Glenn Stormy Julians Happy Place121213 0157

Aberdeen Pack 2

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal was just trying to do his duty as beta of his pack when he
made one small mistake, and now he has a pack member chasing

after him, intent on mating him. If Djal doesn’t figure out how to
stop Julian’s obsession with him, he just might strangle the man.

Julian has lived through hell, more so than most people know.

When freedom comes, Julian is still faced with people out to harm
him. The mere sight of the big, strong beta makes Julian feel

safer. One night spent together convinces Julian that Djal would
be the perfect mate. He just has to catch Djal first.

When Djal discovers that someone is abusing Julian, the protective
streak he tried so hard to control breaks free. It goes way beyond

what Djal knows he should feel for a mere pack member, and only
by giving in to Julian can Djal come to terms with the need
growing inside of him. But before Djal can save Julian, he has to

figure out who is after him, and Julian isn’t talking.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifters
Length: 43,944 words

JULIAN’S HAPPY PLACE

Aberdeen Pack 2

Stormy Glenn

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

JULIAN’S HAPPY PLACE
Copyright © 2013 by Stormy Glenn
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-261-6

First E-book Publication: January 2013

Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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JULIAN’S HAPPY PLACE

Aberdeen Pack 2

STORMY GLENN

Chapter 1

Djal slipped around the side of the house then pressed his large

body back against the large, two-story, wooden building. He closed
his eyes and prayed when he heard the quick patter of feet running
past his hiding position. He opened his eyes a moment later and held
his breath as he watched Julian hurry past him as if he was invisible.

And he wished he was.
This thing with Julian was really getting out of hand. If the man

wasn’t trying to chase Djal down, he was staring mooneyes at him.
Djal had barely had a minute to himself in two weeks. If something
didn’t change soon, Djal was going to strangle the little guy.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like Julian, because he did. Julian was

cute, and he made Djal laugh. But every time Julian looked at him, he
had daydreams in his eyes, and that just wasn’t who Djal was. He
didn’t sleep with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that came around, but
he liked keeping his options open.

Julian wanted commitment. He wanted a mate, and he wanted

Djal to be that mate. Everyone knew it. Djal felt like he had become
the butt of everyone’s laughter over the last two weeks. And just
because he had tried to comfort the guy after he had been kidnapped
and attacked by his ex.

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Djal knew he made a mistake when he offered comfort to the man.

He knew it when he did it. It should have simply been the beta of the
pack—Djal—comforting a pack member—Julian—as was his duty.

It had turned into far more, and now Djal was paying the price. It

had gotten to the point where he was avoiding pack gatherings just so
that he wouldn’t run into Julian. The guy was sweet, maybe too sweet.
There was a gentle nature about Julian that called to every protective
instinct Djal had and maybe a few he didn’t even know he had.

Djal wanted to wrap Julian up in bubble wrap so the world

couldn’t hurt him. And that was dangerous—to Djal, to Julian, and to
the pack. Djal had no doubt that if he gave into the crawling need that
ate away at him every time he smelled Julian’s alluring scent, he
would forsake everything in order to keep the man safe, even his duty
to his alpha and their pack.

And in all of the years that he knew Alpha Iben Khenti, Djal had

never let the man down. He wasn’t about to start now, and that meant
staying as far away from his cute little pack mate as he possibly
could—no matter how much he wanted to taste Julian’s sweetness
again.

When the sounds of Julian’s footsteps faded, Djal blew out a

frustrated breath and pushed himself away from the side of the house.
He cast a quick glance down the path Julian had taken and then
hurried it into the alpha house.

Djal wanted to sink into a hole the moment he closed the door

behind him and realized that Iben and his mate, Zack, were in the
great room, staring right at him with a good deal of amusement on
their faces.

“Problems, Djal?” Iben’s eyebrow quirked as the man asked a

question he already knew the answer to.

Djal curled back his upper lip as he growled at his alpha. He was

probably one of the few people in the world that could get away with
such an action without losing his head. Iben had befriended Djal and

Julian’s Happy Place

his siblings, Sissy and Rory, when they were toddlers. They had stood
side by side in support of the man ever since.

“I swear to god, Iben,” Djal grumbled as he pushed a hand

through his long hair in frustration and stalked into the great room, “if
something isn’t done about Julian pretty soon, I’m going to flip the
hell out.”

Iben laughed. “He likes you.”
“He’s obsessed!” What part of that didn’t Iben get? Taking a

deep, unsteady breath, he stepped back from his alpha and lowered his
tone. Iben would have his butt in a sling if he was disrespectful. “He
won’t leave me alone, Iben. He follows me everywhere. I can’t get a
moment alone.”

“Would it be so bad to be with Julian? He’s actually a pretty great

guy.”

Djal’s eyes snapped to Zackary Evans, the mate to Alpha Ibenré

Khenti. Zack was crazy about Iben, and protective as hell. He saw his
duty to the alpha to keep him safe and happy. He would never
understand the need Djal had to keep all of his pack safe. It was
ingrained in him, part of his very DNA. He could no more deny his
need than he could deny his pack or an order from his alpha.

“My duty is to Iben and this pack,” Djal replied. “I don’t have

time for a mate.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you slept with

Julian.”

Djal’s eyes narrowed. While he hadn’t come right and said he

slept with Julian, pretty much everyone knew he had. Djal wasn’t
proud of that fact simply because he had been trying to comfort the
guy, not fuck him into the mattress.

But one thing had led to another, and things happened.
“It was a onetime thing,” Djal insisted.
“Does Julian know that?” Zack asked.
“I told him.” And he still felt the weight of his guilt at the tears

that had sprung to Julian’s eyes when he did. But, no matter how he

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felt, Djal couldn’t back down. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be the mate
that Julian was dreaming of.

There was just no way.
“Then maybe you need to tell him again,” Iben said, “because I

don’t think he gets it.”

Djal’s shoulders slumped under the stress that zipped through his

body at the idea of talking to Julian again. He really did like the man.
There wasn’t a mean bone in Julian’s body, and after everything he
had gone through with his ex and the last alpha of the Aberdeen pack,
Djal didn’t want to add to the man’s heartache.

“Can’t you say something to him?” Djal asked Iben hopefully.
“Oh hell, no!” Iben snorted. “You’re not going to duck your duty

that easily. You’re the man that slept with Julian and put those ideas
in his head. You’re going to be the one to break the news to him.”

“I never put those ideas in Julian’s head. I told him it was just a

onetime thing. I swear I did. I told him I could never be his mate
before we even slept together.” Exasperated, Djal tossed his hand into
the air. “Hell, I never even meant to sleep with Julian. It just kind of
happened. I was only trying to comfort him as any good beta would
do. I never meant for it to go any further than that but…”

Djal’s words trailed off when he noticed Iben shaking his head

frantically. Djal swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a presence at his
back. He winced, knowing who he would see even before he turned
around.

Julian was standing just inside the door, staring at him with his

pale liquid green eyes so filled with hurt and betrayal that Djal wished
he had never said anything at all, either to Julian or Iben. He felt like
he had just drowned someone’s puppy.

“Julian, I—”
“Do you really mean that?” Julian’s voice was so soft that it was

almost a whisper.

Djal knew he was the biggest fucking asshole in the history of

assholes, but he refused to lie to Julian and support the man’s

Julian’s Happy Place

fantasies. “Julian, you knew it was just a onetime thing. I never made
you any promises.”

Julian’s body seemed to shudder with the force of the shaky

breath he inhaled. “No, you didn’t but I thought—” Julian swallowed
hard and dropped his eyes. His hands fisted at his sides. “I guess it
doesn’t matter what I thought.”

Yep.
Grade A asshole.
“Julian—”
Julian’s fingers trembled as he raised his hand. “No, it’s okay. I

get it.” Julian’s eyes lifted but only as far as Djal’s chest as if the man
couldn’t look Djal in the eyes. His jaw clenched for a moment and
then loosened. “I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused
you, Beta Djal. It will not happen again.”

Djal frowned at the formal way that Julian addressed him, liking it

just about as much as he liked being dismissed. And that was exactly
what Julian was doing—dismissing Djal as if by his very words he
could put distance between them and returned them to simply being
beta and pack member instead of two men that had shared an
unbelievable night of passion—one Djal would never forget.

“I never meant to hurt you, Julian.” If nothing else, Djal wanted

Julian to know that. Hurting the man had not been his intention at all.
In fact, it had been the farthest thing from his mind, which was how
they ended up in this situation in the first place.

“No, you’re a good beta,” Julian said as he backed up toward the

front door. “You would never intentionally hurt any member of the
pack. I know that.”

Julian slowly raised his eyes to meet Djal’s, and the look in them

sucked the air right out of Djal’s chest. There wasn’t sadness or
betrayal or even hurt. There was nothing, not a sign that the man was
even alive. If Julian hadn’t been standing solidly right in front of Djal,
he would have thought the man was a ghost.

Stormy Glenn

“Julian,” Djal said as he started toward the man, every instinct in

his body screaming at him to not let the man walk out the door.

“Thank you for your understanding in this matter,” Julian said.

“My behavior was uncalled for, and I ask your forgiveness.”

Djal’s frown deepened when Julian’s speech continued to be so

formal. He knew that wasn’t the way the man usually talked, and he
didn’t like it one damn bit.

It wasn’t Julian.
Despite the horrors that he had experienced with his ex and the

former alpha of the pack, Julian was funny and bouncy and full of
life. The solemn figure standing in front of him was a pale version of
the man Djal knew.

He was a pale version of the man Djal had been so attracted to.
“Julian—”
Julian’s smile was weak and so out of place that Djal’s jaw

dropped in shock. “I won’t bother you again, Beta Djal.”

Julian was out the door and gone before Djal had barely registered

that he had moved. Djal took a step toward the door, intent on going
after the man and finding out what in the hell was going on with him,
only to be stopped by the strong voice of his alpha.

“Let him go, Djal.”
Djal growled, clenching his hands as he spun around to glare at

Iben. “Julian needs—”

“Julian needs you to let him hold on to the last bit of dignity that

he has,” Iben said. There was a bit of sadness in Iben’s eyes as he
glanced past Djal toward the still-open doorway. “He knows now that
you won’t be his mate, but you need to give him time to accept it.”

Djal waved an angry hand back toward the open doorway. “That

wasn’t Julian. That was—”

“That was a man that has finally realized the dreams he had will

never be realized.” Iben sighed deeply and leaned back against his
own mate as if needing the contact. “He’s giving you exactly what
you wanted, Djal. He’s leaving you alone.”

Julian’s Happy Place

True, except now that it had happened, Djal wasn’t so sure that

was what he wanted. The haunted look in Julian’s green eyes lingered
in Djal’s mind long after he walked upstairs and went to stare out his
window. There was something in them, a deep anguish that ate at
Djal’s soul.

It made Djal wonder if being alone was really what he wanted or

just what he thought was his duty. Even after he climbed into bed that
night, all Djal could do was lay there and stare at the ceiling, the
sadness on Julian’s face keeping him from sleeping.

When the sun came up the next morning, Djal was still awake. He

had thought about Julian all night long, unable to pry the man’s
troubled green eyes out of his mind. He remembered how vivid they
had been that one night they had spent together. They had sparkled
like emeralds, full of passion and life. Just before Julian had dashed
out the door of the alpha house, his green eyes had been a mere
shadow of what they once were, pale and lifeless.

Maybe that was what worried Djal more than anything. All of the

usual life and happiness that made Julian who he was seemed to have
been sucked right out of him. He was a pale imitation of the man Djal
had felt such passion for.

And that meant it was Djal’s fault. He was to blame for Julian’s

change of attitude. There was a part of Djal—a strong part—that
wished he had never given into his attraction to Julian and fucked
him.

There was another part of Djal—a voice in the back of his head—

that said he was lying to himself when he said he wanted nothing to
do with Julian. That single night that they had spent together still
lingered in his mind, playing over and over again and fueling his late-
night fantasies.

Julian was a dream in bed. His gorgeous body was muscled as if

the man worked out regularly but not so much that Djal felt like he
was holding a muscle-bound goon in his arms. Julian was just strong
enough to make Djal work for what he wanted.

Stormy Glenn

And the way he had reacted to Djal’s every touch was amazing.

No one in Djal’s past had ever been so responsive. Every little groan
that had fallen from Julian’s lush lips and stretch of his body had told
Djal that Julian loved what Djal did to him.

It had been a heady feeling knowing he could bring the man that

much pleasure, so much that Julian had begged. Djal knew he’d be
lying to himself yet again if he said he didn’t want to experience that
again.

He just didn’t want the entanglements that went along with that. If

he approached Julian for another night of pleasure, the man would
want a commitment for sure. And that was just something that Djal
couldn’t give him. He had a duty to his alpha and his pack, and both
needed to come before any desires that Djal felt—not matter how
strong they were.

Djal sighed as he climbed out of bed and started his day. He had a

lot of work ahead of him. The pack still needed a lot of work after the
previous alpha had screwed it up so badly. Thoughts of Julian only
muddled his brain. He needed to get his mind off of Julian for a
while—at least until he figured out a way to approach Julian without
the man thinking Djal wanted a relationship with him.

Because it was never going to happen.

Julian’s Happy Place

Chapter 2

Julian could hear the low voices as he walked through the crowd.

He knew people were talking about him. Sure, everyone was friendly
enough and smiled at him when he looked in their direction, but the
moment he turned away, the whispers started up again.

He realized that none of this was the pack’s fault. He had brought

this on himself with his unwarranted fixation on Djal. He had made a
fool of himself in front of the alpha, the pack, and more importantly,
in front of Djal.

He must have been out of his mind to think that the powerful beta

would even look in his direction, let alone mate him. Julian had just
been so overwhelmed by the man’s strength, the steadfast way he
performed his duties to the alpha and the pack.

There was a band of steel ingrained in Djal that drew Julian to

him. After the hell he had lived through when he was forced by Alpha
Dawson to mate Frank, the strength in Djal represented safety. Giving
into the desire Julian had seen in Djal’s brown eyes had been an easy
exchange for the man’s protection.

Except that protection had only been temporary and now Julian

found himself without someone to keep him safe. He had already
received more than one invitation to fool around from other pack
members. Julian had turned each and every one of them down, but he
didn’t think they were going to stop asking. And he was pretty sure
that sooner or later someone wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Stormy Glenn

Julian still had nightmares almost every night about Frank passing

him around to his buddies. Most of them had left with Frank when
Alpha Iben had taken over, but there were a few left in the pack.

And Julian lived in fear of them coming for him. He knew it

would happen eventually. Already, he could see one or two of them
looking at him as if they were imagining what they would do to him
once they got him alone. Some were nice, but most seemed to enjoy
inflicting as much pain in Julian as they possibly could.

And that was why he had pursued Djal so adamantly. He needed

Djal, needed his strength and protection. Julian would have given
anything to spend one night without fear, without watching his door,
terrified that someone was going to break in and abuse him again.

But Djal had made it more than clear that he wanted nothing to do

with Julian, and he had done it in front of the alpha. The words Djal
had spoken could never be taken back. Julian was on his own.

And now, on top of everything else, Julian was the laughingstock

of the pack. Everyone knew that the beta had rejected him. They had
watched Julian’s pursuit of the man, and they had watched Djal run
from him time and time again. Hell, the alpha and his mate had been
witness to Julian’s most humiliating moment.

Julian could have lived with the entire pack laughing at him if he

hadn’t seen the pity in Djal’s eyes when the man rejected him. Djal
wasn’t infatuated with him like Julian had hoped. He felt sorry for
Julian instead.

Julian swallowed hard as he plastered a weak smile on his face,

hoping that no one could see through his false play at bravado. He
might try and ignore the twitters of amusement at his expense, but he
didn’t want anyone to know how much they really hurt.

Julian smiled and pretended that he didn’t hear people when they

called out to him. He quickly made his way to the refreshment stand
that had been set up and grabbed a bottle of water then carried it off to
a stand of trees at the back of the crowd.

Julian’s Happy Place

He leaned back against the trunk of the tree, scooting farther and

farther around it until he was almost hidden from view. He wished
more than anything that he could have just stayed home and missed
this pack meeting, but it was mandatory. The alpha wanted to speak to
all of the entire pack.

Iben had been good for the pack. In the weeks since he had taken

over, the alpha had made changes to the pack rules that would not
only bring families back together but bring new members in.

The pack no longer lived in fear, afraid to meet their mate let

alone mate them. The laughter of children, wolf and human, rang out
from every corner of the village. People had smiles on their faces
when they went to work. They waved to each other without the fear
that they would be singled out by the old alpha and punished as an
example to the pack.

The pack was happy for the first time in years, thriving under

Alpha Iben’s protection and guidance. Julian knew that Djal had a lot
to do with that, and it was one of the reasons he was so taken with the
man.

Djal only wanted what was best for the pack—even Julian. And

maybe that was what made Julian the saddest. Djal really did want
what was best for him except what Djal thought was the best for him
was probably going to get Julian killed.

“Julian.”
Julian inhaled sharply, the air he breathed in giving his lungs no

relief. He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment and wished that he
was anywhere except where he was. But knowing that wish wouldn’t
be answered just like none of his others had, Julian opened his eyes
and turned to look at the man standing behind him.

“Beta Djal,” he said softly, the words feeling thick and heavy in

his mouth.

“I’ve been looking for you.”
Julian didn’t even acknowledge the quickening of his pulse at

Djal’s words. It would do him no good. Djal wasn’t looking for him

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for the reasons Julian wanted, and he knew it. “I’m sorry. If I had
known, I would have presented myself.”

“I’m worried about you, Julian.”
Julian almost laughed—almost. Hysterical laughter was building

up in his throat, and only by swallowing several times before he spoke
was he able to keep the horrid sounds to himself. He didn’t think he
would be able to handle his humiliation if Djal knew just how upset
he was.

“I’m fine.”
Or as fine as he was ever going to get.
Djal leaned against the trunk of the tree next to him and rubbed

his hand down his face. A deep sigh raised his chest, drawing Julian’s
eyes. He almost whimpered as he distinctly remembered how wide
that chest was, how strong, and how it felt to curl up against all the
glorious muscles rippling under Djal’s black shirt.

He hadn’t had nightmares that night.
“I really am sorry that you got the wrong impression, Julian.”
Julian’s eyes snapped up to meet Djal’s. He could see the concern

in Djal’s eyes. It was tinged with a heavy guilt, and Julian realized
that Djal really was sorry. He was making a concentrated effort to
make things right.

While Julian knew that nothing Djal did could ever make things

right, he didn’t want the beta to feel guilty for rejecting him. Djal
couldn’t choose who he was attracted to, and despite their one night
together, Julian knew that Djal was not attracted to him.

It was as simple as that.
Djal didn’t want Julian.
As much as that made Julian’s heart ache, he understood it. From

experience, Julian knew that most of the men that were interested in
him only wanted one thing. If he gave to them, they usually left him
alone. If he refused, they took it anyway.

The men that didn’t want Julian were the ones that were looking

for mates, and apparently they were looking for something in their

Julian’s Happy Place

mates that Julian was obviously lacking. He had never been able to
figure out what that special something was, but he knew he didn’t
have it. If he had, maybe men other than those like Frank would have
been interested in him.

Julian let a smile slide across his lips. He didn’t feel happy. In

fact, he felt no joy at all. There wasn’t even an ounce of happiness
inside of him. That had all been used up years ago. But he felt a need
to take Djal’s guilt away. There was no reason that the man should
feel bad because he didn’t want Julian.

It wasn’t Djal’s fault.
There was something wrong with Julian, something broken inside

of him that made him unattractive to men that were good. Julian could
see that now. The only men that seemed to want him were the ones
that wanted to abuse him.

Julian’s nostrils flared when his eyes started to burn with the need

to shed tears. He inhaled slowly and deeply before speaking. “I
appreciate your concern, Beta Djal, but I am fine.”

Djal practically rolled his eyes as if he had expected that answer

from Julian. “Look, this is hard for me. That night we spent together
was great, but—”

“Please, say no more.” Julian quickly held up his hand to keep

Djal from saying more. He didn’t think he could stand to hear another
word. “I understand that I read things wrong. I saw what I wanted to
see. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I’ll get over
it.”

“Julian—”
“You have nothing to feel guilty over, Beta Djal, so please, just let

it go.” Please.

Djal’s eyes narrowed to tiny little slits, and Julian saw a flash of

anger in their brown depths. “If I have nothing to feel guilty over,
then why do you keep calling me Beta Djal instead of just Djal? I
thought we were friends, Julian.”

Stormy Glenn

They would never be friends. Julian’s heart couldn’t take it. He

couldn’t pretend to be Djal’s friend when he wanted more from the
man. They would be pack members and occasionally associate
together at pack functions, but there could never be more than that
between them, and Julian knew it.

“I think it’s best if we keep our association to that of pack

members.” Julian allowed his smiled to broaden, hoping that Djal
couldn’t read the sorrow in his eyes.

Djal was silent for a moment, staring at Julian so hard that he felt

like the man could see right down into his soul. Julian just had no idea
what the man saw.

“If that’s what you want, Julian,” Djal finally said.
It wasn’t what Julian wanted, not by a long shot, but it was the

way things had to be. Djal didn’t want him, and as hard as it was for
Julian to accept, he had to give up on his dream of having Djal and
move on with his life.

He had even been entertaining the idea of asking to be transferred

to another pack. Julian didn’t think he could spend the rest of his life
seeing Djal day in and day out, knowing that the man he wanted saw
something lacking in him. It was already tearing Julian’s soul apart.
As time went by, it would slowly destroy him.

“Despite what happened,” Djal continued, “I hope you know that

you can come to me if you ever need anything. You are still a member
of this pack, and I am the beta. I care about what happens to you.”

“I know.” Julian turned away before Djal could see the tears he

was unable to keep locked behind his eyelids. “Thank you,” he
whispered before hurrying off. He knew he was supposed to stay for
the pack meeting, but the need to run and hide, to lick his wounds in
private was stronger than his need to stay.

Julian ran toward the woods, taking a shortcut through the trees

that led to his house. It was quicker than taking the path from the pack
gathering park. That way went past several houses, and Julian wanted
avoid running into anyone.

Julian’s Happy Place

Julian almost cried out in relief when his old wooden house came

into view. It wasn’t much, but it was his. It just had two bedrooms, a
single bath, and a main room that held the kitchen, breakfast nook,
and the living room. It didn’t even have a regular fireplace but an
ancient woodstove instead. Julian spent hours chopping wood to heat
the small house.

The house had belonged to his parents before they passed away

several years ago. His mother had died at his birth. His father had died
of a broken heart, hanging on just long enough for Julian to graduate
from high school and be able to take care of himself. But he had
mourned Julian’s mother every day until he took his last breath.

As much as it pained Julian to watch his father fade with each

passing day, the devotion the man had toward his missing mate was
the basis for everything Julian believed in. That was the type of
mating he wanted, craved.

It was what he had wanted with Djal.
Julian’s steps slowed as he reached the large front porch. It went

the entire length of the front of the house and overlooked Aberdeen
Lake. Julian had fond memories of sitting on the porch with his father
in the evenings and listening to his father regale him with stories of
his mother and wonderful she was. Every word was spoken with love
and fondness.

Julian sat down on the top step and gazed out over the crystal

clear lake. He missed his father. He missed his mother even though he
had never known her. After listening to his father’s stories most of his
life, Julian felt like she had been right beside him each day he had
grown up.

Things hadn’t been the same since his father passed away, and

Julian wondered if they ever would be. Not even a week after he had
buried his father, Alpha Dawson had informed him that he was to be
mated to Frank. Julian had argued, but that had just earned him a
beating. Frank had added to his bruises their first night together, and
most nights since then.

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Julian had only felt his first trickle of freedom when Alpha Iben

freed him from Frank. Even being kidnapped by Frank and beaten up
again hadn’t been able to take that sense of liberty away from him.

And then Frank was dead, killed by Alpha Iben for kidnapping

Julian. That gave Julian a sense of relief he hadn’t felt in years. He
was finally able to make his own choices in life. It just sucked that his
first one had gone so horribly wrong.

Julian sighed deeply with resignation and climbed to his feet.

Feeling sorry for himself wasn’t going to change anything. His life
was what it was. If he couldn’t learn to let Djal go, then he would go
to Alpha Iben and request a transfer to another pack. The alpha said
that he wouldn’t keep anyone in the pack that didn’t want to be there.
Julian was sure that Alpha Iben would let him go if he asked.

Until then, Julian would just have to avoid Djal and pray that the

man avoided him. He had certainly been doing a damn good job at it
over the last couple of weeks. Julian saw no reason that it should
change now.

Julian’s heart was heavy as he opened his door, but it was also

filled with a new purpose. If he wasn’t going to find the love that his
parents shared, then there had to be something else out there for him.
Julian just needed to find it.

Julian froze with his hand on the door handle when a new scent

reached his nose, one that didn’t belong in his house, and one that was
horribly familiar. Fear grabbed a hold of Julian and stole the air from
his lungs as he turned and saw the man sitting in the recliner by the
living room window—a man Julian had prayed he’d never see again.

“Shut the door, boy.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Chapter 3

“Have you seen Julian?” Djal asked as he walked up to stand

beside Iben. It had been over a week since Djal had confronted Julian
at the pack meeting, and he hadn’t seen the man since. While Julian
had told him not to worry, Djal couldn’t help but wonder how the
man was doing.

Iben frowned and glanced out over the crowd gathered. It wasn’t a

mandatory meeting, but the pack had started gathering every Saturday
afternoon for a potluck in the park—the same park that had been built
where Alpha Dawson’s house used to stand. It was a great way for the
pack to mingle and get better associated with each other, something
that had been sorely lacking when Alpha Dawson had been in charge.

“Now that you mention it,” Iben said, “I haven’t seen Julian in a

few days.”

Djal felt a growl start to build in his throat. He didn’t like that. He

didn’t like that at all. Djal got it that Julian might be avoiding him
considering the situation, but he shouldn’t be avoiding his alpha or his
pack.

And he wouldn’t unless there was something wrong.
“I’m going to go check on him.”
Djal started to move away, intent on heading straight to Julian’s

house, when he felt a hand on his arm. He pressed his lips together to
keep from snarling at Iben, knowing that his alpha was going to try
and stop him.

“Iben—”
“He’s right over there.”

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Djal followed the direction Iben was pointing, and this time he

couldn’t suppress the deep growl that had been growing inside of him.
It came out low and lethal, warning anyone within hearing range that
the beta of the pack was enraged.

Julian was so pale he looked like a ghost. His skin was practically

translucent—except for the dark-purple bruise barely hidden by the
fall of Julian’s bangs. And it was obvious that Julian was trying to
hide it. His head tilted down, and he kept drawing his hair forward to
cover his cheek.

“Now, Djal, don’t—”
Djal turned on Iben, unable to withhold his snarl even from the

man he respected above all others. He saw the surprise in Iben’s wide
eyes as the alpha released him and raised his hand up as if showing
that he wasn’t going to stop Djal.

“Don’t do anything that you’ll regret later, Djal.” Iben’s eyes

turned to Julian again, a small frown marring his forehead. “This is
hard enough on Julian. Don’t make it worse.”

“I’m not going to make it worse,” Djal snapped. “I’m doing my

duty to a pack member. I’m going to find out who is hurting Julian.”

Djal didn’t wait for Iben to say another word. He kept Julian’s

slight form in his vision as he stalked the man across the park. As
soon as he reached Julian’s side, he gently grabbed the man by the
arm and started pulling him off to the side of the crowd where they
could speak in private.

Djal didn’t miss the way that Julian winced when he moved or the

slight limp in his walk. He didn’t even miss the way that Julian’s eyes
frantically flittered around as if looking for something or someone.

He just escorted Julian to the trees on the far side of the park then

turned to rake his eyes up and down the man’s body, assessing him
for damage—and there seemed to be a lot of it. Besides the major
purpling on Julian’s face, there were fading bruises around his neck
and on his wrists. Djal was pretty sure if he stripped Julian naked, he
would find more.

Julian’s Happy Place

Julian had obviously been beaten, and Djal wanted to know who

had done it because he was going to kill the bastard.

“Who did this to you, Julian?”
“I fell,” Julian whispered.
Djal’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “You what?”
Julian’s eyes dropped away from Djal’s, but not before he saw the

shame in them. “I fell.”

“Bullshit!” Julian was lying through his teeth, and they both knew

it. Djal just didn’t understand why Julian was lying. Didn’t the man
understand that Djal would protect him? “Falling doesn’t leave
fingerprint bruises on your throat, Julian. Try again.”

“No, really,” Julian said. He started twisting his fingers together,

staring down at them. “I fell. That’s all.”

Djal’s eyes narrowed. He reached out for Julian, pausing with his

hand in the air an inch from Julian’s face when the man flinched back
from him. That made Djal even more positive that someone was
hurting the man.

“Julian,” Djal said softer, hoping a calmer voice would get

through to the man, “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth.”

Julian’s big, pale-green eyes flickered up to meet Djal’s for a

moment. They filled with tears and something Djal thought was
desperation. But he looked away before Djal could be sure.

“I am telling the truth,” Julian whispered as he went back to

looking at his hands. “I fell.”

“Julian—”
“Can I go now, Beta Djal?”
Djal clamped his mouth together, nodding and letting the man go

against his better judgment. The need to coddle Julian and hide him
away from the world, protecting him, was riding Djal hard. But if the
man didn’t want his help, there was nothing Djal could do.

As he watched Julian hurry off into the woods, heading toward his

house once again, Djal knew that there might be nothing he could do,
but there was something that his alpha could do. Iben would be

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incensed if he knew that one of his pack members was suffering. He
would move heaven and earth to help Julian.

And if that was the only way that Djal could protect the man, then

so be it.

Djal watched until Julian vanished into the trees then turned and

made his way back to Iben. He couldn’t keep his hands from
clenching as rage turned his vision monochrome. It meant his wolf
wasn’t far from the surface, waiting to strike out at whatever the
threat was to Julian.

That wasn’t a good sign.
If Djal lost control of his wolf, a lot of people could be hurt. He

was a strong wolf. Not as strong or even as big as Iben was, but then
no one was as powerful as Iben Khenti. But Djal was strong enough.

“Julian is in trouble,” Djal said as soon as he reached Iben’s side.

“He won’t admit it, but someone is beating him. He has bruises all
over, including fingerprint-size contusions around his throat.”

Iben stiffened, indignation instantly filling his dark eyes as Djal

knew it would. Iben was a good alpha and cared for every member of
their pack. Iben’s gaze snapped to the trees where Julian had
disappeared.

“Did he tell you who was hurting him?”
Djal curled his lip as renewed anger burned through him at the lie

that had fallen so easily from Julian’s lips. “He said he fell. He’s
lying.”

Iben’s head swung around, the alpha’s deep, piercing eyes drilling

into him. “Are you sure he’s lying? Could you be seeing something
that isn’t there?”

“I know what I saw, Iben,” Djal snapped. “Someone is hurting

Julian, and if you won’t do something about it, I will.”

“Djal, calm down. Losing control of your wolf isn’t going to help

Julian.”

Djal drew in a shaky breath and did his level best to calm himself.

He had no choice. Iben was using his alpha voice, something every

Julian’s Happy Place

pack member was bound to obey. It wasn’t often that Iben used his
alpha voice on Djal, hardly ever in fact. Djal could probably count all
of the times on one hand. But if Iben felt the need to use that
authoritative voice, Djal knew he must have really looked like he was
about to lose it.

“My apologies, Iben. My concern for Julian is getting the better of

me.”

“I know, my friend.” Iben smiled as he patted Djal’s muscled arm.

“I need to stay here and keep watch over the pack in case this is
bigger than just Julian, and we both know that Zack won’t leave my
side.”

Everyone knew that. Zack considered his first duty to take care of

Iben. The pack and everyone else came after the small alpha. Despite
the fact that Iben could wipe the floor with just about anyone, Zack
was very protective of his mate.

“Go find out what you can and report back to me immediately. If

you find out who is doing this, do not engage them without reporting
to me first unless your life or Julian’s is in danger. I want to know
what we’re dealing with before we act.”

Djal frowned as he considered Iben’s words. He had been so

worried about Julian that he never considered that there might be
more going on here than just someone beating the shit out of the little
pack member.

“Do you think someone is invading our territory?”
Iben looked thoughtful, a frown creasing his forehead for a

moment before he shook his head. “No, not really. I don’t believe
Julian would lie about someone trying to hurt the entire pack. He
would warn us if the pack was in danger. I think this is just about him.
But it never hurts to be cautious.”

There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. Djal nodded

respectfully to Iben. “Stay near Zack. I’ll be back.”

“Call me if you need me, Djal.”

Stormy Glenn

Djal nodded again then started across the park toward the same

tree line Julian had walked through. He didn’t take Iben’s words as a
hit against his abilities but rather the alpha’s way of telling him that
he was a vital member of the pack.

Iben knew he could take care of himself, probably more than

anyone did. They had been fighting side by side for more than a
century. Iben was completely aware of the fact that Djal was a
dangerous and lethal fighter when he needed to be.

Despite the fact that Iben was a stronger and more powerful wolf,

Djal usually took on any challengers that they ran into. As strong as
his wolf was, it was hard for Iben to control him. In a fight, his wolf
was without mercy. It was easier for both of them if Djal acted as the
muscle most of the time.

Djal made his way through the thick forest between Julian’s house

and the pack park. As he neared Julian’s house, he slowed and
scanned the surrounding area for signs of intruders. Part of him hoped
that this was just something happening to Julian, and part of him
hoped it was an all-out attack on the pack.

Either way, Julian was still the one being hurt. But option number

one didn’t give Djal much wiggle room to take his anger out on
someone. Option number two put him in the position of having to
protect his entire pack, and that meant he could let go of the leash he
had on his wolf.

The little wooden house was nestled in the trees not far from the

edge of the lake. Due to the use of natural wood on the outside of the
building, it was well hidden in the foliage created by the forest.

There didn’t seem to be anything out of place, but Djal couldn’t

be sure. He had never had an occasion to visit Julian’s home before.
He wouldn’t know what was out of place and what wasn’t.

Still, he didn’t smell anything wrong in the air when he lifted his

nose up and sniffed. There was a faint scent that was vaguely familiar,
but it didn’t raise any flags for Djal. He could only assume that it was

Julian’s Happy Place

the fading scent of another pack member. Otherwise, his wolf would
be biting and clawing to get out and protect pack territory.

Djal could smell Julian, though, and he knew that the smaller man

had recently passed by this way. The closer to the house he got, the
stronger the scent of Julian’s fear became. Djal followed the putrid
odor right up to the front door, his frown deepening with cold fury
with every step he took.

Julian was terrified.
He could smell it.
Djal debated on whether or not to knock on the front door, but a

small whimper from inside decided it for him. He turned the door
handle, pushing his body against the heavy wood when the door
wouldn’t open right away.

The door flew open under his weight, and Djal stumbled inside. It

took two seconds to scan the room and take everything in. It took one
second for Djal to lose control of his wolf when he saw the bloodied
form huddled on the floor in the corner of the living room.

Djal roared, giving voice to the rage ripping his restraint away.

His howl was so loud that the windows shuddered. Even at this
distance, he knew that his alpha would hear him and come to his aid.

Djal didn’t even feel his feet move until he found himself standing

beside the injured wolf. The whimper that fell from Julian’s wolf
when Djal knelt down beside him tore at Djal’s soul. Julian was hurt,
and he was terrified. Even the wolf wasn’t sure who he could trust.
Djal could see it in the wild-eyed look that wolf gave him.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Julian,” Djal said as calmly as he

could. His eyes moved to the thick wooden handle sticking out of
Julian’s side. He slowly reached for it, his eyes flickering between the
knife and Julian’s face. “I have to get the knife out of you so that you
can shift and heal.”

Djal’s heart thudded heavily as he wrapped his fingers around the

handle of the knife. He laid his other hand on Julian’s side, digging

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his fingers into the wolf’s soft brown fur. His brows drew together in
an agonized expression as he yanked the knife out and tossed it away.

Julian whimpered but didn’t move. It was a testament to how

injured he really was, and it made Djal’s heart ache. If Julian had been
just a little hurt, he would have shifted right away to start the healing
process. Only wolves that were severely injured stayed in wolf form.
It took a lot of energy to shift, and an injured wolf needed all of it to
heal.

“Julian, I have to stop the bleeding.” Djal hoped that Julian was

somewhere inside the wild eyes that stared back at him. The knife
wound was bleeding profusely, and it had to be stopped before Julian
bled out. Djal didn’t know what other injuries Julian had, but that was
the one that worried him the most at the moment.

Djal quickly stripped off his clothes then shifted into his wolf

form. He started at the knife wound, licking away the blood and then
working directly onto the jagged tear made by the knife blade until it
began to close.

Wolf-shifters had a curative salve in their saliva that helped with

healing. Djal hoped to be able to heal enough of Julian that the man
could shift back into his human form, and then continue to heal from
there.

Djal continued to lick Julian’s furry body with his long tongue. He

found another smaller knife wound higher up on Julian’s body, near
his shoulder. Besides the knife wounds, there were several deep
scratches and abrasions. Each mark made Djal’s anger grow until he
could barely keep his anger under control.

Once he was sure he had licked every wound on Julian’s body,

Djal shifted back to his human form and got dressed. He quickly
looked around until his eyes fell on a blanket draped over the back of
the couch. Djal grabbed it and spread it out over the wolf’s body from
neck to tail.

“I’ve got you, pup,” Djal said softly when Julian whined. He

gathered the wolf up in his arms and held the small form close to his

Julian’s Happy Place

chest. “You’re safe now, Julian. No one is going to hurt you, not
while I’m around.”

Djal heard the front door start to creak open. He stiffened and

clutched Julian to his chest, a low growl emitting from his throat until
he saw Iben and Zack step through the doorway. Djal waited for his
anger to subside in the presence of his alpha, but, much to his shock,
it didn’t.

When Iben stepped forward, Djal couldn’t suppress the small

snarl that escaped from his lips. He wasn’t sure who was more
surprised, him or Iben. He had never growled at his alpha before, not
in true anger.

And that was exactly what he was feeling—anger.
He was enraged that someone would dare to lay a hand on

someone as sweet and gentle as Julian. The man should have been one
of the most protected members of the pack. Instead, someone had
been allowed to abuse him in ways Djal still didn’t want to
contemplate.

Djal had seen the injuries, the bruises and red teeth marks that had

marred the man’s perfect pale skin. Julian’s body looked like
someone had used him as a chew toy, whipping boy, and—No!

Djal didn’t want to think about what else had been done to Julian.

He wasn’t ready to go there even if he subconsciously acknowledged
that it had happened. He’d deal with that anger when he was alone,
somewhere that Julian couldn’t see his rage.

The man didn’t need it.
“He’s alive?” Iben asked, his eyes taking in every bit of the

blanket-covered wolf in Djal’s arms.

“Barely,” Djal growled. He nodded his head toward the knife he

had tossed away after pulling it from Julian’s side. “Whoever did this,
tried to kill him, Iben. I found that knife embedded in his side, and
that was only one of his injuries.”

Djal felt something close to grief well up in his throat as he looked

down at the wolf he held. This was his fault as surely as if he had

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delivered each blow himself. Julian needed someone to care for him
and keep him safe, and Djal had run, only thinking of his own
freedom. He might as well have placed Julian directly in the path of
his abuser.

“He’s been brutalized, Iben,” Djal whispered when louder words

escaped him.

Julian was awake. Djal could feel it in the stiffness of his body.

He just wasn’t moving or making any noises. Djal didn’t know if that
was because he was in so much pain or because others were in the
room. But he did know he needed to get Julian somewhere safe.

“I’m going to take him back to the house and get him settled.”
“Why don’t you let me do that while you and Zack search around

here?” Iben held out his arms as he stepped toward Djal and Julian.

Two things happened at once.
Djal gave a low threatening growl as his arms tightened around

Julian, refusing to give the care of the man up even to his alpha. The
second thing that happened was one that stripped the last of Djal’s
restraint from him.

Julian shifted.
It wasn’t the blink-of-an-eye shift like Djal was used to but one

that was painful to watch. Julian’s wolf howled with anguish as the
fur on his body began to ripple and recede until firm, smooth skin was
revealed. Bones crackled as they reshaped themselves.

Djal suddenly found himself holding a naked man wrapped in a

blanket instead of a furry wolf. His grip on Julian almost slipped
when a tear-stained face turned up toward him, and green eyes filled
with pain silently begged Djal not to let go.

“I’ll take him,” Djal said in a voice so fierce that even he was

surprised.

“All right, Djal,” Iben said slowly as he stepped back hesitantly.

“Zack and I will stay here and see what we can find out. If Julian feels
up to talking, though, I want to know who did this. I need to know
just how much danger the pack is in.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal swallowed hard and nodded even though he was unable to

take his eyes off of Julian’s face. “I’ll talk to him.”

Stormy Glenn

Chapter 4

Julian didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to stay wrapped in

Djal’s arms for the rest of his days. It was the safest he had felt in
longer than he could remember. Every single inch of his body ached
in some manner, and he just wanted to close his eyes and rest right
where he was.

He couldn’t believe, after everything that had happened—

including the way he had lied to the beta—that he was currently being
carried toward the alpha house by Djal. It almost seemed surreal.

Maybe it was.
Maybe he had taken one too many hits to the head and was even

now floating in his happy place. Julian knew that it wouldn’t last
forever. At some point, he would wake up and have to face reality.
But until that happened, he was going to soak in every moment of
being held by the big beta.

“Can you talk to me, Julian?” Djal asked softly. “Can you tell me

what happened? Who did this to you?”

Julian frantically clutched at Djal’s shirt, burying his face in the

soft cotton fabric. He didn’t want the outside world to come into his
bubble. He didn’t want to talk about what had been done to him, let
alone face it.

“Shh, it’s okay, pup,” Djal said. Julian almost purred when he felt

Djal lift him up and rub his cheek over the top of Julian’s head. It was
a comforting gesture, and Julian soaked it up like a sponge. “You
don’t have to say anything if you don’t feel up to it.”

Julian didn’t feel up to it. He doubted he ever would. He didn’t

even want to think of the nightmare his world had turned into over the

Julian’s Happy Place

last week. Julian had thought that part of his life was over when Frank
died.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Frank Biggins had nothing on his brother, Martin, in the cruelty

department. Martin was a master at it. He derived pleasure from
inflicting as much pain on his victims as he possible could, the more
sadistic the better.

And Martin was still out there somewhere, waiting. Julian could

feel hairs on his arms stand up, and he knew Martin was watching
him from the woods. Martin wouldn’t leave until Julian was under his
mercy again or dead, whichever came first. Julian could only hope
that he died before Martin got a hold of him again.

Martin had been pissed when he returned to the house and

discovered that Julian had slipped out to go to the pack gathering. He
had been waiting for Julian when he returned. The beating Julian
received was over in the blink of an eye even if it felt like it had
dragged on for hours.

Martin had been waiting just inside the house. He had slammed

his big beefy fist into the side of Julian’s head as he walked through
the door. That had been enough to make Julian groggy. The rest of
what had happened had been a blur.

Martin had smelled Djal on Julian, and he had been pissed. Martin

pulled a knife and threatened to go after Djal. He had screamed and
yelled at Julian, telling Julian that he belonged to Martin just as he
belonged to Frank. Martin wasn’t going to let anyone, not even the
pack beta, take Julian away from him—even if he had to kill Djal.

Fear for Djal had spurred Julian to do what he had been unable to

do for himself. He had shifted and attacked Martin, determined to
keep the man from going after Djal. The beta had done nothing but
show concern for Julian. He didn’t deserve to die for his actions.

The knife that Martin had driven into his side had put a quick stop

to Julian’s rebellion. If Djal hadn’t shown up when he did, Julian was
positive it would have put a stop to his ability to breathe as well. He

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couldn’t shift with the knife in his side, and he had no way to pull the
knife out while in wolf form. He would have just laid there until he
slowly bled out.

The arrival of Djal had saved him, but for how long? Martin was

determined, and Julian knew it. The man wouldn’t give up until he
had Julian in his clutches again. And Julian would rather die than go
back to Martin.

He just had to figure out a way to keep away from him and protect

Djal because Julian had no doubt whatsoever that Martin was going to
go after the man. He had smelled Djal on Julian and saw the man as a
threat to what he believed belonged to him.

“He’s watching us,” Julian murmured against the salty skin of

Djal’s throat. He didn’t want to speak louder in case Martin was close
enough to hear his words. “He’s out there watching us right now.”

“I know, pup,” Djal replied, hiding the gesture by rubbing his face

in Julian’s hair. “I can feel him.”

A shaky sob escaped Julian’s throat. Only the feeling of Djal’s

arms tightening around him kept Julian from falling apart the rest of
the way. He was holding on to his sanity by a thread—a very thin
thread.

The need to shift into his wolf and run as fast and as far as he

could was riding him hard. His wolf was better able to protect him
than his human form. He was weak as a human, small and not strong
enough to keep Martin from hurting him. His wolf wasn’t strong
enough either, but at least he might have a chance if he was furry.

If nothing else, he could bite Martin and leave his own marks on

the man. He’d leave one for every bite mark Martin had left on him.
The man seemed to derive great pleasure in restraining Julian and
biting him. He did it in both human and wolf form, as if the red marks
he left somehow gave him rights to Julian.

Julian knew as much as the next wolf how a mating happened.

There was a lot of biting involved. But Julian also knew that both
wolves had to accept the mating in order for the bond to form. If one

Julian’s Happy Place

of the wolves didn’t want the mating, no amount of biting would
make it happen.

And that might have been what angered Martin so much that he

did the despicable things he did. No matter what Martin had done to
him, Julian refused the mate bond between them. He knew what a
bond was supposed to be, and he wouldn’t accept anything less—even
if it meant he had to be alone for the rest of his life.

“Who is he, Julian?” Djal asked, drawing Julian out of his

thoughts.

Julian nuzzled his face deeper into the crook of Djal’s neck,

positive that the comfort the man offered him would be taken away
when the beta learned of his shame. He just wanted a moment more to
glory in the feeling of Djal’s arms wrapped around him before he
spoke the words that would destroy his world.

“Julian?” Djal’s voice was so lethally controlled that Julian knew

the man was fighting the hard edge of his anger. Djal raised his hand
to cup Julian’s cheek, to make him turn and look at him. “I need to
know what we’re up against so I can protect you.”

Julian froze at the lack of compassion in Djal’s deep raspy tone.

The beta was pissed, far more than Julian had ever heard him. He
slowly raised his eyes to look up into the man’s face, shocked by the
barely controlled rage he could see burning in Djal’s deep-brown
eyes.

“Martin Biggins,” Julian whispered in a voice so quiet it was less

than a whisper.

The corner of Djal’s lip lifted, flashing a wicked sharp canine as a

rumbled snarl vibrated in his chest. “And just who is Martin
Biggins?”

“Frank’s brother.” Even as he spoke, a strange sense of dread

whispered through his mind. He could see the questions ready to burst
from Djal’s lips, the need the man had to discover all that had
happened to Julian. But there were some secrets he could never speak

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of, secrets he wasn’t even ready to allow himself to acknowledge let
alone share with another breathing person.

The sudden stiffening of Djal’s body was the only indication

Julian got that something was wrong before they both crashed to the
ground. Djal pushed Julian away as he turned to fight the wolf that
was attacking them.

Julian rolled several feet away before he was able to stop himself.

When he turned over to see what was going on, Djal was in wolf
form, both wolves in an all-out war for dominance. Julian knew
immediately who had attacked them. He would never forget the pale-
gray fur of Martin’s wolf. It was a color that routinely held a spotlight
in his nightmares.

Julian shook off the blanket and shifted into his wolf form. It took

a moment, longer than he was usually used to, but less time than it
had the last time he had done it. He was slowly healing but not fast
enough.

The way that Djal and Martin were rolling around on the ground

and tearing into each other, Julian knew that he would just be a
hindrance if he tried to interfere. But there was something he could do
to help Djal.

Julian took off running toward his house, his paws digging into

the dirt with the force of his stride. He howled as loud and as often as
he could while he ran, hoping that his alpha would hear him.

Just as Julian broke through the trees near his house, Alpha Iben

came running out of Julian’s house in wolf form, leaping off the porch
and tearing through the yard toward Julian. A smaller, black wolf ran
behind the alpha.

Julian heard the alpha’s loud, enraged howl and knew that the

man could feel the violence hanging heavy in the air. Before Alpha
Iben could reach him, Julian spun around and started running back
toward the scene of the battle. He could hear the alpha’s heavy steps
pounding into the ground behind him and knew that the man had
merely slowed his steps to keep even pace with Julian.

Julian’s Happy Place

Alpha Iben could have outrun him in a heartbeat.
And the moment the two fighting wolves came into view, the

alpha did outrun Julian, quickly moving ahead of him to join in the
fight. Julian tried to keep up, but the alpha’s mate nipped at his
shoulder, steering him away from the fight.

Julian snapped his teeth at Zack, trying to tell the man to leave

him alone. He needed to check on Djal and make sure that the beta
was okay. Julian received a swift bite to his hip for his
insubordination.

He lowered his head close to the ground and growled at Zack. The

alpha mate just barked and moved in front of him, telling Julian in no
uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to be allowed to join the fight.

Julian continued to growl and snap his teeth at Zack as he paced

frantically back and forth. He could see the three wolves fighting just
beyond Zack. Martin was slowly losing the fight, but he was doing a
lot of damage in the meantime. Djal was limping, favoring one of his
front paws. Dark-red blood matted his dark fur.

Iben had a few bloody spots on his fur as well, but he seemed to

be in better shape than Djal. He was slowly pushing Djal back as he
took on their adversary more and more, gaining the upper hand in the
battle.

When Djal howled and slumped back on the ground, Julian yipped

and pushed past Zack to get to him. He was surprised when Zack
offered no resistance, but not enough to stop from running to Djal’s
side.

Julian whimpered as he started sniffing Djal, licking at his injuries

so that they would begin to heal. For his part, Djal just laid there and
allowed Julian to administer to him. His chest rose and fell with his
rapid breathing, only slowing after several moments.

When Djal finally shifted back to his human form, Julian whined

low in his throat at the bruises and scratches he could see on the
man’s muscled body. None of this would have happened if not for
him. He was the whole reason that Djal was injured.

Stormy Glenn

Julian whimpered again and started to back away. It was just

better if he left. Martin would follow him, and Djal would be safe.
The beta was a big wolf, a strong wolf, but even he wasn’t powerful
enough to fight Martin’s evilness. Leaving was the only thing Julian
could see to do. It was the only way to keep Djal safe.

“I’m okay, pup,” Djal said as he leaned back on one hand and

rubbed a particularly dark bruise on his leg with the other one.
“Thanks for getting the alpha for me. That was quick thinking.”

There was no fear or panic in the look that Julian gave Djal, even

if he felt the faint tremors of terror building deep within his skin. His
heart was breaking all over again, and this time he only had himself to
blame. He wasn’t just broken. He was a disease, infecting everyone
around him.

He should have learned that lesson when Frank tried to kill Alpha

Iben. Julian had just been too relieved that Frank was dead, and he
was finally free to see how damaging his presence really was. It was
obvious with every ragged breath that Djal drew in that Julian was
nothing but a danger to those he cared about.

Julian backed away another few steps, moving slowly in case Djal

noticed he was leaving and tried to stop him. The beta would feel a
responsibility to him as a member of the pack. And while Julian
wanted that protection, he wanted something more from the big man,
something that would never be his.

No, it was just better this way, for all of them. Julian would leave,

and Martin would follow him. And Djal could go back to being the
beta without having to worry about Julian or Julian’s insane obsession
with the man.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” Djal snapped as he raised

his head and pinned Julian with his eyes.

Crap!
Julian spun around and ran. He could hear Djal yelling after him,

ordering him to come back. For the first time in his life, Julian
ignored the commands of his beta and just kept right on running.

Julian’s Happy Place

He avoided his house, knowing that would be the first place

anyone looked for him—including Martin. Instead, Julian headed for
the trees on the far side of the lake. If he could reach the bottom of the
mountain, he could lose himself in the forest that ran thick all of the
way up to the snow-capped tips.

In his wolf form, he could hide on the mountain for days. His fur

would keep him warm on the cold nights, and he could hunt, feeding
himself. He wouldn’t have to stay up on the mountain too long.
People would stop searching for him soon enough—if they searched
for him at all. As much as the pack members laughed at him, they
probably wouldn’t care if he disappeared.

Julian didn’t know how far he had run when his strength finally

gave out on him, and he sank to the ground beneath the branches of a
large pine tree. The pine needles stuck into his fur but gave him some
protection against the cold ground.

Julian flopped onto his side and closed his eyes, just breathing in

the clear mountain air. He still wasn’t fully healed from his injuries,
and the bitter cold wasn’t helping. Even in wolf form he would have
trouble regulating his body heat until his injuries healed.

He wanted to scream and rail against his fate. He had never done

anything to warrant this kind of miserable existence, and yet it was all
that he had. His pack thought him to be a laughingstock. The man he
dreamed of wanted nothing to do with him unless it was because of
the duty the beta felt for a pack member, the same duty he felt for
every pack member.

Julian didn’t stand out. He wasn’t special. Not even his parents

had deemed him special enough to stick around. His mother had left
him the moment he took his first breath as if she had just waited to
give him life before leaving. His father had died the moment Julian
was able to care for himself as if Julian wasn’t enough to keep the
man in this world.

Only people like Frank and Martin saw anything special in Julian,

and he didn’t want that kind of notice. It wasn’t worth the pain. Julian

Stormy Glenn

was so heartbroken that he considered walking farther up the
mountain to the snow where all of his problems could be taken away
in one frozen night.

He just didn’t have the energy at the moment.
Maybe tomorrow he’d go up to the snow.
As the sun began to set over the valley floor, Julian scooted

further under the protection offered by the tall pine tree. He curled
into himself and tucked his nose under his tail. He was sore, hungry,
and alone.

And those were the least of his problems.

Julian’s Happy Place

Chapter 5

Djal snapped his teeth at Sissy when she poked at him again. He

was getting damn tired of his sister’s fussing. He was fine. He had a
few scratches and bruises but nothing that wouldn’t heal with time.
He certainly wasn’t in as bad as shape as Julian had been in, and he
wasn’t alone like Julian was.

Djal was still stunned that Julian had run off. The man had even

ignored an order by his beta, something that was pretty much unheard
of. No matter how loudly he shouted, Julian had just kept right on
running until he disappeared from sight. Djal’s last glimpse of the
little brown wolf was of him fading into the trees at the edge of the
lake.

Djal knew before Zack had even returned from searching Julian’s

house that the man hadn’t gone in that direction. He wouldn’t have. It
was a stupid move and—except for this little disappearing stunt of
his—Djal didn’t think Julian was stupid.

Julian had a good head on his shoulders, and he knew how to use

it. He had gone for help instead of interfering in the fight between
Djal and Martin. That had been an incredibly smart move, and a brave
one considering the hell Julian had been through. Any other wolf that
had been beaten like Julian had would have snuck away with his tail
tucked between his legs.

But not his Julian. His Julian had—Djal inhaled sharply and sank

down onto the chair behind him as he realized what he had thought.
Saying he was stunned by the direction his brain had gone would be a
huge understatement. He was shocked so much that his legs began to
shake.

Stormy Glenn

Julian was not his. Julian was simply a pack member that Djal was

concerned about. That was all. Djal was the beta of the Aberdeen
Pack, and Julian was a member of that pack. It was his duty as the
beta to be concerned about Julian. Because he was a pack member
and Djal was the beta. That was what betas did. They were concerned
about their pack members. All of them. Even ones as gorgeous as
Julian. Because Julian was a pack member. And he was the beta.

Djal blinked slowly as he realized that his thoughts were going in

circles as he tried to rationalize the sudden—or maybe not so
sudden—obsession he had grown for Julian. Maybe this had been
where his thoughts had been going this entire time.

He could easily admit that he had been attracted to Julian since the

moment he had met the man. There was something about Julian that
drew Djal. It wasn’t his compact muscled body or sleek tanned skin,
although both made Djal drool just thinking about them and how
much he wanted to touch them again. It wasn’t even the luxurious
brown curls that seemed to frame Julian’s face and make his eyes
stand out.

It was the man’s deep-green eyes that drew Djal. They spoke

every emotion that Julian was feeling. Djal was hypnotized by them
every time he looked at Julian. Just by watching the changing tint of
green in Julian’s eyes, Djal could gauge the man’s very emotions.

When Julian was upset, his eyes darkened. When he was happy,

they were vibrant. When Julian was aroused, his green eyes sparkled
like emeralds. And when he was sad, they paled to tiny slivers of their
former glory.

Julian tried to hide so much from the world. Djal imagined that

the man had a lot to hide and a long time perfecting that hiding. From
what Djal had been able to discover from talking to Zack and other
pack members, Julian had spent almost his entire adult life under the
cruel hands of Frank Biggins. And just when Frank was gone and
Julian got his first glimpse of freedom, Martin Biggins reared his ugly
head.

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal dug his fingers into the arms of the chair as he thought about

Martin’s lucky escape. He heard the wood crack under his grip as his
anger renewed itself. It hadn’t been Iben’s fault that Martin escaped.
Iben had been distracted by Djal’s shouting at Julian long enough to
turn away, allowing Martin to flee.

A group of pack members had been rounded up and organized by

Iben before being sent out to search for Martin. It had been several
hours, and they still hadn’t returned. Djal seriously doubted that they
would ever find Martin.

The man had been hiding for too long, keeping himself separated

from the rest of the pack. Djal hadn’t even realized that Martin was a
pack member until Zack said something after the fight. He hadn’t
shown up for any of the pack meetings, and his name was
suspiciously missing from the member rolls that had been given to
Iben by the Wolf Council when he took over.

Which made Djal wonder just how many other wolves had been

left off the pack members list? How many people were out there
hiding even now? And more importantly, why? What motive could
they have for remaining off the list of pack members if they were
indeed pack members?

That was a mystery that Djal wanted to solve but not as much as

he wanted to find Julian. The man’s disappearance was weighing
heavily on him. He knew it was his fault. Julian hadn’t wanted to
answer any questions, and Djal had continued to push until Julian had
broken and blurted out who had hurt him.

Djal knew he should have kept his big mouth shut, at least until he

got Julian somewhere safe. Now, Julian was out in the darkness
somewhere, probably shivering in fear and cold. And he was all
alone.

“Damn it, Sissy,” Djal snapped as he turned to glare at his sister

when she poked him yet again. “Would you knock it off? I’m fine.”

Stormy Glenn

Sissy rolled her eyes. “You’re not fine. You have scratches all

over the place. You look like you went twenty rounds with a pissed-
off cat, and lost.”

Djal grabbed Sissy’s hand when she went to poke him again, and

pushed it away. “Enough, Sissy!”

Geez, if his sister didn’t leave him alone, he was going to strangle

her. His mind was on finding Julian, not having his boo-boos dealt
with. He was fine, a few scratches. He was not bleeding to death.

He needed to get out of there before he exploded.
Djal ran upstairs and grabbed his backpack. He always had one

packed with spare food, bottled water, and a first aid kit for
emergencies. If Julian was lost in the woods as he suspected, he
would be cold and hungry. Djal couldn’t have that. Just the thought of
Julian out there on his own made Djal grind his teeth.

He grabbed a blanket, a spare set of clothes for himself—in case

he had to shift suddenly—and one of his old shirts and a pair of
jogging pants. Julian had run off in his wolf form. He’d be naked
when he shifted back, and there was something about that idea that set
Djal’s teeth on edge. He didn’t like the idea of bringing Julian back
naked for everyone to see.

“I’m going to go look for Julian,” Djal said when everyone turned

to look at him as he jogged down the stairs. He expected someone to
try and stop him as he headed for the front door—Iben at the very
least.

The alpha had been up in arms since the fight with Martin and

Julian’s disappearance. Djal just didn’t know if Iben was more pissed
off that Julian had disappeared or by the fact that he hadn’t know
about Martin.

And frankly, Djal didn’t care. Iben could figure all of that out.

Djal’s only interest lie in finding Julian and bringing him home where
he would be safe and protected. With Martin still on the loose, Julian
was in a lot of danger.

Julian’s Happy Place

The first place Djal headed for was Julian’s house. He didn’t

expect the man to be there, but maybe there was something there that
would give him a clue as to where Julian had gone. Besides, he was
interested in seeing where Julian lived, how he lived.

Julian was still a mystery to Djal, one he wanted to solve. Julian

intrigued him. The more he discovered about Julian, the more he
wanted to know. There was something about Julian that called to Djal
on a soul-deep level. He just wished he had figured that out before he
rejected the guy. Maybe they wouldn’t be in this situation if he had.

Denying Julian had to be one of the stupidest moves he had ever

made. The man had been right there, practically begging to be
claimed, and Djal turned him away because he was afraid of being
committed to someone.

Yep.
Stupid moves.
I have them in spades.
Even if he hadn’t been ready for a mate, he shouldn’t have turned

Julian away like he had. Maybe they could have dated or something—
gotten to know each other in some way. It might have led to more. It
might not have. But at least they wouldn’t be in this sucky situation.

Djal just couldn’t figure out how to fix it.
His first instinct was to hunt Martin down and kill him so he could

never be a threat to Julian again. It would be satisfying, but it could
also get him in a shitload of trouble for killing a pack member.

Granted, he had grounds for challenging the man since he had

been attacked by Martin. And certainly the fight Martin had gotten
into with Iben could give him some leeway. Outright killing the man
as Djal wanted to do would never fly. The council would lock him
away for the rest of his life.

He just had to find a way to protect Julian, and he could only

come up with one. And it was one that he should have taken in the
first place. It would have prevented this entire situation if he had. He

Stormy Glenn

was just too damn stubborn to consider it before. Now, though, it took
center place in his mind.

Djal needed to claim Julian as his mate.
It was the only way. He would then have the right to protect Julian

as he saw fit, even take on Martin and kill him. Djal would have the
right to kill anyone that harmed Julian if they were mates.

That was just how it worked.
The door to Julian’s house was still open when Djal arrived there.

He took a quick look around outside before heading inside. He found
several footprints that he knew for a fact didn’t belong to Julian. They
were way too big. Julian had small, fine-boned feet.

Djal also found several sets of paw prints. It was obvious to him

almost immediately that Martin wasn’t the only wolf hanging around
Julian’s place. Djal couldn’t smell any other wolves, but the paw
prints were a clear indication that more than one wolf had been in the
area.

Djal’s steps were cautious as he walked into the house. He

couldn’t smell anyone else around, but that didn’t mean they weren’t
masking their scent somehow. He had seen it done before, and at this
point, Djal was ready for just about anything. Besides, there was a
sickly sour smell lingering in the air that had Djal’s hackles up.

His jaw dropped the second he stepped into the house. Julian’s

house was destroyed. There wasn’t a single piece of intact furniture in
the place. Everything had been smashed, right down to books being
torn apart. Broken chairs and the remains of what might have been a
dining table cluttered the floor. Ripped pieces of paper layered the
areas between the shattered wood.

A quick check of the rest of the house found it to be in a similar

damaged condition. Everything had been destroyed right down to the
last spoon. Djal couldn’t find anything that could be salvaged.

But the bedroom was the worst. The damage there told Djal that

he was dealing with someone that was really sick in the head. Julian’s
mattress had been totally shredded. His clothes were torn and tossed

Julian’s Happy Place

about the room. Every personal item Julian had in the room was
smashed or broken.

The word whore had been painted on the wall above Julian’s bed.

Djal didn’t even want to think about what had been used to write it.
From the putrid smell hanging in the air, he had a pretty good idea.

Whoever did this—and Djal suspected that it was Martin—had

gone out of their way to mark as much of Julian’s belongings as they
could. And they had done it in a very wolflike way. Peeing around or
on something was a territorial thing. Every wolf understood it.

Djal’s lip curled back as he grabbed his cell phone out of his

pocket and dialed Iben’s phone. He was close to a growl when Iben
finally answered. “Someone has destroyed Julian’s house and
everything in it, Iben. He’s sending a very clear message.”

“What message?” Iben asked.
“He’s marking his territory.”
“Do you think it was Martin?”
Djal’s eyes narrowed as he lifted his nose and sniffed the air. The

growl building in his chest started to come out in a low guttural
sound. “I think Martin was here and had something to do with it, but I
smell more than one wolf here.”

“Fuck me!” Iben snapped immediately.
“Not on a bet,” Djal replied just as fast.
“Djal!”
Surprise filled Djal when he felt a smile split his lips. At this

point, he had thought he was totally devoid of humor. Guess not. “I’m
heading out to find Julian. Can you get someone to come and see if
anything can be salvaged?”

Djal pressed his lips together for a moment, debating whether to

say more to his alpha. Iben wasn’t going to be happy with the
decision Djal had made concerning Julian. It wasn’t that Iben didn’t
want them together, but he was going to be pissed when he learned
Djal wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Julian was going to be his.

Stormy Glenn

“If you can salvage anything, take it to my quarters.” Djal’s

fingers tightened on the phone for a moment, indecision wavering
inside of him for a second. But thoughts of Julian out there on his own
pushed his doubts away. Julian needed him. “That’s where Julian will
be staying from now on.”

“What the hell are you—”
Djal snapped his phone closed before Iben could say more. He

knew he’d pay for that small act of insubordination when he got
home, but he wasn’t going to let Iben talk him out of the decision he
had come to.

Julian needed him, and simply being the man’s beta wasn’t going

to cut it anymore. Julian needed someone in his corner that was just
there for him, not the entire pack. As his mate, Djal could protect
Julian better than he could as his beta.

Djal looked around for a few more minutes then gave up on

finding anything that hadn’t been defiled. He would have preferred to
have some of Julian’s clothes for the man to wear, but he wasn’t
about to let anything that had been peed on touch one inch of Julian’s
skin.

It just wasn’t going to happen.
If Djal had his way, Julian would never learn of what happened to

his home. He knew that was an impossible thought, but he could wish
that it was different. Julian just didn’t need to know that someone was
so obsessed with him that they had destroyed his life.

Djal stepped out onto the porch. It was dark outside, but the moon

was nearly full and hung in the sky like a large ceiling light. Half the
valley could be seen from his vantage point. The view was beautiful,
but even more than that it gave Djal an idea of where Julian might
have gone.

The front porch looked out over the lake. Streaks of light from the

moon lit up the lake, leading like a path right to the thick forest at the
bottom of the mountains. As he looked at the silent scene, Djal had no
doubt whatsoever that the mountains were where Julian had gone.

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal grinned as he jumped off the porch and started heading

around the edge of the lake toward the base of the mountains on the
other side. He suddenly felt a lot more confident about Julian’s
location. He glanced up at the massive snow-capped mountains. “I
will find you, pup.”

By the time the sun started to come up, Djal’s confidence wasn’t

so high. He had been searching forever and, except for some paw
prints at the base of the mountain that had quickly faded, there hadn’t
been a single sign that Julian had even headed this way.

At this point, it was just something Djal felt. Something—a deep

feeling in Djal’s gut—was leading him farther up the mountainside
instead of allowing him to admit defeat and give up. Julian was out
here somewhere. Djal just knew it.

He also knew if he didn’t find Julian soon, he might never find

him. Julian would be lost forever. A little voice in the back of his
head was screaming at Djal that Julian was in a lot more trouble than
he originally thought and he needed to claim the little man as soon as
possible or lose him forever.

Djal planted his hands on his hips and looked up through the

forest, drawing in several deep breaths. The area he was standing in
was thick with pine trees and underbrush. It was also sloped, making
Djal work for every inch he climbed.

“Where are you, pup?”
Djal’s head snapped to the left when he heard a small whimper. It

had been faint, just a whisper of a sound carried on the gentle breeze
blowing through the trees. But he had heard it nonetheless. Djal
quickly scanned the surrounding area, trying to see what he might
have missed before.

“Pup?” he called out softly. “Julian? Are you here?”
Nothing.
Not a damn thing.
He might have imagined the sound, but Djal didn’t think so.

“Julian, I’m here.”

Stormy Glenn

There!
Djal stilled then narrowed his eyes as he peered into the darkness

made by the thick trees. He saw the slightest of movements, but it was
enough to gain Djal’s attention. Djal slowly moved over to sit on a
fallen log close to where he had seen the shift of pine needles. He
pulled his backpack off and set it on the ground next to the log.

He was positive that Julian was making the noise. He didn’t know

how he knew. He just did. The scent of pine and mountain air was
strong, overpowering Djal’s ability to smell Julian. He still knew that
the cute little man had made the movement he saw.

Now, he just had to convince Julian to come to him. Djal knew

that Julian had to be terrified right now and needed protection in the
worst way. He would keep Julian safe no matter what their
relationship was—mate or fellow pack members—but it would be far
easier to keep the man safe if they were mates.

In order for that to happen, Julian had to come to him. Djal felt it

down in his bones. If he tried to force Julian, he would be no better
than the men that had used and abused him for so many years out of
his life.

And Djal wanted to be different.
Djal wanted to be the man that Julian went to when he was in

trouble.

He slid off the log and started gathering twigs and leaves together

in a small pile. “I’ll bet you’re cold, aren’t you, pup?” Djal said,
hoping that Julian would listen to his words. “I know I am. While it’s
very beautiful up here, it’s also very cold. I thought I’d light a fire for
us. If you come out, you can snuggle up and get warm.”

Djal moved everything away from the small area where he was

going to make the fire just in case, and then pulled a lighter out of his
pocket. He wasn’t a smoker, but he never knew when he might need
to light something. Besides, Iben had given him the custom-designed
Zippo lighter for his birthday several years ago. It was one of his
prized possessions, one that Djal never went anywhere without.

Julian’s Happy Place

It didn’t take more than a moment for the fire to take hold and

start burning. Djal leaned over to blow on the small flames. He stilled
for a moment when he heard a rustling coming from the trees just to
the side of him. When he angled his head slightly, he could see two
pale-green eyes staring at him through the tree branches.

“Hey, pup,” Djal said softly. He almost growled in frustration

when the eyes widened and then disappeared back into the thick
foliage. At this rate, he’d never get Julian to come out to him. Djal
went back to blowing on the flames until he was sure they would not
go out.

He grabbed his backpack and unzipped it. He tossed the blanket

over the log and set the food down by the fire. The extra set of clothes
he had brought for Julian, Djal wadded up into a ball then tossed
toward the tree where Julian was.

“I know you are cold, pup. These might be a little big on you, but

they will keep you warm.” Djal knew he had made the right decision
when the clothes were suddenly pulled back into the trees and
disappeared from sight.

Djal spread the blanket out beside him and then slid down to sit on

the ground with his back pressed up against the fallen log. He twisted
the top off one of the bottles of water and took a big swig. Even as
cold as it was, the water felt wonderful as it trickled down his throat.

Djal set an unopened bottle on the edge of the blanket where

Julian could get it if he wanted it. He did the same for some of the
energy bars he brought, and then opened one for himself.

“These don’t taste the best, but they will fill you up.” Djal took a

bite and chewed slowly. He turned the package in his hand and looked
at the nutritional information written on the side. “It says it has all of
the nutrients a growing boy should need, but I prefer a big juicy steak
myself, the redder, the better.”

A grin curled up the corners of Djal’s mouth when he heard a

muffled giggle come from the trees. Julian had apparently shifted.

Stormy Glenn

Djal hoped that meant the man would come to him soon. He wanted
to see Julian with his own eyes and make sure he was okay.

“I don’t suppose you have a steak in that magic bag of yours, do

you?”

Djal paused with the energy bar halfway to his mouth when he

heard Julian’s voice speaking from behind him. After getting over the
shock that Julian was actually speaking to him, he raised the energy
bar to his mouth and took another bite, chewing to give himself time
to think.

“No, I’m afraid not,” he finally said, his voice sounding a little

strained as he fought his need to turn and look at Julian. “I do have a
first aid kit if you need it, though.”

“I’m okay.”
Djal really hated that answer. He knew Julian wasn’t okay, even if

he had started to heal from his wounds. Djal reached for the energy
bar he had set down on the blanket and held it up in the air.
“Hungry?”

“I’m starving.”
The energy bar was snagged out of Djal’s hand lightning fast. A

moment later, he heard the sound of the package ripping and then
Julian’s low moan as the man ate the food. There was something
satisfying for Djal, knowing he was providing food for Julian,
something he wasn’t ready to examine too closely yet.

Djal turned his head just enough to see Julian’s profile. Julian was

dressed in the clothes Djal had brought for him. They were huge on
him. The shirt fell almost to Julian’s knees and the jogging pants
bunched at his ankles.

Djal turned back to face the fire and patted the blanket next to

him. “Come get warm, pup.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Chapter 6

Julian stared at the space Djal was patting, hesitation and anxiety

warring inside of him for prominence. He was susceptible to Djal, and
he knew it. The man could get whatever he wanted out of Julian with
just a look. If Julian had any hope of resisting the gorgeous man, he
needed to keep his distance.

Julian knew he should leave and save himself the heartache he

knew Djal could bring him, but he was so cold and the fire looked
warm and inviting. He looked at the blanket again then at Djal.

Maybe just for a few minutes…
Julian walked around the fallen log. He felt Djal’s eyes on him

even though he refused to look directly at the man. Julian just grabbed
the edge of the blanket and pulled it to the other side of the fire. He
didn’t have to sit next to Djal to get warm.

Djal was a danger to him. Not as dangerous as Martin because

Djal didn’t wish him harm where that was all Martin wanted. Djal
was dangerous in other ways. He could make Julian forget everything
and turn him into an obsessed fool.

And Julian was tired of being a fool.
He needed to harden his heart against Djal.
“Can I have some water?” Julian asked as he slowly raised his

eyes to meet the ones he knew were staring back at him. And he was
right. Djal’s dark-brown eyes were pinned on him, staring so intently
that Julian wondered if the man could see right down into his soul.

Djal reached over and grabbed a bottle of water and rolled it

across the ground toward him. Julian quickly grabbed it and twisted
the lid off. He couldn’t keep his moan of pleasure from breaking free

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when the cool liquid went down his dry throat. He hadn’t realized he
was so damn thirsty.

“We need to talk, pup.”
Julian almost choked on the water before he could get the bottle

away from his lips. “No, we don’t,” he said as he twisted the lid back
on and set the bottle down on the blanket.

He had no intention of listening to anything Djal had to say. Julian

realized that the man was his beta, and he could very well order Julian
to listen, but he didn’t think Djal would do that to him. At least he
hoped not. Right now, he wasn’t positive about anything.

“This situation can’t continue, Julian. Martin is dangerous.”
Julian snorted. Like I don’t already know that. Djal really had no

idea how dangerous Martin really was. Julian doubted anyone did.
Martin wasn’t just dangerous, he was big and strong and crazy as
fuck.

“He’ll follow me when I leave.”
Julian realized almost immediately that he shouldn’t have said

that. It became even more apparent that he should have kept his
mouth shut when a low feral growl filled the air, making the hairs on
his arms stand up. Julian’s breath caught in his throat as he froze then
slowly raised his eyes to Djal.

“You’re not leaving,” Djal said, anger beginning to tighten his

voice.

When Djal moved, Julian scrambled back, trying to get away. The

blanket hampered his escape, tangling up in his feet. Julian yelped as
he fell back onto the hard ground. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it was
really hard ground—and cold.

Julian started shivering almost instantly.
Oh wait, that was fear.
And it came from the larger-than-life man that was suddenly

hovering over the top of him. Julian cringed and snapped his eyes
closed, turning his face to one side as he waited to be attacked.

Julian’s Happy Place

He tried to go off to that happy place he always went to when

someone attacked him, except that happy place had been filled with
images of Djal since the moment Julian met the beta. And now the
man was here in real life, leaning over the top of him.

“Are you afraid of me, pup?” Djal asked quietly from above

Julian.

Was there really a right answer to that question?
Julian could feel Djal’s warm breath blowing out against his

cheek. He knew Djal was close, way too close. He could feel the
warmth of Djal’s body pressing down on top of him, surrounding him.

A part of Julian wanted to glory in that warmth and wrap himself

up in the large beta. Another part—the saner part—wanted to run for
his life before he made an even bigger fool of himself than he already
had.

“Please,” Julian whispered desperately.
Julian whimpered when he felt Djal’s thick, callused hand curve

around the side of his face, and yet, the touch was gentle and tentative
as if Djal didn’t want to scare Julian any more than he already was.

“I won’t hurt you, pup.”
Julian slowly opened one eye just enough to peek up at Djal

through his thick eyelashes. The concern and self-recrimination on
Djal’s face confused Julian enough that he opened the other eye and
peered up at the man.

“I won’t hurt you, pup,” Djal said again. “I swear it.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
A cocky grin transformed Djal’s face, taking him from large and

imposing to amused and intriguing. “Not from me, you haven’t.”

Julian frowned in confusion. That was true enough, but Julian still

didn’t know if he should believe it. He had been made promises his
entire life, and no one had ever come through with them. Julian
believed that people made promises when it suited them and broke
them when they no longer needed them.

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When Djal’s hand lifted again, Julian jerked back, positive that he

was about to get hit. Djal paused, an angry grimace tightening his lips.
Then he slowly continued reaching for a lock of Julian’s hair that had
fallen over his forehead. Julian’s mouth almost dropped open in shock
when Djal simply brushed the hair back from his face.

“Do you know why I could never hurt you, pup?”
Djal’s words were whispered, almost silent, but Julian heard them

as if they had been shouted in his ear. He slowly but surely moved his
head from one side to the other, unable to tear his eyes away from
Djal’s.

He inhaled slowly when Djal leaned down and nuzzled his

jawline. Julian instinctively tilted his head back, baring the soft skin
of his throat to the stronger man. He gulped, trying to swallow past
the lump forming in his throat when he heard Djal inhale his scent.

“You’re going to be mine, Julian.”
Julian froze as Djal whispered the one sentence he had always

wanted to hear from the man, but the one guaranteed to make Julian
run. He snapped his eyes closed as tears gathered in them and turned
his face away again.

Djal couldn’t know how much his words hurt. Julian had to

believe that, or the dreams he had of the man would be shattered like
the rest of Julian’s dreams. The Djal he had fallen for would never be
so cruel.

Julian had to hold on to the belief as he slid his hands between his

body and Djal’s and pushed on the man’s chest. He needed to get
away, to put space between them so he could think because right now,
his mind was twirling.

He wanted to believe in Djal’s words more than he had ever

wanted anything in his life. But the man had already rejected him,
told him that there would never be anything between them. Djal
didn’t want Julian as a mate.

Julian was broken. He had accepted that. There was something

about him that turned good, decent men away from him. And Djal

Julian’s Happy Place

was a good, decent man. He didn’t want Julian. His very own words
had proven that. And no matter how much Julian wanted it—and he
did with every fiber of his being—he couldn’t accept Djal’s words as
truth.

Surprisingly, when Julian pushed on Djal’s chest, the man moved

back. Julian pushed himself up and then scrambled away, putting a
couple of feet between what he wanted more than anything in the
world and himself.

Djal was a temptation he couldn’t afford to give into.
“No,” Julian said firmly.
Djal’s eyebrows shot up as if he couldn’t conceive of the idea that

Julian was turning him down. “No?”

Julian swallowed hard and pulled his courage up from the depths

of his soul. “No,” he repeated.

“You don’t want to be mine?”
Julian wanted to be Djal’s more than he wanted to breathe. He just

couldn’t. “You don’t want me. You’ve already said that.”

“I was wrong, Julian.”
Julian cocked his head to one side, not quite sure exactly what

Djal was saying. His words were plain enough. Julian just couldn’t
understand what Djal meant by them.

And since when did a beta admit that they were wrong about

anything?

“I take my duty to Iben and our pack very seriously,” Djal said as

he settled back on his arms and crossed his legs at the ankles. “I’ve
always put them first, even when we didn’t have a pack. Iben, Sissy,
and Rory were always my first priority.”

Julian already knew that. The single-minded devotion Djal had

toward those he cared about was one of the things that had drawn
Julian to the man in the first place. Except he wanted to be the one
Djal cared about.

“I wasn’t prepared to care about someone else, Julian. I had it

stuck in my mind that my attention would be split if I took a mate,

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that I wouldn’t be able to give my full attention to my duties if I had
someone else in my life.”

That was a reasonable theory, even if it made Julian want to growl

in frustration. He clenched his hands into fists instead. “I would never
come between you and your duty.”

Djal chuckled as his eyes roamed up and down Julian’s body.

There was a glint of something starting to grow in Djal’s brown eyes
that Julian was too afraid to put definition to. “Oh yes, you would.”

“No, I—”
“You’re not even mine yet”—Djal’s eyebrow arched as if to keep

Julian from challenging his words—“but I can’t stop thinking about
you, worrying about you. Taking you for my mate will only make that
worse.”

Julian felt his forehead scrunch as he frowned and dropped his

eyes down to his hands. It sounded like Djal was trying to talk himself
out of claiming him. Julian was growing more confused with each
word that came out of Djal’s mouth.

Did the man want him or not?
“When I saw you at the gathering and figured out that something

was wrong, that someone was hurting you, I started to realize that my
concern for you was growing into something else.”

Julian tilted his head up just enough to peer at Djal through the

fall of his bangs. “So–something else?” he whispered, afraid to
hope—or even breathe.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Julian. I wanted to destroy

Martin for what he did to you. I still do. What he did should never be
done to anyone, but especially not you. You’re too special. You
deserve to have someone care about you and take care of you, not
abuse you.”

Julian was keenly aware of Djal’s scrutiny as an instant of

wistfulness stole into his expression. “You think I’m special?”

Djal pushed up off his arms, pulled his legs in to sit cross-legged,

and leaned toward Julian. “I know you’re special, pup.”

Julian’s Happy Place

“No one ever thought I was special before.” At least, not the way

Julian wanted to be special.

Djal gestured with his hand for Julian to move closer. “Come

here, pup, and bring your blanket. I want you to be warm while we
talk and I tell you why you’re so special.”

Julian hesitated for about two seconds before grabbing his blanket

and crawling over to sit next to Djal. Djal lifted him up and set him
down between his legs, Julian facing out toward the fire, then
arranged the blanket over Julian.

When Djal’s arms wrapped around him, Julian sighed and leaned

back, letting his body relax as he settled himself against Djal’s chest.
The warmth from Djal’s body instantly started to seep into Julian’s
skin, warming him more than the fire or the blanket ever could.

“Don’t ever think that you’re not special, pup, because you are.

You have more heart and caring in your little pinky than most people
have in their entire body. And anyone that can’t see that is a fool.”

Julian opened his mouth to reply, to tell Djal that he was the one

that was the fool for wanting someone that didn’t want him. He
quickly thought better of it when he felt Djal’s nose nuzzle against the
side of his face. He snapped his mouth closed and just waited.

“I was a fool, pup,” Djal continued quietly. “I know that now.

You offered me something very precious, and I tossed it away—not
because of anything you did but because I was afraid. But the
heartache I felt when I found out someone was hurting you was much
bigger than the fear I felt.”

Julian kept his eyes lowered when Djal grabbed his chin and tilted

his head to one side. He wasn’t ready to see the expression on Djal’s
face, not yet. He was too afraid that this was all a dream and one look
at Djal would take it away from him.

“I’m done being a fool, Julian.”
Julian sighed when Djal kissed the side of his neck before a soft

kiss was brushed over his cheek. Djal cradled the side of his head,

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bringing their mouths together in a gentle kiss, welcoming and
caring—something Julian’s soul could sink into.

Djal’s lips touched Julian’s like a soft whisper. He teased Julian’s

tongue into his mouth, and he sucked on it, drawing a deep moan
from Julian. He kissed Djal back, savoring every moment, afraid that
it would end.

And then it did. Julian whimpered when Djal pulled away from

him. He tried to chase after Djal’s lips but yelped in surprise when he
was suddenly lifted and swung around to straddle Djal’s lap.

Julian barely had time to draw in a breath before Djal leaned

down to recapture his lips. This time the kiss was wild, needy.
Julian’s control was shredded to pieces by the hunger he could feel in
Djal’s kiss. His heart began to beat frantically.

Djal’s hands slid down to grab Julian’s ass. Julian groaned against

Djal’s lips as he was pulled against Djal’s body and felt the press of
the man’s hard cock against his abdomen. Julian shivered at the
contact.

A part of him needed to feel Djal claim his body as surely as the

man had claimed his heart. And part of him was terrified that Djal
would want the very same thing but not for the same reasons.

“Djal,” Julian whimpered, not sure what to do.
“Claim me, Julian.” Djal tilted his head back. “Make me yours.”
“Oh.” Julian’s jaw dropped. He was shocked at Djal’s words. He

hadn’t been expecting them. His desire for the man seemed to flare to
life as he leaned in and scraped his teeth over the corded muscles of
Djal’s neck.

His wolf let out a happy little yip when he buried his nose in the

crook of Djal’s neck. Djal’s spicy scent wrapped around him as
strongly as the beta’s arms did. Nothing smelled as good as Djal—
earthy, male, powerful. Julian’s mouth watered as he inhaled deeply,
bringing the alluring scent into his body.

Kissing down Djal’s neck, Julian felt his teeth drop down. A deep,

possessive growl curled inside his throat. Julian’s wolf wanted to

Julian’s Happy Place

come out and take over. His wolf was more than ready to claim Djal
even if the human part of him was afraid.

Djal’s fingers threaded through Julian’s hair, pulling him closer.

He tilted his head back even more, offering his throat. Julian felt a
feral delight at the submissiveness of the gesture. One of the strongest
wolves he had ever met was submitting to him, giving him control.

It was the one thing Djal could have done to give Julian back a

part of himself.

Julian nudged Djal’s jaw aside with his head then bit down. When

his sharp canines pierced Djal’s skin, Julian shuddered, overwhelmed
by the rich, coppery blood that filled his mouth and sent shivers
throughout his entire body.

“That’s right, pup,” Djal murmured, his large hands stroking up

and down Julian’s back. “Just take me in.”

Julian wrapped his lips more firmly around the bite mark and

sucked harder, pulling more of Djal’s addictive flavor into his mouth.
He wanted to drown in the man’s taste, to fill every cell of his body
with Djal.

He could feel the threads of the mate bond between him and Djal

beginning to form, entwining them together. Once Djal claimed him
and the bond was complete, nothing could ever separate them again,
not even death.

Once he had taken enough to start the bond, Julian pulled his

canines free. He lapped at the blood that pooled up on Djal’s skin,
licking it away until the flesh began to mend. After a moment, the
pinpricks closed and began to heal over.

Julian stared down at the bite mark that bound them together. A

sense of amazement came over him. That was his mark. His. No one
else’s. Marking Djal left no doubt as to who the man belonged to.

“You’re mine now,” Julian whispered. His eyes flickered up to

Djal’s face when the man’s deep chuckle rumbled between them.
“Everyone will know.”

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Julian’s words seemed to amuse Djal. His smile grew wider and

more devastating. Julian had to wonder if the man actually understood
the power he had over him. Julian would die for Djal—and that was
before he had bitten the beta and mated him.

“Even if they don’t see the bite mark,” Djal said, “they will be

able to smell you in me.”

Tilting his head to one side, Julian shot Djal a curious look.

“Don’t you mean on you?” Julian dropped his eyes to where their
bodies were pressed together then looked back up at Djal.

“No, although they will smell that, too. I mean the mating scent,

the one that tells others that I’m mated.” Djal reached out and brushed
his fingers over the soft curve where Julian’s neck met his shoulder.
“When I bite you, you will begin to smell like me as well. Anyone
near you will know that you belong to me.”

Dipping his head slightly, Julian murmured, “I’d like that.”
His greatest dream was to belong to the big beta. To have that

wish come to life was something Julian had never thought to see, not
even when he was chasing after Djal. There had been a part of him
that never really thought he’d catch Djal.

And yet he had.
“Yeah,” Djal said as his fingers curled around the nape of Julian’s

neck and pulled him closer. “I think I would, too.”

When Djal’s sharp canines pierced his throat, Julian shuddered,

partly in pain and partly in pleasure. And then the pain was gone,
replaced by an ecstasy so intense that Julian felt light-headed. Julian’s
fingers twisted against Djal’s chest, trying to find an anchor in the
storm blowing through him.

The mating bond snapped into place with a solid crack. He felt

Djal’s rapid heartbeat like it was his own. He shivered, burrowing into
the heat of the beta’s larger body. Arms of steel tightened around him,
pulling him closer.

Julian sighed, feeling his first breath of relief in days, maybe even

weeks. He dropped his head back and offered everything to Djal.

Julian’s Happy Place

Well, almost everything. There was still one thing he had left to

give Djal, and he was terrified to do so after spending the week with
Martin. Djal hadn’t hurt him in the past, and Julian doubted the man
would hurt him now. Even knowing that, Julian’s fingers trembled as
he reached for the hem of the shirt Djal had given him and pulled it up
to his armpits, ready to pull it off as soon as Djal was done.

Djal growled against the tender skin of Julian’s throat in stark

warning. Julian froze, suddenly more afraid than he had been a
moment before. The gentle hand Djal stroked down Julian’s back
belied the man’s deep snarl. After a moment, Djal withdrew his teeth
and stroked his tongue over Julian’s skin, closing the bite mark his
sharp canines had left.

“That’s going to leave a scar.” The man sounded proud of that

fact.

The look in Djal’s brown eyes was so intense, Julian couldn’t look

anymore. He dropped his gaze and looked away. The hairs on his
neck raised, and his body started to tremble when Djal traced the
mark with his fingers.

He put his hands on Djal’s chest to keep from falling over or

fainting dead away. The firm, muscled chest was warm to the touch,
even through Djal’s shirt. Julian drew in a deep breath and tried to
tamp down the need that suddenly swamped him.

“Look at me, pup,” Djal demanded in a deep, husky growl.
Julian opened his eyes and looked toward Djal. He inhaled a

shaky breath when he saw the look in Djal’s eyes. No one had ever
looked at him like that before. Djal’s dark eyes stared at him like he
really was special.

Stormy Glenn

Chapter 7

“You’re mine now, pup.” And Djal was stunned at how much

satisfaction those words gave him. He hadn’t been expecting it, or the
deep feeling of contentment the knowledge that Julian was his
brought to him. “No one can ever take you away from me.”

When Julian’s face paled, Djal leaned forward and gave Julian a

small, quick kiss. “No one is going to take you from me, pup, so don’t
even worry about that.” Djal gave Julian a reassuring smile as he
brushed his knuckles down the side of the man’s face. “You’re mine
to protect now.”

Julian grabbed the shirt bunched around his armpits and pulled it

over his head. Djal would have been lying to himself if he said he
wasn’t interested in what Julian so blatantly displayed to him, but he
also knew that Julian had been horribly abused, and recently.

He would never hurt Julian like that.
“No, pup.” Djal reached for Julian’s shirt, intent on pulling it back

over the man’s head, but when he saw the crestfallen look on Julian’s
face as the man’s eyes dropped away, he reconsidered his objection.

Djal dropped the shirt and grabbed Julian. He pulled the smaller

man to his chest and tucked Julian’s head under his chin then started
rubbing his hands up and down Julian’s bare back.

“You have no idea how much I want you, Julian,” Djal whispered

against the top of Julian’s head. “My body aches every time I think
about being with you. I can think of very few things I want more than
to feel your body welcome me like you did before. But—”

Julian’s Happy Place

“But what?” Julian’s head snapped up so fast that he almost hit

Djal in the nose. Djal jerked back just in time. “You claimed me. You
let me claim you. I thought you wanted me.”

“I do want you, pup. I just told you that.”
“Then why?” Julian’s pale green eyes began to shine as tears

flooded them.

Djal could think of a hundred different conversations he wanted to

have besides this one. “Julian, someone abused you. I saw what they
did. Hell, I pulled the damn knife out of your side. It’s only been a
few hours. You need time.”

“I need you.”
Gods, Julian was going to kill him. Djal curved his hand around

the back of Julian’s neck and tried to pull the man back to his chest.
“Baby—”

“Please,” Julian pleaded.
Stroking the nape of his neck, Djal studied Julian. He wavered.

The pain in Julian’s eyes was real, but was it brought on by his refusal
to let things get physical between them or from the abuse Martin had
heaped upon him?

“Are you sure, Julian?” Julian’s eyes were filled with such a deep

longing that Djal found he couldn’t deny the man—even if he knew
this was a really, really bad idea. “If anything hurts, anything at all,
you tell me. Understand?”

Julian let out a small whimper as he nodded rapidly.
“I mean it, pup. I don’t want to do anything that might hurt you.”
“I just need—” Julian licked his lips as his eyes dropped to Djal’s

mouth. His face was clouded with uneasiness as if he truly believed
that Djal would turn him away. “Please, touch me. Make this real.”

“Oh, this is real, pup, very real.” He gave Julian a quick smile

although it was the last thing he felt like doing. “This couldn’t get any
more real.”

Djal realized that his voice had drifted into a hushed whisper

when Julian’s eyes snapped up to his. His heart pounded up into his

Stormy Glenn

throat at the desperation on Julian’s face, making it difficult to
breathe. His mouth felt dry, parched. He couldn’t swallow past the
lump forming in his throat.

A little voice inside his head insisted he was moving too fast, that

Julian needed more time. He wanted Julian like he wanted his next
breath, but he was terrified of hurting the man more than he already
was.

“Lift your arms, pup.” Djal effortlessly pulled the shirt off Julian

and tossed it aside then reached for the waistband of the jogging pants
Julian wore. “Stand up.”

Julian’s sad look started to fade as the man pushed to his feet, still

straddling Djal’s legs. Djal grinned and pulled the jogging pants down
Julian’s legs, helping the man out of them before tossing them aside
as well.

Gods, he loved Julian’s eagerness. The man wanted to please so

damn much, and he was all Djal’s, every last inch of him. While
Julian stood over the top of him, Djal pulled his shirt off and dropped
it onto the growing pile of clothes next to him.

It took a little more effort to wiggle out of his shoes and pants.

When he reached for Julian again and pulled the man back down onto
his lap, they both sighed in pleasure as their naked skin rubbed
together.

“Make me yours,” Julian whispered as he reached for Djal.
Djal grabbed Julian’s chin and held his face firmly. He didn’t

want there to be any misunderstanding between them. “You are
already mine, Julian. Don’t ever think otherwise. Us having sex will
not change that.”

“I know that. I just…” Julian’s eyes darted away.
Djal pulled on Julian’s chin to get his attention. He didn’t speak

until Julian looked back at him. “You what, pup?” he asked gently.

Shit!
Julian’s eyes were filling with tears again.

Julian’s Happy Place

“I need you to make him go away.” The words were murmured,

barely a whisper, but Djal heard them anyway. And then he felt like
crying.

“I’ll take care of you, pup.” It was the only thing he could do.

Julian looked like he was drowning in sorrow and he was looking to
Djal to save him. Djal could no more deny Julian’s need than he could
deny his wolf’s need for the moon.

But he could make sure it was the most wonderful experience of

Julian’s life.

Djal leaned to one side and grabbed his backpack. He was glad

that a regular part of his emergency pack was a small tube of lube in
the first aid kit. He never thought he would have a use for it before
now, but he promised himself that he would remember to pack it
always in the future.

“Kiss me, pup.”
Djal was ready for Julian to kiss him. He was even ready for the

man’s eagerness. He wasn’t ready for the streak of lust that flared to
life deep inside of him the second Julian’s lips touched his.

Julian wasn’t a graceful kisser, and he certainly wouldn’t win any

awards. But he more than made up for that lack of expertise with pure
enthusiasm. Julian kissed Djal with a hunger that rocked Djal to the
core.

Crushing Julian to him, Djal pressed his mouth more firmly

against Julian’s. He moved his mouth over Julian’s, devouring its
softness. He stroked his tongue across Julian’s lips, tasting him. When
Julian’s lips parted, Djal delved inside to explore and conquer.

Djal pinned Seth against his chest and moved his lips over the

man’s jaw, kissing a line to his swanlike neck. Djal brushed his lips
over Julian’s throat. His lips left a blazing trail on Julian’s heated
skin. He kissed the silky skin at the base of Julian’s throat.

Something intense flared inside of him when Julian moaned. Djal

felt a possessiveness that was far beyond anything he had ever felt for
Iben, Sissy, or Rory. He needed to possess Julian, to feel the man

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submit to him, to his wolf. He needed to know that Julian belonged to
him and him alone.

And Djal suspected Julian needed the same thing.
“Mine,” Djal growled savagely against Julian’s throat. He nipped

at the bite mark he had left, licking across it with his tongue. Julian’s
shudders filled him with an overwhelming need to give the man
more—more pleasure, more caring, more everything.

He felt the harsh, uneven breathing coming from Julian’s body. It

was as poignant as the hard cock pressing against Djal’s abdomen.
Julian’s body seemed to ache for his touch. His beautiful eyes were no
longer pale but stunningly emerald green.

Djal stroked his hands down Julian’s side until he reached the

man’s ass—and what an ass it was, tight and rounded and made to be
fucked. Djal didn’t want to tell Julian that. It seemed wrong and out of
place, even if it was true.

“Are you ready for me, pup?”
Julian gulped and nodded.
Djal kept his eyes locked with Julian’s—watching for any sign of

pain as he lathered his fingers with lube then slowly pushed one into
Julian’s tight ass. Except for the slight inhale of breath, Julian didn’t
move a muscle.

He pulled his finger out then pushed back in, gently fucking Julian

with his finger. When he thought that Julian could take more, Djal
pressed in another finger and wiggled it around.

Julian suddenly wailed when Djal pushed in a third finger and

altered the angle of his thrusts. Djal knew that he had hit Julian’s
prostate. He started to move his fingers in a steady rhythm, making
sure he stroked his fingers over Julian’s sweet spot as often as he
could.

“Oh gods…Djal…I have to…oh please.” Julian clutched at Djal’s

arm, his nails digging in as he started moving his hips, pushing back
against Djal’s fingers. “I need!”

“I know what you need, pup.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal fucked Julian’s ass a few more times and then pulled them

free. He grabbed the tube of lube and spread some on his cock. Julian
had plenty of lube already in his ass, but Djal wasn’t taking any
chances.

The air around Djal seemed electrified as he lifted Julian up by his

hips then slowly lowered the man down onto his thick cock, gently
thrusting into him. He pressed in a little more each time, and Julian
rocked back, silently begging for more. With every inch that slid
inside of him, Julian’s eyes widened until they dominated his face.

Once Julian’s body rested fully against his, Djal paused. It took

every ounce of control he had honed over the years to keep from
plunging into Julian’s sweet body. He wanted to give in to the blazing
fire burning inside of him, to plunge deep inside of Julian.

He just couldn’t.
He wouldn’t move until Julian gave him the okay.
“Djal, please, I…I need more.”
Oh, thank fuck!
Djal gripped Julian’s hips as he thrust up into the man’s tight ass.

He felt Julian contract around his cock with almost brutal intensity.
They rocked together for a moment, almost as if this were their first
time together. Then Djal started to move faster. Julian’s ass clenched
and milked Djal’s cock with every thrust.

“Harder, Djal, please, harder!”
Djal rammed his cock harder and harder into Julian, rocking them

both with the force of his thrusts. He was overwhelmed by the heated
tightness surrounding his hard shaft and the look of pure ecstasy on
Julian’s face. This was the first time in his life that Djal had ever been
this close to losing control of himself with someone.

“Please, I need…I need…” Desperation glittered in Julian’s eyes.
Djal slid his hand down between their bodies and gripped Julian’s

hard cock, rubbing his thumb over the swollen head before starting to
stroke Julian’s length. “Come for me, pup,” Djal demanded with a
deep snarl.

Stormy Glenn

Julian’s head fell back almost immediately, and he cried out. A

moment later, Djal felt the warmth slide over his fingers as Julian’s
cum coated his hand. Passion and the knowledge that he had brought
his mate such pleasure, pounded through Djal.

With a flurry of hard and fast thrusts, Djal stiffened and froze, his

cock buried as deep inside of Julian as he could be. He roared out his
release, his seed erupting inside of Julian’s ass. He rested his head
against Julian’s as his cock pulsed again and again inside of the man.

Finally, Djal’s softening dick slid from Julian’s ass. Djal grabbed

a towel from inside of his backpack and cleaned them both up then
pulled Julian back into his arms to cradle the man close to his chest.

“Thank you.”
Djal grinned and brushed the hair back from Julian’s sweaty

forehead. “Thank you, pup.”

“Can we go home now?”
Damn!
Mood blower.
“Uh…” Djal leaned back to he could watch Julian as he relayed

the news of what had happened to Julian’s home. “About your
house…”

Julian closed his eyes for a moment. Djal gritted his teeth when a

single tear trickled down Julian’s face. When Julian’s eyes opened
again, they weren’t pale green, but they were close.

Djal wanted to rip Martin apart all over again.
“What did Martin do?” Julian whispered.
“Well, I’m not sure that it was Martin, but—”
Julian let out a bitter laugh that was at odds with the man’s

inherent gentle nature. “It was Martin. No one else hates me that
much.”

Djal’s hand curved around the nape of Julian’s neck, drawing him

closer. “I’m sorry, pup. Everything in your house was pretty much
destroyed.” Djal’s hand tightened on Julian when the man let out a

Julian’s Happy Place

small sob. He growled low in his throat. “I’ll make it better, Julian. I
swear.”

He had no idea how he would do that, but he’d find a way. The

heart-wrenching sobs that came from Julian as the man burrowed into
him shattered Djal’s control. He felt his wolf clawing to get out, to
seek revenge on the man that had made his mate cry.

“Why don’t we get dressed, pup, and head back to the alpha

house?” Djal’s hands clenched when Julian sniffled, then he rubbed
them up and down Julian’s back. “Maybe there is something we can
salvage.”

Julian shook his head as he lifted it. He rubbed his arm across his

face, wiping away the signs of his distress. “I don’t want to go home,
Djal. I never want to go back to that horrible place again.”

Djal frowned. That didn’t sound right to him. “Are you sure,

Julian?”

“I just want to go with you.”
“Ahh, pup.” Dhal stroked his hand over the back of Julian’s head

threading his fingers through the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. “It
doesn’t matter where we go—your house, the alpha house, or even a
new house—we’ll always be together.”

Julian sniffled again, and a ghost of a smile began to widen his

mouth. “Yeah?”

Gathering Julian into his arms, Djal held him snuggly against his

chest and rested their foreheads together. “I promise, pup. And I don’t
break my promises. No matter where we go, we go together.”

Julian lifted his brow, looking at Djal uncertainly. “Why did you

suddenly change your mind about me?”

Djal took a moment before answering, drawing in a deep breath

and letting it out slowly. He didn’t want to tell Julian about the
overwhelming need he had felt to protect the man. It just didn’t sound
right in his head to tell Julian that was the reason he had mated him.

But it wasn’t the only reason.

Stormy Glenn

“There’s something special about you, Julian, something I could

no longer deny. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. When you took
off and I couldn’t find you, I felt like my heart was being ripped out
of my chest. The thought of something happening to you is one I
don’t even want to contemplate.”

The frown on Julian’s face deepened along his brows and under

his eyes as he dropped them down to stare at Djal’s chest. “You
mated me because you were worried about me?”

“I mated you because I need you.”
The stunned look on Julian’s face mingled eagerness and hope

and longing. “You need me?” Julian whispered as if he had never had
those words spoken to him before.

Djal found it impossible not to return the smile on Julian’s face.

“Yes, pup. I need you. I think maybe I always needed you. I was just
too stupid to see it. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Julian’s eyes suddenly fluttered closed, and his head dropped

down, his brown bangs obscuring Djal’s view of his face. His hands
curled into fists, and he rested them against Djal’s chest.

“Please don’t lie to me,” Julian murmured. “I’ll stay. I’ll do

whatever you say. I’ll…I’ll…Whatever you want, I’ll do it. Just tell
me and I’ll do it. Just don’t—” Julian’s throat moved as he
swallowed, giving silent voice to how much emotion was welling up
inside of the man. “Just don’t lie to me.”

“Julian, I would never lie to you.”
Something mysterious yet sad flickered in Julian’s green eyes

when he opened them and looked at Djal. It made Djal uncomfortable
in a way he couldn’t quite describe. “I know I need you more than
you need me,” Julian whispered as if he were afraid to raise his voice
any higher. “I understand that, and I…I’ll do whatever you want.”

Djal’s eyes narrowed as an uneasy feeling began to burn deep in

his gut. Anxiety balled up in his chest, making it hard to breath.
“What do you mean, Julian?”

Julian’s Happy Place

Julian chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. “You can share

me. I won’t say no.”

“You are mine!” Djal growled, fury instantly erupting inside of

him. He grabbed Julian’s arms and shook the man until his head
flopped back on his shoulders. “No one will touch you except me. No
one! Do you understand me?”

“Ye–yes,” Julian stammered and began to shake uncontrollably.
Djal clenched his jaw, trying to get a handle on his temper. His

own urgent sense of something being seriously wrong kept him
wound so tight that he could barely breathe. “Who shared you,
Julian?”

Alarm washed over Djal when Julian’s eyes filled with tears.

There was so much pain and anguish in the man’s eyes that it almost
drowned out the green all together. “F–Frank and Martin.”

Djal growled, Julian’s fear and panic overcoming his anger and

tamping it down enough for him to see that Julian was terrified. He let
go of Julian’s arm and rubbed the edge of his thumb along the man’s
cheek.

“I’m not angry with you, Julian.”
The hesitation in Julian’s glance made Djal’s stomach twist and

roll. His mate should never look at him with such fear in his eyes.
Djal knew he only had himself to blame. Julian had promised him
everything, even something as despicable as sharing his beautiful
mate with others, and Djal had turned into the monster in Julian’s
nightmare in return.

“I will never share you, Julian. You are my mate, and I take that

bond very seriously. Just the thought of someone touching you makes
me want to tear them apart. No one has the right to touch you except
me. There will be never be anyone else for you or for me, not even
when we take our last breath on this earth.”

“Frank shared me with his brother and his friends,” Julian

whispered. “He said it was my duty to do whatever he said. When I
tried to say no, they just beat me and did it anyway.”

Stormy Glenn

“They who?” Djal tried to keep the anger out of his voice when he

replied, but he didn’t think he succeeded when Julian’s eyes widened.
“It’s okay, pup. I’m not mad at you. I just need to know what
happened.”

“Martin was the first.” Julian’s voice wavered, rising and falling

as he spoke. “After that first time, he started bringing friends with
him, men from other packs but some from our own. It was always
worse when I refused, so after a while I just stopped saying no.”

“Did you ever tell anyone what they were doing to you?”
Julian’s jaw dropped. “Who would I tell?”
Okay, Julian had him there.
Djal knew that Julian had been forced to marry Frank by Alpha

Dawson. He’d had no choice. Djal crushed Julian to him, breathing in
his sweet scent. He was suddenly grateful that the mating bite had to
be accepted before the bond could form. It couldn’t be forced. It made
Djal realize how close he had come to losing Julian forever.

“They will never touch you again, Julian,” he whispered against

Julian’s neck, “even if I have to track each one of them down and kill
them myself. I will never let anyone hurt you again.”

Julian was silent for so long that Djal began to wonder if the man

was even awake. When he lifted his head and leaned back to peer
down into Julian’s face, he was surprised to see Julian’s green eyes
staring back up at him.

“Julian?”
Julian licked his lips as if they had suddenly gone bone dry.

“Please, I’d…I’d really like to not be shared. I don’t want to be with
anyone but you.”

“Oh, pup.” Djal gripped Julian’s pale face between his hands and

brought their lips together. His kiss was gentle as he tried to convey
the feelings storming inside of him. “I will never share you, Julian.
You belong to me and only me, and no one can ever change that.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Chapter 8

Julian cast small looks at Djal from beneath his eyelashes as they

walked down off the mountain. He realized that he was in a bit of
shock from everything that had transpired between him and Djal, and
that was probably the only thing that kept him quiet.

He didn’t know what to think or how to feel about what had

happened. Djal had claimed him just as he had claimed Djal. There
was no denying that fact. He could feel the bond between him and his
mate humming with life.

Julian just wasn’t used to having someone on his side, willing to

fight for him. Djal hadn’t even demanded anything in return. He just
promised to protect Julian until his last breath.

As often as Julian had been lied to, been betrayed, and had

promises broken, he was afraid of believing in Djal’s words. No one
in his experience had ever meant them unless they wanted something.

And Julian was terrified over thoughts of what Djal could want.
No matter how much the man protested that he wouldn’t share,

Julian didn’t believe him. His experience with Frank and Martin had
proven that people that were supposed to care for him couldn’t be
believed.

Julian stumbled forward when Djal tugged on his hand.
“You’re falling behind, pup,” Djal said over his shoulder. “Keep

up.”

Julian hurried to catch up, trying in vain to match his short strides

to Djal’s longer ones. Good god the man had long legs. “Could you
slow down just a little?” Julian asked hesitantly, wondering if Djal
would get mad at him for the simple request.

Stormy Glenn

Frank would have.
Djal stopped and turned so fast that Julian ran right into him. He

grunted as his face smashed into Djal’s chest. Strong hands grabbed
Julian by his arms and steadied him.

“Why didn’t you say something, pup?”
“Uh…” Julian blinked slowly as he tilted his head back and stared

up at Djal. “I just did.”

Djal’s lips twitched for a moment, amusement coloring the man’s

deep-brown eyes. Then, much to Julian’s complete surprise, a deep,
rich laughter bellowed from Djal. Julian’s jaw dropped, and all he
could do was stare at the man as he laughed.

Strangely, Julian didn’t feel like Djal was laughing at him.
In the past, Julian could always tell when Frank or Martin, or even

their friends, were laughing at him. It was kind of obvious. He could
even tell when someone in the pack was laughing at him. There was
just something in the eyes that gave people away. Julian had always
been able to recognize it.

And Djal wasn’t laughing at him. Julian would have known.

Gods, he prayed he would know. He would be devastated if Djal
turned out to be like the people that laughed at him. Julian needed
Djal to be different.

“Djal?” Julian asked softly, his cheeks starting to heat.
“That is one of the things I adore about you, pup,” Djal said as he

drew Julian into the shelter of his arms. “You make me laugh at the
simple things in life. You don’t try and present a face to people.
You’re just honest and open. I hope that never changes.”

“Okay.” Julian had no idea what Djal was talking about, but if it

made the man this happy, he would try his very best to keep doing it.
He just had to figure out what it was. Because whatever it was made
Djal adore him, and Julian was all for being adored.

Djal wrapped his arm around Julian’s waist and turned them both.

Julian could still hear the occasional chuckle come from Djal as they

Julian’s Happy Place

walked through the trees. He was glad that Djal seemed happy, but he
was still confused as to why the man was happy.

Their situation sucked. Martin and his friends were still out there,

still after Julian. Djal mating him wasn’t going to stop them. They
wouldn’t see that as a deterrent, not even when Djal was the beta of
the pack.

They just wouldn’t care.
“Djal, what’s going to happen when we get home?”
“I’m hoping you’ll be up to sharing a bath with me. I have a great

bathtub.”

Julian blinked. That wasn’t exactly what he had been talking

about. He couldn’t go home to his house. He knew that. Not only was
his place destroyed, but Martin was still out there. It wouldn’t be safe.

“No, I mean…” Hell, what did he mean?
“Iben and Zack are trying to salvage what they can from your

house. Whatever isn’t recoverable, we will need to replace.” Djal had
a deep grimace on his face when he glanced down at Julian.
“Unfortunately, I can’t do anything about your personal items.”

“Yeah,” Julian murmured. He had suspected that. It saddened him

that the things that had connected him to his mother and father were
gone. He was saddened that his entire home was gone. He had been
born in that home, but it was just a building.

It was the small things—his mother’s wedding pearls, his father’s

corn pipe, the watch his grandfather had given his father when he
graduated from college, his grandmother’s china and hand-sewn
linen—those were things he would miss the most.

Everything else could be replaced.
“We’ll get what we can, pup.”
Julian nodded, feeling too choked up to reply. He felt like Martin

had tried to wipe out his entire existence. “Why does he hate me so
much?”

“I think the problem is that he doesn’t hate you, Julian.”
Julian glanced up at Djal. “What do you mean?”

Stormy Glenn

“He’s obsessed with you, Julian. He believes that you belong to

him.”

“I don’t.” Julian shook his head emphatically. “I hate him.”
“I know that, pup, but he doesn’t. Destroying your stuff had two

purposes for Martin. One, he wanted to intimidate you, to show you
that he was the one in control. He wanted to force you to give in to
him by scaring you.”

“It almost worked,” Julian whispered.
Djal ignored Julian’s words even if he jerked when Julian spoke.

“And two, he was trying to warn everyone else away from you.”
Djal’s lips tightened and pressed into a thin, angry line. “He was
marking his territory.”

That description brought all sorts of horrible thoughts in Julian’s

head. He cringed, just thinking about what Martin might have done.
The man was sick in ways that Julian couldn’t even begin to
understand.

“That’s disgusting.”
“But effective. Any shifter would smell the signs and know that a

wolf had marked his territory. Luckily, he never got the chance to
mark you in the same manner because I have no doubt he would have
given half the chance.”

Julian shuddered.
“I won’t let that happen, Julian.” Djal’s arm tightened around him,

bringing him closer. “Martin won’t get to you again.”

“How can you stop it?” Julian knew that Djal was strong. The

man took bloodthirsty to a whole new level, which was probably one
of the reasons Alpha Iben had made Djal his beta. Djal wouldn’t take
shit off of anyone, not even the alpha. Julian just didn’t know how
Djal could beat Martin.

Martin was pure evil.
“I’m no coward, Julian.”
“No!” Julian stopped and stepped in front of Djal, pushing his

hands against the man’s chest. His heart suddenly thundered in his

Julian’s Happy Place

chest when he realized that Djal had gotten the wrong impression
from his words. “I didn’t mean it that way. Martin is evil right down
to his core. And he’s not alone. He has friends.”

Julian swallowed hard when Djal’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly

knew what prey felt like when faced with the powerful wolf. It was a
frightening place to be.

“Who are these friends, Julian?”
Julian shrugged, dipping his head to one side. “I don’t know all of

them. They didn’t exactly talk to me when they—well, they never
introduced themselves. The rest of them are in our pack. They were
friends of Frank’s.”

“Is Martin a member of the Aberdeen Pack?”
Julian frowned as he thought about Djal’s question. He had seen

Martin at a few pack functions, and the man was usually hanging out
with his brother and Alpha Dawson. But he couldn’t ever remember
Martin actually being a part of the pack.

“I don’t really know, Djal.”
“He’s not on the pack member’s list that was provided to Iben

when he took over the pack.”

Julian’s frown deepened. “Who provided the list?”
“The Wolf Council,” Djal replied. “Why?”
“Could they have lied?”
“Julian, the Wolf Council has no reason to lie to Iben. He won the

challenge against Dawson fair and square. There is no reason for them
to…”

Julian’s heart climbed into his throat when Djal’s words faded

away and the man slowed to a stop. “Djal, what’s wrong?”

“Iben is one of the strongest and most powerful alphas to ever be

born.

His father has known about Iben since he was a toddler, which

was a very long time ago. And because Iben’s father is a council
member, the Wolf Council knows as well.”

“What’s that mean?”

Stormy Glenn

“It means we might be in a lot more trouble than I originally

thought.”

Yeah, Julian was still confused. “Why?”
“If the Wolf Council is lying to Iben, or not providing him with

everything he needs to adequately run this pack, then there has to be a
reason—and I seriously doubt it’s a good one. The Wolf Council has
always been a little…uneasy where Iben was concerned. As strong as
he is, he could take them all out with a wave of his hand, and they
know it. They’re afraid of him.”

“Well, that doesn’t make sense. Alpha Iben would never hurt

anyone that didn’t deserve it. He’s a good alpha.” Iben had saved
Julian not once, but twice. In Julian’s book, that made Iben a very
good alpha.

Djal chuckled. “I’m glad that you realize that.”
Julian felt his face flush at the tenderness in Djal’s look. He liked

it, especially since it was aimed at him. He just wasn’t used to it. No
one had looked at him with such tenderness since his father passed
away. He had almost forgotten what it looked like.

“You really want to take a bath with me?”
“I do. Iben had my rooms refitted, and one of the things he did for

me since I’m so big is give me a huge soaking tub. I love it.” Djal’s
lips suddenly split into a wide grin, showing off his perfectly white
teeth. “Don’t tell anyone, but I like bubbles in my bath.”

Julian’s eyebrows shot up. Djal was revealing that with him? Out

of nowhere, a feeling of having something special with his mate
overwhelmed him. Sharing a secret with Djal was something only
mates did.

It suddenly made things real.
Julian felt tears build in his eyes, and he blinked them away

rapidly. “I won’t tell, Djal.”

“I think you’ll like it, pup.” Djal made a show of looking Julian up

and down until Julian laughed. “Although, it’s probably big enough
for you to swim in.”

Julian’s Happy Place

Djal seemed to find that very amusing. His eyes sparkled with

laughter. Julian decided right there and then that he liked that look on
his mate and he was going to do everything he could to keep it
there—or at least see it there as often as possible.

Julian liked this side of Djal. It was one he hadn’t seen before.

The man was usually so somber. Djal took his duty very seriously,
and while Julian could appreciate that and even respect it, it had
almost lost him the chance to have Djal as his mate.

It left Julian’s feelings about the man’s duty conflicted.
“I know, as the alpha’s mate and a member of the alpha’s inner

circle, that Zack does a lot for the pack,” Julian said. “What do I do?”

“Make me happy.”
Well, that wasn’t an answer.
“I don’t have any duties like you?” Julian wished he had kept his

mouth shut and his question to himself when the beautiful smile fell
off of Djal’s face. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, pup,” Djal said quickly. “Never be sorry for asking a

question. It’s the only way you can learn things you don’t know. I was
just trying to think of an answer that didn’t make me sound like a
complete Neanderthal.”

“You don’t want me to help you?”
“Julian, I’d love for you to help me, but I’m concerned about

something happening to you. I realize I sound like a complete jerk,
but I can’t help it. The thought of anything happening to you gives me
chills.”

“How does my helping you—” Julian clamped his lips together,

deciding that he needed to keep his curiosity to himself. It was just
better that way. He didn’t always understand why people did and said
the things they did.

When Djal stopped and grabbed both of his hands, Julian didn’t

know whether to be concerned or not. Djal looked like he had just
swallowed a bucket of nails. “I’m sorry,” Julian whispered,
desperately afraid that he had offended Djal in some manner.

Stormy Glenn

“You have nothing to be sorry for, pup. I just…” The tensing of

Djal’s jaw betrayed his frustration and made Julian wish he had said
nothing. He much preferred Djal laughing rather than angry.

A sliver of unease shot through Julian when he saw a pulse tick in

Djal’s clenched jaw. He gave Djal a weak smile and tugged on his
hands. When he tried to speak, his voice wavered. “It doesn’t matter. I
just wondered. If the alpha says it’s okay, maybe I can just stay at the
house while you do whatever it is that you do. I’m sure there are
things I can find to do.”

“Fuck, Julian,” Djal growled as he suddenly pushed away and

drove his hand through his long hair, “you’re killing me here.”

Julian’s bottom lip quivered for a second before he pulled it into

his mouth and chewed on it. “I’m sor—”

“Don’t!” Djal pointed his finger at Julian, his face growing fierce.

Julian’s heart jumped at the warning he could hear in Djal’s voice. It
sounded ominous. “Just don’t.”

A circle of ice started to form around Julian’s body, sending chills

up and down his spine. Djal’s jaw was clenched, and his eyes slightly
narrowed. It wasn’t a pleasant look. But what really scared Julian was
the way he clenched his fists.

Julian took a slow step back, praying that Djal was too wound up

to notice it. When Djal didn’t say anything, Julian took another step
back, and then another. He wanted to put as much space between him
and Djal’s anger as he possibly could.

Nothing good ever came from someone being angry.
“Julian, what are you doing?” Djal suddenly snapped when Julian

took another step back. “Why are you all of the way over there?”

Survival instinct ripped through Julian like a freight train. He

turned and took off through the trees. Panic washed over him, bathing
his entire body with fear when he heard Djal’s roar echo through the
woods.

Only by sheer force of will did Julian continue to move. He

wanted to drop to the ground and curl into a ball, hoping that Djal

Julian’s Happy Place

wouldn’t hurt him too badly. The man was huge. He could end
Julian’s existence with one clenched fist.

His breath whooshed from his lungs when he was suddenly

grabbed from behind and pulled to an abrupt stop. Julian clamped his
eyes closed, gulping audibly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it,” he
squeaked. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Ah hell, pup.” Djal sighed harshly. “I would never hurt you.”
Julian kept his eyes closed, refusing to look at Djal and see the

anger on his face. Djal was lying. He just knew it. He had seen the
anger on his face. He knew what that meant, and he knew how much
it was going to hurt.

“Baby, please, open your eyes and look at me.”
Julian gave no indication that he had even heard Djal.
“Julian.”
Julian pressed his lips together so his whimper wouldn’t escape

when he felt Djal’s large hand cup the side of his face. He fully
realized that Djal’s hand was so large it covered the entire side of his
face.

Maybe mating with Djal had been a stupid idea. He had wanted

the man so much, needed him. He had just never realized until now
how big Djal actually was. He had never seen Djal’s size as a threat
before now.

“I promise I won’t—” Julian started to tell Djal he wouldn’t do

anything he wasn’t told to do if the man didn’t hurt him, but when he
opened his eyes and saw the tears gathering in Djal’s brown eyes, the
words were stolen right out of Julian’s mouth. He cocked his head to
one side. “Are you crying?”

“You’re afraid of me,” Djal whispered almost roughly. A single

tear fell from Djal’s eyes and trickled down his cheek.

Julian couldn’t deny that. Even now, wrapped in Djal’s arms, he

was shaking with fear. The man was just so damn big. Frank and
Martin had been huge muscle-bound men. They just hadn’t been as
large as Djal.

Stormy Glenn

Julian was pretty sure no one was.
“What do I have to do to convince you that I would never hurt

you?”

Julian nervously he moistened his dry lips. “Let me go?”
“Is that what you want, Julian?” Djal whispered, his eyes stormy

but unreadable. “What you really want?”

Julian nodded.
There was a suspicious line at the corners of Djal’s mouth, a

tightening of his lips. Julian didn’t think Djal was going to do as he
asked, so he was totally shocked when Djal swallowed hard, nodded,
then dropped his arms and stepped back, putting a significant amount
of space between them.

“All right, Julian,” Djal said, his voice clipped and suddenly

somber and rough sounding. “If that’s what you want.”

Julian’s jaw dropped, and confusion swallowed him whole when

Djal turned and walked away from him. He took a step after Djal,
raising his hand to stop the man. “Djal, where are you going?”

Djal kept walking as if Julian hadn’t spoken at all.
“Djal?” Julian said a little louder. Maybe the beta hadn’t heard

him. Julian started running down the hill after the man. “Djal, please,
where are you—”

A soft cry of protest fell from Julian’s lips when Djal shifted so

fast that his clothes tore into shreds of fabric and dropped to the
ground. The large black wolf was off and running, disappearing into
the trees before Julian could reach him.

Julian felt numb as he stopped and picked up the backpack and

tattered remains of Djal’s clothes. He clutched them to his chest and
looked toward the trees where he had seen Djal vanish. Tears began to
flow freely down his cheeks as the realization of what had just
happened filled him.

His mate had left him.
Julian turned and stared back up the mountain. His eyes narrowed

in on a spot just up the hill. He replayed the conversation he had had

Julian’s Happy Place

there with Djal over in his head and tried to see where he had fucked
up, where he had gone wrong.

What had he done to cause his mate to abandon him?

Stormy Glenn

Chapter 9

Djal padded up onto the porch and slumped down to the hard

wooden planks, dropping his head down onto his paws. He was
panting heavily, exhausted. He had run full out after following Julian
to the edge of the village. He had needed to get as far away from the
man as he could. Staying would have been too dangerous—for both
of them.

The aching hole in the middle of his chest didn’t get any better

now that Julian wasn’t there, looking at him with such fear in his
eyes. If anything, it was worse. Djal had all but been destroyed when
he realized that his mate was afraid of him.

For the first time in his life, he felt like his size and strength were

a curse instead of a benefit. He didn’t want to live without his mate,
but he also didn’t want his mate to be afraid of him.

He just didn’t know how to fix it.
Julian had actually run from him. Djal squeezed his eyes shut as

that thought resounded in his head. His mate had run from him! From
him. Djal. Julian had been terrified of him. He had been shaking with
his fear.

And then he had asked to be set free.
Djal’s heart thudded in his chest. It felt like it was beating slower

and slower with each thump, as if the life was gradually draining out
of him now that his mate was gone. Djal couldn’t help but wonder if it
was going to stop all together.

Wolves were not meant to live without their mates. They couldn’t

survive the separation. They slowly went crazy. Djal was half-afraid

Julian’s Happy Place

he was already there, but he was less worried for himself than he was
for Julian.

He was strong, powerful, much more so than Julian. He could

handle more than his smaller mate. He didn’t know how Julian was
going to handle the need to be near him when he really didn’t want to
be.

And how in the hell was he supposed to keep away from Julian

when the need to be near him and to protect him ate away at his soul?

Djal tensed when he heard the front door open. He lifted his

eyelashes and glanced toward the doorway. He sighed inwardly when
he saw Rory standing there, staring at him. He really didn’t want to
talk to anyone—especially not Rory, who seemed to see things that no
one else did.

“Iben needs you,” Rory said simply, as if he wasn’t peering

intently at Djal and trying to read him. “You should go get dressed.
Iben is in his office with Zack.”

Djal huffed as he got to his feet then padded past his brother and

into the house. He heard a noise to one side and turned to see Sissy
cooking in the kitchen. There were already several dishes of prepared
food sitting on the buffet, and Sissy was still cooking. It was clear that
she was agitated by the snappiness of her movements.

That wasn’t good.
Sissy always cooked when she was upset about something. Djal

didn’t know what had distressed the woman, but he prayed that it
wasn’t the situation with Julian. Djal would never hear the end of it if
Sissy learned he had terrified his own mate. She would rip Djal’s balls
off and hand them to Julian.

Djal wasn’t stupid. He hurried up the stairs, avoiding the kitchen.

Once he reached his quarters, he shifted and went inside. It didn’t take
Djal more than a few minutes to shower and get dressed. He knew he
should have gone down to Iben’s office right away, but he refused to
go down there smelling of sex.

He didn’t need the questions he had no answers to.

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He could still hear Sissy banging around in the kitchen as he

walked out of his room and walked down the stairs. He didn’t even
stop to look in her direction. Just made his way immediately to Iben’s
office, which was directly across from the kitchen and dining room.

Djal knocked softly then pushed the door open when he heard

Iben’s response. Iben was sitting behind his desk going over some
papers. Zack sat off to one side, going over another set of papers.
Both men were frowning.

“Rory said you needed me,” Djal said when they looked up.

“What’s going on?”

“After what happened with Julian and Frank’s brother, Zack and I

started talking about pack members.” Iben’s lips thinned as he shook
his head, agitation obvious in his tense face as he waved a piece of
paper in the air. “It seems that there are a lot more members to this
pack than were on this list the Wolf Council gave to me.”

Djal frowned. “Just how many more members are there?”
“Zack says there are at least sixty-one members to the Aberdeen

pack.”

“But that’s not right.” Djal grabbed the paper out of Iben’s hand

and started counting. “This list has thirty-seven people on it. Even if
we took into account the members that left when we arrived, it still
wouldn’t explain these numbers. Where are the rest of the names?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Iben snapped. “If there are more

members to this pack, then why are they not on that list and why did
the Wolf Council give me an incomplete list?”

Djal stiffened as Iben voiced the thoughts that Djal had had

earlier. He knew something was up with that. “Julian told me that
Frank used to bring a lot of strangers to their house, people that Julian
says didn’t belong to the Aberdeen pack.”

“Does he know who these strangers were?”
Djal’s lip curled back as he emitted a low growl. “No, and you’re

not going to ask him about them.” Julian didn’t need his most horrible
moments brought up again. It was best if he just forgot those things.

Julian’s Happy Place

Iben’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m not?”
“No, you’re not.”
“Djal, I need to know what Julian knows.”
“No,” Djal snapped. “Julian has been hurt enough. He doesn’t

need you or anyone else dredging up bad memories for him.”

“What bad memories?” Zack asked as he got to his feet and

stepped closer to the desk.

“None of your damn business!” Djal wasn’t about to spill Julian’s

secrets, not even to the alpha mate. Zack was a good guy, and a great
omega, but only Julian had the right to reveal his past.

“Djal!” Iben exclaimed, his eyebrows peeking over the top of his

forehead as if he was shocked by the tone of voice Djal was using.

“I’m sorry,” Djal said, realizing that he was treading on thin ice

by yelling at Zack. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you, but you need to
understand, these are not my secrets to tell, and I don’t think Julian is
up to sharing them. He’s still pretty traumatized by what happened to
him.”

“Because of Martin?” Iben asked, and Djal knew he was referring

to what had happened recently with the man, not in the past.

“Yes and no.”
Iben cocked an eyebrow. “Could you be any more informative?”
“It’s not my place to stay anything, Iben.”
“I’m his alpha.”
Djal slammed his fists down onto the desk and leaned forward.

“I’m his fucking mate, and I said no!”

Iben dropped back into his chair and just stared up at Djal. “Julian

is your mate?”

Djal flushed and turned away. He pushed his hands through his

hair and pulled it back from his face. He hadn’t meant to say anything
about their mating, especially considering that Julian didn’t want him.

“Djal?”
“We mated,” Djal said, “but there’s been some issues, and I…”

Djal just couldn’t bring himself to admit that his mate was afraid of

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him. He didn’t want to admit it even to himself. “Julian has decided
that he needs some time.”

There, that sounded reasonable.
Right?
“What do you mean time?” Iben asked. “It’s not safe for him to go

back to his house. You know that.”

Hell, yes, Djal knew that. The thought of Julian going back to his

house terrified Djal almost as much as his mate being out there on his
own. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had hidden in the woods and
watched Julian until he was within the town limits, he would have
gone out of his mind wondering if anything had happened to his mate.

He just hadn’t been able to totally leave Julian unprotected, even

if the man didn’t want him around. He was the beta of their pack. He
was pretty sure he could get away with watching Julian from afar and
not have anyone be too suspicious.

“I’ll find somewhere for him to stay.” Even if he had to give up

his own quarters and sleep somewhere else. In fact, that sounded like
a pretty damn good idea to him. Julian would be inside the alpha
house, and that was a pretty safe place for him to be. “I was thinking
that he could stay here in my rooms until then. I’ll sleep in the rec
room.”

Iben’s dark brown eyebrows drew down over his eyes. Years of

experience had given Djal the ability to read the expressions on Iben’s
face, and the alpha was confused. “You don’t want to stay with your
mate?” Iben asked.

He wanted nothing more than to stay with his mate but…“Julian

is—”

“No! Please, I can’t—”
Djal’s head snapped toward the door when he heard a very

distinctive voice from the other room. His muscles tensed in
preparation to go into battle and kill whoever was making his mate
cry. He started to walk toward the door when he heard Iben’s voice
behind him.

Julian’s Happy Place

“Julian is here apparently.”
Djal ignored his need to turn and glare at Iben for stating the

obvious. Instead, he yanked the door open and stormed out into the
great room. It took Djal two seconds to scan the room and narrow in
on his mate standing by the front door.

It took another second for a deep growl to build up in his throat

when he saw one of Iben’s guards holding Julian by the arm as his
mate struggled to get away.

“Get your fucking hands off of him!” Djal raced across the room

and jerked Julian away from the guard, cradling his mate close to his
side. He glared at the guard, not even remembering the man’s name in
the red haze of anger filling him. “Touch my mate again and I will rip
you apart limb by limb.”

“Djal, don’t—” Julian started.
Djal squeezed his arms, trying to silently tell his mate to be quiet.

Apparently, it worked because Julian clamped his lips closed and
dropped his head.

The guard’s eyes dropped to Julian. There was some emotion in

his eyes, but damned if Djal knew what it was. “Julian is your mate?”

“He is, and he’s off-limits.”
“Djal,” Julian whimpered as he wiggled in Djal’s arms. “Please.”
The guard gulped and nodded as if hearing the threat in Djal’s

voice. “Yes, Beta Djal.”

Djal waited until the guard had stepped back outside and shut the

door before turning Julian in his arms. “What are you doing here,
Julian?”

“I…I just wanted…you left this and…” Julian stammered as he

held up Djal’s backpack and tattered clothes. “You left these in the
woods, and I thought you might want them so I…here.” Julian shoved
the items into Djal’s hands and started backing toward the door. “I’ll
just go. I didn’t mean to interrupt or…I’ll just go.”

“Julian,” Iben said as he came closer, “I was wondering if you

could answer a few questions for me. I asked Djal, but he refused to

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answer me.” Djal felt the weight of Iben’s glare even across the room.
“Even when I ordered him to.”

“Iben,” Djal growled threateningly.
“He refused—” Julian’s head snapped in Djal’s direction. “You

refused an order from your alpha?”

All of the blood drained from Julian’s face when Djal nodded.

Julian inhaled a shaky breath and started moving slowly across the
room. It took Djal a moment to realize that his tiny mate was placing
himself between Djal and Iben.

“He didn’t mean it, Alpha Iben.”
Djal was a little bewildered by the terror he could feel rolling off

of his mate and hear in his voice. Iben would never hurt him. Iben
was his best friend. Julian knew that.

“Yes, I did,” he said just to see Julian’s reaction.
“Please, Alpha Iben,” Julian pleaded, clearly ignoring Djal’s

statement. “Djal is a good beta. He’s devoted to you and to our pack.
He would never go against one of your orders.”

“And yet, he did,” Iben said.
When Djal looked up, he saw that Iben looked as confused as he

felt. Neither of them understood exactly what was going on with
Julian. Hell, even Zack looked confused, and he had known Julian
longer than any of them.

Julian moved to stand directly in front of him, facing Iben and

Zack. His arms spread out as if to ward of a threat, and he started
pushing back against Djal, forcing him away from Iben. “No, he
didn’t. He’s just trying to protect me. It’s my fault.”

Djal’s eyebrows shot up as absolute shock smacked him up side of

his head. Julian didn’t even know what he had refused to share with
Iben. Did he? “Julian—”

Djal’s mouth dropped when Julian suddenly pushed away from

him and dropped to his knees in front of Iben. He bowed his head and
clenched his hands into fists, resting them on his thighs.

Julian’s Happy Place

“Please, Alpha Iben,” Julian whispered, his voice growing higher

in pitch with each word he spoke. “This is totally my fault. If anyone
deserves punishment, it’s me.”

“Julian, what—” Djal ground his teeth when Iben raised his hand

to stop him from speaking. Iben had that sparkle in his eyes, the one
he got when he suddenly figured something out that no one else knew
and he wasn’t sharing.

Djal wanted to kick the man, alpha or not.
“Do you truly believe you deserve punishment, Julian?” Iben

asked as he slowly walked back and forth in front of Julian as if
nothing was wrong.

“Yes, of course. This is my fault.”
“And why is that?”
“Because Djal didn’t mean to disobey you. He was just trying to

protect me. That’s what a good beta does.”

“But I’m the alpha.”
Djal started to growl when Julian shuddered. He didn’t like

whatever game Iben was playing, especially since the man was
playing it with his mate—his terrified mate.

“Yes, sir.”
“Are you prepared to answer my questions?” Iben asked.
“Yes, Alpha Iben, anything.”
Iben stopped directly in front of Julian and stared down at him.

“And do you believe by answering my questions you can keep Djal
from the punishment he has earned by refusing one of my orders?”

Julian whimpered then grabbed onto Iben’s pant legs. “Please,

Alpha Iben, he doesn’t deserve it. He did nothing wrong. I swear. I
did. This is all my fault. I’ll take whatever punishment you decide.”

Djal growled and stepped forward, ready to tear Julian away from

their alpha. A simple cock of one eyebrow from Iben stopped him in
his steps. He clenched his fists instead. It was the only thing he could
do when he was so close to shifting.

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His mate was frightened out of his mind. His body was shaking so

much he could barely hold on to Iben’s pants. Julian should never be
that scared. And Iben should never put Julian in a position where he
was that scared.

Iben peeled Julian’s fingers off his pants and squatted down in

front of the man. His voice softened and took on a more
compassionate tone when he spoke to Julian. “Are you willing to take
on Djal’s punishment as your own, Julian?”

Djal heard Julian’s audible gasp from where he stood. He tensed,

on the verge of giving in to his wolf until he heard Julian’s softly
whispered response.

“Yes, Alpha Iben, I’ll take on Djal’s punishment as my own.”
Djal’s eyes dropped to Julian’s stiff back. He couldn’t understand

Julian. First the man wanted him, and then he didn’t. Then the man
wanted him again, and then he didn’t. Did Julian want him or not?

“And why is that, Julian?” Iben asked as he lifted Julian’s face

with a hand under his chin. “Why would you so willingly take on
someone else’s punishment? You know what I can do, and you know
punishment is never simple. Why would you do that?”

Julian shrugged nonchalantly. “He’s a good beta.”
“Not good enough, Julian.” Iben’s voice grew harder, sterner.

“Why would you willingly take on Djal’s punishment when you know
the consequences he faces?”

“I…” Julian’s were filled with unshed tears when he glanced at

Djal over his shoulder. “I…he’s…” Julian turned back to Iben and
whispered something so low that Djal just caught a murmur of his
words.

“What was that?” Iben asked as he stood. “I didn’t hear you,

Julian.”

“I love him.”
Djal’s control snapped with those three simple words. He growled

loud enough to shake the windows and stormed across the room to
scoop Julian up in his arms. He didn’t even need to see Iben’s self-

Julian’s Happy Place

satisfied smirk when he passed him on his way to the stairs to know
the alpha was pleased with himself.

Not a word was said as Djal carried Julian up the stairs and down

the walkway to his rooms. He pushed the door open and then kicked it
closed, turning the lock with one hand while he held on to Julian’s
trembling body with the other.

The opulent bathroom that Iben had made for him was just a few

steps away. Once there, Djal set Julian on his feet and reached over to
start the water in the bathtub. He poured some of his favorite bubble
bath into the steaming-hot water then turned toward Julian.

As he gazed down at the top of his mate’s bowed head, Djal knew

that this had been Iben’s plan all along. The second Djal told the
alpha he had mated Julian, the gloves had come off. Iben would do
everything within his power to make sure Djal was healthy and happy
with his mate—even pretend to be an absolute asshole.

Julian jerked when Djal reached for his shirt, but his hands

dropped to his sides and he didn’t resist Djal’s determination to get
the man naked. The pants were a little easier. Julian even lifted his
legs when Djal knelt to pull them off his bare feet.

Julian kept his head bent when Djal started stripping off his own

clothes, but Djal caught a glimpse of deep emerald green through the
fall of Julian’s bangs. He couldn’t have been happier over that
reaction.

He just hoped that Julian really wanted this because he had no

intention of giving his mate up—not now, not after he had heard those
three special words. And he had every intention of hearing them
again.

When he was naked, Djal grabbed Julian’s hand and drew him

toward the tub. He climbed in and sat down then pulled Julian down
to his thighs. As Julian’s body settled down on his, Djal realized he
had more than one thing to thank his alpha for. The tub was the
perfect size for both him and Julian.

And for what Djal had in mind for his mate.

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Djal grabbed a small bottle of waterproof lube out of a basket

sitting on the edge of the tub. It hadn’t been that long since he claimed
Julian. It wouldn’t be too hard to get him stretched out again.

Djal spread his legs, forcing Julian’s legs apart. He kept his eyes

locked on what he could see of Julian’s face as he slowly stretched the
man out and made sure that Julian was prepared to take his cock.

He might not have been able to see Julian’s expressive eyes, but

he could hear the little catches in his breathing. It was all he needed to
continue what he was doing without fear that Julian didn’t want this
as much as he did.

Once he was sufficiently stretched, Djal simply lifted Julian up by

his hips and slowly let him slide down his cock until Julian’s ass was
nestled against him. Julian’s body shook and quivered and pulsed
around his hard shaft, gently massaging his length until Djal almost
gave up on the plan in his mind—almost.

He needed to make this special for Julian, to show the man how

much he wanted him. Trying to ignore his need to fuck Julian into the
next millennium, Djal grabbed a clean washcloth and added soap to it
then started to carefully stroke it over Julian’s skin.

Little by little, as Djal soaped him up, Julian’s head came up. His

eyebrows were pulled together in a deep frown as if the man was
confused about why he was there, and why Djal was being so gentle
with him.

Or why Djal was washing him instead of fucking him.
Djal just smiled when Julian peered up at him and tilted him back

until he could get Julian’s hair wet. He grabbed the shampoo and
poured some into the palm of his hand then lathered it into Julian’s
brown hair. When Julian’s hair had been sufficiently washed, Djal
tilted him back into the water between his legs and rinsed his hair.

By the time Djal pulled Julian back up, Julian’s face was flushed.

His body seemed to be moving almost subconsciously as if Julian
didn’t realize he was impaling himself on Djal’s rigid cock little by
little.

Julian’s Happy Place

But Djal knew.
“Fuck yourself on my cock, pup.” Djal whispered the demand, but

a demand it was nonetheless.

Julian’s eyes widened, rounding on his face. His breathing

increased until little pants of air came out of his slightly parted lips.
Djal grabbed Julian’s hands and set them on the edge of the tub then
leaned back, settling his hands on Julian’s hips. He ever so slowly
began to move his hips, pumping up into Julian’s tight grip just
enough to make the man moan.

Julian’s head dropped back as he began to move, lifting himself

up and then dropping himself back down onto Djal’s cock. It was the
most wondrous feeling in the world, and Djal wanted more. But he
wanted Julian to take what he needed even more.

Somewhere along the way—and probably in just the last few

minutes—Djal had realized that Julian needed to get back some of the
control in his life. Too many people had taken from him and never
given back.

Julian had offered him everything, and Djal had almost missed out

on that. He wasn’t going to do that again. He still wasn’t sure what
had happened up on the mountain, and he and Julian would need to
talk about that later, but Djal refused to give up his mate again—not
even if Julian demanded it.

Djal reached up and grabbed one of Julian’s nipples, gently

tugging at it. Julian cried out and clenched around Djal’s cock. Djal
grinned at the unrestrained response. “You like that, don’t you, pup?”

Julian nodded rapidly.
“You’re going to like it even better when I come in your sweet

little ass.”

Julian’s eyes began to blaze, and Djal knew his mate wasn’t far

away from coming. He wrapped his fingers around Julian’s cock and
stroked his hand up and down several times, first swiftly then more
slowly, drawing the pleasure out.

“Djal…I…please…I…”

100

Stormy Glenn

“Do you know what I’m going to do when you come, Julian?”
Julian sucking in his bottom lip as a deep groan ripped through his

body was the man’s only response to Djal’s words.

“I’m going to fuck you against the wall.” Djal trailed his free hand

along Julian’s neck to the bite mark he had left earlier. “I’m going to
bite you right here, Julian. I’m going to claim you again. And this
time there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind—not even yours—that
you belong to me.”

“Y–yes, p–please,” Julian stammered as his head fell back.
Djal winced when Julian’s inner muscles clamped down on him

so hard he could barely move. When Julian’s body stiffened, Djal
wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled the man flush against his
chest. He watched pleasure transform Julian’s expression into one of
wonder as he thrust up hard and buried himself inside his tight ass.

“That’s it, pup, come for me,” Djal said as he watched Julian’s

lips part. “Squeeze my cock with that sweet ass of yours.”

Julian’s fingernails dug into Djal’s shoulders, and Djal welcomed

the sharp bite of pain. It might have been the only thing keeping him
from exploding like a rocket. There was a tangible bond between
them that was growing stronger with each passing second. Djal
wanted it to grow stronger, more powerful.

He wanted the bond to be indestructible.
The moment wet heat splashed over Djal’s hand, he bounded to

his feet and headed for the first wall he could reach. A small grunt
came from Julian when Djal shoved him up against the wall, pinning
him between the hard wood and Djal’s larger body, but the man
wrapped his legs around Djal’s waist.

“So fucking perfect,” Djal groaned as he drove his cock into

Julian harder and harder. A shot of hungry desire washed through him
at the heated tightness surrounding his hard shaft and the look of pure
ecstasy on Julian’s face

Djal reared back and draped Julian’s legs over his arms. He felt

Julian’s tight heat contract around his cock with almost brutal

Julian’s Happy Place

101

intensity as pounded into him. “Gonna come inside of you, Julian,”
Djal groaned again as he buried his face in the crook of Julian’s neck.
“Gonna come soon.”

“Yesss!” Julian cried out.
Djal buried his cock deep inside Julian’s ass at the same time that

he buried his fangs in the man’s throat. Hot, sweet blood filled his
mouth just as his seed filled Julian’s ass. Djal sucked harder, groaning
when he felt something hot splash over his stomach and Julian’s high
cry filled the bathroom.

Djal kept his teeth locked on Julian’s shoulder as he pulled out of

Julian then slowly lowered his feet to the floor. When Julian’s legs
started to give out beneath him, Djal swung his mate up into his arms
and carried him back to the bathtub.

This time, when Djal settled down in the tub, he cradled Julian to

his chest. He slowly extracted his teeth and licked at the drops of
blood marring his perfect flesh until they were all gone and the bite
marks his sharp teeth had made began to close.

He tucked Julian’s head under his chin and rubbed his cheek over

the man’s damp hair. Julian relaxed against him with a deep sigh. Djal
smiled and held him closer. Julian was his. Julian would always be
his. Julian just had to figure that out.

But he could certainly start the process if he had the guts to be

truthful with Julian. The little shudder that rippled through Julian
when Djal stroked his fingers over the bite mark on Julian’s neck
gave him the courage he needed to put his feelings out there. He
needed Julian to believe in him, to believe in them, and there was only
one way to do that. He had to give Julian something to hold on to.

“I love you, Julian.”

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Chapter 10

Julian was living in a dream world.
That was all there was to it.
It was like his happy place had come to life right before his eyes.

He was living in the alpha house with Djal and had been for the last
two weeks. They went to bed together every night—usually after
mind-blowing sex—and woke up cuddled in each other’s arms every
morning.

Djal never missed the chance to wrap Julian up in his arms

wherever they were, even in front of his siblings, his friends, and
members of the pack. He was very attentive, always making sure that
Julian was doing okay and had everything he could possibly need. He
had even gone as far as to say he loved Julian on several occasions.

He was being the perfect mate.
Djal was especially vigilant when it came to Julian’s safety. Much

to Julian’s chagrin, Djal had assigned him a bodyguard. Julian usually
accompanied Djal whenever he could, but there were some times
when he couldn’t. During those times, he had a bodyguard to follow
his every move.

Julian didn’t have the heart—or the courage—to tell Djal that

there were still whispers when he went out. Granted, the whispers
were almost nonexistent when Djal was around, but they were a lot
louder when Julian was alone. Julian was just surprised that his
personal bodyguard never said anything to Djal.

Still, the last couple of weeks had been pretty damn good when

Julian considered how the rest of his life had gone. He was kind of

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103

waiting for it all to blow up in his face. Sure, that made him sound
like a huge pessimist, but it also made him a realist.

Life just did not go this well for Julian.
So, Julian was in no way surprised when a limousine pulled up in

front of the alpha house and a man Julian was intimately familiar with
climbed out. Julian was standing on the balcony outside of the room
he shared with Djal when he spotted the man. He instantly pressed
himself back against the side of the house until the man walked inside
and then slipped back into his bedroom.

Julian raced over to the door and pulled it open just a little,

peering out through the crack. His heart started to thunder with panic
when he saw Alpha Iben walk up to the man as he came inside and
begin talking to him.

Julian quietly closed the bedroom door and locked it. He even

went as far as to push a chair under the doorknob to prevent anyone
from coming inside.

Then Julian began to pace.
He chewed on his thumbnail, glancing at the door every few

minutes. This was bad, really bad. He had no way to get word to Djal
that the man downstairs was a bad man. And the second he went
downstairs, he would be recognized, and then all hell would break
loose.

Julian knew he couldn’t just sit there, but he didn’t have a clue

what to do. Strategy was not something he was good at. Well, there
wasn’t much he was good at, but strategy was near the top of his not
good at list.

Understanding people was at the very top. He certainly didn’t

understand people like the man downstairs. Beyond the fact that the
man liked to inflict pain while fucking him, Julian didn’t know much
about him. He was a friend of Frank’s. He didn’t belong to the
Aberdeen pack. And he was ape-shit crazy.

That was enough.
He really didn’t need to know any more.

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But he did need to inform Djal of what was going on. The beta

would want to know. There was a little part of Julian that was hesitant
to inform Djal about the man downstairs and just how Julian knew
him.

Djal was so serious about Julian’s safety, and he seemed to get so

upset whenever Julian’s past was brought up. Julian didn’t want the
man to do anything that might get him into trouble.

On the other hand, this man was a danger to the pack. Julian knew

it deep down in his bones. He didn’t know why the guy was here, but
Alpha Iben had greeted him, and that couldn’t be good.

Julian suddenly started to pat down his pocket, remembering the

cell phone that Djal insisted he carry on him at all times. He had it
somewhere. He just knew it. Julian let out a little cry when he felt the
small oblong object in his pants pocket. He quickly pulled the phone
out and dialed Djal’s number.

Julian started chewing on his thumb again while he waited for

Djal to answer the phone, praying the man wasn’t in the middle of
something. Julian hated interrupting Djal while he was working.

“Hey, pup,” Djal said as soon as he answered. “How are you—”
“You need to come home,” Julian said, wincing when Djal went

silent. “Please, Djal. Come home right now.”

“Okay, Julian, I’m on my way,” Djal replied gently as if he was

talking to a frightened animal. He wasn’t too far off the mark. Julian
was terrified. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

That was one of the things Julian loved about Djal. He dropped

everything and agreed to come just because Julian asked it. “There’s a
man here.”

“In your room?” There was a slight growl in Djal’s voice.
“No, no, he’s downstairs with Alpha Iben, but—”
“Julian.” There was a slight chuckle in Djal’s voice as if he was

relieved. “That’s Elder Jerome. Iben has a meeting with him.”

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105

Julian suddenly felt light-headed as the blood drained from his

face. “He’s an elder?” he whispered. That bit of news was very
disturbing.

“Yeah, pup. He’s here to talk to Iben about the missing pack

members.”

“But—”
“What’s wrong, pup?”
“He’s…he’s one of Frank’s friends, Djal. He’s one of the men

that…” Julian bit the very end of his thumb and stared at the locked
door again. “Can you please just come home? I don’t want to be
here.”

“Are you sure he was one of the men that Frank brought home,

Julian?” Djal’s voice had taken on a deeper, rougher tone, and Julian
knew that his mate was barely holding on to his control. “Could you
be mistaken in any way?”

Julian winced and held his breath. “I’m not wrong, Djal. I swear

it.”

“I believe you, Julian. I’m on my way now. I want you to stay in

our room, okay. Don’t go downstairs at all. I will take care of this.”

“You can’t kill him, you know,” Julian whispered. “Not if he’s an

elder.”

“Watch me!” Djal growled.
“Djal, there’s no proof of anything I’ve told you. It’s my word

against an elder’s. If you kill him, they’ll take you away from me,
lock you up, and throw away the key.” And Julian would be alone
once again. “Maybe we can just leave and go somewhere else?”

“No, Julian. This is our home. We are not leaving.”
“Djal.” Julian knew he should have kept his mouth shut. Djal was

going to get into trouble. He just knew it. And it would be all Julian’s
fault. “I’m scared, Djal.”

“Just stay upstairs, Julian. I’m almost there.”
Julian stepped back away from the door until he felt the bed hit

him in the back of his thighs. He sat down heavily on the mattress and

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stared at the door. His heart stuttered in panic every time he heard the
smallest sound.

He was terrified, and he fully admitted it.
This situation was volatile. The man downstairs was evil right

down to the core. Julian didn’t understand exactly how the man
turned out to be an elder, but it was just wrong. No one like him
should have ever been put in a position of power.

But it did explain a few things for Julian, like why Frank was so

friendly with the man. Frank had visions of grandeur. He always had.
He seemed to believe that he deserved better than his lot in life. He
had made it his mission to wiggle his way into the good graces of
whoever held power, be they alpha or elder.

And he had used Julian to do it.
When Julian heard a small scraping sound coming from the

balcony, his heart slammed into his throat, and his head snapped in
that direction. A small whimper fell from his lips when the handle of
the double doors leading to the patio slowly turned.

“Dj–Djal,” Julian croaked out. “Some–someone is—”
“Calm down, Julian,” Djal replied. “It’s just me.”
Julian’s eyes rounded when the balcony doors opened. Djal

stepped through them then quietly closed the doors behind him. Julian
cried out, dropped the phone on the bed, and raced across the room to
throw himself into Djal’s arms. Julian was never more relieved to see
anyone in his life.

“You came,” Julian whispered as he melted against Djal’s hard

muscular body.

“Of course I came, pup.”
Julian almost purred when he felt Djal’s hand stroke down the

back of his head. He wanted to stay right where he was—wrapped up
in Djal’s strong arms. It was the safest place in the world as far as
Julian was concerned.

Djal held Julian in his arms for another few moments then walked

him over to the bed. Djal sat down and pulled Julian in between his

Julian’s Happy Place

107

thighs. He rested his hands on Julian’s hips. Julian could tell by the
grimace that tightened Djal’s lips that he wasn’t going to like what the
man had to say.

“I know you don’t like talking about this, Julian, but I need to

know everything you can tell me about this man.”

“He’s a bad man, Djal.” It was as simple as that for Julian.
“I know, pup,” Djal said, “but I need to know everything. Did you

ever hear him and Frank talking? Was Martin there at the time or
anyone else? Did this man ever talk about anyone else?”

Julian’s face scrunched as he tried to think back. Most of his

memories during those times were hazy. Elder Jerome really was a
sadistic bastard. Julian was usually in too much pain to remember
anything.

“I know Martin was there because they used to like to take me in

the back room together.” Julian sucked in his bottom lip and chewed
on it when Djal’s hands tightened on his hips and a low growl
rumbled through the room. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“I would prefer if this never happened to you, but it did,” Djal

replied. “And yes, I need to know. The more I know about this man,
the better chance I have of defeating him.”

Julian sighed and began telling his mate about some of the most

horrible times in his life. “He never called me anything but boy. They
all did. I don’t even know if they really knew my name. They all just
called me boy. Even Frank and Martin called me boy. They never
used my name.”

Julian grew curious when one of Djal’s eyebrows arched. “Is that

important?”

“If they didn’t call you by your real name, then they might not

know it. It’s only important in the fact that they might not know who
you really are, with the exception of Frank and Martin, of course.”

Julian would be thrilled if they didn’t know who he was. He was

terrified of them coming for him one day. If they didn’t know who he
was, then it reasoned that they might not know where he was either.

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“What else can you tell me, pup?”
“He likes pain. The worse it was, the more he got off on it.” Julian

shuddered in memory of those horrible times. He suddenly frowned as
another memory came to him. “And he liked to watch. I mean, he
really got off on it. And he didn’t care who was fucking who. He
wanted to watch.”

“What do you mean, Julian?”
“He liked watching Martin and Frank fuck me after they beat the

crap out of me, but if I was in too bad of shape, Frank would make
them leave me alone. He didn’t want—”

Djal’s eyebrows shot up. “Frank made them leave you alone?”
“Don’t go thinking Frank had any kind of compassion in him

because he didn’t. It was just hard to use the merchandise if I was
bleeding all over the place. Frank usually called a halt to things about
the time I passed out.”

An agonized expression flickered over Djal’s face right before he

buried his head in Julian’s chest. “How could no one know what was
happening to you, Julian?” Djal whispered against Julian. “How could
they let you be abused like that?”

Julian shrugged. “Some knew. Some didn’t. Those that knew

looked the other way because it was safer for them. Those that didn’t
know didn’t want to know.”

Julian had long ago made peace with the fact that no one in the

pack had saved him from Frank and Martin. He wasn’t even angry.
After living under the cruel hand of Alpha Dawson, most of the pack
kept their heads down and prayed that they wouldn’t be singled out by
the man and have to go through the same shit.

Julian just hadn’t been that lucky.
“Don’t be mad at the pack, Djal. They did what they had to in

order to survive. I know that if some of them knew what Frank and
Martin were doing to me, they would have put a stop to it. They just
didn’t know. Frank didn’t let me out much, and when he did, he
always kept an eye on me. There also weren’t a lot of people I could

Julian’s Happy Place

109

go to for help. The alpha was in on all of it.” Julian laughed bitterly.
“Hell, he encouraged it.”

“Alpha Dawson encouraged what was done to you?”
Julian sighed, wishing he had kept that last part to himself. He

knew he was going to have to come totally clean with Djal, and he
didn’t like the shit storm he knew would erupt the second he did.
“Who do you think broke me in?”

“Excuse me?” Djal growled as he shot to his feet and clenched his

fists. “What do you mean he broke you in?”

“When Frank asked for me, Alpha Dawson made it a condition of

letting Frank have me that he got me first”—Julian swallowed back
the bile that suddenly threatened to come up—“even before Frank.”

“You lost your virginity to Alpha Dawson?” The horror and anger

in Djal’s voice was enough to made Julian’s stomach clench.

Julian quickly glanced down at his fingers and began twisting

them together. “I prefer to think I lost my virginity to you. I know that
doesn’t make a lot of sense considering what was done to me, but
what they took from me wasn’t theirs to take. My virginity was mine
to give, and I chose to give it to you. So, yeah, that’s how I think
about it.”

Julian grunted when he was suddenly enveloped in Djal’s arms

and practically squashed as the man hugged him.

“You’re right, Julian.” Djal leaned back just enough to cup

Julian’s chin in his large hand. The gleam in his eyes was warm,
loving. “And I love you all the more for the precious gift you gave
me.”

Julian gave into his deep need to purr then turned his head and

planted a small kiss in the palm of Djal’s hand. When he looked back
up at Djal, he knew he had tears in his eyes. He could feel them
hanging on his eyelashes.

“I’m really scared, Djal,” he whispered on a shaky breath. “Elder

Jerome wasn’t the worst of them, but he was near the top of that list.

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And it scares me even more knowing he’s an elder. That’s just not
right.”

“No, it’s not, pup.” Djal’s jaw firmed, but there was a suspicious

tic on one side. “I need to figure out some way to warn Iben. He needs
to know that the man he asked to come help him with this missing-
member problem we have might be involved in it.”

Julian inhaled deeply at the implication of Djal’s words. “Tell him

I’m sick and you need him to take a look at me.”

Djal grimaced. “That wouldn’t work. As the alpha, Elder Jerome

would expect Iben to delegate someone else to look at you.”

“So, send Zack up here. I can explain the situation to him, and he

can call Alpha Iben up here. The alpha would never deny a request
from his mate.”

Djal stared down at Julian for so long, Julian started to feel antsy.

Then his lips began to spread into a wicked grin. “That might actually
work, pup.”

“Of course it would,” Julian replied instantly as he smiled in

response to Djal’s grin. “I thought of it.” Hell, Julian had no idea at all
if it would work. He just liked the smile on Djal’s face.

“I’m going to head down and ask Zack to come take a look at my

sick mate. I want you to stay up here, Julian. I mean it. I don’t want
you to step foot outside of this room as long as Elder Jerome is here.
Is that understood?”

Julian nodded. He had no problem with that. If he could arrange it,

he would never have to look at the horrible man again. He’d prefer it
if Djal didn’t have to face the man either, but he knew that would
never happen. Djal took his responsibilities very seriously.

“You’ll be careful?”
“Always, pup.” Djal still had a smile on his face when he leaned

down to kiss Julian. It was a quick kiss, but it was full of love and
happiness, and that was enough for Julian. “Maybe later we can take a
bath together.”

Julian grinned. “I’d like that.”

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111

As happy as he was that Djal loved him and was protective of him

and that they had a plan, Julian felt his heart rate pick up when Djal
moved toward the door. Djal cast a quick glance over his shoulder
when he saw the chair wedged under the door handle.

Julian just shrugged.
Djal chuckled and shook his head as he pulled the chair out of the

way and unlocked the door. He glanced back at Julian one last time
and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Julian raced over to the door and pressed his ear against the door,

trying his best to hear what was going on downstairs. He desperately
needed to know if Djal was in trouble. Julian couldn’t live with
himself if anything happened to his mate. Julian could hear a murmur
of voices, but he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, not
even with his wolf hearing.

It sucked.
Resigning himself to not knowing anything until Zack came

upstairs, Julian turned to head back to the bed. His breath slammed
out of his chest when he saw the patio doors standing wide open.
Julian knew for a fact that Djal had closed them when he came inside.

Pure panic grabbed Julian and sank into his soul. There was

nothing out of place on the side of the room where the doors were
located except the doors being open. Just as Julian started to turn to
look toward the bathroom, a fist slammed into the side of his head.
Julian cried out and grabbed the side of his face as he dropped to the
floor, pain exploding in his head.

The cold, hard laughter that filled the air sucked every bit of

oxygen out of the room and made Julian’s heart freeze in his chest.

“You’ve been very bad, boy.”
Julian cringed and glanced up through his fingers at the one face

he hated above all others. He knew his magical happy place had to
come to an end at some point, but he had really hoped it wouldn’t
come to an end this way.

“I’m going to enjoy teaching you who you belong to.”

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Chapter 11

It was all Djal could do to keep a pleasant smile plastered on his

lips as he casually walked down the stairs and joined Iben and his
guest in the great room. The man Djal wanted to rip limb from limb
gave him a friendly smile when Djal walked up.

Djal smiled back, but he seriously doubted it reached his eyes. He

was too damn pissed. He couldn’t believe that the man that had
abused Julian so much just sat in the great room like he had done
nothing.

“Zack,” Djal said as he turned his head to look at the alpha’s mate,

“Julian isn’t feeling so well. I was wondering if you could go up and
sit with him for a little while and keep an eye on him.”

Zack’s eyebrows shot up for just a moment as if the man was

surprised by Djal’s request, and he probably was. Djal didn’t leave
Julian’s safety to hardly anyone. And he certainly didn’t ask other
men to go sit with his mate.

Just as quickly as the surprise showed up on Zack’s face, it was

gone. “Yes, of course,” Zack replied. “I’d be happy to.”

“Thank you.” Once Zack started for the stairs, Djal turned and

gave Iben and the elder his full attention. “Elder Jerome,” Djal said as
he sat down across from the elder, “thank you for coming. As I’m
sure you can understand, this situation has been confusing for us. My
alpha has hopes that you can help us solve this mystery.”

“Yes.” The elder folded his hands together and rested them in his

lap. “Alpha Iben was just beginning to explain to me what the issue
was.”

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113

Djal glanced up at the second-floor balcony when he heard Zack

knock on his bedroom door. His heart pounded a little faster in his
chest when Zack knocked again and then opened the door. When he
looked back, both Iben and Elder Jerome were staring at him.

“My apologies. I’m a little worried about my mate. He tends to

get himself into trouble every time he goes off to play with his best
friend, Marty, and I’m concerned that he had bitten off more than he
can chew this time.”

“Oh?” Elder Jerome asked.
Iben’s mouth just dropped open.
“This time his stomach aches like he got punched. He says he

feels like he had the shit beat out of him.” Djal made a big show of
rolling his eyes. “Julian is such a drama queen. He’s never even had a
split lip. I doubt he’s even been in a fight in his entire life. I just think
he’s had things too easy and now he wants everyone to cater to him.”

Djal could see Iben staring at him out of his peripheral vision. The

alpha’s eyes were growing rounder and rounder with each word that
came out Djal’s mouth. Djal really hoped Iben started to get the
picture pretty soon.

“Do you ever have that problem with your mate, Elder Jerome?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not mated.”
“You’re not?” Djal gave Iben a pointed look when he glanced

between the two men. “I thought all elders had to be mated.”

“Not true.” The elder smiled. “It’s strongly suggested that we

have mates, but it is not a requirement for the position.”

“Oh.”
“The council believes a mated elder is more established than an

unmated one, more settled.”

“Then how did you get your position?”
“As I said, mating is not required for the position.”
Djal’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t an answer. The man was

obviously avoiding the question. Djal just couldn’t figure out why.

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Having or not having a mate was nothing to be ashamed of or hide. It
just was.

“Djal, Julian is asking for you.”
Djal’s eyes snapped up to the second-floor balcony. Zack was

standing right in front of the bedroom door, a worried frown on his
face. “Excuse me, please,” Djal said as he stood and headed for the
stairs as slowly as his shredding control would allow.

Zack was waiting for him when he got upstairs. The man just

gestured to the bedroom. Confused, but knowing Zack and Julian had
to have an explanation for calling him up, Djal walked inside the
bedroom.

He quickly scanned the room but found it empty. He turned to

look at Zack just as the man shut the bedroom door and leaned back
against it. “Where’s—”

“He’s gone, Djal.”
“Gone?” Djal snapped. A chill slid down his spin and invaded

every cell in his body. “What do you mean he’s gone? Where did he
go?”

Zack shrugged. “I don’t know. He was gone when I got up here. I

searched the room, but there’s no sign of him.” Zack’s face paled as
he dropped his gaze down. “The only thing I found was some drops of
blood on the floor.”

“Blood?” Djal felt his knees start to shake as he glanced down at

the floor and saw the small drops of red liquid drying on the floor.
“Fuck!” he snapped as he shoved his hand through his hair and spun
away. He couldn’t stand to look at the blood anymore, not when he
knew it could very well be his mate’s.

“What do you want to do, Djal?” Zack asked. “Should I call

Iben?”

“I sent you up here so that Julian could explain what was going on

to you. I couldn’t say anything to Iben because that man downstairs
with him is part of the problem. Julian recognized Elder Jerome as
one of the men that Frank brought in to abuse him.”

Julian’s Happy Place

115

“Holy shit!”
Djal’s thoughts exactly.
“We need to find Julian.” Before Djal lost his ever-loving mind.
“Do you think he left on his own or do you think someone took

him?”

Djal knew that answer without even having to think about it.

“Someone had to have taken him. Julian would never leave me on his
own. He knows this is the safest place for him. He—”

Djal spun around and growled when the bedroom door opened. He

extended his claws and crouched, ready to attack anyone that walked
inside.

“Uh…” Iben said. “I came up here to check on Julian, but it seems

there is more going on than just an upset stomach.” Iben arched an
eyebrow. “Care to fill me in?”

“Where’s Elder Jerome?” Djal asked, a sudden fear making his

skin prickle with unease.

“He got a phone call and suddenly had to go. We rescheduled our

meeting.” Iben’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Damn it!” Djal felt like sinking his claws into something and

ripping it—or him—apart. Everything was falling apart. “Elder
Jerome was one of the men Frank brought in to abuse Julian. He was
one of the worst, too.

“So, that’s what that was all about downstairs.” Iben chuckled. “I

thought you had lost your marbles.”

“Iben,” Zack said, “Julian is missing.”
“What?” Iben shouted as his eyes flickered from one side of the

room to the other as if he was searching for Julian.

He wouldn’t find him.
“He’s gone!” Djal snapped. “Someone took him.”
“How do you know he was taken?”
Both Djal and Zack pointed to the drops of blood on the floor

right in front of Iben. Iben stared at the drops for a moment then
squatted down and swiped a finger through one of the drops. He

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brought it to his nose and sniffed then slowly raised his head to look
at Djal.

Djal knew what he was going to say before Iben even opened his

mouth. “It’s Julian’s, isn’t it?”

Iben nodded. “It is.”
Djal spun away and slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from

giving voice to the anguish and outrage filling him. Someone had
taken his precious Julian, his sweet, innocent, gentle mate.

They would die—slowly. He would insure it.
“We’ll find him, Djal,” Iben said as he settled a hand on Djal’s

back. “I’ll call the pack together, and we’ll search every last inch of
the valley until we do.”

“Julian’s house,” Djal whispered as he dropped his hand from his

mouth. “Martin would take Julian back to his house.”

Djal didn’t know how he knew where Martin had taken Julian, or

even that it was Martin that had taken Julian. He just did. Martin was
just sick enough to want to torture Julian by taking him back to the
scene of the original crime.

“Then let’s go.” Iben started toward the door.
“Iben, wait.” It killed Djal not to immediately run to Julian’s

rescue, but if he wanted to do this right, he needed to have his wits
about him. Anything else could get his mate killed. “Martin may not
be alone.”

“I kind of figured that when you said Elder Jerome was involved.”
“No.” Djal shook his head. “I think there may be more people

involved than that.”

Iben’s head cocked to one side. “Explain.”
“Julian told me that Frank used to bring all sort of people in to use

him. Some were pack, but some were not. If these people were up to
something and they didn’t want to be caught, what better way to do
that than join a pack but not join it?”

“You have totally lost me, Djal.”

Julian’s Happy Place

117

“Go with me on this. You have a group of shifters that are up to

no good. They need to hide, but they need to hide somewhere that no
one knows them. If Alpha Dawson was involved in whatever this is,
then they could join Aberdeen pack and get the good elder to cover it
up.”

“For what reason, though, Djal?” Iben asked.
“I have no fucking clue, Iben. But that’s where the clues are

leading me. Dawson had to be involved in this. It would be the only
way that these people could come and go so easily. Julian swore that
Elder Jerome was involved, and we both know that the council did not
send you an accurate member list. If they’re not trying to hide people,
then I don’t have a clue what they are trying to do.”

“If you’re right, then we need a fucking army.”
“I’m right.”
“Then I know just the people to call.”

* * * *

Djal crouched behind some bushes and watched the front of

Julian’s house as everyone got into place. He knew Julian was inside.
He had caught his mate’s scent on his way through the woods to the
house.

He just didn’t know if he would find Julian alive.
He wished everyone would hurry the hell up. He knew it took

time to come up with a plan and get everyone here and into place, but
it had been two hours since Julian disappeared, and Djal was going
out of his mind with thoughts of what could be happening to his sweet
mate.

Djal glanced to his side and watched one of the men Iben had

called settle into place behind some bushes just feet from him. When
the man glanced at him, there wasn’t an emotion present on his face.
Even his eyes looked dead.

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Djal shivered. He didn’t know where Iben had found these guys,

and he really didn’t want to know. They scared the crap out of him.
There was an air of danger around the small three-man team,
something that told Djal not to fuck with them. Still, if they were on
Djal’s side, he’d accept all of the help he could get to free Julian. And
he didn’t care where it came from.

When the man nodded at him, Djal started making his way toward

the house through the bushes and trees surrounding the area. One of
the things he liked about living in Aberdeen Valley was how thick
and lush it was with plant life. He just hadn’t appreciated it until now
when it gave him perfect cover.

A sudden scream from inside the house blew all of Djal’s careful

control to smithereens. Djal ignored the inner voice that told him he
was being stupid. He even ignored the loud whispers from the men he
was with.

His only thought as he ran toward the house was to get to Julian.
The front door was no barrier for Djal. He just turned his shoulder

into it at the last second and crashed right through the thick wood.
The door splintered, and Djal was suddenly inside hell.

Julian was crouched in the corner, beaten and bruised. His clothes

were in tatters as if someone had tried to rip them off him. He held a
broken lamp in his hands like a baseball bat. One whole side of his
face was swollen, and a trickle of blood dripped from his swollen lip.

Djal started to growl, his claws extending, until he saw the still

body at Julian’s feet. Whoever it was wasn’t moving. A deep blood
gash marred the side of the man’s head. It was the exact shape of the
side of the lamp.

Elder Jerome stood a couple of feet away, trying to reach for

Julian, but every time he got close, Julian swung the lamp at him.
Two strangers stood beside Elder Jerome. Every time Julian swung at
the elder, they tried to come in from the sides and grab him. Julian
was quicker. He just continued to swing the broken lamp, keeping
everyone away from his position.

Julian’s Happy Place

119

“Get the hell away from my mate!” Djal roared as he started

toward the men terrorizing his mate. He was swinging his claws
before he even reached them and gloried in the feeling of his claws
sinking deep into warm flesh when he did.

Footsteps pounded into the house behind Djal. He heard people

yelling and screaming as he tore into the men trying to hurt Julian.
What they were saying he had no idea, and he didn’t really care.
Djal’s one objective was to get to Julian—and he didn’t care who he
had to go through to do it.

Djal realized that the prone body on the floor at Julian’s feet was

Martin just about the time the man rolled over onto his back and
started groaning. Djal thought of going after him, killing him, but the
need to protect Julian and get him to safety seemed more important.

Djal swiped his claws at the two men that had been with Elder

Jerome as they came at him. He spared a small thought to where the
elder had gone, but the threat in front of him was more important than
finding the dirtbag. If Djal didn’t kill the two men, they might get
their hands on Julian, and he just couldn’t allow that.

Djal felt one or two hits to his own body, but the pain was

nonexistent. He only felt extreme satisfaction as first one, then the
other man fell under his claws.

Djal finally dropped to his knees a little ways in front of his mate.

“Julian?”

Julian raised his head to look at Djal but his eyes seemed dazed

and glossy. Djal wasn’t even sure Julian recognized him.

“Pup?”
“I knew you would come,” Julian whispered. “I knew if I could

just hold out that you would come.”

“Of course I came, pup. I’ll always come for you.”
Djal reached for the lamp that Julian still clutched in his hands

and gently pulled it away. He tossed it on the floor then reached for
Julian, just holding his arms out. He wanted Julian to make the choice

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to come to him or not. He didn’t want to frighten Julian any more than
he already was.

Julian’s eyes wavered for a moment, flickering beyond Djal

before snapping back to him. Djal held his breath as Julian slowly
pushed away from the corner he was crouched in and crawled toward
Djal.

It seemed to take forever for Julian to reach him. Every time he

heard the little sound, Julian stiffened and shuddered. He wouldn’t
start moving again until all was quiet. When Julian finally reached
him, Djal tried not to make any abrupt movements as he gently lifted
his mate and cradled the man to his chest. Julian clutched at Djal’s
shirt and burrowed into him.

“Hey, pup,” Djal murmured against the side of his head, as much

to speak only to Julian as to hide the tears in his eyes. “How about we
go take a bath, huh?”

“I’d like that.”
Djal smiled. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

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Chapter 12

Julian sat on the floor of the balcony right in front of his bedroom

door and looked through the wooden railing down into the great
room. Alpha Iben, Zack, and Djal were talking with the three men that
had helped rescue him from Martin and Elder Jerome. Elder Khenti
was there as well, along with his two bodyguards. The elder didn’t
seem to go anywhere without them.

Julian wasn’t real sure what they were talking about, but he knew

it somehow had to do with him. Pretty much every discussion Djal
was involved in during the last couple of weeks had been about him.
Julian just wished someone would include him in the conversation.
He would really like to know what was going on and how it would
affect him, because he knew it would.

Already, security around Aberdeen Valley had been beefed up.

There were now patrols that regularly swept the entire valley. The
alpha house was practically surrounded by armed guards. Julian
doubted a fly could get inside.

Alpha Iben had brought in other men, strangers, and they were

helping guard the valley and the alpha house. Julian just didn’t
understand why all of these new strangers were needed. They made
him nervous.

Julian didn’t like strangers.
Julian wanted the house back the way it was with just him, Djal,

Sissy, Rory, Iben, and Zack. He didn’t like the strangers coming and
going, mostly because they were strangers.

No one had even taken the time to introduce the men to Julian

beyond saying they were here for his safety. Julian didn’t even know

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their names. He just knew he was supposed to listen to them if there
was trouble.

Julian really wanted to know what was going on. He felt like he

was being treated like a child. He hated being kept in the dark and just
given whatever information people thought he should know instead of
everything.

He climbed to his feet and started down the walkway. He didn’t

miss the fact that Djal’s eyes instantly snapped to him the second he
started moving. The man seemed to know where he was at all times.
Julian didn’t necessarily think that was a bad thing. Djal was never far
away.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Julian debated for a

moment going into the kitchen where he could hear Sissy cooking or
going into the living room where Djal was.

The smile that appeared on Djal’s face, and the hand he held out

to him made up Julian’s mind. He hurried across the room and
grabbed Djal’s hand. When he was pulled down onto Djal’s lap,
Julian didn’t even mind the fact that all conversation had stopped—as
it usually did. He just wiggled closer to Djal’s warm body and laid his
head on the man’s chest.

“How are you, pup?”
Julian rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, Djal.” They had gone through

this exact line of question and answer before, like a million times.
Djal was constantly asking him how he was. Just once, Julian wished
that the man would ask him something else—anything else.

“So, what’s everyone talking about?” Julian almost laughed when

very man in the room got a look of instant panic on his face.

“Nothing for you to worry about, pup.”
“Really?” Julian glanced up at Djal through his eyelashes. “Then

you’re not talking about the increased security around Aberdeen
Valley and the alpha house? Or how Elder Jerome got away and
might even now be plotting to come after me? Or even how Elder
Jerome had something to do with the missing pack members? You’re

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not talking about how Martin is locked up in one of the houses on the
other side of the village where you can interrogate him?”

Julian narrowed his eyes when Djal’s mouth dropped open. “Do

you think I’m stupid, Djal?”

“No, of course not, but—”
“You must. You all must. Every time I walk into a room,

everyone goes silent. So, either you all think I’m a complete moron or
you don’t trust me. Which is it?”

A deep frown spread across Djal’s face. “I trust you completely,

Julian. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

Julian rolled his eyes yet again and pushed out of Djal’s lap to

stand up. “Maybe you’re the idiot here then, Djal. All you’ve done by
hiding everything from is make me worried.” Julian waved his hand
toward the three men that had recently come to live in the alpha
house. “There are complete strangers living in the same house as me,
and no one has even introduced them to me. I don’t know what to call
them except hey you, creepy dude, and idiot. How is that not supposed
to make me worried?”

One of the strangers, the one with brown hair, pointed to the guy

next to him. “That’s creepy dude. I’m hey you.”

“Then what’s that make me?” the taller of the three men asked.
“The idiot,” both of the other men answered at the same time.
Julian stared for a moment, and then a bubble of laughter spilled

from his lips. They were big and scary and deadly, and Julian knew it
deep down in his bones. But they were also as funny as hell.

The brown-haired stranger stood then bowed at the waist. “Our

apologies, young sir. It was not our intention to bring you more
concern but rather to ensure that your home was one of safety and
solace.”

Julian blinked. “Um…okay.”
“I am Ares.” He waved his hand back toward the other two men,

both of whom stood and bowed at the waist just as Ares had. “These
are my brothers, Apollo and Hercules.”

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Julian’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
Ares chuckled. “Very.”
“Dude.”
“Is Julian not a Latin name meaning ‘belonging to Julius’ as in

Julius Caesar? Hence the use of the name in the Julian calendar,
introduced by Julius Caesar?”

Julian shrugged. “I have no idea. My mother named me, and she

died when I was born.”

“My apologies once again, young sir. I did not mean to make you

relive troubled times from your past.”

Julian felt like his eyes were as huge as plates as he stared at Ares.

Was he for real? No one talked like that. And what was with the
whole young sir thing? That was creepy enough without knowing
who these men were.

“It’s Julian, not young sir.”
“As you wish.”
Julian purposely widened his eyes as he glanced back at Djal. He

wanted to jerk his head toward the three men and ask Djal where he
had found them because wow. They were so totally out there.

“Come sit with me, pup,” Djal said as he grabbed Julian’s hand

and tugged. “I’ll explain what I can.”

Julian wished that they would explain everything to him, but at

this point, he would take what he could get. He allowed Djal to pull
him back down into his lap and then turned to look at the others in the
room.

“So, what’d I miss?”
“Not much apparently.” Alpha Iben snickered.
“As you’ve figured out, Elder Jerome escaped before we could

question him.”

Julian frowned. “Just how did that happen? I thought you told me

that the house was surrounded.”

Djal’s face flushed, which Julian found very interesting. “When I

ran right into the house and started tearing into the two men with the

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125

elder, everyone came running in after me, believing that I was running
to my death. No one had any idea how many people were inside. So,
during the confusion, the elder slipped out through the back of the
house.”

“That probably was a pretty dumb idea.” Julian tilted his head and

kissed the side of Djal’s jaw. “But I’m glad you came for me. I don’t
think I would have been able to hold out to much longer.”

“Yes, you would have.” Djal’s hand came up to stroke over the

side of Julian’s neck. “You’re a lot stronger than anyone gives you
credit for, even you.”

Julian wasn’t so sure about that, but he’d let Djal live in whatever

delusional world he wanted as long as Julian got to live there, too.
“What happened to Martin? I know I knocked his ass out with that
lamp. I was kind of hoping I knocked him out permanently, but if
you’re questioning him, I guess I didn’t.”

“Knocking Martin out was probably the best thing you could have

done, pup. We’ve been able to learn a lot from him.” Djal sighed
deeply as he dropped his hand from Julian’s throat and rubbed it
down Julian’s back. “The man turned into a coward the moment he
was outnumbered. He started spilling his guts almost immediately.”

“Sounds like Martin,” Julian replied. “He always made Frank do

the dirty work. He didn’t like to get his hands dirty.”

“Yes, well,” Iben said. “Martin’s hands are plenty dirty and so are

Elder Jerome’s.”

“From what we’ve been able to put together, Elder Jerome was

involved in a plan to take out the Wolf Council. He wanted to
eliminate the council and place himself in charge as supreme ruler of
all wolf kind.”

Julian’s jaw dropped. He tilted his head back to look up at Djal.

“Like a king or something?”

“Yes, exactly like a king.”

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Julian shuddered and cuddled closer to Djal. He felt Djal’s arms

tighten around him in response. “Jerome would make a very bad
king.”

“Yes,” Iben said. “That was our thought exactly.”
“So, what’s that have to do with the increased security around

here?”

“We know of his plans, Julian,” Djal said. “That makes us

dangerous to him.”

“Julian,” Iben said as he leaned forward and folded his hands

together. “Jerome was building an army of shifters. He was using the
Aberdeen Pack to hide them. Obviously, Alpha Dawson knew about it
because he helped hide these men.”

“And you think he’s going to try and attack our pack?”
“It’s a strong possibility,” Iben said. “It’s what I would do.”
Julian shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t because you wouldn’t

try and take over the world. You’re happy with just your own pack.
You don’t need to rule the world.”

Iben chuckled.
“How do you know this, Julian?”
Julian turned to see Elder Khenti staring at him with a curious

look on his face. “Iben is a good alpha. He would never do anything
for his own gain. He’s happy here with us and his mate. He doesn’t
need more.”

“Are you happy here, Julian?” the elder asked.
“I’m happy wherever Djal is.” Julian’s reward for his instant

answer was a soft kiss planted on the side of his head. He turned and
smiled up at Djal before turning back to the elder. “Where are you
happiest, Elder Khenti?”

The elder looked startled for a moment, and then a wide grin

turned up the corners of his lips. “Wherever my mate is, just as you
and my son.”

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127

“I’m not going to let Elder Jerome take that away from me,”

Julian said fiercely. “I fought too hard to get Djal. I’m not going to let
this asshole take what I have from me. Tell me what I can do to help.”

“Are you sure you want to know about all of this, pup?” Djal

asked. “I don’t want to bring up any bad memories for you, and it’s
bound to happen if you know everything. I’d save you from that if I
can.”

Julian leaned into Djal’s warm body and smiled. “I’ll have bad

memories no matter what happens, Djal. But maybe if I can help stop
this madman I can take back some of what he took from me.”

“Are you sure, pup?”
“I’m sure, Djal.”
“If it gets to be too much for you—”
Julian leaned up to whisper in Djal’s ear. “I’ll let you take me

upstairs to the bathtub and fuck the memories out of me.”

The light chuckles from behind him let Julian know his words

hadn’t been as quiet as he had hoped, but the wide grin that covered
Djal’s face was worth any embarrassment he felt.

“It’s a deal, pup,” Djal said.
“May I ask why you call Julian pup?” Ares asked. “Isn’t that how

you would refer to a child? I would think he might find that
insulting.”

Julian growled at having anything in his relationship with Djal

questioned. These men did not know him or what he had been through
in his life. They had no right to question a damn thing. Julian started
to turn to rip into Ares.

Djal just chuckled and tightened his arms around Julian, holding

him in place. “Many people call their mates baby or honey. Pup is no
different. It is my name for Julian—an endearment of sorts. It does
not mean I consider him a child. Julian has seen too much in this
world to ever be considered a child. However, that does not mean that
he doesn’t need a little tenderness in his life. As his mate, that is mine
to provide to him.”

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“I see,” Ares said.
“You see nothing,” Julian snarled as he finished turning to glare at

Ares. “Djal has shown me more kindness and gentleness than anyone
in my entire life. He took me away from everything and gave me a
place to live where no one hurts me. He loves me even knowing
everything that has happened to me. He doesn’t make me feel guilty
or ashamed or used. He makes me feel special, particularly when he
calls me something he calls no one else. And you have no right to
question him.”

“Okay, meeting over!” Djal shot to his feet.
Julian gave an embarrassingly loud squeak when he was suddenly

lifted and tossed over Djal’s shoulder. For a moment, all he saw was a
very tight ass bouncing before his eyes. As he looked up, Julian
caught sight of everyone staring after him and Djal in shock.

He quickly realized where they were heading and couldn’t keep

from winking at everyone as he was carried up the stairs. He even
tossed in a little wave before dropping back down and grabbing Djal’s
ass with both hands.

Another very unmanly squeak fell from Julian’s mouth a moment

later when he was suddenly tossed through the air. Luckily, he landed
on the mattress. Djal was on him—covering him from head to toe—
before he even stopped bouncing.

“Hey, pup,” Djal murmured softly as he stroked his finger over

the side of Julian’s face.

“Hey, Djal.” Julian swallowed hard, feeling choked up by the

emotion so blaringly apparent in Djal’s brown eyes.

“Did you mean what you said downstairs?”
Julian frowned. “What I said?” He had said a lot of things. What

exactly was Djal referring to?

“That you love me.”
Julian blinked. As much as he did love Djal, he didn’t remember

saying that. “Uh…Djal, I didn’t say that.”

“Yes, you did.”

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“When?”
Djal grinned and rubbed his thumb across Julian’s lips. “With

every word that came out of your beautiful mouth.”

“Oh.” Julian’s blinking increased as he tried to figure out how

what he had said equated loving Djal—even if he did. On the other
hand, who the fuck cared as long as it made Djal happy. “Well, then,
yes, I meant what I said.”

“You know I never wanted a mate,” Djal said. “I swore I’d never

have one. My duty was to my alpha and my pack. A mate would
interfere with that, and you do.”

Okay, wait a minute. This conversation wasn’t going exactly how

Julian envisioned it. Even as his heart sank, Julian felt compelled to
apologize for messing up Djal’s life. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m not. I may not have wanted a mate, but that was only because

I hadn’t met you yet. You’ve turned out to be the best thing that ever
happened to me.”

Julian’s eyebrows shot up. “I have?” That really wasn’t something

he ever expected to come out of Djal’s mouth.

“Having a mate scares the hell out of me, Julian. I’m terrified that

I can’t keep you safe. You’ve already been taken from me once. I
don’t know if I’ll survive it if it happens again.” Djal’s face took on a
deeply agonized expression. “That’s why I insisted on all the extra
security. I have to keep you safe, and I won’t always be around. I still
have to do my duty to the pack.”

“Djal.” Julian framed Djal’s face with his hands. “I promise to be

careful. I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

“And that’s why you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.

You understand how important this is to me, and you don’t fight it.
You understand that I still have to do my duty to Iben and our pack.
You don’t make me choose.”

“Why would I?” Julian was totally confused. “You’re the beta of

our pack. It’s your job to care for all of us, not just me.”

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“But you’re the most important member of our pack, Julian, even

above Iben and Zack. If it came down to it and I was forced to choose,
I would choose you every time.”

“I would never make you choose.”
“But I would, Julian, and you need to know that. I would choose

you every time.”

Julian grinned and leaned back against the pillows. “Then I guess

I need to be extra careful, huh?”

Djal chuckled, some of the worry lines fading from his face. “I

know it won’t be easy, especially when you see everyone else running
around wherever and whenever they want. I just need you to be a little
more protected than that.”

“Djal, I’m not really in favor of not having some sort of

protection, so this kind of works out well for both of us. I just want to
be informed of what is going on and introduced to the people
protecting me. I’ll willingly submit to whatever you want, just tell me
about it first.”

“I’d really appreciate it, pup.”
“It’s gonna cost you.” Julian grinned mischievously when Djal’s

eyebrow peaked.

“Cost me how?”
“You’re a smart man.” Julian wrapped his legs around Djal’s

waist and pulled until he felt the man’s more than impressive rigid
length press against his own. “You figure it out.”

“Well, let’s see.” Djal pushed Julian’s shirt up and then pulled it

over his head, dropping it over the side of the bed. He stared down at
Julian’s chest for a moment before leaning down and nipping at one
of Julian’s nipples.

“Clue number one,” Djal said. “Your nipples are stiff and begging

to be nibbled on.”

“Yesss!” Julian hissed as he arched his chest up into the air.

Pleasure shot right through his body and down to his cock when Djal

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131

licked and nibbled at the other pert nipple. When Djal’s hands started
moving over his skin, Julian couldn’t stop himself from groaning.

“Clue number two,” Djal murmured against Julian’s skin. “You’re

moaning.”

“Yeah.”
Well, he was.
Julian cried out in protest when Djal leaned away from him until

he felt the man’s large hands on the buttons of his jeans. Julian sucked
in his bottom lip and lifted his hips when Djal tugged them down. He
was more than willing to help the whole process along.

“This is a big clue right here.”
Julian’s eyes felt like they were on the verge of rolling back into

his head when Djal’s firm fingers wrapped around his aching dick. He
spread his legs as far as they would go, hoping for more.

He got it, just not in the way he expected.
Julian’s loud cry filled the room when he was suddenly flipped

over onto his stomach. Djal grabbed his hips and jerked him up then
pushed his head down. Julian knew he had to look ridiculous
considering his face was planted in the mattress and his ass was
sticking up in the air.

He just didn’t care.
Julian winced when two thick fingers speared his ass at the same

time. It burned a lot, but the moment Djal started wiggling them
around, Julian forgot all about the burn and only felt the pleasure
exploding inside of his body.

“But I think this is the biggest clue of all,” Djal murmured. “The

way your body practically sucks me right in.” Djal’s hand stroked
over curve of Julian’s ass. “You’re hungry for me, aren’t you, pup?”

Julian whimpered.
Julian almost couldn’t breathe through the pleasure that raced

through his body with the speed in which Djal stretched his ass. It
seemed as if he was just getting used to the man’s fingers pushing
past his tight ring of muscles before they were pulling out.

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“Please,” Julian pleaded when he couldn’t take anymore.
“And that’s the last clue.”
Djal’s fingers disappeared from Julian’s ass, and the man’s rather

large cock replaced them. Julian’s fingers curled into the blankets as
the head of Djal’s cock slowly pushed inside of him, stretching him
and filling every last inch of his ass.

Djal stilled once he was fully inside of Julian. “Do you want my

cock, pup? Do you want me to fuck you? Do you want me to come in
your ass and fill you up with my seed so everyone can smell me on
you?”

“Yes!”
Djal’s large body curled over the top of Julian’s. His fingers fisted

in Julian’s hair, turning his head. “How hard do you want it, pup?”
Djal asked as he moved so slowly that Julian snapped his teeth
together to keep from begging for more. “Do you want it nice and
slow so you can feel every inch of my big, fat cock fucking your
sweet little ass?”

Djal moved so slowly that Julian could feel everything from the

thick head as it pressed over his sweet spot to the thickness of the
man’s wide girth stretching him. It was a kind of pleasurable torture
in itself.

Julian’s heart thundered in his chest when Djal leaned back and

his fingers dug into Julian’s hips. He knew what was coming. He
anticipated it. He needed it. He ached for it.

“Or is this what you want, pup?” Djal rasped as he suddenly

started pounding into Julian. He moved fast, hard. Julian couldn’t tell
if his ass was being filled or not. He just knew that his entire body felt
like it was ready to combust and Djal was the match that was going to
set him off. “Do you want me to fuck you hard and fast, drive my
cock into your tight ass as quickly as I can?”

“Yes!” Julian shouted, and he didn’t care who heard him.
Djal’s cock pulsed inside of Julian’s ass. The bed started to rock

as Djal drove his cock harder and harder into Julian. When a hand

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encircled his cock, quickly stroking him, that was all it took for
Julian.

Julian screamed. His entire body jerked as ecstasy rocked though

every cell in his body. Ropes of cum shot from his cock and saturated
the blankets beneath him. Just when he thought he might be able to
breathe again, white hot pain exploded in his shoulder as Djal’s sharp
fangs sank into his skin.

“Mine!” Djal roared around the flesh in his mouth. He thrust once

more into Julian’s body, then again, and then he froze.

Julian groaned as Djal’s seed filled him. He dropped his head

forward and rested it on the bed. Every bone in his body felt melted,
sated. He could hear the soft slurp as Djal drank from him, the gentle
tug of his fangs.

When Djal finally extracted his teeth and licked at the bite wound,

Julian smiled even though he shivered at the small caress. He knew
that every time Djal bit him, he was renewing the bond between them.

Djal bit him a lot.
“Am I paid up, pup?” Djal whispered into his ear.
Julian smiled. “You’re asking for a lot, Djal. It might take the next

hundred years.”

Djal chuckled as he gently pulled his cock from Julian’s ass then

wrapped his arms around him and rolled them to their sides. “I don’t
know, pup. The next hundred years fucking you into the mattress?
That’s a mighty big order.”

Julian rolled his eyes. “You’ll live.”
“But you won’t!”

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Chapter 13

Djal kept his arms locked around Julian and rolled them off the

side of the bed the instant he heard someone else in their room. Julian
cried out as they hit the hard floor, igniting Djal’s anger. They were
inside the alpha house surrounded by armed guards. No one should
have been able to get inside—especially a man that was on their top
most-wanted list.

The moment Djal landed next to Julian he tried to push his smaller

mate under the bed and out of harm’s way. He hadn’t taken his pants
off when he fucked Julian, thank god. He had just unzipped them and
pushed them out of the way. At the time, he had been in too much of a
hurry to sink his dick into Julian’s ass.

Now, he was thankful.
As Djal looked up over the top of the bed to the man standing by

the balcony doors, he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out his
cell phone. He shoved it at Julian and hoped the man knew what to do
with it.

“It was really stupid to come here, Jerome. Everyone is looking

for you.”

“Not here, they’re not.” The wild cackle that came from the elder

sent a shiver of apprehension down Djal’s spine. That wasn’t a sound
a sane man made. “Besides, you’ve made it impossible for me to go
anywhere else.”

My bad.
“The council has people searching my house even as we speak.

They won’t find anything, of course. I’m not that stupid. I’m not
nearly as stupid as the council wants to believe I am.”

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Yeah, that was debatable.
“Do you really think I would keep anything at my own house?”
Djal shrugged. “Well, I still think you’re stupid, so yeah.”
Note to self. Don’t piss off the insane man.
Djal ducked as a bullet zipped past his head. He really didn’t like

getting shot at. Although, the unmistakable sound of a gun being fired
should alert those downstairs that something was wrong.

Apparently, Jerome hadn’t thought of that.
“You’re going to pay for that comment, Djal,” Jerome said, “for a

very long time.” Jerome waved his gun, gesturing to the side of the
bed. “Bring the boy up here. I want to see my new pet.”

“That’s never going to happen.”
No way in hell. Not while Djal had a breath left in his body. He

would kill his mate himself before he let Jerome get his hands on
Julian again.

“I demand that you bring him up here!” Jerome shouted.
“Nope.”
“He’s mine!”
“Oh, hell, no!” Djal growled. “Julian is mine, and he always will

be.”

Djal grunted and fell back against the floorboards as a bullet

slammed into his upper arm. Pain exploded from his shoulder all of
the way down to his fingertips, almost blinding him with agony. Only
the soft whimper from under the bed gave Djal the control he needed
to push the pain to the back of his mind.

Djal wrapped his hand around his arm to stop the blood then

pushed himself back to his knees. He would have preferred to be on
his feet to face Jerome, but keeping Julian hidden under the bed was
more important than his pride.

“You can’t have Julian.”
Jerome smirked. “I’ve already had him.”
“Yes, I am fully aware of the fact that you raped my mate over

and over again, and so is the Wolf Council. They are aware of

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everything you have done. They know about Julian. They know about
the men you tried to hide here. And they know about your plans to
wipe them all out and place yourself as ruler of all shifters.” Djal let
his hatred for Jerome spill over into his voice as he chuckled. “They
aren’t happy with you, Jerome.”

“What do I care what a bunch of old, decrepit, whiny fools

think?” Jerome snapped. Djal tensed as the man started ranting, the
gun in his hand waving around wildly. One shot and Djal’s attempt to
keep Julian safe would be over. “They have no vision. They can’t see
the future.”

“And you can?” Djal prayed that his digs at Jerome would keep

the man talking long enough for help to arrive—and before he got
shot again.

“We’re not meant to be without a ruler, my dear boy. Shifters

need one supreme power, one set of rules, one man to lead them into
the new era.”

“What new era?”
Jerome blinked down at Djal like he had just realized the man was

in the room. “We’re shifters, boy. Under the Wolf Council’s rule, we
have had to hide ourselves from humanity when we should be ruling
the humans.”

Wow. That made so much sense. Djal didn’t know how he hadn’t

seen it before. It explained why Alpha Dawson had been so willing to
work with Elder Jerome and why he outlawed humans in the pack.
They thought alike. They both hated humans.

“We need humans to reproduce, Jerome. You know that. Wolves

are always born male.”

“True.” Jerome nodded. “But we don’t have to mate with them.

That places them on our level, and they will never be on our level.
They don’t have our abilities, and they are too easily conquered. With
my army behind me, I can take over all of the pack lands and rid us of
the humans we don’t need. The ones that can reproduce will be kept
as slaves to their wolf masters.”

Julian’s Happy Place

137

Djal’s eyebrows slowly crawled up his forehead as Jerome

explained his plan. The man was totally psychotic. Unfortunately, he
was a psycho in power, and that made him fucking dangerous.

“Just how do you plan to do this?” Djal asked.
A part of him was stalling, and a part of him was curious as to

what the man’s plan actually was. If there were more out there like
Jerome, the entire population of wolf-shifters was in deep shit.

“Like I said, I have an army.”
“An army?”
“Shifters that believe we should be ruling the humans as I do.”
“And they have elected you their ruler?”
The corner of Jerome’s mouth lifted in a smirk. “It was my plan.”
“That doesn’t mean that they will keep you as their leader. One of

them might want to be in charge.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, boy. I’m the only one fit for the position.”
Just how big was this man’s ego?
“And if they decide that they want it?” Djal asked.
“I’ll kill them.” Djal swallowed hard when Jerome lifted the gun

and pointed it right at him. “Just like I am going to kill you.”

Djal stilled as he stared at the gun. “I thought you were going to

keep me around for a while.”

“I’ve changed my mind. You’re standing between me and what I

want, and I always get what I want.”

Djal’s heart hammered in his chest as he watched Jerome’s finger

slowly tighten on the trigger. He was going to die and leave Julian
defenseless. Julian wasn’t strong enough to fight off a man as big as
Jerome.

He had failed his mate.
Just as Djal thought it was the end, he felt a tug on his pant leg.

He glanced down to see Julian holding the phone up to him. Two big
white words blazed across the screen. Djal dropped to the floor just as
Jerome pulled the trigger. It was so close, he felt the heat of the bullet
as it shot right where he had been a split second before.

138

Stormy Glenn

Djal heard Jerome roar as wrapped his injured arm around Julian

and slammed the man into his chest. He grabbed the mattress with the
other hand and yanked it down over the top of him and Julian then
rolled Julian beneath him.

Boom!
Djal squeezed his eyes closed as a huge explosion rocked the

room. He could hear someone screaming. That horrid sound was only
broken up by the thunder of debris hitting the floor.

And then everything was silent.
Djal slowly opened his eyes and stared down into tear-filled dark-

green eyes.

Damn!
“Are you hurt, pup?”
Julian shook his head. He was a little smudged, but Djal didn’t see

any injuries on him. Djal leaned his forehead against Julian’s and just
breathed him in. “Damn, Julian, I thought I had lost you for sure.”

Julian giggled even though he still had tears glistening in his eyes.

“Never going to happen.”

“You know I love you, right?”
“I heard something about that.”
Gods, Julian was a marvel. They had almost lost their lives, been

shot at, threatened by a madman, and had their home blown to
smithereens, and yet the man was still smiling.

“Djal?” someone shouted from somewhere.
“Under here,” Djal shouted right back. A moment later, the

mattress was pulled off, and Djal looked up to see Iben and Zack
standing over the top of him and Julian. “Get down? Really?”

Iben shrugged. “It worked didn’t it?”
“You couldn’t have just slammed him into a wall or something?

You had to text me and blow up our bedroom?”

“We didn’t know where you were standing, Djal.”
“So, you blew up our room? We could have been killed, Iben.”
“You weren’t, so drop the drama act, queeny.”

Julian’s Happy Place

139

“I was shot!”
Iben rolled his eyes. “You’ve been shot before.”
“You blew up my bathtub.”
“There’s one downstairs.”
Iben seemed to have an answer for everything…the asshole.
Djal just glared at him.
“You blew up the bathtub?” Julian asked. “My bathtub?”
Uh-oh. Djal’s eyes rounded as Julian pushed away from him and

climbed to his feet. He had a finger out and was pointing it at Iben as
he started after the man, who was quickly backing away with a totally
petrified look on his face. Djal wasn’t sure he had ever seen such
terror on the alpha’s face before.

“I love that bathtub, Iben!” Julian shouted. Djal’s jaw dropped

when he realized Julian had dropped the use of alpha when addressing
Iben. His little mate must really be pissed. “It’s the only bathtub big
enough for me and Djal to sit in together. How could you do that?”

“I…uh…” Iben’s eyes were pure panic when they darted toward

Djal.

Djal just grinned and shook his head. Iben was on his own.
“I was just trying to save you from Elder Jerome, Julian.”
“That’s no excuse!” Julian stomped his foot. “We use that bathtub

for our special times together. It’s my happy place.”

Djal’s eyebrow cocked when Julian began poking his finger into

Iben’s chest. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen anyone do that before
and walk away alive afterward. He knew no one else there had ever
seen anything like it because they were all staring at Julian like he had
lost his mind.

“You blew it up. You damn well better fix it.”
“I’ll fix it, Julian. I promise. I’ll even find the biggest tub I can.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed down to tiny little slits as if he was trying

to assess Iben’s truthfulness. “You’d better.”

With a deep harrumph, Julian spun on his heels and stalked back

across the room to stand beside Djal. Djal’s grin grew bigger when

140

Stormy Glenn

Julian started fussing over him, trying to wrap a piece of cloth around
the bullet hole in his arm.

“And you think he needs extra protection?” Iben asked as he

pushed away from the wall Julian had walked him into. “He could
give lessons.”

“He knows what he wants.” Djal felt his heart skip a beat as he

looked down at his mate and found Julian smiling back at him with
vibrant green eyes. “And luckily, he wants me.”

* * * *

“Iben, I thought you’d want to know I just got off the phone with

your father,” Djal said as he walked into his alpha’s office. “The rest
of Jerome’s little ragtag group has been rounded up and put behind
bars.”

“Did he say when the council is going to come get Martin?” Iben

asked as he looked up from a stack of papers he had been studying. “I
really don’t like having that man in my territory.”

“They’re sending a full retrieval unit out in a couple of days.

Martin should be gone by the end of the week.” And Djal couldn’t be
more thrilled. Granted, Martin was being kept in a small house on the
other side of the village, but that was too close for Djal’s comfort.

“Did they say anything about the search of Jerome’s house?”
“No.” Djal sighed. “Jerome was right when he said that he didn’t

keep anything there that might implicate him. They didn’t find shit.
Which just means that he has a base of operations set up somewhere
else. The council is sending out some feelers to other packs in the
Northwestern Shifter Territory. Someone somewhere has seen
something.”

“Well, in the meantime, I want to keep patrols up. Ares and his

brothers have agreed to stick around for a little while and give us a
hand. I don’t want to freak the pack out, but I think it’s best if we
keep up security until all of this is dealt with.”

Julian’s Happy Place

141

“You don’t think it ended with Jerome’s death?” Djal still got sick

to his stomach when he thought of the bits and pieces of Jerome that
had to be cleaned up from his destroyed bedroom. Iben hadn’t been
messing around. There hadn’t been enough left of Jerome to piece
together half a body.

“No, I don’t. There’s always been grumbling over keeping our

kind secret from the human population. A lot of us would see Jerome
as someone that could lead us to being higher on the food chain than
the humans instead of equal with them. I doubt we’ll ever really know
how many wolf packs were involved in this.”

“Uh, Iben, we are higher on the food chain than them.”
“Are we?” Iben leaned back in his chair and held the pen in his

fingers at both ends. “Are we higher up on the food chain, or is that
just what we like to tell ourselves? A human with an automatic
machine gun can certainly cut one of us down faster than we can shift
and get to them. Does that make that human higher or lower on the
food chain? And what about some secret government lab rat? If he
creates a serum that wipes our kind out, does that make him higher or
lower on the food chain?”

“Okay, I think I see what you mean.”
“Do you?” Iben leaned forward and set his pen down. He clasped

his hands together and just looked at Djal. “There will always be
someone bigger, stronger, and more insane. Just because we have
claws and teeth and can shift into a wolf does not make us the better
species. It’s what we do with what we have that makes us who we
are.”

“You’d better hope it’s what we do with what we have if Julian

doesn’t get his bathtub pretty soon. It’s been two weeks, Iben. He’s
starting to ask questions.”

Iben shivered and his entire demeanor changed. “Man, your mate

gives me the willies. Doesn’t he understand that I’m the alpha?”

142

Stormy Glenn

Djal chuckled. “Oh yeah, he totally gets it that you’re the alpha.

And he has nothing but the greatest respect for you. But, dude, you
blew up his happy place.”

“I offered to fix his house.” Iben’s shoulders slumped. “He said

no. He told me that he has to be where you are and since you live in
the alpha house, this is where he has to be.” Djal knew what Iben was
going to ask before he even asked it. It was in the panic in his dark
eyes. “I don’t suppose you’d consider moving?”

“I’m pretty happy where I am, Iben. With the added security of

Ares and his brothers living here, this is the safest place for Julian.
Besides, Ares, Apollo, and Hercules seem to have taken a liking to
Julian. Ares said it had something to do with Julian’s Latin name and
that the Romans had to stick together. I’m just happy that the three of
them are so intent on keeping Julian safe. He can’t walk out the front
door without an escort.”

“And he’s okay with that?”
“Yep.” Djal was thrilled down to his toes to be able to give Iben

that answer without hesitation. “He even appreciates the
overwhelming need I have to keep him safe. He just accepts it. He
doesn’t think I’m overprotective or anything.”

“You are.”
“I’m no more overprotective of Julian than you are of Zack. You

just hide it better.” Djal grinned because he could see Iben beginning
to squirm in his seat. “And I don’t have to hide it at all.”

“Are you sure you can’t find another happy place for Julian?”
Djal leaned back in his chair, plopped his feet up on Iben’s desk,

and laced his fingers together behind his head. “Nope.”

Iben’s eyes narrowed. “You suck.”
“Alpha Iben!”
Djal almost fell out of his chair laughing when Iben’s eyes went

as round as saucers at Julian’s loud exclamation. Iben was the very
definition of a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were about to

Julian’s Happy Place

143

pop right out of his head, and he was tensed as if he was preparing to
run for his life.

Djal dropped his feet to the floor and stood. He jabbed a finger at

his alpha and best friend. “You owe me,” he said to Iben before
turning to greet his mate. “Hey, pup.”

Julian cast one more evil glare at Iben before turning to look at

Djal. He was all grins for Djal. “Hey, Djal.”

Djal grabbed Julian around the waist and tossed the man up over

his shoulder. He smacked him lightly on the ass as he carried him out
of Iben’s office and toward the bedroom they had been using
temporarily while theirs was being repaired.

“Let’s go find your happy place, pup.”

THE END

WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots

is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first
sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings.

Stormy lives in the great Northwest region of the USA, with her

gorgeous husband and soul mate, six very active teenagers, two
boxer/collie puppies, one old biddy cat, and one fish.

You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand

and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man
for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You
can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com.

For all other titles by Stormy Glenn, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/stormy-glenn

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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