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Brac Village 10

Valentino's Cowboy

Dr. Valentino Prayze was new to Brac Village, only having been
there a few months. He was the local vet and loved his work. But

when he gets a call from the Lakelands to come look at one of
their horses, Valentino finds more than he ever expected.

Abe helped the shifters rescue Cole and Curtis, and knew he

couldn’t stay behind and face the wrath of his tribe. After Malcolm
agrees to let Abe stay on the ranch, he finds the life isn’t what he

had imagined it would be away from his tribe.

He had been passing the time, having a bit of fun, and just plain

old lonely when he flirted with the Lakeland men. Now the stakes
are high and the flirting actually means something when he

realizes that the vet is his mate.

But when he loses his wallet after accidently shimmering into
someone's closet, little does he know that the Head Vampire

Hunter was the one to find it, and now his sights are set on Abe.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 36,201 words

VALENTINO’S COWBOY

Brac Village 10

Lynn Hagen

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

VALENTINO’S COWBOY
Copyright © 2013 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-143-2

First E-book Publication: June 2013

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

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
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Letter to Readers

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Regarding E-book Piracy

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VALENTINO’S COWBOY

Brac Village 10

LYNN HAGEN

Chapter One

Valentino grabbed the kitten before he could scurry off the table.

The little orange furball was quick but his escape was short lived.
Valentino’s reflexes were shifter fast. “Not so fast, little buddy. I
know, I know. Nobody likes to get shots. But trust me, if you don’t let
me poke you, the little worms will start playing on your bongo
drums.”

“You have such a way with animals,” Mrs. Turnham replied as

she gave Valentino a warm smile. “Mr. Bubbles has quite the
personality and sometimes it’s hard to calm him down.”

Valentino would be feisty as hell too if someone had named him

Mr. Bubbles. Poor cat was going to have a complex when he got
older—especially since Mrs. Turnham’s hair matched the color of her
kitten’s fur.

Ah, well. There was nothing he could do about the poor kitten’s

name. The only thing Valentino could do was make sure he stayed
healthy. Mr. Bubbles was going to have to see a shrink about the
psychological damage Mrs. Turnham was doing. That wasn’t his area
of expertise.

Lynn Hagen

“All done.” He gave the kitten a soft stroke on his head before

handing him back to his owner. “I’ll see you back here in three weeks.
Stop at the counter to get your next appointment from Damon.”

Mrs. Turnham tucked the kitten into his bright pink carrier and

left the exam room. Valentino made a few notes in Mr. Bubbles’s
chart before walking to the next exam room. He tucked his pen into
his lab jacket as he smiled at Terminator, a tan-and-white pit bull.
“How are we doing today?”

Terminator gave a low warning growl. He always did whenever

Valentino came around. He was a cougar shifter, a cat, and
Terminator always thought he could intimidate Valentino. The dog
tried every single time.

“You are the only one he growls around,” Mr. Roland, the dog’s

owner stated. “He’s usually very passive around the residents here.”

That’s because most of the residents were wolves.
“Maybe because I’m the one who took his balls,” he said in the

way of an explanation as he pointed to the exam table. He wasn’t
about to tell the human that he and Terminator were having a pissing
contest. Valentino wondered when the pit bull was going to learn that
he wasn’t going to win. The dog was getting his checkup…by a cat.
He took a step back as Mr. Roland heaved Terminator up onto the
shiny table.

“I never thought of it that way,” Mr. Roland replied as he gave a

slow nod. “I guess it makes sense.”

“Of course it makes sense.” Valentino looked over Terminator’s

chart, reading the vitals that were taken by Damon when the pit bull
arrived. “He’s gained a little weight but that’s to be expected after
being neutered.” Setting the chart down, he began to examine the dog.
Terminator growled through the entire examination.

When he tried to examine the surgical scar where the dog’s nuts

used to hang, Terminator snapped his head around and Valentino
moved out of the way just in time before he was bitten.

Valentino’s Cowboy

“Terminator!” Mr. Roland scolded as he patted the dog on the

head. “You’re not allowed to bite the vet.”

Valentino glared at Terminator.
Terminator glared at him.
“He’s fine,” Valentino replied and then smirked at the dog. “He’s

just mad because I took away his Friday night freak-athon.”

Mr. Roland chuckled. “And that’s exactly why I had him fixed. I

was tired of all the complaints. It seemed that no matter how well he
was fenced in, Terminator found a way to hump his way through the
neighborhood.”

“Yeah, well,” Valentino said as he turned to Mr. Roland. “Don’t

be surprised if a few baby mamas show up at your door. He was a
very busy dog before his little humpfest was shut down.”

“I guess I’ll have to muzzle him,” Mr. Roland said as he

continued to chuckle. “As mad as he is, he still needs to be
examined.”

Valentino grabbed the prepared syringe he was going to need

while the owner covered the dog’s choppers. That was a good thing.
If Terminator bit him, Valentino was biting back. As good-natured as
Mr. Roland was, he was pretty sure the man would freak out if he saw
elongated canines in Valentino’s mouth.

Once he administered the shot, Valentino quickly gave Terminator

his exam. “It looks like he’s healing well.”

“Thanks, Dr. Prayze.”
Mr. Roland left with Terminator after the exam was complete.

Valentino finished up the chart and was ready to go on to his next
patient until Damon interrupted.

“Malcolm Lakeland called,” Damon said as he stuck his head into

the room. “He needs you to come out to the ranch to take a look at
one of his horses named Buster.”

Valentino clicked his pen closed and shoved it into his lab pocket.

“Did he say what was wrong with Buster?”

“The horse is favoring one leg.”

Lynn Hagen

Valentino handed the chart to Damon and then slipped his lab coat

off, hanging it up just outside the exam room. “You’ll have to finish
up for me then.”

He had met a few of the Lakeland men in town, but this would be

the first time Valentino had gone out to the ranch. He hadn’t been the
vet in Brac Village for very long. Valentino had only been here a few
months—and in that time span someone tried to burn the clinic down.
He later learned it was some psycho, and that it had nothing to do
with him. But that was one hell of a way to start out in this town.

Thank goodness the townsfolk had pitched in and donated a lot of

the material to rebuild. He had been back up and in business within a
few weeks of the fire. Grabbing his exam bag, Valentino headed
toward his car. A few people told him he needed to invest in a truck,
but he liked his little black Focus. Everything he needed for house
calls fit into his trunk.

He didn’t see a need to get rid of the car.
Driving out to the Lakeland ranch, Valentino’s stomach began to

grumble. He glanced at his watch to see it was well after two in the
afternoon. Once again he had worked through lunch and now he was
starving. When he finished here he was going to stop in town and
grab something to eat.

Valentino pulled into the Lakelands’ driveway and parked among

the many trucks, rolling his eyes. He was not replacing his car.
Grabbing his medical bag, Valentino got out and headed toward the
barn. He was pretty damn sure the bears would know he was here so
there was no need to go looking for anyone.

Entering the large barn, Valentino’s eyes swept over the place, the

scent of fresh hay and animals filled his lungs. He batted a few
buzzing flies away as he spotted Riley Lakeland and headed toward
him.

“Dr. Prayze,” Riley said as he met the doctor halfway and shook

his hand. “Glad you could make it on short notice.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“Not a problem,” he answered as he glanced at the many stalls. “I

was just having it out with a nutless dog. I could use some fresh air.”

Riley gave him a questioning look before showing him which

horse was Buster. Valentino was used to people looking at him oddly.
He was told that he had a strange bedside manner. Quite frankly,
Valentino was just being himself. He knew he was a little on the
quirky side, but he kept himself entertained.

“Pa sent me out here to help you!”
“Not now, Abe,” Riley said over his shoulder. “I have the vet

here. Go see if anyone else needs help.”

Valentino turned to see who Riley was talking to and had to do a

double take. The blond man standing there reminded Valentino of a
wickedly playful angel. The guy’s eyes were the color of a cloudless
summer day and his smile made Valentino’s heart jump an extra beat.

Had Valentino seen another set of lips that had been so perfectly

made for kissing? They were full, delicious, and very naughty images
came to mind. He knew he was openly appraising the man, but
Valentino had never met a guy who looked so damn gorgeous before.

Valentino grinned widely and the little twink turned seven shades

of red. Now that was a look he really liked. It told him the small man
was very interested in him—which was great considering Valentino
was just as interested in the guy.

“Abe,” Riley said as he snapped his fingers in the man’s face.

“Did you hear me?”

Abe’s eyelids fluttered rapidly as he glanced from Valentino to

Riley. Valentino gave an inaudible groan when he gazed into the
man’s cornflower-blue eyes. “What did you say?”

Abe was staring directly at Valentino, not once giving any

attention to Riley.

“Sorry, Dr. Prayze. Abe tends to be a little friendly,” Riley said to

Valentino as he headed toward Abe. “You can get to work and I’ll
take care of him.”

Lynn Hagen

Valentino tore his eyes away from the sexy man as he dug into his

bag. He had work to do, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t go find Abe
once he was done. Valentino was definitely interested. His brain was
already starting to imagine what he and the little imp could do
together if Abe gave him a chance. And from the way the small guy
was staring at him, he was definitely going to have a chance.

“But I’m not doing anything wrong,” Abe protested with a stomp

to his foot. “I didn’t flirt with him or try to get his phone number or
anything. Why are you kicking me out?”

“Because you are a very distracting man,” Riley replied, his tone

filled with slight amusement. Valentino frowned at the jealous feeling
that ripped through him.

Admittedly, the little man was sexy, but why would that strong of

an emotion grip him for a stranger? Valentino’s sex life had been less
than stellar, but he never became jealous—especially when he hadn’t
even slept with the guy. It was a very peculiar emotion indeed.

Valentino straightened, unsure of what he was doing and playing

with the idea of having a go at Abe. The man was totally worth it.
“Come here, Abe,” he said in a casual tone, although he was feeling
anything but calm toward the man. He wanted to gobble Abe up. “I
could use your help.”

“Seriously?” Riley asked, his dark eyebrows high on his forehead.

“But Abe has no medical experience, Dr. Prayze.”

Valentino tossed a pair of latex exam gloves at Abe. “He doesn’t

need any, Riley. All he has to do is stand there and look gorgeous.”
Valentino had a very strong urge to purr. He wasn’t sure why though.
The flirtatious side of him was coming out, a little too strong.

Riley’s eyes widened as Abe snickered. When the sexy little twink

approached Valentino, his senses went wild. His breath froze in his
lungs as his heart picked up its pace. Valentino felt his palms become
sweaty as his mouth went dry.

Abe stopped walking and shuddered. He stared at Valentino as if

he had just discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Abe’s

Valentino’s Cowboy

cornflower-blue eyes widened as he gazed up at Valentino. “Y–you’re
my mate.”

“Whoa,” Riley said as he took a step forward, wagging a finger at

Abe. “That’s not something you should joke around about, Abe. You
know mating is a very serious thing.”

“He’s not joking,” Valentino answered as he closed the distance

and placed his hand on Abe’s jaw. He smiled down at the fey before
he gave his mate a gentle kiss on his perfect lips. “I am Dr. Valentino
Prayze. Now come help with this horse, sexy.”

“Pa!” Riley shouted as he walked from the barn. “You’re not

going to believe this.”

Valentino’s eyes were riveted to the blond sex god as Abe

sashayed past him. He knew he had a job to do but hell if he could
take his eyes off the gorgeous man. He had hit the jackpot because his
mate was stunning.

“Riley was right,” Abe said as his eyes darted toward Buster. “I

have no idea how to fix a horse.”

“And I was serious,” Valentino said as he leaned against the stall,

his eyes raking over the short and sexy man. “All you have to do is
stand there and look gorgeous, little cowboy. I’m pretty sure Buster
won’t mind.” He sure as hell wouldn’t. Although getting the exam
done had just become harder for him. His concentration was nearly
shot.

Abe’s blond brows crinkled. “Cowboy?”
“That would be you, Abe.” Valentino walked over to Buster,

remembering he had a patient. He reached into his bag and pulled out
his exam gloves. “You do work on a ranch, don’t you?”

“Well, yes.” Abe looked as if he were trying to connect the dots.

He was chewing on the side of his plump lip, his brows deeply
furrowed. Valentino chuckled as he turned to take a look at Buster’s
leg. He spotted a laceration and began to examine it. It seemed Buster
had cut his leg on a fence or other object. It didn’t look deep enough

Lynn Hagen

for stitches. That was a good thing. Some antibiotics and bandaging
the leg should do the trick.

“Do you still think you’re not a cowboy?” he asked as he worked.

Buster tried to pull his leg free, but Valentino kept a firm hold. He
was not going to be bested by another animal today.

“I work on a ranch,” Abe finally answered and Valentino could

tell the man still wasn’t convinced. “But I’m not a cowboy. Heck, I’m
still afraid to get near the large horses.”

Valentino looked up at Buster, giving the horse his most grave

expression. “A ranch hand afraid of the horses. Is this true, Buster?”

Abe moved a little closer, approaching Valentino with cautious

steps. “The horse can’t answer you.” His mate’s tone was filled with
amusement. “Buster isn’t a shifter.”

Valentino placed a hand on his chest, gasping. “You lied to me,

Buster. I feel so used.”

Abe began to giggle-snort. The sound brought a silent smile to

Valentino’s face as he finished up with the horse. He was glad as hell
that his mate wasn’t an uptight jackass. That would’ve made things
awkward. Valentino liked to laugh and have fun. Although a
predatory cougar, his claws didn’t come out unless necessary.

Despite his harsh upbringing, he was too laid-back for all that

macho alpha crap. He could hold his own, so why try to prove it all
the time? Life was too fun to have a stick up his ass. Wouldn’t dear
old Dad be ashamed if he could see me now?

Pulling his gloves free, he tossed them back into his bag to

dispose of later.

“Where’s your cowboy hat?” Valentino teased as he stood. “I love

a man in a Stetson.” He patted Buster’s neck, smoothed his hand over
the horse’s face, and then grabbed his bag. “You would look hot in
spurs.” He wasn’t sure why he was teasing his mate. Maybe he liked
seeing the deep blush that decorated the man’s cheeks.

His cat purred as Valentino moved closer to Abe, finally taking a

long look at the guy. He was short, slim, and just so darn cute. Abe’s

Valentino’s Cowboy

lips parted as he tilted his head back to look at Valentino and he could
see the man was taking in small pants of air. Oh, goody, the guy was
easily flustered.

This was going to be fun.
“Are you leaving?” Abe asked, almost in a panic. Valentino

wasn’t sure what was going on or why Abe looked like he was about
to pass out. That was a very strange reaction.

“I have to get back to work. Do you live here?” Valentino nodded

toward the large Victorian-style home that could be seen from the
barn. He didn’t like the panicked looked on Abe’s face and wanted to
reassure the guy. He really did have to get back to work, but
Valentino wanted to let Abe know that he would be back.

“I do.”
He gave Abe a wide smile before stepping into the man’s space

and cupping his jaw. “Then I know where to find you.” He licked a
long path over Abe’s bottom lip, hearing the small fey’s breath hitch
as Valentino took another kiss—a longer one this time. He finally
eased back, staring at his mate. “Kiss me back, cowboy.”

Valentino could tell that Abe wanted to kiss him. He could feel

the desire sparking between them, but his mate’s lips were stiff. Abe
opened, jabbing his tongue into Valentino’s mouth and nearly
choking him. He placed his hand on the fey’s neck, stilling him.
“Either no one has taught you the proper way to kiss”—Valentino
pressed his fingers playfully against Abe’s neck—“or I am your first.
Which is it?”

Abe gazed up at Valentino from under his blond lashes, a very

seductive grin on his face. “Or maybe I want to play hard to get, let
you chase me.” He took a step back, turning and smacking his
backside. “I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

The little imp walked away!
He chuckled to himself as he watched his mate go. The man had

fire in him. He liked that. Valentino pressed the palm of his hand into
his cock as he bit his bottom lip. Oh, how he wanted that man.

Lynn Hagen

It was going to be fun catching him.
In the meantime he needed to talk to Malcolm and make sure

there was nothing else the bear needed before Valentino took off.

* * * *

Abe stepped into the house and pressed his back into the wall,

taking in a deep and wobbly breath. He had to steady his frazzled
nerves. Although he had issued the challenge to his mate, Abe was a
wreck. There were many times when he had flirted with the men on
this ranch, but Abe had never meant anything by it and there was no
stake in him being rejected.

He had been passing the time, having a bit of fun, and just plain

old lonely when he flirted with the Lakeland men. Now the stakes
were high and the flirting actually meant something. It was amazing
how he had gone from an outspoken man to a guy hiding in the house
in the blink of an eye.

And his mate had basically called him a bad kisser. Abe was

mortified. He had joked and teased with Bryce, leading the bear to
believe that Abe was worldly. That had been a tall tale that was
coming back to bite him on the ass because Abe didn’t know diddly-
squat about being with another man.

Abe groaned when the twins strode into the living room. He

normally loved their antics and hanging out with them, but he didn’t
want to be teased. Chauncey and Chance were harmless, but Abe
needed to figure out what he was going to do.

He didn’t want Valentino to call him a bad kisser again. He

wanted to be everything the cougar shifter wanted in a mate. Abe just
had to figure out what Valentino wanted, besides a cowboy.

That was something Abe had never been. He was a Wood elf who

helped the Lakelands out and they took him in. He spent half his time
running from the animals. If only he had a gift with the creatures like

Valentino’s Cowboy

Sterling had. The human had a way with the animals that Abe envied
right now.

“So, we hear you finally found a man you can flirt with who

won’t chase you off,” Chance said as he dropped down onto the sofa.
“Then again he might, but this one is all yours.”

Abe turned to head out of the door when he spotted his mate

walking toward his car. He stood at the screen door as he finally had a
chance to look at the man unencumbered. Valentino had dark-brown
hair that seemed to stand up in all directions, eyes the color of
greyish-brown, and a goatee that turned Abe on. Valentino was strong
and manly, sexy as sin, and Abe felt as if he was going to fall short
when compared.

“Skerd?” Chauncey teased as he stepped up behind Abe.
“In your dreams,” Abe replied, holding his own with Chauncey.

“Have I ever come off as someone who was afraid of men?”

The bear leaned his arm against the door frame, staring down at

Abe with a wicked grin. “Then what are you doing in here?”

“He’s scared,” Chance needled. “He talked all that shit and flirted

his ass off with everyone on the ranch. But now when it’s time to put
his money where his mouth is, little Abe is trembling.”

“Chicken shit,” Chauncey whispered with a smile. “I know you

would prefer to have a bear as a mate”—Chauncey ran his hand down
his chest in an overt gesture—“but I’m taken. You’ll have to make
due with a cat.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Abe replied. “You are so last week.”
“Then prove you’re not scared and go talk to your mate,”

Chauncey challenged. “Go flirt with the man.”

“He has work to do,” Abe supplied the feeble excuse. “Something

you would know nothing about.”

“You got me there,” Chauncey said. “But at least I’m not afraid to

talk to my mate.”

Without thought, Abe slammed his hand into the screen door and

headed outside. He walked down the front steps and made a beeline

Lynn Hagen

straight for Valentino. He would show that annoying bear that he
wasn’t afraid to flirt with his very own mate!

But when Valentino turned and stared at Abe with those taupe-

colored eyes, Abe’s confidence packed its bags and left town. He
stood there feeling like a big goober as he gazed at the handsome
man.

“Did you come to give me that kiss?” Valentino asked as he

crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the car. “My
lips are primed and ready, my little cowboy.”

Abe swallowed hard, his mouth growing bone-dry as he rubbed

the palms of his hands on his jeans. He could literally feel the twins’
eyes boring into his back.

“Oh, come now,” Valentino said with a devastatingly handsome

smile. “You’re not afraid to kiss me are you?”

Abe opened his mouth and the strangest noise passed his lips. He

wasn’t sure what it was, but he could feel his face burning with
embarrassment. The noise was almost like a squeak and a burp
combined.

Valentino’s head jerked back as his eyebrows flew up. “I’m not

sure if that was a yes or a no.”

Abe was completely and utterly horrified. He had to get away! He

could hear the twins laughing behind him and his mate was staring at
him as if Abe was a cute little dimwit. He did the only thing he could
think of…Abe shimmered out.

He groaned when he found himself in a closet. Abe had always

sucked at shimmering. It didn’t matter how much he had practiced, he
never ended up where he intended to go. And now he had no clue
where he was at.

When he heard heavy footsteps outside the closet, Abe held his

breath. There was no telling whose closet he was in. The scent of
mothballs filled his nose as he watched the shadow move back and
forth under the crack of the door.

Valentino’s Cowboy

“And why should I wait?” someone with a deep and raspy voice

asked. “The world should know that these vile creatures prey on
innocent human beings. We could save lives if the human race were
aware of the dangers all around them. Lester Berkeley already fled. I
have men looking for him, but I have a feeling he won’t be so easily
found.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” the second man said. “But if the

paranormal creatures’ existence is revealed to the world then you
would no longer hold your power as the head Vampire Hunter. Every
yahoo with a gun and half a brain cell will go hunting. The order and
discipline of our men who we have worked hard to achieve will fall to
the wayside.”

“How so?” the first man asked.
“Our teams are structured and organized. They not only kill

anything not human, but they gather intel. If the public finds out those
abominations exist, then the vampires and other paranormal creatures
will go into hiding, making our job that much harder,” the second
man argued. “Our fight must remain in the dark or you will lose your
seat of power.”

“Or,” the first man countered. “Those abominations against nature

will be wiped out that much quicker. I already sent a team of spies
into Brac Village. I’m gaining more intel than I could have ever
hoped to gain just chasing them down.”

Abe broke out into a sweat as he listened. His heart was beating so

fast that he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He didn’t know
who these men were but knew that they were arguing about exposing
the paranormal world.

He needed to get home and tell Ahm what he had heard. The

Shadow elf was part of the Ultionem—seven paranormal creatures
who held a great deal of power—and would know what to do. Abe
just prayed like hell that he didn’t shimmer himself into the room
beyond the closet.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Two

Abe had relayed what he had heard to Ahm. He hadn’t gotten a

look at any faces and never caught a name, but the Shadow elf
seemed to know who he was talking about. That made one of them.

“You never heard who won the argument?” Ahm asked as he

placed his daughter, Ashayla, over his shoulder and patted her back.
“They didn’t say whether they were going to expose us or not?”

Abe shook his head, still amazed how much Ahm had mellowed

out and how much he hadn’t. When it came to family, the Shadow elf
seemed to have infinite patience—everyone else was just out of luck.
Thank goodness the elf viewed Abe as family. “They were still
arguing when I shimmered out of there. One of them had come too
close to the closet and I panicked.”

Unfortunately, Abe had shimmered into the apartment above the

diner and had to call for a ride home. He was grateful that Bryce had
come and picked him up. Abe didn’t want to see Chauncey or Chance
right now.

“No,” Ahm said as he bounced the baby gently. “You did the right

thing. Thank you for letting me know right away. I’ll handle it from
here.”

Abe had no problem with that. As long as he didn’t have to face

the full Ultionem council, he was happy. He could go back to his
problem of worrying about Valentino. His mate was gone by the time
Abe had returned. Since he knew the man was the town vet, Abe
knew where to find him.

He just didn’t want to find him right now until he worked out why

his brain took a vacation when the man was near. That had never

Valentino’s Cowboy

happened before, but then again Abe had never been serious about his
flirting.

“Abe,” Gavin called out. “You have a phone call.”
Who in the dickens would be calling him? Abe had been

disowned by his tribe, didn’t have any friends aside from the men on
the Lakeland ranch, and he had no family. The men on the ranch were
nice and Abe got along with pretty much everybody, but as far as
having a buddy, Bryce was the closest thing to a friend.

Curious, Abe walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off

the counter. “Hello?”

“Would you care to join me for dinner?” Valentino’s voice was

light and teasing, making Abe ache low in his groin. No one had ever
affected him that way. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen
with an erection. Abe hoped like hell no one walked in right now.

“Do you plan on taking me to a restaurant or having me as the

main course?” Abe’s confidence was back and he wanted to pump his
arm in the air. Maybe it was the initial shock of finding his mate. That
had to be it.

“Both, my little cowboy,” Valentino purred into the phone.

“Although you won’t be the main course. I plan on gobbling you up
for my dessert.”

If Valentino kept talking that way, Abe just might have to run

upstairs and jack off. There was a high probability that he would.
Hearing the naughty words in that sultry tone and picturing his mate
naked was a combination that was threatening to unravel him.

It was becoming difficult to stand here in the kitchen and hold a

conversation while his cock was hard. He kept one arm crossed over
his chest while the other one held the phone to his ear. Abe refused to
get caught touching himself in the kitchen.

“Does six sound good to you?” Valentino asked.
“Sounds perfect,” Abe replied. “But you’ll have to pick me up

since I don’t have a car.”

Lynn Hagen

Valentino gave a low chuckle. “I can see why you wouldn’t need

one. Just don’t pop out on me again.”

Abe did not want to think about his earlier embarrassment. He

wanted to put it behind him and forget that he had made an ass of
himself. He knew that wasn’t going to happen once he saw the twins,
but at least for now he could forget about it. “See you at six.”

Hanging the phone up, Abe hurried toward the steps. He had an

erection to take care of and a date to get ready for. Was it a date if
Valentino was his mate? Oh, who cared. He was going to see his mate
again and that was all that mattered.

“Not so fast,” Pa said as he walked inside. “Gavin and Winter

need your help.”

Could his timing be any more off? Abe was so hard that it was

almost painful and Pa was trying to send him outside to work? Was
this some kind of cosmic joke? “I have to get ready for my date.”

Pa threw his arm over the railing as he gave Abe a wide smile.

“Riley told me that you found your mate. Congratulations, Abe. Dr.
Prayze seems like a mighty nice fella. What time is your date?”

Abe was having an extremely hard time listening to the man. All

the blood in his brain had moved south. The only thing firing in his
brain right now was “upstairs,” “bedroom,” and “jack off.” That was
it.

“Abe,” Pa said his name a little more loudly.
“Six,” he managed to push out past his lips.
“That’s plenty of time to help and still get ready,” Pa said as he

pointed toward the door. “Now go help them out.”

Abe gaped at the bear as he walked away. Was the man freaking

serious? Not wanting to make the large bear shifter mad, Abe stormed
from the house. He had seen Pa angry before and didn’t want the man
pointing that anger toward him.

But this was so unfair!
“Over here,” Gavin shouted when Abe began to glance around.

He spotted the bear on the side of the barn, Winter standing next to

Valentino’s Cowboy

him. Abe hoped that this didn’t take long. He liked having extra time
to pamper himself. There was nothing worse than rushing to get
ready.

He still needed to figure out what he was going to wear. It would

have helped if Valentino had told him where they were going.

“I need someone with small enough hands to grab the cylinder

when I lift the housing.”

Abe had no clue what Gavin just said. The bear had just spoken a

foreign language to him. Mechanics was not Abe’s specialty. But he
would try just like he always did around the ranch.

If Abe had to be shunned by his own people, living on the

Lakeland ranch wasn’t a bad deal. Abe had grown up with the Wood
elves but never truly felt as though he fit in. Shanta had ruled them
with an iron hand and Abe had tried his best to stay under the radar
and out of the leader’s way.

But then Shanta was killed and Abe had betrayed his tribe by

helping Malcolm and Chauncey. He had come here with a traitor
named Garrett. Luke didn’t like Abe much in the beginning, but they
soon got along.

This wasn’t a bad place to live. The Lakelands were kind and had

big hearts, but it wasn’t Abe’s home. He was just living here and
helping out.

“Okay, on the count of three,” Gavin said.
“Right after you say three, or when you say the word three?” Abe

asked. “I just want to be clear.”

Gavin let out an aggravated sigh. The men seemed to do that a lot

around him. “Just grab the cylinder when I lift the housing, Abe.”

Abe dried the sweat from his hands on his pants before he gave

Gavin a nod. “I’m ready when you are.” He had no idea what the
thing was that he was standing in front of, but it was pretty big. Both
Gavin and Winter braced their feet to lift the thing. With hefty grunts,
they began to raise the heavy-looking metal.

Lynn Hagen

“Now, Abe,” Gavin said with a strain. “Just reach a hand in and

grab the long round piece of metal and pull it out.”

Abe reached his right hand in and began to panic when he felt

more than one long round piece of metal. “Which one?” he quickly
asked as both men grunted, their muscles straining. He didn’t want to
grab the wrong thing.

“On the left,” Gavin said through gritted teeth. “Grab the cylinder

on the left.”

Using the word cylinder did not help Abe. The only thing he saw

was a bunch of metal parts. He grabbed the one on the left and pulled,
but it didn’t budge. He yanked again, trying to hurry because the
strain on the men was growing in their features.

“I’m losing my grip,” Winter warned as the veins in his neck

strained. “Get your hand out, Abe.”

“We need that part, Winter,” Gavin argued and then directed his

next words at Abe. “Rock the cylinder to see if you can loosen it.”

Abe shoved his hand back and forth a few times, feeling the part

start to loosen. He was trying his best to get a tight grip, but oil was
all over everything. His fingers kept slipping.

“Get your arm out now!” Winter shouted right before he lost his

grip.

Abe yanked his arm back as the heavy piece of metal came

slamming down. But he wasn’t quick enough. The piece of equipment
caught his hand, making Abe scream as if his very insides were being
torn apart.

“Get it up! Get it up!” Gavin was shouting. Abe had never

experienced this level of pain before. It felt as if his whole left arm
was being ripped from the socket. Men raced toward them and helped
to lift the metal off of Abe’s hand.

As soon as he was free, Abe fell to the ground, writhing and

screaming.

“Get a fucking doctor!” Gavin shouted. Abe wasn’t sure who the

man was talking to. He began to swim in and out of consciousness as

Valentino’s Cowboy

his arm began to go numb. He knew that was a bad sign but was
grateful when the pain began ebb.

“Hang in there, Abe,” Gavin said as he pulled Abe from the

ground and raced toward the house. He could hear a flurry of action
all around him, but Abe was past focusing. All he wanted to do was
pass out until the pain was completely gone.

“Put him on the couch,” Pa said as he rushed toward them. “Get

me something to rest his hand on.”

Abe arched his back, a silent scream falling from his lips when

someone touched his injury. His head began to swim and the pain
came back full force, making Abe try to rake his arm off with his
other hand. “It hurts!”

Luke must have shimmered, because Dr. Sheehan was soon

standing in his line of sight. He could see the horror in the doctor’s
eyes as he grabbed a syringe from his bag and began to inject a series
of shots into Abe’s arm and hand. But Abe couldn’t feel the needle
entering his skin.

“I–I have a d–date,” Abe said as his teeth began to chatter. The

last thing he wanted was for Valentino to think that Abe had stood
him up. “Please make the pain stop. Take it away!”

“Someone get a hold of his mate,” Pa shouted as he began to pile

blankets onto Abe. “He’s the vet.”

Abe shoved his feet into the end of the couch, trying his best to

cope with the agonizing pain that was radiating throughout his body
now. He could feel the tears sliding from his eyes as he clamped his
jaw closed, breathing out through his nose. Spittle was flying from his
mouth as he exhaled, wishing the horrific pain would blow away with
his breath.

“Your arm should start to become numb,” Dr. Sheehan said as he

dug through his bag. “I need to get you back to the Den, to my
operating room. I will do everything possible to save your hand.”

Lynn Hagen

“I’ll send Dr. Prayze over there,” Gavin said as he leaned over the

back of the couch. “I’m so fucking sorry, Abe. I never meant for you
to get hurt.”

Abe couldn’t open his mouth to utter one single word. If he

unclenched his jaw, he was going to scream until he lost his voice. He
just kept kicking the end of the couch, trying to cope. Luke touched
Dr. Sheehan’s shoulder, and then Abe’s leg. Within seconds he was
lying on a metal table, the doctor quickly moving around the room.
Luke had stayed, keeping Abe from rolling off of the table.

Soon Abe felt nothing but a low throb in his arm. He also felt the

pressure as the doctor worked at trying to save his hand. He wasn’t
sure if he had passed out or not but when he looked toward the door,
Valentino was hurrying inside.

His hair was sticking up in all directions, just like earlier. He gave

Abe an uneasy smile. “If you didn’t want to go out to dinner, all you
had to do was say so.”

Abe started to laugh, but it soon turned to tears. He was so scared

that the doctor was going to have to remove his hand or some fingers.
He was too terrified to look at his injury. That was a sight he didn’t
want to remember, and he would. If it was as half as bad as it had felt,
Abe was in serious trouble. “And miss out on dessert?” Abe tried to
banter with his mate, but the fear had a tight grip on him.

Luke had shimmered Abe here with the blankets that Pa had piled

on him, but he couldn’t seem to get warm. His entire body was
shaking. Valentino moved closer and then began to rub his hands over
Abe’s legs, chest, good arm, and then repeated those steps over and
over again.

“How’s it look?” his mate asked Dr. Sheehan.
Abe bit back a cry when Dr. Sheehan grimly looked at Valentino,

but didn’t say a word. His mate grabbed Abe’s other hand, leaned
forward, and ran his hand over Abe’s hair. “You, my little cowboy,
are doing one hell of a job. I, myself, would have passed out by now.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

With a few quick jerks of his head, Abe gritted his teeth, wishing

he would pass out. This was not something he wanted to be awake for.
“What if I lose my hand?”

Valentino pressed his lips to Abe’s ear, giving him a soft kiss

before speaking. “Then whatever you need it for, I’ll be more than
happy to do for you. But let’s wait until we know what’s going on
before we make plans to rent my hand out.”

Abe let out a quick laugh, just a rush of air before he blinked a

few times and gazed up at the ceiling. Valentino made it sound so
easy, no big deal. He knew his mate was right. Abe should wait for
the verdict before panicking, but he couldn’t help but think of what
life would be like with the use of just one hand.

Feys couldn’t shift and heal themselves like shifters could. He

knew he was going to have some king of permanent damage. How
extensive it was, well, that was going to depend on just how well the
doctor fixed him versus what was beyond repair.

Valentino stayed the entire time, whispering encouragements in

his ear. Abe was grateful because he didn’t want to be alone.

Besides helping the Lakelands and having his tribe turn their back

on Abe, this was the scariest thing he had been through. It was more
frightening than when The Manacle was bombed by Vampire
Hunters.

“I can arrange it with the Lakelands for you to take it easy,”

Valentino said. “You can come work at the clinic with me.”

“But I don’t know anything about animals,” Abe confessed.
“Neither do I,” Valentino whispered close to Abe’s ear. “We can

fool people together.”

Abe did laugh this time. His hand was so numb that he didn’t feel

a thing. How could the guy make him laugh when he could possibly
lose his hand? The cougar shifter was a breath of fresh air. “What
would I do there?”

Lynn Hagen

“You would definitely be eye candy for me. But,” his mate said

with a shrug. “I suppose you want real work. So you can help me with
my patients. Keep them calm while I examine them.”

“I–I’d like that.”
“One other thing, darlin’,” Valentino said as he brushed his

knuckles over Abe’s cheek. It was only a soft caress, but having his
mate touch him helped to calm Abe’s tension. “How did this
happen?”

“I was helping Gavin and Winter. They said they needed a small

hand to reach inside a piece of machinery. It was too slippery. I
couldn’t grab it.” Abe didn’t want to think about that right now.
Those thoughts only reminded him of his injury.

His eyes fluttered closed when Valentino leaned forward and

pressed a kiss on Abe’s cheek. “Did you tell them you couldn’t grab
it?”

Abe nodded. “But they said the piece was important. Winter

shouted that he was losing his grip, but Gavin was confident that I
could get it.” He swallowed hard. “I failed them.”

“No, no, sweetheart.” Valentino placed a kiss on Abe’s nose.

“You did the best you could and that’s all anyone could ever ask.”

Abe wasn’t sure if the doctor had given him drugs or not, but he

could have sworn that he saw something move behind Valentino’s
taupe-colored eyes. But whatever it was, it was gone just that quickly.

Abe turned his head when he felt some kind of pressure. The

doctor was putting an IV in his arm. Although he wanted to turn
away, Abe watched.

Valentino touched his face. “You’ve seen enough, my little

cowboy. There is no need for you to watch the doc.”

He did as his mate asked and looked away. Abe’s eyes scanned

around the room. This was an operating room at the Den. Abe was
well aware of this. But if he hadn’t known, he would’ve sworn he was
at a hospital. The room was well-stocked and the machines looked
very expensive.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe’s eyes fell on the one next to him, the beeping drawing his

attention. He hadn’t a clue what he was looking at, but knew those
were his vitals on the screen. It all seemed surreal. Abe didn’t want to
be there. He shouldn’t have been helping Gavin. He should have been
getting ready for his date.

Abe’s mind became fuddled. His thoughts were a little hazy.

Maybe the doc had given him drugs after all. He couldn’t ever
remember feeling this groggy.

“How do you feel?” Dr. Sheehan asked. “How’s the pain level?”
Throwing his hand up into the air, Abe’s thumb stuck straight up.

His arm felt weightless. The doctor smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Good, Abe. I want you pain-free.”

His head lolled to the side and he smiled up at Valentino. “I’m a

virgin.”

Valentino’s eyes widened and Abe heard the doctor chuckle. He

wasn’t sure why he had told that intimate detail about himself. He
should be embarrassed as hell that he had blurted that out. But Abe
was floating along.

“I’ll remember that little detail,” Valentino said as his eyes

softened. “But right now all I want you to do is rest.”

Abe reached up and poked at Valentino’s chest. “You sure feel

real.”

Valentino covered his hand over Abe’s. “Oh, I’m very real.”
When Abe blinked, it felt as though it took years for his eyelids to

go down and then come back up. “Everyone ignores me and treats me
like I’m a dimwitted man who needs constant supervision.”

There it was again! Abe saw something move behind Valentino’s

eyes.

“Trust me, my little cowboy. There is no way I could ever ignore

you. Whoever thinks you are dimwitted is an idiot. No worries,
though. You’re going to come work with me, remember?”

Abe’s grin was wide, hurting his cheeks. “Oh yeah.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Chapter Three

“How long will he be out?”
The doctor had been writing some notes, but glanced up at

Valentino’s question. “Hopefully the rest of the night.”

Valentino ran his hands over Abe’s silky blond hair. “Would you

mind keeping an eye on him while I take care of something?”

Setting his pen down, the doctor turned toward Valentino. “I don’t

mind at all.”

He turned to leave and then spun back around. “What’s the

prognosis on his hand?”

“It’s too soon to tell. I repaired all the damage”—the doctor shook

his head slowly—“but there could still be some impairment.”

That’s all Valentino wanted to know. “Is there someone who can

take me back to the Lakelands’?”

“I’ll go get Carter for you.” The doctor left and was back in no

time at all. Without a word, Carter shimmered Valentino to the ranch.

“Do you need me to wait?”
“No, my car is here. I’ll use that to get back. Thanks for bringing

me here,” Valentino said to Carter before he strode into the house. He
didn’t bother to knock. Valentino was filled with too much contained
rage. Walking into the kitchen, he spotted Gavin standing by the sink.

“Dr. Prayze. I just want to say—”
Valentino didn’t wait for Gavin to finish his sentence. He crossed

the room and slugged the man on his jaw. The other Lakeland men
jumped up from the table and came after Valentino. He swung again,
blood spurting from Gavin’s nose. “Winter told you that he was
losing his grip! How dare you put my mate in harm’s way.”

Lynn Hagen

“Whoa,” Malcolm Lakeland said as he inserted his body between

Valentino and Gavin. “It was an accident.”

Valentino glared at the father of the bear clan. “Abe is blaming

himself for this. He thinks he failed Gavin. This was no accident.
Winter told Gavin that he was losing his grip, but Gavin insisted the
piece was too important. He had no regard for my mate’s safety.”

Malcolm’s had snapped around, confusion in his grey eyes. “Is

this true, son?”

Gavin’s jaw clenched as he looked away. Valentino could see

remorse in the man’s eyes, but that wasn’t good enough. The guy had
total disregard for Abe’s safety. “Since you treat my mate as
expendable, I want you to take me to his room so I can pack his
things.”

Malcolm gave a stiff nod, but didn’t move from in front of his

son. “Roman, take Dr. Prayze up to Abe’s room.”

Some might think that he was overreacting, but when it came to

his mate, Valentino wanted no excuses. There was no way in hell Abe
was staying another minute on this ranch if they took his safety so
lightly.

He packed Abe’s belongings and walked back downstairs, not

saying a word to anyone as he walked out to his car, put his mate’s
things in his trunk, and then drove away.

Okay, he felt kind of bad for the way he had acted considering the

Lakelands were kind and fair folks. But this was Abe that had been
hurt. Valentino wasn’t going to allow his mate to be hurt in any way.
Gavin had a lot to answer to, but Valentino was going to call Malcolm
and make sure they were cool.

After stopping at the gate to gain access, Valentino parked the car

and headed back inside the Den. He was normally a laid-back carefree
man, but when it came to Abe, Valentino’s claws came out.

“Any change?” he asked the doctor as he entered the recovery

room. He could see that Abe was still passed out. Valentino walked

Valentino’s Cowboy

over to Abe’s injured hand and ran the tip of his finger up the small
man’s arm.

“No changes,” Dr. Sheehan said. “He’s still asleep as you can see.

I have a few things to take care of. Since you are here I can get them
done.”

Valentino waved the doctor away as he pushed a small stool close

to the bed and took a seat. He hated to see his mate like this.
Valentino swore that he was going to do everything in his power to
make sure that Abe didn’t feel slighted in any way if he no longer had
use of his hand.

Abe moaned and turned his head.
The man shouldn’t be opening his eyes after the drugs Dr.

Sheehan had given the fey, but Abe’s eyelids fluttered and then he
was staring at Valentino with those pretty blue eyes.

“You should be snoring and drooling,” Valentino said in a soft

whisper, the words threatening to get stuck in his throat. “Why are
you awake?”

Abe’s eyes were unfocused as he continued to stare at Valentino.

He wasn’t sure if Abe was aware of what he was doing. It must have
been a fluke because Abe’s eyes soon closed and the man’s body
relaxed.

Laying his head on the bed, Valentino stayed with his mate. If

Abe woke again, he wanted to make sure he was the first thing his
mate saw. Valentino blinked when he spotted two wolf pups run into
the room.

He sat up, glancing down at them when they came over to him

and started pulling at the hem of his pants with their teeth. What was
with animals and trying to best him today? “Where is your papa?”

One of the wolves yapped at him, wagging his tail in excitement.

Valentino reached down and scratched behind the pup’s ear. The
other one seemed to resent not getting any attention because he
nipped at Valentino’s shoe.

Lynn Hagen

“Sorry about that,” a man with short blond hair and grey eyes said

as he hurried into the room. “I told them countless times not to come
in here.”

Valentino could scent timber wolf. “They’re fine.”
The man stuck out his hand. “Murdock Miller.”
Valentino shook it. “Valentino Prayze.”
“The vet.”
He nodded as he continued to scratch behind the pup’s ear. The

pup rolled to his back and captured Valentino’s hand with his paws
and began to play with his fingers. The other pup was still wrestling
with Valentino’s shoe.

Murdock scooped the pups into his arms. “How is Abe doing?”
Valentino blew out a breath as he ran his hand through his hair.

“It’s too soon to tell.”

“I know Gavin Lakeland and it seems pretty damn strange that he

would be so careless.” Murdock adjusted the pups under his arms.
They were squirming to get loose. “It makes no sense.”

Gavin Lakeland was not a subject Valentino wanted to talk about

right now. Just hearing the man’s name infuriated him. He didn’t care
how well Murdock knew Gavin. The guy had put Abe’s safety last.
That was all he needed to know.

“Nice to finally meet you, Dr. Prayze.”
Valentino gave Murdock a closed-mouth smile before turning

back to his mate. The guy had left with his pups and Valentino was
thankful for the reprieve. He laid his head back down and closed his
eyes.

It was going to be a long night.

* * * *

Draco Fitzgerald Kenyon glanced at the ID card that was tucked

into the wallet. He studied the name and address. How interesting that

Valentino’s Cowboy

this Abraham Brego lived in Brac Village, the very village Kenyon
was privately investigating.

But what was even more bizarre was that the wallet was found in

Kenyon’s bedroom closet. He had been getting ready to change for
dinner when he had seen it on the carpeted floor. It shouldn’t have
been there.

Digging further into the wallet, he discovered a door pass for The

Manacle, a condom, and a vintage photo that looked worn, the edges
frayed. He studied the photo, his mouth curling into a smile as he
gazed at the smiling couple.

They were a happy-looking couple with very pointy ears.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kenyon. Mr. Constantinople is here to see you.”

Kenyon’s newly hired assistance stood in the doorway, waiting for
further instruction.

Kenyon swiveled his chair until he was facing the large glass

window, looking out over the darkened city streets. His appointments
with Mr. Constantinople were always in the late evening when the sun
was no longer a threat to the man.

The vampire had no clue that Kenyon was well aware of what he

was. They had a business deal together and the man was here for his
scheduled meeting. “Send him in.”

Mr. Constantinople strode through the office door, confident and

arrogant as always. The vampire carried himself as if he was the most
important man in the world. Kenyon liked that quality about the guy.

Too bad he was a bloodsucker. The man would have made a great

ally. Kenyon needed more men with brass balls.

“Good evening, Mr. Kenyon.” The vampire took a seat, crossing

his legs and settling his hands in his lap.

Kenyon might be the head Vampire Hunter, but he was a genius

when it came to business and he knew a good business deal when he
saw one. If the Hunters who worked for him knew about his side
business with a few vampires, well…they would be pretty damned
pissed.

Lynn Hagen

But for Kenyon, money always came first. He had told his second-

in-command that he wanted to expose the filthy paranormal creatures.

That was somewhat true.
He wanted to eradicate them all, but in due time. He still had to

deal with the appearance of the mysterious wallet, though. Maybe he
should send his second to Brac Village to pay this Abraham Brego a
visit.

Because if elves truly existed, Kenyon needed to rethink his entire

strategy. It seemed his knowledge of the type of nonhumans that
existed had expanded once more.

He turned toward the vampire. “Shall we begin our meeting?”

* * * *

Abe slowly came awake, blinking his eyes rapidly at the bright

lights in the room. His mind was a little foggy, but not enough that he
didn’t remember what had happened to him.

“Look at those pretty cornflower-blue eyes.”
The scent of cougar filled Abe’s lungs.
“Hey, my little cowboy,” Valentino said as he gently brushed the

hair back from Abe’s face. “I’m glad you’re finally awake.”

“My…” Abe swallowed, clearing his dry throat. He needed to ask

the question but didn’t want to know the answer. “My hand?”

“The doctor doesn’t know yet, Abe. He repaired it the best that he

could but until the swelling goes down, there’s no telling.”

That wasn’t the answer he was looking for, but at least his mate

hadn’t said that his hand was gone or useless. There was still some
hope.

“Will I lose it?” There was so much fear in that statement that it

made Abe’s words wobble. He was trying to be brave. But that was a
very hard thing to do under the circumstances.

“I don’t think so,” Valentino stated with uncertainty. “Doc seems

to think he might have saved it.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Steeling his nerves, Abe glanced down at his injured hand. It was

heavily bandaged, making it impossible for him to see the damage. He
tried to wiggle his fingers, but since he really couldn’t see them, he
wasn’t sure if they had moved or not.

Abe turned his head when Valentino tapped him on the nose. He

stared up into those pretty taupe eyes, watching as his mate revealed
straight white teeth, giving him a dashing smile. “Why did the one-
handed man cross the road?”

Very confused at where his mate was going with this, Abe

furrowed his brows as he shook his head.

“To get to the secondhand shop.”
Okay, maybe Valentino had snuck some of Dr. Sheehan’s drugs.

“Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Hell no,” Valentino answered as his eyes rolled dramatically. “I

can’t tell a joke to save my life.” The man scratched at his goatee.
“Which is very odd since I constantly crack myself up.”

Maybe Abe was still dreaming. This had to be the strangest

conversation he had ever had. He glanced around, waiting for a rabbit
to run into the room with a timepiece in his hand, screaming “I’m
late!”

“My point is,” Valentino said, pulling Abe from his fruitless

search, “that when life gives you lemons, you should ask for a shot of
vodka instead.”

A smile spread across Abe’s face. “You are so weird.”
Valentino gave a light laugh, his face so devastatingly handsome

that Abe sighed. If only he could get out of bed and crawl into the
man’s lap. His mate’s hair was still sticking up in all directions and he
was beginning to see that it was just his natural style.

He liked it.
“I consider that a compliment.” Valentino gave a half bow in his

chair. “Would you care for another joke or are you hungry?”

Lynn Hagen

The man was comically chivalrous, reminding Abe of the bear

twins. Only Valentino seemed a little touched in the head. Well, so
were Chance and Chauncey.

“I’m starved.” Abe struggled to sit up, but it wasn’t that easy

when he only had one hand to use. Valentino immediately stood,
placing his hands on Abe’s sides and hauling him up the bed until he
was upright. He swayed slightly, but the dizziness didn’t last long.

“I’ll go grab you something to eat.” His mate headed toward the

door and then turned back around, wiggling a finger in Abe’s
direction. “I haven’t forgotten that you still owe me a kiss and some
dessert, my little cowboy.”

Why on earth had Valentino reminded Abe that he was a bad

kisser? And here his mood was starting to lift. His mate left the room,
Abe wondering if he would be good enough to please the man
sexually.

He didn’t dwell on that thought long, not when Johnny and Keata

strode into the room, Gabby close behind them. “You’re up!” Johnny
said in a cheery voice.

Abe was not in the mood for company. He wanted to roll back

over and throw the blanket over his head.

“I don’t think he wants us here,” Gabby said as he worried his

hands in front of him. “He has that look.”

“What look?” Keata asked as he swung his gaze over to Abe.
“The one that says ‘go away,’” Gabby replied.
“Nonsense.” Johnny waved a hand at Gabby. “Abe is our friend.”
He was? Although he knew all three men, they had never really

hung out together. They talked at the occasional gathering or when
they saw each other in passing. He never got a phone call from any of
these men or an invitation to just pal around.

Since when were they friends?
“All of you, out,” Dr. Sheehan said as he entered the room. “Abe

needs his rest.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe watched the three walk away. Johnny turned and held his

fingers up to his head like his hand was a phone. “Call me,” he
mouthed before he disappeared.

He was really beginning to wonder if maybe he still wasn’t

heavily sedated and hallucinating all of this. Things just seemed…off.

“How are you feeling?”
That was a loaded question. Between worrying about his hand and

the bizarre people, Abe wasn’t sure how to answer. “Not really sure,”
he said slowly as he stared at the door, still looking for that racing
rabbit to enter at any moment.

“That is to be expected when given a heavy sedation. Your mind

should clear soon.” The doctor pulled the stool close to Abe’s bed and
began to unwrap his hand.

“Starting the show without me?” Valentino walked into the room

with a tray in his hand. The aroma of food immediately assailed Abe.
His mouth began to water as his stomach growled loudly.

“I hope you brought him something light to eat,” the doctor said to

Valentino. “He can’t eat anything heavy right now.”

“There goes the steak and baked potato I had in mind,” Valentino

answered as he set the tray down. Abe saw a bowl of soup and some
saltine crackers. “I guess dessert is out of the question.”

His mate gave him a conspiratorial wink, reminding Abe that

Valentino wanted to have sex with him.

Abe felt his cheeks heat up.
“I swear,” Dr. Sheehan said as he continued to unwrap the

bandages. “Why does everyone seem to want to have sex around me?
Am I that good-looking?”

Valentino laughed. “Sorry, Doc. My lusty desires for Abe have

absolutely nothing to do with you.”

Dr. Sheehan gave Valentino a narrowed look. “I’m not hideous,

you know.”

“No, you’re not,” Valentino said. “You are a very good-looking

man.”

Lynn Hagen

Jealousy ripped through him, setting Abe’s teeth on edge. The

violent emotion shocked Abe. His head still lowered, the doctor’s
eyes shot up toward Abe, his expression questioning.

“That may be true,” Dr. Sheehan said, lowering his eyes and

seeming intensely interested in what he was doing to Abe’s hand.
“But Abe here seems to outshine me in the looks department.”

Abe squirmed, feeling guilty for wanting to remove the doctor’s

head from his shoulders.

Valentino moved closer to the bed, brushing his fingers through

Abe’s hair. “You’re damn right. My little cowboy is a wet dream.”

His jaw hit his chest as he stared up at his mate. Did he really just

say that? It was official. This was nothing more than a very vivid
hallucination. His eyes snapped over to the doctor when he heard a
small snicker.

The doctor cleared his throat, busying himself. Abe’s eyes

dropped to his hand and he felt his head swim. He quickly turned
away, nauseous. Valentino swiftly cupped his face, their noses
touching.

“It’s still swollen,” Valentino said, his breath whispering across

Abe’s lips. “What you saw is not the end result.”

That didn’t stop Abe from seeing the hideous thing over and over

in his mind. Though he had only glimpsed at it for a second, he had
seen tons of stitches and a hand that was three times the size of his
normal one.

He blinked a few times, his body jerking slightly.
“Look at me, hon,” Valentino said before placing a kiss on the

side of Abe’s mouth.

That drew his attention.
“Such pretty eyes.”
Abe didn’t know about that, but staring so closely at Valentino,

Abe could see the starburst mixture of brown and grey in his mate’s
irises. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful. The man’s dark, thick

Valentino’s Cowboy

brows only enhanced his eyes, the long lashes outlining the stunning
view.

Valentino skimmed his lips across Abe’s cheek until they rested at

his ear. “I love how you look at me as though you want to gobble me
up. I’m so damn hard right now.”

“I can hear you,” Dr. Sheehan said irritably.
Abe’s breathing became labored, his good hand curling into a fist

in the blanket as he sat there still as a statue.

“I can’t wait to get you home.”
“Home?” Abe squeaked. “Your home?”
“Our home,” Valentino corrected. “I already packed your things.

They’re in my trunk.”

Wow, the man moved pretty dang fast. Abe wasn’t sure what to

say. Although he liked the Lakeland men a lot, he wasn’t too fond of
working on a ranch. “You did?”

When Valentino pulled back, Abe swore he once again saw

something move behind the man’s taupe-colored eyes. It was the
strangest thing. “Yep.”

He said the one word with absolutely no remorse. His thumbs

began to skirt across Abe’s face and Abe forgot what they were
talking about. He leaned forward, his eyelids fluttering closed as he
enjoyed his mate’s touch.

“God, you are handsome and so responsive to my touch.”
“Still here,” Dr. Sheehan muttered loud enough for Abe to hear.
Abe slowly opened his eyes, his lips parting as he felt his cock

grow stiff. He was ready to lay back and toss the covers aside, letting
his mate have whatever the hell he wanted. His body shuddered as
Valentino dipped his head and slid his tongue across Abe’s lips.

“Okay,” Dr. Sheehan said as he stood. “Since it’s obvious you two

want to hump like crazy, I’m out of here. Just watch his hand and
clean up after yourselves.” The doctor left the room, slamming the
door behind him.

Lynn Hagen

The flushed look on the doctor’s face hadn’t slipped Abe’s

notice—neither had the rise in the doctor’s pants. He was willing to
bet that the doc was going to find his mate and do a little humping of
his own.

There was a sparkle of mischievousness in Valentino’s eyes.

“Boy, do I know how to clear a room or what?”

Abe could care less about the doctor right now. He reached up to

pull Valentino closer, using both hands out of habit. The lust that had
overtaken him mere seconds ago died a tragic death when Abe got an
up close look at his injured hand.

“Don’t,” Valentino said, but it was too late. Abe pulled away,

placing his fucked-up hand back on the cushioned table the doctor had
been using.

“I’m hungry,” Abe said as a way of changing the subject. He

pasted a false smile on his face as he nodded toward the tray. “The
soup smells good.”

Valentino looked uncertain, but turned and grabbed the tray. Abe

let out a silent breath, wondering if the handsome cougar shifter was
going to keep him once the guy regained his senses.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Chapter Four

Valentino took Abe’s belongings into the house, setting

everything aside as he waited for his mate. Abe slowly climbed from
the car, glancing around. He could see that he needed to cheer the
man up. He wanted to see that gorgeous smile once more.

“Welcome to the Prayze Castle. Stables are out back and the

handmaidens are waiting to serve you. But I must warn you, no matter
how hard you try to make the guards smile, they are unwavering in
their duties to our home.”

Yeah, he lived in a small bungalow with an entire forest outlining

his home. It was small, but he liked it. There were three bedrooms,
one Valentino used as an office. The kitchen was spacious, the living
room a nice size with a pretty damn cool fireplace.

He had never had a fireplace before and was still a little afraid of

catching his home on fire. The front lawn was cut…for a change, and
Valentino had pulled all the weeds in the flowerbed, but still hadn’t
planted anything, so it just sat there, boasting a clean pathway of dirt.

Hmm, he hadn’t noticed that the bushes needed hedging. He’d

have to put that on his ever growing to-do list.

His mission had succeeded when Abe gave him a wide smile, his

cornflower-blue eyes lighting up. “And what a nice castle you have.”

Valentino tapped Abe on his pert little nose. “Don’t make fun of

our home.”

He moved in closer for another taste of his mate’s delicious lips,

but Abe pulled away. “Can I get a tour?”

Valentino silently harrumphed. He’d give the man a tour, right to

his damn bedroom! Something was up—and he wasn’t referring to his

Lynn Hagen

cock. Valentino was going to get to the bottom of his mate’s squirrely
behavior.

“Right this way.” He gave an over-exaggerated wave toward the

front door, his arm sweeping wide. Valentino took a moment to gaze
at Abe’s tight little ass as his mate walked through the door.

He sighed. What a nice ass it truly was. Maybe he would show

Abe directly to the couch where he could bend the man over and—
Valentino hurried inside when he heard a crash. Abe was laying
spread out on the floor, howling in pain.

The man had tripped over his own belongings. Damn it! Valentino

yelled at himself for leaving them right there in the doorway. He
scooped Abe up, settling on the couch with his mate. “Let me see,
hon.”

Valentino examined the bandage and didn’t see any blood, but

Abe’s fingers looked red and painful. He set his mate aside and
hurried into the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the freezer.

“Don’t put that on my hand,” Abe said loudly as he held his

injured hand to his chest, cradling it. “I don’t want anything touching
it right now.”

The man’s mood had been sour ever since…Valentino had to

think about that for a moment. Ever since Abe got a close look at his
injured hand. Hmm, he was going to have to fix that emotional
problem as well.

He just wasn’t sure how. Tossing aside the ice pack, Valentino

took a seat on the couch next to Abe, pulling the man’s legs up onto
his lap. He ran his fingers up and down his mate’s leg, worried that
maybe his hand had been further injured by the fall. “How does it feel
now?”

The smile from earlier was gone. “It’s still throbbing.”
So was Valentino but he was pretty sure that Abe wasn’t in the

mood for sex. The long frown on the man’s face was a huge
indication of Abe’s spiraling mood. There could also be other issues

Valentino’s Cowboy

as well. Valentino had uprooted Abe in his fit of rage. It never
occurred to him that maybe the fey didn’t want to be here.

He had been so self-absorbed in his anger that Valentino never

stopped to think what Abe would want. There was no way he was
apologizing to Gavin, but if Abe wanted to go back to the ranch,
Valentino would set things straight with the bears.

His fingernails scratched along the denim as he prepared himself

for the rejection. “I was a little presumptuous when I gathered your
things. If you would prefer to go back to the ranch—”

Immediate stiffness filled Abe. Valentino could practically touch

the tension that filled the room.

“Although”—he gave Abe’s leg a light squeeze—“you would

miss out on the incredible breakfasts I whip up in the mornings.” He
hoped eggs and toast counted in his statement.

The tension drained and Abe relaxed. “You cook?”
Now that seemed to perk the fey up. Valentino ran with it. Abe

seemed out of sort here and he wanted to make the man feel at home.
He hadn’t said he wanted to go back to the ranch, so Valentino was
taking that as a good sign.

They just needed to get to know each other. “I’m pretty good in

the kitchen.” He liked to experiment with new recipes. Not all of them
turned out right, but for the most part, they were edible.

He hadn’t sent himself to the hospital yet.
Abe pulled his legs down, seeming a little less agitated than he

was before. The tension line around his eyes and mouth were finally
gone. Valentino sat there struck by Abe’s full lips as they curved into
an innocent smile. “I’m hungry. So, why don’t you show off your
cooking skills for me?”

Valentino could do one better than that. He scooped Abe from the

couch, tossing the man over his shoulder, laughing when he heard
Abe squealing. He was very careful of the man’s hand, but the sour
mood had to go. There was no way he was having a sourpuss mate.

Not a chance in hell.

Lynn Hagen

“What are you doing?” Abe asked, amused.
“Playing the barbaric caveman role. Is it working?” When he

entered the kitchen, Valentino deposited his mate onto the counter and
pointed a warning finger at the sexy blond man with the prettiest
cornflower-blue eyes. “Don’t move.”

“Are you always like this?”
Valentino pushed between Abe’s legs, noticing his how his mate

stiffened, his breathing becoming slightly labored. What was with the
guy? If Valentino didn’t know any better, he would think—holy shit!
His mate was afraid to kiss him. But that was ridiculous.

He groaned when he thought about the conversation he had with

Abe at the ranch, and then Abe’s confession when he was medicated.

His mate had never answered when Valentino had asked him if he

had been kissed before. He was starting to think that Abe hadn’t.
Testing his theory, Valentino dipped his head forward, only to have
Abe dodge his lips. “I thought you were going to cook?”

“It’s going to cost you.”
Abe’s blond head tilted to a curious angle, the most adorable little

frown moving across his features. “Cost me what?” Abe glanced
toward the cooking area real quick. “You mean, like doing the dishes
or something?”

Valentino felt his heart smiling at his mate’s innocence. The

puzzlement of what Valentino was asking for was too precious. “One
egg, one kiss.”

Abe seemed even more confused for a moment. Then his frown

deepened. “What do you have besides eggs?”

Okay, this wasn’t going as well as Valentino had hoped. Why

didn’t Abe want to kiss him? Was it him? Had he done something to
turn his mate off? Hell, maybe Abe didn’t want him at all.

That thought gave Valentino cold chills. What if Abe was just

accepting him because they were mates? From everything Valentino
had been able to gather about his little cowboy, the man was gay, so
hopefully that wasn’t the issue.

Valentino’s Cowboy

But that left Valentino with an even more dismal issue. What if

Abe just wasn’t attracted to him and was only there because fate had
paired them together?

Just because there was a pull didn’t mean they fell instantly in

love or that they both were ecstatic that they were going to spend the
rest of their lives together. What if Abe had just been playing along
the whole time while trying to figure a way out of mating Valentino?

He was going to be sick to his stomach at all those possibilities.

Feeling as if things were no longer right with the world, he stepped
back, putting plenty of space between him and Abe. Waving his hand
toward the fridge, he said with little enthusiasm, “There’s plenty of
stuff in the fridge. I went shopping earlier. Eat whatever you want.”

Before Abe could say anything, Valentino darted out of the room,

heading straight for his bedroom—a bedroom he was slowly starting
to think he would be sleeping in on his own. He shut the door behind
him and walked over to stare out into the backyard, not really caring
about the scenery outside the window.

Not much bothered him, but the thought of him and Abe going

their separate ways was more than he could handle at the moment.
Valentino never had much in life, not in the way of boyfriends or a
solid relationship. Finding Abe had lifted his heart immeasurably.

Being lonely sucked, and now it looked like he was going to

continue on that road. Even though he had just met the guy and barely
knew Abe, Valentino felt his heart breaking.

“You called me a bad kisser.”
Valentino froze, keeping his back to his mate as he frantically

tried to recall when he would have done something that stupid.

Either no one has taught you the proper way to kiss or I am your

first. Valentino remembered saying those words, but he hadn’t been
calling Abe a bad kisser. Hell, he had been hoping he was Abe’s first.
He would be more than happy to teach the man everything there was
to know about sex and foreplay.

Lynn Hagen

Turning, Valentino gazed at his mate. He looked uncertain,

standing in the doorway as if he were afraid to come into Valentino’s
bedroom—their bedroom.

“Is that why you are avoiding my lips?”
Abe shrugged, rubbing his good hand over the opposite upper

arm. “Would you want to kiss someone who said that about you?”

He took a step toward Abe, watching not only his facial

expression, but his body language as well. When the small fey didn’t
step away from him, Valentino closed the distance. “You can’t be a
bad kisser if you’ve never kissed before. I would never say anything
like that to my sexy little cowboy.”

“But I’m not—”
Before Abe could give another protest about not being a cowboy,

Valentino hooked a hand over the man’s nape and pulled him close.
Right before he captured Abe’s lips, he said, “Relax your lips, hon.”

Abe sucked in a breath just as Valentino slanted his head and

covered Abe’s mouth with his. Once again the kiss was stiff, but this
time Valentino didn’t pull back. He gently coaxed Abe’s lips apart,
sweeping his tongue into the smaller man’s mouth.

Stars exploded when Abe finally became pliant, his mouth as soft

as petals. He gave a small groan and Valentino ate the noise up. His
other hand went to Abe’s back, pulling the man closer until their
chests were touching and molding into the other.

Valentino slid the hand at his mate’s nape up until his fingers

were running through the guy’s blond strands. And then he gave them
a soft tug. Abe moaned again, this time a little louder and longer.

Those little noises were going to be Valentino’s undoing. He had

to use an exorbitant amount of control not to take the man to bed. He
knew Abe wasn’t ready for that, not quite there yet.

They would practice on the kissing, and maybe he would even

give the guy an awesome blow job. What man didn’t like getting his
dick sucked? Letting his hand slip down Abe’s back until he was
cupping his mate’s ass, Valentino gave a light squeeze.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe began to tremble in his arms. Oh yeah. This was too perfect.

Easing his hand around, Valentino ran the back of his knuckles over
his mate’s erection, the swell of his jeans thick and promising.

Valentino swept his tongue one more time through his mate’s

mouth before moving to the man’s jaw, keeping his movements slow,
not only enjoying what he was doing, but teaching his mate at the
same time.

He coaxed Abe into placing his good hand on Valentino’s chest

before he kissed his way down Abe’s throat.

“Valentino,” Abe said breathlessly.
“Right here with you, hon. The only thing I want you to do is

enjoy this—nothing more.” He slipped his fingers under the hem of
his mate’s shirt, lifting the fabric. “Put your arms up.”

Abe was shaking like crazy, and Valentino was thrilled at the trust

Abe was giving him. He lifted his arms up as Valentino removed his
mate’s shirt. Tossing the material aside, he ran his hands over Abe’s
slim chest, the pads of his thumbs circling small brown nipples.

Valentino gave a low chuckle. “Put your arms down, hon.”
Abe blushed profusely before lowering them. Amazingly, he

placed his good hand back on Valentino’s chest without being told.
He was learning. Keeping an eye on his mate and his body language,
Valentino lowered himself to his knees.

He gazed up at Abe, and his mate looked a bit confused. He had a

feeling the confusion was not coming from the fact that Valentino was
on his knees, but because he was the one on his knees. “It doesn’t
matter to me who does the fucking or sucking, hon—just as long as
both of us are being pleased. That’s all that matters.” He winked at
Abe before unsnapping his mate’s jeans. “And tonight, I would love
to be the one sucking.”

Abe’s blue eyes widened slightly as his pretty lips parted.

Valentino couldn’t wait until his mate sucked his cock. He knew it
wasn’t going to be tonight, but just the thought of having those sexy
lips wrapped around his dick excited Valentino.

Lynn Hagen

“You are so thick,” he said with a purr before pushing his fingers

into the waistband of his mate’s pants and tugged on them until not
only did they slide down the man’s thighs, but the fey’s cock sprang
free.

The girth was amazing.
He took a moment to appreciate the sight before him. Valentino

ran this thumb over the clear liquid, gazing up at Abe before sucking
his finger into his mouth, his eyes rolling as he moaned. “You taste so
damn good.”

Abe’s breathing was quick, his eyes glassy as he watched

Valentino as if he held the answers to the universe. His lips turned up
into a smile as he slowly began to stroke his mate’s cock. “You like
how that feels?”

His mate nodded.
“Well then,” Valentino said, giving Abe a wicked grin. “You are

going to really like this.” Valentino parted his lips and sucked Abe’s
cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head and moaning
at the same time.

Abe began to crumble, but Valentino caught him. His mate was

making all kinds of noises as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
That expression stroked Valentino’s ego as he worked the flesh in his
mouth. He hollowed his cheeks, creating a tight suction as he began to
bob his head.

One hand landed on Valentino’s head, the fingers curling until his

hair was being tugged. That only added to the intense pleasure
Valentino was already feeling. He wanted Abe’s first blow job to be
memorable, and from the way his mate was strangling Valentino’s
hair, he was accomplishing exactly that.

“Oh, god…oh, god…” Abe murmured over and over again as

Valentino squeezed his ass cheeks, massaging the flesh as his tongue
licked up one side of Abe’s cock and down the other. Admittedly,
Valentino wasn’t used to such thickness. He had to go slow or choke
himself.

Valentino’s Cowboy

He moaned again, knowing the vibrations would add to Abe’s

pleasure. His mate grunted, yanking hard on Valentino’s hair.
“My…you…oh…”

The fey was losing his mind.
That’s exactly how Valentino wanted him. If the man could think,

Valentino wasn’t doing his job. But he could tell that Abe wasn’t
thinking. The man was falling apart in his arms and Valentino
couldn’t be happier.

Taking a chance, Valentino slid a finger over Abe’s tight hole,

circling the small entrance as he swallowed Abe’s cock down his
throat—although he had to work the flesh slowly down his throat.

“I…I’m gonna…it’s…”
The man’s broken sentences were just too damn sexy. If his mate

was on the verge of coming, Valentino was going to push him over
the edge. He pulled his finger away from Abe’s hole, slid the cock
from his mouth, and then spat on his finger.

“Get ready, my little cowboy.” Valentino took Abe’s cock back

into his mouth, and at the same time, he pressed his wet finger into
Abe’s ass to the first knuckle.

Abe sang to the ceiling as his body jerked and convulsed, his seed

spurting into Valentino’s mouth. He drank it down like the finest of
wines, licking every damn drop until Abe’s cock was clean.

Valentino chuckled as he grabbed Abe just as his mate collapsed.

The man had a happy little grin on his face. “And that, my sweet little
cowboy, is a blow job. It comes in all sorts of positions, methods, and
flavors. I myself prefer being on my knees.”

“You are one strange man,” Abe replied, his voice light and lazy.

He had a glow that only came from being sated. Valentino spread
both of them out on the floor, not wanting to disturb his mate’s
afterglow.

He didn’t take offense to Abe calling him strange. Valentino knew

he was just a tad different from everyone else. He liked who he was.

Lynn Hagen

And he was also lying there with his dick so hard his jeans had

become tight. Maybe after Abe dozed off he would—“Oh hell,”
Valentino said when Abe’s hand covered his straining erection.

He wasn’t sure what Abe had in mind, but right about now,

Valentino would settle for a hand job—anything to relieve the ache in
his groin.

Abe turned onto his side, watching Valentino with those pretty

blue eyes as his fingers fumbled with Valentino’s zipper. He didn’t
interfere. This was Abe’s moment and Valentino would accept
anything the man did to him.

His mate looked uncertain and there a slight trembling to his

fingers, but that only made what Abe was doing all the more special.

Not saying a word, Abe pulled Valentino’s cock free and began to

stroke his heated flesh. His hips shot forward in a knee-jerk reaction,
the pleasure of his mate touching him overwhelming.

“You give an awesome hand job,” Valentino said with a deep

purr. He rolled to his back, Abe climbing over him until he was
settled between Valentino’s legs. There were deep concentration lines
etched in Abe’s face. Valentino wanted to tell his mate to relax, to just
go with his instincts, but he didn’t want his mate to think he was
criticizing him.

The man had already misinterpreted one thing Valentino had said.
“I want to kiss you,” Abe admitted shyly.
Kicking his shoes off, Valentino shoved his jeans down his legs as

Abe helped him pull them off. “Come here.”

Abe crawled up beside him—as best his could considering he only

had one good hand—and Valentino positioned the man to lie down
next to him. They were both on their sides, their bodies aligned.

Valentino guided Abe’s hand back to his cock as he captured

Abe’s lips. It was the softest, sweetest kiss ever. Valentino groaned,
spreading his legs wider as Abe stroked him, his rhythm growing
faster as he kissed the fey deeper.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Shoving his tongue down Abe’s throat, Valentino growled

through his orgasm, his seed shooting between them as the fire inside
of him burned to an inferno. He never knew a hand job could be so
damn awesome.

It was never this damn good when he did it himself. He panted out

slowly, regaining his breath before speaking. “So, does this mean
you’ll live here?”

Valentino wanted to be very clear that his mate wanted to stay. He

had uprooted the man, but now that he was calmer, he was wondering
if that had been the best thing to do.

“I like it here,” Abe said, still holding Valentino’s cock in his

hand.

He wasn’t sure why, but those four words felt as though they had

another meaning. Valentino wasn’t going to press his mate. The man
had said he liked it here.

He hadn’t said he was overjoyed that Valentino was his mate, but

he hadn’t said he wanted to leave.

So why did Abe’s answer leave him feeling lonelier than he had

ever felt before?

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Five

Bryce hated to see his brother so damn downtrodden. Ever since

the accident, Gavin had been moping around, acting as if the world
was coming to an end. He was beating himself up and Bryce had to
find a way to rectify the situation.

“Why don’t you just talk to him?”
Gavin’s jaw muscle became pronounced as he clenched it. “You

heard Valentino. He’s right. I was only thinking about the part, not
Abe’s safety.”

Bryce was ready to smack the man. He had grown up with Gavin

and knew for a damn fact that Gavin was the least selfish person in
the world. His brother would never purposely harm anyone, especially
not Abe.

Alex—Gavin’s mate—had been trying to get Gavin out of this

funk, but nothing seemed to be working. Bryce was going to have to
talk to Abe himself and see if he couldn’t mend this fence.

Finding Ahm in their bedroom, putting Ashayla to sleep, Bryce

stood in the doorway for a moment and watched the two. His chest
tightened as his daughter gave a little whimper and Ahm shushed her
with a soft pat on her back.

He gave his mate a tender smile when Ahm looked his way. “I’m

going to step out for a while. Do you need anything?” He walked
closer, placing a kiss on his daughter’s forehead before giving Ahm a
kiss on the lips.

These two meant the world to Bryce.
“Ashayla needs some diapers,” Ahm answered. “And she is

starting to teethe.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“No problem, my little love drop.”
Ahm chuckled. Bryce would never tire of seeing that smile on

Ahm’s face. His straight, white teeth and his beautiful smile always
made his mate looked ten times sexier.

“You’re going to talk to Abe, aren’t you?”
Ahm knew him too well. “I can’t let this go unresolved. I really

like Abe—even if I first thought you guys were too lenient with
him—and Gavin is a hot mess.”

Giving Ahm one more kiss, Bryce left his mate and daughter,

heading outside and toward his truck. Bryce stopped midstride when
he noticed someone standing by their car on the side of the road,
watching the ranch.

His bear growled when he saw binoculars in the son of a bitch’s

hands. The Lakelands had been warned that Vampire Hunters had
infiltrated Brac Village. Bryce wasn’t going to allow anyone to harm
his family.

They had a few resident vampires and Bryce would protect every

single person on the ranch with his life. He raced down the driveway,
going after the bastard. But the spy was quicker, getting into his car
and driving away before Bryce could catch him or even get a good
look at his plates.

He stood there staring at the dust cloud the tires had kicked up in

the speedy departure, angry that someone had taken a keen interest in
the ranch—or more precisely, the people on the ranch.

“What’s going on?” Olsen asked as he caught up with Bryce.

“You were running like the devil was after you.”

Even after the dust cloud settled, Bryce was staring off down the

road. He might not have gotten the license plate number, but he would
remember that car if he saw it again. “I’m pretty sure a Hunter was
just watching the ranch.”

Olsen looked just as unsettled as Bryce felt. There were a handful

of humans who lived on the ranch, but most were nonhumans. He was
going to have to let his pa know what he had seen.

Lynn Hagen

“Did you get a good look at his face?”
Bryce shook his head. “As soon as he spotted me watching him,

the bastard hauled ass.” He began to walk back toward his truck,
knowing there was nothing he could do about it right now.

“I’ll let pa know what happened,” Olsen offered as he headed

toward the house. “Maybe we’ll have to go back to shifts of watching
the place.”

Bryce didn’t like that idea—although he knew Olsen was right.

He hated that anyone threatened their way of living and wanted to
catch the Hunter. It had to be a Hunter. Who else would be spying on
them?

Pushing the thought aside, Bryce left the ranch, heading toward

the vet’s house so he could hopefully talk Abe and Valentino into
forgiving Gavin. The small fey was a part of the family, whether he
believed it or not. Every one of the Lakeland men was fond of Abe.
Bryce liked hanging out with the guy.

He couldn’t allow strife to come between Abe and the Lakelands.

But Bryce had a feeling it wasn’t Abe he needed to convince.
Valentino had become vicious when it came to Abe, and
understandably so.

But Dr. Prayze was also the only vet in town. If Bryce couldn’t

find a way to repair this, he wasn’t sure what they would do as far as
their animals.

He also needed to remember diapers and a teething ring. Bryce

smiled at the thought of Ahm and his daughter. If everything else fell
apart, at least he knew he had the two people who meant the world to
him.

* * * *

Abe walked down the row of cages, staring into each one.

Working here shouldn’t be so bad. At least the animals were small.

Valentino’s Cowboy

There were horses out back, but Abe didn’t plan on going anywhere
near them.

“I have the perfect job for you,” Valentino said as he entered the

area where the animals were kept. “How would you like to feed the
animals and clean out their cages?”

That didn’t sound like a bad job. Most of the cages weren’t that

big. “I can do that,” Abe answered his mate with a smile. And until
his left hand healed, it seemed like a pretty easy job as well. Abe
secretly admitted to himself that this was a better job than working on
the ranch.

“Perfect!” Valentino said and then lowered his voice. “Just don’t

let the animals bully you. A lot of them think they run this place.”

Abe snickered as he glanced into one of the cages and saw a small

grey kitten. He was pretty sure he could handle these animals. They
looked harmless enough.

“I’ll have Damon show you the ropes.”
“Your assistant?”
Valentino shrugged. “Assistant, helper, what everyone calls him.

Most of the time he sits behind the front desk and answers the phone.”

Now that was the job Abe would love to have.
“I’ll go get him.” Valentino walked toward the front of the clinic

as Abe glanced at the grey kitten.

“It must really suck to be stuck in there.” Abe was astonished

when the kitten moved toward him, sticking his paw out between the
bars. He grinned as he ran a finger over the soft fur.

“I see you and Symba are getting along,” Damon said as he

entered the holding area. Abe gazed up into hazel eyes as the man
gave him an easy smile. He liked Damon. The guy was nice.

“He’s cute.”
Damon stuck his finger in the cage and scratched the kitten’s

head. “Just don’t get too attached. Symba is going home tomorrow.”

Abe glanced at the row of cages. “Do any of the animals live

here?”

Lynn Hagen

“On a permanent basis?”
Abe nodded.
“Nah. This isn’t a shelter. Most are here because they had some

sort of surgery and need recovery time. Some are here because the
owner is out of town. We house them until their owners return.”

“Like an animal hotel.”
Damon chuckled. “Something like that.”
Abe watched as Damon opened the cage and pulled the kitten

free. He petted the grey fur before handing the kitten to Abe. This was
the first time Abe had ever held a kitten. He was from a tribe that
didn’t believe in pets. The Wood elves had pigs and cows, animals
that helped them sustain their lives, but never any pets.

The kitten purred and Abe was instantly reminded of Valentino.

The small animal curled in his arm, seeming content.

“He likes you,” Damon commented. “But, I was told to show you

how to run things back here. Are you ready?”

Abe handed Symba back to Damon. “I’m ready.”
They got underway and Abe spent the better part of his morning

cleaning cages and getting to know the animals. By lunch, he was
exhausted. He walked up front to tell Damon he had completed all his
tasks when he saw Bryce walk into the clinic. Abe couldn’t help but
smile. It was good to see his buddy.

A wide grin broke out on Bryce’s face when he spotted Abe.

“You’re covered in fur.”

Glancing down, Abe saw all the hair that he had collected on his

clothes from spending his morning with the animals. “It looks like I
need to shave my clothes.”

Bryce chuckled and Abe laughed. The big bear could always

make Abe laugh. “What brings you here?” Abe attempted to wipe the
hairs from his clothing, but no matter how hard he wiped or plucked,
he was still hairy as hell.

“Lint brush,” Damon said from behind the reception desk. “That’s

the only way I found to get the hairs off of clothing.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe would have to remember that. He turned back toward Bryce

to see the bear standing there staring at him. “What?”

Bryce glanced toward the back hallway. “Can we talk?”
He knew Bryce was looking for Valentino. He wasn’t sure why

though. It seemed pretty odd to Abe that none of the Lakeland men
had called him since he moved in with Valentino three days ago. He
was starting to think that he hadn’t meant anything to the bear family.

Waving his hand toward the front door, Abe walked out into the

parking lot, Bryce following.

“Are you still mad at us?”
Abe faltered in his strides, turning toward Bryce in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

Bryce leaned against his truck, a guilty expression on his face.

“The accident.”

“But it wasn’t anyone’s fault.” He wasn’t sure why Bryce was

looking guilty. The guy had nothing to do with what happened. Abe
didn’t even blame Gavin or Winter. He knew neither man had
intentionally hurt him.

Light-grey eyes darted toward the clinic before Bryce looked

down at Abe. “You should’ve seen him.”

Okay, Abe was getting a headache. He didn’t understand what

Bryce was telling him. “Who?”

“Your mate. After the accident, he came to the ranch. Boy”—

Bryce shook his head, a rueful smile on his face—“the man was
pissed. He knocked Gavin a good one on his jaw, shouting that Gavin
had no regard for your safety.”

Abe was shocked. He knew that Valentino had gone to the ranch

because the man had gathered Abe’s belongings. He just didn’t know
that Valentino had a confrontation with Gavin. Abe wasn’t sure what
to say to Bryce.

“Dr. Prayze said, and I quote, ‘Since you treat my mate as

expendable, I want you to take me to his room so I can pack his
things.’”

Lynn Hagen

Abe was floored. Yes, they were mates, but Valentino had acted

so feral, so…so… “He said that?”

“I want to know if you feel the same way, Abe.” Bryce leaned

against his truck, watching Abe with a careful expression.

His answer should have been a resounding no, but Abe wasn’t so

sure. The Lakelands were great people, but Abe had always felt like
he was in the way more than helping out. He’d never felt like he truly
fit in. But hadn’t Abe felt that way his entire life? Even now, living
with his mate, Abe felt lost.

He had lost his parents at a young age and the tribe had raised

him. He had guardians that took care of him, but he never got that
special love that only family could give. His needs were met, nothing
more.

That’s how he felt living on the ranch. His needs were met and

Abe never went without, but…

Bryce shifted to his other foot uncomfortably. “You know I care

about you, Abe, right?”

He knew Bryce liked to take Abe with him when he went into the

city to party. Abe loved going to The Manacle and cutting loose.
Bryce was fun as hell to hang out with. His shoulders rose slightly.

“Really?” Bryce asked, his tone filled with bewilderment and

disbelief. “You’re my buddy, Abe.”

“What’s going on?” Valentino asked as he came outside. He

didn’t sound pissed—although his tone was firm—but Abe could tell
the man was being protective.

“I’m just having a conversation, doc. I promise I’m not doing or

saying anything wrong to your mate.”

Wow. Abe had never seen Bryce this docile when confronted. The

guy was a big goof and loved to have fun, but he had also seen Bryce
when he was downright livid. He just stood there, his expression
inscrutable.

Valentino moved closer, wrapping his arm around Abe’s shoulder.

“Shouldn’t Gavin be the one standing here?”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“After the way you laid into him?” Bryce asked and Abe could

hear a touch of ire in his tone. “The guilt is eating him alive.”

“He shouldn’t have disregarded Abe’s safety!” Valentino

bellowed. Abe had never heard his mate so angry before. As he gazed
up at Valentino, Abe saw something move behind the man’s eyes. It
was the same thing he had seen when Abe had told his mate about the
accident. Now he knew it for what it truly was, rage. It was like
Valentino’s cougar was the one staring out of those taupe-colored
eyes.

“It was an accident!” Bryce defended vehemently as he stood to

his full height. Abe had seen this before. Bryce acted this way right
before he attacked. This was crazy!

“Wait!” Abe shouted above the two. “Fighting will resolve

nothing.”

“I’m a predator, Abe,” Bryce said, his jaw still clenched tightly. “I

came here with the very best of intentions, but I will not stand here
and let another man talk shit about my sibling.”

That was one thing Abe had learned about the Lakelands. They

were loyal as hell when it came to their family. Gavin could have
murdered someone and Bryce would defend the man to the bitter end.

Abe had always envied the Lakelands that. But after hearing how

Valentino defended him, Abe couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his
belly. His mate had gone against the Lakelands to defend Abe. The
knowledge pleased him to no end, even though it was fucked-up that
it was the bears Valentino went against.

“And I can’t stand by, won’t stand by while my mate’s safety is

ignored,” Valentino replied just as heatedly. “I don’t give a shit how
bad Gavin feels. He should have been the one coming to see Abe.”

Valentino gave Bryce a humorless smirk before he turned,

heading back toward the clinic. “Finish talking with him if you want
to, Abe. As for me, I’m through with this.”

Abe watched until his mate disappeared inside the building,

feeling so damn confused about what to do. Valentino was his mate

Lynn Hagen

and Abe wouldn’t go against him. But the Lakelands had taken him in
and given him a home when his tribe turned their backs on him. They
were good people.

“He’s right.”
Abe’s head snapped around. “What do you mean he’s right?”
Bryce placed his hands on hips as he looked at the building.

“Valentino has every damn right to be pissed at us. You were hurt.
That’s all he sees. If the same thing had happened to Ahm, Gavin
would be…” Bryce glanced down at Abe. “You know us Lakelands
stick together. There is no way I couldn’t defend my brother.”

“I’ll call you,” Abe said as he felt a small part of his heart break.

Bryce had spoken as if Abe hadn’t been a part of that family. As if he
had been the stranger he always felt he was. Bryce’s words only
proved Abe right. He didn’t belong. “Tell Gavin it wasn’t his fault.
Accidents happen.”

Bryce gave a low chuckle. “I sure am going to miss you on the

ranch.”

No, Abe was not going to get all misty-eyed. No way. He had a

new life now with his mate. That didn’t mean he couldn’t visit the
Lakelands, but his place was beside Valentino. He wasn’t a part of the
bear family. Bryce had just said that in so many words. But he liked
Bryce and Abe was determined to keep his friendship. “We can still
go into the city to party.”

Bryce walked to the driver’s side of the truck. The man’s smile

was so small it barely qualified. “We’ll see.”

What did that mean? Before Abe could ask, Bryce pulled off. As

he stood there, Abe bitterly accepted the fact that he had never truly
fit in on the ranch. They were probably glad he was gone. The only
thing Abe ever did was get in the way.

“Abe.”
Abe glanced around when he heard his name being whispered. He

didn’t see anyone, but he knew he had heard something. The parking
lot only had a few cars and as far as he could see, Abe was alone.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Feeling a bit spooked by the detached voice, Abe hurried inside

the clinic. Damon wasn’t behind the desk, but Valentino was standing
there, studying Abe with cautious brown eyes. The man looked
guarded as he leaned into the desk. “I wasn’t trying to be a prick,
Abe.”

Abe cradled his healing hand, feeling a bit exposed as he stood

there. What was he supposed to say? Valentino was his mate. The
bears were his friends.

Running his hand through his already disheveled hair, Valentino

let out a frustrated breath. “I lost my cool when you told me what
happened.”

“Why?” He really wanted to know what motivated the man. They

had just met. It was true that they were mates, but there was no way
the vet had felt that deeply or cared that much about Abe within a few
short hours.

“It pissed me off when you said everyone ignores you and treats

you like you’re a dimwitted man who needs constant supervision.”
Valentino crossed his arms over his chest. He gave Abe a half-cocked
smile and the image was startling beautiful. “All I see is a man who is
willing to help no matter what. I see someone who has a very big
heart and—” Valentino cleared his throat.

“And?” Abe prompted Valentino to finish what he was saying. No

one had ever ticked off Abe’s qualities before and he was dying to
hear what his mate thought about him. “Go on.”

Valentino nodded, shrugged. “You’re a bigger man than I am,

Abe. I don’t see how you are so willing to forgive after what
happened to you.”

“Because I know Gavin wasn’t trying to intentionally hurt me.”
Valentino pushed from the desk, walking over to Abe. He reached

up and ran his fingers over the bangs hanging in Abe’s face. “You are
truly one of a kind, my little cowboy.”

Abe sucked up the attention, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the

feel of his mate’s fingers caressing his hair.

Lynn Hagen

“So responsive.”
Abe inhaled sharply when he felt Valentino’s soft lips press

against his. The warm and moist lips set his blood on fire as Valentino
wrapped an arm around Abe and tucked him in close. He opened his
mouth, sucking Valentino’s tongue in.

His mate gave a low chuckle as he pulled back. “You are

definitely learning.”

Abe could feel his cheeks heat up at the compliment.
“Am I interrupting?”
Abe turned, but didn’t recognize the man standing there.
“Not at all, Mr. Howard. Have you brought Whiskers in for his

checkup?”

Oddly enough, Abe wasn’t embarrassed that he’d been caught

kissing in the middle of the clinic. He was too busy talking his cock
down. It had grown hard when Valentino touched him.

Taking in a deep breath, Abe went back to work. He entered the

holding area, hearing the dogs bark. It was very noisy back here.

He groaned when he saw that Roger had kicked over his bowl, the

water everywhere. He had just cleaned that cage before going on
break. The oversized lab wagged his tail excitedly when Abe
approached his cage.

“Abe.”
Abe spun around, but found that he was alone. The hallway was

empty, only him and the animals in the back. Whoever was calling his
name was scaring the hell out of Abe. The first time it happened he
thought maybe he was hearing things.

But now he knew that someone was watching him.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Chapter Six

Valentino finished Whiskers’s chart and sat it on the desk for

Damon to file. Clicking his pen and shoving it into his lab coat, he
went looking for Abe. He felt like his relationship with Abe was
disjointed and he wanted to figure out how to bring them together, not
only physically, but emotionally as well.

Something was holding Abe back and Valentino wanted to know

what that something was. Their future together didn’t stand a chance
unless he could figure out why Abe was keeping him at arm’s length.

Valentino came up short when he noticed a stranger standing in

the hallway, peeking around the corner to the holding area. “What do
you think you are doing?”

He blinked a few times when the stranger shimmered away. That

told him the guy was fey, but that didn’t explain what he had been
doing spying on Abe. Valentino walked briskly down the hall,
needing to check on his mate.

Abe was cleaning out Roger’s cage, oblivious to being watched.

His mate had no clue that a fey had just been standing there spying on
him. Valentino leaned into the wall, watching Abe for a moment.

Why would anyone be spying on the man? Was there something

going on in Abe’s life that Valentino needed to know about?

“Roger spilled his water.”
Abe hadn’t even turned around. He knew Valentino was watching

him. If he knew Valentino was there, did he know about the fey? It
could be their bond. Although they hadn’t consummated things yet,
that didn’t mean it wasn’t growing stronger. He decided to keep the
information about the peeping fey to himself right now.

Lynn Hagen

Abe had been through enough already. “It’s his way of getting

your attention.”

“It worked.”
Valentino moved further into the holding room, wagging his

finger at the lab. “Watch yourself, bub. Abe is mine.”

His mate arched a blond eyebrow.
“He tends to attach himself quickly,” Valentino explained as he

winked at Abe. “I know how he feels when it comes to you.”

His mate looked as if he were grappling for words. His lips parted

and then he glanced back at what he was doing. Valentino could see
Abe’s ear turning a dark shade of red. The man was easily rattled.

“So, since we didn’t get to have that dinner date, I was thinking

about having a nice, romantic dinner at home tonight.” He threw the
invitation out there and hoped Abe caught it. Squatting down next to
his mate, Valentino said in a low tone, “My sweet tooth is kicking
in…hard.”

Abe dropped the bowl he had in his hands, scrambling to pick it

up before all the water spilled. Valentino patted Roger on his head
when the dog barked and tried to lick Abe’s face. “What did I tell you
about flirting with my mate?” he asked the dog.

The water was quickly running toward the small drainage hole in

the center of the cage, but his mate went for towels anyway.
Valentino helped Abe clean up the mess.

“You don’t have to help,” Abe said. “This is my job.”
“And there is nothing wrong with me helping you.” Valentino

dropped a few rags onto the water, watching as they soaked the
wetness up. Abe was wiping, his movements jerky. Valentino
watched, noticing his mate’s set jaw.

He was angry.
But why?
“I don’t need any help,” Abe replied, his voice wooden.
Valentino’s hands clenched as he moved back, studying the hard

lines on Abe’s face and wondering where all this anger was coming

Valentino’s Cowboy

from. The man squatting next to him was not the same man he had
met in the Lakeland barn. “What’s going on, Abe?”

His mate finished wiping up the mess and then took the towels to

the dirty linen bin. Valentino closed the cage door, waiting for his
mate to answer him. Abe just stood there, staring down at the soiled
towels.

After a long stretch of silence, Abe spoke. “I don’t know where I

fit in.”

Valentino walked forward, stopping in front of Abe. His fingers

curved under the small man’s chin, tilting Abe’s head back until he
was staring into pretty blue eyes. “Where is this coming from?”

Clearing his throat, Abe asked, “What was your home life like?”
The question caught Valentino from left field. That wasn’t what

he had been expecting to hear. “Challenging,” he answered honestly.
His answer seemed to gain Abe’s interest. He was no longer looking
down at the towels, but gazing right at Valentino.

“How so?”
This was not something Valentino cared to talk about—especially

in the holding area of the damn vet clinic. He crossed his arms over
his chest in a defensive move as he leaned against the nearest cage.
“You first.”

The man cocked his head to one side as he shrugged, playing with

some invisible string on the laundry hamper. “Bryce just reminded me
that I never really was a part of the Lakeland household.”

Valentino curled his hands into fists, keeping his anger under

control. The fury almost choked him, but he remained silent.

“My parents died when I was young,” Abe continued and

Valentino caught Abe’s sorrow before he could conceal it. It was in
his voice and eyes. “The tribe made sure I was taken care of, my basic
needs”—he poked his finger at the fabric of the hamper—“but
emotionally, I was neglected.”

Lynn Hagen

“So you always feel as if you don’t fit in,” Valentino surmised.

“You’re always looking for someone’s attention, someone’s
approval.”

Abe glanced up at him. “You make me sound so dang needy.”
Valentino gazed down the hallway, past Abe as the memories

slipped into his mind and took over. “Not really, Abe. I grew up with
cougars constantly challenging each other, always trying to prove
their worthiness and manhood through brute strength.”

And he had hated it. Valentino was a nonviolent person. Oh, he

could be very violent if the situation called for it. His father made sure
that he possessed great fighting skills. “My father constantly pit me
against other cougars. On the occasion when I lost, he would fight me
himself to ‘improve’ my techniques—at least that’s what he told me.”

“You fought your own father?” Abe asked in astonishment.
“And my uncles, brothers, cousins, or whoever else thought I was

too weak to fight the other males in our group.” That was one hell of a
way to raise a child. Valentino had gotten out of there as soon as he
was old enough to attend college. He swore that he would make a life
for himself just so he would never have to return home.

Valentino had always wanted more out of life. He wasn’t really a

pacifist, but he wasn’t an angry cougar who felt beating on the
innocent was a good way to teach them how to survive.

“Is that why you joke all the time?” Abe asked. “Some sort of

shield?”

Valentino chuckled, even though the memories had turned him

solemn just moments before. “I would like to think that my humor is a
part of who I am, not a defense mechanism.”

“I–I like to laugh,” Abe admitted.
Pushing away from the cage, Valentino stood in front of his mate.

“And I’ve seen your smile. It’s prettier than hell.”

Abe’s face soured. “Pretty?”
“What? You think men can’t be pretty?” Valentino asked,

needling Abe. “Roger is damn pretty, don’t you think?”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe’s head turned toward the cage where the lab was housed. His

brows crinkled as he gazed at Roger. “He’s a dog.”

“Be careful insulting him. Roger has feelings.”
Abe gave him a pretty smile before sobering. “Do I fit in with

you?”

Ah, hell. Valentino felt his chest tighten at the sincere expression

on Abe’s gorgeous face. He wrapped an arm around the man’s
shoulder, pulling him close. “Us misfits have to stick together. It’s
you and me, my little cowboy.”

Valentino’s heart melted when Abe beamed up at him. Since the

accident, this was the first time he had seen that handsome smile on
Abe’s face and Valentino realized just how much he had missed it.

“I’d still like to hang out with Bryce once in a while.”
Valentino dropped a kiss on Abe’s head. “You don’t need my

permission for a damn thing, hon. Although I do need to make
amends with Malcolm.”

Abe’s brows shot up. “You yelled at Pa?”
The side of Valentino’s mouth pulled back as he made a sucking

in of breath noise. “Well…maybe.”

Abe did not look happy. “Pa is a very nice man. The nicest man I

have ever met.” His mate began to chew feverishly on his bottom lip.
“What if he’s mad and won’t let me visit?”

Valentino was still pissed beyond belief at Gavin, but he didn’t

have a problem with the rest of the bear clan. “I’m pretty sure he
understands where my anger was coming from.”

“I guess,” Abe said. “I need to go over to the Den after work. Dr.

Sheehan wants to check my hand.”

A ploy to change the subject. “Want me to come?”
It was Valentino’s turn to be shocked when Abe turned crimson.

The little imp! He was having very naughty thoughts at the moment.
Valentino burst out laughing, hugging his mate close. He could feel
Abe jerking against him and knew the man was laughing as well.

“Dr. Prayze?”

Lynn Hagen

Valentino glanced down the hallway to see Damon standing there,

looking unsure as his eyes flickered from Valentino to Abe.

“What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know I was heading out for lunch. I’ll

lock the front door.”

Lunch. Damn. Valentino had totally forgotten about that. He

glanced down at his mate. “Are you hungry?”

“Famished,” Abe admitted.
Just as they were walking from the holding area, the same fey who

had been spying on Abe reappeared, his eyes wild as they settled on
Abe. “You have to save me.”

* * * *

Abe grabbed Valentino before his mate could attack. Whoa. The

man had his canines out and was baring them at Turi. If the cougar
wasn’t his mate, Abe would have been scared shitless of the feral look
on Valentino’s face. “I know him, Valentino.”

Valentino gave an irritating grunt, but his canines didn’t retract

and his stance was still intimidating. Was it wrong of him to be turned
on by the power Valentino was exhibiting? His well-honed muscles
rippled under the tight black shirt he was wearing. Right or wrong,
thoughts of licking every available inch on Valentino raced through
Abe’s mind.

“I caught him spying on you before I came in here.” His mate

wasn’t backing down.

Abe pivoted toward Turi, his expression unfriendly. Although he

had never had a problem with the Wood elf, it wasn’t like they were
buddies or anything. Why would Turi risk coming to see Abe? He
was shunned by his tribe. If they found out that Turi was here, they
just might shun the man as well. “What are you doing here, Turi?”

Valentino’s Cowboy

The man audibly swallowed, his dark-green eyes flickering all

through the hallway. “I need help and I didn’t know where else to
go.”

Abe snorted. “You do remember that our tribe shunned me.” He

sure as hell couldn’t forget that fact. Although Abe had never planned
on returning, it still hurt like hell that his very own people wanted
nothing to do with him. He missed how they used to be before the war
between the Shadow and Wood elves.

Although the war was over, the Wood elves were still very selfish

and petty.

Turi tossed his hands into the air. “I don’t care about you being

shunned. It’s a stupid law if you ask me.”

“Stupid or not,” Abe began, “if you are caught talking with me,

you’ll be booted off the island.”

Turi didn’t seem to get his reference to Survivor. “What island?”
Valentino let out a low chuckle behind Abe. The sound only

reminded Abe that he wasn’t alone any longer and that he had a mate.
It didn’t matter to him why Turi was here. The man had to go. “Just
tell me why you came here so you can leave.”

“You used to be so nice,” Turi stated.
“And I used to be run over by people thinking me too nice,” he

reminded the fey.

“Well,” Turi said as he began to pace, his long black hair fanning

out behind him. “You know that Iam took over as tribe leader, right?”

Abe nodded. Ahm had named Iam Shanta’s successor. No one

argued with the leader of the Shadow elves, but not all were happy
from what he had heard.

“Iam is trying,” Turi continued. “He really is. But the elders are

giving him a hard time. They won’t relent when it comes to ancient
laws.”

Abe wasn’t surprised. The elders were pompous men full of hot

air and thought too highly of themselves. They were vain, self-
righteous, and god he hated them. “Go on.”

Lynn Hagen

Turi seemed to be getting agitated. His pacing became manic as

he passed by the cages over and over again. “My father has promised
me to one of those old scraggly men.” Turi looked ashamed. “And the
elder he promised me to is my uncle.”

Well damn. That was truly fucked-up. Abe shuddered at the

thought of an elder putting their wrinkled hand on him. The thought
grossed him out. “So you ran?”

Turi shook his head. “Not at first. I thought I had time. My father

insisted I make our household proud by presenting myself to Egon by
the next full moon. But Egon wouldn’t wait. He kept coming
around”— Turi swallowed hard—“touching me.”

Abe remembered what Turi was like when he was returned to the

tribe after being kidnapped by some human named Billy. Turi had
stayed to himself for years, never really talking or interacting with the
others.

Now he was supposed to be mated to an elder? That was really

messed up. Somehow Abe knew that Egon was not Turi’s mate. “So
what do you plan on doing?”

“I don’t know,” Turi wailed. “I can’t be mated to him, Abraham. I

just can’t.”

Abe hated when he was called by his birth name. Only his tribe

used the full version. That’s why he hated hearing it.

“What about Malcolm?” Valentino asked. “He runs a ranch, but

from what I’m told, he also runs a place for people who need help.”

Abe glanced up at Valentino, glad the canines were gone. “Uh,

have you forgotten our small problem?” Like the way his mate had
gone to the Lakelands’, sword drawn and punching Gavin.

“I’ll call Malcolm,” Valentino said. “Even if he is still pissed at

me, I know he won’t turn your friend away.”

“He isn’t my friend,” Abe answered and regretted his words when

he saw the hurt in Turi’s eyes. It was true, but he wasn’t out to crush
the man. Still, Abe didn’t retract his words.

Valentino’s Cowboy

He really didn’t want to be caught up in this mess. The sooner

they could get Turi to the ranch, the sooner Abe could be done with
this. He never wanted to see the elders—or any of the tribe
members—again.

“Who’s Malcolm?” Turi asked when Valentino walked away.
“Do you remember when you were rescued from that human’s

house?”

Abe could visibly see Turi shutting down. He wasn’t sure what

had happened, but he had a feeling Turi didn’t want to think about
that. He gave Abe a quick nod, his eyes downcast.

“Malcolm was the father bear who showed up when you were

rescued.”

Turi scratched at his head. “I really don’t remember too much that

day.”

And Abe could tell Turi wanted to change the subject from the

way his eyes began to dart around. “What is this place?”

“A vet clinic,” Abe stated proudly. “My mate owns it.”
Turi’s green eyes widened. “That cougar shifter is your mate?”
“He is,” Abe answered and then thought of something. “Was that

you calling my name?”

Turi nodded. “I wanted to see if you were alone back here.”
“What about out in the parking lot?”
The man looked confused. “I wasn’t out there. I shimmered right

into the hallway.”

Before Abe could say another word, Turi’s father shimmered in

behind Turi. “How dare you disgrace our family by running!”

Abe grabbed Turi, ready to shimmer away when a cougar came

barreling around the corner, yowling loudly. Valentino!

Abe had never seen his mate in his cougar form, but he knew who

the creature was. Turi’s father let out a disgusted grunt before
shimmering away. Abe knew that he hadn’t seen the last of that man.

Valentino shifted and Abe wanted to cover his mate. He didn’t

like the man standing there naked for others to see. The shifters may

Lynn Hagen

be used to nudity, but Wood elves weren’t. Turi gaped at Valentino,
his eyes lowering to the vet’s groin.

Abe smacked Turi on the back of his head. “It is very offensive

for someone to stare at a naked shifter.” And Abe was very offended.

“Sorry,” Turi replied as he quickly glanced away.
“We need to get him to the ranch,” Valentino said as he opened a

small locker Abe hadn’t even noticed. His mate pulled a pair of jeans
out and a dress shirt, quickly donning the clothes. “Malcolm said he
would take Turi.”

Abe was relieved. He couldn’t turn Turi away, but he also didn’t

want to take on the responsibility either. He was dealing with enough
problems of his own.

As the three walked toward the front of the clinic, Abe

remembered the voice in the parking lot and shivered. Turi said it
wasn’t him.

So then, who was it?

Valentino’s Cowboy

Chapter Seven

Valentino pulled into the Lakelands’ driveway. He cut the motor

and climbed out of his Focus. Abe and Turi followed. He spotted the
twins working with the horses in the corral, but headed toward the
front door.

He wasn’t here for a visit.
“Are you sure I’ll be safe here?” Turi asked, his eyes glued to the

twins. When they turned around, Valentino could see Chance’s brows
lifting high on his forehead before he quickly masked his features.

Malcolm had told Valentino what happened all those years ago

and he knew that it was Chance who had rescued Turi. It seemed
Chance remembered the guy.

“This is the safest place you could be,” Abe said. “The bears don’t

let anyone around that doesn’t belong here.”

Turi didn’t look convinced, but climbed the steps regardless. The

guy was twitchy as hell. Valentino wasn’t sure if it was from seeing
Chance and remembering what had happened so long ago, or if it was
from running. It could be both, or the man could just be a naturally
twitchy guy.

Malcolm met them at the door, opening the screen for them to

enter the house. “Dr. Prayze,” he said good-naturedly. Valentino
wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Stop looking like I’m going to bite your head off,” he said to

Valentino. “Water under the bridge.”

Okay, that wasn’t what he had been expecting, but Valentino was

glad there were no hard feelings between him and Malcolm. “This is
Turi.” He placed a hand on the jittery fey’s shoulder.

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Malcolm gave a gruff nod. “He’ll be looked after. I called

Maverick to let him know what was going on.”

That was a wise move. If shit got funky, it was always good to

have the alpha on a person’s side. Maverick was no one to trifle with.

“How’s the hand?” Malcolm asked Abe, his features softening

when he glanced at Valentino’s mate.

“We’re heading to Dr. Sheehan’s,” Abe answered. “I’m hoping to

find out more once he looks at my hand.”

Valentino gave a low growl when he spotted Gavin standing in the

doorway of the kitchen. He and Malcolm may have settled their
differences, but he was still pissed at Gavin. At least the man had
enough decency to look guilty.

“We need to head out,” Valentino said. He needed to get out of

here before he lost his temper. He was a pretty laid-back man, until it
came to his mate. Valentino had no clue he was this feral, not when it
came to men. But Abe was his mate and Valentino was very fierce
about protecting the small fey.

Abe glanced up at him and he knew his mate could tell that he

was on edge. Maybe one day he would forgive Gavin, but today was
not that day. He placed his arm over Abe’s shoulder, steering his mate
toward the door. “I’ll call and check up on Turi,” he said to Malcolm.

Valentino moved them outside, taking in a deep breath as they

walked back toward his car. Abe didn’t say a word. The man climbed
into the passenger side and settled in.

The drive was quiet all the way to the Den. Valentino stopped at

the looming black gate and buzzed. Once he announced who he was,
the gates swung wide. He parked next to a row of shiny motorcycles
and headed toward the house.

He and Abe were shown to the doctor’s office.
“Great to see you two,” Dr. Sheehan said as he waved a hand

toward two chairs. “Have a seat so we can see what’s going on with
your hand.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Valentino sat next to Abe as the doctor began to remove Abe’s

bandages.

“How’s it look?” Abe asked as he gazed down at what the doctor

was doing.

“You’re healing beautifully. Now, let’s see if you can bend those

fingers.”

Valentino moved closer, ready to comfort Abe if he couldn’t

move his fingers. “Just remember I have a hand you can borrow if
need be.” He winked at Abe.

“Let’s not start that again,” Dr. Sheehan said. “No sex in my exam

room.”

Valentino’s heart froze and then pounded as he quickly inhaled

when Abe gazed up at him through the fall of his blond bangs, his
smile amazing and teasing. He had a heavy feeling in his stomach and
was nearly breathless at the way Abe was staring back at him. “I’ll
keep that in mind.”

Valentino glanced down and wished he hadn’t. He could see the

outline of Abe’s erection in his pants. His mate didn’t stop staring at
him as he began to move his hand for the doctor. Valentino had a
feeling Abe was using him as a distraction and he was all right with
that.

But there was no way he could fake a hard cock. Valentino had

been patient enough. When he got his mate home…

“Very good,” Dr. Sheehan said. “It looks like the functionality in

your hand wasn’t lost. I think you will have a full recovery, Abe.”

Abe’s head snapped around as he wiggled his fingers. They

moved slowly, but they moved. Valentino grinned widely as a soft
sob left Abe’s throat. He ran the back of his knuckles down Abe’s
back, placing a light kiss on his shoulder. “See, there was nothing to
worry about.”

The doctor began to rebandage Abe’s hand. “He’ll still need

healing time, but it looks like he is progressing nicely.”

Lynn Hagen

That was the best news Valentino could have hoped for. Abe was

going to be all right. His heart lightened as the doctor stood. “Just be
careful with your hand. The stitches will come out soon, but the
healing is going to take a lot longer.”

Valentino shook the doctor’s hand. “I’ll make sure he takes damn

good care of it.”

“Try to exercise those fingers as well,” Dr. Sheehan said. “Do a

few curls a couple of times a day to strengthen them.”

Valentino left the Den with Abe, satisfied that his mate was going

to recover. “I guess you don’t need my hand after all.”

Abe gave him a sheepish grin. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“We never got to eat lunch,” Valentino said. He had to ignore

Abe’s statement or he was going to jump the man’s bones right here
in the driveway.

“But it’s closer to dinner,” Abe pointed out as he got into the car.
“Then I guess we have dinner.” Valentino drove them into town,

parking in front of the diner. He hadn’t taken anything out for dinner,
so they would have to dine out tonight.

As they took a seat in one of the booths, Valentino noticed a man

walk into the diner. Now, he normally didn’t notice strangers coming
and going. Heck, he was still trying to learn the townsfolk. But what
made him eye the guy was the fact that he was eyeing Abe.

At first Valentino thought it was jealousy coming out, but it was

the way the man was studying his mate. The stranger took a seat at the
counter and finally ignored them.

“I’m still famished,” Abe was saying. “Everything on the menu

looks good.”

Valentino smiled when Tangee came over to the table to take their

drink orders. He still hadn’t decided what he wanted for dinner and
Valentino was still watching the man who had been watching Abe.

The stranger hadn’t glanced their way for the rest of their duration

at the diner. That still didn’t mean Valentino trusted the man, but he

Valentino’s Cowboy

let it go. He just might be feeling paranoid after dealing with Turi and
his father.

“Ready?” Valentino grabbed the ticket and went to the counter to

pay. He gave a sideways glance at the stranger, but the guy didn’t
look his way. He met Abe at the door and then walked out, heading
toward his car.

Valentino drove home, putting the stranger from his mind. He had

other things to think about, like claiming his mate. He had been more
than patient and his cougar was getting edgy. Valentino could
practically feel the anticipation humming through him as he drove
them home.

“Thanks for dinner,” Abe said from beside him. Valentino could

tell his mate was nervous. The man kept fidgeting with the seatbelt
strap, his eyes darting out of the window.

By the time he pulled into the driveway, Abe was jittery as hell.

Valentino cut the motor and slid from the car, being as casual as he
could. He was jittery as well, but not for the same reason that Abe
was. His little mate was nervous. This being his first time.

Valentino was just horny as hell and couldn’t wait to get his mate

in bed. He also couldn’t wait to claim the small fey. He had behaved
rather well in the past few days and now Valentino was about to be
rewarded.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Abe asked as he entered the

living room.

Hell no. “I was thinking more on the lines of dessert.” Valentino

curbed his arms around a slim body. “As I recall, someone said I
could have it.”

Valentino walked backward until he reached the couch. He was

wound too tight to make it to the bedroom. His cock already felt like
he was going to explode in his jeans. Valentino needed naked skin
and he needed it now.

Curling his fingers under the hem of Abe’s shirt, Valentino

carefully worked it up and off of his mate’s body. He was mindful of

Lynn Hagen

Abe’s injured hand and make sure the fabric didn’t get caught on the
bandages.

“Such a pretty body.” Valentino dipped his head, lapping at one of

Abe’s nipples. He teased the flesh with his teeth, rolling the small bud
around in his mouth. Under his fingers, Valentino could feel Abe’s
chest rising and falling rapidly. His heart was beating wildly.

He was aching, wanting Abe to touch him, to show Valentino that

his mate was just as needy as he was. Pulling back long enough to
discard his shirt, Valentino attached his mouth to the neglected nipple,
bathing it with his tongue.

Small moans were rumbling in Abe’s chest as Valentino began to

unsnap the man’s jeans. He wanted to feel that thick cock in his hand.
Abe’s fingers began to skim through Valentino’s hair, his fingers
curling and uncurling. His wounded hand was resting on Valentino’s
shoulder.

Abe’s light-blue eyes slid down to where Valentino was kneeling

and his lips parted. Valentino smiled as he continued to caress his
hand up and down Abe’s body. He wasn’t going to ask or demand
anything from his mate.

No, tonight Valentino was going to make slow sweet love to Abe,

showing the man what it was like to be claimed by a cougar.
Grabbing Abe’s waistband, Valentino pulled the material down his
legs. He groaned when Abe’s cock popped free.

“Sit on the couch.”
Abe did as he was asked. Valentino removed his mate shoes and

then yanked the jeans off, tossing them aside. He ran his hands up
Abe’s thighs, caressing the smooth flesh. There was a slight tremor
under his fingers and Valentino knew that was to be expected.

He wanted their lovemaking to be unhurried. More importantly,

Valentino wanted Abe relaxed. His fingers skimmed the bare flesh,
playing in the trail of hair leading from Abe’s navel to wiry blond
curls surrounding his cock. He was tentatively exploring, driving
himself mad with the leisurely touches.

Valentino’s Cowboy

A flush colored Abe’s cheeks as he met Valentino’s gaze. His

eyes, the color of summer skies, widened as Valentino dipped his
head, feathering his mouth over his mate’s hard cock. He drew in
Abe’s scent, enjoying the surprise on the man’s face before he snaked
his tongue out and ran the tip over the flared head, lapping at the pre-
cum, and pulling in the moisture.

“Oh god,” Abe groaned as his head tilted back. His was panting so

rapidly that Valentino thought the man was going to pass out. He
wanted to show him what real pleasure was and what real intimacy
was.

Abe whipped his head against the cushions, his hips lifting toward

Valentino. Valentino let out a gut-deep groan as he took Abe into his
mouth. The pleasure inside him was burning brighter, hotter, and
deeper than anything he’d ever known. Abe was anything but
experienced and Valentino knew this.

But the way the man was tormenting Valentino with his moans

and the way he writhed under Valentino could have been mistaken for
pure seduction. He knew Abe wasn’t trying to seduce him, but damn,
the smaller man was driving him mad.

God, he was hard.
So hard he felt as though his cock was seconds away from

becoming pure steel. His cat gave a long and lengthy purr as
Valentino sucked at Abe’s cock, at the same time unsnapping his
jeans and shoving them down his thighs.

He wanted inside Abe badly, but he had to keep his control.

Valentino was not going to give a quick fuck his first time or for the
claiming. Abe bucked, his back arching as his head pushed into the
cushion. Damn, he was so fucking beautiful when he was aroused.
And the noises, god, the noises excited his blood. They told him that
Abe was becoming unhinged in his arms and that Valentino was
setting his mate on fire.

Feeling under the couch, Valentino snagged the lube he had

placed there earlier, hoping like hell that he was going to get lucky

Lynn Hagen

tonight. He’d never been edgy when it came to sex. He’d had plenty
of it—never boasting that he was an expert—but his heart never
pounded as hard as it was now and his hands never shook. But they
were as Valentino wet his fingers.

Reaching between his mate’s parted legs, Valentino used two

well-lubed fingers to gently massage the tight ring of muscles he was
going to soon take. Slipping one finger inside his mate, Valentino
heard a gasp. His fingers tightened into Valentino’s hair as he worked
the flesh, stretching the muscle as he slid the finger in and out of
Abe’s ass.

Valentino watched the volley of emotions that flickered across

Abe’s face, the way his body tensed and then relaxed as he listened to
the sounds falling from the man’s parted lips. Abe’s knees drew
toward his chest, his legs falling to the sides as Valentino inserted a
second finger.

Valentino started to move in a steady rhythm, making sure to nail

Abe’s gland as often as he could. He dipped his head, using his
tongue for added pleasure. He probed his tongue inside, in several
firm thrusts, adding a finger, leaving Abe shaking.

When he glanced up, Valentino saw Abe’s grimace of pleasure,

the raw lust that transformed his handsome face. He hadn’t thought
the man could get any better looking, but staring up at the man, he
knew he had been wrong.

Unable to stand it any longer, Valentino moved until he was

settled between Abe’s legs. The head of his cock touched Abe’s
sensitive hole, but Valentino didn’t push forward. Not yet. But he
watched his mate in fascination as a shudder ran over him, making his
body tremble slightly. Valentino could see that Abe’s eyes hadn’t
returned to normal. If anything, they had turned darker from his
orgasm.

Valentino drew in a shuddering breath, telling himself over and

over again to gain control of his body. He was so damn close already.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Abe’s eyes sparkled like crystal gems behind the glaze, telling

Valentino what his mate truly wanted. Valentino leaned forward,
placing his hands on either side of Abe’s head, his cock brushing
along Abe’s crease as he ran his tongue over his mate’s parted lips.
Valentino reached out and touched Abe’s moist lips, the pads of his
fingers running along the smooth and soft skin.

Abe nipped at his fingers.
Valentino’s cock pressed against his mate’s entrance. Abe’s eyes

rolled upward, his hips pressing down onto Valentino’s cock.

Valentino didn’t move, allowing Abe to take control. Hell if the

man didn’t feel good wrapped around his dick. All he could do was
shudder and close his eyes when he felt his cock enter the tight, wet
heat. It was Valentino who cried out, his arms shaking as he placed
his hands on Abe’s bent knees. He was overwhelmed at the feeling of
being inside his mate and the look of pure ecstasy on Abe’s face.

“I never thought it would feel as good,” Abe said as he hitched his

hips higher.

Valentino was fighting not to plunge deep inside Abe. He could

feel his cat rising, trying to take over, but Valentino refused to allow
this to happen. And then he almost lost his mind when Abe clenched
his inner muscles, encasing Valentino’s cock in a tight vise-like grip.

When he felt his cock bottom out, Valentino was damn sure he

was going to lose his mind. There was no other way to describe the
growing madness inside of him. Valentino began to move inside Abe
once his cock was completely buried, slowly at first, pulling almost
completely out and then pushing back in.

“Oh. God. Valentino.”
Valentino quickened his movements and soon he was fucking Abe

with passion, ramming his cock hard and deep into his lover’s ass. It
was the most amazing feeling in the world. Valentino could die this
second and know that he had visited heaven already.

Abe began to slide back up Valentino’s cock, the grip like an iron

fist as Valentino’s body trembled. He growled gently, looking down

Lynn Hagen

to where their bodies joined together, watching his cock reappear
from Abe’s giving flesh.

Abe’s eyes gleamed as his head rolled from side to side, his back

arching as he let out a throaty groan. The muscles in Valentino’s
thighs grew tight as he watched the beautiful sight beneath him. His
fingers traced over Abe’s face, touching his mate as he rocked his
cock in and out of Abe’s body.

He sank his canines deep into Abe’s shoulder, his hips curling as

his cock plunged in and out of the man’s ass. Valentino felt a primal
growl building in his throat as he claimed his mate. It was a powerful
feeling and one he had never felt before.

It shocked him.
Abe arched his back, letting out a guttural sound as his seed

splashed between them. As he pulled his canines free, Valentino
gasped. Tiny, colorful ribbons began to form, one pulling from
Valentino, the other from Abe. They swirled around and then two
small transparent forms in the exact same image of him and Abe
danced around one another, melded together, and then split apart,
Abe’s image entering Valentino as Valentino’s image entered Abe.

Never in his life had he ever seen anything like that before. Abe

grabbed Valentino, pulling him down for a kiss as he slammed his ass
onto Valentino’s cock.

Valentino grunted as he moved faster, deeper, and harder in his

mate’s body, prolonging Abe’s pleasure as he fought to find his own
climax. Abe was writhing under him, clutching at Valentino, pulling
at his body. Valentino pounded into soft flesh, growling into Abe’s
shoulder as his seed filled his mate’s ass.

“What was that?” Valentino asked as he nuzzled Abe’s neck, still

slowly rocking his hips.

“Our souls are now joined,” Abe answered as he cuddled in close

to Valentino. “That’s how feys mate.”

Wow. Valentino had been blown away. He was half-tempted to

reach out and grab at one of the small figures, but something told him

Valentino’s Cowboy

not to interfere. He now had a part of Abe inside of him and
Valentino’s cougar purred at the thought.

Easing himself out of Abe’s body, Valentino sat up. “Thirsty?”
Abe nodded.
Valentino walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses. He

then went to the fridge, snagging the carton of juice. He stilled when
he heard something coming from the living room. But as he stood
there, Valentino started to think he was hearing things.

He shrugged and then poured the juice in both glasses. He set the

carton on the counter and walked back into the living room. Valentino
stilled when he spotted the stranger from the diner in his house,
holding Abe at gunpoint.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Eight

Abe wasn’t sure what bothered him more—having a gun at his

head or standing there naked with a stranger holding him hostage. He
could scent that the man holding him was human. How he had quickly
gained entrance into the house and grabbed Abe from the couch
without a sound amazed him.

“Let him go” Valentino snarled his words. Abe watched as his

mate set two glasses of juice aside. If he could just get to his
underwear, Abe might be able to handle this situation a little better.

“Sorry, I have a job to do,” the stranger said. “I’ll be taking him

with me.”

Abe cringed when the stranger lifted his blond hair. He knew the

man was looking at his ears. “Just as I thought,” the stranger said with
a satisfied tone. “You’re an elf.”

In that moment Abe knew he was dealing with a Hunter. No one

else would go through this trouble. He just wondered how he was
singled out. Abe hadn’t done anything that he could—the closet!

No sooner had he thought about the closet than the man holding

him said, “Thanks for leaving your wallet behind.”

Abe glanced down at his jeans that lay on the floor and it suddenly

dawned on him that he hadn’t had his wallet in a few days. He never
really used it so not having it hadn’t registered. Damn it. “Would you
mind if I put some clothes on?”

The guy tugged at Abe’s hair, his fingernails digging into Abe’s

scalp. “You’ll get no decency from me. You aren’t human therefore
you have no rights.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“He’s not the one acting inhuman.” Valentino moved closer,

coming up short and putting his hands into the air when the stranger
pressed the gun harder into Abe’s temple.

“No one said I needed to bring him in alive.”
Abe had to think of a way out of this. There was no way in hell he

was being kidnapped—naked. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going
on lately. It seemed like the cosmos was against him. The only good
thing that had happened in the past week was that Abe found his
mate.

Other than that, Abe had a busted hand, a runaway fey that had

come to him for help, and now this. He was truly beginning to think—
“Ouch!” Abe said loudly when the stranger yanked at his hair.

“Let’s get moving, Abraham Brego.” The guy began to walk

slowly toward the door, keeping Abe between him and Valentino.
Abe knew that if the stranger got him out of the house, he was as
good as dead. He would rather die right here, staring at his mate, than
in some strange place.

Abe knew what he had to do. He was just scared as hell to do it. If

his idea didn’t go according to plan, Abe was dead. Before he could
change his mind, Abe made his body go limp. He could tell that he
caught the stranger off guard because the man’s grip slipped from his
hair.

He hit the floor at the same time Valentino shifted. Abe scurried

away to get out of the way as his mate attacked. Abe slammed his
back into the wall when he heard a gunshot, fearing the worst.

The stranger fled, which left Abe assuming that it was Valentino

who had been shot. Abe cried out as he hurried over to the cougar. He
didn’t see blood anywhere, but that didn’t mean anything. “Are you
hurt?”

His hands fluttered over Valentino’s fur, looking for any wetness

that would indicate his mate had been shot. He didn’t find anything.
Overwhelming relief filled Abe he saw the hole in the floor.

Lynn Hagen

The stranger had shot the floor instead of Valentino. His mate

shifted, pushing to his feet as he glared at the front door. “That’s the
same damn man that I saw in the diner staring at you. I knew
something wasn’t right about him.”

Abe finally had a chance to get dressed. Knowing that his mate

wasn’t hurt, Abe grabbed his clothes and quickly put them on. “He
was a Hunter!”

His hands were shaking and his nerves were shot. Abe never had a

gun aimed at him before. It had been the most frightening thing in his
life. His insides were all twisted up and Abe felt like he couldn’t
breathe.

Valentino moved over to him. His mate sat Abe on the couch and

then made Abe bend at the waist, tucking his head between his knees.
“Breathe.”

“I am breathing!”
“No, you’re hyperventilating, babe.” Valentino’s voice was

strong, firm. But he didn’t miss the fact that his mate’s hands were
shaking just as badly as Abe’s were.

“What do we do? Kenyon now knows about Wood elves.” Abe

took in long breaths, breathing out slowly. He no longer felt safe in
Valentino’s home. They had been invaded and in turn, Abe felt
violated. “I don't want to stay here.”

Valentino enveloped Abe into his arms, holding him close. Abe

soaked up the safety his mate gave him, even though he didn’t feel it
after what had happened. “I’ll call the ranch. We could stay there until
we figure out what’s going on.”

Abe knew that was a big sacrifice on Valentino’s part. His mate

was going to have to be around Gavin. Abe just hoped like hell that
they didn’t kill each other. The way his week was going, that just
might happen.

“Go pack some clothes while I make the call.”
Abe quickly left the living room, still shaken up by what just

happened. He could still feel the imprint against his temple of the

Valentino’s Cowboy

cold, hard steel. He grabbed some articles of clothing, not paying
attention to what he was gathering as a sob tore from his throat.

He had nearly died. That bastard had nearly shot him. It could

have gone so wrong. Abe could have been lying on the floor…dead.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Valentino said gently when he stepped into the

room, pulling Abe into his arms. “It’s all right, my little cowboy.
You’re safe now.”

Funny, Abe didn’t feel safe. He felt like the gun was still lodged

against his head. “Our home was broken into, Valentino. How safe
could we possibly be? He’ll be back. That guy won’t give up until
he’s captured me.”

What made Abe feel worse was the fact that they had his wallet

and inside the wallet was the only picture he had of his parents. He
wanted his wallet back. He wanted that photograph back.

“We’ll figure this out and then you, me, and Roger will take a

long vacation.”

Abe pulled back, staring up at his mate as if he had lost his mind.

“Doesn’t Roger belong to someone?”

Valentino winked at him. “I’m pretty sure they’ll let us borrow

him.”

As scared as Abe was feeling, he gave a small laugh. It seemed his

mate knew just how to cheer him up when Abe felt like everything
was falling apart around him. He wiped his face on his shirt and then
finished gathering his things.

Valentino threw some stuff in a bag and then both of them headed

for the door. “Are you sure about this? I know you really don’t want
to be at the ranch.”

“Your safety comes first, hon. If I have to be around Gavin, so be

it.”

Somehow Abe didn’t trust Valentino’s easy acceptance. He had a

feeling that the shit was going to hit the fan. But there was nothing he
could do about it. They needed to get out of here before that goon
returned.

Lynn Hagen

* * * *

“What the hell do you mean you had to run?” Kenyon asked in an

acidic tone. “You had one objective, and that was to bring me that
elf.”

“The guy who was with Abraham turned into some kind of large

cat. I shot at him, but I’m not sure if I hit him or not.”

Good help was so hard to find. He knew he should have sent his

second, but instead, Kenyon had sent in this fuck-up. Now the elf
knew someone was after him.

“Do you want me to try again?”
Kenyon walked past the yahoo and kept on going. He gave a

slight nod to the guy standing behind the incompetent man. “No, I
won’t be needing your services any longer.” As he exited the
warehouse, Kenyon heard the fatal shot ring out.

He was going to have to talk with his henchman about using a

damn silencer. Was everyone around him incompetent?

Climbing into the back of his car, Kenyon dialed his phone as his

driver pulled off. “You’re up.” He hung up the phone and settled
back. If Debrosky—his second-in-command—didn’t bring him the
elf, Kenyon was going to fetch the little man himself.

* * * *

Valentino could tell that Abe liked being back on the ranch. He sat

in the living room chatting away with Steven and Alex. Valentino
knew right away who the two men were from his mate chatting about
them at the clinic.

Abe seemed more at ease here. Valentino was beginning to

wonder if maybe he hadn’t made a mistake taking Abe away from the
ranch.

Valentino’s Cowboy

“And you say he got in without anyone detecting him?” Malcolm

asked as he stood next to Valentino. “Seems a bit odd.”

Valentino had been too busy enjoying the afterglow of their sex

and hadn’t been paying any attention. “I heard him, but I thought it
was Abe.”

“It happens. It isn’t like your place is a fortress. People have

invaded here before. But you’ll be safer in numbers.” Malcolm patted
Valentino on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go get some coffee.”

Giving his mate one last glance, Valentino followed the bear into

the kitchen. Even though he hated to admit it, Malcolm was right. He
and Abe would be safer with more men around them. “I’m still going
into work tomorrow. I won’t let whoever it is upset my life.”

Malcolm went about making a fresh pot of coffee. “Then do it the

smart way,” Malcolm said. “Have a few of Maverick’s men at the
clinic.” The man must’ve detected Valentino’s resistance. “It’s not
about you, Dr. Prayze. Whoever this man is, he’s after Abe. Think
about your mate’s safety.”

The bear had to go and pull the safety card. Valentino hated the

fact that he needed help to protect his mate, but Malcolm was right.
There was no way he could do his job and keep an eye on his mate
twenty-four seven.

“I had you both set up in Abe’s old room.” Malcolm set the coffee

mug in front of Valentino. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you
need to.”

As much as he appreciated the gesture, Valentino wasn’t going to

stay hidden forever. He and Abe had a life to live and he wasn’t going
to let some jackass make him tuck tail and run. Not for long at least.

“Something wrong with one of the animals?” Olsen asked as he

stepped into the kitchen, filling a coffee mug and taking a sip. He
leaned against the counter, eyeing Valentino.

“Dr. Prayze and Abe will be staying with us for a minute,”

Malcolm answered.

Lynn Hagen

Valentino could tell that Olsen wasn’t too happy with the news.

“Does Gavin know?”

Malcolm gave a deep chuckle. “Last time I checked, this was my

house. I don’t need Gavin’s permission.”

Olsen’s hand squeezed the mug tight. “But you know this is going

to cause problems. Dr. Prayze still thinks that Gavin hurt Abe on
purpose. How could you let—”

“We don’t turn anyone away, son.” Malcolm’s tone was firm,

telling Olsen that he wasn’t going to hear any more about it.

“If this is going to cause a problem,” Valentino began. “Abe and

I—”

“Nonsense,” Malcolm cut in.
“But, Pa!” Olsen began to argue. “Don’t you even care that—”
“Don’t you ever question my loyalty to my family!” Malcolm

bellowed. Valentino actually sat back, moving out of the way. The
father looked intimidating as hell as he faced off with his son. There
was no way he wanted to be caught in the middle of that conversation.

Olsen took in a deep breath as he set his coffee cup in the sink. If

looks could kill…

“All I’m saying is that Gavin is walking around here blaming

himself for what happened. Maybe he is to blame, but the last time I
checked, there was something called forgiveness.” The man stormed
out of the room. Malcolm looked tired as he took a seat at the table.
The last thing Valentino wanted to do was tear this family apart. He
felt like shit because Malcolm was caught in the middle.

“I think maybe Abe and I should go stay at the Den.”
Malcolm held a hand up. “I have never turned anyone away who

needed help and I’m not going to start now.”

That might be true, but Valentino knew he couldn’t continue to

stay here. Who had he been fooling? He wasn’t ready to forgive
Gavin and his presence was only causing problems with the bear clan.
“I really appreciate what you’re doing, but I insist.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

Valentino pushed from the table and sought out Abe. He was still

sitting in the living room, but he was alone. “You look damn sexy
sitting in front of that fireplace, my little cowboy.”

Abe smiled as he stood, walking over to him and lacing his arms

around Valentino’s waist. His mate laid his head on Valentino’s chest.
He was taken aback considering Abe had never made the first move
in anything affectionate, but all he could do was wrap his arms around
his mate and thank the heavens that the stranger hadn’t killed the
small fey. His insides froze at the thought of anyone hurting Abe. “I
think we should go stay at the Den.” Valentino ran his hands over
Abe’s blond hair.

Abe pulled back, gazing up at him. “Why, did Pa ask us to leave?”
Valentino could see the hurt and disappointment in Abe’s

cornflower-blue eyes. The guy had already felt as if he never
belonged to this family. He couldn’t allow the man to think that they
were being booted off the ranch. “No. I just think it would be better
for everyone’s sake if we stayed somewhere else.”

“That’s utter nonsense,” Riley said as he walked through the front

door. He removed his cowboy hat, wiping at his brows. “Who in the
hell lit a fire in the living room? It’s ninety degrees outside.”

Abe looked guilty as hell. He twisted his mouth to the side, his

eyes darting around. “Heck if I know.”

Riley walked over to the fireplace and extinguished the fire. “You

two will be staying here and I won’t hear any more about it.”

Turi walked into the house next, practically beaming as he

glanced over at Riley.

“I know that look,” Abe said. “I had the same look when I first got

here. Turi is infatuated with Riley.”

“He is?” Sterling asked as he walked down the steps. The human

didn’t look too happy as he glared at Turi. “Well, Riley is mine.”

What amazed Valentino was the small pig that followed at

Sterling’s feet. The dang thing had a ribbon around its neck

Lynn Hagen

and…were its nails painted? The small pig ran over to Turi and butted
its head into Turi’s foot.

“I think Bacon is defending Sterling,” Abe snickered. “You better

watch out, Turi.”

The fey blushed deeply as he shot out the front door. Riley looked

like he wanted to jump Sterling’s bones for laying claim to him.

Sterling and his pig walked out the front door behind Turi as the

twins sauntered in. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Chauncey
chided. “And yes, that was a pun.”

Valentino rolled his eyes.
“Looks like you aren’t skerd of your mate anymore. Did he lay it

on you?” Chauncey winked as he shoved an elbow toward Abe.

“Chauncey!” Riley chastised. “Don’t get pissed if Dr. Prayze

knocks you on your ass.”

Chauncey reached out and ruffled Abe’s hair. “He knows I’m just

having a bit of fun.”

Valentino wasn’t sure what to make of the interaction. He hid his

smirk when Abe reached out and knocked Chauncey’s arm away.
“You’re a big dork.”

“Oh, feisty,” Chance piped in. “I say he was claimed.”
“Go away, Chance,” Abe barked as he turned seven shades of red.

“It’s none of your business.”

Chauncey wiggled a finger at Abe’s face. “Look, he’s blushing.”
Valentino let out a soft chuckle. Abe looked like he was ready to

knock them both on their asses. As long as the two didn’t get out of
line, Valentino was staying out of this. He could tell they had a long
bantering history together. He also liked the fact that Abe was riled up
and not looking scared any longer.

“Keep it up and I’ll tell Curtis you were flirting with Turi,” Abe

threatened.

“Was not!”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“What are you arguing about?” Curtis asked as he walked into the

house. “I’ve been working hard all day. Please don’t tell me I have to
come home and save your ass.”

Chauncey cut a glare at Abe. Valentino’s mate just smiled

innocently at Curtis.

Valentino knew who Curtis was because he had met him and

Chauncey a month or so back when he visited the bookstore.

He was starting to see the relationship Abe had with everyone.

How the man thought this family didn’t care about him was beyond
Valentino’s understanding. Even though Chauncey was shooting
daggers at Abe, Valentino also saw the mischievousness in the man’s
grey eyes.

“Nothing is going on, honey bunny.”
This time Valentino let out a loud laugh. It was funny as hell to

see such a big man kowtow to a little human. Riley was grinning from
ear to ear as Chance rolled his eyes as if embarrassed that his twin
was such a wuss.

Valentino hadn’t really known this family. He had heard great

things about them and then the accident happened that soured his
opinion. But the longer he stood here, the more he saw just how much
they cared for each other and those they considered friends.

“Are they messing with Abe, Dr. Prayze?” Curtis asked.
“Call me Valentino.”
“Why does he get to call you by your first name?” Chauncey

complained.

“Boy, don’t you have work to do?” Malcolm asked as he walked

into the living room.

“Nope,” Chauncey said. “Got it all done.”
“Yeah, right,” Abe muttered. “I’ll believe you worked hard when

pigs fly.”

“I heard that,” Chauncey complained as he crossed the living

room and headed toward the kitchen. “Any dinner left?”

Lynn Hagen

Malcolm shook his head. The man looked like he had been

dealing with Chauncey and his craziness for far too many years. “You
already ate, Chauncey, twice.”

“Only twice?” Curtis teased as he headed toward the kitchen,

going after his mate.

“Guess I better check on Oscar and Seth,” Chance climbed the

steps to the upstairs.

“Better make sure Sterling isn’t holding Turi’s head under water,”

Riley walked from the living room and out the front door.

“That’s their way of giving you two some privacy,” Malcolm said.

“Well, all except Chauncey.” The man shook his head as he left the
room.

“And you never felt like you fit in here?” Valentino asked Abe.
“That’s because I never had a mate like everyone else,” Abe said

as his arms tightened around Valentino. “And they still treated me
like a dimwit, but…” Abe sighed. “I guess they do care.”

“You’d have to be blind if you think they don’t.” And admitting

that made Valentino ground his back teeth. It meant that Gavin hadn’t
intentionally hurt Abe. It also meant that they were staying. Valentino
couldn’t in good conscience take Abe away from the people who
cared about him.

They weren’t staying here on a permanent basis, but for

protecting, he was pretty sure the bears would defend him and Abe.
That was good to know.

Just as he turned to take Abe upstairs, three men appeared in the

bears’ living room. Valentino threw Abe behind him as he bared his
canines. They had shimmered in, which meant they were fey and here
for Turi.

Valentino’s Cowboy

Chapter Nine

Abe felt his stomach tighten when he saw Turi’s father and two of

the elders. Had he really thought they would leave Turi alone? Not
really. But they had balls appearing in the Lakelands’ living room.

“Pa!” Abe shouted as the three men glared at them.
“Where is Turi?” Turi’s father demanded as he took a step closer.

It seemed he gained some courage by having two of the elders by his
side. That only told Abe what a true weasel the man was. Abe knew
that Wood elves could be downright unreasonable sometimes, and he
wasn’t going to put it past them to fight dirty.

The two elders were practically sneering at Abe because of

Valentino, but Abe could care less. He didn’t have to deal with them
any longer. Abe wasn’t a part of their tribe anymore. He was shunned
and that was all right with him.

“We sold him to some vagabonds,” Valentino answered

sarcastically. “Or were they gypsies?”

“You will produce my son or I will have all of you punished!”

Turi’s father bellowed.

“How?” Malcolm asked as he stepped into the living room. “You

refused to be a part of the Ultionem. Who are you going to look at for
help?”

One of the elders stepped forward, his lip curled so far back that

Abe was surprised a growl wasn’t ripping from the man’s throat. “We
did not refuse the Ultionem. They turned their backs on us.”

“Careful who you call a liar,” Valentino warned. Abe could feel

how tight his mate’s muscles were and knew the man was on the
verge of attacking. Abe didn’t want a war to start inside the

Lynn Hagen

Lakelands’ home. There were babies here. “One of the Ultionem lives
under this roof.”

“Ah yes,” one of the elders said. “The traitorous leader of the

Shadow elves.”

That was exactly why Abe didn’t want to stay with his tribe. They

were narrow-minded and prejudiced. If anyone made it outside the elf
race, they were considered scum, unworthy. He had been sick of
living that way. Abe saw nothing wrong with having a mate that
wasn’t a fey.

But they did. Their disdain kept them in the past and from what

Ahm had told Abe, the Shadow elves were slowly dying out because
of inbreeding. The same thing was happening to the Wood elves.

What disgusted him most was that Turi’s father was willing to

give his son to his very uncle. That was very peculiar considering a
lot of the elves considered two men mating an abomination.

So what were these men up to? The elders were stuck on ancient

laws, so why where they trying to mate two males together? There
was only one answer. The uncle was a deviant—Turi still being
young and his uncle being old as dirt—and Turi’s father wanted
power. Okay, that was two answers, but they were wrong in what they
were doing. “Is Turi even his mate?” Abe asked.

“Mind your tongue,” one of the elders snapped at him. His dark

blue eyes glowed with anger as he glared at Abe. Once upon a time,
that look would have made Abe’s knees shake. Now it just pissed him
off.

“Talk to my mate like that again and I’ll cut yours out,” Valentino

threatened.

“I would suggest the three of you leave before my sons come in,”

Malcolm said. “Trust me, you wouldn’t like that.”

“No,” Riley said as he stepped from the kitchen, “they really

wouldn’t like that.”

“This is tribal business,” Turi’s father argued. “You have no right

to interfere.”

Valentino’s Cowboy

“You want everyone to stand by and watch you give your son to

his uncle for a mating?”

“Dude,” Riley said as he placed his hand on his stomach. “That’s

just gross.”

Abe totally agreed. He couldn’t and wouldn’t let them take Turi.

The man had come to him for help and there was no way in hell he
was letting these men walk out with Turi. He hadn’t wanted to get
involved at first, but seeing the elders only reminded him why he
never wanted to return to his tribe again.

They were so full of themselves.
He was pretty sure that if he popped them with a pin, nothing but

hot air would come out. Abe just hoped that Turi didn’t come into the
house.

“Who are you to judge our traditions?” one of the elders spat at

Riley. “This is no concern of yours.”

“It is when you’re trying to mate someone too young for you,”

Valentino said. “You’re also trying to make him against his will.”

“He is old enough by our laws,” the elder argued. “And the

decision is not up to Turi. He is still too young to understand what is
best for him.”

“So you admit it,” Malcolm said.
“Too young to understand but old enough to mate,” the elder

clarified.

“Take this up with the Ultionem,” Riley said. “Until then, get

out.”

The front door flew open and Gavin raced inside. He skidded to a

halt, glancing around at everyone. “Someone shimmered in and took
Turi.”

No sooner had the words left Gavin’s mouth, the three men

shimmered away. Abe knew in that moment that the men were only a
diversion while another Wood elf took Turi.

“Those sneaky bastards,” Malcolm snapped. “They kept us

occupied for a reason.”

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Lynn Hagen

Valentino moved forward, anger written all over his face. “Are

they going to get away with this?”

“Hell no,” Malcolm said. “I’m going to talk to Ahm. I’m pretty

sure the Ultionem will interfere.” He glanced back at the men in the
room. “If not, then we go get him ourselves.”

* * * *

While everyone waited on the Ultionem’s decision, Valentino

took Abe to their bedroom. He needed a moment’s reprieve from all
the madness and he wanted some alone time with his mate. There
were two battles raging at the moment. The Lakelands refused to
leave Turi to his fate and they still had to figure out why Kenyon was
fixated on Abe.

Well, he knew why. But Valentino wanted to know how the

Vampire Hunter had learned about Abe in the first place. Hadn’t that
stranger said something about a wallet?

“I never thought I would see this room again,” Abe said as he

dropped down on the bed. He pushed his hand into the mattress and
then glanced up at Valentino. “Your bed’s softer.”

Scooting in beside the slim man, Valentino rested his chin on his

hands. “You think so?”

He was beginning to wonder if his mate wanted to stay here. The

Lakeland ranch was familiar to Abe. And now that his mate realized
that the Lakelands really cared about him, maybe the guy would have
second thoughts about moving out. He seemed so at ease with
everyone here.

“I’m not staying,” Abe said as he turned over, gazing at

Valentino. “My home is with you.”

Valentino reached out and ran his knuckle over Abe’s face,

wondering how someone so sweet could be his. The man had
awakened something inside Valentino, a sexuality that demanded to
be sated, a promise of unhindered passion that he now craved like a

Valentino’s Cowboy

101

drug. He was no longer blasé about sex. He wanted to explore, to
touch, and to feel his mate surrender to him.

Valentino reached behind Abe and grabbed him by the neck,

pulling the man closer, wanting to feel his mate in his arms once
more.

Valentino glanced down at his mate, staring into the deep pools of

cornflower-blue as he snaked his hand into Abe’s jeans and gripped
the heated erection in his hand. It was hard, but felt like liquid silk
with the pre-cum leaking over Valentino’s fingers in rivulets.

Abe watched with parted lips, his breathing hitching and racing as

Valentino lifted his hand to his mouth, sucked his fingers in, and let
the taste roll over his tongue. He groaned, licking each finger clean
before he pulled at the waistband of Abe’s pants, chasing the material
down his mate’s body until he could toss the fabric aside.

Valentino was still mesmerized by his mate’s slight frame and

beauty the man possessed. His mate was a work of art, compact, sexy.
He lowered Abe to his back, dying to taste what he had teased himself
with.

Abe lay there stunningly naked now, exposed to Valentino’s

appreciative eyes. He drank the man in as he pushed Abe’s thighs
apart. Abe didn’t hesitate. He parted his legs, showing off the sexiest
thing Valentino had ever seen. A male’s body was such a sculpted
piece of art to Valentino, so perfect, so exotic. He found himself
wanting to rub his scent over Abe, to let the world know this human
belonged to him.

As he gazed down at his mate, Valentino disrobed and stood buck

naked, loving how his mate was looking at Valentino like he was the
cat’s meow. Or would that be cougar?

Joining his mate on the large bed, Valentino leaned forward until

his stomach was touching Abe’s erection. He rubbed his body over
Abe’s length, feeling the pre-cum trailing over his skin.

“What are you doing?” Abe laughed, his voice wrapped around

Valentino, touching him in the wickedest of places. Never before had

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Lynn Hagen

he marked anyone with his scent. The feeling was a rush, knowing
other shifters would smell Valentino on his mate.

And that was exactly what he wanted.
Valentino grinned as he pushed his cock over Abe, groaning when

he saw the wet trail he was leaving behind. He gazed down at his
mate before dipping his head and licking his own essence from Abe’s
body.

His mate’s stomach quivered as he watched.
Valentino made a show of what he was doing, his tongue fully

extended, lapping and licking. He wanted to show Abe that nothing
was taboo between them.

Once he had his mate clean, Valentino brushed his body down the

length of Abe until his head was even with Abe’s weeping cock.

“Enjoying my little cowboy.”
“I’m not a cowboy,” Abe reminded Valentino as his hands pressed

into the mattress on either side of his body. “But I love when you call
me that.”

Valentino chuckled before he licked a path up Abe’s cock, his

tongue circling around the head as he watched his mate watch him.
His broad shoulders pushed Abe’s legs further apart, shouldering
Abe’s thighs as he licked back down the heated flesh until he reached
his mate’s thick and heavy sac. Abe’s hand came down, pressing and
massaging his balls, feeding them to Valentino. He lapped at them,
like a kitten lapping at cream. His tongue glided over Abe’s smooth
and lithe fingers as Abe squeezed his nuts harder.

A rush of blaze ate at Abe’s blue eyes as he fed a finger to

Valentino, pushing it past his lips as Valentino sucked it in. His
tongue swirled around the digit, sucking it hard into his mouth, his
lips promising Abe what he could do with them.

Abe’s fingers caressed Valentino’s jaw, gently, almost begging

Valentino to do with his cock what he was doing with the fingers.
Valentino leaned forward, taking Abe’s cock into his mouth, the

Valentino’s Cowboy

103

finger wedged between Abe’s cock and Valentino’s lips. Abe groaned
out his pleasure as Valentino drank the man’s dick down his throat.

“Yes,” Abe hissed as he pulled his finger free, placing his hand

back onto the bed. Valentino cupped the back of Abe’s knees, pushing
the man’s legs back as he worked his mouth over Abe’s cock. His
body became tight with need, his erection throbbing, and Valentino
wanted to bury his cock deep inside Abe’s body. But he wanted to
play first. He wanted to drink his mate down and lick him from front
to back.

Abe pushed his legs back, wrapping them around Valentino’s

shoulders, pulling him closer as his fingers curled into tight fists.
Valentino’s chin brushed over Abe’s sac and felt that it was drawn
close to Abe’s body. Reaching around his mate, Valentino played at
Abe’s hole, pressing his fingers against the throbbing muscle, but not
entering.

“God yes, please,” Abe begged as his legs tightened around

Valentino’s shoulders in a death grip. “Please, Valentino.” Abe was
staring at Valentino heatedly, his eyes glittering, savage, hot.

Valentino reached his hand up, wetting it with his saliva before

placing it back at Abe’s entrance, pushing three fingers deep into
Abe’s tight body. Abe shouted, and his hips bucked, pushing his cock
to the back of Valentino’s mouth as hot seed spilt down Valentino’s
throat. He drank it like a dying man, pulling every last drop from
Abe’s cock.

Valentino let Abe’s dick slide from between his lips as he leaned

back. He didn’t have any lube on him, so Valentino got to his feet and
opened the nightstand, snagging the bottle of well-used lube.

Valentino removed the cap and applied a liberal amount, coating

his cock.

God this shit was messy. Glancing around, Valentino saw a towel

draped over the back of the chair in Abe’s bedroom. He grabbed it,
wiping his hand clean. He tossed the towel aside and then ran his
hands up Abe’s chest, tweaking his nipples, seeing his mate shiver in

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delight. Abe’s eyes were drawn down to tiny slits, smoldering with
desire as he licked his lips, giving Valentino a sexy smile.

Oh yeah. Valentino could get with that. His mate was looking at

Valentino, begging with his eyes for Valentino to fuck him. He had
no problem fulfilling that request.

The head of his cock touched Abe’s sensitive hole, but Valentino

didn’t thrust forward. He wanted to tease and play, to have the man
begging for Valentino to take him.

Damn if the man wasn’t sexy as sin as he lay there waiting for

Valentino to ravish his body. Abe’s eyes sparkled like dark gems
behind the glaze, telling Valentino what Abe truly wanted, what he
was craving most. He watched in utter fascination as Abe licked his
beautiful lips. God, Valentino loved those lips. Kissing Abe was a sex
act all on its own. Valentino could lose himself just plundering his
mate’s mouth with his tongue…or cock. Both images were very erotic
to him.

Valentino leaned forward, running his tongue along the moist

mouth, drinking in his mate’s whimpers and pants as his cock brushed
along Abe’s crease. Valentino ran his tongue over Abe’s parted lips
and then sucked Abe’s tongue into his mouth, teasing it, playing with
the appendage. Abe’s hands began to move beside him until he
reached up and snagged Valentino’s neck, pulling him closer, taking
the kiss to a whole other level.

Valentino reached up and touched Abe’s moist lips, the pads of

his fingers running along the smooth and soft skin as their tongues
dueled.

Abe swallowed, his breath coming out in small gasps.
Valentino curled his fingers around Abe’s wrists, pulling the

man’s hands above his head as Valentino’s cock pressed against his
mate’s entrance. Abe’s eyes rolled upward, his hips pressing down
onto Valentino’s cock.

Valentino didn’t move, allowing Abe to take what he wanted,

what he needed. Valentino shuddered when he felt the head of his

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cock slip past the tight muscle and enter Abe. This was one of those
defining moments in his life, one of those perfect seconds that
Valentino wished could last forever. The tight grip made him shiver
as Abe pressed down harder, taking another inch inside of him.

“God, look at you, Abe. You’re so damn sexy.”
Abe’s eyes were still rolling, his tongue wetting his lips as he

groaned loudly. Abe didn’t try to free his hands, or even pull at them.
He was too lost in taking pleasure from Valentino’s body.

Valentino’s fingers tightened on Abe’s wrists, fighting not to

plunge deep inside his mate. He was stunned by Abe’s sensual
writhing, his soft moans, and the way he undulated as he worked
Valentino’s cock into his body. Valentino felt something in his chest
and knew it was love, lust, need…all of the above. He wanted to draw
the moment out for as long as he could.

When he felt Abe bottom out, Valentino was damn sure he was

going to lose his mind. Valentino felt ravenous, as if he wanted to
plow into Abe until his orgasm burst from his body. He gritted his
teeth, a trickle of sweat snaking from his hair to run down his temple.
The need to move was torturous.

Abe began to slide back up Valentino’s cock, the grip like an iron

fist as Valentino’s body trembled. He growled gently, looking down
to where their bodies joined together, watching his cock reappear
from Abe’s giving flesh. Valentino couldn’t be still any longer. The
sight made something click inside of him, and Valentino was
releasing Abe’s hands, grabbing his mate’s hip bones as he began to
fuck Abe with an all-consuming need.

His mate cried out, his legs lifting to wrap around Valentino’s

hips, locking him into place as Valentino slammed his cock into
Abe’s ass harder. Abe never moved his arms, never took his hands
away from above his head where Valentino had placed them, but
Valentino could see the limbs shaking.

Abe’s eyes gleamed as his head rolled back, his back arching as

his mate cried out once more. The muscles in Valentino’s thighs grew

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tight as he watched the beautiful sight beneath him. His fingers traced
over Abe’s jaw, mouth, and neck, touching the soft skin as he rocked
his cock in and out of Abe’s body.

Valentino wanted to bite, the need so intense that his gums ached.

His canines elongated, his cougar ready to claim Abe once more as
theirs. The man was so fucking gorgeous as he jerked around, tilting
his head to the side, begging Valentino to bite the skin he was
exposing.

Valentino grabbed Abe’s ankles from around his waist and pulled

Abe’s legs up and apart as he watched his cock fuck Abe’s ass.

“Please, Valentino, bite me,” Abe cried out as his hands curled

into fists, the knuckles turning a ghostly white from the strain.
Valentino leaned forward, pressing his chest into Abe’s thick calves.
The blond hair that decorated Abe’s legs scrubbed along Valentino’s
chest as he opened his mouth wide and sank his teeth into his mate’s
shoulder. The taste exploded in his mouth as he rocked his cock
harder into Abe’s ass.

Abe’s hands left the bed as he grabbed Valentino’s hair, pulling it

hard. An explosion rocketed through Valentino’s body when he felt
his mate’s ass tighten, signaling his orgasm. The orgasm shot through
his groin and then scattered all through his body, his mind
fragmenting as he shoved his cock into Abe’s ass harder, deeper, his
seed forcefully being pulled from his body. Valentino cried out,
releasing his mate’s neck as he pistoned his hips, riding the waves of
orgasm for as long as he could.

Abe fell back to the bed, panting hard, his body glistening with

sweat. Valentino ran his hand over his mate’s soaked hair, relishing
what fate had given him. Abe had become his entire world and he
would protect the man with his life. He had already almost failed the
man twice, and Valentino vowed that Abe would never be in harm’s
way again.

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His mate licked his lips as he touched Valentino’s face with his

fingers, his eyes filled with something close to love. “Now that was
awesome,” Abe said, his cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.

Valentino chuckled as he nuzzled his mate’s neck with his face.
Valentino just couldn’t get over how much he loved Abe. The

man was truly his other half. “We need to get dressed and see what’s
going on as far as rescuing Turi.” Although Valentino didn’t want to
leave the bed. He liked cuddling with his mate. Valentino could play
with the man all day and not tire of hearing those soft sighs.

Abe gave a small nod and then laid his head on the bed, his eyes

shining and a happy little smile on his face. Valentino eased from Abe
and then pushed from the bed, walking to the bathroom. He needed a
quick washup and then he would be ready for whatever bullshit might
happen. “Come on, lazy bones, get dressed,” he called out to his mate.

He ran the water in the sink, splashing it onto his heated face and

then washed his private area before he reached behind him and
grabbed a towel. Once he was cleaned up, he took the warm cloth to
Abe and cleaned his mate.

Abe lay there, looking half asleep. Valentino chuckled. The guy

was hopeless. “Come on, my little cowboy, we have to find out what
they plan on doing with Turi.

Abe opened his eyes and then narrowed them. “I want a nap.”
He reached down and helped his mate from the bed, pulling the

deliciously naked man into his arms. “Is that a pout?”

Abe smiled. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Valentino shook his head. “Let’s get dressed.”
Abe walked his mate downstairs to see the bears sitting around the

table. They all were talking until Valentino walked into the room.
“Talking about me?” he asked.

“Nah,” Chauncey said as he tossed his arm over the back of the

chair. “Trust me, we wouldn’t stop talking even if we were gossiping
about you.”

That was good to know. “Any word?”

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“I came up to tell you,” Chauncey said and then snickered. “But

Abe was too busy shouting. I kinda figured you needed some time.”

Valentino pretty much gave up on trying to figure the bear out.

Chauncey wasn’t dealing with a full deck. He wrapped his arm
around Abe’s shoulder when Gavin walked into the kitchen from the
back door. Their eyes met and Valentino could see the pain and hurt
in their grey depths.

Shit. Could he stay mad at the guy? Valentino knew he couldn’t.

Abe was no longer working on the ranch and Gavin looked like he
lost his damn dog. His face was long and his eyes were filled with
regret.

“We’re cool,” Valentino said from across the kitchen.
Gavin just gave him a solemn nod.
“The Ultionem is looking into the situation with the Wood elves,”

Malcolm said. “Ahm is going to keep us abreast of what’s going on.”

“So, we just wait to see what happens?” Valentino asked.
“There isn’t much more we can do until they make their decision.

But Ahm has assured us that Turi won’t be touched while they
investigate.”

“How do we know they’ll keep their word?” Abe asked. “You

heard them. They could care less about the Ultionem.”

Malcolm sighed as he sat back, looking weary. “I don’t think

those elders want to take on the leaders. I have a feeling they’ll bide
their time until a decision is made.”

And Valentino had a feeling that Turi was going to find a way to

run from that place. Whatever the Ultionem decided, that little fey
wasn’t going to stay. Valentino just had a gut feeling.

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109

Chapter Ten

It had been two weeks since the stranger had broken into their

home and Abe had insisted they return. He liked the ranch, but missed
being alone with his mate.

“I was thinking about taking a few days off and just getting

away,” Valentino said as he brought two glasses of wine into the
living room, handing one to Abe. He’d never had wine before.

“Where would you want to go?” Abe glanced down into the glass

at the dark red liquid. It smelled funny. He took a small sip and the
taste made his mouth feel as if it had come alive. He liked it. Abe
began to take larger gulps.

“Slow down,” Valentino said as he placed his hand on Abe’s.

“Unless you have plans to molest me. Of course, I’m not against that,
but I found that a drunk fuck isn’t very good.” Valentino chuckled.
“Especially when I’m the drunk person. I once threw up all over a
guy.”

Abe wrinkled his nose. “Then maybe you should put your glass

down.”

“Nah, a few drinks won’t hurt.” Valentino leaned in close,

pressing his lips close to Abe’s ear. “I bought something for you.”

That got Abe’s curiosity going. “What?”
“I’m not going to tell unless you promise to wear it.”
Wear it? What exactly did Valentino buy for him? He gazed at his

mate suspiciously. “Depends on what it is.”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “You have to promise before I tell.”
All kinds of images were going through Abe’s mind. He wasn’t

sure if he should say yes. He emptied his glass and held his hand out.

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“Give me another.” Because he had a feeling he was going to need the
courage.

Valentino walked into the kitchen and then came back with the

bottle, refilling Abe’s glass. “Do you promise?”

Abe threw a prayer up. “Yes, I promise.”
The widest, most handsome smile formed on Valentino’s face

before he walked from the living room and headed down the hallway.
Abe wasn’t sure what the man was doing, but a moment later he came
back with a box. Valentino set it on the couch.

“You promised to wear it.”
The box was pretty big and Abe had no clue what was inside. His

hands were a bit shaky as he set his glass down and then pulled on the
lid. The first thing he saw was a black Stetson, the kind the Lakeland
men wore.

He’d never owned a cowboy hat before and it felt kind of silly for

him to have one now considering he wasn’t a real cowboy. But
Valentino had said he thought men who wore them were sexy, and
Abe wanted to please his mate.

He pulled the hat out, ready to try it on when he noticed a few

more items in the box. His eyes shot up to Valentino to see his mate’s
taupe-colored eyes filled with excitement. Abe wasn’t sure what that
look was for. Shrugging, he pulled out a gun holster that went around
the waist. There was even a fake gun lodged inside.

Abe felt himself blush when he saw the cowboy boots, spurs

included. Did Valentino actually expect him to wear this stuff? Abe
liked his outlandish outfits, especially when he was headed to the club
with Bryce.

But this was something he never thought to wear. “You want me

to put these on?”

Valentino set his wineglass down as he pulled the items from the

box, his hands caressing the soft leather of the belt. “You promised.”

That he did. Abe just wished he had known at the time what he

was going to be wearing. He just knew he was going to look

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111

ridiculous in this get-up. Abe was surprised there wasn’t a lasso inside
the box.

Valentino had gone all out already.
Standing, Abe began to wrap the belt around his waist when

Valentino grabbed his hands. “Oh no, hon.”

“But you said—”
“I want you to wear the belt, boots, and hat…nothing else.”
Abe gaped at his mate. Was he serious? He was going to look

foolish as hell. “You want me naked?”

Valentino gave him a shitty grin as his chest rumbled with a low

purr. “Not entirely. You’ll be wearing this stuff.” He waved a hand at
the items that were pulled from the box. “Go in the bathroom and
change. I want the full show.”

What show? Abe hadn’t a clue what Valentino was talking about.

What did his mate expect him to do? Abe yelped when Valentino
reached over and smacked him on his ass. “Go get dressed.” He
chuckled and the sound slid over Abe like soft satin. No man had ever
affected him this way before. It was as if Valentino was his own
personal fantasy come to life. “Or should I say, undressed.”

Abe was about to grab his glass of wine and swallow the contents,

but he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. He was already feeling a
bit woozy and if he was going to do this for Valentino, then maybe he
needed to keep a clear head.

Or maybe he should be drunk off of his ass because he was

nervous as hell.

Grabbing the items, Abe walked into the bedroom and closed the

door. He set the stuff on the bed and examined the items a little more
closely now that he was alone. His fingers ran over the belt and he
liked how soft the leather felt.

He was going to be with Valentino a very long time. He needed to

get over his shyness. This was a huge step for him. Abe had never
played dress up before. Taking in a deep breath, he removed his

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clothing and strapped the belt around his waist. The material was
light. It barely felt like he was wearing the thing.

Next he pulled the boots on. Valentino had gotten the perfect size.

Glancing at the door, Abe bit his lip as he reached down and ran his
fingers over the spurs, blushing when he heard the sound it made.

Lastly, he grabbed the hat and placed it on his head. He was dying

to look in the mirror but didn’t have the nerve. Abe didn’t want to
know what he looked like with his cock hanging out. His heart was
already racing and his palms were so wet that Abe felt like he had
dipped his hands in water.

But he was going to do this. Yes, he was.
Valentino wanted this and Abe had promised. Grabbing his shirt

from the floor, Abe tried his best to wipe the moisture from his hands
before he reached for the door knob. His hands were shaky as hell, but
he opened the door and strolled down the hallway.

Abe paused right before the living room, his nerves pulled tight

and the resolve he had just seconds ago, fleeing.

“Come on out, my little cowboy.”
The sexy voice made Abe shudder. It was deep, rich, and full of

naughty promises that Abe was excited to have fulfilled and scared to
act out. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Abe stepped out into full
view.

Valentino’s eyes widened as he raked them over Abe’s body. It

almost felt like the man had truly caressed him. He stood there,
unsure of what to do. He felt foolish wearing these things.

“Hon, you are every goddamn fantasy I ever had and some I

didn’t even realize I could envision.” Valentino sat there in the
wingback chair, his right ankle crossed over his left knee, his
wineglass in one hand as his eyes continually ran up and down Abe’s
body. “Come closer.”

Abe took a few more steps, his good hand curling into a fist, his

injured fingers trying to close. He glanced at everything but
Valentino, wishing he could run back to the bedroom and get dressed.

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113

Sneaking a peek at his mate, Abe noticed Valentino’s snap to his

jeans were undone and his shirt was wide open. His hair was still
sticking up in a sexy mess and his tongue was tracing his lips as if
Abe were a snack.

Even his taupe eyes were darker, predatory. Abe felt a bit silly

standing there naked while Valentino was fully dressed.

“Turn around.”
Abe swallowed and turned, nearly falling over his own damn feet.

He caught himself as he slowly twirled. When he turned back to face
his mate, he saw Valentino taking a picture with his phone.

“What are you going to do with that?” he asked, terrified someone

would see him in this get-up.

“Don’t worry, hon. This is only for me. I want to be able to look

at this picture any time I want and remember this moment.” Valentino
sat the phone aside. Abe thought the man was about to stand, but
instead, Valentino reached into his pants and pulled his cock free, his
thumb tracing over the bulbous head. “Come suck me, hon.”

Abe moved, almost smiling when he heard the spurs jingling. As

silly as he felt, he was also feeling rather sexy from the looks
Valentino was giving him. The man looked like he wanted to eat Abe
alive.

Dropping to his knees, Abe glanced up at Valentino and then his

eyes dropped to the man’s large cock.

“Suck it, baby,” Valentino demanded.
Abe planned on doing just that and so much more. Valentino’s

body was something to be worshipped and explored. The fine lines
running along his mate’s ripped abdomen were definitely worth his
attention. His mate was a wondrous sight. He was strong, powerful,
the epitome of manliness.

And he belonged to Abe.
His tongue swirled around the head, licking at the clear liquid that

seemed to have multiplied. Abe leaned a little closer, taking his

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mate’s cock further into his mouth as his tongue flattened and ran the
length of Valentino’s fat cock.

His mate hissed. “That’s it, hon.”
Abe began to place his hands on Valentino’s thighs, but his mate

protested. “Put your hands behind your back, Abe. I only want your
mouth to touch me.”

An odd request, but Abe obeyed. He was careful of his injured

hand, but managed to rest both comfortably behind him.

“God,” Valentino said before sucking in some air. “Do you know

how fucking sexy you look right now?”

Abe hadn’t a clue. But if Valentino’s reaction was anything to go

by, he would say very.

Valentino’s hand cupped the side of Abe’s head, his fingers

playing in Abe’s hair as he licked around the large cock, fighting to
get it back into his mouth. It wasn’t easy when he wasn’t allowed to
use his hands.

“Let me stand.”
Abe moved back and then rose a little higher on his knees as

Valentino pressed his fingers into his erection and fed his cock to
Abe. He had no idea that sucking dick on his knees while the man
stood in front of him would feel so sensual, so erotic.

Valentino removed Abe’s hat and tossed it on the couch, his

fingers threading through Abe’s hair, and then he gave a small tug.
Abe’s cock had grown hard, pulsing between his legs as his tongue
swirled and licked, his mouth sucking his mate’s erection to the back
of his throat.

“Fuck, you are one fast learner.”
Abe beamed at the compliment. He loved having his mate’s

approval. It made him feel like he could do anything. He inhaled his
mate’s scent. It was clean, fresh, and so fucking hot it made Abe’s
cock throb.

He wanted Valentino. Oh, he wanted the man so bad it was about

to kill him. Abe wanted his mate inside him, deep and hard, making

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115

him scream his desire. But he didn’t pull away. Abe continued to suck
Valentino’s cock, slurping, licking, and enjoying how the man tasted.

Valentino swept his hand behind Abe’s head, cupping the nape of

his neck and drawing him closer. His mate’s hand pushed Abe’s hair
back, watching Abe as he moved his head back up and down the hard
length of his erection. “Your lips are magical. But if you keep this up,
I’m going to spill my seed down your throat.”

Wasn’t that the point?
Abe wanted to pout when Valentino pulled his hips back, his cock

leaving Abe’s moist mouth. He stared at the hard cock in fascination
when he saw his saliva coating the hard shaft.

“Don’t worry, my little cowboy. We are so far from done.”

Valentino turned, grabbing a tube of lube Abe hadn’t even seen from
the table next to the chair. His mate lifted his wineglass and took a
large swallow before setting the glass back down. “I want you bent
over my chair.”

Abe got up, ready to climb onto the chair when strong hands

gripped his hips. “No, just lean your arms on the seat.”

“Like this?” Abe asked when he pressed his arms into the cushion.
“Perfect.”
Abe glanced behind him when he hadn’t felt Valentino touching

him and gasped when he saw his mate taking more pictures with his
phone. He prayed like hell that no one ever saw them.

“My phone stays locked so no one will accidently see them,”

Valentino explained before setting his phone down. He ran his rough
hands over Abe’s ass. “But damn if this isn’t one beautiful-ass sight. I
wish I could have a portrait made of you in this outfit.”

“Not on your life,” Abe automatically said.
Valentino let go of a light laugh. “Don’t worry. I would have to

gouge out everyone’s eyes who saw it.”

Okay, the man made no sense. But was Abe really paying any

attention to what Valentino was talking about or was he ready to get

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fucked? Yep, his mind was on the fucking. He wiggled his ass,
grinning when he felt the holster sway.

“Are you trying to tell me something?”
Valentino’s hand slid down his thighs and then tucked neatly

under his ass. His fingers massaged Abe’s butt, making Abe pant. He
wanted. He wanted desperately. Valentino pushed Abe’s legs apart,
situating his very large frame between Abe’s legs as he nibbled his
way down Abe’s neck. His mate’s hot breath felt like tiny little puffs
on his skin. Abe writhed below the man, his body needing to be filled.

“P–Please,” he begged, but Valentino acted as though he hadn’t

heard Abe. It was maddening. His body shivered with his mate’s
touch, his kiss, and his very presence. Abe wanted Valentino to sink
inside of him and never resurface.

Abe shuddered when he felt a wet finger circling his hole. He lost

all ability to think straight as Valentino’s finger breached him. He
gasped as he pressed his arms into the chair as his ring of muscle
squeezed down on the invasion.

“I can’t wait to slide my cock into this tight hole.”
The thought of it, the images it evoked, were more than his

already fried brain could handle. Valentino moved his finger in and
out of Abe’s ass and Abe bit back a moan. His body undulated against
his mate’s finger, wanting more, needing something thicker inside of
him.

His lips parted and he let out a soft gasp when Valentino gave Abe

what he had been craving. He inserted another finger, scissoring them,
making Abe damn near babble.

Abe ground his head into the cushion, rocking his hips as his mate

worked to relax his entrance. His knees felt weak and Abe feared he
would collapse from the sheer excitement of what Valentino was
doing to his body.

Placing one hand on the small of Abe’s back, Valentino began to

fuck his hole with his fingers, pulling all the way back and then

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117

sliding them rapidly back in. He did that a few times before Abe felt a
third finger join the others.

He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. His cock was as

hard as steel and ready to explode at any second. “Valentino, I’m too
close.”

“Not yet, hon. Don’t you come yet.”
Like he could stop it. Valentino was playing his body like a finely

tuned instrument and Abe was ready to shout. He wanted his mate
inside of him…now.

Abe should have been frightened at his need for Valentino, a need

so deep that it was overpowering. He fought for breath as the head of
his mate’s cock pressed against his hole. Valentino filled Abe’s ass,
drenching the sensitive tissue deliciously, stroking it as a million bolts
of erotic electricity fizzled along Abe’s channel.

Abe’s body, of its own accord, melted into Valentino’s. Abe

smelled his mate, that faint masculine scent that was all outdoors and
predator.

Blanketing his back, Valentino moaned, harsh and wild into Abe’s

neck as he began to pound into Abe’s ass, deep, driving thrusts that
had Abe screaming, begging for release.

“Oh, no,” Valentino said. “You aren’t coming yet, hon.” His

mate’s cock raked against nerve endings, making Abe twist and fight
for more. Abe’s head twisted as Valentino’s strokes became firmer,
thrusting harder, and driving Abe’s arousal higher.

Abe screamed with what little breath he had left. But it did him no

good. Valentino slowed, refusing Abe the orgasm he was so close to
having.

“Stop teasing me,” he begged.
“Trust me. I’m not.” Valentino backed his words up with one hard

thrust. Abe was breathing hard, his skin sensitive. The rasp of
Valentino’s fine hairs on his body caressing Abe’s legs was nearly
driving him mad.

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A growl rose up in Valentino’s throat. Hearing the sound made

Abe’s arousal catch him in a vicious grip and shake him hard. His
mate dropped his head and then he bit Abe’s earlobe with sharp teeth.

Abe cried out.
The feel of Valentino’s lips on the suddenly sensitive skin of

Abe’s neck had Abe clutching his hands in an effort to find control
where there seemed to be none. Abe looked over his shoulder and
gasped when he saw that Valentino’s pupils were dark pools,
mesmerizing and endless. The man was simply stunning.

Valentino’s hips plunged hard, driving his cock deep inside Abe,

causing Abe’s body to scream with pleasure, with an overload of
sensation that made Abe cry out as Valentino’s teeth sank into his
shoulder. Valentino’s teeth were hard, sharp, the little flashes of
heated sensation sending shock waves to Abe’s ass, causing it to
clench hard, deep.

Abe was pulsing, erupting, begging for breath as the pleasure

seemed never ending, until he collapsed against the chair.

Valentino growled into Abe’s shoulder as his hot seed filled Abe’s

ass. Abe was exhausted, his body limp as Valentino slowed, gently
rocking inside of him.

“Fuck,” Valentino groaned. “That was amazing.”
“I just want to go to sleep.” Abe yawned, his back stiff and sore.

He hissed when Valentino pulled his softening cock from Abe’s body.
The next thing he knew, Valentino swung Abe up into his arms and
carried him to the bedroom. As soon as his mate set him on his feet,
Abe kicked his boots off, unfastened the belt, and then climbed into
bed.

It didn’t take long before he passed out.

* * * *

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119

Valentino’s eyes snapped open when he heard a noise. He glanced

at the clock to see that it was three in the morning. Lying still,
Valentino heard the sound again.

Checking to make sure his mate was asleep, Valentino slipped

from the bed. He didn’t bother dressing—because if it was an
intruder, they were about to meet a very pissed-off cougar.

Easing the bedroom door open, Valentino checked the hallway.

He didn’t see anyone. That didn’t mean someone wasn’t in his house.
Valentino knew he heard something.

Closing the door quietly behind him, he crept down the hallway.

Valentino stopped when he heard a floorboard creek. Someone was
definitely in his home. He was getting really tired of people breaking
in.

This time Valentino was going to make sure the bastard didn’t

leave here alive. Abe’s safety came first, and if the Vampire Hunter
was after his fey, Valentino was going to take the bastard out.

He shifted, scenting the air and caught the scent of human.

Valentino suppressed the yowl threatening to rumble from his chest.
He padded closer, catching a shadow just inside the kitchen.

Valentino crouched low, waiting for the intruder to come out so

he could pounce. He wanted the man’s death to be quick and quiet.
There was no need to alarm his mate. Valentino didn’t want Abe to
witness the brutality he was about to unleash.

When the stranger appeared, Valentino took the man down,

locking his teeth on the man’s skull, and bit down. He heard the skull
crack and he knew the man was dead. He eased back, shifting into his
human form.

This wasn’t the same guy who had broken in before, but

Valentino knew he was a Hunter. He had that fucking stench about
him. Before Abe accidently came out of the room, Valentino pulled
the man from the floor and took him outside. He carried the Hunter to
the woods and deposited him there.

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Walking back into the house, Valentino grabbed his phone and

called Maverick. He was going to need someone to come and get the
dead body from the backyard.

“This better be important,” Maverick grumbled.
“I just killed a Hunter.” Valentino checked the hallway to make

sure Abe hadn’t snuck up on him.

“Another one broke into your house?”
“Yeah, only this time I got to him before he even knew what hit

him.” Valentino snagged a pair of lounging pants that were strewn
over the back of the couch and slid them on.

“I’ll send someone over there.” The alpha hung up.
Valentino wasn’t sure how many more men would come after

Abe, but he damn sure was going to protect his mate if he had to kill
every last one of them. He tossed his phone aside and walked back
down the hallway, cracking the bedroom door open to see his mate
fast asleep.

He stood there for a moment, his chest tight as all the love he felt

for Abe swept over him. As his eyes settled on Abe’s peaceful and
innocent face, he knew he would kill a whole army of Hunters to keep
his little cowboy safe.

* * * *

Kenyon slammed the phone down, frustrated as hell that

Debrosky hadn’t checked in. That only meant one thing. The man was
dead.

He contemplated going after the elf himself, but something was

stopping him. A warning in his gut that said capturing Abraham
Brego would not be so easy. He had sent two men in and both had
failed.

Kenyon didn’t want to tip his hand, not yet. He was pretty sure

that Maverick Brac already knew about him, but the man had nothing
on Kenyon and he wanted to keep it that way. Besides, Kenyon had

Valentino’s Cowboy

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other things in the works, bigger things. And he wasn’t going to ruin
what he had accomplished so far by going after the fey.

Abraham was safe…for now. But Kenyon planned on exposing

them all, just as soon as he was done with his business dealings.

He may be a lot of things, but foolish wasn’t one of them. Money

always came first.

* * * *

“Is this the place?” Valentino asked as he pulled into an already

packed parking lot. “It sure is busy.”

“I know, right!” Abe bounced next to Valentino with barely

contained excitement. “I love coming to The Manacle.”

Valentino had never been to a place like this before. It was a large

red brick building with no windows. The front of the building had an
entrance, and he could see a bouncer at the door, with a line a mile
long of people waiting to get in.

“Standing in line is half the fun!” Abe grabbed Valentino’s hand,

pulling him toward the back.

“Yo!”
Both Valentino and Abe turned.
“Hi, Harley!” Abe shouted as he waved at the bouncer.
The vampire at the door chuckled. “Get your ass over here. You

know you don’t need to stand in line.”

“But standing in line is part of the experience,” Abe argued.
“You are one strange man,” Harley said. He moved down the line,

close to the front, and made the people move back. “Stand here.”

“I like him already,” Valentino said. He was still smiling like a

loon at the way his mate was dressed. Abe was wearing skintight
leather pants, a fishnet shirt, showing off his nipples, and the cowboy
boots Valentino had bought him.

As he gazed at the people in line, Valentino was starting to feel

underdressed. There was one woman there that looked like one of

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Lynn Hagen

those Rainbow Brite dolls. She was dressed in various shades of
purple, her hair up in two thick ponytails. There was a guy standing
there with spikes sticking out of every spare piece of skin on his ears
and face.

Maybe he should have worn boots instead of his dress shoes.

Valentino draped his arm over Abe’s shoulder, standing in line at a
vampire club as his cougar yowled in approval.

“Do you know how much I love you?” Valentino asked, catching

Abe by surprise. The man's brows lifted high on his forehead and then
his mate leaned up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, making Valentino
blush from the knowing looks he was getting in line.

“As much as I love you,” Abe replied before settling back down

on his feet.

Valentino’s cowboy was definitely a handful, and he loved the

man like nobody's business, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit