Stephani Hecht Lost Shifters 17 Colby and the Little Wolf

From the moment they met, there was an undeniable

attraction between Colby and Tobias. Even though
months had passed since they’d seen each other, the
sparks haven’t dimmed one bit. When they finally met
again, it was only natural that they end up horizontal on
one of the coalition’s more popular conference tables.

Just as they are sure there is no doubt they are

destined together, their older brothers intervene and tear
them apart. Not because Colby is a Lion shifter. It’s not
because Tobias is a Wolf shifter either. The reason for
their split can be summed down to two words—they’re
runts. And in the shifter world, runt equals weak and
vulnerable. It’s only natural that their older siblings are
overprotective.

The one thing that their brothers fail to see is that

Colby and Tobias are determined to be together, even if
that means defying their elders. Will everybody finally
see how perfect Colby and his little Wolf are for each
other? Or will the pair have to resort to drastic measures
to have any kind of happiness?

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Colby and the Little Wolf

ISBN: 978-1-77111-175-1

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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Colby and the Little Wolf

Lost Shifter 17

Stephani Hecht

To Damon. You are the best friend I can ever

ask for. You have forever been sweet,

supportive and awesome. I’m so damn lucky to

have you.

Chapter One

obias was going to kill his bodyguards. Provided
the Ravens that were tailing them didn’t jump the

gun and do the job for him first.

While the latter might have seemed like a better

option, since Tobias wouldn’t have to exert himself, or
get his new jeans all bloody, it really wouldn’t work.
Not since he’d be the first one the birds attacked. It was
common knowledge that the birds always went for the
weakest member of the pack first. Born a runt and still
as small as ever, Tobias fit that bill and then some. Plus,
as Russell’s youngest sibling, that put an additional
target on Tobias’s back. Face it, he may as well be
wearing a t-shirt that read Fresh Meat on it.

Sigh…it so sucked being the younger brother of the

wolf who was at the head of the most illegal activity
this side of he state. Correction, make that former head
of illegal activity. Ever since Russell had found his
mate, he’d cleaned up his act. Now that he had two new
cubs to take care of, he was being even more of a Boy
Scout. In the past six months, he hadn’t so much as
ripped the tag off a mattress.

In truth, their small pack didn’t need to do anything

for awhile. While Russell had still been wearing the
black hat, they’d amassed a small fortune. But Tobias

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was quickly finding out that all play and no work, was
making for a very boring life.

At the moment, he was sitting in a small Italian

restaurant with his two bodyguards, Ervin and Nico.
They had been with him for years, yet they’d never
really become close friends. Be it because they resented
having to always look after the runt of the pack, or
because they thought Tobias was just a brat. Whatever
the reason, they’d never warmed up to him.

Letting out another sigh, Tobias spun his fork over

the cheap plastic red and white checkered tablecloth. At
the same time, he looked up from under his lashes at the
group of Ravens who were sitting only two tables away.

Tobias sighed again. “I just wish they’d attack and

get it over with.”

“They probably don’t want to call attention to

themselves since we’re surrounded by humans,” Nico
said.

With shaggy, chin-length brown hair and deep

amber eyes, Nico would be good looking if it weren’t
for the purpetial expression of annoyance on his mug.
Even Ervin was hot, despite having an old man’s name.
His hair was shorter…in a near buzz cut, but he had
piercing blue eyes that made him catch the attention of
both sexes. Unfortunately, Ervin always wore pieved
expressions, too.

“Since when has a little attention stopped the

Ravens? From what I heard, they have been doing
everything to announce their presence these days,”
Tobias countered.

In fact, thanks to the damn birds, humans were now

discovering the existance of shifters. It had gone down

Colby and the Little Wolf

exactly like most of them had expected, too. Every day,
more groups of hunters were sprouting up. They had
already attacked several small shifter packs and
families. Tobias knew it would only get worse, before it
got better.

Ervin reached over and slammed a hand over the

fork. “Just play it cool. Maybe they’re here just to grab
a bite.”

Tobias shot him a duh glare. “Unless they have

rotten meat back there, this place doesn’t carry what
they like to call dinner.”

A look of revulsion came over Nico’s face. “They

really do eat that stuff? I thought it was just a myth.”

“Yeah, last time I was visiting the felines, Chance

told me so himself.”

“Does he eat that kind of thing?”
“No, Chance isn’t like other Ravens.”
As always, whenever he thought back to the

coalition, Tobias’s mind instantly fixated on one cat
alone…Colby. Young and small like Tobias, the blond,
blue-eyed feline had a sweet vulnerable side that
instantly called out to Tobias. The fact that Colby had a
rough past hadn’t turned Tobias away either. If
anything, it had made the Lion all the more alluring. So
much so that Tobias wanted to wrap his arms around
the other man and protect him from ever being hurt
again.

“I still say the cats should never have taken in

Chance and his sister. Once a Raven, always a Raven,”
Ervin grumbled.

“I said, Chance is nothing like them. Besides,

Chance and Dulla are practically family to Ranger,”

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Tobias defended.

While he’d only met the Raven siblings on a few

occasions, Tobias had found them very likable. At least
they could hold an intelligent, friendly conversation,
which was a lot more than Tobias could say for Ervin
or Nico. Just the other day, Nico had knocked over an
old lady and instead of apologizing, he’d told her to go
back to Rose and the other Golden Girls. Although to
be fair, he had offered to buy the next round of
cheesecake, but Tobias had a feeling that was just
another cut-down.

“The only reason Ranger likes them is because he’s

odd, too,” Ervin said.

Anger sliced through Tobias. “Need I remind you

that Ranger is my cousin?”

There was a slight, awkward silence, not because the

other Wolves feared Tobias—not by a long shot. While
he might be second in command of the Wolf pack, it
was only because his older brother was the Alpha. They
all knew that Tobias would be hard-pressed to hold his
own if a real challenge were issued.

Not for the first time, Tobias wondered what the

others would say if they knew that he had other issues,
aside from being a runt. He had a sneaking feeling that
if his medical history was to become public, the rest of
the pack would turn on him, regardless of who his
brother was.

“I’m just saying that maybe Ranger would be more

happy living with a pack instead of a feline coalition.
We always do better among our own kind,” Ervin
hedged.

“Ranger is mated to a member of the coalition?”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“No, he’s mated to an Eagle. So, he could just take

his bird to a pack and they would be protected there,
too.”

“Did you forget that Ranger’s pack kicked him out

for being gay?”

Nico gave a dismissive wave. “We were all kicked

out of our original packs for the same reason. That’s
why we joined up with Russell. Ranger could have
done the same. Instead, he chose to pick up strays like
he was some shifter version of the ASPCA.”

“Well excuse him for actually trying to help others

instead of just stealing from them,” Tobias grumbled.

That comment earned him an arched brow from

Ervin. “You mean stealing, as in what we used to do
until Russell went legit?”

Shit! Damn! Fuck! The bastard had a very valid

point, and there was no way Tobias could agree with it
and still remain loyal to Russell. So, he did what he’d
always done best…avoided the topic and moved on.

“I wonder why those Ravens haven’t attacked us

yet?” he mused again.

“Maybe they are waiting until you answer my

question,” Ervin goaded.

Tobias lifted up the corner of his lip in his best snarl.

“Don’t fuck with me. I’m really not in the mood.”

It was an empty threat. At least it was unless Tobias

went running to his brother to tattle on Ervin. That
would never happen since Tobias wanted to keep a
sliver of pride. The bad thing was, the rest of the pack
knew that and they used it to their advantage. As a
result, whenever they were out of earshot of Russell,
nobody bothered to hide how they really felt about

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Tobias.

“Well, it sucks to be you then, because we’re fucked,

and not in the fun way either,” Nico declared.

Since Nico was gazing over in the Ravens’s

direction, Tobias immediately knew where the threat
would be coming from. Stifling a groan of annoyance,
he cast a covert glance around the restaurant. He was
somewhat relieved to note that there were only a couple
of humans there since it was early. That still didn’t
mean that Tobias wanted the fight that was barreling
their way.

With slow easy movements, he reached down and

wrapped his fingers around the butt of his gun.
Meanwhile, he glanced up from under his lashes to
watch the Ravens as they approached.

The trio of birds looked nothing like his friends,

Dulla and Chance. In other words, these Ravens looked
like most others of their breed. With pasty skin, dark
hair and eyes, and a stench that would knock out an
elephant. They put the G in gross. They also wore all
leather, from their ratty dusters to their thick-soled
boots.

Now that was just wrong on so many fashion levels

that Tobias didn’t even know where to begin with his
complaints.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Tobias said, fully

aware that he sounded like a character from a classic
western.

One of the Ravens smiled, showing off yellow,

rotted teeth. “Too bad for you, because it’s here.”

“I’ll tell you what. I have a coupon for half off for

some whitening strips. How about I give it to you and

Colby and the Little Wolf

then we call this whole thing even?” Tobias drawled.

The Raven let out a small snarl. “Oh, we’re going to

get way more than that for your scrawny ass. We know
who your brother is and we also know that he’ll pay a
ton to get you back.”

Tobias let out a sigh. Not another attempted kidnap

and ransom plan. If he had a nickel for every time…
Then again, that’s why Russell always made sure
Tobias had some muscle whenever he went out. It was
also why he’d trained Tobias to shoot.

Looking up, Tobias let out a snarl, too. “Fuck. You.”
The Raven blinked in surprise. No doubt because he

never thought somebody as small as Tobias would
stand up for himself. The stupid, empty look on the
bird’s face was so comical, Tobias had to ruin the small
victory by letting out a small laugh.

Fury crossed the Raven’s face before he pulled out a

gun and leveled it at Tobias. “Enough of this crap. Now
come with me.”

From the corner of his eyes, Tobias noted the

humans were all making a beeline for the door. Good,
now that they had less witnesses, they could fight back
fully without fear of harming an innocent bystander.

Tobias let out a fake gasp of distress, the sound and

reaction masking the fact that he’d turned his chair just
slightly so his legs were no longer tucked under the
table.

“I can’t go with you,” Tobias said.
“You can, and you will.”
The Raven waved his gun around. It did little to

impress Tobias since he had been on the barrel end of
firearms that were ten times bigger and badder. And

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yes, he knew that last one wasn’t really a word. So sue
him. Wolf packs didn’t exactly push the grammar
lessons. Teaching their cubs how to fight and survive in
their violent world tended to take precedence.

“No, I won’t,” Tobias continued to argue in a

deceptively calm tone.

“Do I need to shoot you in order to get you

moving?”

Well, that had to be one of the most ridiculous

threats Tobias had ever heard. He gave the comment the
reaction it deserved. Rolling his eyes, he let out a huff.
“How about I pencil in this whole kidnap plan for
tomorrow? I already have plans for today and I really
can’t cancel. It’s so hard to get a good hairdresser these
days and I don’t want to piss her off.”

When one of the Ravens pulled out a blade and

twirled it around a few times, Tobias heaved a huge
sigh. “I guess that means, no? Oh, and didn’t anybody
ever tell you that it’s not cool to be a showboat?”

Since the Raven was already advancing, Tobias

guessed the guy must have been absent the day they
taught that lesson at Bird School. Lucky for Tobias,
Russell had never let him skip class.

Moving swiftly and without even thinking about it

due to the hours he’d put in at the gym doing combat
training, Tobias jumped to the side. He made it without
injury, though it was close. The blade grazed his head
so closely that some hair was cut.

Okay, now he was really, really pissed. You could

call him every name in the book. Tell him he was a
bastard, and make fun of his shoes. Since it was all true,
Tobias could take it. The one thing he would never

Colby and the Little Wolf

stand for was somebody messing with his hair.

He landed on the balls of his feet in a crouched

position and turned around in time to see Ervin flip the
table over. In the confusion, the Wolves had time to
pull out their weapons. The only problem was, it also
gave the Ravens time to regroup and pull out more of
their own arsenal.

Tobias was just wrapping his hand around the butt of

his gun when one of the birds attacked. Moving fast as
fuck, the Raven tackled Tobias and took him to the
ground. Soon, he found himself pinned under over two
hundred pounds of man.

Usually, Tobias would be happy to find himself in

that position, but not when the other guy reeked of hell
knew what. Then Tobias realized he’d dropped his gun
when he’d been jumped.

Great. This just kept getting better and better. The

only thing that was missing was the laugh track and the
comical drumming sound.

Undaunted, Tobias grabbed the nearest weapon,

which happened to be a fork. With a snarl, he brought it
up and stabbed the Raven in the eye. It was gross as
hell, but it beat the alternative—becoming the bird’s
dinner.

The Raven let out a shriek as he rolled off Tobias.

Eager to get away, Tobias brought up his foot and
kicked the Raven across the room. The man landed on
top of a nearby table.

As he staggered to his feet, Tobias realized he was

covered in marinara sauce and blood.

Yeah, it was official. It sucked to be him.
His nose twitched as the scent of blood hit the air.

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He only needed to take in a few sniffs to know that it
was from one of the Wolves. He quickly scanned his
men, his stomach rolling when he saw Nico had a huge
gaping wound on his right flank.

Shit, that wasn’t good. Even if they did get away and

manage to drive back to their pack, the mansion didn’t
have the best of infirmaries. Okay, it really didn’t have
an infirmary at all—just a table, a couple of bandages,
and a Wolf who fainted at the sight of blood. While he
always assured them that he had training as a medic,
Tobias had always had his doubts.

The Raven that had gotten a piece of Nico was

moving in again. Not hesitating, Tobias grabbed his
gun, then raised it. Letting out one shot, he hit the bird
in the back of the head. Nico let out a slight gagging
sound as he found himself covered in gore. Tobias
figured it was better off to be grossed out than dead.

The sound of boots running through the door, made

Tobias let out a low curse. Shit, just what they didn’t
need—more birds. When the newbies approached and
Tobias saw that it was a group of felines, he let out a
sigh of relief. Hell, he didn’t even mind that their leader
was Shane. The guy who put the C in cray-cray.

As always, Shane seemed almost bored as he stared

at the carnage. Then his gaze settled on Tobias, and the
Leopard’s lips curled into a smile. “Hey, that’s a great
idea. Hide the blood with marinara sauce. Now, why
didn’t I ever think of that?”

Shane then raised his gun and shot the last standing

Raven. Cocking a brow at Tobias, Shane asked, “Why
don’t you take your injured to our infirmary? I’ve seen
yours and no offense, but it’s a joke.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

Since Tobias couldn’t argue that point, he just gave a

nod.

Damn, he’d been in a fight, killed one Raven,

maimed another and trashed a restaurant. All before one
in the afternoon. Tobias could only wonder what other
surprises the day had for him.

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Chapter Two

n the end, Tobias was so happy to go back to the
feline coalition that he was bordering on giddy.

Mostly because they had a medical van and that meant
he didn’t have to deal with a bleeding and whining
Nico. For somebody that liked to flaunt their badass
status, Nico was the biggest baby in their pack…well,
maybe second biggest since he didn’t faint at the sight
of blood. It was a close call, however.

They were just pulling through the second set of

security gates leading to the coalition, when Tobias felt
his chest growing tight.

Oh, fuck! Not here. Not now.
He tried to take in a few deep breaths, but it was as if

his lungs were full and didn’t want to expand all the
way. A buzzing sensation started in his head and Tobias
then knew he was in deep shit.

He was sitting in the passenger seat and Shane was

driving. Other than that, the car was empty, which was
a small blessing since the last thing Russell wanted
broadcasted was that his only living sibling was not
only a runt, but an asthmatic one at that.

A Wolf shifter with asthma. If he could have, Tobias

Colby and the Little Wolf

would have laughed at the sheer irony of it. It was as if
the fates had it in for him, or something. It wasn’t
enough that he was cursed to be small and scrawny. No,
they had to throw in one last fuck you and make him
sickly, too, which took a lot of work, since most shifters
weren’t affected by diseases. So, one could almost call
Tobias an overachiever when it came to the loser
department.

He lowered his head and gave a silent prayer of hope

that he didn’t start wheezing too loud. From what he’d
heard, Shane had ridiculous sensitive hearing, and if he
heard Tobias doing an unintentional impersonation of
Darth Vader, then Tobias’s secret would be out.

Luck was finally with him. Shane quickly found a

spot and parked the car. He’d barely turned it off before
Tobias was out. When Shane cocked a brow at his
eagerness, Tobias gave a shrug. “I just want to get in to
be with Nico.”

Ha! If that wasn’t a lie. While Nico wasn’t too bad,

it wasn’t as if he and Tobias were BFFs. Tobias didn’t
have any illusions. He knew the only reason that Ervin
and Nico even talked to him was out of fear and respect
for Russell.

While Russell might like to think otherwise, his pack

barely tolerated Tobias. Worse, a number of them
resented the fact that he was the official Beta, or
second-in-command. They all knew the only reason
Tobias held that title was because of the way Russell
doted and protected him.

Whenever Russell wasn’t around, Tobias never

failed to hear scathing remarks from the others. While
they might always make sure to do it in hushed, or

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whispered tones, the words still hurt as much as if
they’d been screamed directly in his ears.

As they walked inside, Tobias’s chest grew tighter.

Shit, this was really, really, really what he didn’t need
at the moment. It was bad enough already that a bunch
of cats had to jump in and protect him. No…Tobias was
about to put a great big bow on his humiliation by being
the only Wolf shifter in history to have an asthma
attack.

He was so caught up in his own pity party that he

jumped in surprise when Shane grabbed him by the
arm. Leaning down, Shane whispered in Tobias’s ear.
“Let’s find you a room.”

Before Tobias could think of an excuse, he found

himself herded into one of the few private rooms of the
infirmary. Like the rest of the coalition, it was filled
with only the best equipment. While the cats may be
working out of what appeared to be a rundown auto
factory, it was all just a façade to keep nosy humans
away.

Shane stuck his head out the door long enough to let

out a sharp whistle before he gestured Tobias to climb
onto the table.

Tobias started to argue, but when only a high-

pitched wheeze came out, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to
be obedient this one time.

The door opened and one of the many brothers of the

coalition leader came in. Since he was wearing scrubs
and a stethoscope, Tobias knew it was Jacyn. The
Jaguar was the only one of the bunch that healed
wounds instead of making them.

Shane pointed at Tobias and told Jacyn, “He’s broke.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Fix him.”

If he could have, Tobias would have let out a bitter

laugh. Fix him. Yeah, like that was ever going to
happen. He’d been born a defect and that wasn’t going
to change any time soon.

Jacyn frowned, his amber gaze assessing Tobias. As

the Jaguar approached, Tobias felt his embarrassment
grow. Damn it, could this day get any worse? All he’d
wanted was to get some lasagna for lunch and he
wound up fucking it up in so many ways. That would
teach him to carbo load.

“How long have you had trouble breathing?” Jacyn

asked gently.

Usually, Tobias would shoot off a flippant remark,

but since his health was a touchy subject, he just
shrugged. Jacyn reached over and put a hand on his
shoulder. “Whatever you tell me, will never leave this
room. I promise.”

Tobias still stayed silent. While he knew it was

stupid since the cat was already out of the bag…ha,
ha…his asthma had always been such a closely guarded
secret that he found it nearly impossible to open up,
even with Jacyn’s promise of confidentiality.

Shane let out an impatient, sounding growl. “Will

you just tell him already? It’s not like we don’t know
something is wrong. Your lungs are rattling louder than
a zombie on its deathbed.”

That last comment was so off that Tobias paused as

he cocked his head to the side. “Zom…bies?”

Wonderful! He couldn’t even talk now. Russell was

so going to have his ass in a sling for this mess. Tobias
would be lucky if his brother ever let him out again. He

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half-expected Shane to laugh at his pathetic ass, but the
cat just flashed his usual tight-lipped grin.

“What? You don’t believe me?”
Truthfully, one could never be certain with Shane.

Since Tobias didn’t have enough air in his lungs to say
that, he had to settle for an eye roll instead.

Jacyn began to bustle around Tobias. While most of

the other shifters would have no clue what medical
equipment the feline pulled out, Tobias had the
misfortune to be intimately close to each one. The pulse
oximeter. The mask used to administer a breathing
treatment and the long needle used to get an arterial
blood draw.

When Tobias cocked a brow questioningly, Jacyn

smiled. “I’ve treated a couple cases of shifter asthma
before.”

That had been the last thing Tobias expected. He’d

always thought that he’d been the only one cursed with
the thing.

Jacyn moved quickly, pouring the medicine into the

bottom of the mask and hooking it up to an oxygen
supply.

By then, Tobias was so out of breath that it took all

his self-control not to lunge for the thing. Instead, he sat
back and let Jacyn slide the mask into place. Little by
little, Tobias could feel the full areas of his lungs clear
up and he was able to get in a few more drops of
precious oxygen. He was so relieved, he didn’t even
complain as Jacyn took the arterial sample. That said a
lot since that procedure always hurt like hell.

Once he had the vials of blood, Jacyn handed them

to Shane. “Can you take these to the lab for me? Put

Colby and the Little Wolf

them under a number and not a name, so we can protect
Tobias’s privacy.”

Shane grunted. “Since when am I the official

infirmary lackey?”

“Just consider it a small repayment for all the work

we’ve done on your ass.”

That comment actually got a chuckle from Shane.

“Okay, I guess you do have a point.”

After Shane left, Jacyn continued to move around

the small space, first taking Tobias’s vitals, then
checking to make sure the oxygen was flowing. By
then, Tobias had enough breath to ask, “How is Nico?”

His question was somewhat muffled due to the

mask, but Jacyn still must have understood, because he
replied, “He’ll be fine. Once he’s able to shift, there
probably won’t even be a scar.”

Well, that was some good news since Nico was more

vain than Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie combined.
Swallowing down his nerves, Tobias finally forced
himself to voice his biggest concern, “So, you really
won’t tell anybody?”

Jacyn shook his head. “We all have the right to keep

some things private, you included.”

Tobias almost snorted at that. Living in a pack and

being the only brother of the Alpha, Tobias barely had
any privacy at all. It was just by sheer dumb luck that
all the others didn’t know how defective he really was.

“You said that you treated other cases?” Tobias

asked.

“Yeah, there are a few feline shifters who have this,

and a Hawk, too. It’s a lot like the human version of
asthma. Of course, their meds don’t work on us, so Doc

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and I had to dink around a little to come up with
something.”

Whatever they had was a whole hell of a lot better

than what Tobias usually used. Russell had always
brought in pills that took forever to work, or a weaker
version on Jacyn’s breathing treatment. Tobias didn’t
even know where his brother got the meds. Whenever
Tobias had asked, Russell had just brushed him off.

“The other cases…were they like me?”
Jacyn paused, his lips pressed tightly together. He

seemed to be having some internal debate, but it lasted
only a second. “You mean were they runts?”

God, how Tobias hated that word. Most likely

because it was often used as an insult whenever it was
hurled at him. “Yeah.”

Jacyn took a deep breath. “They were all small like

you.”

“Did they ever get better? You know…after they had

their first shift, or something?”

That had been the only thing that had given Tobias

hope. He was close to the age when Wolves had their
first shift and he knew that the process often healed
wounds and other things. He had been praying that it
would make his lungs well.

Those hopes came crashing down when Jacyn shook

his head. “I’m sorry. I wish I could give you a better
answer. Doc and I think it has something to do with you
guys being so small when you were born. That maybe
your lungs weren’t fully developed when you were
delivered. It happens all the time with humans and we
think it carried over to shifters.”

“Great, out of all the things to inherit from them, it

Colby and the Little Wolf

had to be that,” Tobias scoffed.

He glanced away so Jacyn wouldn’t see the

disappointment that was, no doubt, written all over his
face. Fuck. Shit. Damn. It was bad enough that he was
small and a burden to Russell. Now, Tobias was finding
out that it would be that way forever. He would have
been better off if his pack had just killed him at birth,
like most other shifters did whenever they produced a
runt.

“We can treat it with meds. We’ve managed to come

up with some really good preventative drugs. It won’t
make the asthma go away completely, but it will make
the attacks less frequent.”

Tobias let out a bitter laugh. “A Wolf shifter with

asthma. If it weren’t so fucking pathetic, it would be
comical.”

Jacyn turned off the oxygen, then took the mask off

Tobias. “I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t suck, but at
least we can help some. So, not all the news is bad.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not stuck being

defective and a pariah. If you think it’s fun dealing with
that, let me tell you it’s not a trip to the circus by any
stretch of the imagination.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You just have a

condition. That doesn’t make you any less of a man.”

Tobias wanted to argue that point, but since he

didn’t want to appear ungrateful, he just nodded. Inside
though, he was rolling his eyes so hard it was a wonder
his Wolf didn’t get dizzy and fall ass over end.

Jacyn gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I have to go

check on some other patients. You try to get some rest
and I’ll be back in a little bit to give you another

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breathing treatment.”

No sooner had Jacyn left, then Tobias was sitting up

in bed. He had no plans of sticking around. He may
have had a sucky day, but there was one silver lining.
He was inside the feline coalition. Most of the cats
lived off the premises, but there were a few that resided
inside the building. One of them happened to be Colby
and since the Lion never left the place, even to go on
small errands, they were probably just feet from each
other. Oh, boy! I wonder what would happen if we
accidently ran into each other.

There was no way in hell that Tobias was going to

let that opportunity slip by him. He’d rather risk another
asthma attack or have to take on twenty Raven shifters
and their grandmas, too

Ever since he’d first kissed the blond shifter at the

Christmas party, Tobias had been trying to find a way
to see the Lion again. It seemed like this would be the
perfect time. One way or another, Tobias would find his
cat. This time, he wasn’t going to settle for a simple
kiss.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Three

s Colby studied that large room, full of felines,
Hawks and various other shifters, he realized that

coming to the cafateria during the early dinner rush had
been a bad idea. Ecspecially for somebody that still had
to fight the urge to jump in fear whenver somebody
spoke to him. Heck, he even dreaded it when then so
much as glanced in his direction. Now, Colby was
about to walk into the jaws of the beast and for the first
time ever, that was a literal statement.

Ever since he’d been let out of the infirmary, he’d

been doing his best to avoid others. Despite the fact that
both his brother and Dr. North had been stressing that
Colby needed to integrate himself with his new home.
Seriously though, what did they expect? A year ago,
Colby didn’t have a clue that shifters existed. Now, not
only did he find out the hard way that he was one, but
he was now living with a bunch of animals. That didn’t
mean that they were slobs with no manners or hygeine,
either, but that at anby moment they could switch to
reall, living, breathing beasts. Sure, most of the times
they walked around in their human forms. That was just
a cover because Colby had heard enough growls and

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snarls to know that there was nothing human about his
new family and peers.

So, yeah, Colby usually liked to stay in his room and

avoid the others in HQ like they were carrying the ebola
virus, or something. But since Colby couldn’t stand
another bite of his brother-in-law’s food, he would have
to risk it. While Colby liked the Raven, the guy
couldn’t even manage to cook Ramen Noodles without
burning them.

Keeping his head down, because the last thing he

wanted was to call attention to himself, Colby picked
up a tray and made his way through the buffet line. As
he grabbed various items, it struck him, not for the first
time, how normal this place seemed. Well, that was if
he didn’t have to listen to the insane conversations
going on around him. Or the fact that most of
individuals were carrying a gun, or some other kind of
weapon.

Other than that, the cafateria could have passed for

any human one. There were coffee machines, a salad
bar, even an ice cream machine. They also had a soup
station, complete with crackers and croutons. The only
thing missing was a chocolate fountain.

Then, he spotted a tall, brickhouse of a man giving

him the evil eye, and Colby was, once again reminded
that he was surrounded by predators. They were all in
their human forms, but he knew that each and every one
of them could click their heels together and turn into a
Tiger, Hawk, Fox, or even a Lion. That last one, he was
real certain of, since that’s what he was.

He finished loading up his tray and scanned the

room for a safe place to sit. His heart raced as he

Colby and the Little Wolf

wondered if there was some quiet corner where he
could hide out and be alone. Since he was still new to
all this shifter stuff, most of the people frankly scared
him a bit. Especially since a lot of them were soldiers
and seemed capable of snapping him in half.

Not only that, but Colby knew nothing about shifter

life and customs. He was terrified that he’d say, or do
the wrong thing and piss somebody off. Something he’d
already inadvertantly done a few times. Once, when
he’d stepped on a Cheetah’s tail, and another time,
when stared another Lion in the eye and the guy had
taken it as a challenge and started to charge. Had
Colby’s brother, Thomas, not stepped in, things could
have gone down really bad on that one.

“Hey, Colby! Over here!” a voice called.
Glancing up, Colby let out a sigh of relief when he

saw it was his friend, Xavier. Since the Eagle shifter
had been raised with Chance, that made him like family
to Colby and that meant safety as far as he was
concerned.

Not only that, but the dark-blond wasn’t much

bigger than Colby, and that was yet another thing that
meant safety for Colby. Some of the guys that were in
the coalition were so huge that it was a miracle they
could even find uniforms big enough to fit them. He
was beginning to wonder if they were lacing the drinks
with steroids, or something.

Colby took a seat, shooting Xavier a grateful glance.

“Thanks for letting me sit with you.”

“No problem. Let me guess, since you are here

instead of hiding out in your room, Chance is cooking
tonight.” Xavier smiled brightly.

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“Yeah, and he was trying some recipe he found on

the internet.”

They both let out a shudder. While the cafateria food

wasn’t the best, it still beat anything that Chance made.
The last time he had tried out something new, they’d all
found themselves eating half-cooked fish that had half
the bones still in it. Worse yet, he’d left the heads on so
it was as if they were staring at Colby. Lion, or not,
there was no way he could eat something when it was
shooting a please-don’t-hurt-me look.

“Dulla, the coward, ran out before I could con her

into bringing me back some fast food,” Colby said as he
tried his best to forget about that poor fish.

“That’s because she’s smart. As soon as she sees her

brother hunting the cooking channels, or websites, she
starts looking for a take-out menu.”

A loud snarl sounded from somewhere in the room.

Fear shot through Colby, causing him to jump, almost
dumping his drink. A burning sensation covered his
face when he realized that it had come from several
tables over and that it wasn’t even directed his way.
Damn it, how was he ever going to get used to this? It’s
not like he could hide out in his room forever. While he
might have never been the most sociable person, he still
didn’t want to be a recluse.

Xavier shot him a sympathetic glance. “I know it’s

hard at first, but eventually you’ll get accustomed to it.
I did and I grew up totally isolated from society.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to disappoint

Thomas,” Colby mumbled.

“There is no way he can ever be disappointed in you.

He’s your brother and he’ll always love you.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

How Colby wanted to believe that, but then he

thought back to his adoptive father. While the man had
never hit Colby, or anything, he’d done plenty of
damage with his words. Not a day had passed where his
father hadn’t pointed out how much Colby had failed to
meet his expectations. If it wasn’t that Colby was too
small, it was that he was too shy, or clumsy.

In the meantime, they had fawned over Colby’s

adopted older brother, Vince. They hadn’t even
bothered to try to hide the way they favored him. It was
so bad that near the end, days would go by where they
didn’t even speak a word to Colby. He doubted that
they even realized he was supposedly dead at the hands
of some unknown murderer. . If they did, they probably
had only breathed a sigh of relief, then moved on with
their lives.

“Thomas is probably bummed to find out how

scrawny I am. When he spent all those years searching
for me, I’m sure he didn’t expect to find somebody who
was under six feet and weighing one thirty-five.”

Xavier paused, his gaze probing. “You really don’t

think that, do you?”

Colby gestured to the crowd. “Look at how big these

guys are. Thomas looks just like them, too. So, it only
stands to reason that’s what his family should look
like.”

Setting down his fork, Xavier said, “I can tell you

with one hundred percent certainty that Thomas isn’t
nor ever will be disappointed with you. He was so
happy to have you back. That’s all that matters to him.”

“If you say so.”
“What was your human family like?”

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That question came as such a shock that Colby

jerked. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because you obviously have low self-esteem and

I’m just trying to figure out where you got it from.”

Idly playing with his food, Colby confessed, “My

dad was a big football jock in high school and college,
and he expected the same from us. When he found out
that I was never going to get bigger, he pretty much
decided to pretend that I didn’t exist.”

The odd thing was that had he given Colby a chance,

he would have been faster and stronger than any of the
other players. While they all might have been bulkier,
they were humans and no match for Colby’s enhanced
shifter abilities. Of course, to be fair, not even Colby
knew that at the time. In fact, as soon as his father
deemed him weak and unworthy, Colby had just slid
into that niche and never challenged himself.

Now, it was all different, because he was among

shifters, and they all were taller and stronger than him.
Colby knew that if he were ever to get into a fight, he’d
be taken out in less than ten seconds.

“No offense, but your human dad sounds like a big

jerk,” Xavier replied.

“None taken. He was a huge asshole. If there is any

good out of this whole mess, it’s that I was finally able
to get away from him. Don’t get me wrong, I miss the
rest of my family like crazy. I loved my mom and
sisters a ton. It was just my father and Vince that gave
me a hard time.”

That was only partly true. While his mother might

have been nice to him whenever they were alone, as
soon as his father had come home, she would become

Colby and the Little Wolf

just as aloof. At least, he’d had those brief moments of
love, and he’d clung desperately to them.

To make the situation even more confusing was the

fact that Colby knew Thomas loved him. Despite being
a big, muscular soldier, he’d never missed an
opportunity to tell Colby that.

Colby believed Thomas, but at the same time, he

couldn’t stop himself from waiting for the other shoe to
drop—for him to mess up in some way and then
Thomas would start treating Colby like a loser and
embarrassment.

“Thomas is nothing like your father,” Xavier said.
The Eagle was good at reading facial expressions

and knowing what somebody was thinking. A trait that
both amazed and annoyed Colby.

“I know he’s not…” Colby trailed off when Xavier

let out a gasp. “What?”

“Tobias is here and he’s walking our way.”
Colby’s heart began to pound with excitement and

nerves as all his other troubles fled his mind. Ever since
he’d seen the Wolf at Christmas, Colby hadn’t been
able to get the shifter off his mind.

Even before he got there, Colby could smell Tobias.

He had a nice scent, all woodsy and outdoors, as if he’d
just come in from running through the forest. Colby
decided at that moment that while he’d never read the
books, or seen the movies, he was all team Jacob,
because he’d developed a Wolf fetish.

“Hey, guys,” Tobias said as he took the seat next to

Colby.

It was only then that Colby noted that Tobias also

smelled like basil, garlic, and tomatoes. Looking closer,

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he could see red streaks on the Wolf’s black jacket and
blue jeans.

“Is that blood, or spaghetti sauce?” Colby asked.
He was somewhat surprised that he was actually

having to ask that question, but it wouldn’t be the first
time somebody sported blood in the cafeteria.

Tobias smiled and Colby was struck at how beautiful

the Wolf’s eyes were. They were an interesting shade of
amber and there were also lighter flecks present that
one would call amber. They were framed by lashes so
long, they should have come off as girly, but on Tobias
they somehow worked.

Some time, since they’d last seen each other, Tobias

had cut his hair. While the brown locks were still
somewhat longer than most of the soldiers, they were
more under control and styled.

“I think it’s a little of both.” Tobias chuckled as he

glanced down at his own body. “We got into a fight in
an Italian restaurant.”

“Were you hurt?” Colby demanded, his gut

clenching at the thought of Tobias being in any amount
of pain.

Tobias shook his head. “Nah, but one of my

bodyguards was stabbed. They are stitching him up in
the infirmary.”

“Who attacked you?” Xavier asked.
“A group of Ravens. You’d think they’d have

learned not to mess with us by now.”

Even while Colby agreed, another comment struck

him as odd. “You have bodyguards.”

A slight blush came over Tobias’s cheeks. “Like I

told you before, my brother is way too overprotective of

Colby and the Little Wolf

me.”

That was something Colby could relate to. Thomas

didn’t allow him to walk out the doors of HQ unless he
had some muscle with him. While Colby knew Thomas
only did it out of love, that still didn’t make it any less
annoying. Some days, Tobias just wanted to be able to
dart out and grab a burger without there being a big
deal made out of it.

Tobias held out his hand. “Give me your cell

phone?”

When Colby hesitated, Tobias cocked a brow.

“Thomas did give you a phone, didn’t he?”

Fishing it out of his front jeans pocket, Colby gave it

to the Wolf. “Of course, he did. He wants to make sure
that he can reach me at all times. You’re not the only
one with an overprotective brother.”

When he saw Tobias punching in some buttons,

Colby frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Putting in my number. You told me to call you the

last time we met and I never could because we didn’t
exchange digits.” Tobias then pulled out his own phone
and began to add Colby’s number to his contacts.

Once done, Tobias handed it back with a smile.

“Now we can reach each other any time we want.”

That thought thrilled Colby. “I like that.”
Tobias stood, then held a hand out to Colby. “Come

on, let’s go for a walk. I want to get to know you, and
it’s too crowded in here.”

Colby didn’t have to be asked twice. He immediately

took Tobias’s hand and stood. A shiver of desire went
through Colby as he realized that he was actually
touching the only guy he’d ever been interested in.

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Sure, it might only be holding hands, but it was a good
start.

Tobias leaned in until his lips were only inches from

Colby’s ear. “Do you know somewhere that’s more
private?”

Actually, Colby did. It was a conference room that

was barely ever used. Colby had sought refuge in that
place several times since he’d come to live at HQ.
Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he’d
be sharing it with Tobias, though.

“I know of the perfect spot,” Colby replied.
Another shiver went through him when Tobias gave

his ear a gentle love bite. “Then take me there.”

Colby led Tobias out of the cafeteria. He didn’t look

back once, not even when he heard Xavier call out
sarcastically, “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll just stay
behind and clean up this mess. No big deal. By the way,
it was great seeing you too, Tobias. I’m sure Ranger
would love to visit with you.”

“Is he always this bratty?” Tobias asked.
“Are you kidding? Since he’s come out of his shell,

we haven’t been able to shut him up.”

Tobias laughed. “I guess that’s not a bad thing.

Besides, Ranger is crazy about him. As for me, I’ve
always had a kink for Lions.”

Colby knew that Tobias had only been kidding when

he said that last line, but desire still shot through his
body and went straight to his cock. Picking up the pace,
he all but dragged Tobias to the conference room.

If they didn’t get there soon, Colby was just going to

jump Tobias right there in the hall. While the thought
was sexy as hell, he wasn’t sure if Tobias was into

Colby and the Little Wolf

exhibition.

Colby realized there was a lot he didn’t know about

Tobias. Now that they’d been reunited, Colby was
determined to remedy that fact. First, though, he wanted
to kiss Tobias until they were both senseless.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Four

olby opened the door and peered in to see if it was
empty. When he found the room dark and vacant of

others, he let out a sigh of relief, then gestured Tobias
inside. As he shut the door, Colby debated over whether
he should turn on the lights, or not. They could both see
just as well either way, thanks to their advanced shifter
vision, but Colby didn’t want to come off as too eager
and slutty.

In the end, he settled for flipping on the lights, but

he did lock the door behind them so they wouldn’t be
interrupted. Tobias walked around the long table that
took up most of the conference room. As the Wolf’s
gaze swept over the room, Colby noted how nothing
ever seemed to escape Tobias’s attention.

Colby heard that Tobias’s pack used to be in all

kinds of businesses that were on the wrong side of the
law. It would stand to reason, then, that they’d probably
found themselves in more than one sticky situation.
Even though Russell’s pack had supposedly gone legit,
Colby wondered if Tobias still had the habit of being
overly cautious.

“So, you come here a lot?” Tobias finally asked.
Colby leaned his back against the door and struggled

Colby and the Little Wolf

to breathe. Really, it should be a sin for somebody to be
as sexy as Tobias was. Not only did he look hot as hell,
but every move he made, from just walking across the
room to his smile, screamed sensuality.

“Yes, it’s never used and always quiet. It’s a great

place for me just to get away from everything and
think,” Colby replied.

As he continued to study Tobias, Colby was glad

that he was wearing one of his baggier t-shirts.
Otherwise one look at his crotch would tell the Wolf
how turned on Colby was.

Then a horrifying thought occurred to Colby. What

if Tobias could smell his desire? Colby knew that Wolf
shifters had crazy sniffing skills. For all he knew, he
could be oozing oh-baby-I-want-you-now, pheromones.
Oh shit, that would be so embarrassing.

Tobias’s lips curled up as he tilted his head slightly.

“And just what do you think about when you’re all
alone in this room?”

You. How much I want you. All the wonderful,

naughty things I want to do to you. The fact that
whenever you look at me, I feel normal for the first time
ever. That I’m terrified that I won’t measure up to
Thomas’s expectations and that he’ll soon be
disappointed in me, too. How scared I am because now
my life is filled with weapons, claws, teeth and war. Or
how for just once I would love to not be the freak in the
group.

Since Colby knew there was no way he could ever

blab those thoughts aloud, he simply shrugged. “Not
much. Just stuff.”

Walking over slowly until they were just inches

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apart, Tobias reached up and cupped Colby’s cheek.
“Do you want to know what I think about when I’m
alone?”

Arousal pulsed through Colby, making him

temporarily too dumb to talk, so he simply nodded.
Tobias didn’t seem to mind. He even fanned his thumb
over Colby’s flesh, his touch making Colby shiver.

“I think about doing this.”
Tobias briefly touched their lips together.
“And how I want to touch you.”
They shared another quick kiss.
“Not just on your lips either, but every inch of your

skin.”

Tobias, once more, lightly feathered their mouths

against each other.

“I also wonder why it is that ever since I saw you,

nobody else can measure up. Do you know how crazy
you’ve been making me?”

All Colby managed was a shake of his head.
“I can only think about you. Not only when I’m

awake, but when I’m sleeping, too,” Tobias whispered.

Fuck, if he kept talking like that, Colby was going to

come in his pants right then and there.

Then, moving quickly, Tobias spun Colby around.

When his ass hit the edge of the table, he didn’t have to
ask what was expected of him. He just knew. He
hopped onto it and even scooted backward to make
room for Tobias.

As he stretched out on his back, Colby gazed up at

the Wolf. Damn it, but all of Colby’s memories hadn’t
done the man justice. Tobias was so much hotter and
sexier than Colby had given him credit for.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Tobias pinned Colby down and even though he was

a Lion, Colby had a heady feeling of what it was like to
be prey. Tobias even let out a low rumbling growl
before he began to nuzzle Colby’s neck.

Colby gasped as he arched his hips up, desperate for

something although he had no idea what it was.
Luckily, Tobias must have actually had some real
experience, because he had the answer to Colby’s pleas.
Reaching between them, Tobias gave Colby’s cock a
gentle squeeze.

Colby continued to arch up, wanting even more

contact. Then, it occurred to him that he had two
perfectly good hands and they could be doing a lot
more than just lying there.

With slow, hesitant gestures…because he really

didn’t want to fuck up the moment …he brought his
arms up. One hand came to rest on Tobias’s hip and the
other one cupped the back of his head.

Colby knew he’d done the right thing when Tobias

let out a muffled groan before he continued to suck on
Colby’s neck. Emboldened by the reaction, Colby
carded his fingers through Tobias’s hair.

“What kind of shampoo do you use?” Colby asked.
He’d never felt softer hair in his life. Tobias pulled

back so he could gaze down at Colby. “Do you really
want to talk about what products I use? Or would you
rather we keep making out?”

Since Tobias punctuated his last question by giving

Colby’s cock another squeeze, the answer was pretty
easy to figure. Pulling Tobias’s head back down, Colby
replied, “I want you to keep kissing me.”

Tobias gave a wicked grin. “I thought you’d say

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that.”

Before Colby could even draw in the breath to reply,

Tobias crushed their lips together. This time, the kiss
was neither soft nor tender. If was all about want and
need. Colby felt a little clumsy at first, but he soon
caught on, his tongue darting out to mingle with
Tobias’s.

The Wolf tasted just like he smelled, if that made

any sense, since Colby had never licked a forest, or
anything. There was also something else lingering
there, a sweetness that Colby instinctively knew was
unique to Tobias.

“Fuck, I can’t get enough of you,” Tobias growled

between kisses. “I thought that if I got one taste, I could
move on from you. Instead, it’s only made me hunger
for more.”

Colby tried to reply, but all he managed was a very

un-macho whimper before Tobias pressed their lips
together again. At the same time, he continued to
squeeze and massage Colby’s cock. After making out
for a few moments, Tobias tilted his head down, so he
could begin sucking on Colby’s neck again.

Even though he was wearing thick jeans and

underwear, it felt so damn good that Colby knew he
wasn’t going to last long. He squeezed his lips tight as
he prayed that he wouldn’t embarrass himself by
shooting off in under five minutes.

“It’s okay. Just let yourself go,” Tobias whispered,

before he started kissing Colby on the mouth again.

This time, Colby wasn’t even humiliated by the

whimper that slipped out. He was so close. All he
needed was a few more seconds and he was…

Colby and the Little Wolf

The jiggling of the lock was their only warning

before the door swung open. Gasping, Colby broke off
the kiss and glanced over and instantly felt himself
grow sick with dread. First, none other than Mitchell,
the frigging coalition leader came in. Then just when
Colby didn’t think it could get any worse, of course it
did. Thomas walked inside the room, followed by
Russell.

If it could have, Colby’s cock would have let out a

frustrated whimper of his own when Tobias jerked his
hand away. Neither of them made any move to get up,
however. Colby didn’t know about Tobias, but as for
himself he was too mortified to move.

He closed his eyes and prayed that a hole would

appear in the ground. That way, he could jump in and
save himself from the drama that was about to come
crashing down on their heads.

Sure enough, Thomas crossed his arms over his

chest and asked, “What in the hell is going on here?”

Aside from the fact that they both had blond hair,

blue eyes and could say Rawr, Colby and Tobias
couldn’t have looked any different. In fact, if he had not
seen the DNA test that proved the fact, Colby would
have called bullshit.

While he was skinny, clumsy and hardly ever spoke,

Thomas was muscular, a good fighter and also a
competent team leader out in the field. At least that’s
what Colby had been told. There was no way the felines
would ever embarrass themselves by sending his
scrawny ass out into battle.

Tobias grinned, showing off a cocky attitude that

Colby couldn’t manage on his best day. Damned if the

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sight of it didn’t make him horny all over again, too.

“What happened, Thomas? Did Chance cut you off,

or something? I think it’s pretty obvious what we’re
doing, unless of course it’s been so long since you got
some that you forgot what it looks like,” Tobias
retorted.

Russell pinched the bridge of his nose, and his lips

moved as if he were silently counting to ten, then back
down again, and then up once more. He finally let out a
deep sigh.

Thomas curled up his lip, showing off his teeth. “Get

off my brother.”

“It’s okay. I like him right where he is,” Colby

blurted.

For a second, a stunned silence filled the room.

Colby wasn’t certain if it was because he’d actually
spoken up for himself, or that he admitted to wanting a
wolf. Heck, maybe it was both. Colby barely talked at
all, let alone disagreed with somebody. Plus, while a
few felines had mated Wolves, decades of prejudice
still made it kind of taboo to some individuals.

As for Colby, he didn’t see an issue. Had Tobias

been an Elephant mixed with Flamingo, he’d still be as
sexy as hell. Besides, now that Colby had finally gotten
a good taste of Tobias, he found that he wasn’t real
eager to move on.

So, when Tobias got up, Colby couldn’t stop the

small sound of protest that burst from his lips. It was all
he could do not to reach up and jerk Tobias back down.
It was only when he locked gazes with Mitchell and
saw the concern in his leader’s eyes that Colby sat up.

Mitchell gave a slight shake of his head. “I swear

Colby and the Little Wolf

this table gets more action than I do sometimes.”

Then, Colby remembered that Mitchell himself was

mated to a Wolf. More so, the mate in question was
Tobias’s cousin. So maybe the coalition leader wasn’t
too mad after all. Then, when he gave them a slight
wink, Colby knew they had at least one ally.

Colby, once more, looked at the stony faces of

Russell and Thomas, causing him to come to the
gloomy conclusion that Mitchell could very well be the
only one of their side.

Tobias moved to get off the table, but not before he

leaned down and whispered so low that even with
shifter-enhanced abilities, only Colby heard him.
“Don’t worry. We have each other’s numbers now. So,
we can meet again. I’m not letting you go.”

That last comment sent shivers of desire down

Colby’s spine and he barely stopped himself from
giving off an eager nod. Tobias then got really ballsy
and gave Colby a kiss. Sure, it was a chaste, on the
cheek one, but the message was still clear, You can
separate us for now, but we’re not going to stay apart
for very long.

Tobias slid off the table and walked over to his

brother. Russell turned to Thomas. “I’m sorry about
this.”

Colby blinked in surprise. Sorry? What the fuck?

They hadn’t done anything that Colby hadn’t seen a ton
of other shifters doing. What’s more, most of them had
been out in public while getting frisky. At least he and
Tobias had taken it to a private room. So, why in hell
were they getting so much flak?

“We were just kissing,” Colby protested.

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Okay, maybe there had been some touching, too, but

he didn’t think he needed to point that out right then. It
wasn’t as if it was anybody’s business anyhow.

Thomas didn’t even bother to glance in Colby’s

direction. Rather, he just gave Russell a curt nod. “I
appreciate your apology. Colby is still a little
overwhelmed, emotionally. It’s easy to convince him to
do things that he otherwise wouldn’t want to do.”

That comment was so harsh that Colby couldn’t hold

back a gasp. Wow, just fucking wow. At that moment,
he really did feel overwhelmed, but not in the way
Thomas thought. Instead, Colby felt hurt, disrespected
and betrayed. None of those emotions were directed at
Tobias, however. No, they all landed squarely on
Thomas’s huge, muscle-bound shoulders.

Tobias must have sensed Colby’s hurt because the

Wolf opened his mouth to fire off a comment. Before
even one syllable could pass through his mouth, Russell
grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him out
of the room.

Colby’s need to chase after Tobias became so strong

that he jumped in surprise when Mitchell said, “It
would seem to me that Colby is adjusting fine and he
knows exactly what he wants. By the way, Colby, nice
hickey.”

Face burning, Colby raised his hand to touch the

area that Tobias had sucked on. Oopsies. Thomas’s
expression seemed to grow even angrier as he stormed
over and grabbed Colby by the wrist.

“No offense, Mitchell, but I know what’s best for

my brother and it isn’t some has-been criminal.”

Now, Colby was just getting pissed. He tried to jerk

Colby and the Little Wolf

his hand away without any success. “Don’t talk about
him that way.”

“Why not? It’s true.”
Maybe so, but that wasn’t Tobias fault. From what

bits of information he’d been able to glean, Tobias and
Russell had been kicked out of their old pack years ago
because they were gay. As a result, they’d been forced
to do what they had to in order to survive.

While the new Alpha of the pack had made it clear

he has no issue with gay members and had invited
everyone back in, Russell and Tobias had been too hurt
to accept. While most shifters attitudes or reactions
eluded Colby, he found he could relate to the hurt that
the Wolf brothers must have experienced.

Colby gave another jerk, surprised when Thomas

actually let him go. Narrowing his eyes at his brother,
Colby snapped, “You don’t know anything about
Tobias. Nor do you have any right to tell me whom I
can and cannot see. So, back the fuck off!”

He then stormed from the room. As he walked the

long path back to their apartment, Colby couldn’t resist
from repeatedly licking his lips just so he could catch
any lingering taste of Tobias.

He meant what he’d said. He would be seeing

Tobias again and there was nothing that anybody could
do to stop them. After a life of always being told what
he could do, Colby was ready to take charge. Thomas
would just have to learn to accept it. For while Colby
may be small, that didn’t make him a wimp…at least
not anymore. He’d been a doormat for too long and he
was sick of it. His Lion was out and ready to play. The
kitty was really, really pissed off, too.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Five

t was only because of years of training and the fact
that he always obeyed the Alpha that Tobias stopped

from pulling away from Russell. With each step that
they took away from the room and Colby, Tobias felt
more at a loss. He could even sense the Wolf inside him
let out a mournful howl at the thought of being denied
its mate.

Mate? Now where in the hell did that come from?
Sure, he was willing to admit that he was attracted to

Colby, and then some. Shit, Tobias only had to think
about the other man to get hard. He’d spent so much
time in the shower the past few weeks that the rest of
the pack was beginning to tease him about having OCD
and being afraid of germs.

Tobias just let the comments slide. While he might

be a smartass, even he knew not to shoot off that he had
to keep jerking off because of a certain blue-eyed Lion
who was just as small and runty as he was.

Ever since he came out of the closet, Russell had

been trying to find a mate for Tobias. The candidates all
had the same things in common, they were big, they
were muscle-heads, and they were all Wolves.

Colby and the Little Wolf

In other words, they would be capable of taking over

the task of being Tobias’s protector and keeper,
because, everybody and their frigging grandma knew
that runts couldn’t fend for themselves.

Even as that thought hit him, Tobias recalled all the

times he’d gotten into sticky situations and managed to
get out by himself. While Russell always tried to make
Tobias take bodyguards with him whenever he left the
pack, that didn’t mean that Tobias hadn’t snuck off
from time to time.

A couple of those occasions, he’d been targeted,

solely because of Russell. Shit, even the bad guys saw
Tobias as a second thought. How sad was that? It made
him wonder why he even bothered sometimes.

To add to his humiliation, Russell wouldn’t let him

go. Worse yet, he was basically dragging Tobias
through HQ and not bothering to hide that Tobias was
getting his ass handed to him.

“I need to go check on Nico,” Tobias protested.
“Ervin is watching over him,” Russell replied in

clipped tones.

Most people would have shook in fear if they were

on the receiving end of Russell’s anger. While he’d
mellowed a ton since he’d found his Dalton and the
cubs, Russell still could be scary when he wanted to.

To add to all that, Tobias had been by his brother

while he’d scratched and clawed his way up the
criminal ladder. As a result, he had seen Russell do
some pretty fucked up things. While it’d always been in
order for them to survive, or so he could protect Tobias,
Russell still could play the badass card with the best of
them.

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That still didn’t stop Tobias from arguing. “Nico is

my man, so I should be the one staying with him.”

Russell used his free hand to push open the door. He

didn’t even glance Tobias’s way as he hauled him
toward…a minivan? Oh shit, this was getting bad.
Next, Russell would be wearing Polo shirts and putting
his kids in a soccer league.

The only redeeming value the vehicle had was that it

was black. If it had to be a mommy car, it wasn’t white.
Then he revaluated that opinion when he saw the two
car-seats and toys in the back.

“You have got to be fucking me,” Tobias blurted as

he stared at the Baby on Board stickers. Since Russell
was ignoring him, Tobias was convinced that was the
theme of the evening. So, when Russell spun him
around, grabbed the front of his shirt, then slammed
him into the van, Tobias let out yelp of surprise.

Russell growled, moving in so their faces were only

inches apart, “Get in the van and shut your mouth.
You’ve already caused enough trouble for one night.”

Tobias wanted to protest that fact, he really did. But,

pack hierarchy was so ingrained in his head, he
immediately backed down. Lowering his gaze, he said,
“I’m sorry, Alpha.”

Russell took a deep breath, then released Tobias.

Free, Tobias moved quickly and climbed into his
passenger seat. When Russell got in, Tobias still kept
his gaze down and fixed on his hands, which were
twisted together in a tight fist.

He waited for Russell to start up the car, but instead,

his brother let out a sigh. “Put your seatbelt on.”

Wordlessly, Tobias obeyed, making sure to keep his

Colby and the Little Wolf

gaze down the entire time.

He knew that were it not for the fact that his brother

was the Alpha, Tobias would be Omega. In other
words, lowest of the low and the unofficial pack
punching bag. As such, Tobias should be more grateful
instead of making problems for Russell. That still didn’t
stop him from wanting Colby, though. His need for the
Lion had only grown and now there was an aching
sensation in his chest.

The hurt grew as Russell started up the van and

pulled out of the lot. They didn’t speak again until they
were on the freeway.

“Is it because he’s a Lion?” Tobias asked in a small

voice.

He almost expected Russell to chew him, but

instead, Russell replied calmly, “No, you know it’s not.
I’m mated to a Lynx myself so I’m the last one to be
shifter biased.”

“Then why are you so mad at me?”
“Because you couldn’t have picked a worse feline to

play around with. Shit, there are some whothink Colby
is so emotionally scarred from those months that he was
trapped in his animal side that he lost some of his
humanity.”

“They’re wrong. He’s very nice. I like talking to

him.”

There was a long pause and Russell let out a long

breath. “I figured as much since you usually aren’t one
for public displays of affection. You still need to forget
about him.”

“Why?”
If Russell could have a feline mate, then why

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couldn’t Tobias go that route, too? Heck, as far as he
was concerned, he should be the only one who had a
say in who he dated and fucked. It was his life after all,
and he was damn sick of others dictating how he had to
lead it.

“Thomas is never going to let Colby be with you,”

Russell said.

That revelation felt like a punch to the gut. After

being told so many times that he was a reject, Tobias
knew he should have been used to it. If it wasn’t
because he was gay, it was the fact that he was runt.
Either way, he never managed to measure up somehow.

“It’s not because of you,” Russell added. “Well, not

really. I just know that Thomas is very protective of
Colby and Thomas has never hidden that he doesn’t
like the type of work we used to do.”

Work. Tobias almost snorted. When Russell used

that word, it almost made it seem like they’d all worn
ties and sat in cubicles. That was far from the truth.
Instead, they’d worn leather and guns and worked on
alleys, seedy bars, or the docks. Tobias was willing to
bet, runt or not, he probably had more kills under his
belt than Thomas. The only difference was that Thomas
could be proud of his accomplishments because he’d
been a soldier for the coalition at the time. Whereas,
Tobias had to hide his past for fear of those seeking
retribution.

“Is that why you’re so angry with me?” He finally

dared a glance at his brother.

Russell’s jaw ticked as he gripped the steering wheel

so hard his knuckles turned white. “I’m not mad at
you.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“You could have fooled me.”
“I’m sorry. I was upset and frustrated, and I

shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Tobias almost reached up to check his ears to make

sure that there was nothing wrong with them because
there was no way in hell that Russell just apologized.

While his brother might be overprotective and dote

on Tobias, that didn’t mean he was soft. Russell wasn’t
the type to ever say, I’m sorry.

“Are you kidding me?” Tobias replied, realizing that

he was repeating the same sentence that had gotten him
up close and personal with the mommy van.

“I’m angry, but not at you.”
“Then why are you so upset?”
“I hate it when my bad deeds bleed all over onto

your reputation. Just because we’re brothers doesn’t
mean that you’re anything like me.”

Tobias blinked a few times, stunned by the

revelation. Never before had Russell given any
indication that he cared about what others thought. In
fact, he’d stated on numerous occasions that he didn’t
give a fuck what people said, or thought about him.

“I never knew that it bothered you,” Tobias said.
He realized that he was still twisting his fingers

together. Since he didn’t want to look anymore runty
than usual, he took a deep, steadying breath and forced
his hands to his sides.

“Normally, I don’t. But, when they start casting

judgment on you it pisses me off.”

More confused than ever, Tobias pressed, “If that’s

the case, then why did you apologize to Mitchell?”

“The apology was for the fact that one of my pack

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was using his conference table as their own private porn
set, nothing more.”

“Oh,” Tobias replied, too shocked to be a verbal

champion.

“I don’t think that you should try to see Colby

again.”

That ache in Tobias’s chest grew ten-fold. “Why?”
“I don’t want you ever to be in the position where

you can’t take care of yourself. You need a mate who
can protect you.”

Tobias let out a soft growl of frustration. “You make

me sound like a heroine from some sappy romance.”

“You know I don’t think of you that way, but I do

worry about you. I know for a fact that you had an
asthma attack tonight.”

“Jacyn swore that he would keep that a secret,”

Tobias burst out angrily.

Then he saw the satisfied look on Russell’s face and

realized he’d stumbled right into that trap. “You didn’t
know. You just tricked me into admitting it.”

“That still doesn’t change the fact you have them.

What would happen if an attack hit you while some
Ravens were attacking you and your home? You
wouldn’t be able to fight your way out and then where
would you be?”

Tobias pressed his lips together and refused to

answer. That still didn’t stop Russell from supplying
the 411. “You would be dead.”

Tobias lowered his gaze. He wanted to point out that

he’d been able to get himself out of a ton of threatening
situations, runt, or not. He knew it would be just a
waste of time, because Russell would just counter with

Colby and the Little Wolf

incidents when he’d had to bail Tobias’s ass out of
trouble.

It was at those times that Tobias felt his lowest.

Though Russell did coddle him, he was also quick to
point out Tobias’s weaknesses. Had it been out of spite,
Tobias could have just gotten angry and fired off a, fuck
you, but since he knew it was out of love and a strong
desire to protect him, Tobias didn’t even have that
luxury.

They were silent the rest of the way back to the

mansion that housed their pack. As he stared at the
fountains, white pillars and large double doors, Tobias
wondered how long it would be before Russell traded
his digs for something that now fit his new life. A
shudder went through him as he thought about his
brother dragging them to some white-bread and
gumdrop suburb where all the neighbors said hello and
knew each other’s names.

Gah! He’d rather move in with a pack of Ravens and

the rotting carcasses that they fed on.

As they walked in, Russell ordered, “Go up to your

room and get some sleep.”

Even as Tobias started up the staircase, he wanted to

shout back that he was twenty-one years old, so he
didn’t need somebody to tell him when it was jammie
time. As always—or at least almost always, he kept his
yap shut and just obeyed orders.

That didn’t stop him from a melodramatic door

slam. He then leaned against the door and let out a
whispered, “Well that whole thing could have gone
better.”

How had this day become such a complete cluster

Stephani Hecht

fuck? Instead of being able to be happy at the revelation
that Colby very enthusiastically returned Tobias
feelings, he felt more miserable than ever.

He crossed over to the bed and threw himself down,

not even bothering with the covers. He even left his
shoes on, and since they were his rattiest pair of
sneakers, they were probably leaving behind all kinds
of interesting stains.

Tobias tossed and turned, unable to get Colby off his

mind. While he knew that he should be a good Wolf
and follow his Alpha’s orders, all Tobias could think
about was how he could manage to see Colby again.
Tobias needed to be able to hold the Lion again.

Damn! When he’d buried his face into the nook of

Colby’s neck, Tobias was sure he’d never smelled
anything so sweet. A lot of felines had a, well…catty
smell about them. Not Colby, though. He had a sweet
scent, like the milk and honey that his aunt used to feed
Tobias when he’d been young.

The very same aunt that had spat on him and Russell

the night they’d been exiled for the pack. Guess that
went to show that blood only ran so far in their society.

That was one of the many reasons why he and

Russell didn’t want to go back into the pack. It didn’t
matter that the new Alpha’s younger brother was now
mated to Mitchell. Nor did they care that they’d been
told on numerous occasions that they were welcome
back. The hurt was still deep, even years later. Even
though Colby had been young at the time, he’d still felt
the betrayal as if it were a fresh wound.

He was just drifting off to sleep when his cell phone

vibrated. Frowning, he pulled it out of his pocket. Who

Colby and the Little Wolf

in the hell would be calling him this late? Then his
stomach clenched as he wondered if maybe Nico had
taken a bad turn.

Tobias glanced at the screen and saw to his

amazement that it was Colby. For a moment, as crazy
as it seemed, Tobias was afraid to answer. Not only
could Colby be calling because he had bad news about
Nico, but the Lion could be phoning to tell Tobias he’d
wised up and never wanted to see him again.

He realized he’d never know for certain unless he

answered the damn thing, Tobias put it up to his ear,
“Hello?”

Niiiiiice…that was real smooth. Giving the guy a

generic greeting like that was just going to knock his
socks off. Maybe, while he was at it, Tobias could add a
gee willikers and golly to the conversation.

“Are you okay?” Colby asked, his voice instantly

making Tobias hard.

Looked like he was in for yet another shower.
“Yeah, how about you?”
Colby gave a soft chuckle that still managed to have

a bitter edge to it. “I’ve been sent to my room.”

“Me, too,” Tobias confessed.
“You would think we were five.”
“Yeah, well when you’re a runt, you may as well be

a toddler,” Tobias retorted.

He winced at the venom in his tone. Fuck. Damn.

Shit. He so sucked at this type of thing. He would
probably end up scaring Colby away in the span of one
phone conversation.

“I know how you feel,” Colby said, gently.
Tobias didn’t know whether that upset him, or made

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him happy. While it was great to know that he wasn’t
the only one who felt repressed, he hated the thought of
Colby being sad in any way.

“I’m sorry if I got you in trouble,” he finally replied.
“I’m not.”
A thrill went through Tobias over those two simple

words. “Really?”

“I’ve been wanting to do that and more ever since

you kissed me on Christmas.”

Okay, now, Tobias was so jacked up he was going to

have to take two showers.

“I feel the same way,” he confessed. “So, where

does that leave us? There is no way Thomas is ever
going to let you see me.”

“He doesn’t have to know about it. In fact, neither of

our brothers needs to know. It’s our business, not
theirs.”

Tobias laughed. It would seem that Colby wasn’t as

timid as everybody thought. While he may be on the
quiet side, that didn’t mean he was tame.

“Can you sneak away? Or does Thomas have a

guard on you at all times?” Tobias asked.

“He does have guards on me, but it’s Dulla and

Dominic and they won’t say anything.”

“They have a Raven guarding you?”
While Dulla may be nice and not like the other birds,

it still shocked Tobias that somebody as overprotective
as Thomas would go for that. Not that Tobias thought
Dulla would ever harm Colby. More because of the fact
that she was a breathing target for the other Ravens.
They hated it when any of their own kind actually
showed some empathy, heaven forbid that. It might

Colby and the Little Wolf

actually make their breed tolerable instead of just being
a drain on all of shifter society.

“Dulla isn’t like them,” Colby defended.
Tobias smiled, touched at the Lion’s protective side.

“I know she isn’t. I just thought that she’s a bigger
target than you.”

“She wants to be a soldier for the coalition. Since

she’s close to Dominic, Mitchell assigned him to be her
mentor.”

Tobias could relate to Dulla’s desire to be formally

trained. The most dangerous thing to be in their world
was helpless, or vulnerable. All those people that didn’t
believe in survival of the strongest, sure as hell weren’t
a shifter.

“Do you know where Ash Park is?”
It was a large patch of land only known to shifters.

While Tobias knew it was risky meeting there, it was
still safer than a human-run place, especially now that
the humans had gone all Buffy and Supernatural on
their asses.

“Yeah, I know where it is,” Colby answered.
“Do you think you’ll be able to sneak away and meet

me there?”

“Sure, when?”
“Tomorrow,” Tobias replied much too quickly and

eagerly.

He clutched the phone as he waited for Colby to

either scoff at him, or hang up on his sorry ass.

“That sounds great,” Colby replied in a like tone.
Tobias smiled and for the first time since they were

separated, the ache left his chest. Then Colby added
something else and Tobias knew he was a goner, “I

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don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. All I can think
of is you.”

“Ditto,” Tobias replied.
He knew that if Russell were to find out, he would

be in a world of trouble. For the first time, that didn’t
matter. Tobias now had something that overruled the
need to always please his brother. He had a mate to
claim and, one way, or another, Tobias was going to do
just that. Thomas and Russell could both be damned.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Six

ice hickey, by the way,” Dominic smirked as
they walked over to the clearing leading to the

park.

Since that had been the twentieth time that the Tiger

had goaded him about that topic, Colby chose to ignore
him. While Dominic was one of his best friends, Colby
had learned long ago that it was better not to feed the
guy when he was in one of his moods.

With a slim build, bright blue eyes and blond hair

that had rainbow colored streaks, Dominic was often
seen as a ladies’ man since he never went anywhere
without his harem of girls. What many didn’t realize
was it was because Dominic preferred their company
and not because he had any romantic feeling toward
anybody of the female gender.

Much like Colby, Dominic easily felt intimidated by

the bigger members of the coalition. Even after he’d
been trained as a soldier and joined their ranks, he
continued to be wary. It made Colby wonder what
happened in his friend’s past to make him so afraid. It
must have been pretty bad. Every time somebody asked
him about his childhood, he would either clam up, or

“N

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quickly change the subject.

Dulla tilted her head to the side as she studied

Colby. Many thought that she was simple, or slow.
Colby couldn’t disagree more. Sure, she may have
eccentric habits and mannerisms, but that was just a
mask. She knew and saw more than most of the
coalition combined.

She had also been one of the few who had reached

out to Colby when he’d been near catatonic and too
afraid to even leave his bed. Thanks to her gentle
persuasion and friendship, he was finally able to accept
his new life.

“I never got the whole hickey thing. If I wanted to

suck on something, it wouldn’t be somebody’s neck.
Not when there are so many other interesting areas on
the body to explore,” she mused.

Colby choked back a laugh while Dominic grinned

and shook his head. “You better not let your brothers
catch you saying that. They’ll lock you up and never let
you leave HQ again.”

She gave a dismissive flip of her dark hair. “They

can bite me.”

This time Colby couldn’t hold back his chuckles. He

treasured these moments when Dulla lowered her
shields and showed her real side. It made him feel as if
he was the only one who was allowed to see a priceless
piece of art. Not that he’d ever tell her that. She’d just
slug him in the arm and tell him to stop being so sappy.

“I’m sure they’d just love to hear that from you,”

Dominic drawled.

She shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time and it

sure as hell won’t be the last.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“Maybe you can give me a lesson. I know Thomas

loves me, but he needs to let up a bit.”

“He’s so worried about losing you again that he

doesn’t realize he’s the one pushing you away,” she
replied.

Colby wondered how anybody could think she was

slow. Her comment even managed to calm down his
frustration a bit. Since he treasured both her and
Dominic’s advice, he asked, “So, what should I do to
make him let up some?”

Dulla brushed away some strands of hair that had

been blown into her pale face. “Honestly, I think it’s
going to take some time. Look at it from his point of
view. First, he lost you when you were a baby during
the mass Raven attack. Then, after years of searching
for you, he finally gets you back, only to have you
trapped in your Lion form. Thomas probably feels as if
he failed you two times and he’s terrified that if he lets
it happen again, he won’t be able to get you back a third
time.”

When she put it that way, it made sense, but it also

didn’t give him much hope of a quick solution for his
problem. If anything, the prospect of him being able to
be with Tobias for good seemed to be dimming.

“It could be worse. All my family is dead,” Dominic

added.

Okay, now, Colby was feeling a bit like a dick. He

couldn’t imagine having to be plunged into this new
world without Thomas by his side. Yet, that is exactly
what Dominic had done. Just like Colby, he’d been one
of the many shifters lost the night of that attack,
whereas the coalition had managed to find Dominic and

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bring him back. He’d been faced with the horrible
realization that all of his birth family had died trying to
protect him.

Dulla put her arm around Dominic’s shoulders.

“That’s okay. We’re your family now. You’ll never be
alone again.”

“Thanks,” Dominic whispered.
The pain that briefly flickered through his gaze

nearly broke Colby’s heart. What had happened in
Dominic’s past that was so awful that he couldn’t even
speak of it? Since they’d all seen some pretty twisted
shit as shifters, it must be horrendous for Dominic to
still be too afraid to share it.

There was no doubt that it was fear, too. Colby could

smell the emotion rolling from the man like waves.
There was also a little bit of humiliation wrapped in it,
and betrayal. Not the normal everyday kind either, but
the sort that rips somebody apart so badly that the
pieces can never be put back into place again.

The smell of Wolf hit Colby, breaking him from his

sad thoughts. He turned, already smiling when Tobias
approached. When Colby saw Nico and Ervin trailing
behind, he cocked a questioning brow.

Tobias gave a shrug. “I guess they actually like me

after all. When they caught me sneaking out and then
found out it was to meet you, they promised to keep it a
secret from Russell.”

“Wow, going against the Alpha. That’s a big deal,”

Dulla said.

Nico gave her a tight smile. “We know the brat will

just sneak off anyway. At least this way, we know he’s
protected.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“Plus, Russell will be more pissed at us if Tobias

goes out unguarded than he would be for us disobeying
the, no Colby rule,” Ervin added.

“That doesn’t mean that Russell has to find out

about either one, right?” Colby stressed.

The last thing he wanted was for Tobias to get into

trouble on his account.

Nico flashed a full grin this time. “Don’t worry.

We’ll keep your secret. It will give us something to
blackmail Tobias with later on.”

Tobias rolled his eyes. “As if you guys need any

more blackmail material on me. You probably have a
lifetime’s worth by now.”

Laughing, Colby held out his hand. It was the first

time, not counting the phone call, where he’d initiated
contact. For a moment, he worried that he was breaking
some unwritten shifter dating rule, but then, Tobias
gave him the sweetest of smiles before he reached out.
Linking their fingers together, they walked away from
the group.

They still made sure to stay within yelling distance,

but Colby wanted some privacy, so he led Tobias
behind a big tree.

Once they were out of sight, Colby’s control

snapped. Letting out a growling noise that he’d never
imagined would come from his lips, he pinned Tobias
to the tree.

Their lips were inches apart and though it would

have been so easy to start the kissing right away, Colby
still managed to hold back some. He didn’t want to
maul Tobias, or scare him away.

Then, Tobias’s eyes grew dark with desire and he let

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out a moan. “Shit, just when I didn’t think you could
get any hotter, you had to do that.”

Taking that as permission, Colby pressed their lips

together. At first, he took it slow, going in for short
pecks. Soon, though, their combined needs grew and
they were slipping their tongues out to do a proper job.

Then, just as suddenly, Colby broke the kiss. Tobias

sent him a confused look that was so adorable that
Colby couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry, while I love
kissing you more than anything, I also want to get to
know you, too.”

Tobias put his arms around Colby’s neck. “Okay,

what do you want to ask? I promise that I’ll fess up
pretty much any of my secrets as long as you promise
to fuck me afterward”

Colby worked hard to think of a good question.

Somehow the standard what’s your favorite color, or
what’s your sign, didn’t seem right. Finally, he asked,
“When you talk about runts, what exactly do you
mean?”

“Just like with full animal litters, sometimes there

are runts.”

Tobias began to toy with the back of Colby’s hair. It

felt so good that Colby had to struggle to keep on task.
“So, do they treat you bad because of it?”

“It could be worse. Russell protects me and makes

sure that nobody gets out of line. Sometimes, I hear
some remarks about how I should be Omega instead of
Russell’s Beta, but I try to ignore them. It could be a lot
worse. A few decades ago, the pack would have killed
me off at birth.”

Horrified, Colby gasped. “No way.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“Yeah, and it wasn’t just Wolves either. Felines and

Hawks did it, too. I think some Ravens still practice that
tradition.”

“So, you do you think I’m a runt, too?”
Still playing with Colby’s hair, Tobias tilted his head

to the side in a slightly playful manner. “Of course you
are. No offense but you have to notice how you always
have to look up in order to make eye contact with the
other members of you coalition. Didn’t you ever
wonder why you were so much smaller than all the
other Lions?”

“I thought maybe they fed them all Wheaties, or

something,” Colby half teased.

“Don’t feel too bad. Some runts are never able to

shift. At least you already know you can do that.”

“Yeah, and the last time I did it, I could switch back

to my human form. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s
something I want to do anytime soon.”

A cold feeling came over Colby as he remembered

how terrifying it had been to be trapped and unable to
turn back. There were times where he was sure he’d
lost his mind. Other moments, his mind had gone to an
even darker place and, if he could have, he would have
killed himself just to end it all.

Tobias caressed Colby’s cheek. “That was only

because the Ravens poisoned you. Now that the feline
docs cured you, it won’t happen again.”

“How can you be so sure?”
“Growing up, I saw a ton of shifters manage to go

back and forth. Never before were any of them forever
stuck with four legs and fur.”

“Can you shift?”

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A blush came over Tobias’s cheeks. “I haven’t yet,

but I can feel my Wolf inside me. Russell says that’s a
good sign.”

Colby could really relate to that since he could feel

his Lion all the time. For several years, he’d known that
there was something different inside him and it was
more than him being gay. It was as if, even when he
was lonely, he wasn’t truly alone. If that made any
sense.

Now that he’d been plunged into all things that were

shifter, he realized it had been the other part of him that
was slowly awakening. Looking back, that metaphor
made sense. The Lion started out really soft spoken and
in the shadows, but as the years progressed Colby could
sense the presence growing stronger and scratching to
come out.

“I can’t wait to see you as a Wolf,” Colby replied as

he turned his face into the caress.

Some part of him screamed for more contact. If he

hadn’t thought it would be in bad manners, he would
have already stripped them both, just so he could rub
against every inch of Tobias’s body.

“We don’t hold a feline’s scent,” Tobias sadly

informed him.

Colby paused, embarrassment flooding him as he

realized that he’d actually been rubbing against the
other man. At least he hadn’t gone so far as to strip
them, but there was no denying that he was acting like a
kitty, purring against a clump of catnip.

“I don’t follow,” he admitted.
Somehow, it wasn’t so hard to say those words to

Tobias. The Wolf had a way of making Colby feel okay

Colby and the Little Wolf

with his ignorance. Instead of acting aggravated, or
surprised by his questions, Tobias never failed to
answer them in a gentle, caring tone.

“Felines coat their scent all over their partners.”
Oh. Colby now realized why Thomas was always

rubbing his cheeks over Chance’s face. Before that
moment, he’d just always thought his brother had a
fetish or something else.

“Do they do it with all their partners, or just their

mates?”

Colby winced as he realized he’d just spoken that

last thought aloud. Nice! Way to play things cool. No
wonder so many of the coalition still thought he was off
his rocker and tumbling down the porch.

Tobias smiled before he gave Colby’s bottom lip a

gentle nip. “Both, actually. Although once mated they
seem to become almost obsessed with it.”

Since that kind of let Colby off the hook for earlier

slip up, he dared to ask another question, “Why can’t
Wolves carry our smell?”

For some reason, the knowledge that Tobias

wouldn’t be marked in such a manner felt like a
crushing disappointment to Colby.

“Wolves have such a strong base scent that nothing

can cover it up, not even the funk the Ravens throw
off,” Tobias explained. He then gave Colby a soft kiss.
“Have we talked enough, yet? Because if somebody
isn’t getting fucked in the next couple of seconds, I’m
going to bust.”

Colby only had to gaze into Tobias’s passion-

infused eyes to have his answer. Desire pooled through
his body, making him both hot and horny. Which, while

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he was pretty certain that description probably was the
title of a porn, or two, there was no other way to convey
how he felt. His cock grew hard and ached so much that
this time, he didn’t even feel ashamed of the fact that
he’d started to rub against Tobias again.

Tobias let out a breathy laugh. “I guess that means,

yes.”

Colby gave a rumbling growl that he never thought

would come from him. All the while, he continued to
grind against Tobias. This time, Colby didn’t feel a
shred of embarrassment either. All that he felt were
want, need, and bone-numbing desire.

“Do you want me to fuck you? Or would you rather

take me first?” Tobias gasped, his fingers moving to dig
into Colby’s shoulders.

Colby froze. “You wouldn’t mind if screwed you?”
Tobias gave him a sexy grin before turning around

so he was now facing the tree. “No, of course not. Just
so long as you promise that it’s my turn to top next.”

That sounded just fine with Colby and he couldn’t

nod his agreement fast enough. Tobias let out another
chuckle—a trait that Colby was quickly finding
addicting. Not only did it sound sexy as hell, but he had
a feeling that Tobias didn’t let his guard down like that
to too many others. So, to be on the receiving end was
like a special gift.

Tobias undid his pants before lowering them and his

briefs. For a moment, Colby was struck dumb at the
sight of Tobias’s ass. Firm, but not too small, it looked
like a quarter could be bounced, then rebounded against
it.

Just as Colby was moving in, a troubling thought

Colby and the Little Wolf

came to him. “Shit, I don’t have any supplies on me.”

Tobias glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I

have that covered.”

When the only item that Wolf passed to Colby was a

small tube of lubricant, Colby hesitated. “What about
the condom?”

“We don’t need that.”
“Like hell we don’t. I never have sex bareback. It’s a

good way to get yourself killed,” Colby snapped.

If Tobias was always this reckless with his own

safety, then it was clear why Russell insisted that
bodyguards protect him all the time. Shoot, Colby knew
how bad it felt to be repressed, and he was two seconds
away from locking Tobias away for his own good.

Tobias made a gentle shushing sound. “We don’t

need them because shifters don’t get STDs.”

Colby thought that one over. It could very well be

true, since he’d heard that shifters were pretty much
resistant to any diseases except for a few that were
specific to their own kind. He’d just never thought it
through enough to consider whether or not that included
all kinds of viruses.

Tobias gave him a probing stare. “I’m telling the

truth, but if you’re still worried, we can put this off. I
can bring condoms next time.”

Colby saw the caring and adoration in Tobias’s eyes,

and at that moment, he knew for certain that there was
no way Tobias would ever risk his safety. While there
were still many points in this life that confused Colby,
he was confidant of this one fact. So much so, that he
was willing to do something that had always come hard
to him—he was going to trust somebody. Not just

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anybody either, but somebody that had the power to
break his heart.

Placing a soft kiss on Tobias’s neck, Colby then

whispered, “No, it’s okay. I believe you.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Seven

obias dug his fingernails into the tree, not caring
that he probably was getting a shitload of splinters.

His mind was zeroed in on one thing, and one thing
only, Colby and his cock. Which technically made it
two things, but hell who would expect him to be able to
worry about something as stupid as numbers at a time
like this?

If the hitched breathing and whimpers coming from

behind him were an indication of anything, then Tobias
would have to say that Colby was just as worked up.
The Lion let out a small growl before he began to
nibble on Tobias’s neck. Since Tobias knew they’d
both be busted if he came home with a matching
hickey, he pulled down the collar of his shirt.

Luckily, Colby got the message and moved his lips

down to Tobias’s shoulder. Once there, he began to
suck in earnest as if he was eager to mark Tobias in
some way. Even though he hadn’t thought it was
possible, that idea made Tobias harder and more
desperate to fuck.

“Don’t hold back on my account,” Tobias said.
Colby gave his shoulder a bite. “Stop being so damn

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bossy.”

“Then quit making me wait so damn long,” Tobias

countered.

He let out a gasp when he felt a slicked finger

circling his hole. Damn, that was impressive. He hadn’t
even heard Colby open the bottle. He would have made
a smartass remark about it, but when Colby slid his
finger in his hole, all of Tobias’s coherent thoughts
shattered.

Colby never moved his mouth from Tobias’s

shoulder, as he worked first one, then two, and finally
three fingers inside Tobias. Digging his fingers even
deeper into the bark, Tobias began to rock back against
Colby’s thrusts. While he tried to keep quiet, not
wanting to shock his guards, a few loud groans
managed to slip out.

Ah, the hell with it. Nico and Ervin would just have

to deal with it.

“Fuck me, already,” Tobias ordered.
Colby curled his fingers, making Tobias hiss in

pleasure. Okay, this is one of the reasons why he loved
to bottom. To hell with all those who said that being
gay was wrong. If it wasn’t right, then whatever God
they believed in wouldn’t have gifted males with a
prostate.

“There you go getting bossy again,” Colby

chastised.

“Yeah, we’ll see next time, when I’m the one driving

you crazy.”

Tobias would do just that, too. Before he finished

with Colby, the Lion would be screaming Tobias’s
name.

Colby and the Little Wolf

“I can’t wait,” Colby whispered before he slid his

fingers out.

No sooner had those words reached his ears, than the

sound of a zipper lowering, filled the air. Before Tobias
had time to say an about-damn-time, Colby was back
on top of him.

“It feels like I’ve waited forever for this,” Colby

said.

Tobias let out a cry of pleasure as Colby thrust his

cock in with one swift movement. While there was a
burn, it was soon followed by the delicious sense of
being full. More than the fullness, was the connection.
One that Tobias had never felt with another.

At that second, he knew. Even though they’d only

seen each other a few times, he and Colby were meant
for each other and to hell with what anybody else
thought.

“You feel so perfect,” Colby breathed, unknowingly

echoing Tobias’s thoughts.

“Ditto,” Tobias replied, his voice a bit breathless.
“Is that going to be your answer to everything?”
“How about this? Fuck me like you mean it.”
That got him another bite to the shoulder. It was

worth it though, because Colby began to hammer into
Tobias.

Pleasure went through Tobias like a gunshot as he

had to brace his hands more firmly against the tree, so
he didn’t get a face full of bark.

His cock screamed for some special attention, but

since he couldn’t let up his grip and he wasn’t going to
get splinters in his dick, Tobias couldn’t jack off.

As always, though, Colby seemed to read his mind.

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Or maybe he was just good at knowing what Tobias’s
needs were. Whatever the reason, Colby reached
around and began to stroke Tobias’s cock.

“Fuck. Thank you,” Tobias panted.
“I’ll always take care of you.”
Had that comment come from anybody else, Tobias

would have bristled. Before then, it had always been
because they’d underestimated him just because he was
a runt. With Colby, it felt different. Even more, it made
Tobias feel important and special for the first time in
his miserable life.

“You better come soon, babe, because I don’t know

how much longer I can hold on,” Colby panted.

Damn, he hadn’t been kidding when he said that

he’d always take care of Tobias. With all of Tobias’s
previous encounters, his partners hadn’t given a damn if
he’d gotten off, or not. Some had even told him that he
didn’t deserve it since he was clearly an Omega.

“Stop thinking so hard and just come for me,” Colby

soothed before he gave Tobias another bite.

The combined gentleness and pain was finally

enough to tip him over the edge. Letting out a sound
that was equal parts howl and scream of pleasure,
Tobias allowed his orgasm to hit him.

He couldn’t remember the last time he shot off so

hard. Not only did it cover Colby’s hand, but some of it
managed to splatter on the tree. Tobias released a silent
prayer of thanks that they hadn’t done this in his car.
He’d never be able to get the mess out of the
upholstery.

Just as Tobias was coming down from his rush,

Colby jerked him back up, giving one last shuddering

Colby and the Little Wolf

thrust. Calling out a very impressive curse word, he
filled Tobias’s ass.

It wasn’t until Colby stopped shuddering that Tobias

quipped, “I hope that your use of that ten dollar word
means it was good for you.”

Colby slid out of Tobias, but didn’t move back.

Instead, he continued to nuzzle Tobias’s shoulder.
Tobias was probably going to have a hickey the size of
Texas, but he didn’t give a damn. He only wished that
he could wear the mark proudly instead of having to
hide it.

It made what they had seemed so cheap, when it was

anything but. Tobias would even go as far as to say that
it was one of the most life-altering experiences of his
life.

Colby finally stepped back and they clumsily

cleaned up the best they could before getting dressed
again. Tobias kind of expected the awkwardness to
continue, but that all fled when Colby pinned him to the
tree for another kiss.

The Lion could sure kiss, too. Tobias didn’t want to

think about how he’d become such an expert in that
field, since Colby had obviously been so inexperienced
the last time they were together. Since Tobias had an
pretty good feeling that the Lion would never cheat on
him, the guy must have been watching porn or
something. He as a damn good student and Tobias fully
took advantage of that newfound knowledge. He even
slid out his tongue to show off some of his own skills.
After all, he didn’t want Colby to think he was the only
one who knew his way around a mouth.

Once they broke apart, Colby took Tobias’s hand.

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“Do you think you’ll be able to sneak away again?”

Relief poured over Tobias. While he felt fairly

confident that Colby had shared his feelings, it was still
good to hear them vocalized.

“Yeah, just name the time and place.”
Colby gave him a smile that one could sweet and

innocent, were it not for the fact that Tobias’s ass hurt
like hell.

“Would it look too eager if I said tomorrow?” Colby

asked.

This time Tobias instigated the kiss. Pulling away,

he replied, “Not at all.”

In fact, Tobias knew he would be counting the hours

until he could see the other man again.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Eight

s Tobias grabbed his laptop and fired it up so he
could go over the pack finances for the month, he

couldn’t remember a time where he’d been so happy.
He knew that made him just like a character from all
those sappy movies he used to scoff at, but he couldn’t
help himself. His cheeks even hurt from smiling so
much.

It was just…damn, he’d never known that life could

be so good. He’d even go so far as to say the past three
weeks had been magical. Not only were he and Colby
getting closer, but they’d managed to be together
without their brothers being any the wiser.

He propped himself on the bed and pulled his laptop

closer. A huge part of him wanted to blow off the work
and call Colby. Still, one of the many pack
responsibilities that Tobias held was going over the
various bank accounts. Since they had several, both
local and international, it was a pretty big task. If
Tobias ever stopped to think about it, he probably had
as much experience as any accountant out there. He just
acquired his education on the shady side of life instead
of in some university.

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As always, he was so caught up in all the numbers

that he lost track of time. He finally glanced at the clock
and was shocked to see that three hours had passed.
Working out a crick in his back, he then saved
everything he’d been working on. One time, he’d failed
to do that and lost every damn thing. To say that
Russell had been miffed would have been a huge
understatement.

It was dinnertime and one of Russell’s rules was that

unless on a job, he expected the entire pack to be there.
It was at times like these that Tobias almost resented
that their pack was so small. Then, he recalled how
things had ended with their so-called family members
and Tobias found himself happy again with their
current situation.

He’d just shut down the computer when his bedroom

door came open with a loud slam. Tobias jumped, his
hand going for the gun in his nightstand drawer. Then
he realized that it was only Russell, and Tobias let out a
sigh of relief…until he saw the fury burning in his
brother’s eyes.

Roh-Roh! This was not good. All the other times

he’d seen Russell this pissed, it had always ended with
somebody either being dead, or bleeding. Neither of
those options seemed like fun.

“Do you need something?” Tobias asked, amazed at

how calm his voice was.

Instead of answering him, Russell stormed across the

room and jerked down the collar of Tobias’s t-shirt. At
first, Tobias struggled because his desperation to keep
his secret superseded his pack training. However, a
growl from Russell stopped all that shit.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Tobias stilled, at least on the outside. Inside, his

heart was hammering away, while his stomach did at
least a half dozen flips. He even felt a shiver of fear go
through him, and that was a new thing. While Russell
may have been mean toward others, he’d never directed
his fury in Tobias’s direction until that moment.

He knew the moment arrived when Russell spotted

all the hickeys—a fetish that both he and Colby shared.
While they thought they’d been careful by putting them
in spots that could be hidden by clothes, it would
appear that they hadn’t been cautious enough.

Well, that just sucked and not in the good way.
“I thought I told you to stay away from Colby,”

Russell growled.

“What makes you think it was him? I could have

gotten these from anybody.”

Russell jerked Tobias’s shirt. “Don’t be coy. Not

when I’m this pissed.”

Normally, Tobias would have had a smartass

comment over Russell’s use of the word coy, but he had
a feeling that would only earn him an ass-beating. So,
Tobias simply said, “I love him.”

Russell rolled his eyes. “You’ve only known him for

a few weeks. There is no way in hell you can fall in
love that fast.”

“How long did it take you to fall for Dalton?”
Tobias already knew the answer to his own question.

Russell knew that Dalton was his mate the first time
he’d met the Lynx. The fact that they were polar
opposites hadn’t mattered either. Once Russell had
decided that he wanted to be with Dalton, he’d never
looked back.

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“It’s different with us,” Russell insisted.
“Why? Dalton is a feline, just like Colby.”
“I already told you why. There is no way that you, or

Colby could protect yourselves in the real world. The
moment you two stepped out into public, you would be
prey.”

Years of anger and resentment finally bubbled over

and blew all caution away. Jerking away from Russell,
Tobias took a couple of steps back, but only so he could
square up against his brother.

“Fuck you.”
The look of shock of Russell’s face was so funny

that Tobias would have been tempted to laugh if he
weren’t so damn angry.

“What did you just say?”
Without pausing a beat, Tobias repeated, “Fuck.

You. And the duck you rode in on, too.”

“How dare you speak to your Alpha like that?”
“How dare you treat a member of your pack like

he’s so weak? You have been trying so hard to protect
me that you made me look more Omega than ever.”

Russell gave a slow shake of his head. “That’s not

true.”

“Yes, it is. You’re just too damn stubborn to see it.”
Tobias was yelling by now, but he couldn’t find it in

him to give a fuck.

“I should flog Nico and Ervin for not telling me

about your buddy fuck sooner,” Russell fumed.

Tobias growled. “Colby is not just a buddy fuck, and

you will not do anything to my guards. They were only
doing their job.”

“Bullshit, part of their job is to report back to me on

Colby and the Little Wolf

everything that you do.”

Hurt sliced through Tobias and he had to work hard

not to break as the truth finally slapped him.

“You never thought of me as anything more than a

runt who disappointed Mom and Dad.”

“That’s not true at all.”
A bitter laugh burst past Tobias’s lips. “Yeah, it is.

You may try to fool yourself by giving me the Beta
title, but we all know that’s all it is…a title and nothing
more. If I were really your Beta, then you wouldn’t
hesitate to let me go out and fight. Instead, you assigned
two of your men to look over and protect me.”

“I was only trying to make sure that you weren’t

hurt.”

“You made me look weak and helpless,” Tobias

countered. “You may as well have left me with the old
pack. At least there, they wouldn’t bother to hide how
they felt about me. They flaunted all their hate and
disgust for me. They didn’t hide it behind layers of
I’ve-got-your-back, or I-will-love-you-no-matter-what.
In fact, if I think about it, what you did to me is ten
times more fucked up because it actually made me
think that I could be something other than be the runt of
the pack.”

“You are more than that,” Russell protest.
Tobias somehow managed to smile, even while he

felt like a puppy who’d been kicked and then pissed on.
“No, I’m not, and I never will be. Not with you
smothering my free choice and trying to run my life.
Just like all Alphas do with their Omegas.”

Russell reached out for him. “I wouldn’t do that to

you.”

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Tobias took a step back to avoid his touch. “Then let

me be with my mate.”

“And what happens the next time he gets trapped in

his Lion form? He’ll take one look at you and see
nothing but a meal.”

“That’s not going to happen. Colby is better now.”
“Okay, then, how about if you have another asthma

attack?”

Tobias shrugged. “Then he’ll take care of me, just

like I will take care of him whenever he needs it. It
won’t be any different than what you and Dalton do for
each other. It’s part of being a good mate.”

Russell opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of

gunshots echoing through the mansion drowned out
whatever he said.

Years of training had Tobias responding on sheer

instinct. He dove toward the nightstand and pulled his
gun out. Keeping low, he quickly made sure it was
loaded and the safety was off.

The big, bad Alpha had a completely different

reaction. Crying out Dalton’s name, Russell made a
direct beeline for the door.

“Yet, I’m the weak one,” Tobias muttered.
Well, shit. Somebody had to cover Russell’s ass, so

it may as well be him. Standing up, Tobias rushed after
his brother. He wasn’t a moment too soon either. As he
cleared the door, he saw a black clothed figure aiming a
gun at Russell.

“I don’t think so,” Tobias muttered.
He took the guy down with one quick shot to the

head. Before the body had fully fallen, Tobias sensed
another attacker approaching. Spinning around, Tobias

Colby and the Little Wolf

quickly took that asshole out, too.

“And he did it with only two shots. Let’s give the

man a round of applause,” Tobias said.

Normally, Russell would have rolled his eyes and

told Tobias to stop with the cheesy remarks. Instead, he
ran down the hall that led to his bedroom. Tobias had to
work double-time to keep up, but he was determined, so
he managed.

Russell rushed into his room, letting out a cry of

relief when they found Dalton and the cubs unharmed.

“Thank god you guys are okay,” Russell said.
“Yes, for now. We need to get out of here. I’m no

soldier, but I think there are going to be more bad guys
coming,” Dalton replied.

Tobias wanted to retort that they were usually the

bad guys, but a hail of gunfire stopped him short—and
not just a normal bam-bam kind. The assault was a
long, drawn out barrage that rained down on them, and
reminded Tobias of the Sonny-bites-it scene from The
Godfather.

Russell threw his body over Dalton and the babies.

Meanwhile, Tobias moved so he was shielding Russell
from the door, where all the volley seemed to be
coming from.

It seemed to go forever, although it was probably

only a few minutes. As soon as the sound cleared,
Tobias was on his feet. “Get the kids and Dalton out of
here.”

Russell hesitated, obviously torn. Tobias shot

another intruder, then turned to his brother. “I’ll be
okay. Now get your family the fuck away from this
mess.”

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The profanity seemed to work. Or maybe it was

because Tobias had already dropped three men. Russell
grabbed one of the babies from Dalton and hustled
them through a secret door in the back of his room.

Tobias stayed put and shot attackers as they

continued to pour into the room. He couldn’t see any of
his other pack members, but he had to take some hope
at the sound of gunfire coming from the other rooms.
As twisted as it sounded, maybe that meant that they
were alive and kicking ass, too.

Yet, Tobias knew he couldn’t retreat until he knew

for certain. While they might think he was Omega, his
official title was Beta and he wasn’t leaving until he
knew his pack was safe.

He began to shoot his way out of the room.

Somewhere along the way, he ran out of clips, so he
used the butt end of his weapon on one guy until the
fucker gave up his gun. Tobias left that one alive, but
unconscious because not even he was big enough of an
asshole to kill somebody with their own weapon.

Along the way, he finally managed to catch a whiff

of the intruders’ scent. It wasn’t easy, given the air was
thick with gun smoke, but Tobias was good at what he
did.

Jackals.
That form of shifter being on their turf could only

mean one thing. Hendrix had decided to take out the big
dog in the criminal world so he could have all the
power for himself.

He must not have gotten the memo that announced

Russell was going legit.

Tobias fought his way down the stairs, now stained

Colby and the Little Wolf

with blood. Thank you very much, Hendrix. Everybody
knows how hard it is to get rid of stains caused by body
fluids.

“Follow me out. We’ll meet the others at the

rendezvous site,” Tobias told his guards.

Nico nodded, getting the hidden message in those

words—Russell and his family were safe and we need
to clean house, so we can go and protect them. It gave
Tobias a bit of an ego boost that neither Wolf
questioned his ability to get the Alpha out safely. They
just acted as if Tobias was another Beta and had done
what was expected given that title.

As they came down the steps into the large foyer,

Tobias’s gut clenched at the sight of so many dead
bodies, and not because he couldn’t handle the
violence. Hell, he’d all but teethed on that kind of thing.
No, it was because three of those bodies were pack
members.

“Make sure the fuckers don’t make it out of here

alive. We need to send a message out so others will
think twice before they screw with us,” Tobias growled.

Even as he gave the order, he took two more out

with clean, precise shots. Since he’d spent most of his
training time with Nico and Ervin, neither one of them
looked surprised over his skill.

“Where did you get that piece of shit gun?” Ervin

asked.

“I ran out of ammo and had to borrow one from the

Jackals,” Tobias replied simply, as if he spent most of
his time lifting guns from assholes.

Ervin let out a sigh and then traded guns with

Tobias. It took Tobias a moment to catch up since that

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was the last thing he’d ever expected to happen.
Everybody knew that Ervin treasured his gun more than
his dick.

“Thank you,” Tobias said before raising the weapon.
“No…thank you, Beta,” Ervin countered.
For the first time ever, Tobias didn’t feel like a poser

for being addressed that way. Giving his best fuck-them
grin, he said, “Now, let’s go kick some ass.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Nine

fter they finished clearing the houses of Jackals,
Tobias and the others rushed to their old pack.

Well, actually it would be better to put it as their old
pack with some modifications. Since they’d moved to
Michigan and were now led by Chris, it sure wasn’t the
same hellhole that had shit on Tobias and Russell.

That still didn’t mean that Tobias was eager to spend

much time there. Even with the new change of
management, there was too much hurt lingering in
Tobias’s heart. There was no way that he’d ever be able
to spend more than a few hours there, let alone become
part of the pack.

As they walked into the large dormitory-style

building, Tobias’s main regret was that they had to
leave their dead behind at the mansion. While they’d
squashed all the Jackals that had been present, he knew
it was only a matter of time before more showed up.
Jackals were like that—one could say that they were the
herpes of the shifter world.

As they opened the front doors, they could see that

all hell had broken loose—

which was to be expected given the situation. Chris

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and Cassie were running around, trying to find room for
the refugees, while at the same time, deploying their
own soldiers to go back to Russell’s mansion.

“We took care of the first wave, but more will be

coming,” Tobias announced as they walked up.

Cassie ran over and threw her arms around him. “We

were so worried about you.”

Tobias stiffened. “Just because I’m a runt doesn’t

mean I can’t take care of myself.”

She stepped back so she could punch his arm. She

didn’t hold back either. It took everything he had not to
yelp in pain. Shit, she had a mean left hook. She could
probably take on half the pack without batting an eye.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I know that you can

handle yourself. I was worried because you’re family
and I love you, asshole,” she fumed.

He almost fired off an I love you, too, you beyotch!

But he decided that some would see that as
disrespectful. He did file it away to use later when they
were alone.

“Thanks,” he said.
As they pulled away, Tobias turned to Russell. “Just

give me time to ammo up and I’ll go back to the
mansion.”

The moment he spotted the facial expressions on

Russell and Chris, Tobias knew something was up.
Both the Alphas had that whole get-ready-because-he’s-
going-to-piss-kittens looks on their mugs.

“What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.
“We’re not going back to the mansion,” Russell

replied.

“For how long?”

Colby and the Little Wolf

“Forever.”
Tobias froze as his stomach dropped. “Are we going

to get a new place?”

“We’re going to merge with Chris’s pack.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Tobias took a step back because the shock and

betrayal almost felt like a physical blow. How could
Russell forget all the wrongs the pack had done to
them? More so, how in the hell did he expect Tobias to
forget them? Shit, Tobias still had the spit- stained shirt
he’d worn the day they’d been given the boot. That’s
how much that incident had messed with his head.

Cassie came forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Things are different now. Neither Chris, or I will put
up with any bigoted attitudes.”

“I don’t care about your promises. Not when I can

still see some of the very same pack members who
kicked us when we were down.”

“They have been punished and if they dare say

anything against you, Chris will banish them.”

Shrugging off her hand, Tobias spun fully around to

face Russell. “Don’t do this. Please.”

Their whole world was about to be shaken up and

stirred. Not only would Russell not be an Alpha since
his pack would be absorbed by Chris’s, but Tobias
would lose his status, too. He wasn’t an idiot, either, he
knew that all the promises in the world were going to
matter once the rest of the Wolves got a good gander at
Tobias. They would immediately see that he was a runt
and they would treat him accordingly.

Russell gave him a sad look. “I don’t have a choice.

My past has caught up to me and is biting my ass. It’s

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the only way I can protect my family.”

Tobias wanted to scream, What about me? I thought

I was your family, too. Or have you shoved me aside
like everybody else?

He didn’t bother speaking that aloud because he

could tell that Russell had already made up his mind
and there was no changing it.

Tobias’s fears were confirmed when Russell walked

over to Chris. Even as Tobias shook his head in denial,
Russell bowed before Chris and exposed his neck in a
sign of submission.

How fucked up was that?
A soft whimpering sound filled the air, and Tobias

was horrified to realize it was coming from him. Great,
he hadn’t even been officially sucked into the pack and
he was already acting like an Omega.

It all became too much—the attack, the deaths of

their pack members and then the sight of somebody as
strong as Russell acting all submissive. Tobias spun
around and ran for the doors. He heard them calling his
name, but he didn’t bother turning around. After all, it’s
not as if any of them had any real use for him. He had
always been nothing more than the freaking runt and
he’d been a fool to think that would ever change.

He had driven his own car there, so at least he had

that to be thankful for. As he rushed to it, he pulled out
and sent out a short text to Colby. Everything has gone
to shit. I need you.

Colby paced the clearing to the park as he waited for

Tobias to show up. Even though the message had only
been two sentences long, Colby could sense the

Colby and the Little Wolf

desperation. As a result he was worried, and he knew
that he wouldn’t be able to calm down until he had
Colby safe and in his arms.

All the while, Colby could sense his Lion pushing to

get out because his animal side felt the same concern
for their mate. And Colby now knew without a doubt
that that was exactly what Tobias was. Colby could no
longer deny the truth to himself, or anybody else for
that matter.

As soon as he got to Colby, he was taking the Wolf

home for good. If Thomas couldn’t deal with it, then
Colby would go to Mitchell and request a separate
apartment. He had a feeling that Mitchell would not
only grant his wish, but that the leader would be
supportive.

Just as he was about to call Tobias, the other man

came running up. Colby immediately wrapped his arms
around his mate. Then he noticed that Tobias was
wheezing and he appeared to be sucking wind making
Colby’s heart start to thud with worry.

If he hadn’t known better, Colby would have sworn

that Tobias was having an asthma attack. Since, one of
Colby’s adoptive sisters suffered from that disease, he
knew the warning signs all-to-well.

That couldn’t be, though. Not since shifters were

immune to human diseases. Then, just as quickly as that
thought came to him, it was followed by another. How
Tobias had once confided that sometimes runts were
weaker and more fragile.

At the time, Colby just assumed that it was due to

their size and nothing more, but he now realized how
wrong he was. In fact, the more he thought about it, the

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more it made sense. His birth sister had been a preemie
and her lungs had never fully recovered. So, who was to
say that the same thing couldn’t happen to shifter?

“Do you have a rescue inhaler with you?” Colby

asked.

Tobias shook his head. “No, the only thing that

works for me is the kind that it attached to oxygen.”

That made sense, too, given that the medication was

more concentrated that way. Colby may still be
ignorant of some shifter facts, but he did know that they
had to take meds in higher doses than humans did.

He ran his hand up and down Tobias’s back. Since

they didn’t have any drugs, he was going to have to
improvise. “That’s okay. I just want you to listen to me
and think of nothing else but following my orders.”

Tobias gave a nod as he rested his cheek on Colby’s

chest.

“Breath in, now breath out,” Colby said, making

sure to keep his voice even and steady.

He kept repeating that same sentence again and

again. All the while, he continued to rub Tobias’s back.
For a while, Colby worried that it wouldn’t work, but
soon, Tobias’s breath evened out some and most of the
wheezing disappeared.

“Now, tell me what happened,” Colby urged.
In short bursts, Tobias told him about the attack and

the incident with Chris’s pack. With each word,
Colby’s heart broke a little more. He knew how Tobias
felt about his old pack. Even though what Russell did
was understandable given the circumstances, it still
must have been a real blow to Tobias.

“Come back to the coalition with me,” he said once

Colby and the Little Wolf

Tobias finished speaking.

Tobias jerked his head up in shock before he let out

a snort. “Yeah, like that could ever happen. Thomas
would piss a whole litter of kittens if I showed my
mug.”

“I don’t care anymore. I love you and I’m sick of

hiding it.”

“What did you just say?”
Smiling at the hesitation in his mate’s normally

sarcastic tone, Colby repeated, “I love you.”

“Well, isn’t that just sweet?” a strange voice said.
Glancing over Tobias’s shoulder, Colby saw some

freak approaching them. And since that insult had been
thrown at him numerous times in the past, Colby didn’t
use that term lightly.

There was no other way to describe the dude,

though. Dressing in head to toe, black clothes that
looked as if they’d come from the rejection bin of
Goodwill, he looked like a cross between a thug and a
bum.

Even the guy’s scraggly brown hair and dirt-creased

face managed to be an insult. Then he came closer and
Colby nearly gagged on the stench. For a moment, he
wondered if maybe Mr. Smelly was a Raven, but the
scent was different. It was more gamey and ripe instead
of carrying the bite of decay. Colby would have been
quick to dismiss the guy as any threat had it not been
for the fact the man had a gun pointed in their direction.

“Hendrix,” Tobias whispered.
It took Colby a few moments to correlate that name

to the earlier attack on Tobias’s home. As soon as it
clicked, a wave of protectiveness came over Colby. He

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even lifted up his upper lip and let out a loud a long
growl.

Hendrix had the gall to laugh at them. “Like you two

are any threat to me.”

Tobias turned around and flipped off a cocky grin.

“Hey, Hendrix. Where are all your buddies? Did they
ditch you, or did I kill them all?”

The closest that got to an answer was a growl.

“Don’t fuck with me, runt.”

Tobias walked a couple steps to the side.
Colby curled his hands into fists as he realized what

Tobias’s intent was. The punk was trying to get Colby
out of the line of fire. Colby didn’t know whether to be
flattered, or pissed. He did know one thing for certain—
he had the overwhelming urge to reach out and tug
Tobias behind him. The only reason Colby held back
was out of fear of how Hendrix would react to any
movement.

Tobias casually kicked at the ground. “But I so love

fucking with you and you mongrel friends. It’s become
a hobby of sorts for me. By the way, where are you
living now?”

Hendrix let out a loud snarl. “Why do you care?”
“So, I can send you the cleaning bill. It’s going to be

a bitch to get the mansion back into shape.”

“You always have to be a smartass. I think it’s time

to teach you a lesson. While I’d just as soon kill you
and be done with it, I need you alive so I can make
Russell more cooperative.”

Colby frowned in confusion, but Tobias didn’t seem

to have any trouble getting the message. He yelled out,
“No!”

Colby and the Little Wolf

At the same instant, Hendrix leveled the weapon on

Colby. He didn’t even have time for an Oh shit! The
sounds of gunfire rang through the air.

Colby flinched, fully expecting to get hit, but at the

last moment, Tobias jumped in front of him. Colby
yelled at a denial, but it was too late. Two shots hit
Tobias.

The Wolf let out a grunt of pain as twin scarlet

patches appeared on his chest and back. The scent of
blood filled the clearing.

As he watched the man he loved crumple to the

ground, a red-hot fury filled Colby. With a growl, he
launched himself at Hendrix.

It wasn’t until he landed on four legs that Colby

realized he’d shifted. He let out a loud roar before he
took Hendrix down to the ground.

The other man tried to shift, but it was already too

late. Working on pure instinct, Colby sank his canines
into the front of the Jackal’s neck and tore it apart.
Blood spurted and filled his mouth, the metallic taste so
vile, Colby wanted to let go and spit it out. Still,, he had
an even stronger urge. The one to avenge his mate.
Hendrix had dared to hurt Tobias, and Colby refused to
let that wrong go unanswered.

Hendrix screamed, or at least attempted to. All that

came out was a gurgling noise. Another bite to the neck
quickly ended that.

Once he felt certain that the jerk was dead, Colby

shifted back and rushed over to Tobias side. With great
care, he cradled his mate in his arms. Blood got all over
his t-shirt, but Colby could have given a damn. All that
mattered to him was finding out if Tobias was still

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alive.

Shit! There was so much blood. It not only covered

both of them, but it had soaked into the dirt, making a
reddish kind of mud.

“It’s okay, it’s safe now,” Colby crooned as he

brushed the hair away from Tobias face.

Tobias felt so cold that at first, Colby despaired.

Then his Wolf opened his eyes and Colby let out a sob
of relief.

Rocking Tobias back and forth, Colby said, “It’s

over now. He won’t ever hurt you again.”

He could hear various cars approaching and other

walking up to them, but Colby was so overwhelmed
with grief that it all seemed so distant to him. Then, he
sensed somebody trying to take Tobias away from him.
That just wouldn’t do at all.

With a loud growl, Colby tightened his hold. The

battle went on for several moments. While various
voices begged him to let go, it wasn’t until he heard
Dulla’s soothing tones in his ears that Colby snapped
out of it and released his mate.

Dulla sat on that dirty, muddy ground with him. Her

clothes had to be getting just as filthy, but she never
uttered a complaint. Instead, she just held Colby as he
let out his cries of agony.

Colby and the Little Wolf

Chapter Ten

ven though several hours had passed since they’d
been attacked, Colby still hadn’t changed his

clothes. Sure, they may be covered in blood and God
knows what else, but changing would mean he’d have
to leave Tobias’s side and that was not something
Colby was willing to do. Not even for a few moments.

Doc Featherstone and Jacyn had assured him that

Tobias would be okay, but Colby wouldn’t feel sure
until he heard his mate’s voice. Soon after help had
arrived, Tobias has slipped into unconsciousness, and
he’d been that way ever since.

Colby rested his face against the side of the bed, his

fingers interlaced with Tobias’s. It had been the exact
same position they’d been in since they’d brought
Tobias out of surgery.

Several times, both Thomas and Russell had come in

and tried to persuade Colby to go get some rest. He just
ignored them. First, because he was still pissed at both
of them. Second, because he didn’t want to focus on
anything else save for Tobias. Maybe that made him a
selfish bastard, but considering what their bothers had
put them through, he figured they kind of deserved it.

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A soft groan floated from the bed. Heart hammering

with hope, Colby jerked his head up and gazed down at
Tobias. When the Wolf opened his eyes, it was the most
beautiful thing Colby had ever seen.

Giving what was sure to be a shaky smile, he said,

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been shot two times,” Tobias quipped.
Colby laughed. Damn, how he’d missed that

sarcasm. “Maybe that’s because you played hero and
threw yourself into the line of fire to protect me.”

“I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
“I know. I felt the same way about you.”
A brief flicker of confusion crossed Tobias’s face.

“You shifted and killed him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m not sorry either. I know I should be and

that it would have been better to turn him over to
Mitchell and Russell, but I couldn’t help myself. Once
he shot you, he was as good as dead as far I was
concerned. Nobody, and I mean nobody, hurts my mate
and gets away with it.”

Colby sucked in a breath as he realized what he’d

just let slip from his mouth. He tensed, scared that
Tobias would reject him, just like everybody else had.
Then, Tobias gave his hand a tight squeeze and replied,
“Ditto.”

Hope flared through Colby. “Really?”
“Yes, and that means I won’t allow you to do any

harm to yourself either.”

That last comment confused Colby and he found

himself wondering just how he should respond. Then
Tobias scooted over a few inches. He moved slow and
let out a couple of hisses of pain, but he seemed so

Colby and the Little Wolf

determined, that Colby didn’t have the heart to tell him
to knock it off.

“Hop in bed and get some rest. You look like you

about ready to fall over.”

Colby started to protest, but Tobias cut him short. “I

mean it. Just because I’m laid up, doesn’t mean that my
mate is going to suffer.”

My mate.
Those two words made a warm feeling flow through

Colby and he was powerless to resist. Kicking off his
shoes, he very carefully crawled into bed. Cuddling up
against Tobias, Colby rested his head on the Wolf’s
shoulder and breathed in his scent.

“I love you so damn much,” Colby confessed.
“Ditto.”
It wasn’t exactly the best declaration of love, but

since it came out slurred and weak, Colby decided to let
it go, for the moment. They would have the rest of their
lives to talk once Tobias was better and back on his
feet.

Closing his eyes, Colby allowed himself to drift to

sleep. The warmth of his mate’s body, making him feel
so happy and complete.

* * * *

“I guess there is no way we can tear them apart now,”
Thomas grumbled.

Russell looked over at the bed at his wounded

brother. Even though they were asleep, Tobias and
Colby had each other in a near death-grip.

“No, they’ve more than shown how much they care

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about each other. I just wish that we could figure out a
way to keep them better protected so something like
this never happens again,” Russell replied.

A soft scoffing sound came from behind them.

Turning, Russell saw that it’d come from Dulla. She
narrowed her black eyes at them. “Yet, they call me
stupid.”

Never one to take any insult lying down, Russell

cocked a brow at her. “Do you care to elaborate?”

“Colby and Tobias are more than capable of taking

care of each other. Or, at least they would be if you two
would just stay out of their business,” she shot back.

Thomas nodded toward the bed. “How do you

consider that capable? They both almost died.”

“But they didn’t. You want to know why? Because

they protected each other. First, Tobias did so by taking
the bullets. Then Colby when he killed the Jackal.”

Russell started to argue, before he finally got the

point.

Damn it, he and Thomas had royally fucked things

up. The worst part of it was that, by being so
overprotective and underestimating their brothers,
they’d nearly lost them.

Thomas must have realized the same thing because

he whispered, “Shit.”

Russell stared at Dulla. All along he’d thought that

she’d been slow, yet she’d clearly seen the truth all
along.

She must have sensed Russell’s confusion because

she gave him a grin. “Don’t try to figure me out. It will
just frustrate you and give you a massive headache.”

Okay, he was willing to accept that. He glanced at

Colby and the Little Wolf

Thomas. “So, where do you think they should live?”

“I would be more than happy to take Tobias in,” the

Lion offered.

Russell considered that for a moment and realized it

would be for best. While he was able to swallow his
pride and go back to their old pack, it had only been to
protect Dalton and the kids. There was no way that
Tobias should have to make that same sacrifice. “I think
that would be a good idea.”

Dulla reached up and popped them both on the back

of the heads. Rubbing away, Russell growled, “What in
the hell was that for?”

“Did it ever occur to either of you that you should be

letting Tobias and Colby make that decision? Oh, and
here is another pointer…if they do decide to stay with
the coalition, I would look into getting them their own
apartment.”

A warm heat came over Russell’s face as he realized

she yet again had a very valid point. Damn, at this rate,
he would be begging Dulla to come back with him to
serve as a consultant for Chris’s pack. The girl
obviously knew much more than she’d let on.

Tilting her head to the side, Dulla gave them a

knowing look. “Of course, I’m just the slow, dim-
witted Raven. So, why would you ever want to listen to
me?”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned around

and walked away.

“Damn it, when did she become the Oprah of our

coalition?” Thomas bitched.

“She’s right, though.”
“I know she’s right. Damn it if that doesn’t make me

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feel like an asshole, too.”

Glancing back at Tobias, Russell once again thought

about how close he’d come to losing his brother.
“Yeah, me and you both.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

Epilogue

olby put the last pile of clothes way in his dresser
and let out a sigh of relief. Finally! They had

everything moved into their new apartment.

Turning around, Colby allowed himself to gaze at

the bedroom. While it may have been just as small like
the rest of the place, it was all theirs.

Best of all, thanks to donations from other felines

and Wolves, they had been able to furnish all the
rooms. Sure, the couch may be old and ugly as hell, but
Colby couldn’t have been any happier had it been a new
set straight off the truck.

“Shit, thank God we’re done. I’m so tired,” Tobias

declared.

Despite his claims, he seemed pretty chipper as he

ran across the room and dove on the bed. Colby
laughed even as he chastised, “Hey, I just made that.”

Tobias rolled over and flashed a…well wolfish grin.

“You know what’s more fun than making a bed?
Messing it back up again. Now get your cute ass over
here.”

Once Tobias gave a sexy crook of his finger, Colby

was a goner. He even began to strip his clothes off as he

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100

walked across the tiny room.

“I like how you think,” Tobias declared as he began

to pull his own clothes off.

Since they’d had so much practice over the past

several weeks, it didn’t take them long to get naked.
Once finished, Colby walked over to the bed.

His intentions were to pin Tobias to the bed, but the

Wolf obviously had other ideas. Letting out a growl that
was so hot sounding, it made Colby gasp with desire,
Tobias rolled him over until he was face down on the
mattress.

“Don’t move an inch,” Tobias ordered.
Colby was more than happy to follow that

command, especially when Tobias began to pepper him
with kisses. He started at Colby’s shoulders, then
slowly made his way down.

Determined to be obedient, Colby fisted the sheets

and forced himself to hold still. It was hard though—so
damn hard. Especially, when Tobias reached the top
Colby ass.

Colby stilled, expecting to feel the cool touch of

slicked fingers. When he felt the hot, velvet slide of a
tongue instead, Colby lost all control. Letting out a
moan, he thrust back.

Tobias let out a chuckle. “I thought you would like

that.”

Before Colby could even think of answering him,

Tobias began rimming him again.

Fuck, when Colby had seen this on those porn sites,

he’d never imagined it would feel so damn good. He
began to let out a series of groans and pleas. The best
part was, he didn’t have to worry about how loud he

Colby and the Little Wolf

101

was since they finally had complete privacy.

Tobias fluttered his tongue over Colby’s hole.

Sparks of pleasure shot up Colby’s spine. Oh, hell, if
Tobias didn’t watch it, he was going to make him come
before the real screwing even began.

Colby soon learned that Tobias had only begun to

torment him. The Wolf slid first one and then two
fingers inside Colby’s hole. The bastard even made sure
he crooked his fingers just right, so they brushed
against Colby’s prostate.

“Fuck. Me!” Colby cried.
The wonderful sensations assaulting his body were

so intense , he just wanted to let go and come. But,
Tobias somehow was able to sense just when Colby had
reached the edge and every time the Wolf pulled back
at the last minute.

“Please, I need you,” Colby begged.
Tobias pulled out his fingers and soon Colby heard

the blessed sound of a bottle of lube being opened.
Pausing only long enough to slick himself up, Tobias
then placed a gentle kiss onto the nape of Colby’s neck.

“You have me, babe. That is never going to change,”

Tobias breathed.

He then thrust inside Colby.
By that time, they were both too worked up for slow,

or gentle. It was going to be a fast and hard fuck. Colby
knew he was going to love every damn second of it,
too.

Taking a firm grip of Colby’s hips, Tobias lifted him

to his knees and began to give him the screwing of his
lifetime.

Colby yelled out his encouragement as he braced

Stephani Hecht

102

himself with one hand. He then reached down with his
other one and began to stroke himself off. The sounds
of skin slapping against skin filled the air as Tobias
rode him harder than a Kentucky Derby horse.

A tingling sensation danced over Colby’s body as

the most intense orgasm crashed into him. Screaming
Tobias’s name, Colby came. His cock jerked before
cum spurted over his hand and the sheets.

The sight must have sent Tobias over the edge,

because after a few more thrust, he gave a loud grown
before he came. Colby moaned, still riding his own
high as he felt the hot ropes of semen filling his ass.

After a second, Tobias rested his head on Colby’s

back. “Mine.”

“Yours,” Colby confirmed before he collapsed.
And fell right into a puddle of cooling spunk. Ugh!

Why didn’t they warn of this danger in romance novels,
or porn movies? Instead, they always portrayed the
sated couple, happily cuddling together. Colby decided
that the adult entertainment industry had never heard of
there being the always intrusive, post-sex, wet spot.

“Yuck,” Colby protested.
Tobias rolled over and pulled Colby to his chest so

they were both comfortable and gross-free.

“Better?” Tobias asked.
Snugging his head in, Colby sleepily replied,

“Much.”

They were silent for a moment before Tobias said,

“Hey, you know I love you.”

Smiling to himself, Colby quipped, “Ditto.” He let

out a small yelp when Tobias slapped him on the ass.
“Okay, I love you, too.”

Colby and the Little Wolf

103

“That’s what I thought.”
As Colby drifted off to sleep, he wondered at how

great his life had turned out. Who would have ever
thought that the scrawny Lion could ever snag his little
Wolf? Somehow, though, it had come true and Colby
knew he’d never be alone again. What’s more, together
they’d proven that size doesn’t matter. Not when it
comes to matters of the heart. For, at the risk of
sounding clichéd, love truly does conquer all. Be it,
insecurities from their fucked-up childhoods, meddling
families, friends, pack members, or homicidal Jackals,
nothing could ever tear them apart again. Whoever had
said that runts didn’t belong together obviously had
never met them.

Burying his face deeper into Tobias’s chest, Colby

dreamed that night of his Wolf and how they had the
rest of their lives to be together.

About the Author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two.
Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about
the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red
Wings hockey team. You can usually find her snuggled
up to her laptop, creating her next book.

Contact her at:
Email Address:archangelwriter@yahoo.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht

FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profil&id=1
109353859

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht

Blog:
http://stephanihechtauthor.blogspot.com

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