Missy Lyons One Night Rodeo

The Shifters of Cattlemen Valley 1

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder Hurley is a professional bull rider, and while he doesn’t
understand the intense physical attraction he feels for the tattoo-

covered rodeo bull handler and breeder, Corey, Ryder is ready for
an all night rodeo. He just has to convince the sexy dynamo one

night will be enough to ignite the passion between them.

Corey Blue is a bad boy to the core and people usually take one

look at the tattoos that cover his body and keep their distance. He
doesn’t usually mind because if humans got too close they may

discover his hot-blooded bull shifter blood and use his secrets to
profit in the bull riding circuit.

Having the sexy cowboy in his bed is a risk he has to take even if

his secret has a chance of being discovered by a human, but when
his fellow shifters find out, they aren’t as willing to let the

indiscretion slide.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal,
Shape-shifter, Western/Cowboys
Length: 35,530 words

ONE-NIGHT RODEO

The Shifters of Cattlemen Valley 1

Missy Lyons

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

ONE-NIGHT RODEO
Copyright © 2014 by Missy Lyons
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-718-5

First E-book Publication: April 2014

Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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DEDICATION

For Merlin.

ONE-NIGHT RODEO

The Shifters of Cattlemen Valley 1

MISSY LYONS

Chapter One

“I don’t know if this fence is strong enough to hold my bulls and

if they get out, you’re going to have a bigger problem than you
bargained for.” Corey Blue eyed the temporary metal fence line
doubtfully. He could wait here all day but it wasn’t likely to get
better. This was a small-time rodeo, not one of the major leagues or
one with money to spend on the animals.

His trailer held six of the meanest bulls this side of the Mississippi

River and they anxiously kicked at the walls and snorted. All the
usual sounds they made when they couldn’t wait to get out.

Ordinary rodeo bulls were mean, but these bulls were especially

so. They were shapeshifters, and while the general public didn’t
understand why they could be so bad, they could demand a high price
when they came to the rodeo circuit because they were meaner and
more spiteful than any bull could be bred to be. As men, they would
usually be a little calmer, but in their shapeshifter state all bets were
off. It was pure instinct that drove them and their reactions were
emotional and unpredictable, making the average bull rider’s eight-
second ride a little more dangerous, but the paydays were bigger too.

Every nervous and jerky movement made the trailer rock, but

what was worse was that he sensed they were getting angrier. The

One-Night Rodeo

longhorn bulls had spent six hours on the road getting jostled in these
close quarters. They needed to be let out and move around for the day,
but he was especially worried because they were all wound up from
the long drive.

Corey hated having to use an inexperienced greenhorn, but his

usual help was useless in a hospital bed with a broken collarbone and
leg. So this weekend he was working alone. Again. Instead of Daniel,
he had this clown the rodeo circuit had offered helping him, and he
didn’t seem to know the front end of the bull from the back.

Bruce seemed as nervous as a boy at his first dance. He was

sweating bullets but didn’t seem to be taking Corey’s words to heart
about finding a new enclosure.

“I don’t have any place else to put these guys. I’m definitely not

putting them anywhere near the horse stalls. We’ve had plenty of
bulls stay here with no problem, Corey.” Bruce chewed on a cigar, as
if he was waiting to smoke it as soon as he was done with this job. He
stood on the other side of the trailer. Corey had just backed up to the
small temporary enclosure, but it didn’t feel like the kid knew what he
was doing. He looked nervous as hell and jumped every time the bulls
kicked at the door to get out. The dented door told a story of the more
powerful kicks, but Corey didn’t doubt it would keep his bulls
confined. He had lots of doubts about the enclosure, however. It was
flimsy and moved when he leaned against it. How the hell it would
hold six full-grown bull shifters, each averaging over two thousand
pounds, was beyond him.

But he did warn the guy. Bruce was choosing not to listen.
“My bulls aren’t like any other bull you’ve seen.”
“You can call it whatever you want but a cow is still a cow and a

bull is still a bull.”

Corey sighed reluctantly.
“Okay, but if there’s blood it’s not on me. Stay clear when the

doors open. We let them out on three.” Corey’s bucking bulls were
known for their vicious nature and he knew from firsthand experience

Missy Lyons

they would take advantage of any weakness. If the fencing was as
weak and wobbly as it looked, it wouldn’t hold and the six white bulls
would take out their anger on anyone that was stupid enough to get in
their way. It would take hours to calm them down. They instinctively
fought harder against humans in this shifted state. Sometimes they
would lash out against their own kind if they mistook a shifter for one
of them, which was why Daniel was in the hospital.

Bruce nodded, his jaw muscle ticked, and the cowboy hat he wore

shadowed his eyes and his emotions. He tucked the unsmoked cigar
back into his shirt pocket.

Corey tried not to think about the danger either of them was in,

and if he were honest he was more worried about the safety of his
bulls. They were valuable, but to him it was personal. These longhorn
bulls were his family and that was more important to him than the
money they earned in the rodeo.

“One…Two…Three!” On the last word, Corey swung the gate

open wide and his helper unlatched the other side. They used the
doors as shields to protect their bodies, and immediately four very
large, muscled bulls jumped out of the trailer, kicking the air and the
trailer door. The last two bulls trailed out a little slower but kicked the
doors just to get a blow into the humans they protected. They seemed
to look at the humans hiding there as they trailed off to the other side
of the enclosure and began to calm down when they found the food
and water waiting for them.

“Quickly now!” Corey yelled and Bruce jumped forward like he’d

just woken up from a trance. Together they locked up the trailer and
moved the temporary fencing to tighten up the edges of the enclosure.
They hustled quickly to finish their task before the bulls came back to
protect their turf.

The steel gate slammed with a metallic ring and Corey secured it

with a thick chain while Bruce scrambled on the wrong side of the
fence. The oldest and most territorial bull of the bunch stomped his
feet and ran. White Lightning leaned his head down low and thrashed

One-Night Rodeo

it down into the fence, reinforcing his reputation for a bad attitude and
a bumpy ride.

Other bull breeders fed their bulls a special blend of hot feed that

was laced with steroids and chemicals to make their bulls half as
mean as his shifters were born.

Bruce was perched precariously atop the fence when White

Lightning struck the fence, causing it to shake violently as he thrashed
his horns from side to side. Bruce had not finished jumping off the
other side of the fence and went flying onto his backside. His legs
tangled up as he scampered backward.

“What the fuck?” Corey’s nostrils flared and his temper rose a

hundred degrees in a flash.

White Lightning’s horns were caught between the bars and he

twisted and bumped for a few seconds before fighting his way free,
but in the meantime Corey’s heartbeat thundered in his chest. If his
bull got hurt because of some greenhorn, he would be pissed off and
rightly so.

These bulls were worth a lot of money, but he wouldn’t tolerate

one of his herd getting hurt.

“Damn! Your bulls are crazy! Did you see the look he gave me? It

was like he wanted to kill me.” Bruce’s wide eyes openly shared his
fear and shock. His face grew ten shades paler. His hands trembled as
he reached out for the hat that had fallen off his head in the scuffle.
He got up and dusted himself off before taking his eyes off the bull.

White Lightning snorted and pawed the ground before making a

false charge at the gate again. Bruce jumped back another three feet.

“White Lightning would have killed you, too. He takes his

opportunity when he can and he has a really good memory. I hope
you don’t pull his name in the lottery for the rodeo this weekend.”

“That makes two of us.” Bruce shook his head and stormed off.

His foul temper didn’t help to ease the tension of Corey or his bulls.

Corey’s muscles began to relax the moment the other guy turned

away. He was ready to fight to protect what belonged to him. It was

Missy Lyons

part of his nature, and he felt responsible and protective of his herd.
They were more to him than a livelihood. They were kin.

Corey waited for the man to leave before he hopped the fence and

walked up to White Lightning. The bull stood still and snorted into
Corey’s outstretched hand. His tail switched from side to side but the
bull didn’t charge him. “You can’t kill the humans for fun, boss.
We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The bull was the oldest and the most cantankerous of all the

shifters. After this rodeo, he would make the old man retire to the
ranch. He was getting too old and this was a young bull’s sport. Their
travels supported the ranch so that they could live in peace away from
humans, but it was time another took up the burden and White
Lightning went out to pasture. He could give up his stage name and
go back to being known as just plain old Felix.

“Well I’ll be horsewhipped! I’ve never seen a bull whisperer

before.” The rough whisper of a cowboy ripped Corey out of his
reverie.

Corey was being watched. Immediately Corey felt his guard go up

near the human. The hairs on the back of his nape stood straight up.

“It’s nothing special.” Corey shrugged his shoulders, trying to

sound as if he didn’t care what the young cowboy thought. “I
wouldn’t recommend trying this to anyone else, but my bulls respect
me because I respect them.” Corey didn’t mean for anyone to witness
what a close relationship he had with his bulls. He just wanted to calm
White Lightning down and see that he wasn’t hurt. These bulls were
his bloodline. He guarded his secrets and anyone who might find
them out. Warily, he looked languorously over the cowboy as he
slowly made his way out of the enclosure. He didn’t plan on going
far. He’d park his rig close-by where he could watch over his bulls.

Corey had a nice setup in the front of the cattle trailer. The front

of the trailer wasn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but it
held a home away from home for Corey. There was a bed and a

One-Night Rodeo

kitchen and enough to give him everything he needed and stay close
to his bulls during the weekend rodeo.

“Still, I ride these bulls for a living and I’ve been doin’ it for the

last ten years and in all this time, I ain’t never seen nothing like what
you just did. I know better than to try it. Just a second ago he wanted
the kill that other guy, but you…” The cowboy just shook his head as
if he didn’t understand how White Lightning could suddenly become
calm. “You’re amazing.”

“Don’t let them fool you. My bulls will give you a good ride when

you get them in the ring.” Longhorn bull shifters always ran hot and
horny, just like Corey.

“I don’t doubt it,” the cowboy replied.
“Especially White Lightning.” As if on cue, the bull snorted and

pawed at the ground.

Most cowboys wanted a good ride in the ring but they didn’t want

to get thrown too early because they wouldn’t make any points. A bull
rider that left the ring without riding the full eight seconds didn’t get
any prize money either. So that was the worst thing that could happen,
but if they stayed on a feisty bull for the full ride, they got the best
score, because every buck and twist was scored.

There was always the chance of getting hurt that made the ride

that much more serious, but most cowboys were optimists and didn’t
think that far ahead until they came home with a pair of broken and
bruised ribs. The more cautious men wore bulletproof vests and
helmets instead of cowboy hats.

White Lightning didn’t like to let a man on his back for the full

eight-second ride, but if that man was Bruce, he’d try to make up for
the damage he couldn’t do just now. White Lightning was dangerous
and cranky as a rattlesnake in a boot. This kid needed to know that.

“I’m not going near him until the night of the rodeo. If I pull his

name, I’ll try my luck.” The cowboy got a cocky grin on his face and
Corey couldn’t help but like his grit and courage.

Missy Lyons

Corey felt the hot, venomous gaze of the bull bite into his back as

he climbed over the barricade slowly, but White Lightning stood his
ground in the enclosure.

“Good. My bulls don’t know you and they would love to crush

you for the fun of it. They are highly territorial and anyone who goes
into their space takes a risk, but there’s a reason the Lovegrass Ranch
bulls have a high demand in the rodeo circuit.”

“I’ve seen you around the rodeo circuit before, but I don’t think

I’ve ever introduced myself. My name’s Ryder.” The man who called
himself Ryder offered his hand and Corey clasped his around it.

It was a warm, friendly shake, and firm. He liked the way the

rough skin felt against his, and the handshake left him with a good
feeling about the young man. He normally didn’t want to trust anyone
but a fellow shifter, but this man had a special quality about him. A
curious spark in his eyes encouraged Corey to learn more about the
young man and then he remembered this was not the first time he’d
seen Ryder.

“Yeah I thought you looked familiar too. You rode Rusty Legend

last year. My name’s Corey.” Corey thought the young man looked
familiar. It was the way he carried himself, full of confidence and raw
sex appeal, but this man looked at the animals differently than most of
the cowboys. It was more than a paycheck for him.

The rodeo was a way of life and that made it a lot easier to

connect with him and like him.

“Oh, you had to remind me of that.” Ryder rubbed his backside as

if it still hurt. “He threw me so hard I broke my tailbone that year. I
couldn’t work for eight months.”

“But you did manage to stay on for the full eight-second ride.”
“Barely. Bull riding isn’t for the weak of heart.” Ryder shrugged

dismissively. Corey enjoyed watching the lean, muscled roll of his
shoulders. Ryder moved with the energy of a young man, but when he
spoke, it revealed his true age was more mature, and who he was had
been defined by life’s experience.

One-Night Rodeo

“It’s not for the weak. Period. More injuries happen every year to

bull riders than in any other sport. I got this tattoo to cover up the scar
under it. A bull named Blue Manchu put his horn right through it.”

Ryder grimaced but then pulled back and ran his fingers through

his dark hair. “Ouch. You are one tough cookie.”

Corey rolled his eyes. He liked the young man, but he knew better

than to get involved with a human. He felt a warm uncoiling of
pressure in his belly, but he needed to squish all those feelings down
into the ground. “Flattery will get you nowhere, cowboy.”

“A man could only hope. It’s not flattery when it’s true. If I were

trying to get somewhere I’d be telling you how much sexier the
tattoos make you look.”

Corey’s breath hissed in between his teeth. He had not expected

the attraction to be mutual, but the cowboy admitted to it. “Are you
trying to flirt with me?”

“Yes. Why, is it working?” Ryder waggled his eyebrows.
Corey felt his heart hammer in his chest. It had been a long time

since he let himself have a fling or anything physical. He should be
with a shifter and he knew it, but he had no doubt it would be a man.
He loved the feel of a naked man in his bed, but there weren’t many
shifters he found willing to play. They wanted to mate for a lifetime
and Corey wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment yet. He just
wanted something simply physical. No commitments. No strings, just
hot and heavy man-on-man sex.

Corey’s mind screamed at him. Logically, he should be saying no.

This was a human he was dealing with. It wasn’t a fellow shifter who
could possibly understand his hot-blooded nature or his needs, but he
wanted to say yes. He was very curious where this light flirting might
lead and he felt the lust building in his soul.

Corey wondered briefly if it could lead to more if he allowed the

desire to grow.

Missy Lyons

Common sense prevailed and Corey saw the hope extinguish in

Ryder’s eyes when he answered, “No, but you can try all you want. I
don’t mind if you look.”

“You got a good-looking body. You work hard to keep it in shape

but seriously I can barely tell the scar is there now.” Ryder examined
the intricate covering of ink wrapping his arm and Corey felt the
resulting tingles.

Corey carefully regarded Ryder, wondering if he felt that same

magic connection, or the same attraction he did. It was magnetic. He
wanted to lean in and kiss him but he held himself in check. “If you
mess with the bull, you get the horns.”

Ryder’s mouth tilted in a wide smile. “Don’t I know it! I’ve been

really lucky but luck only goes so far in this business.” Corey couldn’t
help but feel there was a deeper meaning to his words. As if Ryder
wanted to be lucky with him and not just the bulls he was riding. “I
would love to pick up pointers sometime with you about your bulls.
You seem to know more tricks than anyone else I’ve met.” Ryder
paused as if he were contemplating something and bit his bottom lip.
“Hey, have you got your breakfast yet? I was just heading out to the
local greasy spoon for some pancakes if you want to join me.”

He was torn. He had such mixed feelings on this man.
Corey tried to shake himself of the disturbing effect the other man

had over him. Staring at Ryder made him think of nothing but sex—
the kind of raw animal fucking that left the sheets sticky with sweat
and him panting for more. When he saw Ryder biting his lip, he
wanted to bite it for him or give him something else to bite.

But he shouldn’t let his mind go there, because if he let himself

imagine Ryder’s mouth wrapping around his cock, he would imagine
the rest of the package deal. It was inevitable Corey would want
more. He’d want to fuck him like there was no tomorrow and plunder
his tight ass.

His cock hardened at the kinky thoughts making their way into his

head.

One-Night Rodeo

Corey groaned. He knew better to get involved with a cowboy. It

would only lead to heartache, and even if he could keep from getting
his heart involved, he didn’t know if Ryder would be able to keep
things purely physical. Things were more likely to get messy if he
said yes or acted on his physical impulses to sweet-talk his way into
the young man’s bed. “I think I will have to take a rain check.”

Ryder quickly cloaked the emotion behind heavy lids and his

voice deepened a notch. He sounded disappointed. “Oh, then maybe
next time.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I just have to get my trailer pulled

into the campgrounds and set up.” The problem wasn’t that he didn’t
want to spend more time with the sexy young cowboy. He wanted to,
but acting on impulse only got Corey deeper in trouble, and sex, even
one night of really hot, sweaty sex usually wasn’t worth it. He should
probably warn the kid off.

“Yeah, I get it. I want a rain check, though.”
“Okay. I’ll be here all weekend. Just like the rest of the rodeo.”
“All right, me too. See you around.” Ryder gave him a tip of his

worn cowboy hat and moved a step away. Then he turned his back
and walked back towards the big barn housing the horse stalls.

Corey drew a breath and paused. He admired the young man’s

tight ass as he walked away a few feet. He should be nice, but he
wasn’t a nice guy. “I don’t know what you’re playing, but you may
want to be careful around me, Ryder. I’m not a man to mess with.”

“I wasn’t trying to mess with you, but I have to be honest. I do

like you and I am attracted to you. You have a nice body.” Now he
felt like an ass and his cock was painfully hard between his legs. It
was making everything else less logical. It was a lot more fun to work
off his frustrations fucking, and now he was all twisted up in knots
inside.

Corey sighed.
He removed his hat to draw a hand through his hair and then

replaced the weathered hat on his head. He should be apologizing but

Missy Lyons

it was best the young cowboy knew exactly what kind of man he was
messing with. “I don’t have friends for a reason. I’m not the kind of
guy you can take home to meet your mother. I’m not the kind of guy
who is going to treat you good, and take you out on dates. I don’t
make love and write poetry. I fuck. Hard. Plain and simple. Do you
want me to fuck you, Ryder?”

Corey’s blood ran cool when he saw the blood drain from Ryder’s

face. Yep, the young cowboy wasn’t ready for the likes of him. His
words may have been crude, but they did their job. He’d just scared
Ryder away.

Ryder’s mouth opened slightly and he froze in place.
He felt satisfied for a moment, and then regret. Corey had shocked

Ryder’s senses. His hard words worked and now he wouldn’t have to
worry about the cowboy hanging around and tempting him.

Ryder licked his lips nervously and Corey watched him for signs

of weakness. “You’re vulgar.”

“Yeah, but I’d fuck you in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t think about sex that way. I like having the whole package,

but I have to be honest. I want you.” Ryder’s eyelids fluttered shut,
masking his emotions to Corey. He seemed to be considering the
possibility of a one-night rodeo but Corey couldn’t let him anywhere
near his heart. He couldn’t let him in to discover his secrets. Corey
had more to think of than himself. His entire family depended on him.

But if he could have the pleasures of the flesh for one night he

would give up almost anything.

“Well, that’s the only way any man can have me. We fuck and

then we move on. Let me know when you’re ready to come to my
bed.” Corey turned on his heel with a heavy feeling in his chest. He
sounded like an asshole even to himself, but he couldn’t let the
cowboy know he had any softness in his heart for him. This was about
his attraction and letting everyone know what they could expect from
a fling together.

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder wouldn’t get roses the next morning, but he would get a

rough ride he would be certain to remember for the rest of his life.

Corey felt like a complete jerk leaving everything hanging like

that, but he couldn’t afford to be the nice guy.

Missy Lyons

Chapter Two

I like to fuck. Hard.
Corey’s words echoed in Ryder’s mind many hours after the

conversation earlier that morning. His mouth went dry and he
groaned. A man like Corey was dangerous. He should stay away from
him if he didn’t want to leave this rodeo with a broken heart. He could
fall into bed with him, but his heart was on his sleeve, and if he
fucked the man, he knew it would be hard to part ways the next
morning. He’d want more than just a round of sex. He wanted to be
held, and to be loved, and to feel the other man’s lips on his.

But when he heard Corey say the crude words in a deep lust-

driven voice, he could see the appeal. He wanted the primal
connection and he wanted to be fucked, but he didn’t want to feel
used in the morning.

It was hard not to go back and ask Corey to do whatever he

wanted with him. He shouldn’t want it, but curiosity was getting the
better of him.

Ryder was positive it would be an experience he would remember

for the rest of his life. He’d probably want to do it again. That would
be his curse. He’d always want more, and Corey had admitted it
wouldn’t mean as much to him. It would be purely physical and when
he was done, he would be walking away.

It was late evening and Ryder still couldn’t stop thinking about the

earlier encounter. It left him hard and sexually frustrated. He didn’t
like feeling this way. He liked sex as much as the next guy but he was
over meaningless sexual relationships. He wanted more than that from

One-Night Rodeo

a lover nowadays, but when the rock-hard cowboy had given him the
ultimatum, he was tempted to take Corey any way he could have him.

And that seemed wrong.
Sex might feel good for the moment, but they would be using each

other and he would be leaving feeling emptier inside.

Ryder wasn’t about to kid himself. He wanted more than fucking,

however good it might feel.

Ryder leaned against the wooden barrier of his horse’s stall

watching his horse in a near trance as she paced nervously about her
pen. She was a good roping mare, always remaining calm in any
stressful situation, but today was different. She was not usually this
jittery. He wondered what could be causing her to act this way.

Stephen surprised him with a rough hand on his shoulder. Stephen

was a cowboy he frequently competed against in the rodeo circuit, but
not a man he trusted with what was really going on in his head.
“What’s got you all quiet tonight? You thinking about the bull you’re
going to draw tomorrow?”

Ryder worried his bottom lip between his teeth.
Riding tomorrow’s bull was what he should be thinking about. It’s

what mattered. The bull riding competition was where the money was
and the whole reason he was here at the rodeo. He needed to get paid
and if he drew a good bucking bull he would have a higher chance of
making a good score, but Ryder couldn’t stop thinking of the sexy
bad-boy cowboy and his purely physical offer.

Just the thought of Corey ramming his hot rod inside of his ass

made his blood boil and his dick hard. He was curious what a night
with a man like that would be like, but he couldn’t appear flustered in
front of his acquaintance. It might give away what he was thinking
about.

Ryder straightened, sighing loudly. “You got a way of sneaking

up on a man. You better to watch it, Steve.”

“Or what? You going to start a fight? That’s no way to treat an old

friend.” Stephen’s eyes were twinkling with repressed laughter.

Missy Lyons

“I’d hardly call us friends.” Ryder frowned, his mood darkening

to match the threatening storm overhead. Stephen and he were no
friends.

“Whoa, that’s harsh.”
“Sorry, I’m probably just in a bad mood tonight. I don’t think you

want my company.”

“I don’t mind. It’s nice to know the legendary Ryder has his down

moments too. We all do,” Stephen replied.

Thunder rumbled in the evening sky and the fluorescent lights

flickered in the barn. They both looked up to the roof of the barn.
Every one of the horses was panicking in some small way, neighing
or dancing nervously. Their instincts called to them to outrun the
storms. His mare always hated being locked up during any kind of
major weather system.

“We may need to light some candles tonight.” Stephen chuckled.
“Or turn on the generator,” Ryder suggested. He listened as the

rain made music as it pelted the tin roof of the barn, lightly tapping
away. They shouldn’t have to worry about losing the power if the
lightning stayed away.

Ryder eyed Stephen warily. While he was friends with many of

the other riders and felt they were like his extended family, he didn’t
feel the same deep trust with Stephen. The rodeo circuit was a close
community and he felt a brotherhood with everyone, but some of his
brothers he didn’t always like as much. There were always a few that
were hard to have a deep love for. Stephen’s jealous nature wasn’t
missed by Ryder. Ryder was skilled and lucky in the ring. Ryder had
brought home winnings more often from the rodeos and was a better
rider, and he didn’t miss the jealous gaze he was cast or the snide
remarks Stephen often sent his way.

Stephen was not only hard to like, but hard to trust. Ryder didn’t

trust his motives or his actions. Some days he wished he didn’t feel so
hard about him, and others he felt justified.

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“Damn. This rain is starting to come down.” Stephen shook his

head and walked away. “I got to go close up my RV. I left the
windows open. Catch you later, Ryder.”

Ryder shook his head and watched while the cowboy left.
The sky opened up and the rain fell in buckets. The raindrops fell

hard and heavily pounded the tin roof. The thunderous sound made it
difficult to hear, but the rest of the cowboys inside the barn were
either mesmerized by the weather, peering outside the open doors to
watch the storm, or working to calm their animals.

His roping mare, Bombshell Baby, nuzzled up to him for

attention. Ryder rubbed her nose, affectionately scratching along her
cream-colored stripe. She was a smart horse and a purebred mustang.
He’d owned several horses over the years but she was reliable and
fast and his favorite to ride in the big prize events, like this weekend’s
rodeo.

“You aren’t scared, too, are you, Baby?” He kissed her gently on

the nose and she seemed placated. Bombshell Baby had been exposed
to so much over her life, the roar of the crowds and the rage of a bull,
that nothing usually bothered her. It took a lot to get her riled up but
he could tell she was a little more nervous than usual. It made him
wonder if there was more to this storm than normal. If a tornado was
around, it would better explain her behavior. “I think there’s nothing
to worry about. This is just a little thunderstorm. I wish you could talk
sometimes and tell me what’s bothering you.”

The only real reason to begin panicking was if there were a

tornado and the chances of one touching down here were low. The
conditions usually had to be just right, and in Ryder’s experience
tornados usually were surrounded by hail, not rain.

“I’ll be right back, Baby. I’m going to go look outside at the rain

for a bit.” Ryder gave a final scratch between Baby’s ears and walked
away to the main doors at the front. They were wide open to reveal
nature’s fury, and the occasional flash of lightning lit up the darkness.

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The rain blew sideways and could easily be seen against the large

fluorescent lights of the rodeo facility. It beat the ground steadily and
the ground was already growing muddy and full of puddles in less
than a few minutes.

“Sure as hell glad I’m in here and not out there,” the cowboy next

to Ryder said. He was content to lean against the doorjamb and smoke
his sweet-smelling cigar. He breathed out a lazy puff of smoke.

One of the reasons Ryder had never started smoking was he liked

the tobacco smell and he knew it would be hard to stop. He would
much rather find another vice to indulge in, like drinking or fucking
beautiful men like Corey.

He shook his head to dispel the image of Corey’s naked body

lodged there.

Corey would be bad for him.
“Yeah, me too.” Ryder tightened his denim jacket around his

collar and watched the downpour.

The wet landscape was deserted except for one crazy guy who

was trying like crazy to shore up a temporary fence around the
bucking bulls.

It was Corey.
Ryder’s chest clamped down on his heart.
“Oh damn it. I’m going to have to get wet.” Ryder reacted

instantly, stepping out into the downpour. Water poured off the edges
of his hat.

“Crazy fool. Let them go. We’ll help round them up later,” the

cowboy screamed at him through the storm, but Ryder didn’t slow his
pace.

Ryder couldn’t let Corey handle the dangerous bulls by himself

and since Corey wasn’t going to get out of the storm, Ryder was
compelled to go out into it. The bucking bulls were acting up in the
small area, kicking and butting the fence with their heads looking for
any weakness.

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder’s heart thundered in his chest. Corey knew how dangerous

bucking bulls could be. Why the hell was he in the pen when they
were going crazy? The animals were reacting with pure instinct, and
like the horses inside the barn, they were kicking the enclosure walls
because they wanted to outrun the storm.

Shit and double shit.
Ryder couldn’t stand by and watch Corey get hurt. He was

drenched to the bone in thirty seconds flat, long before he arrived at
the temporary corral. His jeans clung to his skin and his denim jacket
offered little protection from the relentless rain. He jumped the fence
line and ran to Corey’s side. He immediately picked up the other side
of the metal fence Corey was trying to hold up by himself.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” Ryder screamed at Corey.

The water pooled off the edges of his hat but there were splashes he
still had to occasionally wipe off his face.

Corey didn’t miss a beat. He yelled right back at him.
“Fuck you too. Go back inside, Ryder.”
Corey’s face was pinched and tight. Angry lines tugged at the

corner of his lips. He’d just opened the pen to the much larger arena
inside the fairgrounds.

“Not until you do. Tell me how I can help,” Ryder persisted as he

climbed the barrier and jumped into the danger zone. He was less
worried about the bulls than the man who was risking his life to save
them.

“The bulls are panicking. This fence isn’t going to hold up and I

need to let them run off some steam, but they aren’t listening to me.
They want out. That way.” Corey pointed west toward the parking lot
and a deserted field.

Ryder’s heart sped up a notch. The resulting destruction between

having six mean bulls make their way into the neighboring city would
make headlines in this small town. People could get killed if they tried
to round up the bulls and they had no experience working with them.

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“They want to go into town? That’s crazy! You can’t let the bulls

out of this pen!” Ryder screamed back.

“I know. It’s why I am trying to make them go into the arena. If I

don’t do this, they will be out in the next five minutes. This fence
isn’t going to hold Lightning or the others.”

Ryder trusted his instincts. These bulls were circling and kicking

up their heels for any reason, throwing mud onto both Ryder and
Corey. If the bulls got mad enough, they could throw their weight
against the fence and then it would be nearly impossible to round
them up again in the dark.

“Look out!” Corey jumped three feet to cover the distance

between them and shoved Ryder suddenly behind him. A tan, heavily
muscled bull charged. The bull snorted in disappointment and paused
his charge when he realized it would hit a new target. He pawed the
ground and looked ready to try again when Corey yelled a command
at him that seemed to give him a deep thought.

Ryder didn’t recognize the word he used or the language but the

old white bull did, and he responded as quickly as if he was a dog on
a leash and not a two-thousand-pound bull on a rampage.

“You need to show me how to do that sometime.”
“I would, but I can’t guarantee it would work for you. If you’re

going to help, I need you to listen to me. Do you understand?” Corey
grabbed Ryder by the arms and shook him. Corey was concerned for
his safety and that touched him, but he knew the bulls were
dangerous. He couldn’t take his own safety that lightly. He may get
killed or injured because he was trying to help. He had to rely on
Corey’s insight and knowledge.

Ryder nodded mutely.
“Good. Run to the gate and hold it open while I round them up

and try to run them toward you. Can you do that?” Corey gazed at
him intensely. There was such powerful emotion behind those eyes
that Ryder didn’t want to let him down.

One-Night Rodeo

“Yeah. I am just worried about you,” Ryder admitted. He

probably should worry more about his own hide. He’d seen the magic
Corey was capable of with his bulls earlier that day, and if the bulls
had to choose whose hide to tear up, they would let Ryder’s blood
flow like a river in the dirt.

All the bulls’ long horns had been ground down to shorter nubs

and squared off for safety, but they could still hurt a man and even
gore him if they applied enough pressure.

“I’m not in any danger, but you are. Just stay behind the gate so

they can’t get to you as easily, okay?” Corey’s hazel eyes were wide
and intense as they bore into Ryder. He felt a deep connection to the
man as he spoke. It was on a primal level and more than about the
task at hand, but what could be between the two men. The air fizzled
with electricity.

“Let’s do this thing.” Ryder broke away from Corey’s grasp and

ran for the gate at the opposite end of the pen. The nearby bulls
scattered and ran away from him toward Corey.

Ryder clenched his teeth as he worked furiously to pull the pin out

and free the gate. Suddenly the lock slid free and the gate swung
open. He pushed it and Corey yelled loudly, driving the bulls down
the chute.

Mud pelted Ryder in the face and on his body as the bulls kicked

up the muddied earth, running for freedom, pelting both men as they
dashed by them.

Corey persisted until all the bulls were driven toward the exit. His

efforts were rewarded when most of the bulls ran from him and
straight into their new enclosure. Two were a little stubborn but they
all eventually went down the chute and settled down the moment they
realized they had a lot more freedom and space in their new
enclosure. They were herd animals and seemed to draw an inner
peace from being near each other.

After the last bull ran in, Ryder quickly closed the gate and

latched it. Every movement took more effort than normal since the

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cold, wet clothes clung to his body. His numb fingers worked harder
than normal to work the latch. The wind whipped against his face and
made the bone-chilling condition even worse, but since they were
done, they could both get inside and warmed up soon. His boots
splashed through the muddy puddles toward Corey and he noticed
with dismay that even his socks were wet.

With the bulls safe and sound and happy, his only concern was

Corey. He was relieved to see Corey didn’t appear to have any
injuries and was coming for him. Corey should be happy he helped,
but he appeared angry and every step carried purpose and an intensity
that melted Ryder from the inside out. He felt his heart beat with
trepidation.

Ryder froze waiting for what the other man would do or say. Was

he really angry with him for jumping into the pen and helping? Ryder
would do it again in a heartbeat.

Unexpectedly, Corey grabbed him and pulled Ryder up against his

body. He could feel every hard line of his body against his own and
the attraction made his knees go weak and the breath catch in his
throat.

Corey gathered Ryder in his arms and crushed his mouth against

his in an overpowering kiss. It was a combination of raw need and
lust. His lips were commanding and insistent until Ryder opened his
mouth and a tongue thrust inside. He was being punished for helping
and rewarded at the same time. For the short time he had known
Corey, and all the time he had spent admiring the hard lines of his
face and those beautiful, full lips, how could he have known it would
feel like this? The way he had talked of fucking, he didn’t imagine the
man would be kissing him at all if he ever got physically close.

Ryder lost it. He was completely wrapped up in Corey. His hands

explored Corey’s body and pulled him closer while Corey’s tongue
invaded his mouth, demanding nothing less than complete surrender.
It was sinfully delicious to taste the fresh raindrops on their lips
meshed with Corey’s manly taste.

One-Night Rodeo

He didn’t know how long they stood there in the rain kissing so

intimately, but Ryder didn’t feel cold when he was in Corey’s arms.
The rain no longer felt so uncomfortable and with his clothes clinging
to him so tightly, it was as if there was nothing between them. Ryder
wanted it to go on forever, and yet he knew it wouldn’t. He regretted
the moment he felt Corey pull away.

“I had to do that. I needed to find out how it felt to kiss you just

once.” Corey pulled back enough to speak. Ryder gazed into his eyes
and found the emotion behind them cloaked by his heavy lids, but
Corey’s voice was raw and hoarse as he whispered, “Thank you.”

Corey leaned his head against Ryder’s and sighed contentedly.
Ryder reeled from that kiss. His head was swimming and he was

dizzy with his raw, unchecked lust. He was warmed from the inside
out. The kiss only served to awaken his need for this man. He always
knew he wanted Corey since the first time he saw him. He felt that
desire when he first saw his muscular body in the bullpen. Corey was
like a snake charmer, with his body and his honey words, working his
magic on both the bulls and him.

His lips still tingled from the amazing kiss, but he was shocked

and surprised by it as well. Would things suddenly change between
them? Ryder had not admitted to Corey how that unusual
conversation had affected him, how torn he had been all day about the
idea of being fucked primitively by the man in his arms. He wanted it,
but admitting those baser desires was another thing.

That kiss, however, made him rethink his prideful decision. He

wanted Corey, and it was obvious Corey wanted him as well. It really
didn’t matter how he had him. He needed this. They both did. Ryder
would take him any way he could get him. He wanted him, even if it
only meant one night in his arms, or a loveless night of using each
other.

There was a magic he felt in Corey’s arms he didn’t feel anywhere

else. It was as if their souls had touched. He didn’t need the “I love
yous” he wouldn’t get. They had an irreplaceable connection and he

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enjoyed the pleasurable feelings evoked enough to not place demands
on Corey.

Ryder’s breathing came in fast pants and he sighed when he felt

Corey’s body begin to leave his embrace. Ryder shook his head and
pulled him close again. He couldn’t let him run away, not now that
he’d tasted him. Corey may have been the one to start this, but he
wanted to see where this little adventure would lead. He knew Corey
also enjoyed the kiss. He shouldn’t be backing away now. They could
be so good together. Ryder’s words surprised both of them. “You can
thank me by fucking me.”

Ryder groaned when he felt Corey’s thick cock press against his

hip. Corey’s grin widened into a toothy smile. “I hope you understand
what you are asking, because I’m not sure I can stop once I start.”

“I’m a big boy and I know exactly what I am asking for.” Ryder

cupped Corey’s cock through his pants and gently squeezed.

“Good. I need to fuck you. Now.” Corey moaned before kissing

him again as he pressed his crotch against Ryder’s cupped hand.
Ryder immediately felt giddy with happiness. He wanted this as much
as Corey did and there was no going back after tonight.

“Okay. I want to fuck you too. Shall we go to your place or

mine?”

“Either, but my place isn’t that big,” Corey admitted.
“Let’s go to my place, then,” Ryder said. He really didn’t care

which bed he ended up in, but they should get out of here. He felt so
deeply needy at the moment he didn’t trust himself not to strip so they
could fuck in the rain, here and now. Using his place would make it
comfortable for both of them. He had plenty of room in his rig, and a
queen-size bed. It would mean they could get out of their wet clothes
and down to business faster. All he really wanted at this moment was
to feel Corey’s hard cock in his mouth or riding his ass.

They could fuck comfortably at his place in the bedroom all night

and Ryder could make breakfast the next day in his kitchen. He hoped
if the fucking didn’t do it, breakfast in bed may warm him up to

One-Night Rodeo

thinking of this as more than just a fuck-fest. Over time, maybe this
purely physical thing between them could build into something more.

Missy Lyons

Chapter Three

Corey trailed after Ryder into his larger RV. Once inside, Ryder

flicked on the lights, revealing a very clean and masculine suite as
they stumbled inside the doorway. It was probably better they stayed
here. The living room was larger than Corey’s space in his dual-
purpose trailer. Corey used a truck to pull his rig but Ryder had much
nicer living quarters with his setup. “Nice place you have here.”
Corey licked his lips as he looked around the small space. The RV
door slammed shut behind them and Corey let Ryder out of his arms
long enough to lock it.

“So glad you approve.” Ryder gave him a half grin. Corey smiled

and noticed how Ryder’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“I’d approve even more if I could have you naked in it.” Corey

pulled him back into his arms. They were both soaking wet, but Ryder
shivered from the cold. He had not felt it outside, but suddenly, in
here, he was feeling cold and wet for the first time. Unfortunately, as
much as he wanted to be on the bed fucking Ryder, he had to get both
of them undressed, dried off, and warmed up again first.

Ryder’s fingers tangled with Corey’s hair and were cold against

his neck. He immediately worried that the man could suffer from
getting soaked in this sudden downpour. Like most shapeshifters,
Corey ran a little hotter than most humans. He wasn’t nearly as
worried about himself as he was about Ryder. “Are you cold?”

“Not in your arms.”
Corey focused in on Ryder as the other man licked his full, pink

lips. Water pearled on his skin and dripped from his clothes. He set
down the cowboy hat, which had done little to protect him from the

One-Night Rodeo

rain. “You kept me waiting long enough. We could have done this all
day if you agreed to fuck me this morning.”

“Nobody goes up to a guy and says, ‘I want to fuck you.’” Ryder

frowned as if the words were distasteful and the negative reaction
caught Corey by surprise. He wanted this to be a good experience for
both of them and for Ryder to look back on this time together as
something he enjoyed and wanted. He was just being honest when he
said those words, but he knew if he left things that way, Ryder could
leave this feeling hurt and used.

Corey wasn’t the kind of man who was going to fall asleep next to

his lover or hold him all night long after they made love. It didn’t
matter if he wanted to or not. He couldn’t. There were too many risks
he would be taking to do that.

“Nobody but me. I believe in being honest. I’m not a romantic

guy who’s going to give you flowers the next day. We can stop this
now if you want to.” Corey placed his hand over Ryder’s chest and
felt the man’s gentle heartbeat there.

Ryder looked confused and then his face became void of all

emotion, but lust ruled in his eyes and his touch. He reached for
Corey and his hand slid across Corey’s upper arm and down to grasp
his hand. “Did I say I want to stop? I want this as much as you do.”

“Then we need to get your clothes off. I don’t want you to get sick

before we have a chance to have some fun.” Corey’s cold fingers
stumbled over Ryder’s shirt buttons. Finally, Ryder slapped his hands
away.

“I’ll do it. You get your clothes off and I’ll do mine. This is a pain

since the clothes are so wet and clingy. Hopefully it will be quicker
that way,” Ryder said. His shirt clung to his skin and was difficult to
peel off. He kicked off a boot, letting it fly against the far wall before
landing near his hat.

“I’m more interested in getting you naked than me.” Corey

nodded his head in agreement and Ryder began to peel off the layers
of clothing from Ryder’s body. The undershirt was slightly easier to

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get off. He felt his chest tighten when he saw the tanned skin
revealed. It had a slight smattering of hair across it between the two
pink nipples. His muscles were well developed and Corey could tell
by looking at him, Ryder was a working man. He worked the fields,
and the horses, and wasn’t afraid of hard work. It molded the man into
who he was today.

“I’m lucky I have one of these at all in here, but it doesn’t handle

many clothes at a time. We’ll have to do a few clothes at a time.”
Ryder opened a dryer door and tossed the white undershirt inside.

“Then we should finish getting you undressed first. Let’s get you

out of these jeans, but first I have to say you have the most gorgeous
chest I have ever seen.” Corey walked close and bent to kiss Ryder’s
chest. Corey moved slowly and seductively down Ryder’s naked
chest, making them both wait that much longer for satisfaction.

They should be getting out of these wet clothes. He had looked

forward to fucking Ryder since the first minute he saw him. In truth,
the attraction was so powerful he had fought against trying to take
him on the spot. If he wasn’t human he would have sworn the man
was his soul mate.

Ryder shimmied out of his jeans and underwear and tossed those

inside the dryer before turning it on.

“You clothes will have to wait until this load gets done, but it

shouldn’t take long. Maybe a half hour.” Ryder didn’t seem
concerned about his nudity, which pleased Corey. He didn’t like men
who were pretentious or too shy in bed. The man wasn’t ashamed of
his body and he didn’t turn away when Corey looked him over.
Ryder’s body was not tattooed like his, but wiry and lean. His cock
was slightly swollen and leaning to the right side, nestled in a bed of
dark fur that lightly trailed to his naval. His cock looked so
abandoned, so unloved, Corey wanted nothing more than to go back
into Ryder’s arms and give him the attention it deserved. He couldn’t
wait to taste him for the first time.

One-Night Rodeo

Unfortunately, he had to wait until he could get rid of his clothes

and he was fully nude too.

Corey looked around for where he could put his wet clothes and

Ryder answered his unspoken question as he was grabbing a box of
condoms from a cabinet in the bathroom.

“I hope that’s enough to last the night,” Corey said with a wink.

His cock was as hard as stone. He seriously doubted he’d want to stop
fucking after the first time he released himself into Ryder’s tight ass.
His hand drifted downward to apply pressure on the dick pressing
against the confines of his pants.

“There’s more in the bedroom. I just wanted to grab my backup

supply. I have a feeling we might need it.” Ryder smiled warmly at
Corey and his gaze dropped appreciatively to his lower region. “Just
put those clothes of yours in the sink or the bathtub until we can
throw them in the dryer. I’ve got some towels in the bathroom you
can use to dry off when you finished undressing, too.”

“Thanks.” Corey moved away and opened the door he first

guessed was the bathroom, only to discover a small closet with
clothes hanging there. It was definitely not the bathroom. “Oops.”

He glanced back at Ryder to see the young man’s red face staring

back at him. The embarrassed look on Ryder’s face made him want to
comfort him. He never had this kind of protective feelings with
anyone. Faced with such an unusual and uncomfortable reaction, he
stepped backwards and paused in his task at hand.

“Sorry. Just ignore my mess. I wasn’t expecting visitors tonight.

The bathroom is the next door on your right,” Ryder said.

Corey nodded, and shut the door. He moved a few feet down the

narrow hallway. He worried about dripping too much on the Berber
carpet. Ryder mentioned the place was messy but a little clutter on the
counters wasn’t bad, compared to his place. “It’s okay. My place is a
lot messier. It’s pretty cramped quarters over there.” Corey opened
the next door and discovered a small, mostly white bathroom. The
storm had calmed for a minute, but a new deluge of rain suddenly

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came down hard and loud, rattling against the RV’s tin roof and
threatening to break the glass windows. Both men ignored it. Corey
knew the camper should hold up against the storm unless a natural
disaster struck, or they got a little too wild in their fuck session.

“Good. It won’t take me long. All I really want is to get you in

bed and for you to warm up again.” He was trying so damn hard to be
patient. If he wasn’t patient, he would have had him up against the
wall. He wouldn’t be waiting now for the clothes to come fully off.
Corey looked at him with regret and then peeled off his wet clothes as
well. As much as he wanted to be fucking him now, it wouldn’t do to
get everything soaking wet. He really didn’t care about himself. He
was hot-blooded enough that he felt like he was nearly dry already.
His clothes would take a little longer to dry.

Corey’s clothes came off in layers and everything was soaked

clear down to his underwear. He didn’t realize how wet he was until
now. It was bad for him, but there were reasons he didn’t like being
human all the time. His shapeshifting brothers would be fine by the
morning and in their current form, their thick hair repelled the water.
Only a few minutes after the rainstorm passed, they wouldn’t even be
damp. An onlooker wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the herd that
it had even rained except the obvious evidence of puddles and muddy
ground.

He threw his clothes onto the shower bar to drip-dry after

wringing them out. The bathroom was small and he didn’t look long
before he found a stack of neatly folded white cotton towels under the
cupboard. He grabbed two and quickly towel-dried his body and hair
with one of them. The other one he tossed to Ryder, who by this time
was already mostly dry.

Ryder staring down the hall, watching Corey’s every move with

hungry eyes. He had a look on his face that left Corey wanting. A
look that said Ryder wanted to be fucked. His mouth parted slightly
and his eyes were sultry and seductive.

One-Night Rodeo

“I like your bull tattoo on your back. I saw the barbed wire on

your arms and thought that was cool, but the detail on that one is
awesome.” Ryder made a deep sound of appreciation in his throat.

The bull was a picture of him, but he couldn’t tell Ryder that.

“Thanks. It was my first. I wanted a tattoo for a long time, but decided
when I got it I should make sure it meant something to me. Bucking
bulls are my life and it made sense that I should keep one close to me
forever.” He turned around and Ryder saw the full front tattoo for the
first time.

“I didn’t realize your tattoos covered so much of you.” Ryder

looked surprised and followed the trail of tattoos down his front. It
was of a cowboy he’d had done two weeks ago to remember his best
friend who had recently passed away in a riding accident, Trace. It
was done from a photo but was more of artistic rendering.

“Not everywhere,” Corey responded without thinking. There were

very few places he wouldn’t get a tattoo. He didn’t have one on his
face yet or his dick, and most of his legs weren’t covered, but the
tattoos did spread across his back.

“I love it. You’re like a walking, talking art collection. I look at

you and think you should be in an art gallery and not in my home.”

Corey coughed into his hand and an uncomfortable silence

followed.

Ryder was flustered and gushed out, “Not that I don’t want you

here. I do. I’ve never wanted anything more than I do you. It’s just
you have the most beautiful body I’ve ever seen. Sometimes my
mouth starts talking before I think about what I’m saying.”

Corey laughed out loud. “Just think, you get the exclusive preview

to the show. Seriously, Ryder, you can say anything you want around
me. It doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t ever to be afraid to say what is
on your mind with me. I think it’s best not to have any secrets
between friends. I’m not going to run away because you say what is
on your mind.”

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“Okay. I can agree to that.” Ryder touched his chest and motioned

between them and then back to himself again. “Being honest with
each other is a good way to start off whatever this is between us.”
Ryder visibly relaxed his body and his shoulders adjusted forward
slightly.

Whatever this was between them, it started with pure physical

lust—unadulterated need. That coiled pressure was like a hungry
snake living in the pit of Corey’s stomach, just waiting to strike. He
held back, but he wanted Ryder with an intensity he had never felt
before. That strange but powerful emotion nearly scared him, but he
felt like once they had sex it would grow weaker. It was too strong for
either of them to deny, and while Ryder may not have talked much to
him about the attraction, he knew he felt the same way. His eyes
reflected the same dark hunger he felt in the pit of his soul. They
needed each other. It was unexplainable, the intense physical pull he
felt for the young man. Now that they were so close to fucking, he
could barely contain his enthusiasm or his cock. The pressure built in
Corey’s throbbing dick and without thinking of what he was doing, he
stroked the length of it. Ryder’s gaze shot to that involuntary
movement and did not stray from the sight.

Ryder moaned in anticipation and his eyes dropped to Corey’s

hand covering his manhood. He suddenly looked very hungry. “I
could take care of that for you.”

Finally they were getting down to what they both wanted. It was

also what they both needed, and what drove them here, to seek
comfort together against the storm. Their mutual hunger for each
other fed off each other, ever increasing. “How would you do that?
Do you want to suck me?”

Ryder’s eyes flashed back to meet Corey’s. “I don’t usually sleep

around, but you are different and I don’t completely understand why.
You’re crude, and not sensitive in the slightest, but still…I’ve been
wondering what you tasted like since the moment you told me you
only fuck.”

One-Night Rodeo

The word fuck sounded harsher than the rest of the words, and the

mean edge of it cut Corey like a knife. He had an abrasive side and he
knew it, but there wasn’t a reason to put on masks now.

“I’m just being honest with you. I don’t like getting sentimental

and overly emotional but this is what we both want. We both need to
feel this. I’m not complete without you under me. Come here and let
me feel your mouth wrap around my cock. Show me you want it as
much as I do.” Corey chuckled low and soft. Earlier he’d wondered if
he would offend him by being so blunt, by telling Ryder what he
wanted, but he had no such fears now.

“Somehow, you know the right words to say,” Ryder whispered.

Corey wasn’t as convinced and he knew he wasn’t a romantic poet.
He would never be accused of impersonating Shakespeare but he
didn’t care about the rest of the world as long as Ryder was his for the
night.

A smiled tugged at Corey’s lips when Ryder obeyed and moved

closer. His hand spread over Corey’s chest and pressed flat against his
skin before Ryder dropped to his knees. His cock stood upright and
smacked the side of Ryder’s face. Corey caught his cock in his hands
and held it ready for Ryder’s lips. Ryder looked up at him with wide
bright eyes and anticipation surged through Corey’s blood. Ryder
wrapped his thick fingers around Corey’s balls and caressed the
length of Corey’s cock lovingly, tenderly.

It was not exactly what he expected, but damn if it didn’t feel

good. He expected Ryder to milk his dick with his mouth like a
starving man. It was what he would have done. A contented sigh
escaped his mouth.

Ryder’s thick neck arched to look up at Corey as he opened his

mouth and his tongue swept across his sensitive dick.

Corey hissed in his breath as the erotic waves swept his body. He

clenched his teeth and braced his fingers on Ryder’s shoulders. His
dick swelled and heat centered in his groin. He wanted this more than

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he wanted anything and now that it was happening, he had a hard time
not taking his pleasure immediately.

“You like that?” Ryder smiled, between his slurping, sucking

sounds.

The tip of his bulbous cock slipped into Ryder’s mouth and he

sucked it between the roof of his mouth and his tongue. Corey was
trying desperately not to shove his dick down the man’s throat and
fuck his face.

“Yeah, I do like it,” Corey gritted out while he tried desperately to

search for control. He dug his fingernails into Ryder’s skin, just deep
enough to let him know he wanted more sucking and less talking.

“That means I’m doing it right,” Corey said before taking Corey

into his mouth again. Just the tip, and not much more felt the slick,
wet tongue wrap around it. He felt the pressure in his stomach
increase and his balls tightened in anticipation.

Corey hissed in his breath through clenched teeth.
Ryder stopped and looked up. Fear lurked in his eyes. “Did I hurt

you?”

“Not even close. It’s just really sensitive at the tip. Can you take

more?” Corey grasped Ryder’s thick short hair between his knuckles
and pulled Ryder closer.

Ryder nodded mutely and Corey thrust his hips forward until the

tip of his cock pressed against the back of Ryder’s throat. He took it
like a man and eagerly slurped, feeding on Corey’s thick cock as if it
were his last supper.

Corey moaned. He could barely control himself. He felt like a

young man fucking for the first time, eager and ready for anything.

He thrust into Ryder’s face and fucked his tight, wet mouth. It

turned him on to hear Ryder’s excitement in that throaty purr and feel
his unbridled enthusiasm in his actions.

A shudder rippled through his body when he felt his balls tighten

and his cock jump. He didn’t want to come. Not yet. Not this soon.

One-Night Rodeo

The sensations rippling across his body were too good, and he

wanted the delicious sensations to last, but Ryder’s experienced
mouth and talented hands were destroying his resolve to wait.

“Fuck. I feel myself coming. You have to stop so I can finish this

inside of you.”

“Oh yeah! No, don’t hold back. Give it to me.” Ryder moaned and

then swallowed his cock whole again. Imagining him drinking his
juices turned him on even more.

“Watching you suck me off like this is so fucking hot. You have

no idea how much you turn me on, Ryder.”

“Do it, cowboy. Come for me.” Ryder’s movements were in

earnest as he sucked and stroked Corey’s cock.

It was all the encouragement Corey needed to unload his hot seed.

He came inside of Ryder’s mouth, while holding him close. Ryder
held to Corey’s hips before grabbing him by the ass.

“Fuck yeah!” Corey screamed as he fisted Ryder’s hair in his

hands. His breath came in heavy pants as his cum bolted through his
dick into Ryder’s mouth. He was shaking, trembling from the sexual
experience but his dick was still hard and he was feeling the aftermath
of it. Ryder had his lips locked around his cock, but it worried him
that Ryder had stopped sucking and was gagging.

Alarmed he could be hurting his new lover, he withdrew from his

mouth.

What the fuck had he done? Ryder was human and not someone

he could be rough and tumble with. Corey suddenly felt like an ass
who had used him for his selfish needs. Ryder was human and weak.
He had to be gentle with him.

Corey withdrew his cock from his lover’s mouth and asked, “Are

you okay?”

Ryder grunted but quickly recovered his composure. He nuzzled

against Corey’s stomach and kissed and stroked Ryder’s cock with his
hands and tongue. “Oh yeah, I’ve never been better. I’ve never tasted
anyone quite like you before.”

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“When you talk like that, it’s making me hard again. Let’s take

this to the bedroom where we can be more comfortable or we’re
going to spend all night here in the hallway.” Corey pulled Ryder up
to his feet and kissed him deeply before walking backwards toward
the room with the queen-size bed in it.

Ryder chuckled softly and his eyes lit up with pleasure.

“Seriously. The moment your cum hit my tongue it was like a million
little lights went on inside of my brain and I don’t know how to
describe the taste but it was better than chocolate.”

“I taste better than chocolate?” That startled Corey for a moment.

He knew the unique taste of his mate was supposed to drive him wild
for more. That was part of how he knew how to recognize his mate.
Their first sexual encounter was supposed to be disturbingly
addicting. He would want no other man in his bed, but Ryder was
human. He wasn’t his mate. He might be more interested in his
unusual taste because he was the first shifter he had ever tasted. It’s
not like many of his kind allowed themselves to take this kind of risk.
Maybe the unusually good reaction was because they were two
different species, but if they were mates, it would be the first pairing
of its kind on the ranch. In the past, mates were always the same
breed, and always shapeshifters. “It’s my turn now. I bet you taste like
moonshine. Intoxicating and refreshing. You are hot and sexy and you
probably taste good enough to want me to drink you until I can’t drink
anymore.” Corey could imagine himself getting drunk off Ryder’s
cum. The intense attraction he felt for the other man wasn’t
dissipating with their first encounter. He only wanted more.

“That’s how you taste to me.” Ryder’s eyes were wide with lust

and want. His muscles were relaxed and soft when Corey pressed him
down onto the mattress. “I still feel drunk.”

Bull shapeshifters often had a seductive effect on their lovers,

which was good because they had a sexual desire and endurance that
was unequaled. He needed an outlet that would become just as

One-Night Rodeo

insatiable as he felt. A snake of lust uncoiled in his gut and heat
lashed out through his veins.

“Don’t say you’re drunk. I don’t want to think I’m taking

advantage of you.” Corey said playfully.

Ryder scooted across the mattress and leaned back against the

pillows. His right hand toyed with his cock and his legs were spread
wide in invitation.

It was an invitation Corey had a hard time refusing.
“Take advantage all you want!” Ryder’s eyes sparkled

delightfully. His voice contained an undercurrent of lust. “I really
don’t mind.”

“Thanks for the invitation, but you may regret it tomorrow when

you are too sore to sit down.” Corey knelt on the bed between Ryder’s
spread legs and cupped his ass in his large hands. “I plan on fucking
you until we can’t fuck anymore.”

“As long as I can sit my ass on a bull I’ll be fine.”
Damn. Now Corey felt a sudden pang of guilt twist his gut. He

didn’t want to be responsible for Ryder losing on the bull riding
competition. His voice sounded gravelly but he had to offer him a last
chance to refuse. “I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to sit at all. You
may be really sore tomorrow.”

“But I will be sore in all the right places. Do it. I want you to fill

me up from the inside out. Fuck me.” Ryder wiggled his ass on the
mattress for him. “You are so hot, you could do whatever you wanted
with me. I promise neither one of us will regret it in the morning.”

“My pleasure.” The bed creaked with Corey’s weight but

remained steady under the pressure of his body.

Ryder’s tanned skin had a line of white where his jeans stopped.

Corey traced the edge of this line with his fingers and then his tongue.
“I can tell you spend a lot of time outside with your shirt off, teasing
the other cowboys.”

Ryder laughed under the scrutiny but hissed in a breath when he

felt Corey’s featherlight kiss across his stomach and the flicker of his

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tongue. “No one sees me much without a shirt except the cows back
on the home front.”

“I’ve never been so jealous of a cow in my life.” Corey smoothly

topped Ryder’s body with his own, sliding over all the intimate parts,
until he could reach Ryder’s neck with his mouth. Their dicks rubbed
together, bumping and grinding as Ryder pumped against him for the
delicious friction it caused.

Ryder’s green eyes were half-closed and he had a sensuous look

on his face. Corey was suddenly struck by how beautiful the young
man was against the bedsheets. He was not his mate and yet Corey
had never felt more fulfilled or more alive. If Corey died tomorrow
and this was the last man he fucked, he could die happy. He sighed
contentedly.

“Don’t be. You get to see so much more than the cows do.” Ryder

laughed.

“I want more than show. I want the whole package.” Corey

nibbled on Ryder’s neck.

Ryder breathed a sigh of pleasure and wrapped his arms around

Corey’s backside caressing his skin with the tips of his fingernails.
“Anything you want. Anything you need. I’m yours.”

Corey chuckled softly, savoring the scent of the man below him.

Already, the air smelled of sex and leather and male. Ryder was very
much aroused and ready for him but he hoped he could control
himself long enough to savor the night. It wasn’t like he could risk
this event repeating. Ever.

If his brothers found out, then Ryder’s life could be on the line.

Every moment they spent together was stolen because no one could
ever know this happened. A human and a bull shapeshifter were not a
good combination.

“Just for tonight, baby. This is a one-night rodeo.” Corey let the

laughter fall out of his eyes, and the lines of his smiled dipped down.
He didn’t want to lead the man on. As much as he wanted him, this
could only be physical. He couldn’t risk his family and when he let a

One-Night Rodeo

human get this close it was inevitable they would want to know more.
To do so would be risking all their secrets.

“If those are the rules, then it’s enough. I’ll take what I can get

from you.” Ryder’s words were soft but his eyes looked at Corey with
intense lust and enflamed desire. His green eyes seemed to sparkle in
the dim light of the room.

“Then let’s enjoy this together.” Corey took Ryder’s hand in his

and nibbled at the skin lightly before placing it on his chest. “You can
touch me all you want, but you need to tell me what you like. I want
to make sure you enjoy this as much as I do.”

Ryder’s breathing grew ragged and came in shallow quick

breaths. He hesitated seemingly unsure of what to say.

“Do you like having your nipples sucked?” When Corey asked the

question, a shiver swept Ryder’s body.

Corey grinned. Ryder didn’t have to answer. He could tell exactly

how sensitive his nipples were by playing with them. He reached
down and pinched one slightly pink nipple between his thumb and his
forefinger.

“No, I am way too sensitive there. Not yet.”
“Then tell me what you like. What do you want from me, Ryder?”
“I don’t know yet. I just want to make this last all night long. I

want you to stay with me.”

“I don’t usually stay the night with my lovers.”
“It’s one of those unspoken rules? Never sleep with a man you

don’t want to fall in love with?” The lines on Ryder’s face hardened
and the sarcastic edge of his voice cut deep.

Corey sighed. It hurt him to know his lover would want more

from him after this night was over. Unfortunately, he couldn’t give
more than one night. “I’ll break the rules for you tonight. Do you
want a blow job?” Ryder was touching himself again and Corey
managed to slip his hand in between Ryder’s and cup his balls in his
hands. Ryder was aroused, his cock hard and his balls tight rocks.

Missy Lyons

Ryder nodded mutely and thrust his hips up in the air for Corey to

gain better access. Ryder nestled into the pillow and flipped on his
stomach. He motioned to his right. “Lube’s on the table next to me.”

Corey grabbed the bottle and began working the oily contents

onto Ryder’s tight asshole. He wiggled slightly when Corey plunged
one finger inside the opening, gently pulling the sides open. “Try and
stay still for me.”

Corey positioned his lover on the bed, drawing up his knees so

that his ass was at the perfect angle. He knelt behind Ryder and
placed the head of his cock at the man’s entrance. Ryder’s heavy dick
was fully aroused and his balls hung heavy beneath him. Corey
grabbed a condom from the tabletop and rolled it over his erect cock.
It was unnecessary with his kind, but he didn’t want Ryder to question
anything. Bull shifters didn’t carry the same diseases, and there
shouldn’t be a reason for pregnancy. Ryder was not only human, but
he also wasn’t his mate. Then he lubed up his plastic-covered cock
before he sank slowly into Ryder’s ass, and Ryder moaned.

When he finally reached the inner sanctum, he reached around

Ryder’s hips and stroked his aroused dick. Corey confessed, “I was
worried about you getting cold, but you are such a hot cowboy.
You’re making me just as hot all over.”

“Fuck that feels good!” Ryder exclaimed. “You’re bigger than I

thought you would be.”

“My cock is usually my lover’s favorite body part.” Corey

withdrew slightly and plunged back inside. He felt the lust build
inside of him like a gathering storm. The friction mounted as he
fucked his friend. He had done this hundreds of times before, with
faceless lovers he forgot, but this man he wanted to forget himself in.
If loving him was wrong, he didn’t want to be right.

Ryder seemed to sense he was holding himself back, keeping

every movement controlled as he pulsed inside of Ryder. Suddenly
Ryder whispered intently, “Don’t hold back, Corey. I want you. All of
you inside of me.”

One-Night Rodeo

Corey released his inhibitions. He fucked Ryder, like he was

allowing his inner beast to take over. Every movement, every stroke
was so fervent it was as if it would be his last. The need struck a
crescendo of dark delight, and every moan, every grunted oath
seemed to stir the coals of his fire into a mighty hell-pit of desire.

“Right there! You hit that sweet spot and it feels so good!” Ryder

screamed as he came. His cum filled Corey’s hands and his ass
muscles tightened around Corey’s long cock, milking it of his milky
white seed.

Corey cursed as he emptied himself into the other man. He felt an

absurdly deep connection when he came. It was like their souls
touched and their merged bodies became one. It was more than a
physical connection, it was a heavenly one. The moment was too
perfect, too complete, to ignore and he couldn’t speak about it either.
All of his hot seed emptied his balls and he felt the tip of his dick
jump.

“Aw shit,” Corey whispered. He didn’t even have time to relax

and enjoy that sated feeling he had from having his dick wrapped up
in the other man’s heat and the aftereffects of his coming. His entire
body was still recovering when his mind was wrapping itself around
what had just happened. He soared on heaven’s wings, and then he
fell to the earth below, only to be crushed by the man that got him
there.

Corey felt afraid and he didn’t like that feeling so he tried to cover

his emotions with a stony expression. He knew the sex between them
couldn’t go on forever, but he thought once they were together this
intense lust would dissipate. He could get it out if his system once and
for all. He’d finally fucked Ryder and he found out he was dead
wrong. He’d fucked Ryder and now he only wanted to do it again. He
wanted to fuck him all night and then come back and do it again
tomorrow.

Missy Lyons

The silence stretched between them and he felt that connection

was suddenly severed as if giant scissors had cut the cord between
them.

“What’s the matter?” Ryder responded, quick to pick up on

Corey’s frustration. His neck twisted around to look at Corey in the
eyes.

“I think I broke the condom.” Corey suddenly pulled away and

withdrew to find the tip of the condom had exploded inside of Ryder
and his hot cum was dripping out of Ryder’s ass as he pulled out.
“Shit. It must have been too small.”

“That was the jumbo size. I like the extra comfort.” Ryder looked

stunned. “Does that happen to you a lot?”

“No, but don’t worry. I don’t have any diseases or anything to

worry about.”

“Well that’s good.” The awkward silence spread between them,

until Ryder broke it. He flipped onto his back so he could face Corey.
“I know it was accident. I’m not blaming you. It’s something we both
wanted.”

“Thanks. I’ve wanted to feel what it would be like inside of you

with no barriers but I don’t want to take advantage of you either,”
Corey said before dropping down to meet his lips onto his lover’s. His
tongue slipped in and melted with Ryder’s in a fierce battle and Ryder
moaned before withdrawing.

“Well now we don’t have anything to lose either. I’d like to feel

you, skin to skin, with no barriers.” Ryder’s fingers traced over the
cowboy tattoo on his chest. He lingered where the hat was pulled
down over the cowboy’s eyes.

Corey sighed and he brought Ryder’s knuckles up to his lips to

kiss. “I’m sorry. We could also try using the condoms again if you
like.”

“No, it would probably just break again. I’ve always been

responsible, living life in a very predictable but safe manner. When
you came inside of me, it was like I could see color for the first time

One-Night Rodeo

after seeing a world in black and white.” Corey felt his chest clamp
with emotion when his lover described what he felt. That connection
wasn’t imagined, but after tomorrow, he would have to forget he’d
ever seen Ryder. This was too dangerous to continue. He kept his
feelings masked and continued to listen to Ryder with an open heart.
“I want to feel you fuck me from the inside out. I want more of what
you just did but without anything between us.”

That much he could give him. He could fuck all night long, and in

the morning, well, in the morning he’d probably get a slapped face,
but it was nothing less than he deserved.

“As you wish.” Corey rolled the condom off his dick and disposed

of it. Then, ever so carefully, he slipped back into his lover’s arms
and fucked him like it was the last time he would ever see him again.

Because it just might be.

Missy Lyons

Chapter Four

Corey fumbled in the dark early-morning hours and somehow

even managed to get dressed without waking up his lover. Ryder was
naked, nestled in a warm bed. He regretted leaving his arms, but he
had no choice. He had to get back to his life, and it was best if no one
knew what had happened last night. So with a few whispered words in
the darkness, he left Ryder sleeping, softly snoring in his bed.

He was lucky the rain had slowed in the night to a steady but

gentle sprinkle. Corey could easily make it to his trailer without
getting soaked again and his clothes were still warm from being dried
in the convenient dryer inside of Ryder’s camper. One day he may
have to get one for his own trailer. It didn’t take up much space and
would mean he wasn’t dependent on the facilities at the campgrounds
during his future travels.

He took great care to shut the door quietly and was pleased when

he saw no one outside. Everyone was probably still resting, or just too
drunk to be bothered. Corey knew that would change the moment the
sun began its fiery ascent into the sky. Every cowboy here would be
getting ready all day for the big event tonight. It meant feeding and
grooming their animals, testing their equipment, and dressing to the
nines to put on a good show for the folks coming to see them.

A familiar voice knocked him out of his reverie. “Was he worth

it?”

The words stopped Corey dead in his tracks. His boots sloshed in

the mud as he turned to face his friend and fellow bull shifter, Felix.
Felix was the oldest in his group and he was supposed to stay in his
bull form during the entire rodeo event this weekend. It was an

One-Night Rodeo

agreement they lived by to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, the
man must have deemed this conversation more important than the rest
of the group. Or they could have taken a vote and sent him, knowing
full well he was likely the only man Corey would listen to.

Felix’s short brown hair was dusted in silver and the flyaway

strands rustled against his face in the light breeze, but even with his
age, Felix didn’t look weak or old. His face was leathery from the
sun, and the chiseled features on his face were covered by a dusting of
a ragged beard that did nothing to take away from the rugged quality.
His large body moved with the grace of a warrior and every step
conveyed he had the power and strength of someone who was more
than a man.

Caught off guard by the confrontation, Corey didn’t know

whether he should play dumb or just ignore him.

“Did you hear me, cowboy?”
“I heard you, old man. I just think it’s rude to mess in another

man’s personal business.” Corey folded his arms over his chest,
hoping Felix would take the hint.

“Is that what you are calling sleeping around?” Felix took several

steps closer to join Corey at his side. He snorted derisively. “I can
smell that human all over you. You reek of sex.”

“It’s none of your business what I did, but I’m sure as hell not

going to stand in the rain and discuss my sex life with you, Felix.”
Corey angrily stomped toward his trailer.

What a way to ruin a man’s morning. He’d had a great night of

sex. It was fun, frivolous, and just what he needed after all the stress
he had been under lately. It felt so right to be in Ryder’s arms that it
had felt wrong to leave this morning. He’d wanted to stay, but staying
just delayed the inevitable. So he’d done what he had to. He’d
brushed a kiss across Ryder’s temple and left.

Felix followed him, kicking up mud and splashing through the

puddles all the way to his doorstep. Corey fumbled in his pocket for
his keys and unlocked the small door to his living quarters at the front

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of his livestock trailer. It was expensive, but a portion of the earnings
the men earned at the rodeo helped to pay for it, just like it did the
ranch and the land. Everyone in the community had a better life
because of the few shapeshifters that worked the rodeo. At first,
they’d tried to compete as riders, but the other bulls smelled the
shapeshifter blood on their skin and even when the men were bucked
off, they wanted to kill the cowboys who rode them. They ignored the
rodeo clowns and went for the kill every time. A few of the riders
were injured, as they tried to make their escape from the ring, and the
community ignored it and continued to let the cowboys try their luck.

It wasn’t until Trace was killed that Corey put his foot down.

There would be no more riding bulls in the ring as long as he was in
charge of their herd. He didn’t mind if the cowboys competed in other
competitions, but they really only cared about the big event of bull
riding, and with that opportunity taken away from them, they
continued to participate in the only other high dollar event for them.

Bucking bulls commanded a good price. It meant each

shapeshifter could demand tens of thousands of dollars for each event,
and still have money left over to help support the five hundred acre
ranch they communally shared.

So when they came to the rodeo, they now worked the other side

of the saddle.

Corey turned on the lights and started the coffeepot. There was no

sense going back to bed now and he had a hard day ahead of him. He
needed to go back outside and work on making that temporary
fencing a little stronger for his bulls again.

Felix waited for the door to close before he spoke again. He

looked around the comfortable living room and shook his head. “Next
time, I want your job. You get to travel in luxury, and fuck any
cowboy you meet while the rest of us get to stand out in the rain all
night.”

The coffee began to percolate, filling the air with the heavy aroma

of freshly brewed coffee, and the pleasant sound of water bubbling

One-Night Rodeo

filled his ears. Felix sat at the small kitchen table, his body barely
fitting between the wall and the table edge. Felix looked too big for it,
and awkwardly out of place in the room. He folded his arms and
placed them on the table.

“Yeah, well you could help me handle the other men. Keep them

in line, but the pay at this side of the trailer sucks. You guys make all
the money in the ring,” Corey said.

“Those bulls are all young and stupid. They won’t listen to me.

Yeah, you got it made in here.” Felix rubbed his hand over some
woodwork on a cupboard.

Corey rolled his eyes and his fingertips tapped the tabletop

rhythmically. “It’s also a lot more boring, unless you are using your
spare time to get laid.”

“Sounds like a good time to me. I’d take that cowboy out for a

good round of fucking too.”

“Hey, you know what? I don’t want to talk about it.” Corey felt

uncomfortable thinking about Ryder taking on any lover besides him,
but acting possessive and territorial with Felix was just the weakness
the other man was looking for.

“We agreed you would be our leader in this enterprise because

you were the one man who would think with your brain and not your
cock.”

“We’ve been through this before. I’ve never slipped up, not once

with a human.”

“Until tonight.” Felix looked at him expectantly. He had been a

mentor to Corey, and as much as he wanted to push the man out of his
home and ignore him, he couldn’t disrespect him. He was probably
going to report back to the rest of the gang and settling things right
now would mean there would be less trouble from his men down the
road. They respected him, not because he bullied them, but they could
trust him.

“Ryder was one time, and I won’t be doing it again. He knows it

was a one-time deal and there were no preconceived notions of

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starting anything else between us.” Corey could easily go back and
fuck him again, but he knew the risks weren’t worth it. He had to give
up his lover and any idea of holding onto him was quickly going up in
smoke. He couldn’t return to his bed.

“Look, Corey, I’m not one to tell you what is right or wrong, but

you know the risks, you know the rules, and you signed the deal when
you came here.”

“I made most of those rules!”
“The guys aren’t happy either and they remember his face.”
“So?”
“So…you should know, the boys got to talking and there was

some talk about making Ryder have an accident in the ring.”

Pain crushed Corey’s heart. He struggled to keep the emotion off

his face. “You can’t do that!”

“Look, I’m not saying I would do anything, but you should know

the truth. I’m just letting you know how your men feel about him.
They don’t like him getting so close to you, and they know you spent
the entire night in his bed.” The unspoken threat lay between them,
weighting the air down with fear and unbridled rage.

Heat flushed Corey’s face and anger pulsed through his veins.

“Tell them I just fucked him. It wasn’t like I fell in love and if anyone
touches Ryder in the arena tonight I’ll be having steak for dinner.”

“You seem awfully protective over a human. I hope you didn’t go

and bond with him or anything stupid.” Felix paused and seemed to
look Corey over for any telling sign before continuing. “Anything else
you want to tell them?”

Corey calmed himself and thought about it. What was Felix

getting at? How could he bond with a human? He poured two cups of
coffee and added cream and sugar to both. He then set one down in
front of Felix and sat down on the opposite table to join him in his
drink. “No. I don’t think anything else needs said.”

“Good. Then I guess we’re done talking.”

One-Night Rodeo

“About the shitty stuff anyhow. I gotta let loose once in a while,

you know.”

“I know more than anyone about letting loose, Corey. But you

know you coulda got some quick action from almost any shifter you
brought. Every one of us would have been willing to help you work
off some steam.”

“You’re mated, Felix. I am not going to take you away from your

mate because I need a blow job.” Corey sighed.

“Being a bull shifter isn’t easy. We always run hot-blooded and

need more sex than the average man to blow off some steam. I know
you are suffering because you insist on working alone and I would be
honored as much as the next man to help you, but I don’t have a
young or a beautiful body anymore. I am sure Walter wouldn’t mind
sharing me a night or two. He knows I am not going anywhere.”

“The human and I…it was a moment of weakness, Felix. There

was nothing less or more to it than a night of fucking.” Felix paused
in his words, fingering the handle of his white coffee mug. He
wondered if it were wise to bring up anything more with his elder. He
licked his lips and began speaking cautiously. “What did you mean
when you were talking earlier? You said something about me doing
something stupid and bonding with the human. I didn’t think it was
possible to mate with a human.”

“It’s possible, just kind of stupid if you ask me. Why you would

want to mate with a human when all that happens is making a half-
breed mutt?”

“Has it ever been done?” Corey asked curiously.
“A shifter mating with a human? Of course, but it’s just been

years since I’ve seen it and no mated pairs would ever be allowed
back on the ranch.”

Of course, it would endanger the rest of herd. So mating with a

human would mean exile. It could just as well mean death, since not
being allowed to roam the open plains in his bull form would kill him.
He would have to struggle with that desire to go to his bull form for

Missy Lyons

the rest of his life because he would no longer have the freedom to do
as he pleased on the ranch.

“How do you know this?”
“Over my life, I’ve known of three other shifters who chose to

mate with a human and not come back. Most of the men faced with
this decision chose to abandon their mates, and sometimes their
children.”

“Who was exiled, Felix?
“They were older than you. Their names don’t really matter.”

Felix shrugged.

“Of course it matters. Who were they?” Corey insisted. He

suddenly felt the need to right this wrong. If they were true mates,
there should be nothing holding them apart. Especially not his own
kind. Happiness and fulfillment could only come from finding and
keeping their mate. Who gave a damn if that man was human?

“The three men were Gabriel, Julian, and Morgan.”
“When we get back to the ranch, I think we should make an effort

to reach out to those brothers who were lost to us and welcome them
back.”

“If they’ll come back at all. They may have started new lives off

the ranch. Better lives,” Felix said. “Besides, I’m not sure the rest of
the men will be so happy to welcome them back, or their human
mates.”

“Look, I don’t care if someone in our herd has a hair up his butt

and a thing against humans, but this…it’s not right. How can we do
this to our brothers? We can’t really control who our mate is. You
only get one chance at it, and who are we to say a man can’t find
happiness because a human is involved?

Felix eyes narrowed. “I think you’re making a mistake to open up

old wounds in the compound.”

“I think old wounds can’t heal properly when they are festering. It

might be best to open them up or cut off the offending body part.”

One-Night Rodeo

“Right now we have a peaceful valley. Our citizens are law-

abiding and nobody starts any trouble, and do you know why that is,
Corey? They have a healthy dose of fear and they want to belong to
the herd. So they follow the rules. If you go out into the world and
bring back those fools, you’re going to start something you may not
have the guts to finish.”

Corey let the silence between them grow heavy with foreboding.

This was a battle of wills. Felix didn’t want the responsibility of
leading the herd, but he didn’t want to invite change into his orderly
world. Corey was careful not to give any false promises when he
replied, “Drink your coffee before it goes cold. I’ll think about what
you said tonight, but I can’t promise it’s going to change how I feel.
There is a right and a wrong in this world, and I am going to choose
the right thing because I have to live with myself after we’re all
done.”

Corey weighed his options. He trusted Felix, but the old man was

stuck in the old ways of doing things. He was beginning to realize the
old ways might not be better to embrace the future with. If his herd
wanted to survive, they would have to change with the times. He
would have to protect the rights of everyone and not just a select few.

The right to find a mate and be happy was a simple but god-given

one, and that one right no one had the ability to take away.

And he didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but there was a

possibility he might have found his mate tonight with a human. That
absurdly close connection they’d found in their lovemaking was
impossible otherwise. Too many of the signs were obvious, but Corey
had pretended to not notice. He could go out to the world and
proclaim his lover belonged to him forever and his love and
immediate devotion, and Ryder could die tonight from an unfortunate
accident and a broken neck after a bumpy ride on one of his shifter
brothers.

He knew the odds were stacked against them and he felt he had

little choice at the moment.

Missy Lyons

Corey had to keep his silence to protect Ryder.

One-Night Rodeo

Chapter Five

The fringe on Ryder’s chaps slapped against his jean-covered

thighs on the lonely walk to the rodeo ring. There was no one out
here. Everyone was inside watching the big show go down. He had to
make a bathroom break before his turn and carried a bottle of water
back with him. He just needed to get to his place in the next ten
minutes. The crowd roared in the arena and when he walked to the
bucking chute with his riding equipment, he saw very few people pass
him by.

His mind should be on the business at hand, but he was lost in the

memory of his too-short night in Corey’s loving arms. How could a
man so good in bed be a complete asshole outside of it?

He’d connected with him on a deeper level when Corey was

releasing deep inside of him. He felt it, and yet as soon as it was over,
Corey was withdrawn and not the same man.

It both unnerved and shocked Ryder how much he still wanted

him. It didn’t matter that it was supposed to be a one-night stand. The
sexual energy between them was palpable. It electrocuted the air
between them when they were near. Corey wanted him, and there
should be nothing stopping them from enjoying each other inside and
out of bed.

The gravel crunched with each step. He hadn’t done well at the

roping competition earlier, so he needed to do well in the bucking bull
competition to make this trip worth it. He was afraid he would leave
with more expenses than he made if he didn’t take home some money.
He had to make enough prize money to pay for his trip out of this
little bitty city.

Missy Lyons

A man suddenly stepped out in front of him, surprising him.

Corey’s hazel eyes stared back at him intensely. It was the one man
he didn’t want to see right now.

Corey had the ability to mess with his emotions and make his

body go to pieces.

Ryder couldn’t afford to mess up this competition because his

lover was an ass and had the ability to mess with his head.

Corey blocked his way and Ryder tried to step around him but

Corey sidestepped to meet him.

Ryder felt a ripple of excitement enter his body with the unspoken

challenge.

“I know you don’t want to see me right now.” Corey’s eyes

sparkled with dazzling determination and a muscle on his jaw ticked.

Ryder had kissed him there and knew what it felt like to have his

skin burned by the unshaved face. He was deeply tempted to go into
Corey’s arms and kiss him to see if he could do everything he didn’t
get a chance to do last night.

Ryder locked his knees and kept his hands fisted at his sides. He

had pride and he intended to keep that much after this confrontation.
He was hurt when he saw his elusive lover had walked out on him this
morning. Was it too much to ask to be able to wake up next to him?
This wasn’t the first time today they’d seen each other, but Corey had
hurt him twice as much with his icy-cold exterior and painful
distance. It was like he was pretending they had never slept together,
never even met, and that hurt Ryder deeply. “Not really. What do you
want, Corey? It’s certainly not me.”

Corey sighed and his hand reached out into the air and then

dropped to his side. “I’m sorry I can’t go back in the past and change
things. I wish…” He shook his head and then gave a long drawn out
sigh. “You don’t deserve a man like me. I’m not good for you,
Ryder.”

“What? Why not let me decide for myself?” Ryder didn’t need

this right now. It was like the man was baiting him with a fishhook.

One-Night Rodeo

Just the thought that he could have Corey again in his bed made him
want to spend hours arguing with Corey. Ryder wanted Corey with
every cell in his body but if the man was going to play head games
with him he couldn’t get near him without getting hurt. It was
inevitable that he would lose his heart with the show-stopping sex
they had together. Their sex life was the only thing that did seem to
work together. Outside of the bedroom, it just kind of fell apart and
Corey was letting him go.

“We can’t be together. Not because I don’t want to be, but there

are things you don’t know about me, that I can’t tell you.”

“I thought you said you didn’t want lies between us? Was that a

lie? Omissions of the truth are just as bad as lying in my eyes.”

“I can’t tell you the truth, because it would put your life in danger.

I don’t regret loving you last night, I would do it again. I never
wanted a man as much as you, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I hurt
you.”

“I’m sorry too. Look, I have to go. I don’t want to miss my turn.”

Ryder shook his head. This unexpected meeting was just making his
spirits dive lower. He wanted to bend over backward to please Corey,
and to keep him, but in the end, he could give up everything for the
man and it wouldn’t be enough to hang onto him.

“Wait, what’s done is done.” Corey clenched his jaw and his

features hardened.

Ryder couldn’t believe he’d thought the sex could mean more to

Corey. Their closeness in the heat of the night was an illusion. “It
doesn’t have to be hard. You’re making it this way.”

“Ryder…I came to warn you.” Corey’s voice was twisted with

emotional turmoil and he reached out and clutched empty air between
them. His voice was raw and needy, bordering on the edge of
desperate. He sighed and the hard, steely voice returned with an edge
that Ryder wasn’t used to. “The bull name you pulled in the lotto is
dangerous.”

Missy Lyons

Ryder rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. “Is that all? It’s not

news to me, Corey. All your bulls are dangerous.”

“That’s not all. I think he might be jealous of how much I like

you.”

Ryder paused to stare into Corey’s hazel eyes seemed to darken.

His face had drawn an unnaturally serious dark look to the edges. “I
think you give your bulls way too much credit. They’re just animals.”

“They’re not just anything!” Anger flared in Corey’s eyes and the

thin rein of control slipped back over him. “Honkey Tonk will kill
you if he is given half a chance.”

“Then I won’t give him the opportunity. Look if this is going to

take much longer, I really got to go.”

“Honkey Tonk’s gonna give you a hell of a ride, but he doesn’t

just buck. He’s a spinner.”

Realization dawned on Ryder that Corey cared about him enough

to give him this vital information. It may mean the difference between
making the full eight seconds or not. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You need to stay on the bull. He likes to

switch it up and about three turns in he usually switches direction.”

“Thanks,” Ryder replied, not knowing what else to say, or what

else to do. His emotions were up and down when he saw Corey and
he wanted to think this little meeting meant more, but he didn’t want
to pretend to himself.

“Good luck, Ryder.” Corey stole a kiss, and Ryder immediately

melted against him. Corey’s tongue swept inside and toyed with his
before he retreated. Then just as he felt his body softening against
Corey, he broke the kiss. Corey smiled and gave Ryder a light tap on
his ass. “Ride hard and run fast when you get done.”

Corey turned and left. Ryder was stunned and watched his cute

ass flex as he walked away. He didn’t understand fully what had just
passed between them. He understood he wanted Corey, and Corey for
whatever reason was holding himself back, but he left Ryder with just
enough hope that this wasn’t going to end tonight.

One-Night Rodeo

A man didn’t kiss like that to say good-bye.

* * * *

Ryder said a quick prayer, as he always did before getting on the

back of a bull. It was part of his routine, and whether it helped or not
didn’t matter. If a heavenly power would send their angels to protect
him because of a prayer, he’d say it. He could use an edge in bull
riding. It was one of the most dangerous eight-second sports in
existence. He opened his sports bag and pulled out his black leather
bull-riding safety vest. It was always hot and slightly uncomfortable
but it was too important not to wear. It kept those horns from causing
more damage.

He pulled his bull-riding helmet over his head, closed the

protective mesh faceplate, and adjusted it slightly before buckling it
under his chin.

This was a two-day event and Ryder wanted to make the top ten.

Although he would love to win big in this main event, he also hoped
to do well enough to continue to the next round.

If he got a good score, it meant he would go onto the next round

tomorrow night and could even be sent onto the finals in a national
bull riding event this summer if he scored high again tomorrow. If he
didn’t score well, it could mean he would be sent home tonight.

Ryder took a deep breath and assessed the big white bull behind

the fence. The beast inside was limited in motion but he still managed
to kick against the side and was easily spooked.

“You ready, Ryder?” Brenin asked as he smiled warmly at him.

He worked behind the scenes and Ryder and he had met many times
before on the rodeo circuit.

“Yeah, give me a minute.” Ryder approached the head of the bull

and looked the bull in the eyes. His ear flicked forward. The whites of
his eyes were wide and took in every detail. Ryder jumped back when
the bull smashed his horns to the side. Did he believe what Corey told

Missy Lyons

him? The idea about a bull having it in for him seemed crazy, but he
also didn’t want to think Corey was lying to him. He believed his
words.

“You gonna try to kill me tonight, Honkey Tonk?”
The bull snorted after a moment as if it was responding, and

pawed the ground impatiently.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Ryder paused before speaking

again. He was just as crazy as Corey for talking to his bulls, but what
did you say to a bull who would rather see you dead? He placed one
hand on the fence, leaning close to whisper to the bull. “I’ll make a
deal with you, bull. If you can throw me before the eight seconds,
you’ll have your chance. Give it your best shot, but if I make it, you
give me the same respect I give you. You let me live.”

From experience he knew the more confident he was on the bull,

the better behaved the bull would be in the chute and even in the ring.
Not everyone gave credit to bulls for being smart, but he felt they
could sense his emotion at the very least. When he felt scared or
hesitant to get on a bull, it recognized that fear, and it wouldn’t
hesitate to take advantage of it.

Ryder climbed the fencing and put his foot on the spine of the bull

before easing onto Honkey Tonk’s back just in front of the flank
strap, keeping his knees high at first and both hands on the guardrails.
He always gave the bull a few moments to get used to the weight on
his back. Ryder straightened his legs and turned his feet to the inside
so they wouldn’t catch on the way out when the bull exited the chute.
He tuned out the white noise of the crowd and focused on the bull.
The rope was already wrapped around the bull and he adjusted it to sit
high on the shoulders and then put some rosin in his glove to help it
have a better hold. He rubbed his gloved hand on the handle of the
rope to warm up the rosin and make it sticky. It was all part of his
routine he always followed to help him have a better hold. When he
was finally happy with the end results, he slipped his gloved hand into
the handle.

One-Night Rodeo

The cowboy still had a hold of the tail of the bull rope. Ryder

looked up at him and said, “Pull it a little tighter for me.”

The guy pulled tight and Ryder felt the pressure increase on his

left hand. “Like that?”

“Perfect.” Ryder smiled and grabbed a hold of the rope and

wrapped it around his hand, flexing his fingers over the two loops. He
let the tail go free, and that was a safety measure. If he needed help
getting off the bull, the rodeo clowns could grab a hold of it to let the
cinched rope around his hand free. He was sitting on two tons of
restrained power and the only thing holding him onto the bull’s back
was this little piece of worn rope, but he felt comfortable here. He
couldn’t imagine another job anywhere else on the planet where he
would feel half as alive as he did on the back of a bull.

“You ready, Ryder?” Brenin asked.
Ryder nodded and the cowboy gave a signal that he was ready to

go.

Ryder wasn’t going to let go for anything.
There were a couple things that could disqualify him on this round

even before the eight seconds were up. He could lose his hold on the
rope, or he could touch the cull with his free hand or slap the bull. He
didn’t want to ruin his odds.

But if Corey was right and the bull had taken a special disposition

to him, then he may have just made him a little angrier, and added a
few points to his ride.

The buzzer sounded, the gates to the chutes opened, and the bull

exited the small pen like a Texas tornado. Honkey Tonk immediately
kicked and bucked and spun to get the cowboy off his back. Ryder
was thrown violently forward and back and he kept his free hand in
the air as best as he could.

He didn’t worry about letting go. His left hand was flexed around

the rope tightly. A spin to the left threw his body weight that way and
then it bucked high. Ryder rode him like an ocean wave. The bull ride

Missy Lyons

was a dance of poetry and motion. The cowbell at the bottom of the
rope rang as the cow jumped and bucked.

Time seemed to slow down for Ryder, and seconds passed in

eternity. Holding on was exhausting, and finally he heard the buzzer
sound. He released his handhold and twisted his body to jump off the
bull. As quickly as he could, he lifted his left leg and rolled off the
right hip of the bull, landing on his feet and running.

Ryder was elated. He didn’t know what he’d scored, but he felt

that was a good run, and he had the opportunity to ride a really good
bull for the first time in his life.

The big white bull didn’t miss a beat.
Ryder looked over his shoulder and the bull was at his back,

turning his head down and butting his ass with his head. Ryder was
lifted off his feet, but he stumbled and kept running.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryder saw there were others trying to

help. The two rodeo clowns were out in the ring, whistling and
screaming to get the bull’s attention, but it wouldn’t let up. Its anger
focused on Ryder alone.

One clown in a red vest and padded knees and elbows tried to

come between him and the bull, and the bull pushed him out of the
way to make a beeline for Ryder. He felt a hard head and horns hit
him in the side, and the force knocked him off his feet.

Ryder scrambled to get up and the bull stomped on him,

repeatedly thrashing his head and horns into his side, giving Ryder no
choice but to get into the fetal position to protect his vital organs.

The clowns came up at either side of the bull and hooped and

hollered, and one managed to get the flank strap off, and that helped
the beast to calm down. The rope was usually removed after the bulls
left the arena, but it helped to calm them down considerably. The
flank strap was on just tight enough to make them think they could
buck it off and was designed to make them more agitated, more
irritable.

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder felt pain shoot up his arm as the bull landed on his

shoulder. It was a glancing blow as the bull jumped again, and Ryder
scrambled to get out of the way as the clowns tried to get in the way.
This time it seemed to get the massive white bull’s attention. Ryder
managed to get to his feet, limping, but he was unharmed except for a
few bumps and bruises.

That bull did seem to hate him. Holding his side, he ran to the

edge of the ring and jumped the safety fence. The bull calmed down,
and the high energy left the ring. He snorted as if to say, I showed you
who’s the king of this ring. Then he calmly walked out of the open
gate to the east edge of the ring as if he was a trained dog. Honkey
Tonk didn’t try to hurt the clowns or anyone else.

It wasn’t until Honkey Tonk was safely in his pen that Ryder felt

his thundering pulse return close to normal.

“You okay, Ryder?”
“Fuck, when I saw that bull land on your head I thought you

might be knocked out or worse.” Steve patted him on the back. “I’m
so glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, Steve.” For the first time Ryder felt Steve’s words were

out of genuine caring.

“I thought they might be taking you out of the arena in a body

bag.”

“Not today.”
“You even managed to ride the full eight seconds. I think you and

the bull scored pretty well.”

“Well, the judges are still deciding. Until they say it was a good

ride I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

The digital monitors suddenly came to life. Multiple numbers

popped up on the screen but it was the last score Ryder held his breath
for. That was the number of all the judges added up. It could be any
number from zero to one hundred, but he had to get over ninety to be
in the top ten. The anticipation stole his breath, and his energy. He
waited expectantly and screamed when he saw it.

Missy Lyons

Ninety-two.
He pumped his fist in the air when he saw it. “Yeah!”
That number would put him up at the top tonight. Someone else

could do better with four riders left to go, but he felt like he was on
top of the world at that moment.

“Awesome!” Steve high-fived him and it was great he could share

his happiness with someone, but he really wished it was Corey
standing here. He’d also want more than a high five. He’d be looking
forward to a hug, or a kiss. He craved Corey’s loving touch.

That was the problem with Corey. Ryder would always want more

than the man was willing to give. Still he couldn’t help but go look for
him now to go celebrate.

“Thanks. Hope you do as good on your ride. What bull did you

draw this time?” Ryder said.

“I got White Lightning, but there was a last-minute substitution.

The bull was injured and got hung up on something. I don’t think
anyone’s going to do as well as you just did. I don’t know who they
are going to give me now, but White Lightning was an older bull and
not as high-energy as the young ones are to ride. That was an
unbelievable ride, and you are unbelievably lucky to walk out of the
arena without anything broken.” Steve grinned.

“Cowboys are hard to kill. Not impossible. Just hard.” Ryder

smiled happily. “See ya around, Steve. I am going to try and see if a
friend wants to celebrate tonight.”

“Yeah, if you are going to get drunk, me and some other guys are

going to party over at the Boot Scoot and Saloon. You’re welcome to
come if you like. We can celebrate being alive.”

“Thanks, I’ll think about it,” Ryder said. He was more hopeful to

have a private celebration with Corey than getting drunk with
company. Although, a drink could take the edge off his aches and
pains when the adrenaline wore off.

* * * *

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder put his equipment away and was looking all over for his

lover. Corey was nowhere to be seen, and the bull he had just ridden
was trotting around the ring looking as cocky as a bull could. Two
other white bulls stayed close by. Ryder guessed the other three bulls
were out in the chutes, getting ready for their eight-second ride with a
cowboy on their back. Ryder didn’t see Corey anywhere.

Instead, a new cowboy was working the bulls and operating the

gates. He was an older man, brown hair with gray streaks, topped with
a long silver moustache. He looked distinguished and handled the
bulls with respect. He walked with strength and confidence that only
came with experience and age in his worn blue jeans and checkered,
pinstriped button-down shirt.

He spotted Ryder and scowled.
Ryder decided a friendly approach had the best chance of

working. He smiled easily and said, “Hey there! Is Corey around?”

“What do want with him?” The other man deftly evaded his

question.

“Look, I know you guys are busy right now. I was just hoping to

talk with him. He’s a friend of mine.”

“I know who you are, Ryder.” The man eyed him up and down

warily as if sizing up an opponent. “Corey’s gone and he’s not
coming back.”

“But why? I just saw him. How can he be gone?” Ryder was

dumbstruck.

“He’s got other things to do than mess around with greenhorns

like you. He left me in charge.”

“Did he say anything? I just can’t believe he left so suddenly.”
“Ryder, you need to let it go. I know what you’re thinking. You

tangoed with a cowboy and you thought things would be different
between you. You thought you were special. It’s best you move on.
Corey is a love-and-leave-’em type of guy. He isn’t gonna suddenly
sprout roots and settle down. He’s not going to change.”

Missy Lyons

Ryder felt his chest squeeze painfully. It couldn’t be true. What

this man was saying had to be a lie. Corey had just kissed him, just
spoken with him moments before his ride.

“What’s your name?” Ryder asked skeptically.
“Felix.”
“Why haven’t I seen you before today?”
“We are sort of family. I don’t like being out in front of the

crowds, or the face of our business. But Corey is good at that and I
usually don’t get involved in his business on the road. I like staying
back at the ranch and living a simple life, but you would complicate
things, Ryder. When he gets around you, Corey isn’t thinking with the
head of a businessman. He’s thinking with his dick. He’s going to get
hurt handling his bulls because of you.”

Shocked, Ryder froze. He felt sick to his stomach like he was

going to throw up. It didn’t matter what the guy thought, and he was a
stranger to Ryder. He could be as homophobic as he wanted. It wasn’t
going to change him, but the fact the opinion of this man affected
Corey enough to leave made him crazy.

He closed his eyes stoically refusing to cry. “I understand.”
“Do you? Then you know you have to give him up.”
Ryder felt emotion well up in his throat. He didn’t trust himself to

speak so he nodded. “Can you do me a favor though?”

“What?”
“Tell him I love him.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Felix said.
“Then tell him good-bye for me,” Ryder said. When Felix didn’t

reply, he turned on his heel and left. He couldn’t believe he had run
through so many emotions in such a short period of time, from the
highs of a winning ride, to being elated he was still alive after being
repeatedly attacked by a large bull, to being depressed beyond words
because he may have just lost the man he’d fallen in love with.

Life was more than a roller coaster. Life was more like a bucking

bull, and if one end was full of horns, the other was full of shit.

One-Night Rodeo

Chapter Six

Three days later

Corey had arranged for a meeting of all the shifters in the city. It

was rare for everyone to gather at one time, but he felt what he had to
say was worth it. From the time he was a young boy, he had trusted
his elders to make all the decisions for him. They had rules to protect
him, and while there were times he rebelled and did dumb shit, he
knew what was best for the herd was best for everyone.

What he’d learned at the last rodeo made him question everything.

Every belief that had been drilled into him wasn’t based on truth. It
was lies and manipulation that had made him drive his lover away. He
never knew it was possible to mate with a human, never questioned
his superiors, and now that he knew differently he was ready to
question everything. He was pretty sure Ryder was his mate. The
connection they had was too powerful to be an ordinary sexual
encounter, and he vowed he would be with him again soon, but he had
to do the right thing, which forced him to wait to claim his mate. He
had to spread the truth in his herd.

And who knew how many others had abandoned their human

mates because they were told to? In the herd, they followed the orders
as they came down the rank and he got in line like everyone else was
told to do.

Corey moved to the front of the crowded barn. It wasn’t meant to

be a gathering place, but it worked well to keep their business private.
Most of the townspeople were shifters as well, but there were a few
that were human, and just the gathering could draw attention to them.

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Sixty-four shapeshifters were gathered inside. It was the first time

in ten years they had all been in the same place, at the same time. The
background noise of contented conversation drew to a close as Corey
stepped up on a hay bale. His people circled around him.

“I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight. It’s been a

long time since we’ve called one of these meetings, but I felt it was
time we do it again.” A few people applauded him.

Corey continued, knowing what he was about to say may split the

herd. Some people would be all too happy to follow the old ways and
some people might be inspired to change and adapt. The outside
world was always changing, so why shouldn’t they?

The sweet scent of hay and alfalfa mixed with a very male scent

of sweat and bull shifters. For years this scent had meant everything
to him. He connected it with being home. Corey was going to miss it
if he was forced to leave tonight.

“First let me start by saying, I’ve lived here all my life. I love you

all as brothers. It’s been my greatest joy to be part of the herd and
help build the town and the ranch up into what we have now. I can’t
imagine living anywhere else or having a better life outside this
valley.”

Corey was greeted with smiles and he closed his eyes for a

moment to adjust to himself to the next reaction he was sure would be
the complete opposite. “I’ve never questioned anything that my elders
told me, and like many of you, I’ve waited for my one true mate. The
man I could find happiness with and complete my soul.”

The pause of his words created a pregnant tension in the air.
“I never thought it was possible to meet that mate in the human

realm. How could I? Everyone told me he would be another shifter.
Like most of you, I tried hard to find him, and I fucked a lot of heifers
before I finally did.”

“Is that what this is about?”
“Hey, congratulations, Corey. Who is he?”
“Why didn’t you just say so?”

One-Night Rodeo

“He’s human. I met him five days ago at the rodeo.”
A hushed but shocked whisper rushed through the crowd. Corey’s

heart grew heavy as he saw the happy faces fall to shock and
disappointment. People he knew, people he respected, everyone was
disappointed in him. Except one man. Felix actually looked angry.

He bit his lip before speaking again. It was the lies he wanted to

stop. It didn’t really matter if these men chose to follow him in his
battle for justice, or if they stayed here and chose to live out their lives
with their heads in the ground. Corey had found his mate. He just
needed to go claim him.

“I was afraid to say anything. I didn’t think it was possible to find

a human mate. I thought I was wrong in recognizing the signs, but
then I talked to one of the elders. Felix let me know this has happened
before, and it was really possible. He also went on to say that those
shifters were forced into a decision. They could leave their mate
behind in the human world or they could leave the herd, but they
wouldn’t be welcomed back. I can understand the fear of things we
don’t understand, but that fear it doesn’t make it go away. Fearing
change may only help to bring it about faster. We have smaller
numbers every year. Every death brings us closer to being wiped off
the face of the earth because we are trying to keep our blood pure.
How can we do this if we have only one life mate and he is human? If
we don’t mate, we will not settle for anyone else. We have to
change.”

Murmurs broke out in the crowd and Corey raised his hand in an

attempt to calm the crowd.

“I’m going to claim my mate. I should have never have left him.”

Corey sighed deeply in regret. He was going to have a hard time
convincing Ryder to come back to him, and twice as hard explaining
what he truly was to the man.

“You can’t do that! You’ll expose everyone in the town.”
Corey felt his blood pressure go up a notch. If a fight broke out

the men could begin to shift and tear the whole barn down with their

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fighting. He had already made his choice, but the news may make the
rest of them break out in a war.

“Shut up! If Corey can trust his mate, then we can too. Corey

wouldn’t betray us.”

“Thank you, Trey.” He was both surprised and humbled by the

support he felt from his friend. “I didn’t come here tonight to lecture
you on right or wrong, or even to announce my future mate, but to
unleash the truth. For too long we’ve lived in the darkness, believing
everything anyone would shovel our way, but it’s time we learned to
think for ourselves. It’s time we changed our ways, and I want you to
seriously consider allowing the men who have been exiled from our
people back into our community. We can’t choose who our mate is,
but we can choose to do the right thing in life, and be good men.”

There was more arguing in the crowd, but Corey didn’t plan on

being around to lead his people or put the fire out that he’d started
with his words. He needed to go and find Ryder to make things right
again. If he could. “I am sorry I can’t stick around tonight. I have to
go see my mate, but I want you to know the truth of why I am
leaving. If you let me come back into the herd, I will, but I will be
bringing my mate.”

“You can’t bring a human here.” Jeffrey was outraged at the

suggestion.

“Then we’ll make a new life together in the world. I didn’t come

here to change your minds, just open them. I’ve already made up my
mind.” Corey shrugged his shoulders. He’d tried to do his best here,
and perhaps his honest words had opened some people’s eyes and
hearts. “We’ll find our own destiny, and so will our children.”

Corey decided it was probably better not to stick around to see the

final outcome. He’d come back if they let him. He loved the wide-
open spaces of the Texas prairie. The grass was greener here than
anywhere, and it was the only real home he had ever known.

Corey threw his Stetson cowboy hat on his head and stalked out of

the packed room. He didn’t even know where to start looking for

One-Night Rodeo

Ryder. He didn’t have a cell number, an address, or anything to go by.
All he had was the name of his mate.

He felt like a complete idiot to have let him walk out of his life,

but he was going to change things and make them right again.

Felix strode angrily to meet him at the doors of the barn. Corey

welcomed the scent of the outdoors. Everything felt cleaner and the
sun even seemed to shine brighter. He was ready to greet his future.

Felix surprised him, by grabbing onto his arm with tight fingers.

“Wait, Corey!”

“What?”
“What you did tonight was an abomination.”
“What I did was to hopefully open everyone’s eyes to the truth. I

am tired of trying to live out a lie and I’m ready to move on.”

“Well, don’t plan on coming back. What you call a mate is an

abomination. Do you think it hasn’t been done before? Do you think
other men haven’t tried to have a human mate work for them? It
doesn’t work. Your children won’t be able to shift. They won’t be
welcome back here on the ranch either.”

“What you’re telling me is nothing new, Felix.”
“Then you won’t be surprised when I tell you that you aren’t

welcome either.” Felix’s gray eyes sparkled dangerously.

Corey felt his chest squeeze with pain. Emotion welled deep in his

throat, but he swallowed the lump. He had hoped things would
change, that people would grow to accept people who were different
than them, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Arguing would do
neither of them any good. He wouldn’t change his mind, and he sure
as hell wasn’t going to give up his mate because another man couldn’t
accept him. “Fine.”

“Fine? You are going to accept being exiled so well? You can

never have a normal life as a shifter. You can’t live as a free-roaming
bull shifter in the city. You can’t share your secret with him either,
because you would be exposing us all.”

Missy Lyons

“Are you done telling me what to I can and can’t do? Because I’m

done listening. If you don’t want me to come back—then fine. I
won’t, but don’t think you’ll be telling what to do ever again. This is
my life and my mate. You have no authority over me anymore,
Felix.”

Felix was restraining himself. Corey could tell he was angry by

the vein popping out of his neck, and the sneer on his face, but he
wasn’t going to give up his future or his mate without a fight.

Corey angrily pulled away from Felix and stormed off. He’d fight

the man if he came after him or tried to push his luck, and he would
enjoy getting in a good solid punch or two. He was disappointed when
Felix let him go so easily.

One-Night Rodeo

Chapter Seven

Three months later

Ryder had his saddle thrown over his shoulder walking it back to

his horse trailer. The weight of it helped him to forget everything
around him. It was why he accepted physical chores so readily lately.

It had been three months since Corey walked out of his life,

seemingly to disappear into thin air. It didn’t matter that time had
passed. He still felt his heart break on a daily basis. He still looked
around for the man, when he thought he recognized his voice. He still
wanted to see him so badly that he thought he did. He saw Corey’s
seductive smile everywhere from Phoenix to Dallas.

He shook his head. He had been bitten so badly by the lovebug, he

could imagine Corey’s lean body resting against his horse trailer. His
smoky bedroom eyes invited him inside to play. The dark brown
goatee on his face framed the wicked smiled touching the corners of
his lips. Lips so real, he could imagine their soft touch in a kiss. The
light-blue jeans wrapped around his legs like Saran wrap, molding to
every curve. His shirt rippled with his movement as he raised his arm
to rest behind his neck. The sleeves were torn off and ragged at the
edges of his thick shoulders. His muscled arms looked like real flesh,
resembled the finest detail of his memories exactly, even down to the
barbed wire tattoo wrapping his upper arm. The Stetson hat tipped
upward as the imaginary Corey lifted his gaze, and the details of his
chiseled face were so realistic it stopped the breath in Ryder’s chest.

Usually the illusion flickered away when Ryder stared too long.

This time, Corey was still there.

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He had imagined seeing Corey for so long, he wanted to believe

this was the real deal. Was it really him? Had he come back?

Ryder’s body certainly thought so. Shock quickly wore off to

leave him with lust in his veins. Blood filled his cock, and he was
hard in just a few moments.

“Corey? Is that you?”
“Hey, sexy.” Corey’s sultry voice slid over his body like a warm

caress.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again.” Not that he didn’t want to. He

had asked at every rodeo he participated in who the bull handlers
were. If there was a chance of running into the cowboy again, he
wanted to know. He needed to guard his heart. Where Corey was
concerned, he was weak.

“I am sorry. Things have…changed. Can we talk more inside?

Privately?”

Ryder sighed. God, he wished he could be strong around this man.

All he wanted to do was to say yes, invite him inside, and then forget
an extra day had gone by without being together. It was as if three
months hadn’t passed alone. He could so easily end up getting hurt
again. Only this time the wound would cut deeper, because he would
lose all of his hope. If Ryder trusted him enough to share his bed
again, he would be opening the hole to his heart and all of that raw
emotion and the pain that was just beginning to heal would be brought
back to the surface.

Just seeing him again caused Ryder’s heart to reel.
“Look, I am not sure that’s a good idea.” It was too close to a bed

for Ryder. If he spoke with Corey, it had to be somewhere he
wouldn’t be so tempted to touch him, or taste him, or fuck him. He
sighed when he saw Corey’s face fall in disappointment. He unlocked
the door to the front of his bumper pulled horse trailer. It had a nice
storage area up front for a few things, and he liked to keep the show
saddle and his expensive equipment locked up here. “Let me put this
away. Then we can go somewhere else to talk, but there’s not much to

One-Night Rodeo

talk about. You made it pretty clear how you felt about me before you
left.”

It was difficult to read Corey’s expression, but Ryder felt his

harsh words had cut him just a little. What was the man expecting,
wine and roses? Not after the way he’d left him. He knew messing
with Corey would be like playing with a rattlesnake in bed and he still
stupidly made the choice to bed him. As good as the sex was, he
regretted it because now he knew what he was missing.

Ryder turned the light on with his free hand, a small luxury but a

necessity because the room had no windows, only the door and
another door to the front of the horse stalls inside the trailer. This
room was custom made for his horse equipment and feed. It held up
to four saddles but he usually only traveled with two. One was a
highly decorated show saddle, and the other was his favorite Western
riding saddle. He had leads, harnesses, blankets, even some medicine
and ankle wraps in case his horse got injured in an event.

The rodeo usually had some spare room they loaned to the

cowboys for storage, but Ryder learned early in life it was better to
rely on himself for his needs and his horses’. Sometimes little things
like leads or harnesses got borrowed and never put back. Ryder
couldn’t afford the loss, so nowadays he kept his things locked up
when they weren’t in use, especially the expensive ones.

He set the saddle on a metal rack designed to hold it and stretched

before turning out the light and locking up his storage area.

Corey stood patiently next to the door, and Ryder was painfully

aware of him. He tried to adopt a stone-faced façade, but he wondered
if Corey could see how hot his insides felt or how his blood was
pumping so fast it felt like a rabbit’s heart beating in his chest.

Did the man have a clue how he affected Ryder?
Just seeing him caused Ryder to feel unbalanced.
“Where do you want to go talk?” Ryder asked.
Corey shrugged but looked around as if he was worried who

might be watching them. “Anywhere but here. Let’s take a walk.”

Missy Lyons

“Okay,” Ryder said and he began walking. Corey stayed close to

his side. If he moved at all to the right, he would feel the accidental
brush of his skin. Ryder did his best to ignore that quivering feeling in
the pit of his stomach and pretend he was walking with an ordinary
man, one that didn’t make him want to jump behind a car and give
him a quick blow job just to have the taste on his tongue again.

“You’re a hard man to find, Ryder.”
“That’s funny. I didn’t hear you were looking for me. I wasn’t

even hiding.”

“I should have gotten your number or something to go by besides

your name. The rodeo people refused to give me any info on where I
could find you. It was like you disappeared once that weekend was
over.” Corey seemed at ease, like he didn’t feel a lick of tension or the
resentment boiling up inside of Ryder.

Ryder wanted him to know how much torture he had put him

through. “Oh, you missed me? Maybe you should have said good-bye
in person.”

Corey sighed. “I guess I deserve that. You should be mad at me. I

didn’t understand what we had, what I was giving up, until it was too
late. But that really wasn’t an excuse to leave that way.”

“Oh, Felix made it clear exactly how you felt that day. I’m sorry I

can’t be whatever it is you want, whatever it is you need.”

“Felix? Oh crap, Ryder I don’t care what he said, you are what I

need. It’s why I’m back to see you. I need you.”

“Corey, don’t do this to me. Not now, not when I was just getting

over you. You have to go.” The emotion broke his voice. He was
crestfallen, his heart crushed. How could Corey do this to him? The
way he lured him back made him feel like there was a fishhook
dangling in front of him. There was nothing more he wanted than to
reach out and hug the other man to his chest but it would be
catastrophic to invite him back into his life or his heart.

“Ryder, things are different now.” Corey raised his voice. As if it

would only take volume to make Ryder change his mind.

One-Night Rodeo

“What’s different?” Ryder demanded. “Are you feeling lonely?”
Corey hesitated and looked over his shoulder. There were others

in the parking lot now and they were staring at Corey and Ryder. “I
can’t say it while we are being watched so closely. I can tell you in
private, though. If you will just give me a chance.”

Ryder felt his heart drop. He was grasping at straws, trying to

keep a man in his life that really didn’t want to be there. He imagined
a perfect reunion with Corey, but standing here next to him only
seemed to bring about pain. Desire surged in his body even as he
fought against it. He wanted Corey as much as the first day he’d seen
him, and yet now things had changed between them. He felt very
much afraid of getting hurt again.

Ryder felt emotion well up in his throat. He continued walking

away from the rodeo fairgrounds. At this time of day, the area was
flooded with people milling about in their daily business. He sighed
and despite his instincts to run away and hide, he gave in. Corey
would have a turn to speak about whatever part of the past he wanted
to drag up. He could at least give him that much. It sounded like
Corey had a hell of a time finding him. “Okay, I don’t know why I am
doing this, but we can get a little more privacy just a few hundred
yards from here. There is a small wooded area just outside the
fairgrounds.”

Ryder felt his hand being gathered up in Corey’s much larger one.

The small but sweet action humbled him and made his heart stop for a
moment and his pace slowed. He thought Corey was interested in a
purely physical relationship, a stolen tryst at most. Holding hands in
public where anyone could see them in the parking lot meant he either
didn’t notice or didn’t care who saw them together. Had he misjudged
Corey?

Corey’s warm smile melted his heart. He didn’t trust himself to

speak, so they traveled the rest of the way in silence. His body was on
fire, and sharing the physical connection felt good. Corey’s grasp was

Missy Lyons

firm and warm and it made Ryder want to trust him, but words could
so easily be manipulated.

Then again, didn’t he say exactly what he wanted to hear when

they were in each other’s arms? Ryder remembered Corey had asked
for honesty. That they should start out by being honest made Ryder
want to believe whatever he said now.

He felt his heart begin to thaw and he realized how easily he could

fall back into Corey’s arms and love him openly. He wanted to feel
loved by him, even if it was only physically, so he could believe
Corey felt an emotion for him.

He didn’t need to fall into that trap. When they reached the

woods, he withdrew his hand from Corey’s. He should try to remain
aloof. It was his only defense. He didn’t want to get his heart broken.

“I guess I deserve that.” Corey looked hurt by Ryder’s coldness.

His heavy lids cloaked the emotion behind his hazel eyes. “I can only
blame myself.”

The breath caught in Ryder’s throat. He had not intended to hurt

Corey. He ached to touch him again, but they needed to talk. It was
why they were here. “I don’t trust myself with you. I am afraid of
touching you too much. With you, I want more than any man should
want. I can’t stop myself. This time I want to hear what you have to
say, not what I want to believe.”

“And that’s why I trust you,” Corey said.
The air was colder in the forested lot. Ryder leaned against a pine

tree and tried to open his heart and his mind to Corey. “You sure
sound convincing.”

“I know I’m an idiot. I made some really stupid mistakes.” Corey

shook his head and placed the flat of his palm on Ryder’s smooth,
shaven face. “But losing you was the dumbest thing I ever did.”

Ryder closed his eyes and sighed happily. He placed his hand over

Corey’s larger one, holding it close. “I’ve never felt this way with
anyone before now. It’s like I feel so intensely attracted to you, I
depend on you to breathe, to live. When you left me…” Ryder sighed,

One-Night Rodeo

painfully drawing in a breath, trying his best not to cry. “It hurt so
much. It felt like I had a hole in my heart. I felt like I might never be
able to heal. It didn’t make sense for the short time I knew you.”

“Shh,” Corey whispered.
Ryder felt his heart miss a beat in his chest. “It still isn’t logical.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. I feel the same way.” Corey

reached for Ryder’s hand and slid it under his shirt. He could feel the
regular beat of Corey’s heart beneath his fingertips. This intimate
touch was what he’d missed all those months, and just what he needed
to feel whole again. “This heart beats only for you.”

He sensed Corey moving closer to him, felt his warm breath fan

across his lips, and he opened them in anticipation. Their chests
touched and his hands wrapped up around Corey’s neck involuntarily.
Ryder closed his eyes and Corey’s mouth mated with his, sweeping
him up in a storm of emotions and need. His tongue swept across his
mouth and he felt Corey’s hard cock ride into his groin, against his
own hard dick. He mashed against him, baring his soul with that
deeply sensual kiss.

Ryder whimpered as he felt his body come to life under Corey’s

touch. All the time between them disappeared and it was as if nothing
had been missed in all the time he was gone.

“Fuck, I need you!” Ryder cried out. He wrapped his legs around

Corey’s hips. His body trembled under the lust-driven embrace.

“Forgive me, Ryder. I won’t leave you again. I won’t let your

needs go unfulfilled ever again,” Corey said before kissing, and drew
out Ryder’s bottom lip between his teeth.

“This can’t be right. Needing anyone this much can’t be okay.”
“Sex between us is the only thing that is going right. I didn’t mean

to start this here, not until after we worked things out between us. I
still need to talk to you, Ryder. But I missed you too much to wait. I
think we both need this.”

Missy Lyons

Ryder nodded mutely. He ached inside to feel Corey enter his ass.

His cock raged painfully with desire and need. His breathing slowed
in anticipation of fucking his lover.

Ryder felt himself being eased onto his back on a bed of pine

needles. He was so out of his head with lust he didn’t care who saw
them fuck here in the woods.

“Are you going to fuck me? I can make this easier for you to take

my ass,” Ryder offered.

“I don’t have any lube and I don’t want to hurt you. I am out of

my mind wanting you right now, but if I hurt you I wouldn’t forgive
myself,” Corey said as he worked at Ryder’s belt and unzipped his
Levi’s. With very little effort Ryder’s dick popped free of the restraint
of his pants.

Ryder hissed in his breath through his teeth when he felt Corey’s

hands wrap around his cock. “Then let me suck you, too. Let me taste
you, we can do that even if we can’t fuck just yet.”

“Do you want to sixty-nine it?”
“Yeah, why not?” Ryder said, and he felt his mouth water with

just the thought of wrapping his lips around Corey’s fat cock.

Corey smiled and it reached all the way to his eyes. He deftly

unbuckled his silver bull buckle and unbuttoned his tight jeans to
reveal a bulging package Ryder longed to feel down his throat. Ryder
helped to slide the elastic waistband of his shorts over his cock. “Oh
fuck! You are so big and meaty. I just want to eat you all up.”

“I’m all yours, baby. I dreamt of you doing just this, only it wasn’t

in a forest. It was on a sunny day, in a beautiful green pasture, with
rolling green hills and there was no one for miles but you and me.”

“Sounds beautiful,” Ryder said as Corey angled himself to a

crouching position over Ryder’s body. He was inches above him, his
cock dangling in midair. Ryder had to reach for Corey’s hips and
bring them down to his face. At the same time, he felt Corey’s mouth
settle on his cock, and immediately the air was filled with warm, wet
slurping sounds.

One-Night Rodeo

“It’s a beautiful dream because you and this sweet body are in it.”

Corey made a circular patter on Ryder’s stomach around his belly
button with the tips of his fingertips.

“I’d be happy in that dream as long as you were there too,” Ryder

said. He sucked Corey’s tip into his mouth and rolled Corey’s balls
through his fingers.

Ryder lifted his hips off the ground to meet Corey’s lips. He

sucked his cock deep into this throat, and Ryder felt lost in the erotic
sensations of lips and tongue wrapping around his sensitive shaft. His
fist pumped over the base of his cock.

Ryder gave everything he had back to Corey, using the same

smooth rhythm on Corey as he felt on his own cock. He imagined
having Corey even closer, feeling him fill him from the inside, rising
and falling inside his ass with this beautiful smooth cock. He licked
the bulbous head and slid it into the back of his throat and groaned.

Corey groaned. “Fuck, you taste so good. Better than any dessert

at a five-star restaurant.”

He felt himself harden, his balls tighten, and he closed his eyes,

only to see stars explode in the darkness as he came. His seed spurted
out of his cock, and Corey greedily slurped it up. He felt dizzy and
enraptured. His lips were numb but Corey was still hard. Ryder
sensed how close he was. Corey’s tense body shuddered as he sucked
his cock.

Ryder withdrew just long enough to speak. “Give it to me, baby.

Let me taste your cum. You don’t have to wait anymore.”

Corey trembled above him, and his buttocks tensed just before he

spewed three streams of white seed into the air. Ryder quickly slipped
the tip of Corey’s dick into his mouth, trying to suck any remaining
drips off him. The white liquid tasted like a chocolate sauce and was
deeply addictive. He hated that any of it had dripped down on the
ground and was wasted.

“Yes!” Ryder lapped greedily, wishing for more. Corey was

dangerously addictive to him. He needed his taste, his touch like a

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drug and now that he had him again, he couldn’t imagine letting him
go. He held him close, knowing how lost he would become if it
happened again.

“You’re so good to me. Thank you, baby,” Corey said with a

protective hand over Ryder’s stomach.

Ryder felt elated. He was on top of the world, riding an incredible

high. He smiled and brought Corey’s knuckles down to his lips to kiss
them. “I have two hours before I have to be in the arena. Make it
count, cowboy.”

* * * *

“You’re ready for more so soon?” Corey said in awe. Ryder

seemed to be able to match his stamina and virility pound for pound.
He really thought it would have taken Ryder a few minutes to catch
his breath and have enough energy for another go.

“With you, I always want more,” Ryder whispered happily, with a

dreamy smile plastered to his face.

“Okay, but there are things I do need to talk to you about. Things

you don’t know about me. You have to accept everything about me,
when you accept me.” Corey caressed Ryder’s cheek with the back of
his knuckles. It was hard to stop touching him. He couldn’t get
enough of his mate. He breathed deeply, inhaling Ryder’s masculine
scent.

“You worry too much. There’s been so much between us for so

long, let’s just enjoy the moment. I could be happy here in your arms
forever.”

“It’s too bad you have to go back in so short a time.”
Ryder’s chest rumbled with his laughter. “I won’t be long, but it’s

important for me to get back when I have to. The rodeo’s my life and
how I make my living.”

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“I understand, Ryder, and I’m not going to ask you to give that up

because of me. But you should know I quit my job at the ranch. I
won’t be handling the bucking bulls anymore.”

“What? Why? Who’s going to take over for you?” Ryder’s dark

green eyes widened in surprise.

Corey shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care. I have enough in

savings to last a little while and find a new career. I knew when I
made the decision to go after you I would have to make certain
changes.”

“That’s so sweet. You didn’t even know I would take you back

and you gave up everything you knew for me.”

“I’m addicted to you. I love you. I need you. I am probably really

bad for you, but I can’t stay away. I should, but I want you anyways.
I’d kill for you, Ryder.” Corey couldn’t explain everything just yet.
He still had many big dark secrets, and it may be that Ryder couldn’t
accept living with a shapeshifter, but this was his mate. He would
protect him with his dying breath. He would love him as only a mate
could. If he lived his whole life inside the ranch, he would never have
found Ryder and the board of elders would have assigned him a mate
from the single men on the ranch. The union would have been about
making children, and keeping the herd alive, but he found something
even better when he found his true mate.

He was afraid of baring his soul to Ryder. He wanted his body,

heart, and soul, but most of all he needed him to trust him and from
his experience, trust could only come out when the truth was exposed.

“You don’t have to kill for me.” Ryder laughed. Corey remained

serious. Ryder had to know how serious he felt for him. “I would
never ask that of you.”

“I know. Just the same, I would do it. You have no idea how much

you mean to me, and how much I would fight if you were ever taken
from me.”

“That’s deep, but I understand. I feel just as strongly. I can’t

explain what this is between us, but all I want is you. I have never

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wanted another man this much and can never imagine wanting a man
as much as you.”

“We are different—you and me, but we are the same in that

respect. I am afraid if you knew everything about me, you wouldn’t
want me anymore.” Corey bowed his head slightly, too embarrassed
to meet his lover’s trusting eyes.

“How can you say that? I’d always want you.” Ryder leaned up to

kiss him and he felt his callused hands wrap around his dick and
massage his swollen cock at the same time as his tongue stroked
inside of his mouth. When they broke the kiss, his warm hands were
still on his dick, stroking his length.

“I can be killed for telling you what I really am, but I am not quite

human like you. When I left the ranch, it was for good. I told my
family and friends that I was going because I found the love of my
life, and he was a normal human.” He wanted to say the word, herd,
but he knew Ryder would be able to identify with more normal words.
He could understand family, and he would also understand their
power of coercion over him. “They pretty much told me I wouldn’t be
welcome back.”

“Shit, Corey.”
“It’s okay. I’d rather be with you than anyone else in the world.”
“You can stay with me as long as you need or want to. We can

start a new future together.”

“Look, I need to show you something. It’s what I am, but you

have to promise me not to freak out. Okay? Don’t run. Don’t be
afraid. I won’t hurt you. You have to trust me.” Corey looked into
Ryder’s eyes intently. Would he run when he saw what Corey really
was?

“I don’t know what this has to do with anything, Corey. It sucks

your family did this to you, but it’s okay. We’ll move on.”

Corey sighed. Ryder didn’t understand. “There are other things in

the world besides humans. You’ve heard about them in your legends,
shapeshifters and werewolves, and you may even see them in the

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movies, but most humans are too shortsighted to understand these
myths are based on reality. We need to keep our identity secret to
keep our families safe.”

Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes. “Are you saying you get all

hairy and grow fangs under the full moon? Corey, don’t tease me. I
grew up watching science fiction movies and slash horror flicks.
Every one of those films is fake. Some of the movies are so bad that
you can even see the zipper in half of the costumes on the movie.”

“That’s why I knew I would have to show you, and I’m not a

wolf. I’m a bull.” Corey unbuttoned his shirt and left it on the ground.
He tossed his hat to the side and began kicking off his custom-made
gator-skin boots.

“A bull?”
“Yeah.” Corey slid his pants down his hips to his ankles and then

stepped out of them, neatly folding them and setting them on his shirt.
“You don’t believe me, do you?”

Ryder stared at him curiously. His cock was still out of his pants,

and he sat there stroking it. The erotic action made Corey want to join
him, but he had to do this. He had to make Ryder understand who it
was he was getting into bed with. He had to know the truth about him.

“I’m having a hard time believing you can be anything but sexy.

When I look at you, I see a very hot, naked man I want to join me
again. I see you as a man I want to fuck. I can’t picture you as a bull.”

Corey sighed deeply. He felt this was the right decision in his

heart. Ryder had to understand what he was so he could fully commit
to being mated. They would one day have children together and this
was the first step to claiming his mate. “Seeing is believing.”

“Okay.”
He took off his socks and placed them next to his clothes. “Are

you ready then?”

Ryder nodded and waited patiently. Corey took in a deep breath

and willed himself to become a powerful bull. He let the change
sweep his body. His bones lengthened, broke, and changed shape, his

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muscles twisted, and pain ripped through his body. He welcomed the
pain as he forced himself to watch his lover. His head changed,
lengthening into a completely new shape. Horns grew.

Ryder’s face dropped in shock and amazement. His jaw dropped

and his green eyes widened. Ryder seemed to grow small, as he
pulled his legs up in a fetal position, tucking his knees under his arms.

Corey couldn’t speak in his bull form, but he felt the agitation

deep inside the pit of his stomach. He wanted to run to his lover, but if
he did that, it would frighten Ryder and make him run. Instead, he
stood on all four hooves, instead of two feet, just waiting and hoping
Ryder would accept his other self.

“What the fuck?” Ryder scrambled to his feet. He tucked his cock

back inside of his pants and quickly zipped up.

Corey remained mute, but snorted through his nose and swished

his tail to share his irritation. Corey needed Ryder to understand this
was still him, that his emotions had not changed just because he
looked different. He was heavier in this form, but still a lightweight
for a bucking bull at only sixteen hundred pounds. He was very
muscular, and very powerful, but he wasn’t the biggest or the baddest
of the bucking bulls on the ranch. However, he was one of the rarer
species, and his black hide carried an unlucky reputation to ride in the
arena. He’d tried to be on the other side of his saddle early on in his
career, but he’d gotten a greenhorn with no respect for the bull. The
cowboy dug in his spurs and drew blood, and Corey lost his temper.
He came out of the chute with murder on his mind and in his heart.
Corey used his hard head to knock his rider out, and when the clowns
came to distract him, he kept on stomping on his lifeless body.
Nobody could get him to stop. It wasn’t until days later when he was
allowed to change back to his human form that he realized the
seriousness of what he’d done.

He allowed his inner beast to rule him and his actions and in the

process took a man’s life. He vowed he would never do that again, but

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with Ryder so close, he didn’t feel like his emotions were out of
control.

He felt a sense of calm take over him as Ryder stopped to stare.

He was still uncomfortable in his presence. He used a tree as a barrier
between his human body and Corey’s much larger bull body.

Corey was proud of his heritage and he sensed the man’s fear had

changed to something more like being awestruck. “Corey?”

Corey snorted again. He hoped Ryder got the idea that he couldn’t

speak back. Ryder seemed a lot calmer suddenly, and he seemed to
gather his courage to step out from behind the tree. His body still
looked tense, but he had a calmer head and Corey couldn’t smell his
fear as badly as after the change had first occurred.

Corey stood still, not even daring to let his ears flick forward. He

blinked at Ryder and lowered his head.

“Wow, you were telling the truth, weren’t you? I can’t believe this

is still you.” Ryder stepped forward until he was just a few feet from
his new body. “Can I touch you?”

What was Ryder waiting for? A gold gilded invitation?
Corey nodded his head slightly, signaling that he understood. He

closed his eyes and waited with baited breath. Seconds passed and he
heard the pine needles cracking under Ryder’s boot steps. He felt a
warm palm press against his nose, and Corey leaned against it ever so
slightly.

It might be just a simple thing, but this open act of trust meant so

much to Corey he felt like screaming. Corey could gore him in a
second with his size and power, but Ryder trusted him implicitly to
not hurt him.

This was love.
“I am sorry you felt you had to prove this to me. I should have just

believed you. I just couldn’t wrap my head around this. Does it hurt
when you change?”

Corey snorted. He still couldn’t talk but Ryder kept asking him

questions.

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“Fuck, I feel stupid talking to a bull. Can you change back, baby?

I am ready to talk about this. We can still find a way to make this
work, even if I have to get a bigger barn.”

Corey wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. He was so happy and

proud his mate was able to accept him, horns and all, he couldn’t put
it all into words.

There were a million places he could go and start a new life, but

he wouldn’t be happy without Ryder. He also didn’t have to go
anywhere if his mate was ready to be claimed. His home would be
wherever his lover lived. They could make this work, despite Ryder
being human and he being a shapeshifter.

Corey felt him draw away and he watched Ryder take a step back.

“Change back.”

Corey did as he was asked. He willed the change and it came over

him like an ocean wave caressing his body, and flesh and bone
morphed and broke to become a different shape. It took a few
moments longer to change this time, and he was proud of his mate
when he didn’t run or show fear on his face. He was not horrified, but
amazed at Corey’s transformation.

What other human would so calmly accept him turning into a

bucking bull in a flash? Ryder was incredibly brave and courageous to
take this news and still keep his heart and mind open to him.

Corey loved Ryder more than words could express. When he

became a man again, he was panting and out of breath, but he
couldn’t think straight until he gave into the desire to fill his arms
with his lover, and seal his mouth over his lover’s in a kiss. Corey
was instantly hard, struggling to behave. He needed to feel the soft
flesh of his lover’s skin and the sweet desire surrounding him.

He claimed him with a soul-searing kiss, and would not stop

loving him until the lustful tempest left his body.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful. Whether you’re a bull, or a man, I love

you. Corey, show me you’re real and in the flesh. Love me. Fuck
me.” Ryder whimpered.

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“Fuck! Do you know what you do to me when you talk dirty? You

turn me on and inside out. I can’t get enough of you,” Corey said
between kisses.

“Good.” Ryder grinned smugly.
“Fine. I’ll fuck you. Take down your pants and kneel down for

me.” Corey’s hard cock threatened to split from the pain of his
arousal. He stroked himself as Ryder unzipped and pulled his pants
down to his ankles. It was such a simple action, everyday he would
see his mate undress in their bedroom, but here in the protected
woods, it was not only public where anyone could come upon them, it
was very sexy. Corey admired every curve and the round, full
buttocks that were exposed to his view as he knelt for Corey’s
pleasure. Ryder wiggled his tight ass as if he was trying to lure Corey
in closer.

“Fuck me with that big cock, baby.”
Corey groaned and knelt behind Ryder. The waiting was killing

him. He wanted to slide his cock into Ryder’s ass and please his mate,
but he didn’t want to do any damage. He massaged his tight ass
before slapping one round cheek. “Damn, you are so hot, Ryder. You
have the sexiest ass I’ve ever seen.”

“Are you going to fuck me, or just sit there and stare at my ass all

day?” Ryder twisted back to look at Corey before he began alternately
massaging and spanking his ass.

“Patience, baby. I gotta loosen you up first. Give you a little bit of

spit and lube.” Corey spread Ryder’s ass with his thumbs and circled
the rosy entrance with his fingers, stretching the skin before he leaned
in for his first taste of his lover’s ass. He rolled his tongue around the
rim of his ass, before ramming it inside of Ryder. Ryder began
breathing more heavily and reacted by lifting his ass into Corey’s
face. “Easy, mate.”

“Feels good.” Ryder moaned.
Corey took a few minutes to warm up his lover, stretching him

slightly so he wouldn’t experience pain or ripping when he first

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entered his tight ass. He spit in his rosy hole and used two fingers to
rub the natural lubricant into his ass as far as he could reach.

“Are you ready for me?”
“Yeah, do it, baby!” Ryder screamed.
Corey slid the bulbous head of his cock into Ryder’s narrow

opening. Ryder’s ass wrapped around him like a glove, heat
enveloping him. A groan escaped his lips. Ryder’s ass squeezed
tightly around Corey’s dick. He forced himself to ease slowly in and
not too quickly. “How’s that feel?”

“Don’t hold back for me, baby.” Ryder sighed happily.
Corey was reassured by Ryder’s lusty words, but still moved

slowly in his ass. He began sliding in and out of Ryder’s ass in a
steady rhythm, encouraged by the moans and cries of his lover.
Ryder’s breathing came in fast, shallow pants the more aroused he
became. Corey was actually panting himself after a few minutes in of
steadily fucking his mate. “You are so fucking hot, Ryder.”

A shiver raced down Ryder’s body. “It feels so good. I don’t want

you to ever stop.”

Corey wrapped his hands around Ryder and stroked his lover’s

erect cock. His balls hung hard and heavy below his dick. He sensed
his own orgasm was coming. It was like a tsunami threatening to
overtake him, but even better, he felt Ryder was also on the brink of
coming. “I can sense your body’s arousal. You want to come for me.
Do it for me now.”

“Yeah, I’m so close I can taste it.”
“Then let yourself come,” Corey whispered and leaned down to

kiss the back of Ryder’s neck. He slowed his speed and swirled his
dick inside, pulling back until just the head was inside, torturing
Ryder and himself with a slow slide of his dick through the ass and
back again, before pounding his cock into him with a ball-slapping
energy that surprised himself.

One-Night Rodeo

“I’m coming, baby!” Ryder screamed, and Corey felt the cock in

his hands jump as Ryder came. Streams of hot seed flew out of his
lover’s cock to land on the ground below him. “Oh!”

A few more strokes and Corey found the release he sought. He

unloaded himself in the depths of Ryder’s tight ass, spewing his hot
seed into his lover. He let himself lean against his lover’s back,
savoring the powerful orgasm that they just shared. The afterburn of
the orgasm was wonderful and his body still tingled. “Oh, you are so
good to me. I hope our children have your eyes.”

“What?” Ryder pulled forward and Corey felt himself slide free of

his lover’s ass. Ryder sat back on his heels and stared into his lover’s
eyes curiously.

Corey should have remembered to explain this part. He hadn’t

thought about how different humans were biologically when he was
together with his mate. It was undeniable that they would be together
and they would have a future together. He just expected everything
that went with it too. “Our children. I want to have lots of kids with
you, but I want them to have your beautiful green eyes.”

“I am not a scientist or anything, but Corey, men can’t have

children.”

“It doesn’t have to be right away, but I want a family with you.

My species doesn’t have females. I don’t know how it works but
when a pair mates we can have children.”

“But you don’t have a uterus.”
“I know.” Corey shrugged
“But then how?” Ryder asked in amazement.
“I don’t know all the ins and outs, but it is something I would

welcome. We’ll worry about it when we get to that point of our lives.
Only a mated pair is fertile, and you are my mate. I’ve heard it’s
possible to have hybrids with humans. It won’t matter how. I just
know I can’t wait to have your child grow inside of me. I can’t wait
for the day to hold your son in my arms.”

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“Oh, baby.” Ryder leaned in and laid his head on Corey’s chest.

“What if it doesn’t work because I’m not a shifter like you? I don’t
have the DNA for making babies.”

It could work. Felix, in his angry confrontation, had said it was

possible to not only mate with a human but reproduce with them.

“I think this is new to both of us.” Corey wrapped his arms around

Ryder and cradled the man against him. “I don’t know what the future
will bring, but I will welcome every day as long as you are with me.”

“Me too, baby.”
“We’ll just take this one day at a time,” Corey whispered into

Ryder’s hair. Nothing ever felt wrong with Ryder in his arms. “It will
be fine as long as we’re together.”

* * * *

“Damn redneck idiot!” Felix dropped the binoculars from his eyes

for a brief second when the pair went back to fucking each other like
rabid animals in the woods.

Felix knew it was a good idea to keep tabs on Corey. The bull was

too brazenly rebellious for his liking and his gut told him something
like this was bound to happen.

He had warned Corey what would happen if he exposed his

secrets to his human mate. Did he not understand the kind of danger
he was putting his herd in? He couldn’t change into his bull form in
broad daylight. Anyone could have seen him and now their secret was
out.

This was wrong.
It was getting out of hand. With more and more shifters leaving

the herd every year, there wouldn’t be any more purebloods left in a
few years’ time. He had always managed to keep a lid on the young
bulls experimenting with humans in the past. He put a little pressure
on them and most of them turned back to the herd and eventually he
hoped they would find a new mate. It was the only way their herd had

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a possible future. They couldn’t continue by breeding with anyone
and anything that came their way.

Fucking humans!
If he had it his way, they would never interact with them at all, but

he was finding it a necessary evil. They needed money to operate the
ranch. They needed money to pay for all the luxuries they enjoyed,
and the world was impossible to hide from.

Well, now there was nothing left for him. He had to do damage

control now, and make a plan of attack. He needed Corey to live, to
choose a new mate, and have children to continue the herd. The
human could accidentally die and no one would be the wiser. This
would be a hate crime, but he had to protect his people.

Felix always looked after his own people, even if they were too

stupid to drag their own heads out of their asses to see the truth.

Missy Lyons

Chapter Eight

Felix leaned close to the bullpen and whispered to the big brown

bull there. He didn’t need to get his hands dirty today. There was
always someone else willing to work their way up the ladder and
show their loyalty to the herd. The Lovegrass Ranch didn’t have any
bulls here today, but he knew this herd well. They lived on a ranch in
South Texas that bordered Mexico.

The brown speckled bull nodded his head and snorted. Yeah,

Bobby Big Boy understood the importance of his mission, and Felix
had faith in him to succeed in killing the man. The bull pawed at the
ground eagerly.

“Thanks, Bobby. I owe you one,” Felix said with a small laugh.

“Things will be as they should be. Tonight, we’ll be having a funeral
and Corey will be back at the ranch in the morning.” Sure it might
take him some time to grieve for the human wretch, but he had not
even had time to get attached to the man. He would move on with his
life. Corey would find another mate and he would have many
shapeshifter children as he was meant to increase the numbers of the
herd.

Felix looked around to see if anyone was looking and when he

didn’t see anyone, he undid the gates to the bullpen. Then he laughed
when he thought about what was about to happen. If he were a
younger man and bull he may have considered joining in, but it was
imperative that Corey not know who was responsible for his mate’s
accident. “There you go, boys. Have yourselves a good ol’ time.”

* * * *

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Corey and Ryder began the trek back to the rodeo fairgrounds

hand in hand.

“Look out!” They heard the words clearly even from this distance

because they were screamed so loudly. “Oh my God! He’s loose!”

Suddenly screams of horror and chaos came from behind the

gates. Corey was immediately on edge. He couldn’t see what was
wrong yet. The rows of parked trucks and cars blocked his view, but
he could already make out people running out of the back gates of the
fairgrounds. Ryder squeezed his hand and they both walked quicker
toward the rodeo.

“What do you think is wrong?”
“I dunno, but I don’t like it.”
More screams and panicked yells echoed through the parking lot

and then he saw a trail of dust come up from the dirt lot. His heart
thundered in his chest when he saw a herd of multicolored bulls
coming his way. He counted not one or two but at least seven or eight
full-grown bucking bulls speeding toward him and his mate with
thundering hooves. His instincts drove him to protect and defend his
mate and he would do whatever he had to in order to keep Ryder safe.

“Shit. The bulls are out of the pen.” Ryder’s jaw hung open.
“And they’re coming right for us,” Corey said in an unbelievably

calm voice.

“Corey, run!” Ryder tugged him backwards and he had to let him

go. Ryder was defenseless. The only thing he could do was to try and
outrun the bulls.

But Corey had a chance of slowing them down.
“Get to safety and back to the woods. Climb the first tree you get

to. They won’t be able to go after you.”

“But what about you?” Ryder got a few feet away and had a

desperate look in his eyes. He was obviously scared.

“I’ll be fine. Now go!” Corey tore off his clothes but it wasn’t

quick enough. The bulls came faster. He screamed at them, but they

100

Missy Lyons

wouldn’t stop. With a last-second choice, he willed the change to take
his body. He shifted into bull form to fight for his lover. The rippling
transformation tore his undershirt and his underwear clean off. The
ragged threads hung from his body until he kicked them free and he
ran to meet the bulls head-to-head. He charged and they scattered
around him like flies, dodging his horns and running around him.

Damn it. This is not going to be easy.
He had no lack of sparring partners back on the ranch. He could

take on another bull and won most head-to-head battles, but these
bulls weren’t stopping and he couldn’t fight half a dozen bulls as
easily as one. They were drawn to Ryder like a beacon. It was as if
they understood he was Corey’s human mate. If they killed him, then
it would also kill Corey’s heart.

Hoofbeats filled the air, breaking up loose dirt clods behind them.

Corey ran as fast as they did and managed to catch up. He used his
larger frame to push the herd left. Bulls fell back and then beside him,
swallowing him in their power. It was hard not to follow his instincts
here. He wanted to run, to be free, but not at the expense of his mate’s
life.

He thrashed his head violently to the right side, taking out a large

brown bull. The bull wasn’t harmed, but he was slowed down. He met
Corey’s horns violently with his own. Hard heads connected and
Corey pushed against the earth. He wanted to protect Ryder’s much-
smaller, fragile human body. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing
his lover. Not like this.

Corey didn’t recognize the bulls but that didn’t mean they weren’t

shapeshifters like him. He knew he had only lived in a small part of
the world, and he hadn’t really seen the rest of it before he’d decided
to go out and find his mate. He was limited to his small experience on
the ranch and at the rodeos he’d visited. And just because they
couldn’t speak also didn’t mean they didn’t understand what they
were doing.

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101

Anger flooded his blood. His heartbeat thundered like his heart.

He stomped the ground and kicked at the beast in front of him before
realizing this bull was only a distraction. The rest of the herd was still
going after Ryder.

He ran, but it was too late. He saw the back of Ryder’s head as he

was thrown up in the air. He lost all control in flight. He turned in the
air and flew fifteen feet. He came down hard, but managed to get to
his feet before a bull struck again with the horns.

Damn it. They are trying to kill him.
Red blanketed his sight. He heard Ryder scream and then soft

grunts as the bulls kicked and stomped on him. Corey ran to his side,
covering him with his own body. Ryder remained lifeless beneath
him, but Corey didn’t care. This was his mate—his reason for living.
He would protect Ryder until his dying breath. He snorted at the other
bulls and they seemed to respect him enough to stay away, but one
big bull mottled with brown spots charged.

Corey moved off the body just quick enough to make sure his own

legs didn’t crush Ryder’s chest. He had no safety gear on, nothing to
protect him. He didn’t see blood, but if he was conscious, Ryder
would be running, or something. As it was, Corey couldn’t tell
whether he was just bruised and battered or dead.

The other bull locked horns and pushed against his body mass.

Corey didn’t back down. He rammed against the other bull’s horns
and knocked him to the side. He reared up on his hind legs and
slashed at his eyes with his sharp hooves. The other bull tried to gore
him with his horns and the blows glanced off Corey’s leather chest.
The other bull saw his opening and took advantage, charging Ryder
on the ground. He was going to kill him.

Corey knew this in his heart and he was prepared to do anything

to stop him. His heart stopped momentarily from the pain he felt
witnessing his lover get trampled and tossed around on the horns.
Then a horn speared through Ryder’s leg and blood covered the bull’s
white horns.

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Corey ran to his side and put his head down, aiming for the other

bull’s heart. He knocked his horn into the chest, and felt it jab into
soft flesh, crush bone, and impale inside the stomach of the fighting
bull. He twisted his head, using his horns as weapons to mangle the
insides of the other bull. The big bull fell from the open wounds on
his chest and Corey pulled his horn free.

No one else dared charge him.
Corey was breathing heavily after the life-and-death battle. They

wouldn’t dare. He’d just established he was the dominant bull in this
field and he would kill anyone who dared to attack his mate. He stood
over Ryder’s body, tensely waiting as an oversized guard dog.

When the cowboys came riding horses with lassos, he still refused

to move until all the other bulls had been dealt with. Once there was
no more danger, he allowed them to pull the noose on his neck away
from the body of his lover.

He wished he could transform. He wished he could sit at his side

at the hospital and pray for his recovery, but he knew he couldn’t
shapeshift with so many onlookers. There were at least a dozen
cowboys circled around him. If he shifted now, it would be letting his
secret out and exposing shapeshifters to the world. He had enough
loyalty he couldn’t do it.

No, instead he would bide his time, wait until tonight when there

was no one looking and then shift back to his human form and look
for his lover again.

One face caught his attention. He saw him just outside the ring of

bystanders. No, but that was impossible.

Felix was back at the ranch. Why would he be here of all places?
Unless Felix had come here for him?

* * * *

Much later, Corey was still stuck in his bull form but he had

unavoidably been captured and led back to the paddocks.

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103

Unfortunately there had been a string of bystanders and onlookers and
he couldn’t change back to being human without witnesses.

Corey was stuck here until they either found his nonexistent

owner or he bided his time to escape when no one was looking. He
thought he was in the clear when hours passed and the caretaker
seemed to grow more lax in his attention. Until Felix came strutting
down to his enclosure.

“You can stop looking for the owner. The bull is mine. Sorry he

escaped my trailer when I was letting him out to exercise,” Felix
explained.

The rodeo had been looking for the owner of the lone bull in the

field since they’d originally found Corey. Corey had wondered if
Felix would try and claim him. He wondered why he took his time to
try and claim him at all. Was he waiting for some of the initial chaos
to wear off, but before it was too slow for Corey to try and escape?
He knew many other people may try to claim him. Corey was worth a
lot of money as a rodeo bull, or as a steak dinner.

The guy handling the bulls looked skeptical. He seemed to

recognize what Corey was, and it wasn’t an ordinary bull. “Can you
prove it’s yours?”

Corey instinctively understood this was a group of another

shapeshifter family like his, but he still couldn’t break the rules and
speak. He couldn’t defend himself and he couldn’t go after his mate in
his bull form, but having Felix claim he belonged to him couldn’t be
good and he understood the man was only helping himself. Not him.

Corey moved nervously in his pen back and forth in the small

confined area.

“Yeah, he’s been used by my ranch for bull riding for years now.

You’ve heard of the Lovegrass Ranch?”

“So what? Where’s your brand? I don’t see it on him and that

means he could be anybody’s bull. He could have come from a local
farm, but he killed my bull. And if he belongs to you, then you owe
me what he was worth.”

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“And how much would that be?” Felix asked.
“Twenty thousand dollars and an apology.” The cowboy’s straight

face stared, unblinking.

“I’m sorry he died. I noticed from the first time I saw your bull he

was a noble animal. Do you take checks?” Felix pulled out his
checkbook from a back pocket and clicked the back end of his
retractable pen.

“Sure,” he said, not really looking placated, but that apology was

uncaring and just empty words.

Corey was completely dumbfounded.
What the fuck? Is everyone crazy around here? The world

shouldn’t be made better because of a big bankbook. Corey was
furious. The cowboy knew Felix wasn’t his owner. He knew it in his
heart. Unfortunately, Corey couldn’t say anything because he was
stuck in the body of a bull.

“I’m going to need your help branding him, so I won’t lose him

again. Can you help me do that too?” Felix eyed the cowboy warily.

Corey charged the bars imprisoning. He dared them to try

branding him. The cowboy looked at him warily and had enough
brains in his head to look scared. “He’s a big bull. Make that check
for an extra thousand.”

Felix nodded, scribbled on the paper, and then ripped the check

out of the book and handed it to the cowboy. The cowboy looked at it
as if it might burn up in his hands and then folded it and put it away in
his shirt pocket.

“You can come back later, when you have the brand.”
Felix smiled, and he pulled a long metal stick out of his jacket

pocket. He shared the mark of three Xs circled, to Corey as if he was
taunting him. Corey recognized the symbol. It would be heated up to
become a fire stick or placed in dry ice to burn his skin. Felix gave a
devilish smile his way as if he wasn’t talking to the cowboy at all, but
him instead. “I just happen to have one right here.”

One-Night Rodeo

105

He may have to suffer through this indignity but he vowed Felix

wouldn’t live long. He didn’t know if his mate was still alive, but he
had heard others chattering about Ryder being brought to the local
hospital. He hoped Ryder was still alive but he understood the odds
were not in his favor. If he could bide his time until he was alone,
then he could escape and grab some clothes and go to his lover’s side.

Corey was going to kill Felix if he ever got the opportunity.

Somehow, he knew the bull attack was not an accident and this was
all an evil plan. There were too many coincidences.

“Well, it will take a little while to build a fire.”
“Okay, let’s do this thing.” Felix smiled like the devil.
Corey remained in a daze as he watched the rest of the events

unfold. Nothing felt real or right. It wasn’t until he felt the iron hot
brand searing his skin that he woke up from his nightmare and
realized he wasn’t dead. Corey was now officially an outcast, and
properly marked as one. He wouldn’t be going back home now. He
would never be going back to the Lovegrass Ranch.

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Chapter Nine

Corey shifted back, naked and muddy and pissed.
He had to wait forever to shift and even as late at night as it was,

there were still cowboys he’d had to avoid. Luckily for him, they
were too drunk to notice Corey. It took him a while to round up some
clothes. He ended up borrowing some from Ryder’s RV and packed
up his truck to drive to the hospital.

Ryder had been admitted to the hospital, but after asking a few

questions, Corey found out he was doing much better than when he’d
last seen him unconscious. It was a huge relief. That image of Ryder
lying lifeless in the dirt had haunted him all day long and he’d
worried about him nonstop since his mate had been trampled. The
hospital had admitted Ryder for observation overnight since he had a
concussion, but he was in the regular room on the medical and
surgery floor.

Corey stopped at the nursing station and asked the red-haired

woman sitting behind the desk if he could see his friend. “I’m looking
for Ryder Hurley’s room. I need to see him.”

“I’m sorry, visiting hours are over. Can you come back in the

morning?”

Corey let out a long sigh, and felt his chest walls begin to cave in

on his heart. It was too painful being separated this long from his
lover.

“I won’t wake him up, but I need to see that he’s okay.”
“Are you family?”
“He’s my lover.” Corey’s voice broke as he spoke.

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107

She blew out her breath slowly, seemingly moved by Corey’s

emotional plea. “People have been in and out of the room all
afternoon. Your friend is quite popular.”

“I am sorry I couldn’t come until now.”
The woman’s face softened and her lipstick-covered lips tilted up

in a smile. “Look, I am not supposed to do this, but I understand he
means a lot to you. Just try to let him get some rest.”

“Thank you so much.”
“The doctor is hopeful to release him as soon as tomorrow, but for

now you can see Mr. Hurley in room 225. There is a chair by the bed,
and if you want a pillow or a blanket just let me know.”

“Thank you again. I can’t tell you what this means to me,” Corey

said. His face lit in wide smile before he turned to find the room. A
few steps down the hall and he was standing in front of the door. He
pushed it open and saw inside the dark room Ryder lying in bed with
a gentle rise and fall of his chest.

Careful not to wake him, Corey slipped inside and closed the

door. He used the ambient light from the full moon outside the
window to find his way next to him. Ryder looked incredibly restful
lying in bed. The white sheets were pulled up high on his chest and he
couldn’t see the extent of Ryder’s wounds, but Corey refused to give
into the desire to uncover him and see that his lover was safe and
sound. The nurse had said as much, but he really wanted to see for
himself.

Corey sat down next to the bed and reached out to touch Ryder’s

hand.

Ryder stirred and Corey held his hand tighter. A few minutes

passed and he sensed Ryder’s breathing changed. “Corey? Is that
you?”

“Yeah, it’s me Corey. I’m here for you, my mate.” Corey

immediately felt relieved to hear him speak. It was like a heavy
weight lifted off his heart. Everything was going to be okay. Ryder

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was safe and they were finally together. “I’ll be here as long as you
need me.”

Ryder sighed deeply. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never again, Ryder. Never again.” Corey brought the back of his

knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. His only thoughts were to
protect Ryder and bring him home. Somehow, they could make this
work.

One-Night Rodeo

109

Epilogue

Six months later…

The sex was better than ever. Corey liked to fuck a lot, and he

woke up with a hard-on ready to go most every morning. He liked
fucking, and he liked fucking often.

Ryder considered himself a very lucky man.
He felt his dick grow hard nestled between Corey’s butt cheeks as

he lay there spooning with his mate. He never imagined being so
happy with anyone, but now that he had experienced this level of
love, he would never give up. Corey was a good man with a good
heart and a sexy body Ryder would never get tired of. Corey was an
attentive and ardent lover, too.

Ryder may never understand what it was that he’d given up. He

imagined that leaving the herd was the hardest thing Corey ever had
to do, but there was probably more to it than he said. Ryder thought
there were times his lover insisted on keeping secrets. Like when he
remained closemouthed about the burn on his ass. It was remarkably
like a brand, but who would do such a cruel thing to Corey? Corey
refused to talk about it, insisting it was nothing, so Ryder was forced
to leave the hot topic alone. There were other things that were much
more important they’d had to change over the last few months.

Corey had done quite a bit researching on the Internet and found

some of the other outcast members of his herd and others had
gathered in a small Southern town in Texas. They were building a
new community that welcomed both shapeshifters and their human
mates. The small town was set in a valley that they called Cattlemen

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Missy Lyons

Valley. Three months ago, they’d traveled there and met some of the
people to confirm their suspicions. They met many happy families,
and were warmly welcomed. One man showed them a small three-
bedroom fixer-upper he had inherited. It wasn’t much, but it was in a
new community where they could start over and Corey could receive
the medical help he would need when he got pregnant. Ryder sold his
place in Pleasanton and together they moved to start their new family.

Numbers provided safety for both Corey and Ryder.
Ryder could be separated and killed off by his new enemies too

easily. He didn’t care. He’d give up anything and everything for his
lover.

“Mmm,” Corey murmured.
“I was wondering when you would finally wake up.” Ryder licked

his lover’s neck and blew on the wet skin. His lips and teeth slid over
Ryder’s sensitive skin in a light caress. Ryder shivered when he felt
his lover reach for his dick and cover it with his hand.

“Come here and give me some of that morning sausage, mate.”
Ryder chuckled softly. “Stop that. You’re making me hungry.”
“You can eat me,” Corey suggested.
“I could do that, or I could just give you what you want. We could

just start the morning off with a good solid round of fucking. I’d like
to be on top this time.” Ryder pressed his cock into Corey’s ass
cheeks. Corey had him trained to respond to his touch with an instant
hard-on. Having him near, smelling his masculine scent, meant sexual
fruition, and just listening to his erotically charged voice made him
groan out in pleasure.

“Go for it, baby. Fuck me real good.”
Ryder reached for the lube at the side of his bed and generously

spread it on his cock and used his fingers to apply it generously to
Corey’s ass. He used his sense of touch to feel his way home. He
massaged Corey’s tight entrance until he relaxed and was stretched
open with a few fingers. Corey gracefully slid inside his lover. Lust
consumed him. Impatience drove him home in deep, powerful thrusts.

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111

“Yeah, baby. Fuck me. Just. Like. That.” Corey seemed frantic to

complete their union.

“Fuck, you have me coming already.” Ryder moaned, his cock

raging inside of his mate, throbbing, thrusting, and pumping until the
storm inside of him abated. The tempest of emotions and lust crested
into a powerful orgasm. Rocked by his emotions and the power of his
orgasm, he exploded inside of his mate. His cock gave one last thrust
and hot seed filled Corey’s ass.

Ecstasy crushed them both.
They lay panting in the sunlight streaming in from the window of

their bedroom, recovering from the early-morning fucking. It was a
wonderful way to start the day.

“Fuck, I love you.” Corey sighed.
“You love to fuck me.” Ryder laughed.
“I think about fucking you night and day, but that’s not what I

meant. I love you. My heart is complete with you in my life.”

“I am so lucky to have such a sensitive guy for a mate. I love you

too, sweetie.” Ryder brushed his hand over his lover’s beard on his
chin. He closed his eyes and his body trembled against his lover.

Corey softened in his arms. Ryder felt his lover’s body grow less

tense.

“I have some news to tell you. I wanted to be sure first and went

to see the town’s doctor to confirm it. I’ve never been pregnant before
so I didn’t know the signs to look for.”

“Are you kidding me?”
“No. Doc Peterson says I am about one month along so we can

expect a full-grown baby boy to be delivered in about eight months.
It’s still early but uh, yeah, we’re going to be parents. You’ll make
such a good daddy, Ryder,” Corey said bashfully.

“Oh my God!”
“How do you feel about being a daddy?”
“On top of the world. I’m ecstatic!”
“So you’re happy?”

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“Yeah. You make me so proud to call you my mate. I can’t wait to

hold your baby in my arms. I still don’t understand how. I mean how
can you deliver a baby? Does it come out through your ass?”

“Actually, the births are not as dangerous as a human birth. When

I find my mate, every five years or so, my body tries to go into heat. It
wants to reproduce and have a baby. The bull shifters are
androgynous. We have the ability to take on the characteristics we
need to have the child and carry him in our body. It actually is born
much like a kangaroo works.”

“I don’t get it.”
“Babies are actually born out of our dicks, but they are so tiny we

barely notice. In three months’ time, it comes out as a tiny birth, and
then it moves into an outer pouch where it will continue to grow. I
actually grow a third nipple inside of it and our child will stay there
until it no longer needs to be nursed or it’s too big to fit, and then the
outer womb just kind of disappears when it’s no longer needed.”

“That’s crazy.” Ryder was trying to wrap his mind around all the

information he was given. His shapeshifter lover wasn’t as human as
he looked on the outside, but he wouldn’t take him any other way. He
loved him—horns and all.

“Do you feel this?” Corey held Ryder’s hand to his stomach. He

could feel a small bump and it may have been his imagination but he
may have felt a line where the pouch would be in another month or
so. “Your son is already growing inside of me.”

“Oh, baby, I love you so much right now.” Ryder vowed to give

his son the best life possible. It would be free of prejudice and evil.
He would protect him until the day he died. “And our baby too.”

“Those are just the words I needed to hear. I have to admit I was

worried about this.”

“But we talked about the possibility of you getting pregnant

before. You shouldn’t be nervous.”

One-Night Rodeo

113

“I was still afraid of how you might handle becoming a daddy. It

means change, sacrifice, and I was afraid you might not be happy
about it all.”

“On the contrary. I couldn’t be more happy. You made me a

daddy. No one else on the planet is as lucky as I am right now. Thank
you, baby.” Ryder kissed his lover.

Corey groaned, and his eyes turned a shade darker, clouded with

lust. “I love you. I know this child is going to have the best life it can,
because there aren’t two other parents on the planet who would love
him more.”

Since they’d first met, they had an intense need for each other,

even when they didn’t recognize each other as mates, but they could
only be happy together. They’d found their happiness in each other’s
arms and created a new life with their love.

Their future together had never looked brighter.

THE END

WWW.MISSYLYONS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Missy Lyons was one of four girls born in Santa Maria,

California. She grew up along the beach and back in the country,
catching lizards and climbing trees. No one knew she would grow up
to have such a romantic heart from the tomboy she was as a child. She
is currently trying to be a city girl living with her family in Nashville,
Tennessee. She has a very full house, with a sheep in the front yard,
two very active border collies, two chickens, and one slightly spastic
cat, who lives up to his namesake Spaz on a daily basis.

Missy loves to write romance almost as much as she loves to read

it. Her heroines are always strong women that can stand up for
themselves. She is a multi-genre author ranging from contemporary
romance to fantasy. Her favorite genre to write is paranormal
romances. From dragons to international terrorists, her work is
inspired by fairy tales and daydreams taken over by yummy alpha
men.

For all titles by Missy Lyons, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/missy-lyons

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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