesting dance they
were having.

Almost without him realizing, Wood pushed the finger inside

him deeper into his ass. Wood’s finger stroked across something
inside him that made him gasp, made him grunt and twist.

“Mmm. Good, yeah?” Wood touched him there inside again.
“Good.” His lips parted, Wood’s finger setting a fire inside

him.

Wood looked wickedly pleased and the fingers in his mouth

slid away, moved behind him.

“Wood?” His lips were empty now.
“Gonna open you up a little, Dan.” The finger inside him

disappeared and then the two he’d been sucking on pushed in.

His body moved, the action instinctive, immediate. Wood’s

other hand stroked along his back, a low growl vibrating beneath
him. He met Wood’s eyes, and the look was approving. The
fingers inside him moved deeper, touching that place inside him.

“Wood. Wood, you…” Oh, sweet moon. He’d never felt

anything like this before.

Wood touched that place again, harder this time. He grabbed

Wood’s shoulders, body curling up, as sensations he’d never even

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imagined were possible slammed through him.

Groaning, Wood did it again, then again, not letting up for a

moment. Daniel took a kiss, wild and needy, tongue fighting with
Wood’s. Wood pushed another finger into him while they kissed,
the stretch turning into a burn. The touch made him still, gasp,
stare into those amazing eyes. And again, Wood found that place
inside him and touched it, causing sensation to shoot through him.

His wolf howled inside him, calling for his pack, for his mate,

the intensity maddening. Wood stretched his fingers apart and the
burn was gone, just the pleasure and the need remaining.

“Please.” He wasn’t even sure what he was begging for, but he

needed it. Badly. Now.

“Want my cock, Dan? I want you. I want to be buried inside

you.”

“I…” He just nodded. He needed something and he needed

Wood to help him. He knew instinctively that Wood could. Would.

Wood’s fingers disappeared from inside him and the man

rolled him, putting him on the bottom again.

He hoped Wood didn’t give him too much time to think or

anything. He just needed to feel. The man didn’t make him wait,
Wood spreading his legs and settling between them. The blunt heat
of Wood’s cock pressed against hole. His breath caught in his chest
as he waited. This felt…huge.

Wood pushed and he was slowly stretched, Wood’s cock

opening him up. Their gaze never parted, the connection never
easing up. Wood kept pushing in and into him until he could feel
the man’s hips pressed hard against his ass, and the thick cock
deep inside him, filling him up.

It was unnerving. His heart slammed, and his fingers opened

and closed convulsively. Then Wood bent to kiss him, the cock

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inside him shifting even as their lips joined together. The kiss
made him cry out, suddenly released from the tension.

Still kissing him, Wood started moving, the thick prick sliding

almost all the way out before pushing slowly back in again. His
belly tightened, relaxed, tightened again.

“Take it. Feel it,” muttered Wood, pushing in a little harder.
A low keening left him, and his body gave, opening completely

to Wood’s invasion. To Wood’s…possession.

“That’s it.” Wood rocked into him again, this time hitting that

spot.

Daniel didn’t know what to do, how to respond. How to

breathe.

Wood kept moving inside him, while one hand wrapped around

his prick and added to the sensations coursing through him. Daniel
rocked between the sensations, riding them happily. Wood moved
faster, breath beginning to gasp from him. All Daniel could do was
hold on tight, moaning low.

Wood kept hitting that spot inside him, making everything

brighter, sharper. His head fell back and Wood swooped down,
teeth worrying his skin, sinking in. Fire bloomed from beneath
Wood’s mouth, igniting all the other sensations inside him.

“Mate!” The word popped out of him, seed spraying from his

needy cock.

Wood moaned, the sound vibrating around his throat and heat

filled him as Wood jerked above him. He felt that, felt that all
inside him, that heat. Oh, sweet moon.

Wood collapsed onto him, breath hot, good, across his neck,

across the mark Wood had left there.

Gods above and below, what had they done?
Still, Wood’s weight felt solid, good. Right. Jesus.

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“Shh.” Wood petted him, long, slow strokes that eased him.

“You’re safe here,” Wood reminded him. “No one’s going to hurt
you.” The last words came with a little growl.

He wasn’t sure how Wood could promise that, but he’d take it,

for now.

“I’ve got you.”
Daniel nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
Wood slipped from him, shifted to lie next to him and pull him

close. “It is.”

He could feel Wood’s seed leaking from him, painting his inner

thighs.

Wood’s hand dropped to touch him there, spreading the come

around on his skin. “Mine.” The growl was soft, low. Dan almost
thought he’d imagined it. His nostrils flared, the scent of them
together heady.

Wood’s breath had evened out, the hand rubbing the come into

him staying on him, touching, sliding, exploring. The urge to go
exploring hadn’t disappeared; all that had changed was what he
wanted to explore.

Then Wood’s hand settled, wrapping possessively around his

hip. Daniel’s eyelids grew heavy, the wolf in him curling up tight
for a nap. Wood’s snore told him the man was doing the same.

He buried his face in the curve of Wood’s shoulder. Naptime.

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CHAPTER 6

Wood wasn’t sure what had happened while he and Daniel had

fucked. It felt like something deep and real. And the possessive
feeling that had been creeping up on him whenever he was near
Daniel had increased tenfold. The heavy feeling in his belly had
spread, become more real, solid. Necessary.

He needed to take Daniel out, show him how to blend in and

not be noticed. That way he’d know Daniel was safe, right? Safe
and ready.

He went into the kitchen, looking for his…his Daniel.
Daniel was head to head with Will, frowning over a map,

fingers tracing a line.

It made him growl and he wanted to throw Will across the

room for daring to be close to his…to Daniel. “What’s going on?”

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Will grinned up at him. “I’m trying to help Danny here figure

out how he drove into town. He was a little fucked up.”

Daniel snorted. “Just a little.”
Wood wasn’t telling Daniel where his truck was—he wasn’t

ready for the man to try and go yet. He was planning a rescue
mission to the camp Daniel had been held at, but he wasn’t risking
Daniel’s life getting there.

The moon was coming, though. He wondered how Dan was

going to handle having to go through that hidden in the bowels of
the city. Daniel’s eyes met his, and the urge to rip Will’s throat out
hit him again, which was ridiculous. Will was a good man, one hell
of a friend, and solid as they came.

They needed to get out of here before he did something stupid.

“You want to go out into the city?”

“Huh? Sure. Sure, I’m ready.”
Will’s head tilted, eyes curious.
“Just a wander to give you a feel for blending in.” He stared

Will down.

He got a goofy, happy little grin and Will’s eyes dropped, the

man chuffing softly. He growled, pleased. Will was a good one. He
knew that. He did.

Still, he was growling when he said, “Come on, Dan.”
Daniel nodded, heading out of the kitchen without looking back

at Will. Wood gave Will a grin, trying not to let the growling
inside him show, and followed Dan out.

“We’ll go out the back way. More stairs but we can’t use the

elevator that much. We don’t want to bring attention to it.”

“I don’t mind stairs. I’m strong.” And had more stamina than

any wolf Wood had ever met.

“You are.” He palmed Dan’s ass briefly; he wouldn’t be doing

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that outside—it would draw too much attention, and a lot of it
negative. There were a lot of things the normals didn’t tolerate, and
wolves were just at the top of the list.

He felt the strong muscles jerk and ripple under his fingers. It

made him hum as they hit the stairs.

There were four flights to go up and then it would let them out

near the park. Daniel took the stairs like they were nothing,
jogging almost idly. The man was in such good shape. It was sexy
as hell.

“I can smell you.” Daniel’s voice was husky.
“I showered this morning.”
“You smell good.”
“That’s okay, then.” If Daniel could smell him, the man could

find him if they got separated. Not that they would; he wouldn’t let
that happen.

They reached the door, Daniel sniffing hard.
“Yeah, you gotta stop doing that. Or at least make it less

obvious. Normal humans don’t use their noses. Like at all.” Which
was a waste of a perfectly good sense.

“How can they not?” Daniel sniffed. “That’s outside. Green.”
Wood shrugged. “They just don’t. You still can, just make it

look like you aren’t.”

Daniel nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah. Don’t sniff, don’t look around too much, and follow my

lead.” He was nervous for Daniel, worried, even though he knew
Daniel was smart and strong and caught on quickly.

“Okay, sure. I did manage to get here, you know.”
“You nearly got yourself killed is what you did.” It was

amazing that Daniel had made it into town and a miracle that he’d
been the first one Daniel had run into.

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“I did not.” Daniel growled softly. “I knew to go to a hotel and

sleep.”

“If you weren’t found out, that bullet would have killed you.”

He opened the door to the outside. “You’ll do fine now, though.”

“I will.” Daniel offered him a grin that was surprisingly

puppyish, adorable.

A part of him felt bad he’d made Daniel wait so long to go out,

but he knew he’d done the right thing. It would kill him if Daniel
was caught here in the city after the man had escaped the horrors
of a work camp.

The sun was shining, the park green and peaceful, and Daniel

stepped out, head down, nostrils working overtime. Wood would
have given a lot to be able to let Daniel run around and discover
everything the way he wanted to. It wasn’t to be.

“Careful,” he murmured. “Get it out of your system before

we’re out of the park.” He breathed deeply himself, but slower
breaths, letting the scents flood him in long waves. Nothing
smelled out of place; he figured they were okay to go to the
grocery store. Whether or not they went in would depend on how
Daniel did when they got to the street and there were more people
around.

“I’ll be good. I love the sunshine.”
“I’m sorry the den’s not up in a penthouse somewhere.” They

were safer underground, though. There were lots of places to go—
they wouldn’t be trapped if someone found out where they were.

Daniel shrugged. “I haven’t had a lot of it. One day, I’ll live in

the mountains. Away.”

“Are they safe?” Wood didn’t think anywhere was safe

anymore. He had thought the packs had it better than they did in
the city. Daniel had dispelled that theory but good.

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“I don’t know, but somewhere has to be safe and outside.”
“It’s nice to think so anyway.” It was a dream he held onto,

after all. One he’d sent more than one wolf off to; he sure as hell
hoped he wasn’t helping his kind out of the frying pan and into the
fire, so to speak, when he helped them escape the city.

Daniel nodded. “Are you staying here forever?”
“Don’t wanna. Might have to.” If there was nowhere to go,

what was the point of leaving what he knew? Besides he was
needed here; he helped people.

“Oh.” Daniel headed for the trees, fingers on the bark. Look at

that sensual bastard.

Wood wanted to see Daniel’s wolf, wanted to see the man run.

Just the thought made him want to drool. He caught back up with
Daniel and pointed to the sidewalk. “We’re going this way.”

“Okay.” Daniel followed the sidewalk, moving into the flow of

the foot traffic.

“How are you doing?” he asked, curious about how it all

seemed to someone new. He was used to it, used to the smells and
sounds, and he knew how to blend in—it was second nature to him
now.

“It smells. A lot.” Daniel stayed close to him.
“It does. Like others.” It was the hardest thing about living

here.

“Uh-huh. Can they tell? That we’re different?”
“Not just by looking. Which is why we can blend in.” If the

normals had used their other senses, like scent, as much as they
used their eyes, it wouldn’t have worked, but they didn’t.

Daniel nodded and padded along, arms loose at his sides. He

looked fairly easy in his skin—at least there were no visible signs
that being out among people was bothering him.

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“You wanna hit the grocery store?” Wood decided to let Daniel

decide if he could do it or not. His own instinct was to grab Daniel
up and drag him back to the underground den where he could make
sure Dan was safe. Or as safe as they could be.

“Sure. I haven’t seen one in years. The pack used to shop at a

store in a little village not too far from our lands.”

“We’ll go in and if you haven’t freaked out yet, buy food.

Will’ll be pleased to have someone else doing the shopping for a
change.” Wood nodded to the building across the street.

“What do you need to get?” Daniel looked around, eyes

beginning to get a little wild.

“Meat, veg, potatoes.” Maybe stock up on more beans. The

canned food was easy to keep on hand for when they ran out of
fresh and couldn’t get out.

“Can we have apples?”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.” Apples were an easy

indulgence.

“Cool.” They headed into the grocery store and Daniel

shivered, nostrils flaring.

“Let me know if gets to be too much. We need to blend in.”

Wood already thought it was too much for Daniel, but he wasn’t
trying to claw his way up the walls yet, so Wood trusted it was still
okay.

“How do you blend in?”
“Act like everyone else. Not draw attention.” Giving in to the

panic and howling would be a bad thing.

Daniel gave him a wild-eyed look, then headed for the produce,

looking at things, smelling them.

A woman came right up to Daniel. “How are the grapefruits?

Ripe?”

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Son of a bitch. He gave Daniel a supportive smile, hoping the

man could improvise. The last thing they needed was for Daniel to
snarl at the woman, or bolt.

“They smell good.” Daniel handed one over, giving the woman

a bright smile and Wood could smell the woman’s sudden arousal.

It made his hackles rise and he wanted to step between them

and push her away, stake his claim. He managed not to do it. He
even managed not to growl at her. It was a close thing, though.

She fluttered a bit, flirting wildly, and Daniel’s nostrils flared, a

look of discomfort in the bright eyes. That look was the only thing
that saved her from Wood’s need to let everyone, especially her,
know that Daniel was his.

Wood bit back another growl and cleared his throat. “Excuse

me.” He nodded at the fruit they were blocking.

“Sorry.” She moved away and Daniel stepped closer, leaning

against him for a second.

“Brush it off.” Wood touched Daniel’s arm, just briefly. “Put

something you want in the basket and let’s get to the meat
department.” They had to keep moving before someone noticed
them just standing there.

Daniel grabbed a handful of apples and some grapes.
Wood nodded and pushed the cart toward where the meat was.

“You want chips or shit like that?” He didn’t think Daniel would
like the chemical taste any better than he did, but it was only polite
to ask.

Daniel licked his lips. “Nope.”
Wood chuckled. “Good choice. Ah, now here’s the section

we’re really interested in.” The meat department. You had to love
a whole section with package after package of meat. It would be
better if they sold the stuff by the whole or half animal, but it was

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pretty damn awesome just as it was.

Daniel’s eyes glowed a sudden, bright gold.
Wood cleared his throat and murmured, “Easy, we’re just

another pair of customers.”

“Uh-huh. Sorry. Sorry.” Daniel’s chin dipped, and the man

started panting softly.

“We’ll grab a few things and go.” He tossed some beef cuts

and three whole chickens into the cart, then added a pair of pork
roasts and some tenderloin. “Come on.”

He needed to get Daniel out of there before something bad

happened. Like Daniel wolfing out and devouring a shelf full of
ground beef. He’d had fantasies of doing something like that
himself now and then.

“There’s so much.”
“You get used to it. Or at least you get good at keeping it from

overwhelming you.” He found the shortest checkout line.

“I’m sorry. I’m trying to be good.”
“You’re doing great for your first time. But you see now why I

was worried about you standing out when you first got here?”
Daniel was like a beacon, shining out not only his newness to the
city, but how he was different.

Part of that was pheromones, too. They were pouring off

Daniel in waves, drawing unconscious attention. People didn’t
know why they were looking, but they were. Those pheromones
were making him growly and protective, too. He felt his aggression
rise; Daniel was his. He’d never felt like this for any of the other
wolves he’d helped. None of them.

He wanted Daniel back in his bed, bare and twisting, filled with

his cock.

He didn’t look at Daniel; if he could smell Daniel, then Daniel

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could smell him and the last thing they needed was to pounce each
other and go at it like the animals they were right here in the store.
He could just imagine the shock and horror on the faces of the
normals. They’d be dead in a matter of minutes.

The little cashier made small talk at them, pointless questions

about grilling out and big families and being carnivores. Possibly
they’d put too much meat and not enough other things in their cart.
Wood tried to dredge up a non-toothy smile for her and grunted out
a few answers at the appropriate times.

Daniel just stood and watched, vibrating a little bit, moaning

under his breath. Wood had to think about wolves being taken in
packs and put in the mines to work, about all the scars on Daniel’s
body and how they got there, just to get through the check-out
process.

Finally, they had their bags and he headed out, trusting Daniel

was right on his heels. He managed not to do it at a run. He was
just another guy in a hurry to have his chores done. At least that’s
how he hoped he was coming off.

“Where now?” Daniel was panting at the back of his neck.
“Home.” There was no way they were risking going anywhere

else.

“Okay. Okay. I… Wood.” The sound was needy, keening.
“Hold that thought, Daniel.” It wasn’t much better to like men

in this world, than it was to be a wolf. They had to make it to
safety without giving away that they were wolves, or that they
were a couple.

Daniel nodded, padding through the park, steps careful, right

behind him.

Wood glanced around as they got under the cover of the trees,

making sure they hadn’t been noticed, that they could disappear

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through the hidden door into the hideout. It was clear. He nodded
and pointed, and Daniel moved unerringly to the entrance.

They slipped inside and he locked the door. Then he put down

their bags and grabbed Daniel’s arms, tugging him in for a hard
kiss. Daniel pounced him, right there on the landing, tongue
fucking his lips. He tried sucking on it, but it was too quick,
flicking between his lips like a mad thing.

He wanted Daniel’s ass, wanted to leave his mark. His fingers

worked at the button, the zipper of Daniel’s jeans, yanking them
open. Daniel’s cock was hard, wet-tipped, throbbing as it pushed
into his fingers. He pressed his thumb into Daniel’s slit and then
wrapped his fingers around the thick heat and jacked quickly.

Daniel yelped, fingers digging into his arms. “Wood?”
“Yeah, Danny?”
He got this sweet, stunned, hungry look. “Right here? Just like

that?”

“We’ll take the edge off, then do it right when we get back.”

He went back to jacking that needy prick.

“Uh-huh.” Danny’s eyes crossed, the gold in them shining like

a beacon.

He pulled Daniel in for another kiss, hand continuing to work

hard. His lover barked into his lips, eyes wide, wild. He kept
pulling on Daniel’s lovely cock, wanting—no needing—to have
that come fountaining over his hand.

Daniel whimpered for him, then came hard, spunk spraying

between them in ropes. The scent hit his nose and made him moan,
made his own hips jerk in response. Daniel moaned, too, lips on
his jaw, tongue lapping at him.

“Fucking love that smell.” The motion of his fingers was slick

now, sliding over the softening shaft. He let go of Daniel’s prick

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and brought his hand up, groaning at the flavor of his mate. Yeah,
there was no denying it—Daniel was his.

Daniel knelt before him, tugging his cock free, lips wrapping

around him. Oh, fuck. He wanted inside, wanted Daniel to let him
in that tight hole, but this was…so good. He yowled softly, letting
Daniel know he liked it, and his fingers wrapped in Daniel’s hair,
urging him on. Daniel growled happily, slurping around his prick,
head bobbing, so eager.

He spread a little wider and began to rock, not pushing, just

adding. Daniel whined for him, pulling harder.

“Fuck. Good.” He grunted out the words, moving faster,

watching his prick slide in and out of Daniel’s mouth. Slick and
dark, it was so hot, watching his cock disappear.

It wasn’t going to take long. And then he wanted to drag Daniel

back to his bed and fuck the man through his mattress. His mate
would let him in, let him touch that sweet hole and fill it; he
couldn’t wait to be buried inside Daniel again.

Daniel rolled his balls, nudging them with strong fingers.
“Fuck!” He pushed hard and came down Daniel’s throat.

Daniel swallowed around him, holding him close, in deep. He kept
hold of Daniel’s head, hips moving just a moment longer as his
orgasm rolled through him. Daniel drank down every drop.

Groaning, he pulled out and bent to kiss Daniel, his own taste

flavoring Daniel’s mouth. Daniel pushed close, sharing soft, happy
moans with him.

“Come on. Bed’s better than a stairwell.” He took one last kiss,

lingering longer than he’d planned before tearing his mouth away
and grabbing up most of their grocery bags. He heard Daniel
gathering up the rest, then padding along behind him.

He moved quickly, eager to get back to their rooms. They had

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to go through the kitchen anyway, they could throw their bags into
the fridge and unpack them later. They had far more necessary
things to do.

Will was still at the table, eyebrow cocked as they walked in.

“Good trip?”

“Great trip.” He put the bags on the table. “You can put these

away.”

“Can I?” Will chuckled. “You two stink.”
He flipped Will the bird and grabbed Daniel’s arm, dragging

him down the hall. Daniel’s cheeks were blazing, burning.

“Will’s a good guy, don’t worry about him.” He wanted

Daniel’s focus on him and nothing but him.

“He is. He’s been decent to me. Very decent.”
Possessiveness surged through him. “Not too decent, I hope.”
Daniel’s lips quirked. “You want him to be an asshole?”
“No.” He tugged Daniel into his room and over to the bed. “I

want him to keep his hands off you.”

“Are we like…a pairing?
“Pairing? No.” There wasn’t a cutesy word for how he felt for

Daniel. He knew what it was they were, he could feel it in every
inch, in his very bones. It had been driving him almost from the
beginning. It was deep and real. “We’re mates.”

“Mates?” Daniel looked stunned. “But we’re males.”
“So?” It didn’t matter, he knew what he felt; he knew what

they were. So did Daniel, even if he didn’t know that he knew.

“I just… Mates.” Daniel blinked, then licked his lips. “Mates.”
“Mates.” He grabbed Daniel and tugged him in close, took

Daniel’s mouth. He bit Daniel’s lip, hard enough to draw blood.
Sucking on it, he pulled the flavor of his mate’s blood into himself.
He growled softly, his entire chest rumbling. His. His mate. He

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needed Daniel to make him whole, to fill his heart. Forever.

He pushed Daniel back onto the bed. Daniel arched under him,

moaning low. He tore at the clothes that separated him from
Daniel’s skin. The scent of Daniel’s need made his mouth water,
made him so hungry. He bit at Daniel’s throat, his animal instincts
at the fore. Daniel keened and pulled away, leading him on an
incredibly short chase across the mattress. He held Daniel down
and bit again, mouth open wide on Daniel’s skin.

“Fuck!” Daniel arched as his nails dragged over the flat belly.

His.

He growled softly, tongue flicking over the skin he’d bitten. He

petted Daniel in long, hard strokes, throat to hip. This was all his,
his mate. He wanted to howl to the moon, he wanted to let every
other wolf out there know this one was taken, Daniel was his. He
nuzzled that vulnerable throat again, achingly hard.

He pushed his fingers toward Daniel’s mouth. He needed to

open up his mate so he could be inside. Daniel, the oral bastard,
swooped down and started sucking, tongue laving his fingers.
Fuck, yes. He fucked that hungry mouth, pushing his fingers in
again and again. He watched his fingers disappear, reappear. Fuck,
that was hot.

He groaned, rubbing his prick against Daniel’s leg. Hungry

pup. Hungry him, too.

He finally pulled his fingers away, too close to the edge to

watch and feel Daniel doing that for another second. Daniel
growled, body curling to chase his fingers.

“Easy, babe. I’m not going to leave you hanging.” He slid his

fingers behind Daniel’s balls to push at that tight little hole.

“Please…” Daniel turned, went to hands and knees, and fuck.

Fuck, look at that. The man made his mouth dry.

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He pushed his fingers into Daniel, making very quick work of

stretching the hot hole. His free hand rested on the small of
Daniel’s back, encouraging Daniel to arch, to spread and show off
for him a little. He pushed his fingers deeper, hitting Daniel’s
gland.

“Wood!” Daniel yelped, hands scrabbling at the headboard.
Wood pressed against that spot again. Someone wanted, so

badly. It was incredibly hot. He pulled his fingers out and slammed
his cock in instead.

Daniel howled, the sound happy, hungry, shocked. Wild. He

threw his own head back and answered Daniel’s howl. That tight
sheath milked him, shook around his cock.

He grabbed hold of Daniel’s ass and started to rut hard, pulling

Daniel back onto his cock. Daniel’s head fell forward, hair falling
to bare the nape of Daniel’s neck. He couldn’t resist that sweet
swath of flesh. Bending, he opened his mouth around it.
Unmarked, pale—this bit of skin was perfect and all his. His teeth
sank in.

Daniel stilled, body as tight as a fist, as he held on. He dug his

teeth in a little harder. His. Daniel was his. He could taste blood,
knew he was scarring his mate, marking him. Everyone of their
kind who saw Daniel would know. This man was claimed.

He kept thrusting, pushing into Daniel over and over. Daniel

arched beneath him, bucking back, rolling underneath him.
Moaning, he moved faster, harder. Their growls filled the air, deep,
raw, male. Their skin slapped together, adding to the noises.

He shook Daniel with his teeth, dragging the man from side to

side, a possessive growl building up inside him. Daniel arched,
body curved under him, submitting. He let the growl out, offering
it to his mate. He would provide and care for Daniel until time

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stopped.

He let go of Daniel’s neck, shifting and nailing Daniel’s gland

on every thrust in.

“Please. Please. Please.” Good pup.
Wrapping his hand around Daniel’s prick, he let every one of

his thrusts push that lovely cock along his palm.

Daniel’s wild yowl preceded the way the fine cock sprayed

seed into his fingers. He jerked in a few more times, and then filled
his mate with his seed, marking Daniel deep inside.

They slumped onto the mattress, panting, sweating. He kissed

the mark he’d left on Daniel’s neck. Daniel’s body shuddered
around his cock.

“Mine,” he told Daniel.
“You claimed me.” And Daniel had allowed it.
“I did. And now you’re mine. To protect, to care for, to love.”
He felt Daniel’s answer all around his prick.
He wanted to stay right here, right now, forever. The rest of the

world could go fuck itself.

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CHAPTER 7

“Daniel, honey? Do you know where the bags of clean laundry

went?” Will’s voice cut through the low music he was listening to
like glass.

“Wood gave them to…someone. I don’t know his name.” He

didn’t know most of their names. Wood kept him…busy. A lot.

“Richard, maybe?”
“Maybe. He was dark. Growly.” He kept working on fixing the

plumbing in one of the bathrooms.

Will chuckled. “That doesn’t narrow it down all that much.”
“Uh… He was wearing pants?”
“That leaves off, uh…Wood.” Will gave him a wink.
Was the pup flirting with him? He wasn’t sure that was smart.

Wood was pretty damn possessive. And Dan wasn’t complaining.

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Not at all.

“Wood had pants on, the last time I saw him.” He thought.
Will’s mouth opened, but before he could say anything, Wood

pushed into the bathroom past him. “What’s this about the last time
you saw me?”

He grinned. “I told Will you had pants on.” His mate smelled

so good.

“What? Of course I have pants on.” Wood looked from him to

Will and back again, frowning.

Will laughed softly, Wood’s frown turning into an outright

glare. “That’s my cue to leave. Let me know if you find the clean
laundry.” Will slid out, squeezing past Wood.

Daniel finished tightening the flange. “Hey. I got this fixed.”
“Seriously? That’s awesome. I really didn’t want to have to call

a plumber down here. I would have had to find one of us and that’s
not always easy…” Wood paused for a breath and then pursed his
lips. “So what’s up with Will and pants?”

“He was trying to figure out where the laundry was and I

couldn’t remember who you gave it to.” He stood, started washing
the gunk off his hands.

“I’m still not sure what that had to do with my pants, though I

suppose as long as he stays away from yours, that’s okay.” Wood
had that little growl in his voice.

It made Daniel shiver and his prick pay attention. Still, he

didn’t let that show. “My pants? They wouldn’t fit him.”

Wood gave him a startled look and then chuckled lightly.
He winked, grinned back. “How’s your day going.”
“I don’t know. Better now that I see you.”
The words made him grin, made his head duck as his cheeks

heated.

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“It’s sexy, seeing you all rugged and Mr. Fix-it-ty.”
That made Daniel chuckle; Wood seemed to find a lot about

him that was sexy. “Thank you. I know a lot about working, huh?”
If things broke at the bunks in the work camp, there was no one to
fix it but them.

“Yeah.” Wood grabbed his belt and tugged him up against

muscles. Their bodies crashed together, their arms wrapping
around each other.

“We’re in the bathroom,” he pointed out.
“I noticed.” That was all Wood said before his mouth took

Daniel’s, the kiss hard and eager and well, Wood. Wood was
hungry, always, needing him.

The strong hands slid down to his ass, squeezing it

rhythmically. He was fairly sure this sort of thing was what had
broken the toilet to begin with. Wood kissed him like the man was
never going to stop. Daniel groaned, eyes rolling back in his head.
Damn.

“Too many clothes,” Wood told him, voice grumbling. This

was not new—it seemed to perpetually be Wood’s opinion.

“We’re in the bathroom.”
His shirt tore, from throat to belly button, and Wood reached

out and shoved the door closed. “There. Privacy.” Then those nails
dragged over his belly, scoring his skin, making him arch. “My
mate. Mine.”

“What’s up with you?” Like he didn’t know.
Wood pulled him up against the strong hips and hard cock.

“I’m up.”

“Growly fucker.” He snarled softly, bit Wood’s chin. “I can

make friends.”

“Just not too good friends.” Wood bit back, teeth on his throat.

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“Too…” He groaned, went up on tiptoe.
Wood scraped his teeth all the way to Daniel’s collarbone, and

then back to his Adam’s apple. The burn stung him, deep, and he
pulled away, caught between instinct and…something else.
Growling, Wood tugged him back in close.

“Mate.” Fuck, he couldn’t figure out what to do.
Wood turned them and pushed him up against the door,

pressing along his body, hard and somehow necessary. He
wiggled, hot and aching and embarrassingly needy. Wood didn’t
seem to be complaining, though. The big body pressed him into the
door, hot and hard in all the right places, his nipples catching on
Wood’s shirt.

“You’re mine, Danny. My mate. It’s like an ache.”
He understood that, agreed. He burned for Wood. Wood

removed his own shirt and their chests rubbed, short, curly hair
tangling together.

“Wood.” He let his head fall forward, lips on Wood’s shoulder.
“You’re mine and I will never let you go.” Wood’s fingers

pushed between them, working open his pants.

“Mine.” He lifted his lips, took Wood’s mouth with his.
Wood’s laugh filled his mouth and maybe the word “yes,”

fiercely spoken. The wildness seemed to ease back, let him breathe
again, think. The kisses didn’t stop, though, and Wood had them
both out of their pants now, hand wrapped around their pricks.
Wood’s cock was like a fire against his.

They moved faster, fingers driving him, his balls drawing up

tight. Wood’s mouth found his throat, found that same spot on his
throat it always did, teeth sinking in. He yelped and came, the burn
driving him over the edge.

Wood turned him around, pushed him up against the door and

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pulled his pants the rest of the way down. His heart was pounding,
his eyes rolling as he rode the pleasure. Two wet fingers pushed
against his hole, pressed in. He cocked his hips, offering himself
right up. Wood pushed in deep, hitting that spot inside him and
lighting him up. He jerked, belly slapping the door. Another finger
pushed in, stretching and rubbing inside him.

“Wood. Yes. Good.” Nothing else mattered when they were

like this. Nothing else was important.

It wasn’t long before Wood’s fingers were gone and that hot,

hard cock was pushing into him, sinking in and in. Daniel was
relaxed now, easing back into Wood. Hard fingers wrapped around
his hips, tugging him back as Wood began to thrust. Daniel let
himself move, riding Wood easily, moaning as they fucked.

“Made for this,” muttered Wood, his hands tightening, his

thrusts getting faster.

“Yeah. Come on, man.”
Wood slid a hand around him, grabbed hold of his still-hard

cock, began to pull in time with each thrust.

Hell, if he came anymore, his balls were going to implode.

Wood seemed determined that he was going to, though, thumb
working his tip, the prick inside him working his gland.

“I…I can’t.” God, it was good.
“You will.”
He bared his teeth. “I can’t.” Asshole. Beautiful asshole.
Wood’s thumb pressed into his slit, fingernail catching his skin.

He gasped, spine arching.

“You come for me. Prove that you’re mine.” Wood went back

to jacking him, to driving that thick cock into him.

A sharp slap hit his ass and that thumb dug in again as seed

sprayed from him.

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“Yes!” Wood slammed into him, filling him with hot come.
They stood there, pressed against the door, Wood’s heart

beating against his.

“Fuck. That never gets old.” Wood still didn’t have his breath

back.

“Is it going to?”
“Nope. You’re my mate, that’s always going to be something

special.” Wood pushed in deeper if that was possible.

His hole clenched, his ass tightening.
“Gonna hold me inside you? Keep me here?”
Oh, fuck. Fuck, Wood made him crazy with the things he said,

the things he did.

“No place I’d rather be.” Wood circled his hips, prick moving

inside Daniel.

The seductive words, the low rumble, were meant to ease him,

he knew that. They did, too. Wood’s kisses landed across his neck,
nibbling at his skin. The little stings and bites felt so good, so right.

Wood’s fingers slid along his arms, adding to the pleasure. He

caught himself making tiny, happy sounds, his body relaxing.

“Love the sounds you make. They make me want to take you

all over again.”

“Will it ease? This need?” He needed to know if it would

always be this desperate, this necessary. This big.

“I’ve never had a mate before, Daniel. But I don’t want it to

ease, I want this need to always sing between us.”

“I haven’t either. It’s big.” Huge. Strange.
“It’s fucking huge and I’ll fight until the death for it.” The

growl in Wood’s voice was sexy, fierce.

“Don’t say that.” His brother used to say that. His brother

Sammy, whom he hadn’t thought of in days. Days, because he’d

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been focused on this thing between him and Wood.

“It’s the truth, Daniel.” Wood dropped another kiss on his

neck.

Daniel groaned softly, mind racing. His pack was dying and he

was fixing toilets. Wood’s prick slipped out of him, and the man
turned him, held him, met his eyes. He fought to keep himself
steady, stable, to not consider that he was going to have to leave
his mate soon, go back. Save his pack. God, he was ashamed of
himself.

Wood frowned, growling softly. “What?”
“Don’t growl.” He bit Wood’s chin, trying to lighten the mood.
“Something’s wrong.” Wood was still growling.
He chuckled and slipped out from beneath Wood to clean up

and get his clothes together.

Wood’s growling got louder, and the man grabbed his arm.

“You can’t hide from me.”

He snapped at the air, teeth clicking. “Back off.”
“No.” Wood pulled him up against the strong body. “I can see

it in your eyes, something is wrong.”

He shook his head. He was too wrapped up already.
“You’re my mate,” snarled Wood. “Tell me.”
“I haven’t thought of him!” he snapped. “My brother died

getting me out and I come here and lose myself in you! My pack is
dying!” He didn’t deserve to call himself pack. He’d left them
behind, and instead of going back to save them, he was fucking
Wood.

Wood eased a little, but drew him closer at the same time.

“Your brother wouldn’t want you to ignore this. He died so you
could live, which means you have to actually live.”

“I have to save them. I have to go.”

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“No. You aren’t just cutting and running.” Wood sounded firm.

Immovable.

“I’m not running.” Cutting, probably.
“No, you aren’t. There’s nothing you can do on your own,

anyway. I’ll call everyone in—we’ll add all your information to
what we know, make a plan. Go and rescue the others.”

Like Daniel could risk his mate, his mate’s pack, even if that

wasn’t what they called themselves.

Maybe he could distract Wood. “We’re still in the bathroom.”
“And?” Wood didn’t look inclined to move out of his way any

time soon. Or to be distracted.

“And…We should, uh…” Well, hell, he didn’t know.
“You want to go for another round?” Wood looked

positively…wolfish.

“My balls will fall off.”
Wood chuckled. “Somehow I doubt it. But we can go to the

kitchen if you want. You can start giving me the strategic info we
need.”

He nodded and grabbed his shirt, trying to figure out what the

fuck to do. If he gave Wood more information than he already had,
Wood would follow him and get hurt. If he gave Wood the wrong
info, then things could go really wrong and he’d been talking to
Will already, showing Will things on the map. Wood would feel
betrayed if he didn’t share the same information and more.

Wood’s hand slid across his ass.
“I…” He turned, met Wood’s gaze. “I’m your mate. I won’t let

anything bad happen to you.”

“Ditto, baby.”
Daniel wasn’t sure about that, not at all, but he’d just have to

see.

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Wood took another kiss and then led him out to the kitchen.

“Hungry?”

“No.” Worried.
“No? I’m starving.” Wood grabbed an apple and came to lean

on the table by him. “Has Will shown you the maps yet?”

“Uh-huh. I tried to remember. I should go get my truck, see if I

left any clues.” He’d been so sick, so dizzy. He knew where to go
from where he’d picked the truck up back to the camp, though he
hadn’t been able to pinpoint things exactly on the map.

“Sure, we can do that. You ready for another trip out in the

world?”

“I…yeah.” Wait. He needed to… “I can go by myself.”
Wood looked at him like he was crazy. “You couldn’t even get

back to where you originally parked it in the first place and, on top
of that, we moved it to a safer location.”

“You could tell me where.” Or Will could take him. Will

would let him go.

Wood snorted. “Or I could take you.” Wood straightened and

looked him right in the eye. “Unless you have a problem with
that.”

The look made him want to give Wood his belly, and that made

him growl. “Back off, man.”

“I won’t!”
“You have to.” Damn it.
“I will not. I am your mate. Your Alpha.”
“You said we weren’t pack.” Daniel wouldn’t let Wood have it

both ways; Wood couldn’t be his Alpha if they weren’t pack.

Wood crossed his arms, looking solid, immovable even. “I was

wrong. You and I are a pack. I always believed not being pack,
denying things like Alphas and Mates, would make it easier to

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survive with the humans. I was wrong. I can’t deny how I feel
about you and you can’t deny it, either.”

Daniel’s lips parted. “I have to go. I have to.” And he couldn’t

risk Wood, couldn’t let his mate get hurt.

“It doesn’t matter where you go, you can’t escape me.” Wood

growled a little. “Won’t escape us.”

“I have to.” He looked at his mate. “I can’t risk you.”
“You don’t have a choice. We’re mates. We belong together.

I’m not whole without you.”

“I’ll come back.” He would. He wasn’t planning to run away

from Wood; he just needed to do this and he needed to do it now,
before the moon came.

“You’re not going alone,” Wood insisted.
Daniel growled. “Stay.” He was leaving. Alone.
“Don’t get growly with me and don’t give me commands.”
“I said stay!” He started backing away.
Wood snarled and came after him, stalked him.
“You just stay there.” He bumped into Will, slipped behind

him.

Wood snarled again, pushing Will out of the way, almost

knocking the pup down, and grabbing his arm. “Stop it! You don’t
even know where the fucking truck is.”

“I can’t risk you!” He grabbed Wood, shook the man. “Don’t

you fucking understand?”

“I understand that you’re my mate and I will not let you go.”
“I’m going!” He roared the words, the place vibrating.
Wood pulled him close. “Then I am going with you.”
“No. You’re staying here, protecting your pack, yourself.” If

Wood went with him and got hurt… It was unthinkable.

“You are my pack. You’re my mate, protecting you is

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protecting myself.”

Daniel started to shiver and Will snorted. “Are you two

finished?”

Wood snarled at him. “Stay out of it.”
“It’s adorable. The pissing contest.” How could Will sound so

amused?

Daniel looked at Will. “I’m trying to keep him safe!”
Wood’s “Fuck off,” was aimed at Will. The “it’s my job to

keep you safe,” was all for him.

“What if they’re all dead already, Daniel?” Will’s words were

soft. “What if you go back and they just shoot on you sight?”

Wood snarled, the sound a clear threat.
“He’s my mate, Will.” Why wouldn’t these two understand?
“You think? I could fight you for him.”
Daniel looked at Will, blinked. “Are you crazy?”
“I don’t want to have to kill you, Will.” Wood was still

snarling, the sound now focused on Will.

“Oh, good. I don’t want to have to die.” Will still sounded

somewhat amused.

“Then stay out of this.” Wood ground the words out, lip curling

up at the corner as he glared at Will.

Will threw up his hands. “You two need to work this shit out

before the pheromones send everyone off the deep end.”

“Fine.” Wood grabbed Daniel’s arm and dragged him out of

the kitchen and down the hall in the direction of their bedroom.

“What is going on?” he demanded.
“We’re discussing this in private.”
Daniel shook his head and tried to pull his arm out of Will’s

hold. He wasn’t discussing anything, damn it.

Wood pushed him into the room and slammed the door closed.

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“You know that feeling you have? The one that says I can’t be
hurt, you won’t let it happen?”

“Yes!” He suddenly had hope. Maybe Wood actually

understood.

“Now times that by a hundred and that’s how I feel about you.”
“Bullshit.” No one could bear this, multiplied by more. No

way.

“It’s not.” Wood pulled him close. “You are not going

anywhere without me. I will protect you with everything in me.”

He leaned up and gave Wood a hard kiss. “I have to try.”
Wood’s hands wrapped around his wrists. “I’ll cuff us together

if I have to. I’ll tie you down to my bed if I have to.”

He snorted. “You have a pack to lead. I have one to save.”
“I keep telling you that you are my pack. The rest of us are

working together to get people out, yes, but where are we sending
them? Right into the arms of people who are imprisoning them?
Killing them? Your pack is as much mine as the people gathered
here to help others escape.”

“I left them there. Sammy died, getting me out.” Why couldn’t

Wood understand that? Panic hit him suddenly, and a deep,
overwhelming sorrow he hadn’t let himself feel.

Wood’s arms went around him, pulling him tight against the

solid body. “He saved you. Leaving was the right thing to do.”

“They shot him in the head. It exploded.” He couldn’t stop

talking, couldn’t stop remembering, not now that he’d opened the
memory up again.

“Fuck, baby. That’s… Fuck.”
“He was all over me and I stood there. Until the bullet hit my

shoulder. Then I ran.”

“You did the right thing,” Wood insisted. “Staying and being

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caught or killed would have meant he died for nothing.”

“He died for me.” He hadn’t asked Sammy to do that and it

would kill him if Wood did the same thing.

“Which means you have to stay alive and live a good life.”
“Stop talking!” Fuck, Wood made him frustrated.
“I will if you stop being stupid.”
He slapped Wood’s chest. “I’m not being stupid!”
Wood puffed up and pushed him a step back with that solid

chest. “Going to find a truck when you don’t know where it is, is
stupid!” Wood backed him up another step. “Going to save a pack
on your own is stupid.” The bed hit the back of his knees. “Trying
to ditch me is stupid!”

“I love you—you, ASSHOLE! And I. AM. NOT. STUPID!”
“And I love you, but if you’re going to try to leave without me,

you’re being stupid!” Wood pushed him back down onto the bed.

He bounced, struggling up, intending to beat Wood’s ass.

Wood grabbed his wrists again, pressing them onto the mattress
over his head. Daniel struggled, growling deep in his chest,
rumbling furiously. Wood met his gaze and growled back, holding
him down with hands and body. He snapped, biting at the air, his
wolf surging to the fore. Snarling at him, Wood bent and bit his
neck.

He pushed up, body fighting the urge to submit, to bend.

Wood’s teeth dug in deeper, insisting.

“No…” His fingers grabbed Wood’s shoulders, pulling him

closer.

“Mine,” Wood informed him.
“No.” The word pushed from him, shouted out of him, but he

nodded.

“That’s right, mine.” Wood’s mouth wrapped around his throat

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again. Wood held him tight, fingers digging in as he worked up a
mark, biting and licking and sucking.

“Let me go.”
“Never.” The words were simple. Firm. Truth. “Never ever.”

Wood wrapped hot lips around another spot on his throat, sucking
strongly, making a mark—another one.

“Wood.” He jerked as Wood’s teeth scraped.
“Right here. Not letting you go.” Wood licked his jaw,

growling all the while.

“I don’t know how you found me.”
“I knew you were coming, knew someone was.” Wood leaned

back, looked at him. “For life, Danny. We mate for life. Your
brother is gone. You aren’t.” The man held his gaze and stared
right into him.

A deep howl started building in his chest, tearing out of him

like it would break his ribs right open. Wood put his own head
back and answered him, the sound shivering through him.

Together they mourned—his brother, his pack, his pain, all of

them that were herded and hunted and killed. All the ones who
disappeared, who died, who were lost.

Eventually Wood’s forehead rested against his and they shared

their breath.

“He was a good wolf.” Daniel had loved Sammy fiercely. He

was blood, deeper than pack.

“Even a bad one doesn’t deserve what was done to him.”

Wood’s words were soft. He understood.

“No. No one does.” Daniel could breathe now.
“And they call us animals.”
He nodded, fingers twining with Wood’s.
“We’ll find your pack, Danny, help them get away. But we

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can’t just go tearing out there half-cocked.”

“I just… I was happy, being here with you.”
“You’re happy with me so you have to leave?” Wood frowned

at him.

“Yes. No. I mean… Fuck! I got free for a reason!”
“Yes. To live.” Wood seemed to have a knack for breaking

everything down to its simplest parts.

He leaned up and hid his face in Wood’s throat.
“I’m going to make sure you do.” Wood’s hands wrapped

around him, petted him, held him.

He could feel Wood breathing him in.
How Wood had become his pack, he didn’t know, but he had.

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CHAPTER 8

Wood looked at the map. He was pretty sure they’d narrowed

down where Daniel’s pack had been taken. What bothered him, on
top of the whole people going in and imprisoning entire packs, was
that he and the others had been sending wolves out into the
country, “saving” them from the persecution in the city. Only what
exactly had they been sending them to?

He’d thought it was to safety. Now he was thinking not so

much. Maybe he’d been sending them from a quick, easy death to
a life of hard work, abuse, and torture.

It made him growl and had put a hold on the whole getting

people out of the city thing. They wouldn’t do it again until they
knew they were sending people somewhere safe.

He hated going out to effect this rescue without a firm plan, but

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he’d been putting it off, telling himself Daniel wasn’t ready when,
in fact, he hadn’t been willing to risk Daniel. His mate was
everything to him, Daniel’s life more important to him than his
own. Even just thinking about risking Daniel made his heart
clench.

But Daniel was dreaming again, sleeping restlessly at night as

the plans to make a move on the work camp built. Wood wanted it
done before the moon came; he thought maybe they needed it done
before the moon came. He would do a lot to make sure Daniel
didn’t spend his first moon out of the camps in the city; it wouldn’t
be pretty.

He’d kept an eye on his mate the last two days, worried that

Daniel would still try to find the truck and leave on his own.
Daniel stayed close, though, close and quiet. Wood thought Daniel
finally understood they belonged together, no matter what.

Will and the others had suggested they all go together to rescue

the pack, but Wood thought it would be better if just he and Daniel
went. Two could keep under the radar better than a group, they
could make quick decisions on the fly with only two, and if things
went wrong, it was just the two of them in hot water. Better to lose
just two of them than everyone.

Daniel packed a bag, head down, lips tight.
“You have a change of clothes for me in there, too?” His

backpack was full of weapons—a gun, a shotgun, knives, and an
axe, anything they had they thought he might need.

“Yeah.” Daniel met his eyes, and he thought his mate looked

haunted. “You ready?”

“Are you sure you want to do this? We could wait until you’re

stronger.” If anything happened to Daniel he would blame himself
forever.

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“I’ll never be stronger than now.” Daniel’s face was still. “We

go in, we get out. I won’t let them catch me again. They’ll have to
kill me.”

“They’ll have to kill me first.” His words were fierce; he would

not live without his mate. Maybe this was what scared the normals
so much, their dedication to those they loved. Their full and total
commitment.

Daniel’s words were just as fierce as his own. “I’ll kill you

myself before I let them have you.”

“We’ll have to shoot each other, then, if it looks like we’re

about to be lost.” Wood chuckled suddenly, at the bloodthirstiness
of their words. “It isn’t going to come to that, though. We’re going
to get your pack back and we’re going to set up a place,
somewhere everyone of our kind can be safe.”

Daniel nodded, but the man’s heart wasn’t in it. It didn’t look

to him like Daniel believed it.

He glared at Daniel. “We are going to win this. And if you

don’t believe it, we’re not going.” He wasn’t taking Daniel back
there already defeated.

Daniel growled. “Are you ready to go?”
“Are you? Are you ready to go and fight to win?” That was the

only way he’d allow it.

“Yes.” Daniel met his eyes, self-contained and quiet. There was

a core of steel there that told him Daniel wouldn’t give up until he
was dead. “Let’s go.”

“Not yet.” He grabbed Daniel close and kissed the man, hard.

Daniel needed to remember he was mated, that Wood wouldn’t let
anything happen to him.

Daniel was stiff for a long moment, then this mate relaxed,

pushing back into the kiss.

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He kept kissing, waiting until Daniel was all pressed up against

him before finally letting the warm lips go. “Just wanted to make
sure you remember what you have to live for.”

Daniel cupped his jaw, nodded. “I know.”
He met Daniel’s eyes and looked for a long moment. Then he

kissed the man again. “Okay. Then let’s go.”

They headed up into the sunshine, hand in hand as they

climbed the stairs. They only let go once they were out in the park
and the door to their den was hidden in the bushes behind them.

The truck wasn’t very far away and Daniel probably would

have found it if he’d actually left the warren of rooms and really
looked for it. Wood was glad Daniel hadn’t. He had the keys and,
after tossing his bag into the bed of the beat up old truck, went
around to the driver’s side.

Daniel looked at him, eyebrow arched. “Like you’re driving.”
“Of course I am.” He had the keys after all.
“My truck. Move over.”
“I’ve got the keys, Danny. Go get in the other side.” He wasn’t

really having this argument with Daniel, was he?

Those bright eyes stared at him. “Do you even know how to

drive?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you remember getting here? I drove

you, you know.”

“I don’t.”
Wood nodded. Daniel had told him that Daniel’s first few days

here were little more than a blur.

“Well, I drove you. I can drive. Now get in the truck.” He

wasn’t relinquishing the keys.

Danny flipped him off, but got in, rumbling. Wood climbed

into the driver’s seat and waited for a moment before pretending he

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couldn’t figure out how to get the key in into the ignition. Danny
stared at him, eyes wide.

“Gotcha.” Grinning, he put the key in the ignition.
“Butthead.” His Danny laughed, though, the sound deep and

husky. It settled something inside him. He needed Danny to be not
just alive but happy, satisfied.

“I am.” He gave Danny a wink, started the engine, and headed

out of town.

He took the highway, making a beeline for the hills, due north.

Daniel had taken a circuitous route into the city, but as close as
they could tell, this is where he’d come from. They drove for hours
and the temperature began to drop as they climbed into the
foothills.

“This look familiar?” Were they headed in the right direction?
“I don’t know. We were absolutely up in the mountains, far

past the lights of the cities and even the smaller towns.”

“We keep climbing then.”
“Yeah.” Danny got more and more quiet, eyes beginning to

glow, even in the sunlight.

“You gotta stay with me, Danny. You can’t wolf out.”
“I won’t.” Danny shook his head.
He grunted and kept driving. “I think we should stop at the next

roadside place we see. Grab some coffee, something to eat, and
strategize.” He was worried Daniel would go rushing in the minute
they found the place. They needed a better plan than the one they
had, but how did two men go up against a camp designed to keep
wolves in and work them to the bone?

“Okay. Okay, yeah. I could eat and…” Danny growled, sitting

up straight and pointing up the road. “I know this.”

There was a farmhouse up ahead, and a dark green barn. “I

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turned there and came down this road, though I kept to the woods
to stay hidden.”

“Shit.” It looked like they were out of time for stopping, for

planning. “How far in?”

“I… A few miles. I was on foot, so it’s harder to tell the

distance, but you can’t drive fast, anyway, the road’s bad.”

“Can we go in about halfway and walk the rest?” He wanted a

quiet entry. He slowed right down, took the corner carefully.

“We’ll have to. I don’t know when the guards start.”
A couple miles in he found a spot to turn off the so-called road

where the truck would be mostly hidden. He wished he could turn
it around in case they needed to make a quick exit, but there was
no way he was going to manage it in the room they had. He
compromised by leaving the keys in the ignition.

“All right.” He turned to Danny as he switched off the engine.

“So what’s the plan? Just get the pack out? Get rid of the guards?
Is there a building where the ‘bosses’ stay?” He’d like to take them
out. Terminate with extreme prejudice.

They probably should have planned all this before they’d left,

but he knew Danny’d been itching to get moving and he had a
strong hunch his mate would have just gone if they’d started
spending too much time on the bones of a plan. Besides, he still
wanted Danny away from the city for the moon, something told
him that would be best.

Wood knew he could trust his gut.
“The guards are in the tall houses, around the perimeter, or they

were.” Danny was right to remind them of that—things could have
changed since his escape.

“We’ll need to take them out first, then. And we need to do it

quietly. How many tall houses?” He wished he’d thought twice

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about not bringing anyone else. They might have still come alone,
probably would have, in fact, but at least he’d feel like he’d
thought it all the way through.

“Three. North, west, and east.”
He tried to decide whether it made more sense to stick together

and take them out one at a time, or whether they should split up.
“How many guards per tower?”

“I don’t know. We spent most of our time underground,

working in the mines.”

“Then we hit them together, one at a time.” He wasn’t sending

Danny into an unknown situation on his own.

Danny didn’t argue with him, didn’t even hesitate. “Together.”
“Knives to take them out quietly.” If they let the men live, it

would come back to haunt them, Wood was sure of it. It was a war,
he reminded himself. And these men had fired the first shot.

Danny’s eyes belonged to a stranger, to someone strong enough

to drive miles while bleeding to death, while being poisoned by
silver. To someone strong enough to plan an escape.

Wood pulled Danny to him and kissed him, hard and long. He

knew Danny needed to be that man again, but he also needed
Danny to be his.

Danny pulled back, looked at him. “Mate. Don’t let them take

me.”

He knew what Danny was asking and nodded. “I won’t. But

you have to promise me the same thing.” He couldn’t live without
Danny now.

“Never. We go in, we kill the normals, we set the pack free.”
He nodded. “We set ourselves free.”
“Yes.” Daniel’s growl was deep, rough.
Whether they stayed with the pack, or went out on their own,

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Wood knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to the city, not after
killing men, no matter how awful they were.

“All right, mate. Let’s do this thing.”

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 9

Daniel’s pack was gone. He and Wood had killed the normals,

freed more than three dozen wolves, burned the place to the
ground. But his pack was gone. All of them, murdered. Because of
him.

He stood, watching the ground burn, the trees, knowing that the

normals would come soon, with their fire trucks—assuming they
could get them up here.

Wood’s hand landed on his shoulder, his mate standing at his

back. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Daniel knew better. He knew better. He should have taken

some with him when he’d left. He should have gotten them out
then. He should have come back right away.

Wood growled softly, hand tightening on his shoulder.

CARVED IN WOOD

“You should go get the truck. I’m going to watch a while

longer.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Wood insisted.
“I’m fine.”
“Then let’s go. We can’t stay here.”
He nodded, but it was like his feet were bolted to the ground.
Wood grabbed his arm and tugged him. “We can’t stay, mate.”
He finally followed, head down, first walking, then running

from the carnage. Wood paced him, his mate right there, always.
He slowed as they neared the truck, panting hard. It hadn’t seemed
very far at all this time, not like when he’d escaped, when it had
taken forever.

Wood touched his arm again and he realized that Wood’s hand

was covered in blood. So were Wood’s clothes.

“What do you need?” He didn’t even care if he was hurt, but he

had to tend to his mate.

“To get the fuck out of here before someone comes to put out

the fire. We need to find somewhere to hide, to clean up, eat,
decide what the hell we’re going to do.” Wood brought him in
close and kissed him hard. “I need to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” He didn’t care. “Give me the keys.”
“I’m driving,” growled Wood.
“You’re bleeding. Give me the fucking keys.”
Wood looked down at himself and shook his head. “I don’t

think it’s actually my blood. You’re covered in it, too.”

He just stood, stared, world spinning. He could still see the

flames of the work camp burning.

“Get in the truck, Danny.” Wood gave him a little push.
He snapped, growling, his wolf right there. Wood snarled back

at him, pushed him up against the truck. The world was dark,

CARVED IN WOOD

smoke heavy, and it disoriented him.

“You’re my mate, Danny. That’s all that matters.”
“I killed them.”
“We killed them. And they deserved it for what they’d done.”
He shook his head. He didn’t care who he’d killed today. But

his pack, he’d killed them as surely as if he’d shot them all
himself. “I have to go. I have to get out of here. Now.”

“Then get in the damn truck.”
“Fucker.” He snarled and crawled in, almost snapping at the

air.

Wood slammed his door and went around to the driver’s side.

He climbed in and slammed that door, too. Daniel’s growl filled
the air, threatening, sure. Wood snapped at him and started up the
truck. Then he shut it off again and pounced Daniel.

The truck rocked on its shocks. Wood’s mouth found his, hands

sliding hard on him. He growled into the kiss, biting at Wood’s
lips. Wood tore at his clothes, pulling them off, ripping them to get
to his skin. He bit and rumbled, teeth sinking into Wood’s
shoulder.

Wood howled for him, body bucking awkwardly across the

seats. Wood climbed past the gear shift, straddling him there in the
seat. Wood’s weight pushed him down, stole his breath. The man’s
kisses were needy, desperate, the hands on his body hard. He
fought back, growling and biting, crying out.

“Mate,” growled Wood. “Mine.”
He groaned, hands on Wood’s hips.
“Need.” Wood seemed down to single syllable words.
That was okay, he seemed to have lost his own words

altogether. He growled, grabbed Wood’s cock, claws scrabbling at
the man’s jeans. Grunting, Wood pressed him into the seat,

CARVED IN WOOD

humping against his hand, against him.

“Tell me again.” Tell him that he belonged, that he was

someone’s. Maybe he had words after all, maybe for Wood he
could find them.

“Mate. Mine.” Wood growled, hand pushing into his jeans to

grab his prick. “You’re mine. Mine.”

“Yours. Need. Now.” Now would be good.
Wood pulled his dick right out, jacking him hard. His balls

were like stones, aching with need. Wood pushed his torn shirt
aside, mouth sliding along his chest. His skin burned and he
arched, howling. A sharp bite to his right nipple was followed by
firm sucking.

Come spurted from him, his belly tight, hard, aching. Wood

bent nearly double to lick it from his skin.

“You’re mine, Danny. I’m never letting you go.”
Daniel moaned.
“Never.” The word was fierce. Then Wood pulled out his own

prick, jacking quickly while leaning against him.

He added his fingers to Wood’s. “I swear. Yours. Yours.”
“Yes. Mine. I won’t let you go.”
“No. Never.” He tugged hard. “Come. Come for me.”
And then they needed to go. They needed to get out of here, get

away from what was coming for the fire.

“Fuck!” Wood came, spunk spraying up over their hands.
Wood leaned their foreheads together and panted for a moment

before giving him a hard kiss.

“We have to drive. Have to go.”
Wood nodded and climbed back into the driver’s seat, starting

up the truck and beginning to back down the road. They turned as
they hit the highway and slipped past the fire trucks screaming up

CARVED IN WOOD

the road and turning onto the dirt road they’d just turned off of.

The moon was almost full. Almost. His first moon as a free

wolf in years.

“We need to find somewhere we can get cleaned up and hide

out for the full moon.” Wood peered into the woods that bracketed
the road.

“Uh-huh.” Daniel had no ideas. None. “I’m worthless.”
“You are not.” Wood snarled the words at him.
He shrugged.
Wood’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, making it creak.

“You aren’t.”

“Just stop. I can’t fucking fight anymore tonight!”
“I’m not fighting with you. I’m telling you you’re special.

You’re my mate. That makes you the most special person out
there.”

“I’m tired.” This had been…a nightmare. He needed to wolf

out, to run under the moon. To heal.

“Yeah, no shit.” Wood shook his head, profile grim in the

shadows, the only light coming from the headlights. It would be
dawn soon.

“I’m sorry.” He was. Desperately sorry.
“For what exactly?”
“My pack dying. My brother dying. You being covered in

filth.” Everything.

“None of that is your fault.”
“I’m still sorry. And the pack? They died because of me,

because I got out.” He knew that. The others they’d rescued had
told him, not meeting his eyes even as they’d thanked him for
coming back for them before dispersing to God only knew where.

“You didn’t know that would happen. I bet they were glad

CARVED IN WOOD

someone got out. I bet they were glad their pain and suffering was
over.”

He didn’t know. He hoped so.
“Your brother sacrificed himself for you. Don’t waste that,

Danny. You have to live.”

He nodded, his head pounding, the world crazy.
Wood slowed suddenly, nodding toward an abandoned-looking

farmhouse a few hundred meters back from the road. “Give it a
try?”

“Yeah. I’ll check it out.” As soon as Wood turned onto the tiny

dirty road and slowed, he jumped out of the truck. He shifted,
sliding right into his wolf, heading for the place. It was deserted,
his nose knew. Wood followed him in with the truck, taking it
behind the abandoned building.

He climbed onto the back porch, hitting the back door with a

shoulder. The place was dusty, but deserted. Wood came up the
porch, boots noisy on the wood. Daniel barked softly, sniffing
hard.

“You’re a fucking gorgeous wolf, Danny.”
Daniel could hear the emotion in Wood’s voice. He went to

Wood, nuzzling the inside of the man’s thigh. Wood’s hand
dropped to the top of his head, stroking, scratching. When the
fingers found his ears, his eyes crossed.

A low chuckle sounded. “You’ve got different sweet spots in

this form.”

He pushed into Wood’s touch. Wood kept scratching his ears

while his other hand slipped down to rub his neck and then his
chest. His back foot started thumping, bang, bang, bang. His
mate’s chuckle sounded smug. He’d bite Wood, but it was so good.

Wood finally collapsed down along the door until he was

CARVED IN WOOD

sitting, and then the scratching and rubbing got even better. Daniel
moaned, rolling, giving his mate his belly. Wood pounced, petting
and scratching his belly. Then the man bent and rubbed his face in
Daniel’s stomach.

Suddenly Wood was furry, keening and vocalizing for him.

The strong muzzle ran along his belly and then opened over his
throat, not in the least bit threatening, just there, telling him his
mate was there. Daniel melted back, submitting, rumbling happily.

It was easier to let everything else go and just be like this, to

rub and growl and be with his mate. Wood groomed him, licking
and lapping at the long muzzle. Then the licks moved to his neck,
to his chest, Wood cleaning every single inch of him.

Daniel found himself melted, relaxed. Happy.
With his mate.
He would take it.

CARVED IN WOOD

CHAPTER 10

Wood woke in his human skin, curled on the floor around

Danny. The heavy scents of blood and smoke were gone, no match
for their night of grooming each other. They’d licked away any
scent that didn’t belong.

His stomach growled loudly; maybe they should have gone

hunting instead of grooming each other. Or at least hunting as well
as grooming.

Danny pressed closer to him, rumbling softly, hands moving on

his back. He made a soft, contented sound; his stomach could wait.
Danny licked his collarbone, humming softly. His mate. He
growled softly, hands moving on Danny.

“Mmm. Wood.”
“Right here, mate.” He bit at Danny’s jaw, marking the man he

CARVED IN WOOD

loved.

“Mmmhmm.” Those lovely eyes opened wide, gleaming at

him.

He smiled, rubbed their noses together.
“Do we go back to the city now?”
No. No, the moon was tonight. They had to stay a few days. He

wanted to stay away longer. “We’ll stay until the moon is gone.”
At the least. He wasn’t sure he could walk the streets with normals
after seeing what they’d done to Danny’s pack.

“We need to let the moon have us.” He rolled over onto Danny,

needing to distract his mate, keep Danny from dwelling on what
had happened. Keep himself from thinking about it.

His mate stretched, arched under him, and rubbed. Moaning, he

found Danny’s mouth and kissed it. His hungry mate moaned for
him, tongue sliding alongside his. He shifted until their pricks were
together, then began to move, sliding on all that skin. Pleasure rode
him, made him wild, needy, and he leaned in, nipped Danny’s
throat. His hips moved, hard and fast, driving their bodies together,
their pricks bumping and knocking

Danny’s eyes shone for him. “Hungry.”
God yes, he was. Needing. “Uh-huh.” He bit at Danny’s lips,

teeth scraping the soft skin.

Danny fought him playfully, giving him enough to rile his

blood. He pushed Danny’s legs open, wetting his own fingers by
sucking on them. He wanted in. He wanted to mark his mate again.
He pushed his slicked fingers into Danny’s body, the tight heat
making him moan in anticipation.

“Wood.” Lovely growly pup.
“Mate.” He spread his fingers, opening him.
“Yes.” Danny drew one leg up.

CARVED IN WOOD

“Mine.” He pushed his fingers deep, banging up against

Danny’s gland.

Danny’s shoulders left the floor, eyes huge. “Fuck!”
“Right there?” He pressed it again.
“There. There. More. More, damn it.”
“Demanding fucker.” Wood loved it, loved Danny.
“Yes. You make me need it.”
He pushed his fingers against Danny’s gland a few more times,

wanting his mate desperate for him. Up on his elbows, Danny
drove himself down on Wood’s touch, fingers.

He let Danny do it a few moments and then dragged his hand

away. “Want you.”

“Need you.” Danny nodded, turned, offered him that lovely

ass.

Groaning, he grabbed his ass and pulled Danny back, pushing

his prick into the little hole. Danny’s head slammed back, a sharp
bark bouncing out, shaking the cabin. He kept pushing until he hit
Danny’s gland. Danny nodded, driving back, hips rocking so he hit
the spot over and over. Eager, wanton, wonderful man.

A deep flush climbed up Danny’s spine, and the sheath of

muscles around his cock fluttered. He grabbed hold of Danny’s
hips and pulled him back even harder. Yes. Yes, his. He snarled
and snapped, biting at the air, hips rolling, slamming furiously.

“Mine!” He began to repeat the word, needing Danny to hear it,

to know it in his bones. His fingers curled around Danny’s
shoulders, dragging his mate back onto him, over and over. “Come
for me, Danny. Come on my cock.”

“Wood. Wood.” Danny’s body squeezed tight.
“Yeah, Danny. Mine. Come on!”
His mate howled, the sound tearing through the air.

CARVED IN WOOD

“Yes!” He slapped Danny’s ass. That sweet hole gripped him

tight, milking his prick. “Come now, mate. Come now.”

Spunk sprayed from Daniel, his mate pouring himself out.

Wood cried out, filling Daniel up with every drop he’d lost. They
rocked together, panting hard. Shivering. His hands slid over
Danny’s skin.

“Mmm. We should find food, water.” Danny rippled for him.
“We will. I will never let you starve.” He would care for his

mate until the end of time. “I love you,” he told Danny. “Forever.”

Their fingers twined together and Danny added, “For life.”
“Yes. For life. For a very long life.” Their life. No matter what

it brought.

CARVED IN WOOD

EPILOGUE

“Come on, guys. I know you’re tired, but there’s hot food,

showers, beds waiting for you.” Daniel encouraged the little pack
to move, to get out of the truck. He picked up one of the sleeping
children, letting one of the younger mothers grab an infant.

Wood pulled up in the other truck, and the rest of the pack

spilled out of it. Eleven of them altogether. This was the biggest
group they’d helped move out of the city and into the mountains to
the sanctuary.

His mate looked toward him, smiling as their eyes met. He

nodded, leading everyone into the big house where Doc and Will
were waiting to feed and help them. Once they were, he and Wood
could slip away to their house another half-mile into the woods.

He helped the young mother get settled in, got Marisa to help

CARVED IN WOOD

her, then went to find his mate. His Wood. His heartbeat.

He found Wood with Will, their heads close together as Wood

punctuated his words with gestures. Dan nuzzled Will, then went
to Wood, rubbing noses. “All in.”

“Good. You good, Will?”
“Yeah, yeah. You two go. I know how the missions get

your…uh…dander up.” Will winked and Wood smacked him
lightly.

“Come on, Danny. Let’s go home.”
He rumbled softly, nodded. “Home, Wood.” He hadn’t been

alone with his Wood for ten days as they worked, saving their own
kind. “Home.”

Wood grabbed his hand and all but dragged him out into the

trees. There was no small talk, no worrying, just their home, well
hidden and well loved, waiting for them. When they got in, Wood
pushed him up against the wall, mouth landing on his.

The place smelled good—like wood smoke and sex and them,

and Danny cried out happily, loving the heat of his mate against
him. This was what he lived for, what he loved. What made
everything else in life worthwhile.

Wood tore off his clothes, not being gentle or careful at all.
“Mate!” He laughed, happiness filling him.
“Too many fucking clothes.” Wood gave him a toothy grin and

moved in for another kiss, taking his mouth.

He bit Wood’s bottom lip as his fingers tangled in the man’s

clothes.

“Go ahead,” growled Wood. “Tear them off.”
He rolled his eyes, grabbed Wood’s T-shirt. “Quit playing.

Touch me.”

“Aren’t I touching you?” Wood bit his shoulder as his fingers

CARVED IN WOOD

found his nipples and started pinching.

“Hey!” He barked, hips rolling up, rubbing fiercely against his

mate.

Wood only growled, shoving at his pants now.
“Greedy.” He ripped the T-shirt off his mate.
“Mate.” Wood said it like it explained everything. He supposed

it did.

“Yes.” He rolled his eyes, laughing, playing along.
Wood bit at his lips, at his jaw, pushing up against him. The

denim of Wood’s jeans was rough against his prick. It felt good. It
felt necessary.

He bit at Wood’s jaw, growling happily. Wood growled back,

body moving, hips humping against him.

“Your jeans!” He was going to get road rash.
“Take ’em off,” Wood demanded. Pushy mate.
Danny grabbed Wood’s jeans and popped the button. “Take off

your boots.” He could be pushy, too.

“Bossy, bossy.” Wood did it, though.
That gave him a good shot at a handful of Wood’s ass. Wood

moaned for him, pushed back into his hands. Daniel leaned down,
leaving an open-mouthed kiss on the small of Wood’s back.

A shudder moved through Wood, and then he turned, grabbed

Daniel. “Bed, mate.”

“Bed.” He nodded, agreed. Yes. Bed. Cocks. Mouths. Hands.
They went down the little hall, stumbling and stopping on the

way as they continued to touch and tease. Finally, though, they hit
the mattress, falling into it together. Wood grunted as he landed on
the fine body.

“Good to see you,” Daniel said softly, finally at home.
“You see me every fucking day.” Wood knew what he meant,

CARVED IN WOOD

though, he could tell from the look in his mate’s eyes, in the way
Wood’s prick was hard and hot against his body.

“Haven’t seen you naked in ten days.” He leaned down and bit

Wood’s shoulder.

Wood barked and arched up. “Too fucking long.”
“Yes.” He reached down and grabbed their cocks in one of his

hands.

Wood groaned, immediately rocking into his hold.
“Yeah. Yeah, mate.” He bit again, pushing, driving his Alpha a

little crazy.

Wood growled, and he knew what was coming. Sure enough

Wood rolled them, putting him beneath his mate. Yes! He fought,
loving the challenge, the fire, the feel of Wood against him. Wood
snarled, mouth closing on his throat.

“Fuck!” He arched, heels thrumming on the mattress.
Wood’s teeth sank in, and then he lapped at Daniel’s skin.
“Yours.” Daniel spread, offering himself eagerly, fully.
“Mate.” Wood shifted, slid down along his body to lick at his

hole.

Danny keened, rolling and needy, pushing toward that hungry

mouth. Wood’s tongue pierced him and fucked his hole.

The touch made him shiver, made him grab his knees and pull.

“Please.”

“Ready for me already?” Wood didn’t wait for an answer, just

rose up over his body and plunged his cock right into him.

Daniel’s body jerked, hole twitching madly, the sweet burn the

most perfect thing ever. Wood sank all the way in, filling him up.
He nodded, rolling up, driving himself down on that sweet prick.
Sitting back on his haunches, Wood’s arms went around Daniel’s
back to bring him up until he was more or less sitting on Wood’s

CARVED IN WOOD

thighs. It pushed his fat prick even deeper.

“Mate. Mate, yes.” His hole was spread wide.
Wood grabbed his hips and pulled him up, then dropped him

down again. His eyes went wide, his body rippling. Wood did it
again, then again. His entire body sang, nerves tingling, firing over
and over. Wood’s mouth closed over his collarbone, sucking hard.

He wasn’t going to last long, no way, but it was so good, so

hot, that it didn’t matter.

“Touch yourself,” growled Wood, bringing him down even

harder.

He bared his teeth, jacking his cock fast and hard, hand almost

blurring with it.

“Fuck yes.” Wood brought them together over and over,

slamming up into him each time he came down.

His balls drew up and he cried out, warning his mate that he

was close.

“Do it. Come on my cock.”
“Yes.” Spunk sprayed from him, splashing on Wood’s belly.
Wood put his head back and howled.
Heat filled Daniel. He moaned, his eyes rolling as pleasure shot

through him.

Wood leaned their foreheads together, breathing hard.
“Hey.” He licked the tip of Wood’s nose.
Wood chuckled and chased his tongue. “Hey.”
He inhaled, filling his lungs with them. With home. With the

only thing that truly made sense.

“Mate.” The word settled around them like a blanket.
“Yes.” He hummed and stayed, Wood heavy inside him.
Wood held his gaze, looked into him, and a happy peace filled

him.

CARVED IN WOOD

Home. He was home. They were home.
He saw the truth of it in Wood’s eyes, and knew it in his heart.
Home.

EAN

ICHAEL

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while
still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his
days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and
fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled
entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage
gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between
dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama Sutra by channeling the
long-lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack
to Chicago.

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, Sean is currently attempting
to learn the advanced arts of plate-spinning and soap-carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and
rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

To learn more about Sean, please visit: www.seanmichaelwrites.com.

* * *

Don’t miss Full Disclosure

by Sean Michael,

available at AmberAllure.com!

Samuel Cavanaugh never thought the hardest part about being a
lawyer would be keeping an administrative assistant, but with Jeannie

on pregnancy leave, he’s gone through five since he became a partner.
Yet his newest assistant is Jarrod Tinsley, an attractive man who just
might fulfill all his fantasies, even the ones he didn’t know he had.

Unbeknownst to Samuel, Jarrod has been hired by the law firm to
investigate whether Samuel is “the leak,” the person selling
confidential information to the firm’s opponents. Jarrod thinks it’s
going to be a run-of-the-mill job until he actually meets his sexy new
boss, and then all bets are off. Samuel triggers in Jarrod every one of
his Dom tendencies, and he knows instinctively exactly what Samuel
needs to have all his fantasies fulfilled.

Can Samuel and Jarrod survive the investigation and their attraction
to each other, or will their fragile relationship go tumbling down in
pieces?

MBER

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