The S.E.X. Factor 2

The Wolf and the Raven

Leaving his boyfriend Lowell was the hardest thing Raven did. In
spite of the werewolf’s possessiveness and the heartbreak he

caused, Raven still loves him. He is tormented by memories of the
good times between them.

Lowell has always loved Raven, but Raven’s strong bond with his

best friend, Wallace, pushes him to believe there is a closer,
romantic connection between the two. His jealousy tears apart his

relationship with Raven. But when Wallace takes a lover, Lowell
sees his chance. He tries to heal the rift separating him and

Raven, but ends up making everything worse.

Feeling that he has lost Raven forever, Lowell receives one final

blow when he is unfairly arrested for fraud. From behind bars,
Raven seems farther away than ever. But there is a darker plot
behind the arrest. Raven realizes Lowell is his mate, but this

knowledge might come too late to save them.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter

Length: 38,402 words

THE WOLF AND THE RAVEN

The S.E.X. Factor 2

Scarlet Hyacinth

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove


THE WOLF AND THE RAVEN
Copyright © 2012 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-469-2

First E-book Publication: February 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.


PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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DEDICATION

I tried to be like everyone

Open my soul

But what I had to give

Resulted loathing

Enchanted by the power

Licked by the grace

One beautiful black flower
The end of the human race

Sonata Arctica, Wolf & Raven

THE WOLF AND THE RAVEN

The S.E.X. Factor 2

SCARLET HYACINTH

Copyright © 2012

Prologue:

About S.E.X.

Sex – Coitus, sexual intercourse
S.E.X. (also S.S.E.X.) – The selenic and solar extreme

xenogenesis; syndrome affecting children conceived during nights of
the full moon or during lunar and solar eclipses, manifesting as a
mutation between the newborn’s genes and that of the parents.

S.E.X. factor – The determining factor or factors that influence the

development of the children affected by the syndrome.

S.E.X. Lupus strain – Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children

attain wolf-like impulses that can manifest violently. Upon puberty,
they can even shift into wolves.

S.E.X. Corvus strain – Form of solar xenogenesis. Children may

be fascinated with death from a very young age. Upon puberty, crow
wings emerge, and they can even shift into crows or ravens.

S.E.X. Lepidoptera strain – Rare form of solar xenogenesis.

Children attain a fragility of bones and a flighty behavior that can be
mistaken for the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or, in some
cases, the Asperger syndrome. Upon puberty, butterfly wings emerge
from their backs, or they even shift into butterflies.

The Wolf and the Raven

9

S.E.X. Leo strain – Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children may

alternate bouts of extreme inactivity with athletic hobbies. Boys are
likely to be very territorial and girls protective of younger siblings.
Upon puberty, they can turn into lions.

S.E.X. Delphinidiae strain – Rare form of solar xenogenesis.

Children are playful, social, and very intelligent. If living inland, they
might develop light breathing afflictions similar to asthma. Upon
puberty, they can shift into dolphins.

S.E.X. Vulpes strain – Form of solar xenogenesis. Children may

be inclined toward theft, trickery, or surprise attacks on small family
pets. Upon puberty, impulses stabilize and they can shift into foxes.

S.E.X. Columbidae strain – Form of solar xenogenesis. Children

are loving, kind, and have a very good sense of location. Growing up,
they are likely to experience severe gallbladder problems. Upon
puberty, they can shift into pigeons.

S.E.X. Tigris strain – Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children grow

quickly and have great athletic abilities from a young age. Care must
be taken should other siblings not with the syndrome exist, as young
individuals are playful and might hurt their brothers or sisters by
accident. Later on, they are likely to become more solitary, but
permissive, as long as they are not challenged. Upon puberty, they
gain the ability of shifting into tigers. Melanistic forms may appear
regardless of the skin color of the parents.

S.E.X. Pardus strain – Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children are

athletic, but not as big or muscular as the Leo and Tigris strain. They
tend to be very stealthy and often have “hunting” instincts, which can
lead to close ones being accidentally injured. They are very fast
runners and good climbers. Upon puberty, they can shift into
leopards. Melanistic forms may appear regardless of the skin color of
the parents.

10

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter One

The room was a bland, boring, and a complete cliché of what

Raven had always thought love hotels to be. Nondescript, kitschy
paintings adorned the gold walls, and the mock elegant furniture made
Raven want to turn tail and run. But he couldn’t do that, and he
wasn’t snobbish enough to allow his opinion of the quality of the
establishment to jeopardize his mission.

The main attraction was a huge bed, which might have saved the

entire room if it hadn’t been heart shaped. Raven inwardly grimaced
and made a mental note to stick to his computers next time and stop
trying to help Wallace. Red, gauzy curtains threatened to block
Raven’s sight of the area, so Raven risked flying a little closer,
landing on the windowsill. After all, who would be suspicious of a
random bird resting there?

The only thing that was even slightly positive about the entire

experience was the sight of the two very hot men writhing against
each other on the bed. Even in crow form, Raven could admire the
attractiveness of their bodies and the beauty of the larger man’s cock
as it thrust inside his lover’s hole. The voyeurism made him feel
sinful and naughty, but not guilty in itself. However, knowing that he
had to reveal their liaison and possibly wreck their relationship was
definitely a different matter.

With a mental sigh, Raven left the couple to enjoy themselves and

flew off. He found Wallace a couple of blocks down, still fuming over
his messed-up car. It was the only reason why Raven had been
enlisted to track down the couple. As a wolf, Wallace could have

The Wolf and the Raven

11

found them with relative ease, but the problem with the vehicle
guaranteed a delay Wallace couldn’t afford.

Raven slipped inside the vehicle through an open window, and

after making sure no one other than Wallace could see inside,
changed into his human form. He hastily pulled on his clothes and left
the car, relieved when he realized no one had noticed anything strange
going on.

“Mission accomplished,” he told Wallace. “Your target and his

guy are at a love hotel doing the nasty.”

He trailed off the address, debating whether he should ask

Wallace about the case or not. His friend seemed to guess his
thoughts. “Sorry about this,” Wallace said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to
make money off someone else’s problems. But if it helps, the guy you
were following is cheating on his wife and on his lover. They all
deserve to know he’s playing them, to get on with their lives, at
least.”

Raven sighed, although he admitted he did feel a bit relieved at his

friend’s words. Sometimes, he really couldn’t understand how people
could lie and cheat like that. He’d watched the two men in the hotel
room caress each other and murmur words of love, and it made him
sick to the stomach to think that, at least for one of them, those words
had been a lie.

“People suck,” Wallace added. “It’s just the way things are.”
Raven wasn’t as jaded as Wallace regarding other people, but he

could understand the reasons of Wallace’s life philosophy. If Wallace
dealt with this sort of thing every day, it would be easy for the wolf to
forget that not all people were untrustworthy and that it was okay to
make friends and dare to love. Once more, Raven congratulated
himself for his decision to stay at Wallace’s side. Even from an
objective standpoint, Raven could tell his friend was far too drawn
away from others of their kind.

He didn’t respond to Wallace’s statement, and the wolf didn’t

seem to expect him to. Instead, Wallace grabbed his bag from the

12

Scarlet Hyacinth

vehicle. “Can you wait here for a bit while I wrap up the job? I called
a crew to help out with the car, and they should be here any moment
now.”

Raven shrugged. He didn’t have anything better to do. “Sure.”
Wallace offered him a brief, fleeting smile and ran off in the

direction of the love hotel. Raven leaned against the broken-down car,
wondering what would happen to the couple there. Would the
betrayed lover and wife find another person who would appreciate
them and not lie? It was something he would never know, but he liked
to think that it would happen. Perhaps it made him a hopeless
romantic, but he truly believed that there was someone out there for
everyone. Including Wallace. Including himself. So far, they hadn’t
had much luck in finding their so-called soul mates, but Raven had
faith that it would come in time. Until he died at least. Raven’s dream
was to die of old age, while in bed with a lover of a lifetime. Morbid,
some would say, but Raven couldn’t help it.

He chuckled at his own musings. He always had been a little

strange, but he didn’t mind. His friends accepted him the way he was,
and truly, his own oddities weren’t that unusual among other people
with S.S.E.X. According to Wallace’s research, he’d been conceived
in a graveyard, during a solar eclipse, so his consciousness of death
was likely influenced by that. But Raven didn’t fear it and didn’t
begrudge the way he’d been made. In fact, he thought he’d been quite
lucky. Not everyone could share the fantastic experience of flying.

He didn’t know how long he just stood there, but finally, he

sensed a presence itching at the edge of his consciousness. It seemed a
bit strange. His awareness of other people with S.S.E.X. was strong,
but this felt different.

He turned and saw a car stop nearby. A tall, devastatingly

handsome man stepped out. Raven’s breath nearly stopped. Lowell.

Lowell Kingston was one of the other wolves connected to the

Goldwin orphanage. As such, Raven knew him, even if they hadn’t
interacted much. Growing up, Raven had been very close to Wallace,

The Wolf and the Raven

13

and Wallace tended to resent the presence of people who shared his
strain out of sheer competitiveness. However, he’d always been
attracted to Lowell, even if he hadn’t actually pursued the feeling.

“Hi, Raven,” Lowell said with a lazy smile. “What’s up? Where’s

your friend?”

Raven shrugged, noting the inflection with which Lowell spoke

the word friend. It wasn’t the first time someone assumed Raven and
Wallace had a relationship that went beyond that of mere friendship,
and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Raven didn’t mind since he’d
always known his familiarity with Wallace would breed such rumors.
Still, whenever he was faced with such a situation, he always clarified
it.

“The car broke down,” he replied. “Wallace had something to do

and left me to wait for the crew. You know, he trusts me. We’re like
brothers.”

Lowell just arched a brow. “How nice. Do you need any help?”
Raven actually considered it for a brief instant before deciding

Wallace would probably kill him if he accepted the offer of
assistance. “No, that’s fine. The men Wallace called should be here
any moment now.”

“Well, then, I’ll just keep you company.” Lowell’s gaze was hot.

“If you don’t mind, of course.”

Raven could have avoided Lowell if he wanted to, but really, what

was the point? They were just two men, exploring what seemed to be
a mutual attraction. It might not get anywhere, or it might progress.
Raven didn’t know, but it was childish to refuse outright or hide
behind Wallace’s need for privacy. Raven’s cock certainly agreed
with the idea of hanging around Lowell. Perhaps this day wouldn’t be
such a waste after all. Raven wasn’t involved with anyone right now,
and pursuing his chemistry with Lowell sounded like a great idea.

“I don’t mind,” he answered with an encouraging smile. “So, tell

me, what have you been up to? I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

14

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Since last Christmas, if I’m not mistaken,” Lowell replied.

Indeed, they’d run into each other at the orphanage, but neither of
them had made any overtures. It was hardly an appropriate
environment, with all the children there. “As for what I’ve been up to,
same thing. Business hasn’t been exactly booming as of late, but I’m
getting by.”

Raven nodded. “I’m sure you can handle it.”
“But I don’t want to talk about work.” Lowell leaned closer.

“We’ve known each other for years now, Raven. Don’t you think it
would be silly to fall into platitudes?”

“True.” Raven mused over what he’d seen this morning and

wondered what Lowell would think about it. “Can I ask you a
question?”

“Sure. Whatever you want.”
Raven laughed. “Don’t say something like that so easily.”

Sobering, he eyed his companion, considering his question.
“Anyway,” he finally said. “Why do you think people cheat on their
loved ones?”

Lowell looked surprised, and Raven himself felt shocked at his

own daring. He didn’t know why he was so comfortable with Lowell.
True, he didn’t think he could confess the reason behind the question,
but Lowell’s presence somehow soothed him, drawing his mind from
more morbid thoughts and onto happier, greener pastures.

“Why do people cheat?” Lowell hummed thoughtfully. “It can be

for many reasons. In my line of work, it’s mostly about money.”
Lowell brushed his hair out of his face, his expression distant. “It’s a
strange thing to think about, really. We’ll never understand why other
people do the things they do because they don’t think the same way
we do. But I think that the root cause must be different,
like…something’s lacking in those people or the relationship between
them. Something must have gone wrong at one point. Otherwise no
one would choose even the largest sum of money or the sexiest body
over their mother or lover.”

The Wolf and the Raven

15

Raven ruminated over the words, surprised. “Do you really think

that? So if you were with someone, you wouldn’t be attracted to
anyone else.”

Lowell chuckled. “I didn’t say that. I think I would be tempted if I

saw someone hot, but if I really was in love, I wouldn’t take the
chance of losing what I had with my partner. And I wouldn’t really
want to because some things are more valuable than others. You
know?”

Lowell looked at him, and Raven suddenly felt very hot inside. “I

know,” he replied.

Out of the blue, they seemed close, so very close to each other.

When had Lowell stepped inside Raven’s personal space? His eyes
were brown, and compared to Wallace’s gold, they should have
looked plain. They didn’t. In fact, they glowed warm and sweet like
honey, with a naughty spark that promised wicked delights to Raven.

Lowell leaned in even closer, until Raven could see every

individual eyelash. He was hypnotized by the sight, so much so that
he couldn’t even move. Lowell’s scent invaded his nostrils, and he
wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in Lowell’s auburn hair
and see if it was as soft as it looked.

They were almost kissing now, and Raven could feel Lowell’s

breath on his face. He licked his lips in anticipation, his eyes drifting
shut as if of their own accord. Lowell gently pressed their mouths
together in an almost chaste lip-lock, but his tongue was already
demanding entrance. Raven wrapped his arms around Lowell to pull
him closer, but just as the kiss threatened to break every barrier of
control, a voice shattered the moment.

“Fucking fags.”
Instantly, Raven broke away from Lowell. He had forgotten that

they were essentially in the middle of a New York street and anyone
could walk by and see them. It wasn’t like him to do something so
forward. He wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality, but he preferred to be
discreet, simply because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

16

Scarlet Hyacinth

Such a thing could accidentally lead to the existence of shape-shifters
being revealed. He stared at the two men who’d spotted him and
Lowell, wondering how he could get them out of there without
conflict.

Lowell didn’t seem as apprehensive as him. He turned toward the

men and straightened his back, flexing his impressive muscles. “Do
you have a problem, gentlemen? I’d love to fix it for you.”

The men looked a bit doubtful now, obviously sensing the sheer,

raw power irradiating from Lowell. When Lowell took a step forward,
they grumbled a distressed “whatever” and fled. It was all very
anticlimactic, but Raven still felt relieved. He didn’t doubt Lowell
could take care of himself, and Raven wasn’t a bad fighter, either, but
even if the insult had made him angry, he didn’t want the situation to
escalate to blows.

Lowell looked like he wanted to pursue the men, but Raven

grabbed his arm. “It’s not worth it. Just keep me company like you
said.”

“All right.” Lowell sighed, sounding disgruntled. “They ruined the

mood and everything.”

Raven laughed. “There’s no reason why we can’t get the mood

back, at a different time and in a better environment.”

Lowell crowded Raven against the wall of a nearby building. “Are

you making an offer, lovely Raven? Because if so, I’d gladly take you
up on it.”

Raven couldn’t suppress a shudder. He might have managed to

avoid fucking Lowell so far, but it seemed like that was about to
change. Oh, well. Lowell might have been off-limits a few years back,
but Raven was an adult now, and he had no intention of letting the
opportunity of a very promising fuck slide by.

“It definitely is an offer.” Raven grinned. “For the right time and

place.”

“Excellent,” Lowell practically purred in his ear. “Maybe you

could call me tonight?”

The Wolf and the Raven

17

Raven didn’t get the chance to reply as a car pulled in. With a

sigh, he broke away from Lowell. Finally, the crew summoned to deal
with Wallace’s car problem had arrived, and of course, at the worst
possible time.

He explained the issue to the man in charge, and as the guy

nodded and proceeded to do his job, he turned toward Lowell once
again. “Tonight. Count on it.”

Lowell slipped a business card in the back pocket of Raven’s

jeans, squeezing his buttock as he did so. “I look forward to it.”

Just as Lowell leaned in closer to say good-bye, a familiar

presence encroached on Raven’s consciousness. Over Lowell’s
shoulder, Raven spotted Wallace approaching. “Hey,” Wallace said.
“Thanks for helping out.” He narrowed his eyes at Lowell. “Hello,
Lowell. What are you doing here?”

“Just passing by.” The words sounded reasonably pleasant, but

Raven heard the sneer behind them. He sighed, wondering if his
friend was ever going to stop drawing the hostility of other wolves. “It
was nice to see you, Raven. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

With that, Lowell took his leave. He got in his car and drove off,

while Wallace approached Raven with a somewhat disgruntled look.
“What did he mean by that?”

Raven shrugged. “We’re attracted to each other. I’ll probably

sleep with him.”

The words came out naturally, and Wallace didn’t even blink. He

did seem a bit irritated, though. “Just be careful with that guy. I don’t
trust him.”

Raven couldn’t help a fond smile. Wallace didn’t trust anyone,

with a couple of exceptions, and Raven knew the warning was
Wallace’s way to express his affection and concern for Raven. “Don’t
worry about me, Wal. I’ll be fine.”

In fact, if all went well tonight, he’d be more than fine. God, he

couldn’t wait.

18

Scarlet Hyacinth

* * * *

Lowell checked his cell phone for the nth time that evening. He’d

extracted the promise of a call from Raven, but he had no idea when it
would happen or if the other man would actually keep that promise.

He’d always thought Wallace monopolized Raven far too much,

but until today, he hadn’t managed to muster enough courage to
change that. Coincidence had brought him to Raven’s side at the exact
moment, and Lowell really wanted to take advantage of that. But
Wallace was there. He was always there, and it grated on Lowell’s
nerves like nails on a blackboard.

He forced himself to focus on the figures in front of him, rubbing

his eyes when the document began to get blurry. Things were going
more poorly at the firm that he’d led Raven to believe, and the only
thing that had gone well today was seeing Raven. Lowell was so tired
of trying to make the expenses fit a far too small budget, attempting to
pacify all the sponsors and pay the staff at the same time. It was his
job as head of the financial department. He had to get the resources
from somewhere. But the firm’s profits were plummeting, and Lowell
feared that his efforts wouldn’t be good enough to save it from
irreparable damage.

Just as he was about to fall into self-pity, the buzz of the cell

phone distracted him from his work. Lowell snatched it and
immediately took the call. “Hello?” he asked, somehow managing to
control the breathlessness of his tone.

“Hi, Lowell.” Raven’s voice was quiet, but pleased. “Are you

busy?”

Lowell stole a look at the waiting tables and shrugged them off.

He saved his progress and closed the document. “Not too busy for
you,” he told Raven. “In fact, I was waiting for you to call.”

He didn’t want to sound too eager, but he couldn’t suppress his

excitement. For years, he’d wanted to touch Raven, only to be pushed
aside by Raven’s relationship with Wallace. Now, it seemed like

The Wolf and the Raven

19

Raven was beginning to change his mind, and Lowell fully intended
to make Raven see Lowell was a much better choice than that lone
wolf who disdained everyone but himself.

“I’m glad,” Raven replied. “Can you meet me downtown in two

hours? There’s a small club, Pointed Shots, that I’ve been meaning to
go to. ”

Raven trailed off an address, which Lowell promptly memorized.

A club. It wasn’t exactly what Lowell had in mind, but going dancing
was usually a nice opening for a good evening of fucking. He’d never
been to Pointed Shots, but he could already imagine Raven moving
with the music, his body swaying with the tunes, writhing against
Lowell’s. Oh, he could imagine it so well.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said, his voice huskier than he’d have

liked. He readjusted himself in his jeans, suppressing a groan as his
hand came into contact with his hard-as-nails prick. “I’ll see you
soon.”

“Can’t wait,” Raven answered.
Before Lowell could say anything else, the dial tone sounded in

his ear. Already missing Raven’s voice, Lowell shot to his feet and
headed to his bedroom. He enjoyed clubbing, although for him, it had
always been about who he could hook up with when he went out. He
had no qualms at sleeping with humans since limiting himself to other
people with S.S.E.X. would be just plain ridiculous. Even so, he’d
never quite felt the anticipation he experienced now. He had no doubt
that he and Raven would end up fucking, and he couldn’t wait.

With a satisfied smirk, Lowell selected a pair of tight, black jeans

that emphasized his ass and his package and one of his favorite shirts
that had rips in all the right places. He completed his outfit with a pair
of boots, keeping it simple, but arousing. He hoped Raven liked the
result because he fully intended to take these carefully chosen clothes
off later that night.

Humming under his breath, Lowell also grabbed some lubricated

condoms, just in case he and Raven got adventurous and couldn’t wait

20

Scarlet Hyacinth

until they left the club. He’d have liked to take lube instead, but not
even the smallest tube could fit into the nearly nonexistent pockets of
his jeans, and it’d make a mess anyway.

Now ready, Lowell found his car keys and cell phone, put on a

jacket, and left his condo. Distantly, he wondered if he should rent a
new, cheaper place. If the firm went under, he wouldn’t be able to
afford it anymore. Perhaps he should start scouting for a new job as
well.

Shaking himself, Lowell got in his car and focused on his

eagerness for tonight, not his apprehension for the future. Right now,
only Raven mattered. The rest could wait. Tonight, Lowell would
enjoy himself and the unexpected gift he’d been granted. He only
hoped everything went well and Wallace wouldn’t get in the way like
he usually did.

Lowell wondered what he should make of the question Raven had

asked earlier that day. Did Raven consider a date with Lowell to be
cheating? If so, how much could Lowell truly hope for? He didn’t peg
Raven as a person who would deceive a lover. Had Raven and
Wallace broken up? Nothing had seemed different between them.
Perhaps Lowell should ask just to know where he stood.

Lost in thought, he engaged in traffic, heading for the address

Raven had mentioned. At this hour, he’d have probably been better
off taking the subway, but he was in luck and he reached his
destination with a few minutes to spare. As he got of the car, he
spotted Raven already waiting in line in front of the club. All of
Lowell’s questions dissipated in a flurry of arousal at the mere sight
of Raven. God, he’d always thought Raven was gorgeous, but tonight,
Raven was dressed for seduction, his dark fishnet shirt revealing more
than it covered and his leather pants so tight Lowell wondered how in
the world Raven had gotten them on in the first place. His mouth
watered, and the only thing he wanted was to ignore the club, drag
Raven back into the car, and fuck him until neither of them could
walk.

The Wolf and the Raven

21

Raven beamed at him, the smile both sexy and warm. “Hey,” he

said as Lowell reached him. “You look great.”

“Not as great as you.” Unable to contain his impulses, Lowell

wrapped an arm around Raven’s waist and pulled the other man close
for a kiss. If the watching crowd didn’t like it, they could go fuck
themselves.

Raven parted his lips with a soft sigh, allowing Lowell in his

mouth. Their tongues tangled in a duel that both of them won, and
Lowell heard Raven moan. Or was that his own groan? He couldn’t
tell the difference. Raven’s taste was simply too intoxicating, and
Lowell wanted, needed more.

They broke apart to breathe and, for a few moments, just stared at

each other, breathing hard. A wolf whistle shattered the moment, and
Lowell finally remembered where they were. Fucking Raven’s ass or
his mouth would have to wait. “We should get inside,” he told Raven.

His companion nodded, still looking a bit dazed. “Sure. Let’s go.”
A few minutes later, they were finally ushered inside, courtesy of

a very aroused bouncer who turned out to be the guy who’d uttered
the wolf whistle. Lowell couldn’t resent the man for staring at
Raven’s ass as they passed. It was definitely quite a sight, and Lowell
had the luck of being granted permission to grab it and touch it, at
least tonight. As long as others didn’t try to steal the privilege, he
could be generous and allow them to look. Well, not really. He’d have
broken the bouncer’s nose if he’d thought it wouldn’t ruin the
evening, but whatever.

The club was larger than Raven had suggested, with three floors

catering to the clients. The first two were already filled with bustling
crowds, bodies writhing on the dance floors in various states of dress,
or rather, undress. The scent of sweat and sex teased his nostrils,
suggesting that more than just dancing was going on in the darker
corners. Many people, both male and female, demanded the
bartender’s attention, carrying bottles of beer or other drinks.
Lowell’s senses told him the beverages were high quality, but there

22

Scarlet Hyacinth

were no drugs around, which spoke well for the club as a whole. The
third floor seemed to be devoted to VIPs. A few years back, Lowell
might have been able to get them there, but his recent financial
difficulties would probably keep him from doing that.

No matter. There was plenty of fun to be had in the rest of the

club. Lowell pulled Raven on the dance floor, making Raven laugh
gleefully. They moved together with the music, just like Lowell had
dreamed earlier, grinding against each other, their hard cocks coming
into contact. It was more than dancing. It was foreplay, delicious,
sinful, decadent, and Lowell loved every minute of it.

They danced and danced, took a break to have a drink, then

danced again. The heat of arousal simmered under the surface, and
Lowell’s control threatened to shatter as Raven swayed against him,
so beautiful and so his. There was no one else tonight, just the two of
them, and Lowell yearned to have Raven in his bed. He licked
Raven’s neck, the salty taste of the other man’s sweat making him
wonder about the flavor of Raven’s cum. He whispered words of
praise in Raven’s ear, even if he knew Raven couldn’t hear them over
the cacophony of loud music. It was probably better this way. He
didn’t want to rush Raven. The other man might run away, and this
was Lowell’s chance for something real with the man he’d desired for
so long.

Finally, he couldn’t withstand more of the sensual torture. He

pulled Raven off the dance floor, and together, they staggered out of
the club. Raven was still laughing as Lowell led him to the car.
“Where are you taking me now?” he asked.

“My place,” Lowell replied. He took a deep breath, thankful for

the fact that he still had lingering traces of control. “Or yours, if you
want to end the evening here.”

“The night’s still young,” Raven replied. “Definitely your place.”
There was no mistake as to what Raven offered, and Lowell was

no fool. He didn’t question Raven. At this point, he was thinking with

The Wolf and the Raven

23

his cock, not his brain, and what little reason he’d had left had been
used up in his final attempt to allow Raven a way to back out.

Since Raven didn’t seem to have any intention to take him up on

his more than generous offer, Lowell didn’t plan on extending it
again. He was getting laid tonight, damn it.

The tires squealed as he drove off away from the club. His mind

was a whirl of desire and need, and when Raven’s hand landed on his
thigh, kneading gently, Lowell almost lost control of the vehicle.

He shot his soon-to-be lover a glance, baring his teeth in wild

hunger. “Don’t do that if you don’t want me to pull over and fuck you
right here.”

Raven chuckled, but Lowell could smell the other man’s arousal

spike. God, Lowell wanted to bottle that scent and bathe in it every
single second of every day of the rest of his life. “I can’t say that’s not
tempting,” Raven replied, but removed his hand. “Just drive faster.”

Lowell did, speeding up as much as he dared, dodging other

vehicles and making maneuvers that would have surely earned him a
hefty fine had a policeman been around. By some miracle, they
managed to reach Lowell’s building without further incident. Lowell
drove into the underground parking lot and stopped the car. The
moment he removed the keys from the ignition, Raven’s hands were
on him, frantic and desperate. Raven’s lips crashed against his and
Lowell took control, his entire body on fire. Upstairs. He needed to
get them upstairs somehow. As much as he wanted to fuck Raven, he
couldn’t do it in the parking lot.

Tearing himself away from Raven’s kiss was the hardest thing

he’d ever done. He left the car and pulled Raven out as well,
breathing hard as he dragged the other man toward the elevator. No
one seemed to be around, and the building security personnel were
discreet. It was a good thing since as Lowell dragged Raven into the
lift, he couldn’t resist pulling the other man in for another kiss.

They desperately fed on each other’s mouths, with Lowell pinning

Raven against the smooth surface of the elevator door. The heat

24

Scarlet Hyacinth

Raven radiated was astounding, and Lowell thought he might very
well melt in it. He felt dizzy, drunk with Raven, the other man’s
presence, taste, and scent the most addicting drug in existence.

Finally, with a ding and a swoosh, the elevator door opened.

Lowell caught Raven before the other man could fall into the hallway,
and rushed out of the lift. His heart racing in his chest, he dragged
Raven to his condo door. His hands trembled as he retrieved his key,
and he cursed in annoyance and relief when he finally managed to
stab it in the lock. The damn thing yielded, and at last, they were in
Lowell’s condo, in private, behind closed doors.

“Nice place,” Raven said breathlessly.
“Right, whatever.” Lowell didn’t allow Raven to say anything

else, cutting off the other man with another kiss. He walked them
toward the bedroom, pulling Raven’s shirt off as he moved. Raven
helped him with his own clothes, apparently forgetting all about the
appreciation of his surroundings and preferring to show his
appreciation for Lowell’s body instead. But it was too slow, much too
slow, and with a frustrated growl, he grabbed Raven in his arms and
stalked up the stairs and into the bedroom. Raven didn’t protest in the
slightest. In fact, being manhandled seemed to arouse him. A brief
thought flashed through Lowell’s mind as he wondered if Wallace did
this to Raven, as well. He swatted it aside like he would with an
irritating fly. He would not allow thoughts of Wallace to intrude on
this moment.

Lowell dumped Raven on the bed and reached for Raven’s pants.

There, he found himself in an impasse. Just like he’d earlier noted, the
damn things were too tight for him to successfully remove them. He’d
have torn them off, but God, they clung to Raven’s body in all the
right places. It would be a pity if he had to destroy them.

Chuckling, Raven toed off his shoes and undid his own zipper.

“I’ll handle this, handsome. Strip for me.”

Lowell obeyed. He got rid of his own boots and started to work on

his jeans, but his gaze never wavered from Raven. Raven moved his

The Wolf and the Raven

25

hips in a sinuous motion, peeling off the tight pants with practiced
ease. It was like watching a present open itself on Christmas morning.
Lowell’s entire being vibrated with arousal, especially when he
realized Raven had gone commando. Of course. He should have
known. After all, how could Raven have snuck in underwear under
those tight pants?

Finally, Raven was naked, his clothing dumped in a heap next to

the bed. Raven arched a brow at him. “Well, are you going to just
stand there?”

Lowell realized that he’d completely forgotten about his own

jeans. With a savage snarl, he tore them off, getting rid of both the
denim and his underwear in a few swift motions. He pounced on the
bed and, surrendering to the passing, crawled onto Raven.

At first, Raven seemed a bit surprised, but he surrendered to

Lowell’s touches, regardless. When Lowell pressed their lips together
once again, he wrapped his arms around Lowell’s neck, pulling him
closer. This time, there was no bigot there to break the moment, and
Lowell lost himself in the kiss, greedily fucking Raven’s mouth,
thrusting his tongue in that wet cavern, claiming and devouring. He
didn’t allow his hands to remain idle, either, and he caressed Raven’s
sides, taking in the silk of Raven’s skin. Raven’s erection nudged
against Lowell’s, and Lowell rubbed against Raven’s body, craving
more friction, more of the maddening kisses and touches.

As addicting as the kisses were, Lowell had to tear himself from

Raven’s mouth. He had to taste each inch of Raven’s flesh. He
peppered Raven’s face with kisses and licked down Raven’s
collarbone, swirling his tongue over the hollow of the other man’s
neck. Raven released a choked sound, and meaning to see just how
many erogenous zones he could discover, Lowell nibbled on Raven’s
earlobe, nipping the shell with his teeth. Raven arched against him
and moaned. “Oh, Lowell. Please, fuck me.”

The words crashed against the remnants of Lowell’s control like a

tidal wave. As much as he’d have liked to pursue a slower seduction,

26

Scarlet Hyacinth

the need and sexual tension were far too much to withstand. He wildly
reached for the nightstand where he found a half-empty tube of
lubricant.

Snatching his prize from the drawer, he flipped Raven on his

stomach. Raven went with it and pushed his ass out, wiggling it
invitingly. Lowell almost swallowed his tongue at the sight and had to
take a few moments to calm down before he touched Raven again,
lest he come without even getting inside the other man.

When he thought he was sufficiently in control, he opened the

tube of lubricant and squirted a generous amount on his fingers.
Raven spread his own ass cheeks, exposing his hole to Lowell’s
greedy gaze. Lowell rubbed his slick digits across that tempting
opening and slid one inside. He couldn’t suppress a groan when
Raven’s body accepted the invasion, swallowing up the finger. Lowell
couldn’t resist. He added one more digit, his arousal skyrocketing as
Raven’s ass muscles clenched.

Raven’s moan echoed his own as he impaled himself on Lowell’s

fingers. Lowell did his best to prepare Raven, but the need that had
been escalating through an entire evening of foreplay blurred his
reason. He scissored his fingers inside Raven, crooking them just so
in search of the tiny gland that could give Raven so much pleasure.
When he found it, Raven cried out, pushing harder against him, his
entire body trembling with desire. Finally, Lowell couldn’t take it
anymore. He removed his fingers and slicked up his prick.

“I’m sorry about this, baby,” he whispered as he positioned his

cock against Raven’s opening. “We’re going to have to take it slow
next time.”

Raven nodded eagerly. “Just…in me. Please. In me.”
Lowell didn’t delay in taking Raven’s invitation. In one smooth

thrust, he pushed inside. The heat and tightness of Raven’s body
almost made him lose it right then and there. He stilled, both to allow
Raven to get used to the invasion and for his own benefit. His libido

The Wolf and the Raven

27

demanded friction, but Lowell knew that if he moved even one inch,
he would come like an inexperienced teen.

He buried his face in Raven’s jet-black hair, inhaling Raven’s

scent. It had always seemed to him, even before today, that Raven
smelled like freedom, with a darker, spicier tang. God, he’d wanted
Raven for so long, and now that he finally had him, he yearned to
make this moment last forever.

He pushed away the thought, startled at the feel of permanency it

suggested. He didn’t want to think about the future, not just yet. The
present was much more important, especially when it was such a
pleasurable one.

At last, Lowell dared to pull out and thrust back in, aiming for

Raven’s prostate as he did so. Raven’s body was taut with sexual
tension, and a groan escaped him at Lowell’s motion. Lowell
suddenly had the inescapable need to look into Raven’s eyes while he
fucked him.

Pulling out slightly, Lowell flipped Raven on his back. He lifted

Raven’s legs on his shoulders and, meeting Raven’s gaze, pushed
back inside. Raven’s eyes were deep pools of black, fevered with the
intensity of Raven’s passion. In those dark orbs, Lowell saw absolute
need, need for him, and it made the beast within his soul howl in
satisfaction.

Raven made small, hungry noises, and each sound urged Lowell

to go deeper, thrust harder. The world melted into the rhythm of their
joint breathing, into a dance of passion as old as time itself. Over and
over, Lowell drove inside his lover, the feel of Raven’s prick against
his abdomen all but driving him wild. Raven’s cock was leaking
copious amounts of pre-cum, making the slide of their bodies slicker,
somehow even more erotic.

And Raven was so beautiful in his desire, so very beautiful, that

Lowell squeezed Raven’s hips too tightly in a desperate attempt to
keep Raven there, to never let go. He would think about the

28

Scarlet Hyacinth

implications later. Now, the only thing he could worry about was
claiming Raven.

Raven gasped, but the sound held no pain, only pleasure. Even as

Lowell’s senses were struck by the metallic scent of blood, even as he
realized that he’d lost control of his beast and his claws were digging
into Raven’s flesh, even then, he knew that Raven enjoyed every
moment of it. Their feelings and sensations were entwined, so closely
Lowell almost thought he’d fallen into a dream. He tested the
boundaries of his reality, thrusting harder and faster, high on Raven’s
moans and cries.

At one point, it all became a blur of sensation. Raven became the

only thing anchoring Lowell to the world, their joint bodies a conduit
of pleasure and sensual heat. Lowell’s balls ached with the desire to
come, his skin itched with sizzling energy, and the beast inside him
paced restlessly, demanding something Lowell couldn’t quite give.
Desperate, he pushed harder, strove deeper. When his orgasm came, it
took him completely by surprise, swallowing him whole like a
relentless beast. At the last moment, he remembered to stroke Raven’s
prick, and a few motions of his hand sent Raven over the edge.

They clung to each other in the best orgasm of Lowell’s life, the

tremors and the heat and the passion sweeping away Lowell’s very
consciousness. It went on and on, an incontrollable blaze, threatening
to consume Lowell, body and soul.

When he finally began to recover, Lowell was surprised he was

even still alive. He thought that surely such a climax would have
short-circuited his brain or stopped his heart. But here he was,
collapsed on the bed next to a panting Raven, still slick with lube,
sweat, and their combined fluids.

It occurred to him then that he’d completely forgotten about the

condoms. He felt a brief pang of alarm before he cast it aside.
Diseases didn’t stick to people with the syndrome, and the chances of
him contracting an STD from Raven were slim to none.

As if guessing his thoughts, Raven suddenly said, “I’m clean.”

The Wolf and the Raven

29

“So am I,” Lowell replied. “I have papers if you want to see.”
Raven just shrugged. “Maybe later. Now I need to sleep. I think

my mind just melted.”

Lowell laughed breathlessly. “I know what you mean.”
Raven cuddled to his side, his breath evening out as he fell into

slumber. Lowell couldn’t shake the feeling that he should have done
something differently, but as his gaze greedily took in the expanse of
Raven’s naked body, he pushed the thought away. They had plenty of
time to explore their new relationship, and, if Lowell had his way,
plenty of time for more sex. At least until morning, and until Raven
was forced to return to Wallace’s side. But that was something Lowell
would worry about another day. For the moment, he would relax and
enjoy because Raven was the best thing to have happened in his life
for a very long time.

30

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Two

A few months later

Raven inwardly sighed as he analyzed the mess of wires in front

of him. Truly, some things were beyond his power of comprehension.
How did people expect their computers to work if they never cared
for them? There was so much dust and feline hair gathered, blocking
the vents of the system unit, that Raven was surprised it had even
booted up in the first place. If he had to guess, the PC was probably
cluttered with viruses and spyware as well.

He grimaced as the dust assaulted his nostrils, threatening to make

him sneeze. He somehow managed to stifle the urge. Knowing he
needed to get this over with anyway, Raven reached for his tools and
started to work. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered with such a
menial task, but his prospective customer was a friend, and
unfortunately, not everyone would mistake the clumps of hair as
belonging to a house cat, not a tiger.

Still, it was an easy job, which suited him just fine, since he didn’t

think he could focus on anything more complex. Ever since his best
friend, Wallace, had hooked up with his new boyfriend, Blue, the only
thing Raven could focus on was the yearning to find the same bond
Wallace had. He might not be worried about it, except he had one
specific person in mind with which he’d have liked to achieve this,
and currently, he wasn’t even on speaking terms with the man.

Raven wasn’t by any means an innocent, but still, when he’d met

Lowell, he’d been swept off his feet. Lowell had a seductive strength
that called out to Raven, but he was also smart as hell. The sex

The Wolf and the Raven

31

between them had always been explosive, but their conversations
were fun, too. And yet, something had gone wrong. Lowell had
swiftly turned from a charming man into a bastard. He accused Raven
of infidelity when he was the one who always flirted with every twink
within a two-mile radius. Raven’s temper had eventually exploded,
and he’d broken up with the guy, but he still wondered if he’d made
the right choice. If only he could unravel the threads binding his own
heart as easily as he did with computer wires. But things were never
really so easy in love, and as much as Raven hated to admit it, he was
in love with Lowell.

Damn the man anyway, and damn himself. Lowell had proven to

be a user, so why couldn’t Raven just let him go? The memories of
their first time together, of the beginning of their relationship and how
well things had gone, they all haunted him. He remembered Lowell’s
fevered kisses, the way the wolf clung to him as he thrust inside
Raven, that mischievous smile, and the intelligence sparkling in those
brown eyes. But he also remembered the biting comments, the never-
ending doubt, the insults, and most of all, Lowell’s flirtation with
everything that moved. Hell, the man had even hit on Blue. It had
been the last straw, and that day, Raven had broken up with his lover.
Why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?

He finished his task on automatic pilot, and even as he crawled

from under the table, he found that he hadn’t made any decision on
Lowell. Not that it was surprising. These days, the wolf was the only
thing on his mind, but Raven still hadn’t reached any conclusion
regarding his former lover.

His customer hovered in the doorway, somehow managing to look

both lazy and relaxed. “So…What’s the verdict?”

“It should stop overheating now.” Raven brushed stray hairs off

his shirt, irritated when they stubbornly stuck to the material. “But
seriously, Kalum, maybe you should tone down shifting while around
the computer. At this rate, you’ll drown the circuits in fur.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Kalum grimaced. “Can’t be helped. Seems my second form turns

women on. Who knew?”

Raven arched a brow at the tiger. “You’re being careful, right? No

shifting in front of humans.”

“Yes, Mother.” Kalum shook his head. “Christ, you’re such a nag

lately. When’s Wallace coming home again?”

Raven made a move to rub his eyes before he remembered he was

still filthy. “It’ll be a while, I gather.” Wallace was spending a well-
deserved vacation with Blue and teaching the butterfly how to control
his powers. Raven missed them, of course, and he’d been so very
wrapped in his own personal drama that he couldn’t even be happy
for his friend’s relationship. In a way, he was relieved that Wallace
had gone because this way, he wasn’t forced to put up a brave front
and he hated the thought of spoiling their happiness.

Unwilling to continue a conversation on this, Raven made his way

to the bathroom and washed his hands. He returned to the office and
booted the PC, then ran a virus scan. All the while, he felt Kalum’s
gaze drilling into his back. He couldn’t say he was awfully surprised
when he felt Kalum approach behind him.

Kalum’s arms wrapped around his torso, the embrace warm and

familiar. “You need to relax a little, gorgeous. Come on. I’m sure I
can help you with that.”

Raven unwillingly shivered as the other man blew a gust a hot air

in his ear. Kalum’s hands reached in front of Raven to tweak Raven’s
nipples. It was not the first time Raven felt Kalum’s touch, and
unsurprisingly, his prick responded. His libido had been very
neglected lately, and the temptation to accept what Kalum offered was
hard to ignore. Kalum had always been a very skilled partner, and
God only knew Raven needed the distraction. But unfortunately, that
was all it would be, a temporary distraction. Afterward, he’d probably
feel awful about it, even if just a few months ago, a brief fling of no-
strings sex would have been more than a little welcome. Fuck.

The Wolf and the Raven

33

Sometimes, Raven really wished he hadn’t hooked up with Lowell at
all.

Knowing there was really nothing he could do about it now,

Raven broke away from Kalum’s embrace. “Thanks for the offer, but
I’m not in the mood.”

Kalum didn’t look too surprised, although he did seem

disappointed. “You know, Raven, you’re going to have to let it go
sometimes. Lowell has.”

The name of his obsession sparked something unpleasant in

Raven’s chest. He wasn’t an idiot so as to believe that he could keep
anything a secret from his small circle of friends and acquaintances.
Even if the Goldwin orphanage had housed a great number of young
men and women suffering from S.S.E.X., their community was still
tiny enough that any piece of gossip eventually reached all its
members. Raven was particularly interesting, since, unlike less
sociable individuals, he’d befriended people of different strains. His
best friend was a wolf, but he also kept into contact with felines like
Kalum, foxes, and many others.

So, it came as no surprise that Kalum knew about Raven’s

relationship with Lowell. It wasn’t like they’d tried to keep it a secret,
anyway. However, knowing that didn’t make Kalum’s words hurt any
less. Beyond the humiliation he experienced at the mere realization
that everyone pitied him for his failure of a love life, the message of
the last two horrible words struck him hard. “What do you mean?” he
asked Kalum, not even bothering to disguise his anxiety. “Does he
have another lover?”

Kalum shrugged, although he now looked uncomfortable. “It’s

just something I heard from someone else, gossip if you will. I
shouldn’t have said anything. But it really irritates me that a great guy
like you has to suffer over him when you deserve so much better.”

It wasn’t an actual answer, and Raven swallowed around the knot

in his throat. “Just tell me what you know, Kalum.”

34

Scarlet Hyacinth

“I hear he’s been hanging out at Pointed Shots. The bartender

there’s an acquaintance, and he tells me your guy’s always around,
scouting for a new piece of tail. I don’t know anything more, and it
might be all bullshit, anyway.”

Raven nodded, breathing through the pain that coursed through

him. It was nothing he hadn’t considered in the past weeks. He
couldn’t expect Lowell to be celibate because Raven had been. In a
way, it was his own fault. He’d been the one to end things between
them. Time and time again, he’d refused Lowell’s tentative offers of
making up, knowing it would only be a matter of time until Lowell
showed his true colors again. Still, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
Pointed Shots had been their place, the club where they went dancing
before an enthusiastic round of fucking. Perhaps that routine had been
special only for Raven.

“I’m sorry,” Kalum said. “I never should have brought it up.”
Somehow, Raven managed a shrug. “I’d have found out

eventually anyway. Don’t worry about it.”

Kalum sighed. “Raven, I might not be as close to you as Wallace,

but permit me to give you one piece of advice. Talk to Lowell. Find
out where you stand. At least, find closure of some sort. You need to
let this go if you want to get on with your life.” Kalum sounded
genuinely concerned and apologetic. “You’re free to take or leave it,
of course, but just be careful.”

The words made so much sense, and they brought forward the

decision Raven had avoided for so long. Yes, he did need to see
Lowell again. Hiding behind his work obviously didn’t help, and he
didn’t think he could fool Wallace for much longer, either. One of
these days, the wolf would see beyond his excuses and reassurances
and would come back. If that happened, Raven would well and truly
hate himself. He needed some sort of closure, the type of relief
avoidance couldn’t grant him.

“Thanks,” he told Kalum. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Wolf and the Raven

35

Clearing his throat, he started packing up his tool kit. “The scan

on the PC will take a while. Just let it run and let me know if you have
any problems after that. And for God’s sake, be careful when you’re
watching porn over the internet.”

Kalum grinned at him. “I’d much rather watch you, but oh well.

The offer still stands in case you’re ever interested.”

It was light banter, and to a certain extent, it soothed Raven’s

nerves. There was no reason why he should be afraid to face Lowell.
Lowell had been his lover, yes, but that was in the past, and Raven
just had to see Lowell one last time before he got that into his thick
skull. In the end, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to keep his options open. “I
just might,” he replied to Kalum, “if you’re in the mood to be my
rebound guy.”

What he needed was a friend he could sleep with, and Kalum

obviously knew that. “Whatever you want, sweet,” the man said with
a satisfied smirk.

Raven didn’t allow the conversation to continue. He just might be

tempted to take things further, and it wasn’t fair to Kalum or himself.
“I’ll see you later,” he told his friend. “Let me know if you need any
more help.”

“Right.” Kalum took his cue, dropping the previous thread of

discussion. “What do I owe you?”

Raven snorted and waved Kalum’s offer aside. “Don’t insult me.

Just be more careful with your electronics next time.”

“But then I wouldn’t have any excuse to bring you here, now

would I?” Kalum asked coyly.

Raven just laughed. He grabbed his tool kit and hugged Kalum

good-bye. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll call you.”

With that, Raven left Kalum’s apartment. Back in his jeep, he

wondered how he’d go about confronting Lowell. It would be
difficult, especially since he’d spent the last few weeks doing his best
to avoid just that. But he would not back down. He needed to end the

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Scarlet Hyacinth

chapter of his life titled “Lowell.” Perhaps, that way, he could finally
focus on finding someone else.

The apartment he usually shared with Wallace wasn’t that far

from Kalum’s, but with New York traffic, the drive ended up taking a
little over an hour. By the time he reached his destination, it was
already getting dark. Raven parked the car and got out of his vehicle.
Still deep in thought, he headed into his building and up the stairs. It
was early still so he had plenty of time to prepare. He needed a great
outfit, something to drive Lowell crazy if only to spite him. He had to
be careful, though. Raven admitted to himself that he was still very
much attracted to Lowell, and his libido didn’t listen to reason. Going
to the club might not be so smart. It was a place where passions ran
rampant, and Raven himself might lose track of his goal and end up in
bed with his former lover.

With a sigh, he opened the apartment door and stepped inside. He

was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone until
he heard the shy greeting. “Hi, Rav.”

Raven blinked, having completely forgotten about the presence of

his guests in the apartment. “Hey, Avery.”

Avery was a pretty young dove who’d come to the city to learn

more about the syndrome. In fact, pretty was the perfect word to
describe him. His beauty was too delicate to be called handsomeness.
Sometimes, Raven thought that if he spoke too loudly, Avery would
shatter like a crystal figurine. In that respect, Avery somehow
reminded Raven of Wallace’s lover, Blue. Raven hoped that, like
Blue, Avery would gradually begin to open up and learn his own
worth.

Avery been brought here by another wolf, Maddox. Maddox had

rented Wallace and Blue his cabin for temporary use, and in
exchange, he and Avery were staying with Raven in Wallace’s stead.
Ironically, the two weren’t even sleeping together, although not out of
a lack of desire from Maddox’s part. The wolf spent half the time
gazing longingly at Avery. Avery, however, seemed completely

The Wolf and the Raven

37

oblivious, and sometimes, Raven just wanted to shake them both, or
maybe lock them together in a room. They were perfect for each
other.

Hiding his thoughts, Raven smiled at Avery. “What’s up?”
Avery shrugged self-consciously. “Nothing much. We were

thinking about ordering some pizza if that’s okay with you.”

On the couch, Maddox grumbled something unintelligible, and it

occurred to Raven that if he meant to go out that night, he might as
well kill two birds with one stone. “Actually, I’m going dancing.
Would you like to come with?”

Predictably, Avery perked up, excitement dancing in his dark

eyes. “Dancing? I’d love to.”

Then, as if realizing he’d completely forgotten about something,

he stole a gaze toward the couch. Raven knew for a fact that Maddox
wasn’t a person who loved clubbing, but would he refuse to go when
Avery was so clearly enthusiastic? Raven was pretty sure Avery
wouldn’t go with just him, and if he wanted to be completely honest,
the whole point of the invitation was to have the two men together in
an environment that would encourage closeness. The club might not
be a romantic venue, but if the sexual tension always lingering there
didn’t urge Maddox to do something, nothing would.

“I mean…I’m not sure,” Avery amended. “Maybe we’ll just stay

home instead.”

The poorly concealed disappointment did the trick. Maddox got

up from the couch and glared at Raven. “Sure we’ll go. After all,
Avery needs to see more of the city.”

He didn’t sound happy about it, but Raven decided he didn’t care.

“Excellent,” he said with a grin. Grabbing Avery’s hand, he pulled the
dove toward his room. “Come on. I’ll get you into some of my
clothes.”

His self-assigned cupid task kept his mind off his own problems.

While he was browsing for an outfit for Avery, he selected a pair of
tight leather pants and a shirt for himself. He handed Avery the items

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Scarlet Hyacinth

chosen for him and ushered him into the bathroom, knowing the dove
was far too shy to undress in front of him. Quickly, he changed his
own clothes and was considering whether to apply makeup or not
when Avery appeared in the doorway, looking very hot and very
uncomfortable.

“Are you sure about this?” Avery fidgeted, pulling at the tight

shirt that clung even to Avery’s slimmer form. “It seems too much.”

“Are you kidding?” Raven eyed Avery in approval. “It’s perfect.”
In fact, Raven felt very pleased with the result of his efforts.

Raven’s older clothes fit Avery perfectly, emphasizing each muscle
and the swell of his ass. Raven couldn’t wait to see Maddox’s
reaction.

Deciding to forgo the makeup, Raven dragged Avery out of the

room. Thankfully, he found Maddox already ready. It seemed the
wolf hid a few surprises of his own since he looked sinfully delicious
in his chosen outfit. Raven might have actually hit on him if he wasn’t
so convinced Maddox was meant for Avery, and if he himself wasn’t
still recovering from heartbreak.

In spite of the pang of anxiety he experienced just at the thought,

the sight of Maddox’s eyes widening and his nostrils flaring was both
amusing and satisfying. “Come on,” he said, not allowing the wolf a
potential protest. “We’re going to be late.”

Technically speaking, they didn’t need to arrive at a certain hour.

It was still early, and Raven was a regular at the club, so he didn’t
need to fear being left out. Still, with every second that passed, he felt
more and more anxious, and his matchmaking could only distract him
to a certain extent.

They left the apartment together, with Raven keeping a steady

stream of conversation and pointedly ignoring the way Maddox
observed Avery. They chose Raven’s jeep as the evening’s
transportation, and Raven was, of course, the designated driver since
he was the only one who knew their destination.

The Wolf and the Raven

39

Once they reached the club, Raven was invaded by a sensation of

déjà vu. He still remembered the first night he’d come here, with
Lowell, and their subsequent sex fest. It had been the beginning of
what some would call whirlwind romance. These memories were also
the reason why Raven had stopped coming here once he’d broken up
with Lowell.

The bouncer greeted Raven by name, eyed the three of them

appreciatively, and let them in before the rest of the people in line.
Instantly, Raven felt Lowell was there. He’d always had an odd sixth
sense with regard to feeling Lowell’s presence. His gaze zeroed in on
Lowell, and he gritted his teeth when he spotted the wolf sitting at the
bar with some twink.

Raven turned toward his companions. “Hey, I have to go say hi to

a friend,” he shouted over the music. “Will you be all right on your
own?”

Maddox just waved him off and pulled Avery on the dance floor.

Raven declared his mission completed. If nothing else, tonight would
bring Avery and Maddox closer. Someone should at least be happy if
Raven couldn’t.

Pushing away his glum thoughts, Raven made his way to the bar.

* * * *

“Don’t look now, but your beau is closing in fast,” Ivory said as

he prepared another drink.

Lowell didn’t react to the bartender’s words. He knew Raven was

here. He’d known it from the moment Raven had entered the club.
His entire being was focused on staying on the seat and not turning to
see his former lover.

In their time together, Lowell had realized Raven and Wallace had

never really been fucking. However, he was convinced Raven was
holding a torch for the wolf. Now that Wallace had a boyfriend,
though, Lowell had hoped Raven could let go of the past. Only, he’d

40

Scarlet Hyacinth

fucked up and lost his temper too many times, and Raven had broken
up with him before he’d had the chance to take advantage of
Wallace’s new relationship.

He’d tried everything to get Raven to listen. Nothing had worked.

Finally, he’d found himself forced to resort to a deception, something
he’d have preferred to avoid. He’d known that eventually, word
would get to Raven about Lowell’s supposed fucking around. He’d
made sure to tell Ivory to spread the word, just in case. Tonight, his
hard work seemed to have paid off at last. But the question was, what
would he say to Raven now that the man was here?

He’d come up with a great number of scenarios, some more

unlikely than others. He’d have liked to believe he could go ahead and
apologize to Raven. Raven would just forgive him, and they could go
fuck in Lowell’s far–too-expensive condo. It wouldn’t hurt to use the
damn place as much as he could before he had to give it up. But he
knew better than to think things would happen like that. He could still
remember Raven’s talons ripping into his flesh. It was in that moment
that he’d known he’d gone too far. He’d crossed the line, and getting
Raven back would take a lot of effort from his part. In light of this
knowledge, his financial difficulties really didn’t matter.

All those thoughts mingled in his brain as Raven finally reached

him. This time, Lowell couldn’t suppress the urge to turn. Raven was
as gorgeous as ever, even more so in fact. He looked over Lowell’s
shoulder, and his expression darkened. If nothing else, the presence of
Lowell’s supposed boyfriend bothered Raven. Perhaps it was a good
sign, perhaps not. Lowell trusted that once he explained the whole
thing had been just a ruse, Raven would manage to forgive him for
the deception. His date for the evening, Rio, knew all about Raven
and had agreed to help without demanding anything in exchange. Of
course, getting Raven to actually believe that would be a challenge.

The noise was highly inconvenient, but somehow, they

understood each other without words. Lowell gestured toward the
back exit, and Raven nodded. They both knew they needed to talk.

The Wolf and the Raven

41

Lowell waved at Rio then left his seat and navigated through the
crowd, trusting Raven to follow. Finally, he reached the back alley,
and Raven was right behind him.

“What was that all about?” Raven immediately inquired. “Who

was that guy?”

“His name is Rio,” Lowell replied, facing his former lover. “He’s

a friend.”

Raven crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive posture. “A

friend.” He snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“It’s true. I want you back, baby. When are you going to believe

that?”

Raven frowned at him. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.”
“I tried everything else.” Lowell threw his hands in the air. “I had

to do something to get you to listen.”

Raven’s eyes widened. “So this is you attempting to make me

jealous? Are you kidding me?”

Lowell shook his head. “It’s not a joke.” He sighed. “Why did you

come here, Raven? What did you expect me to say?”

“I wanted to see for myself if you were truly dating someone

else.” Raven laughed, a bitter, brittle sound that tore at Lowell’s heart.
“Guess I was stupid, huh?”

“I’m not dating him. I’m not even fucking anyone. You’re the

only one I want.”

Raven looked away from him. “After everything that happened

between us, you chose jealousy to bring us back together. Forgive me
if it doesn’t sound very believable.”

“I have no reason to lie.” Lowell gritted his teeth, struggling for

control. “I get that I fucked up, but you have to understand it’s not
easy for me, either.” He took a deep breath. “With Wallace always
around—”

“What does Wallace have to do with this?” Raven cut him off.

“You don’t like him, but I never asked you to.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Was Raven being deliberately obtuse? Could he truly not realize

Lowell had more reasons to be jealous than Raven ever did? The
beast inside Lowell burst free, and he grabbed Raven’s wrist. Baring
his teeth, he pulled his lover close. “Don’t play with me, Raven. I
want you, and I’m sick of living in another man’s shadow.”

Raven tried to break away from him, but Lowell was stronger and

refused to let his man go. “No, you’re not going anywhere, not this
time.”

“Lowell.” Raven’s voice was dangerous and low. “Let me go.”
But Lowell couldn’t do it. Raven would just walk away from him

again, and Lowell couldn’t allow that. Instead, he pinned Raven
against the wall of the building. “I want you so badly,” he whispered
in Raven’s ear. “How can I accept someone else when you’re the only
one I can think about?”

His body responded to Raven’s proximity, and his cock hardened.

He rubbed against the other man, and Raven gasped as their pricks
came into contact. Raven was aroused, too, and his scent was already
getting to Lowell. Since breaking up with Raven, the only sexual
contact he’d had was with his own hand, and the gathered tension,
combined with his perpetual need for Raven, created a cocktail that
was impossible to resist.

He didn’t know when exactly he released Raven’s wrists, but all

of a sudden, he became aware of his own palms travelling over
Raven’s body, slipping under Raven’s tight clothing, greedily
mapping Raven’s skin. A distant part of him feared Raven would
refuse him, but the other man did no such thing. He humped Lowell
desperately, his hands fumbling at Lowell’s belt, struggling with the
stubborn buckle. There was so little space between them and it made
maneuvering awkward, but somehow, Raven managed to slip his
hand in Lowell’s pants.

Lowell couldn’t suppress a groan when Raven’s hot fist enclosed

his erection. Raven’s thumb swept over the head of Lowell’s cock,
and Lowell couldn’t resist. He crushed his lips to Raven’s, taking in

The Wolf and the Raven

43

the taste of the other man’s submission, loving the way Raven melted
in his embrace.

He thrust his tongue in Raven’s mouth, exploring and reclaiming

what was his. Had Raven kissed another while they’d been apart? The
mere thought made him lose his calm, and he broke away from the
kiss, needing more, needing absolute reassurance that Raven belonged
to him and no one else.

Perhaps Raven had guessed his thoughts because the other man

dropped to his knees in front of Lowell, ignoring the fact that he must
be making a mess of his pants. Raven finished opening Lowell’s
pants, freeing Lowell’s cock from its confines. Before Lowell could
even say another word, his lover took his prick deep in his mouth.
Wet heat surrounded Lowell’s dick, and Lowell found himself forced
to lean against the wall with one hand. His knees went weak as Raven
bobbed his head up and down, suctioning hard and making hungry
noises, obviously enjoying himself in the simple act of pleasuring
Lowell. Raven had always been great at giving head, and this was not
the first time they’d stolen a few moments together in a semiprivate
environment. Often, their desire for each other had pushed them into
rushed blow jobs and hand jobs, delicious in their desperate, illicit
nature. It was just as good as Lowell remembered it. No, better.

He threaded his fingers through Raven’s dark hair, thankful for his

keen eyesight as he observed his lover practically devouring his cock.
Merely that image would have sufficed to send him tumbling into
orgasm, the way Raven hollowed his cheeks to suck him deeper,
Raven’s swollen lips, and his dazed expression. But Lowell hung on,
fucking Raven’s mouth in earnest, drawing the moment out.

Finally, when he felt the imminence of his orgasm, Lowell

stopped his lover. As much as he enjoyed this, he had no intention of
coming in Raven’s mouth. He pulled Raven up and flipped him
against the wall. Raven supported himself on his hands and moaned,
pushing his ass toward Lowell invitingly. “Fuck me,” he said
breathlessly. “Fuck me, please.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Lowell couldn’t focus on finding words for a reply. In brisk,

efficient motions, he undid Raven’s pants and pushed them as low as
they would go. It was a difficult task since the damn things were so
tight, but he managed. He’d had enough practice working with
Raven’s impossible Goth-oriented clothing, and there were certain
advantages to the situation. For one, it made Raven unable to move
too much. Raven was completely at Lowell’s mercy, and it was an
incredible turn-on.

Leaning against Raven’s body, he offered his fingers to Raven.

“Suck them. Make them nice and wet.”

Whimpering slightly, Raven obeyed. He fellated the digits with

the same skill and dedication as he had with Lowell’s cock. Every
pull of that talented mouth made Lowell’s cock throb, and no longer
able to keep himself in check, he freed his fingers from Raven’s
delicious torture.

He reached between Raven’s legs and rubbed a saliva-slick digit

against Raven’s hole. Usually, he wouldn’t have fucked Raven
without appropriate lubrication, but he hadn’t actually thought such a
thing would be needed and hadn’t prepared beforehand. Before his
relationship with Raven, he never went clubbing without condoms,
but he’d lost the habit. Spit would have to do.

To make up for it, Lowell took his time preparing Raven. One

finger, then two, slowly went into Raven’s passage. Raven constantly
moaned and begged, pleading to be fucked, taken, ravaged. He was
enjoying the slight edge of pain, Lowell could feel it, and that
knowledge, along with his own need, made it harder and harder for
him to keep the remnants of his control—with hard being the most
important word. God, if he didn’t get his prick inside Raven in the
next twenty seconds, he didn’t know what he’d do.

Lost in his need, Lowell removed his fingers from Raven’s ass

and positioned his cock against his lover’s hole. Burying his face in
Raven’s hair, he pushed inside. He kept to his resolution of taking it

The Wolf and the Raven

45

slow, just barely. Spit wasn’t exactly the best possible lube, and he
didn’t want to hurt his lover.

After what seemed like forever, he was completely inside. Raven

was hot and tight, his anus squeezing Lowell’s prick in an ironlike
vise. It took everything Lowell had not to start thrusting like a
maniac. Instead, he gave Raven a few moments to adjust. When
Raven purposely contracted his ass muscles, though, Lowell lost it.
Growling, he pulled out of Raven and thrust back in. They both cried
out, and much to Lowell’s satisfaction, he didn’t hear any pain in
Raven’s moan, only need and desire.

Over and over, Lowell drove inside Raven, until he could no

longer distinguish where he ended and Raven began. They were so
good together, always had been. They were one. The music of sex
sounded in Lowell’s ears, his grunts, Raven’s slightly screechy
moans, the slap of his balls against Raven’s ass, the scrape of Raven’s
fingernails as he tried to cling to the wall. There were so many
individual sensations, thoughts, and emotions, and Lowell could feel
them all. He could hear Raven’s heartbeat echoing his own, their
shared desire roaring through their bodies like a hurricane.

Lowell could already feel his orgasm close within his reach. The

exquisite blow job had brought him to the edge, and he couldn’t resist
the tight squeeze of his lover’s anus around his cock for much longer.
Even with the overwhelming pleasure, he wanted Raven to come first.
He bit the inside of his cheek, and the slight pain made it possible for
him to focus on his goal. He aimed for Raven’s prostate, alternating
hard, smooth thrusts, with a faster rhythm, until he had Raven
writhing, pushing against him desperately, completely lost in the
moment.

His gums ached with the desire to sink his teeth in Raven’s neck,

to mark his lover like that. He’d gotten almost used to it by now, this
primal need to brand Raven as his. He’d refrained from following this
impulse since he didn’t think it was what Raven wanted. This time,
however, he couldn’t hold back. He didn’t even want to. He yearned

46

Scarlet Hyacinth

for Raven too much, and he didn’t want to risk being separated from
the other man ever again. His wolf howled inside him, louder and
closer than Lowell had ever heard him, demanding for him to claim
his mate. Raven. His mate. It was a strange concept, one he’d have
laughed at a few months back, but could now come to accept. He’d
heard of the new bond between Wallace—damn the man, anyway—
and Wallace’s new lover, and he wanted the same thing with Raven.
Supposedly, the bite would bind them together somehow. He didn’t
know the details, but he was aware of enough so as to understand this
was truly what he wanted and needed.

Reaching in front of Raven, he massaged his lover’s stiff prick

while increasing the speed of his thrusts. Raven was close now,
Lowell could feel it. Without hesitating further, he buried his fangs in
Raven’s shoulder.

At first, it seemed that Raven would accept his touch, but it only

lasted a brief instant. Then, Lowell knew he’d made a mistake. Raven
moved faster than Lowell himself expected. He forcibly pulled away
from Lowell, and Lowell hastily retracted his teeth, lest he rip
Raven’s throat out by accident. He didn’t know whether Raven had
been counting on him retreating so or simply was too angry to care.
The latter thought was too alarming to process, and he didn’t protest
when Raven pushed him off. Still, he winced when his cock left the
snug hold of Raven’s body. How had things gone so wrong so
quickly?

In jerky, angry motions, Raven pulled up his pants and arranged

his clothing. “This was a mistake,” he said, his voice devoid of all
emotion. “I should never have come here, and you should never have
allowed this to happen. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m
done.”

Lowell opened his mouth to say something, to apologize. He

hadn’t meant to fuck Raven against the wall, in this alley. It might
have been okay when they were together, when it had all been a game
they played. But now, it seemed cheap. He’d treated Raven as if the

The Wolf and the Raven

47

man were some hooker, and all the effort he’d put into drawing Raven
here had been for naught. Raven was even more pissed now than
before.

“Wait,” Lowell said. “Look, we need to talk.”
“We don’t need to do anything.” Raven glared at him. “You

wanted to bind me to you without my permission. I do believe we’re
done talking.”

Lowell reached for Raven, but this time Raven dodged him,

screeching angrily. Talons emerged from his fingernails, and Lowell
narrowly avoided suffering Raven’s wrath. “Baby, please,” he said. “I
swear, I just want to be with you.”

But Raven didn’t seem to care. He turned his back on Lowell and

disappeared back into the club, leaving Lowell standing there in the
alley, alone and more disheartened than ever. What chance he’d had
of replacing Wallace in Raven’s heart was completely gone now.
Fuck. Why had he made the attempt to bite Raven? If the bite did bind
people together, it was not something done lightly, on an impulse, and
especially without both parties consenting to it. He’d betrayed Raven,
broken what little trust there was left between them. He was a fool.

He didn’t know how long he just stood there, staring at the door

through which Raven had disappeared, willing his lover to return.
Finally, someone emerged from the club, but to Lowell’s dismay, it
wasn’t Raven, but Ivory.

“Hey, are you all right? Rio saw Rav in the club.”
“Is he gone?” Lowell asked. He didn’t know why he even

bothered. It was obvious that Raven had left. Still, it hurt when Ivory
nodded.

“What happened?” the bartender inquired. “Was he angry about

Rio?”

At this point, Rio was the least of their problems. Lowell rubbed

his eyes tiredly. “Yes and no. Just…I don’t want to talk about it, Ry.
Say good-bye and thanks to Rio for me. I’m gonna be off.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Ivory looked concerned, but much to Lowell’s relief, he nodded.

“Call me tomorrow. We’ll have lunch.”

Lowell nodded, idly thinking that by tomorrow, he might be over

the numbness and would need a shoulder to cry on. Ivory was a good
guy, for a fox, and a good friend. Not that Lowell would cry. Of
course he wouldn’t. He hadn’t cried in years, not since before leaving
the Goldwin orphanage. Wait. Had he cried when he’d been there? He
couldn’t remember. He must have, at one point. Being an orphan
wasn’t fun.

He waved good-bye to his friend then headed toward his car. He

retrieved his keys and got into the vehicle. For a few moments, he
rested his head on the steering wheel. What now? He’d been counting
on somehow managing to change Raven’s mind regarding their
relationship. There was no chance of that happening after tonight.

Still in a daze, he started the car and drove in the general direction

of his condo. The trip was completely a blur. At one point, he realized
he’d passed his street and had to turn, but he didn’t particularly mind.
The delay did him good. What did he have to go home to? An empty
apartment he couldn’t afford and a million financial records he
couldn’t make heads or tails of. The firm was going under. There was
no chance of avoiding it now, but Lowell would have preferred it if
they at least managed to get enough money to pay the staff their last
salaries. As it was, the money had gone in the accounts and
disappeared shortly after. It was yet another horrifyingly huge
problem that Lowell didn’t want to think about. Someone had been
stealing from them, and he needed to figure out who. Perhaps
focusing on the issue would help keep his mind off Raven. He
certainly hoped so because he didn’t have a chance of doing anything
different. It was either that or getting drunk out of his mind, which
wouldn’t be easy since he couldn’t afford to waste the money he’d
need to buy the quantity of liquor necessary to intoxicate him.
Sometimes, S.S.E.X sucked.

The Wolf and the Raven

49

He snickered hysterically as that thought passed through his mind.

Well, sex with Raven never sucked, even if it had ended their
relationship. The entire situation was, however, a mess, and one
Lowell couldn’t get out of.

Fuck it. What was this defeatist crap? He’d never been one to give

up easily, and Raven was too important to just surrender the battle.
Okay, so Lowell had fucked up tonight. He needed to let a little time
pass and then try again. Eventually, perhaps he could get through to
Raven. In the meantime, he would figure out who in the world was
robbing their firm blind.

He was still musing over this as he reached his building and drove

into the parking lot. Mentally, he reviewed the records he’d been
studying just earlier that day, frustrated with himself when his brain
refused to cooperate and instead conjured images of Raven. Beautiful,
furious Raven, well fucked, so close and yet so far away.

Gritting his teeth, Lowell got out of his car and took the elevator

up to his apartment. The condo was everything he’d expected, dark
and lonely. As soon as he locked the door, he poured himself a glass
of whisky and downed it in a few greedy gulps. It wouldn’t help him
much, but it was something.

Finally, he went up to his bedroom and booted up his laptop. As

the operating system loaded, Lowell toed off his shoes and threw off
his shirt and pants. They smelled like Raven and would distract and
torture him needlessly. He pulled a pair of loose shorts on and sat
down, fully intending to start reviewing the financial reports again, or
maybe even the personnel files. Due to his important position in the
firm, he had leeway in doing so, although he feared what he would
find. If someone was truly robbing them, it would probably be a
higher-up. If so, Lowell had to be careful. There was no telling what
trouble he could get into.

Lowell shrugged to himself, deciding it didn’t matter. He’d never

been afraid of anything—well, except losing Raven, and that had
happened anyway. He wouldn’t cower without even knowing what

50

Scarlet Hyacinth

exactly the records hid. He owed it to his staff to find out who was
stealing their money.

He opened the first file and was just starting to look through the

numbers when the doorbell rang. Lowell frowned. Who could it be at
this hour? He entertained a brief hope that it might be Raven, but he
knew better than to truly believe that. Besides, he’d have sensed
Raven’s approach had his lover come here.

Lowell abandoned his laptop, increasingly intrigued. From what

his senses told him, whoever his visitors were—there seemed to be
more than one person—he hadn’t met them before. It was odd,
especially since the security of the building didn’t let just anyone in.

Alarm bells rang in Lowell’s mind, but he ignored them. This was

his home, at least for a while longer, and he had no reason to hide.

With that thought in mind, Lowell opened the condo door. The

first thing he saw was a shiny badge. “NYPD,” a male voice said.
“Lowell Kingston?”

Lowell nodded numbly. The officer with the badge just stared at

him blankly. “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain
silent. Everything you say can and—”

The world collapsed around Lowell, and he couldn’t even hear the

rest of what the man was saying. He allowed the police officer to cuff
him and drag him out. All the while, he could only think about Raven
and how angry the man had been. Would he ever see Raven again?
Somehow, Lowell doubted it.

The Wolf and the Raven

51

Chapter Three

Darkness. Voices screaming. People laughing. The void closing in

on him. He had no air, and there was no place to run. Raven tried to
find a way out, but he couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t
know where he was or who was after him. He tried to run, but he
crashed into a wall, cold as ice, just like Raven’s heart. And then,
there were more walls crowding around him, squeezing him into a
tight box of pain and abandonment. Raven screamed, futilely trying to
claw at the unforgiving bricks.

And then, pain struck him, and the wall in front of him started to

shudder. Suddenly, Raven was propelled back into reality. The first
thing he became aware of was a desperate voice shouting his name.
“Rav, wake up.”

Raven blinked and rubbed the dizziness from his eyes. Avery’s

concerned face appeared in front of him. “Avery?”

Avery let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. You were having a

dream, and we couldn’t wake you.

Not a dream. A nightmare. Raven shuddered as remnants of it

slithered through his memory and pushed away the thought, focusing
on the real world instead. Avery looked pale, and he was trembling.
Next to Avery, Maddox appeared. He handed Raven a towel and a
shirt. “You should probably change,” the wolf said.

It was only in that moment that Raven realized he was sopping

wet. Avery and Maddox must have tried to wake him by splashing
him with water. His jaw throbbed with an already dwindling pain.
“Did you hit me?” he asked Maddox.

Maddox shrugged. “It worked, didn’t it?”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

There was no apology in Maddox’s words, but plenty of veiled

concern. The nightmare must have been worse than Raven originally
thought. “Thanks,” he said, the roughness of his own voice startling
him. “I think I’ll be fine now.” He gave his friends a look full of
meaning, more than ever needing to be alone.

Avery didn’t look convinced, but allowed Maddox to drag him out

of the room. As soon as they were gone, Raven allowed himself to fall
back on the bed. The sheets were wet, but he couldn’t be bothered
with changing them. Tonight had been such a disaster. He’d allowed
Lowell to fuck him, and he’d been a step away from being claimed by
the man. He knew how intense Wallace’s connection with Blue was,
and he could only imagine what would have happened had Lowell
managed to do what he planned. A small part of him wished he hadn’t
stopped it in time, but at the same time, he knew the truth. A real
bond couldn’t be based on deception and distrust, and at the moment,
it was the only thing he and Lowell had.

Was that the reason behind the strange dream? Raven couldn’t

imagine how his subconscious had connected the otherwise satisfying
fuck with such a horrible nightmare. Christ, would this day never
end?

Idly, he looked at the clock on the wall. It was a little over four in

the morning. If he went to bed now, he’d just stare at the ceiling for
three hours, then wake up to fuel himself with a hefty dose of
caffeine. He could also try to work on a new project. It might distract
him. But neither of the options were appealing, and the least
appealing one of all was actually sleeping and having that nightmare
again.

He was still considering what to do when his cell phone rang. He

recognized the number of the Goldwin orphanage. Immediately,
alarm coursed through him. Doc rarely called him, just on special
occasions or in case something bad happened. Raven had the feeling
this particular call would be caused by the latter option.

Dread pooling in his veins, he pressed the accept button. “Hello?”

The Wolf and the Raven

53

“Hi, Rav,” a masculine voice said. For a confusing moment,

Raven couldn’t place it. Then he realized it belonged to Doc’s twin,
Ford, confirming what Raven had already known to be the case. There
was something wrong.

“I’m afraid I have bad news,” Ford said. “Lowell’s been arrested.”
“Arrested?” Raven repeated, dumbfounded. “When? How?

Why?”

“Tonight,” Ford replied. “We don’t have the exact details yet, but

we thought you’d like to know.”

Raven took a deep breath, struggling for control. Tonight,

probably just hours after Raven had told Lowell to fuck off. What had
happened? Had Lowell done something wrong? But what? Lowell
had a harsh temperament, but Raven couldn’t imagine him blowing
off steam on some innocent bystander because Raven had refused
him.

“Where is he being held?” he asked Ford.
“Station fourteen.”
“I know where it is.” Raven immediately started rummaging

through his closet in search of a respectable outfit. “I’m on my way.”

“Winnie and I will meet you there,” Ford replied. “Don’t worry,

Rav. We’ll get him out.”

As he cut the connection, Raven couldn’t help but recall the

dream. It hadn’t been about their fight, after all. It must have
something to do with Lowell’s imprisonment. It was somewhat
unsettling that Lowell’s situation would transfer into Raven’s
nightmares, but right then and there, Raven couldn’t bring himself to
care about that. In spite of his differences with Lowell, he still cared
about the wolf greatly, and he would not allow Lowell to be alone in
this. No matter what happened, he’d somehow find a way to free
Lowell from his imprisonment.

* * * *

54

Scarlet Hyacinth

It was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. There was no other

explanation Lowell could come up that would possibly make sense.

No, that was a lie. He knew exactly what had happened. He’d

been digging into the wrong files, or rather the right ones, in his
search for the thief. Whoever was behind the problem at the firm must
have caught wind of it, and now, Lowell had become a convenient
scapegoat for the crime. It pissed him off that he hadn’t expected this,
that he hadn’t been more careful. He’d just been so distracted with
trying to get Raven back that the true ramifications of his inquiries at
the firm hadn’t fully registered.

They were really registering now, though. He’d been fingerprinted

and photographed like any other crook, and then led into a filthy jail
cell. The only positive thing about the situation was that the cell in
question was empty, something he found unlikely, but nevertheless a
relief. He’d also been allowed his one call, and while his entire being
had screamed to contact Raven, if only to hear the other man’s voice,
he’d called Doc instead. The Goldwins had the clout and the money
needed to get him out of here. In the end, it wasn’t only about him. If
someone decided to take a sample of his blood for analysis, the
findings could jeopardize the lives of everyone with the syndrome,
including Raven and the children at the orphanage. Lowell would
never forgive himself if that happened.

Alone in his jail cell, he reviewed the potential culprits for his

predicament. Mary Testa, the human resources manager, would know
about his ongoing investigation. Then there was the CEO, of course,
James Gilpin. Gilpin had been the one who’d put Lowell in charge of
this job in the first place. The marketing director, Karl Brook, was
also a potential suspect since he’d handed several files to Lowell. Of
course, to that he would have to add all the admins, including
Lowell’s own assistant, Melissa Fee. In fact, Lowell’s investigation
would probably be common knowledge among the firm’s leadership,
so he had no way of knowing who’d put him into this situation.

The Wolf and the Raven

55

He needed a lawyer, and a damn good one, to look into who had

reported him in the first place and why. He was counting on Doc and
Ford for that. He was also counting on the fact that his supposed
crime, being of a financial nature, would not necessarily trap him
behind bars, not if he paid a bail. Of course, it depended on how high
the bail itself would be, but Lowell would deal with that problem once
it appeared.

He didn’t know how long he’d been in his cell when two guards

approached. One of them opened the door. “Come on. Someone paid
your bail.”

So soon? Thank God. Doc and Ford must have come through for

him. Lowell shot to his feet and left the cell after the guard. Still, a
niggling feeling of wrongness beat at the back of his skull. No one
had come to see him. Other than the fingerprinting process, they’d
ignored him completely. They hadn’t asked any questions or even told
him much about his supposed crime. Hell, for all he knew, this was all
just a huge mistake and had nothing to do with the firm. But it was
too strange, and Lowell suddenly had the urge to return to the cell.

The wolf inside him rebelled, though. His beast craved freedom,

and there was nothing worse for him than being trapped like that. So
Lowell went with it, following behind the more talkative guard, while
the second one trailed after him. It was so quiet. That couldn’t be
normal. There were plenty of prisoners here. Lowell had heard them
shouting and cursing earlier. There was nothing like that now, just the
occasional moan.

Paying close attention to his surroundings, Lowell walked slowly,

his bad feeling growing worse by the second. At one point, he felt an
increasing tension, and he stole a look at the guard behind him.

Before he even knew what was going on, a heavy baton hit him in

the back. “Stop him,” the guard in the front shouted. “He’s trying to
get away.”

What the fuck? He was trying no such thing. If he’d wanted to do

that, he wouldn’t have come willingly to the prison in the first place.

56

Scarlet Hyacinth

Not to mention that he hadn’t intended anything of the like at all. He
meant to get out of here legally.

But apparently, the guards didn’t think the same. Even if the strike

had taken him by surprise, Lowell got to his feet, analyzing his
opponents. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they planned. For
whatever reason, he was inconvenient, and they meant to get rid of
him. Well, Lowell wouldn’t go down without a fight. If they wanted
to pretend he was attempting to flee, he might as well play along, but
succeed.

However, they must have been crazier than he’d originally

thought, or more afraid. Before he even realized what was going on,
one of the guards retrieved a gun. Without a second’s hesitation, he
pressed the trigger. In close quarters, Lowell had nowhere to go, and
when the bullet hit him, the first thing he felt was not pain, but shock.
He was only a financial analyst. He was not important enough to get
shot over conspiracies that made no sense.

That thought lasted for about two seconds, or at least, as long as it

took for the pain to hit. And then, another bullet hit him, and
everything went black.

* * * *

Raven paced through the waiting room of the police station, an

increasing feeling of doom coursing through him. He’d have chalked
it up to irrational panic, except that nightmare had turned out to be
very real.

According to what they’d found at here, Lowell was accused of

appropriating funds from the firm he worked at. It was a serious
charge, but Raven didn’t believe Lowell would have done that for a
minute. Now, they just needed to prove it.

Doc’s small hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed tightly.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “We pulled some strings. We’ll get him
out tonight.”

The Wolf and the Raven

57

Raven turned toward her, her words providing a small measure of

comfort. Doc—or by her full name, Winnifred Goldwin—had always
been there to help the orphans growing up at the institution founded
by her parents. Like Raven, she and her twin, Rutherford, suffered
from S.S.E.X., the syndrome that allowed them to shift into various
animals. She’d been like the big sister Raven had never had, and he
trusted her and Ford with his life. But did he trust her with Lowell’s
as well? He didn’t know, and it scared him.

Thankfully, the Goldwins were a very old family, with a lot of

connections. In fact, it was Ford’s job to deal with situations like
these that directly or indirectly jeopardized the secrecy of their
existence. But all practical considerations aside, they continuously
worked to help each other, and for that reason, he shouldn’t doubt
them. Still, he was very afraid. He couldn’t shake the feeling that
something would go wrong, that Lowell, the man he loved, in spite of
everything, would end up hurt.

After what seemed like forever, Ford showed up, his expression

utterly unreadable. “I called in a couple of favors and got a lawyer
friend of mine to wake up a judge. They set bail. It’s a lot, but we can
afford it. ”

“How much?” Raven couldn’t help but ask.
“Five thousand.” Ford shrugged. “It could have been worse. We

don’t have that kind of money on us, but I can go get it. The lawyer’s
on his way here now.”

“We’ll stay here and wait,” Doc offered.
“Hurry,” Raven had to add. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Ford just nodded, although Raven doubted the man had

understood the full extent of his bad feeling. After all, he couldn’t
exactly be in a great mood when his lover was in jail. But there was
more to it than that, and Raven wished he could explain it more
eloquently.

Instead, he allowed Ford to go, knowing that each second counted.

Tired and frightened, he plopped down on a chair, idly scanning the

58

Scarlet Hyacinth

other people in the room. So much human misery. So much fear and
anger. There were people shouting and cursing, others sobbing,
background noise for the increasing terror in Raven’s mind.

Doc sat next to him and took his hand, and for a while, they just

waited there without speaking. There was nothing more they could
do, not without the legal representative. Raven wanted to tell her
about the nightmare, but the words were clogged in his throat. He
clenched his fists, impotent fury mixing with the fear. His fingernails
dug into his flesh, and he welcomed the slight pain. God, he shouldn’t
be sitting here like an imbecile. He should be busting Lowell out, by
force if necessary.

“Rav?” Doc’s soft voice called out, breaking through the haze of

anger. “Breathe, honey. You won’t help Lowell if you give us away.”

It was only then that Raven realized his nails had turned into

talons. Hastily, he struggled to control his inner animal, and he found
it harder than he expected. Raven had never experienced trouble with
it before, but somehow, it didn’t surprise him that his control would
be frayed in these circumstances.

All of a sudden, his odd premonition increased tenfold. Raven got

up, confused as to what he should do about it. He knew he had to act,
to reach his lover someone. Lowell was so close, he could feel it. He
took a few steps in a direction his instinct chose for him, ignoring
Doc’s startled exclamation. He didn’t get the chance to reach his
destination.

Pain exploded through him, first manageable, a solid, dull ache.

He tried to ignore it and rush forward, but then a more invasive,
burning agony swept through him. Once. Twice. Raven’s world
melted into darkness, a darkness he just barely managed to escape.

He collapsed to the floor, and the next thing he knew, Doc was

there, trying to get him to react. “Rav! Rav, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Lowell,” he barely managed to say. “Something’s happened

to Lowell.”

The Wolf and the Raven

59

She must have believed him. How could she not? Even if she

hadn’t been aware before of the extent of Raven’s affection for
Lowell, she certainly was now. But what could they do? Normal
humans couldn’t understand such a bond. So far, they hadn’t been
able to figure out where it even came from, not to mention that the
research had pushed Doc’s sister, Charity, into extreme violence.

To Raven, none of that mattered now. He struggled to his feet,

dizzy with the pain, just needing to get to his lover’s side. It was only
because Winnifred was there that he managed not to fall over.

Alarmed people were everywhere, and somehow, Raven knew

their panic wasn’t caused by his situation. Suddenly, there were police
officers rushing to an off-limits area, in the direction where Raven
knew Lowell would be.

And then, Raven saw him. Several men brought an unconscious,

bleeding Lowell out. He looked, for lack of a better word, dead. The
world cracked around Raven’s vision, and he thought he’d have died
himself there had something inside him not told him that Lowell still
lived. Lowell was too strong to give up just like that.

He heard a keening sound, like a screech, but not quite. After a

few seconds, he realized he was the one making it, but he only
managed to stop as the men carrying Lowell drew closer.

As fast as he could—which turned out to be quite slow in his

pained condition—he intercepted them. “What happened?” he asked.
“Where are you taking him?”

One of the men pushed him away. A different time, it wouldn’t

have been so easy, but Raven’s entire body was struggling to control
the pain. Even being on his feet was on effort. “Please stay back,” the
guard said. “He will receive medical attention, and you will be
notified of his condition later.”

A furious Doc appeared by his side. “You can’t do this,” she

shouted. “I will have you punished for any harm that comes to him.”

Whether they heard her or not, they didn’t pay her any heed. It

was staggering, and everything inside Raven begged to go with them,

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Scarlet Hyacinth

to at least be at Lowell’s side. But even as he tried to do so, there
were more officers pushing him away, and Raven wanted to scratch
their eyes out, to kill them for hurting Lowell.

But then, Doc was there, pulling him aside with a strength that

belied her smaller stature, and Raven fell, dazed and lost, angry and
frightened, wanting to fight back, but lacking the power. “Shh,” Doc
whispered. “Shh. We’ll get him back. Calm down.”

It was easy for her to say. It wasn’t her lover being dragged off

bloody and maybe dying. Just the thought had him struggling to his
feet again, but his vision was already starting to dim. Doc pushed him
back down. “You’re not helping him by acting like this,” she
murmured. “If someone sees your talons, we’ll be in big trouble. Do
you really want to risk Lowell like that?”

It was the only thing that could have mellowed him down in his

condition. He suppressed his terror and anger, shutting it all inside
him. It was as painful as the physical agony, but he did it. Finally,
there was no more risk of him accidentally betraying Doc, and most
of all, Lowell. He managed to give Doc a weak nod, and he registered
her pained expression before he finally surrendered to the blackness.

The Wolf and the Raven

61

Chapter Four

A steady beep was the first thing he heard, then a harsh, labored

breathing he recognized as his own. As he cracked his eyes open, the
sight of the white ceiling somehow didn’t surprise him. He
remembered being held in the cells at the station, the guards coming
in and…And what? Fuck. They’d shot him. Why? He couldn’t recall.

“Lowell, are you awake?”
Doc’s pretty face appeared above him. He considered pretending

to be asleep. God only knew he didn’t feel capable of replying. But
he’d never been one to roll over and show his belly.

Gritting his teeth, he nodded and experimentally tried to speak.

“What happened?” he asked. Other than the obvious, of course. How
had Doc managed to get him out of prison? The situation really had
the potential of being dangerous for other people with the syndrome,
just like he’d anticipated.

Raven’s dark eyes flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t help

a choked sound. “Raven? Where’s Raven?”

Doc immediately looked uncomfortable, and a wave of panic

washed over Lowell. Had Raven refused to come see him? Lowell
would be hurt if that was the case, but he preferred it to an alternative
that would mean Raven being hurt. “Doc?” he insisted.

“Raven was hit very hard by your injury,” Doc said. When Lowell

made a move to get up, Doc pushed him back down. “Don’t worry.
He suffered quite a shock, but he’s awake and he’ll probably come to
see you soon.”

“So he’s not hurt?” Lowell croaked out.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Doc shook her head. “Not really, no. There’s nothing physically

wrong with him, but he seems to feel your pain. The best thing you
can do for him is to feel better soon.”

The words were meant to be encouraging, and in a sense, they

were. However, Lowell realized all too well what they meant. He’d
thought his unsuccessful bite would have no consequences, but
apparently, he’d been wrong. He remembered how the bond had
worked between Wallace and Blue, and this was frighteningly similar.

Before he could berate himself further, the door opened. Raven

walked in, looking pale and strained, but otherwise pretty much okay.
Of course, he wasn’t walking on his own, but using the support of his
friend, Wallace.

The agony that assaulted Lowell upon seeing them together went

beyond the physical one he could now remember. He must have taken
painkillers for that because it had dimmed into a dull ache. Not so
with the torture shredding his soul to pieces. It was like having a knife
ripping out a fresh wound. How could Raven be so cruel?

Perhaps Raven had sensed his plight because he broke away from

Wallace and rushed to Lowell’s side. He seemed quite steady on his
feet, which relieved Lowell greatly. Raven knelt next to the bed and
grabbed Lowell’s hand. “How do you feel?” he asked, his eyes
earnest and concerned.

Doc gently ushered him away. “He only just recovered, Rav. You

shouldn’t force him to speak.”

Raven instantly released Lowell’s hand. “Of course.” Raven

looked horrified, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that he could hurt
Lowell. And naturally, he couldn’t, not physically at least. “I’m
sorry.”

Lowell grabbed his wrist, preventing his lover from moving.

“Stay. I feel much better when you’re here.”

It sounded somewhat pathetic even to his own ears, and he hated

that Wallace was there to witness it. He hated the thought that Raven
would agree to his plea out of pity even more. And still, in spite of

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63

that resentment, he was tremendously relieved when Raven nodded
and sat on the bad.

“We can’t be here for much longer,” Doc reminded him. “You’re

still under arrest.”

Great. Just fucking great. Lowell had completely forgotten about

the mess that had gotten him in this hospital bed in the first place. “I
didn’t do it,” he said. “I didn’t try to escape.”

“That’s going to be impossible to prove,” Wallace piped up.

“What about the other thing? The fraud?”

Coming from Wallace, the words were even more infuriating than

they should have been. “No,” he said between gritted teeth. “Someone
was stealing money at the firm. I was investigating it when this whole
thing happened.”

To his surprise, Wallace just nodded. “Any clue as to who could

have done it?”

“Someone at the head of the firm,” Lowell replied. The painkillers

were wearing off, and the strain of talking so much was getting to
him. “There are files on my laptop with everything I was looking
into.”

“All your relevant possessions have been confiscated as

evidence,” Raven said. “Hell, they even searched my place after I
freaked out at the station.”

“Fuck.” Lowell knew how much value Raven placed on his

privacy, and it would have been horrible for him to have all his
computers combed through, destroyed. “I’m sorry.”

Raven cupped his cheek gently. “Not your fault. None of this is

your fault.”

For a few moments, Lowell just stared into Raven’s deep black

eyes. There was affection there, perhaps even love. Maybe he hadn’t
fucked it all up. Maybe after all this was over—if it was ever over—
they could still salvage something from their relationship.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

The moment broke when Wallace cleared his throat. Lowell

immediately glared at him. Hadn’t the man done enough damage to
his relationship with Raven? What more did he want?

“We’re starting an investigation on who’s behind your

imprisonment,” Wallace said. “I figured you wouldn’t have tried to
escape, so that must have been planned, too. Doc managed to get you
to this private hospital, so prolong your stay as much as you can and
don’t do anything stupid.”

Lowell was irritated by Wallace’s phrasing, but Raven gave him a

pleading look, stopping him from commenting. In a way, Lowell
wasn’t surprised by Wallace’s no-nonsense approach. After all, the
other wolf was a detective, and he would be familiar with how these
things worked.

“Thanks,” he muttered begrudgingly.
All of a sudden, Lowell spotted a pretty, blue butterfly flying into

the room. Before his very eyes, it turned into Wallace’s lover. “We
have to go,” Blue said urgently. “The guard is coming back to his
post. And there are other people with him. It’s bad news.”

It took a few moments for Lowell to figure out Wallace and

Raven really shouldn’t have been here. Blue had probably been tasked
with distracting whoever had been guarding the door, but their brief
respite was over now.

Raven pressed his lips to Lowell’s briefly, and as much as Lowell

had wanted to lose himself in the kiss, it broke far too soon. Lowell
would have loved to just keep Raven there forever, but his lover got
up, obviously readying himself to leave. Then, as if remembering
something, Raven turned toward him once again. “One more thing
before we go,” he said. “What are your password and username for
your computer system at work?”

For a few moments, Lowell just stared. “My password and

username? Why? You’re not planning to break into my office, are
you?”

“We might have to,” Wallace said calmly.

The Wolf and the Raven

65

Lowell shook his head. “No. I won’t allow it. I won’t risk Raven

over this.”

Raven gave him a pained looked. “Please, Lowell. We don’t have

much time.”

When Lowell stubbornly remained silent, Raven glowered at him.

“If you don’t give it to me, we’ll just have to find another harder,
riskier way.”

Judging by the decision in Raven’s tone, Lowell knew his lover

would do it. Sighing, he yielded to the inevitable. “The password is
thewolfandtheraven.lr. The username is easy. LowellKingston.” He
spelled everything for Raven, acutely aware of the emotional
significance of the words in the password. No one commented on it,
however, although Lowell caught a flash of emotion in Raven’s eyes.

“Thanks,” Raven said. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Once more, Lowell was helpless to keep Raven by his side.

Frustrated, angry, and in pain, he watched as Wallace dragged Raven
out of the room. Blue shifted back into his butterfly form and
followed after them. The door closed behind them, leaving Lowell
alone with Doc.

“So what now?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “Now you play dead and let us handle things.”
Unfortunately, Lowell knew she was right. He closed his eyes and

forced himself to calm down his racing heart. It wasn’t easy,
especially with knowing what Raven planned, but he managed. Just in
time, too, because moments later, the door opened again, and this
time, it wasn’t Raven.

* * * *

There were still people in the firm that had employed Lowell. In

fact, lots of staff didn’t seem alarmed in the slightest. Perhaps they
hadn’t all been notified of Lowell’s arrest. It seemed that only those
on Lowell’s floor were aware anything was wrong at all.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Raven eyed the skyscraper, considering his approach. Unlike with

hotels or apartment buildings, it was far harder to justify the presence
of a usually solitary bird around here. Besides, this particular bird had
a black flash drive bound to his neck. It would draw attention, so he
needed to get in and out fast.

Blue would have been better for slipping into the building, but

they were relying on Raven’s skill with computers to help them hack
into whatever files lay hidden within the firm’s systems. He hoped
that, with the help of the handy code breaker on the drive and
Lowell’s username and password, he’d be able to do it. He had a
couple of names as a starting point, and it was those computers he’d
need to hack into.

Before the recession, Gilpin and Sons had been one of the most

influential businesses in insurance in the city. During his relationship
with Lowell, Raven had known the firm had problems, but he’d never
quite realized the depth of them. If only he’d looked into it then,
perhaps he’d have been able to help. Too late for regrets now, but not
too late to do something about it.

By some miracle, he spotted a window open. Raven would have

sighed in relief if he’d been able to in his shifted form. Instead, he
flew toward the window and eyed the office beyond him. It was
empty.

He wouldn’t be able to do much of anything during office hours.

He knew that much. Still, to a certain extent, he was in luck since the
offices themselves didn’t have video surveillance after hours. All he
had to do was wait.

Raven had always loved his shifting abilities, but now even more

so. He flew into the office and hopped under the desk, using his black
plumage to the best of his advantage. It would be a bit harder to cloak
the drive, but he’d chosen a matte, black one on purpose, so it
wouldn’t be visible against his feathers. Thankfully, the table was one
of those huge, antique things, and not a minimalistic, modern one, so

The Wolf and the Raven

67

often found in business firms. It provided him with enough space to
find a reasonable cover.

He found the optimum position just in time. He heard the door

open, and then footsteps approached. A man sat at the desk, his legs
stretching just inches from Raven. For a few moments, Raven almost
feared he would be discovered, but his hiding place kept the man from
touching him. Raven settled in and patiently waited.

Time flew while the stranger seemingly worked at his desk. Raven

heard the man’s fingers flying over the keyboard of his computer.
Combined with the light tapping of his right foot, it made for quite an
irritating symphony. Still, on the whole, Raven surmised that so far,
the operation was going well. He wondered how the others were
doing. Wallace and Blue were supposed to be looking into what had
happened at the station, while Lowell’s friend, Ivory, investigated
Lowell’s colleagues, going by the assumption that they might,
eventually, have to sneak in there, too. Thankfully, Lowell’s lawyer
had managed to help Doc in squeezing a permit for private
hospitalization out of the judge, so Lowell wasn’t in immediate
danger. Still, Raven remembered Blue’s words from earlier, and he
knew it was only a matter of time until whoever wanted to get rid of
Lowell burst through that barrier as well.

In Raven’s opinion, it was all quite easy. The thief had wanted a

scapegoat, and Lowell was apparently the perfect choice. An orphan,
with few friends and no important connections in the business world
that he could make use of. Or at least, it was what he seemed. But
upon Doc’s and Ford’s appearances, the situation had changed,
leading to the guards’ hasty attempt to get rid of Lowell.

But there was something else that bothered Raven. The

determination with which the mysterious thief pursued Lowell
contradicted the apparent lassitude that allowed Doc to stay by his
side and, essentially, guard him. Not only that, but even if Lowell was
an orphan, the Goldwins were an important family, and anyone who’d
have dug deeper into Lowell’s past would have figured out it wasn’t

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that simple to get rid of Lowell. There was something more involved,
something Raven couldn’t quite put his finger on. But what?

He sat there, waiting in silence and ruminating over these

questions. Most of all, he thought about Lowell, about how pale and
fragile the wolf had looked in the hospital bed. It had just about
broken Raven’s heart to have to leave his lover, but he knew he didn’t
have a choice. All their differences seemed petty now, and Raven
wished he’d taken the time to listen to Lowell the day before, to find
out why Lowell had really wanted him to come to the club. But as
soon as this was over, he’d fix it. They’d find a way to mend their
broken relationship. If anything, it seemed that the bite Lowell had
given him provided them with a stronger bond. Even if, the day
before, it had made Raven feel angry and used, he was now more than
a little thankful for it. Even if it was distracting, erratic, and hard to
control, at least the link kept Raven aware of Lowell’s general
condition. He’d have been beside himself with worry just waiting
here, not knowing whether Lowell’s state had suddenly taken a turn
for the worse.

Time flew with Raven lost in his thoughts. He noticed the lighting

change in the office as daylight surrendered to nighttime.
Occasionally, the man took a couple of breaks, allowing Raven to
move around a bit as well. He didn’t leave his hiding spot though, and
his patience was rewarded when at last, something unexpected
happened.

The door opened once again, and the sound of high heels muffled

by the carpeting indicated the presence of a woman. “I told you not to
come here,” the man said.

“I had to come,” the new arrival said, her voice apologetic. “What

happened? No one will tell me anything.”

“It’s none of your concern,” the man said. “He was arrested and is

being taken care of as we speak.”

Raven’s blood went cold in his veins. It seemed fate had

unexpectedly smiled at him. There was no question as to who they

The Wolf and the Raven

69

were talking about. Suddenly, his own quiet breathing seemed very
loud and he could hear his talons scratching against the soft carpet.
The other occupants of the room, however, were completely
oblivious.

“But will it work?” the woman asked. “I’m scared. He’s

not…normal.”

The man sighed. “I know. We’re dealing with it, Melissa. I

explained to you already that it’s a process. His friends were faster
than we expected, but it’s not a bad thing.” The almost put-out
attitude vanished, dissolving into a dark chuckle. “You should have
seen the fit his whore had at the section.”

“Was it bad?” Melissa asked, sounding curious.
“It was disgusting.” There was a sort of evil fascination in the

man’s voice. “The images aren’t really clear, but I swear I saw talons
on the guy.”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. So, in the end, it wasn’t about

the money, or only about the money. Somehow, these guys had found
out about Lowell’s shape-shifting abilities.

How much did they know, really? Were they aware of the

importance of the orphanage? They must be, if they were aware of
Doc and Ford’s involvement and had seen recordings of Raven’s
unpleasant visit at the police station. But did they know all of them
were shape-shifters, or did they think their abilities were more sedate?
Their behavior so far suggested the latter option since, had they
realized Lowell was a shape-shifter, they would have been more
careful with the security of the building, including conveniently open
windows.

For a few moments, Raven doubted if his own presence here

hadn’t been orchestrated by this man. Mentally shaking himself, he
chalked the idea up to paranoia. These people had no reason to reveal
anything of their plans to Raven. They just hadn’t figured out the
extent of Lowell’s abilities, or those of Raven and their friends. That
was an advantage Raven could and would exploit.

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Still oblivious to his presence, the two continued their

conversation. “Talons?” Melissa repeated in disbelief. “I suppose I
shouldn’t be surprised since I’ve seen Lowell with claws, but still…”

She’d seen Lowell. Where? When? It was unlike Lowell to be so

careless. This needed more looking into, but for the moment, it was
quite clear they were in a lot of trouble.

“I know,” the man said. “But, my dear, this is a good thing. Think

about how much we can discover by analyzing them. We’ll regain
everything this firm had lost. We’ll rebuild. It won’t be easy to
capture all of them, but we can do it.”

“If you say so, Karl. I believe you.”
Raven registered the name of the man and made a mental note to

analyze his movements in more detail. Karl Brook and Melissa Fee,
the marketing director and Lowell’s assistant. They’d been in the
preliminary preparation files Wallace had provided Raven with.

He was practically buzzing with tension, and he thought that any

moment now, he would be discovered. But no such thing happened.
Karl ushered Melissa out of the office and sat down at the desk. As
she left, Karl stretched his legs and chuckled. “Oh, Lowell. If you
only knew what’s in store for you.”

Raven had the urge to peck Karl’s eyes out, but he managed to

suppress it. Thankfully, the man didn’t linger much longer at work. A
little while later, Raven heard him shutting down his computer then
gathering his things. Finally, the door opened and closed and the
sound of departing footsteps told Raven Karl had gone.

Still, he refused to take a stupid risk and waited under the desk for

a while longer. The tick-tock of the clock was so loud in the silence of
the office. It gave Raven a strange feeling of detachment, and he half
expected that the door would burst open, shattering the illusion.

But as minutes flew by, Raven was finally convinced he’d been

left alone. He couldn’t risk waiting for much longer. The cleaning
crew would show up, and they’d be harder to avoid.

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71

With that in mind, Raven hopped out from under the desk and

used his beak to dislodge the tiny flash drive. First task done, he
shifted back into his legged form. He hastily booted up Karl’s
computer and tapped his foot impatiently while the system loaded. He
stopped himself in irritation when he realized he was doing the same
thing Karl had done earlier.

Squelching his annoyance and anxiety, Raven focused on the

now-running computer. He was not surprised when it demanded a
password. He’d been prepared for it, which was why he’d brought the
code breaker in the first place.

Honestly, Raven would have preferred having access to Lowell’s

computer system and hacking into the server from there with Lowell’s
password. It was too soon for the systems people to have Lowell’s
access removed, especially if Karl didn’t consider it urgent. However,
Lowell’s work station had been confiscated along with all the other IT
equipment Lowell owned. Raven’s own computers had narrowly
escaped the same fate, but only because of the intervention of the
lawyer hired by Doc. It seemed Raven’s relationship with Lowell
made him a possible accomplice. However, the officers hadn’t been
able to get a hold of anything conclusive to even question Raven on,
which was a very good thing since otherwise, he wouldn’t have been
able to be here in the first place.

Raven inserted the flash drive in the computer system and

watched as the code breaker did its job. The program was meant to
work around the firewalls to avoid tripping alarms, access the server
by using Lowell’s password and username, and from there hack into
any other computer. If that didn’t work, it would start trying to find all
combinations of passwords, but that could take hours, time Raven
might not have at his disposal.

Thankfully, he’d been right about the laziness of the systems

workers. Lowell’s information did the trick, and the code breaker
bypassed the password on Karl’s computer.

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Sighing in relief, Raven now started the second part of the plan. It

was highly unlikely that anyone would keep suspicious files on a
work station, but all Raven needed was a clue, some sort of lead as to
where the money had disappeared or what Karl intended regarding
Lowell. It would have also been very nice if he could check other PCs
as well, particularly that of the CEO, but he didn’t think he could get
away with that without alerting the security systems that something
was wrong. Perhaps if he had time after leaving Karl’s office, he’d try
it.

Raven browsed through the files on Karl’s computer, desperately

wishing he at least knew what he was looking for. He opened all sorts
of databases and documents, but he couldn’t be sure which were
relevant and which not. Finally, he took a decision. It would be
riskier, and it would cancel out all opportunities for further
investigation, at least tonight. But Raven had faith that something
from Karl’s files could provide the necessary lead.

He gave the appropriate command, ordering the flash drive to

copy all the contents of the disk. It was a time-consuming process,
and Raven bit his lip, wishing he’d have waited until the cleaning
crew did their job and left. He could have found shelter on the lamp or
something. Fuck, it wouldn’t have worked, and it wouldn’t work now
if the staff decided to show up.

The progress bar moved excruciatingly slow. While he waited,

Raven decided to take a look over the physical documents lying
around. Predictably, he didn’t find anything relevant. He checked the
computer again, biting his lip anxiously as it approached completion.

Ninety-one percent. A light shone at the other side of the corridor.

Oh, no. Someone was looking into the offices, perhaps security or
cleaning. Ninety-two percent. A vacuum cleaner sounded in the
distance. Seconds ticked by while Raven wildly debated just grabbing
the flash drive and fleeing. He risked corrupting a good part of the
information and losing the one he hadn’t managed to copy yet. Just a
while longer. He’d wait for a bit longer.

The Wolf and the Raven

73

Ninety-five percent. Raven could hear the whistle of a man

coming in. Ninety-six. Come on. Come on. He was on ninety-nine
percent just as footsteps started approaching. Fuck. If the cleaning
guy saw the light from the computer, he was busted.

Raven tried to cover it as best as he could until finally, the

window popped up with one hundred percent. Process complete.
Raven snatched the drive from the computer and hastily turned off the
work station.

Karl had closed the window at one point. Raven opened it again

and shifted into his raven form. With some reluctance, he took the
drive into his beak. He had to be very careful because if he scratched
it, all his work so far would be for naught. He’d have preferred to
carry it against his neck, but he had no way of putting it on by
himself.

Raven launched himself into the night air just as the cleaning crew

reached the door of Karl’s office. He waited for a few moments,
soaring above the window, just to check if he’d wiped his traces
completely. The janitor didn’t seem to suspect a thing. He went about
his business, his whistling slightly off key, and then he left the office
without looking back.

With much relief, Raven flew away, heading toward the

orphanage. It would probably be watched, but it had better security
than either of their apartments. It had also been established that Ivory
and the rest of Lowell’s friends who wanted to help would only come
there if they absolutely needed to so as not to draw the attention of
whoever was following them.

He noticed a group of police guards haunting the orphanage

outskirts. He briefly considered trailing them before scrapping the
idea. What the flash drive held was more important. He could always
come back to follow them later.

Raven flew through an open window into a familiar room. Unlike

in Karl’s office, this particular window had been left like that on
purpose to allow his entry. Wallace was waiting there on a couch,

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with Blue leaning against him. They seemed to be studying some sort
of paperwork, and yet again, Raven was struck by how right and
comfortable they looked together.

They looked up as he flew inside. Raven gently dropped the flash

drive on the nearby table and changed into his human form.
“Anything new from the station?” he asked without preamble.

Wallace tossed Raven a pair of pants. “Nothing,” he said as Raven

made himself decent. “The video feeds from that part of the building
are mysteriously missing.”

Raven couldn’t say he was surprised, but at the same time, he had

the feeling Wallace wasn’t done with the bad news. “What else?”

“Doc’s having trouble keeping people away from Lowell. They

want to move him to a different, more secure facility.”

Raven suddenly remembered Karl’s words, and a feeling of fear

nearly choked him. “No. We can’t allow that to happen.”

“I’m not sure we can stop it,” Blue said. “He’s still under arrest,

and his situation hasn’t improved because of his alleged escape
attempt.”

“Doc said she and Ford will go with him wherever,” Wallace

added. “It’s probably a good compromise.”

Except Raven knew it wasn’t a compromise. Doc and Ford must

have been manipulated into agreeing to that. “You don’t understand,”
he said. “They know. The people at Lowell’s firm know about the
syndrome.”

Blue and Wallace just stared at him in disbelief. “You’re

kidding,” Wallace finally said.

Raven shook his head. “I overheard a conversation in Karl

Brook’s office. Somehow, they found out about Lowell’s powers,
although I don’t know exactly to what extent. Brook didn’t seem
aware of the shape-shifting thing. Lowell’s assistant mentioned seeing
him with claws, but beyond that, nothing’s certain.”

Wallace cursed. “Fuck. They must be aware of the involvement of

the orphanage. If they get Lowell, Doc, and Ford…”

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75

“What happens if Doc and Ford die or are unable to take care of

the orphanage?” Blue asked. His voice was trembling, and he clung to
Wallace’s hand so tight his knuckles were white.

Raven admitted he’d never even thought about that. It was

something he hadn’t considered in his life. In a way, the Goldwins
had been his parents, and he still had that hero worship thing where he
believed that nothing bad could happen to them. But he was no longer
a child, and he didn’t fool himself. He understood what Blue was
saying.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I think Ford would have contingency

plans, but he’s never told us anything about it.”

“Damn it.” Wallace took a deep breath. “Well, it doesn’t matter

now. It won’t come to that. Blue, call Doc. Raven and I will start
work on the flash drive.”

Blue nodded and picked up his cell phone. Being given something

to do always helped, and in spite of the situation, Raven smiled
slightly at the thought of how much Blue had grown at Wallace’s
side. He shook himself and retrieved the flash drive. “I copied all the
files on Brook’s computer. There must be something there that will
allow us to find a lead.”

Raven booted up the computer in the room, impatient and

anxious. His nervousness from earlier was returning in full force. Was
it because of what Wallace had told him or could something more
sinister be going on?

He got his answer when Blue suddenly spoke out. “Doc’s not

answering her cell and neither is Ford,” the young man said, looking
pale. “What do we do?”

Oh, no. He’d been too late to warn his friend. If only Raven had

dared to leave the office earlier. He should have realized it wouldn’t
take long for Karl to make his move. God, he’d been such an idiot.

“We have to find them,” he said, already readying himself to shed

his pants.

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Wallace shook his head. “No. You need to stay here where it’s

safe and look over the files. I’ll go see what I can trace from the
clinic. Perhaps we’re worried for naught and they’ll contact us later.”

“I’ll keep trying,” Blue offered. “One call can easily be missed.”
Except Raven knew that neither Doc nor Ford would leave their

cell phones behind at such a difficult time. In fact, they never left their
phones behind at all. They had too many things to deal with, even
when one of them wasn’t getting shot at or assaulted. Their lack of
response only meant trouble.

Every fiber of Raven’s being screamed at him to find Lowell, but

he knew he had to trust his friend and his instincts. Wallace could do
the tracing in Raven’s stead, but no one else had the expertise to go
through those files. And whether something had happened to Doc,
Ford, and Lowell—as Raven was beginning to think—the only way to
help would be if they all did their part.

Crushing his first emotional response, Raven nodded at Wallace.

“Go. I’ll do my best here.”

Wallace must have guessed Raven’s distress, but didn’t comment.

Instead, he hugged him tight. It was something Wallace rarely did
because he wasn’t big on public displays of affection. Raven
appreciated it, and he found strength in Wallace’s silent promise.

They broke apart quickly, and after Wallace stole a kiss from

Blue’s lips, he left the room without looking back.

“Can I help with anything?” Blue asked.
Raven nodded. Even Blue’s company would be a big help since if

he was alone, Raven might abandon his resolve. “I’m going to have to
go through a lot of files. It would be great if you could lend a hand
with that.”

Blue nodded, his azure eyes filled with steely resolve. “Come on.

We can do this. Together.”

Raven took the flash drive and sat down at his desk. Yes, they

could do this. He only hoped it wouldn’t be too late for Lowell and
their friends.

The Wolf and the Raven

77

Chapter Five

It was kind of frustrating to have to fake sickness when all one

wanted was to get the hell out of Dodge and run to his lover’s side. To
a certain extent, Lowell couldn’t have even done it, except he was all
too aware of the increasing danger he found himself in.

At first, he’d thought the imprisonment had all been about the

fraud at the firm. Now, however, the pieces of the puzzle were
beginning to form an even more alarming picture.

Doc and Ford had been forced to accept Lowell’s transfer to

another hospital. Lowell had gone along with it and played dead like
he’d been asked to. He’d half hoped to overhear some useful
conversation, but the people who’d loaded him into the new van were
quiet, making no comments except for the strictly practical ones
regarding his health condition. They didn’t even speak about their
destination per se.

It had comforted him to know Doc would be there since he’d

trusted that she and Ford would not allow anything to happen to him.
But as the drive went on and on, Lowell couldn’t help but wonder
what kind of hospital was so far away.

When they finally reached their destination, he was unloaded from

the van. Still pretending to be unconscious, Lowell scrutinized his
new surroundings through his eyelashes. He was very much dismayed
when he saw Doc and Ford being rolled into the building on beds like
his, both of them seemingly out like a light and bound with strong
cuffs.

What the fuck was going on? Surely, his friends couldn’t be

connected in any way to his supposed crime. His doubts and

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suspicions were apparently correct. And still, Lowell couldn’t
understand why they’d been brought here and what their captors
intended.

For the moment, he couldn’t risk trying to escape, so he allowed

the men to take him inside this new building. Clearly, they thought he
was helpless, but Lowell’s strength was returning more and more with
every second. If he could shift, he’d feel even better, but that would
have to wait.

But all of them were being closely watched, so until he knew

precisely what he was facing, he couldn’t make a move, not without
risking his friends’ lives.

They were taken inside, and even if Lowell struggled to keep an

eye on Doc and Ford, they were, at one point, separated. The people
pushing the beds were still quiet, at least, until they rolled Lowell into
a room. As they began to attach various sensors to Lowell’s body, one
of them at last asked, “So what now? What’s going to happen?” His
voice sounded a bit familiar, but Lowell couldn’t quite place it.

“You just do your job and don’t ask questions,” the other one

replied snappishly. “The boss’s plans are none of our business.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” the first man answered. “I don’t know about

you, but when I applied for this job, I didn’t know it would imply
breaking the law. I don’t think I like it here anymore.”

His words drew a sigh of irritation from his companion. “Are you

an idiot or what? What kind of job pays so well these days? And
besides, do you really think the boss will let you go now?”

“That woman did nothing wrong, and neither did her brother,”

came the reply. “And even if Mr. Kingston did commit a crime, it’s
not our job to judge him. The proper authorities will be pissed when
they find out we’ve—”

A dull blow cut off the man’s words. “Shut the fuck up. There’s

more going on than you and I know, and I won’t have you ruin it
because you’re too much of a chicken shit.”

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79

It was in that moment that Lowell recognized the voice, or rather

both voices. The two men belonged to the marketing department, but
didn’t work at the main headquarters of the firm. Lowell had only
seen then a couple of times, when they’d come to talk with Karl.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out from there that Karl had been at

least one of the people behind this plan. Lowell supposed he wasn’t
too surprised. The man had always been a calculating bastard.
Sometimes, Lowell thought it might be a prerequisite of the job, but
he’d quickly decided that no, it was just Karl’s own fucked-up
personality.

The question now was whether or not others were involved and

what plans they had. Knowing that Karl had orchestrated the entire
debacle wouldn’t help if he couldn’t get out of here and save his
friends.

Thankfully, the men were too absorbed in their own argument to

realize he was awake and plotting. They didn’t even figure it out
when they put the sensors on him. Lowell kept his breathing steady
and even and his heart rate normal. He only managed it because he
ignored the hands on him, losing himself in his thoughts, trying to
figure out the reasons behind Karl’s plan.

Money was the first one, but then, Karl wouldn’t have had any

reason to take both Doc and Ford. And then, the question appeared as
to what exactly Karl intended to do about the Goldwins’ friends. Even
leaving aside Lowell’s loved ones, Doc had lots of connections, and
these particular people would be pissed if they found out she and her
brother had been harmed. Surely Karl realized that.

The coolness of the sensor placed on his chest suddenly gave him

perspective. He was in a hospital, but so were Doc and Ford. Their
presence in the beds made no sense unless…Unless someone had
realized they, and Lowell, weren’t exactly normal. Fuck, if he was
right, they were in so much trouble. He needed to get out of there as
soon as possible.

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Finally, the men finished their task. The blow seemed to have

quieted down the protests of the more uncertain one. They shackled
Lowell to the bed, and Lowell allowed them to, knowing that if
needed, he could break out of the cuffs. However, he was pretty sure
he could see a camera watching him from the corner of the door. It
might have been invisible, but the tiny blinking green light that
indicated it was active drove Lowell’s attention to it.

At last, his captors left the room, and as they departed, through the

open door, Lowell spotted more guards outside. Cameras, shackles,
and from what he could tell, plenty of staff to guard them. The
situation just kept getting better and better.

Different strategies whirled in Lowell’s mind, but all of them were

scattered and worthless. Lowell resolved to wait a few more hours
then sabotage the camera. Perhaps until then, someone would come
see him and give him a clue as to what in the world was going on.

Unfortunately, his idea proved to be useless. Moments later, the

nurses who also served as his guards reentered the room. Before
Lowell could decide to move, they shot a thick, white substance into
his IV.

Lowell felt a heavy lassitude fall over his body. The last thing he

noted as his world grew darker and darker was the door opening one
last time and two people stepping inside. Karl Brook and Melissa Fee.

* * * *

Raven’s head throbbed with a dull ache that couldn’t be affected

by painkillers. His chest felt heavy, and his mouth was taunted by the
metallic taste of blood from where he’d bit his lip. Anxiety welled
deep inside him, increasing more and more by the second. It wasn’t
something strictly connected to his own circumstances. But the
apprehension was still there and refused to leave him alone, somewhat
distant, as if through a veil he couldn’t quite see or grasp. Lowell’s
emotions.

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81

In a way, that feeling provided a hidden comfort and an anchor. It

helped Raven cling to sanity while he swam through the endless files
containing figures and images that meant far too little to him. If there
was something on the flash drive, it was well hidden. Thankfully,
Blue had proven to be a huge help because Raven didn’t think he
could have braved the entire amount of data on his own.

Suddenly, Blue tensed, drawing Raven’s attention to him. “What

is it?” Raven asked.

“Wallace,” Blue replied after a small hesitation. “He got to the

private clinic. Lowell, Ford, and Doc aren’t there. The staff said
arrangements were made for transfers to a different hospital.”

“What hospital?” Raven inquired, swallowing around the knot in

his throat.

“Wallace doesn’t know. It seems the paperwork was incomplete

and no one bothered to check until they were already gone.”

“Fuck.” Raven took a deep breath. “Okay. We can’t panic. We

have the files. We just need to look closer.”

Blue nodded. “Wallace will try tracking them by scent, but he

doesn’t promise anything.”

Raven understood Wallace’s position all too well. Even for

someone with senses like Wallace’s, tracing an unknown vehicle in a
city the size of New York was next to impossible. There were far too
many smells intruding, polluting the trail. The chances for Wallace to
find something like that were very slim.

Cursing their own lack of foresight, Raven set himself to work.

They should have been more careful with Lowell and the private
clinic. Raven had just never thought that anyone would dare to do
something like this.

He was so distracted by his thoughts he didn’t even know how he

noticed the document. It had been hidden among the system files, and
it wasn’t easy to spot, either. At first, it seemed like yet another
useless financial report. But then, Raven noted the label. It was
strange, a series of letters and numbers that didn’t make any particular

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sense at first sight. Frowning, Raven opened the file and
unsurprisingly found himself with more of the same. Raven rubbed
his eyes and considered the information in front of him. It looked
like…It looked like a bank statement in a rough form. Only, if that
was true, the sums moved were huge. The recipients were not
mentioned, but the numbers seemed to be dates and the number of a
bank account. In Raven’s experience, accounts were always
connected to people, and people had addresses and could be located.

Barely managing to suppress his excitement, Raven booted up one

of his less than legal programs. If he could find the source of these
transfers, he would find Lowell. He just knew it.

Now that he knew what he was looking at, he could tell the first

letters in the file name must be the initials of the bank.

Blue must have sensed his enthusiasm. “What are you doing?

What did you find?”

“I spotted a suspicious bank account in these files, and I’m

tracking to see where it leads.”

His fingers flew over the keys as he fed the information into the

system. He willed it to move faster, to search quicker, but the process
was thorough and Raven had to be careful, lest he alert the firewalls
protecting the systems he was hacking. From this place, he wouldn’t
be able to make any operations, like actually transfer the money to his
own account, but he should be able to find the name attached to these
numbers.

Blue stopped his own work on the files and watched him, chewing

on his fingernails in obvious nervousness. Finally, the system spat out
a name. The Frau Abeldine Hospital. It could have written bingo
directly because it was what Raven saw.

“Is this it?” Blue asked breathlessly.
Raven nodded. “I think so. I’ve never heard of it, though.”
For a few moments, Blue didn’t speak. He seemed to be staring

into the distance at something Raven couldn’t hope to see. When Blue
turned toward him again, he said, “According to Wallace, that

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83

hospital is a mental institution, at the outskirts of New York. It’s a
very old building, but it’s been recently renovated.”

A sanatorium. If Raven had maintained any doubts, that

explanation shattered them all. What place could be more perfect to
put into practice experiments best left unseen? If there were screams,
no one would care or be surprised. If there were strange rumors, they
would be ignored as the general oddities surrounding a mental
institution.

“It’s there,” Raven said decisively. “It has to be it.”
Shutting down the program, Raven logged onto the internet and

googled the hospital. Sometimes, the easiest way was also the best
way. On the internet, the information about the sanatorium was
limited, but Raven did find a small article dated only a few months
back. The hospital had been going through difficult times, and it
seemed it had received significant financial assistance from someone
named Johanna Alenson. If Raven remembered correctly, the woman
was Karl Brook’s daughter.

Shutting down the computer, Raven shared a look with Blue.

“Call everyone else. We’re meeting in front of the hospital and
getting everyone out.”

From there on, things turned into a flurry of activity. Raven and

Blue contacted all the people they could think of, at the same time
doing their best to remain discreet and not alarm the children in the
orphanage. It was established that they would meet in front of the club
and leave from there to go to the sanatorium.

Raven and Blue shifted into their second forms and flew off. It

would have been faster if Raven flied on his own—Blue was slower
and had to stop from time to time. Raven wished he could just carry
Blue since every second that passed was one he spent away from
Lowell and could mean his mate’s demise.

His mate. It was hard to figure out when exactly he’d come to

accept it. Sometimes, it took losing something to truly appreciate it,
and Raven resolved that as soon as he saw Lowell again, he’d listen to

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everything the other man had to say. God, he just wanted a second
chance, a chance to do things right.

Finally, he and Blue reached the club. His friends were already

there, gathered in the back alley of the club, the very same one where
just the day before, he and Lowell had made love. As violent and raw
as it had been, Raven couldn’t qualify it as anything different. Only
making love.

He and Blue turned back into their human forms. Blue was

panting and looking a little green. Butterflies weren’t made for long-
distance flight. They could travel great distances, but not quickly, and
shape-shifters didn’t seem to be in any way different. Still, Blue had
proven to be a great asset, and Raven berated himself for his silent
fuming. They’d get to Lowell. They just had to.

Wallace was, as always, prepared for everything. He offered Blue

and Raven clothing, and Raven quickly pulled the provided items on
while he analyzed the group. Other than Wallace, Blue, and himself,
Maddox and Avery had shown up. Ivory and Lowell’s supposed
boyfriend, Rio, were also there, and Raven ignored the pang of
jealousy he felt at seeing them. Kalum had also joined them, as well
as his sister, Alice. Would this force be enough? Raven didn’t know.
He wished he were aware of how many troops Karl had. Quite a lot, if
Raven had to guess, if they’d overpowered Ford and Doc without
Ford even managing to contact anyone else.

Even if his companions must have known this as well, no one

seemed afraid. No one even spoke beyond strictly asking questions
regarding their mission or offering replies to them. Raven had pretty
much explained the situation over the phone, and all those present
knew what was at stake.

The only one visibly reluctant was Maddox, but Raven knew it

wasn’t out of fear for himself. To a certain extent, Raven was
surprised Avery had decided to come along, although he probably
shouldn’t have been. Shy as Avery was, he was also a very friendly
and loving person, and he would do his best to help.

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85

They all got into cars or onto motorcycles, with Raven climbing

into Wallace’s and the others using their respective vehicles. Wallace
drove toward the sanatorium in complete silence.

It seemed to take forever, but at last, Wallace stopped the car.

Naturally, they got out of their vehicles a good distance away from
their destination. They didn’t want to risk being seen from the
sanatorium. The group gathered one last time around Wallace.

“So, let’s go over the plan again,” Wallace said, retrieving a set of

blueprints. “Blue, Avery, and Raven sneak inside through the air
vents.” He pointed to the area where the entry was supposed to be.

“From the main surveillance room, I can find out where they are,”

Raven continued, “but before, we need someone to deal with the
energy generators.” They had a general clue as to the maintenance
area’s location, but someone would have to go there and make sure
their little party wasn’t detected until the last moment.

“Rio and I will deal with that,” Ivory offered.
“Thanks, Ry,” Wallace replied. “The rest of us will slip inside and

take care of the guards as we progress. We’ll keep in contact with the
other teams using this.”

Wallace tossed their companions small Bluetooth headsets.

Raven, Blue, and Avery weren’t given any equipment since they
would have to be in shifted form. The idea was that, by staying with
Blue, they would be able to convey whatever they needed to Wallace
through Blue’s mind bond to the wolf. The only thing Raven took
along was a tiny, portable screwdriver, which they would need for
their infiltration.

Finally, all the preparations had been made. Each team went their

own separate ways. Raven took off his clothes and shifted into his
animal form. Avery and Blue did the same, turning into a beautiful
white dove and an azure butterfly.

The sanatorium was a good distance away from the city, and it

didn’t look at all like the lair of a mad scientist or anything like that.

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In fact, it looked quiet, and it was lost among a fair amount of
greenery. This would be a great advantage for Raven’s mission.

He, Avery, and Blue flew toward the building with great care,

stopping on the occasional tree, not sticking together, lest anyone spot
them. Raven still didn’t think Karl realized the extent of their abilities,
but they couldn’t risk it. It was still dark outside, so the chances of
anyone spotting them were slim, at best, but they needed to be careful,
regardless. Below them, Raven saw their friends approach, moving
stealthily, hiding behind the vegetation. As a diurnal creature, Ivory
probably had more trouble than the others, but he seemed to be
handling himself just fine, anyway.

After a while, Raven lost sight of them. He was closer to the

structure now, and he could see hints of what the hospital truly was.
There were numerous guards, and the ornate fence was high, higher
than it would have been strictly necessary. It didn’t seem electrified,
although even if it had been so, Wallace and the others could still
have jumped over it.

Following the plan, Raven and his team flew toward the air vents.

Now here came the trickier part. Unsurprisingly, the ducts were
protected by thick gratings. No bird could have any hope of sneaking
in or tearing it. That was the purpose of the screwdriver.

To use the tool, however, Raven would have to shift. Furthermore,

the vent was a good distance away from the ground, and he might not
reach it in his human form. He shared a brief look with his
companions, and they all shifted into their legged form.

“I’ll climb onto your shoulders and unscrew the vent,” Avery

murmured. “Blue can keep watch.”

It was a good plan, and no more was said. They moved together

like a perfect team, and in seconds, Avery had the grating removed.
He left it in the duct, and then, they all shifted back into their bird
forms.

Traveling through the vents was more irritating than Raven had

expected. He was bigger than either of his companions and on this

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87

particular occasion, it turned out to be a disadvantage. Even so, they
reached their planned destination without incident. The main
computer room was just beyond another grating. There were two men
inside, one of them dozing off, the other watching the monitors.

This time, they couldn’t unscrew the grating, so they had to get

inside the hard, violent way. Well, hard for the hospital staff because
Raven had no qualms with kicking some ass.

Raven pointed with his beak to the man who was awake, silently

signaling that he’d take care of that one. Avery nodded—insofar as he
could in dove form—and pointed toward the other one. Satisfied,
Raven set the plan into motion.

Choosing the best position he could find, he shifted into his

human form, paying close attention as to the way he’d end up. He
didn’t want to break any bones in the cramped vents. Thankfully, he
managed to shift without any problems, which left him lying down in
the duct on his back, with very little space to maneuver. No matter. It
wasn’t space he needed, but concentration.

Taking a deep breath, Raven kicked at the grating with all his

might. The screws yielded to the assault, releasing the opening of the
vent. The sound was obscenely loud, but Raven didn’t allow it to
startle him. He shifted back into his raven form, enough to be able to
reach the edge of the vent, then, instants later, changed back into a
human and lunged outside.

The man at the monitors was turning toward him, his eyes wide

with shock. Raven landed in front of him and applied two strategic
punches, knocking his opponent out before the guy could even utter
one single sound.

His task done, he turned toward his friends. Avery and Blue had

followed his example and were now standing next to the unconscious
body of the second man.

For a few moments, they just waited, holding their breaths, staring

at the door. In spite of their precautions, they had made quite a lot of
noise. Someone must have heard them.

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But apparently, no one had because the hallway beyond the door

remained silent. There were no cries of alarm and no rushed footsteps.
They were safe.

Raven suppressed a sigh of relief. “Okay,” he told his friends. “So

far so good. Now we check the monitors.”

He sat down at the desk where his opponent had been and eyed

the camera feeds. There were quite many of them, but even so, not
sufficient to cover the entire sanatorium with one look. It took a few
moments for Raven to figure out how to rotate between the feeds and
a couple more to find what he was looking for. A small cry of distress
left his lips without him even realizing he was making it. Lowell was
shackled to a bed, an IV pumping a suspicious-looking liquid into his
veins. There were several people around him, a couple dressed in
doctor’s outfits, and a man and a woman wearing smart business suits.
Raven didn’t have to be a genius to figure out they were Melissa Fee
and Karl Brook.

“Fuck,” Blue suddenly said, drawing Raven’s attention. Blue very

rarely cursed, so Raven reluctantly looked over to see what his friend
had noticed.

His eyes widened as he took in the rest of the monitor feeds. The

first two showed Doc and Ford, which was unsurprising. However,
there were many other similar images of people Raven didn’t know.
They were bound in the same way, the assortment of people and
equipment identical to the one in Lowell’s room, with the exception
of Melissa and Karl, of course.

There was the slight possibility that the men and women in

question were normal patients. After all, this was a sanatorium, and it
must have genuinely insane people, as well as unfairly imprisoned
ones. But somehow, Raven doubted. Suddenly, the picture of their
mission gained far gloomier dimensions.

Doing his best to keep his focus, Raven directed his attention to

the computer and pulled up the inside plans of the building. The

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89

monitors had letters and numbers assigned to them, so Raven gathered
they all belonged to a particular department.

He found what he was looking for with striking ease. The newly

formed X Section, with over two dozen rooms, out of which ten were
occupied. Raven conveyed the information to Blue, who transmitted it
to Wallace through their bond.

From there, Raven had nothing more to do in the computer room.

He memorized the number of guards and their pattern of motion,
hoping it would be enough. He couldn’t stay here much longer.
Lowell was in danger.

“Stay here,” he told Blue and Avery. “I’m going to get Lowell.”
His friends glowered at him in twin expressions of anger. “I don’t

think so,” Blue said. “You helped rescue Wallace. Now, we’ll return
the favor.”

It wasn’t really about returning favors, and they all knew it. In

their world, friendship was one of the most important values,
precisely because there were so few people they could trust. Blue and
Avery were Raven’s friends, and he would not be able to stop them
from their decision.

Sighing, Raven nodded. “Let’s just tie these guys down first,” he

said, pointing at the unconscious men, “and then we’ll be off.”

Just as Raven finished the phrase, the lights suddenly went out.

Ivory and Rio had done their part. Acknowledging the urgency of
their mission, Raven and his friends quickly tied their former
opponents with scraps torn from their own clothing and then slipped
out of the computer room like silent shadows. Raven’s mind was a
litany of one single idea. Wait for me, Lowell. Wait for me.

The hallway was dark, but Raven didn’t particularly mind. He was

a diurnal shifter, yes, but he’d never had a problem with darkness. In
fact, growing up, Wallace had often teased him that he should have
been an owl. Still, he had to admit that it was gloomy, and he had the
impression that someone was watching.

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They progressed toward the area where Lowell and the others

would be. As they approached, they suddenly heard a growl in front
of them. “Did you hear that?” Avery asked in a barely perceptible
murmur.

Raven nodded and grabbed his friends’ hands. Something was in

front of them, and it wasn’t friendly. “Back away slowly,” he
whispered back. “We don’t want to make any brusque motions.”

The shadows seemed to move, and Raven sensed the presence of

another person with the syndrome. Could Karl have lackeys that had
S.S.E.X.? Raven hoped not because it would complicate things
tremendously.

Just as Raven asked himself this, the air shifted, the nearly

inaudible sound of paws hitting the cool floor alerting Raven to the
danger. “Shift!” Raven told his friends, not even bothering to remain
discreet.

Instantly, they all turned into their second shape and flew away.

Alas, before Raven could reach a safe height, a large, feline body
grabbed him in midair. Knowing that he was fucked if he remained in
raven form, Raven shifted back into a human. His back hit the floor
painfully, but he remained motionless. Above him, a large black
panther loomed, baring sharp fangs at him. Oh shit.

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Chapter Six

Lowell’s head throbbed with a dull, annoying pain. This was

getting old. He was sick and tired of being knocked out, attacked, shot
at, and immobilized. He had no idea what substance the IV pumped
into him, but it seemed to be quite potent because it had artificially
prolonged his unconsciousness for much longer than he’d have liked.

In a way, Lowell was surprised that the sedative even worked.

Usually, human medicine had strange effects on people with S.S.E.X
or didn’t affect them at all. Lowell wondered what other secrets this
hospital hid. Most of all, he wondered if he would get to find out.

Still, his immune system fought the substance, and Lowell found

himself waking up. He couldn’t have been out for very long because
Melissa and Karl were still in the room.

“Bind him up tighter,” Karl was saying. “We don’t want any

surprises.”

“Yes, sir,” one of the technicians dutifully replied. Apparently, the

shackles already tying Lowell to the bed weren’t sufficient, as hard
leather straps went around his body, essentially immobilizing him.

Technically speaking, Lowell could still have broken out of them

if he shifted into his wolf form, but he remained reluctant to do so, at
least until all his other options had run out.

Unfortunately, this time he couldn’t pretend that he hadn’t

awoken. “Oh, he’s coming around,” Melissa said, slight anxiety in her
voice. “Is that okay?”

“It’s fine,” Karl replied. “He can’t get free.” He smirked at

Lowell. “Can you, my dear Mr. Kingston?”

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Lowell would have spat at the man if his mouth hadn’t been so

dry. Instead, he regaled his former colleague with his best glare.
“You’re not going to get away with this.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” Karl sat on the edge of Lowell’s bed and

cupped his cheek in an almost gentle gesture. It made Lowell’s
stomach roil, even if the touch had nothing sexual in nature.

Karl’s hold on his cheek tightened and his nails dug into Lowell’s

flesh so hard they drew blood. “You’re no different to all the others,
my friend.” He laughed. “You’re just another of my pawns, and so
far, you’ve done your duty beautifully.”

“You’re insane,” Lowell replied automatically. “My duty? What

the fuck are you talking about?”

Karl chuckled again. “Let me give you a little hint. You shouldn’t

lose your temper when you’re at the office. You never know who
might be watching.”

Lowell gave the man a blank look. “I don’t know what you’re

talking about.”

“Don’t you?” Karl waved a hand and a laptop appeared in

Lowell’s field of vision. “Show him, my dear.”

He was talking to Melissa. The fucking bitch pressed some keys

and then turned the laptop toward Lowell. A video was playing.

Lowell immediately recognized the background. It was his office.

Lowell had never bothered to make it particularly personalized, but he
recognized the tiny things that made it his own, a few gifts he’d
received throughout his time at the firm from his coworkers. And of
course, he recognized his own figure. In this particular video, he was
on the phone with someone, clutching the wood of the desk in
obvious anger. And unfortunately, his hand had claws.

In that moment, Lowell remembered the day when it had

happened. It came to him with crystal clarity, as if it had all happened
just yesterday.

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Lowell studied the files in front of him, grimacing and barely

managing to contain his boredom. Usually, numbers were his friends,
but today, he just couldn’t focus. He stole another look at the time,
willing the stubborn clock hands to move faster. Of course, they
refused, and Lowell forced himself to look away. Just a little longer,
he told himself, just a little longer.

Tonight, he had a date with Raven, after several days of not

seeing the man. Raven had been busy with an important job
assignment and working nonstop, so Lowell had done his best to be a
supportive boyfriend and not badger Raven with his neediness.
Finally, the wait had paid off, and he would at last have Raven all to
himself.

All the preparations had been made. He’d arranged for tickets to

a show Raven had wanted to see then made reservations to a wildly
popular restaurant. And of course, he had purchased supplies for
their more intimate nighttime entertainment. God, he couldn’t wait.

The sound of his cell phone ringing distracted him from his

musings. Lowell recognized the caller even before taking the call. It
was Raven.

Lowell’s heart started beating faster, and he pushed away his

anxiety, telling himself it was just another call. He didn’t have to
romanticize everything Raven did like he was some teenage girl.

Nodding to himself, Lowell pressed accept. In spite of his resolve,

he found himself greeting Raven with special exuberance. “Hi, baby.
So happy to hear from you. What’s up?”

“Hi, Lowell,” Raven said quietly. “I needed to talk to you about

something.”

Raven’s apologetic voice immediately put him on alert. “Oh, oh, I

know that tone. What’s the matter?”

“I’m going to be a little late tonight,” Raven replied. “I’m really

sorry. Wallace needs my help with something, but we can meet a few
hours after we initially planned.”

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For a few moments, the words didn’t really compute. Lowell saw

all his plans crashing like a castle of cards. And there was one word
that identified the cause. Wallace.

“Your help,” he repeated between gritted teeth.
“It’s important,” Raven replied, “but it shouldn’t last too long.”
Lowell was beside himself with anger. His vision had gone hazy

with fury, and he clutched the edge of his desk with a hand that
suddenly had claws. “You know what, forget it. I wouldn’t want to
bother your lovely evening with Wallace.”

“Lowell, don’t be like this.” Raven sounded tired. “You know I’ve

been busy with work lately, and I haven’t spent time with anyone.
Wallace asked me for help with one of his cases. It’s urgent, or he
wouldn’t have bothered me with it.”

“I’ll accept that, if you accept to move in with me,” Lowell shot

back. It wasn’t fair. Wallace always took precedence. Whether it was
true or not that the wolf needed help, the fact remained that Raven
was cancelling a date with Lowell because of Wallace.

“We’ve already talked about this,” Raven replied, now seeming

irritated. “Let’s just…continue this conversation tonight, okay?”

Lowell wanted to refuse, to say fuck it, but he desperately needed

to see Raven. His wolf howled with desire, and if he had to be away
one more day, he would die. “Fine,” he replied. “At my place,
tonight.”

They shared a tense good-bye, and when Raven ended the call,

Lowell stared at the cell phone. In a fit of anger, he roared and
crushed it in his fist, tossing the remains of plastic and metal against
the wall. Damn that Wallace. Damn him all to hell.

A knock sounded at the door, and Lowell was reminded that he

was at work and couldn’t afford to lose his temper like this. Shutting
away his emotions, he gathered the remains of his phone and tossed
them in the trash. “Yes?” he asked.

His assistant, Melissa, peeked in, looking a bit confused. “Is

everything all right, sir?”

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95

“Everything’s fine.” Lowell offered her a fake smile. “I just got

into a small disagreement with someone, but that’s all cleared up
now.”

Melissa didn’t look convinced. “All right, but if there’s anything

you need, anything at all…”

It was not the first time Melissa had flirted with Lowell, and he

didn’t have the patience for it now. She was very pretty, and had he
met her in a club a few months back, he might have fucked her. But
now, he had Raven—most of the time, at least—and at any rate, he
didn’t start any kind of relationships at work. It was too risky because
he didn’t want to chance anyone finding out about the syndrome.

“Thank you, Melissa. I’ll let you know.”
She left without further comment, closing the door behind her with

a soft click. Lowell remained alone in his office, with only the
mocking clock for company. It seemed that he would have more time
to finish his work than he’d expected.

That day, Lowell and Raven had eventually met and slept together

at Lowell’s condo. Nothing more had been said regarding the phone
call, but it had been just one of many arguments that eventually led to
their breakup.

Lowell remembered it well, yes, but he’d never thought anyone

had witnessed his loss of temper. It seemed that he’d been watched
for longer than he’d originally thought, which led him to believe that,
whether or not he’d had the syndrome, Karl would have used him as a
scapegoat for the fraud, regardless. Fucking bastard. Lowell had
thought he hated Wallace, but he realized now that the first time he
experienced true loathing was with Karl.

Karl snickered at him, as if aware of his thoughts. “I know what

you are, Lowell, and I know what your friends are. By the time I’m
done with you, everyone will think the Goldwins have arranged your
escape and fled themselves to cover their tracks. And meanwhile,

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your lovely genes will be mine, and I’ll be able to find the secret you
hide.”

Karl nodded at one of the technicians, and suddenly, electrical

current passed through the cuffs around Lowell’s wrists and ankles.
The bindings across his chest and the sensors seemed to have some
sort of connection with the machine feeding electricity into the cuffs,
and Lowell’s body was assaulted by pain. Lowell barely managed to
choke his scream, and he realized in that moment that Karl did know
not only about the syndrome, but also about the shape-shifting. The
way he was bound now made it impossible for him to shift safely and
escape.

Just as Lowell thought this, the lights in the room suddenly

blacked out. Lowell was invaded by a mix of excitement and peace,
and he suddenly knew his mate was in the building. His lovely raven
had come for him.

Without a moment of hesitation, Lowell allowed the change to

flow over him. Without the benefit of the electricity, the shackles and
the straps could not hold him as his bones reformed and his human
shape melted into that of a wolf. Taking advantage of the confusion,
Lowell jumped off the bed and landed on the floor on all fours.

There were panicky cries all around him, the so-called doctors

unable to see a thing in the windowless room. Karl was giving angry
orders, and Lowell could see Melissa clinging to Karl’s arm,
whimpering softly.

“What the hell is going on?” Karl shouted in an attempt to make

order. “I thought the hospital had independent sources of electricity.”

Lowell wanted to laugh. Was the man kidding? Lowell could

smell his fear and Karl was asking about maintenance issues? Perhaps
Karl merely wanted to keep up the façade of control, which Lowell
could understand. At the same time, though, he hadn’t been exactly
quiet in freeing himself, and if he were in Karl’s shoes, he’d be pretty
freaked out.

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Whatever the case, Lowell had no intention of allowing Karl to

escape. Growling lowly, he prepared himself to pounce. But just as he
did so, a shock of fear assaulted him, a pure, but distant terror that
was not his own. Raven. Raven was in danger.

Lowell’s revenge on Karl would have to wait. Raven was more

important, and Lowell had a feeling that his mate’s very life was in
jeopardy.

Not even bothering to shift back into his human form, Lowell

pounced on the door. It crashed open with a deafening sound. Some
splinters embedded themselves in Lowell’s flesh, but he couldn’t care
less. He sped down the corridors, following the instinct that led him to
his mate.

Raven’s scent grew stronger and stronger, but it was tainted by

something else, the presence of another shifter that wasn’t any of their
friends. And then, Lowell saw it, and the terror and anger that coursed
through him threatened to cut off his very air. Raven was on the floor,
trapped by the huge body of a black panther.

On normal conditions, Lowell might have avoided fighting a

panther. Large felines were often stronger than wolves, especially in
close quarters. But even if that was true, Lowell would gladly die for
Raven.

Not waiting for one single second, Lowell jumped forward toward

the panther. The feline seemed to sense him and turned, pacing away
from Raven, who was, apparently, no threat.

Lowell eyed his opponent, trying to decide where to attack. He

didn’t have much time before Karl and his lackeys showed up. If he
was correct, this panther must somehow be allied to them, so Lowell
had to take him out. But the sedative in Lowell’s bloodstream had left
a lingering weakness in his muscles, the electric shock hadn’t helped,
and once the adrenaline high began to dwindle, he would be unable to
stand his ground in front of the feline.

Raven slowly tried to pull away from the panther, but the big cat

placed a paw on Raven’s chest, holding him down. He met Lowell’s

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gaze, as if daring him to approach. There was intelligence in those
black eyes. The panther knew what Raven meant to Lowell.

Attacking could lead the feline to tear Raven’s throat out.

Lowell’s wolf paced and whined inside him, uncertain and angry. If
he couldn’t physically restrain the panther, what other options did he
have?

Behind Lowell, Karl’s voice sounded. “Find him, now, and check

the other cells. We don’t want our prisoners to escape.”

Flashlights cast aside the darkness, and Lowell was torn between

trying his one chance to assault the panther or shifting and trying to
reason with the human inside the animal. In the end, he didn’t have to
choose either of the options. The large cat tensed upon hearing Karl’s
voice.

Seemingly losing interest in Raven, he prowled forward, his gaze

on the hallway beyond Lowell. For a brief instant, the panther met
Lowell’s gaze once again. On instinct, Lowell moved aside, allowing
the feline to pass. He almost thought the other shifter would assault
him, but the big cat just stepped past him without any other reaction.

Lowell knew Karl and his cronies were right behind him, but he

couldn’t care less. He rushed to Raven’s side and reached him just as
Raven got up. He shifted into his human form and gathered Raven’s
naked body against his own, hugging him tightly.

Their lips met in a kiss that tasted like need and desperation.

Lowell pinned Raven against the wall, feasting on the other man’s
mouth. For a minute there, while in Karl’s hold, he’d thought he
might never see Raven again. He thrust his tongue into Raven’s
mouth, tasting, exploring, claiming the man he now knew to be his
mate.

There were no more doubts left and no more hesitation. Their hard

cocks nudged against each other, and Lowell wrapped his fist around
both pricks. Both his groan and Raven’s were swallowed in their
greedy kiss, a kiss they only briefly broke to take a few breaths. Then,

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99

they crushed their lips together once again, locked in a passionate
embrace urged forward by the danger and their separation.

Raven lifted one leg and wrapped it around Lowell’s waist, giving

Lowell access to his nether opening. Lowell reached down with his
second hand, rubbing against the tiny hole, testing the resistance of
the guardian muscle. God, he wanted to be inside his mate so much it
hurt.

He might have fucked Raven right then and there, but the sound of

a loud feline roar snapped him out of his lust-induced trance. He
broke away from Raven, remembering where they were and that the
situation still warranted caution.

Shielding Raven’s body with his own, he readied himself for

battle. He spotted Karl’s men at the other end of the corridor. For a
few moments, he didn’t see Karl, but then his eyes fell on the black
panther. The large feline was feasting on the flesh of a fallen man.
Lowell couldn’t swear it, but his best guess was that the unfortunate
victim was Karl. So much for his theory that the panther was on
Karl’s side.

At first, the guards seemed terrified, but then, they must have

remembered they held weaponry. They pointed the guns at the
panther, and the feline was too absorbed in ravaging his prey to care.

In spite of the panther’s attack on Raven, Lowell couldn’t allow

the other shifter to be killed. “Watch out!” he shouted. “Gun!”

The panther didn’t hear him or ignored the warning. It was too

late for Lowell to do anything else, so he took a chance. He changed
into his animal form, released a howl, and lunged forward.

His initiative triggered the same behavior in his friends. Lowell

felt, rather than saw, Raven shift. In a more surprising development,
Avery and Blue swept forward. They couldn’t do much in shifted
form, but their smaller, more fragile shapes were actually quite
stealthy. They landed behind the group and turned into their human
forms, taking the group of guards by surprise. Raven had a more

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direct approach, and he screeched madly as he assaulted the face of
the man closest to the panther.

Predictably, panic ensued. Guns went off, but the men no longer

knew where to shoot. Their enemies seemed to come for all
directions, something they obviously hadn’t expected. It didn’t help
that Avery and Blue kept shifting from human form to their nearly
undetectable second shapes, confusing the guards further. If Lowell
wanted to be honest, he was quite surprised and impressed by the
young men’s mastery of their abilities. Not everyone could do
something like that, especially not on so little training as the two had.

Thankfully, the panther took his cue and jumped back just seconds

before a bullet hit the place where he’d been standing. Instead of
hitting the feline, though, it hit the body of his victim. The shooter
must have realized his mistake. Lowell heard him curse and reorient
his shotgun. He didn’t know how he could focus strictly on that man
out of all those present, but somehow, he did.

Lowell bounded toward the guy, suddenly knowing that he needed

to stop the soldier from shooting again. He hit the man hard, his
wolf’s bulk sending the guard crashing to the floor. Screaming, the
guy dropped his rifle, and as he did so, another shot rang out. It
ricocheted off the floor and, before Lowell could try to shout another
warning, hit Raven.

It was the unlikeliest thing possible, and Lowell watched it all in

slow motion, horrified and frozen. A howl ripped out of his throat, the
howl of a wolf being separated from his mate just moments after their
reunion. He abandoned his prey and rushed to where Raven had
fallen, snarling angrily at the men that would have attacked Raven
again.

Raven was still alive, thank God, but the shock of the bullet had

knocked him out. Lowell gently picked Raven’s body in his snout,
padding away from the scene of the battle. At this point, he couldn’t
bring himself to care about anyone who was not Raven. Once he was
sufficiently far away, he placed Raven down on the floor. He nudged

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Raven’s black plumage with his nose, wordlessly begging for Raven
to wake up.

He desperately needed a doctor, but he had no way of finding one,

which was quite ironic given that he was in a hospital. A few feet
away from him, the normal humans were regrouping. With only
Avery’s and Blue’s help, the panther could only hold them back for so
long.

Lowell was torn. He couldn’t leave his friends to die, but neither

could he abandon his mate. Anyone could come along and hurt Raven
in his vulnerable state. Howling his despair, Lowell tried to call out to
anyone out there who would listen.

To his surprise, his plea was answered. Several shifters began to

appear. At first, Lowell only sensed them, like he would feel the
approach of a thunderstorm. Then, the feeling of familiarity struck
him. Finally, reinforcements arrived. Lowell recognized Wallace, as
even in shifted form, the wolf had that silent, threatening, and broody
air. Ivory and Rio had also come. Lowell would have to be blind to
miss Ivory’s arctic fox pelt. Rio’s reddish coat was a bit less
conspicuous. There were a few other shifters, including a tiger Lowell
thought he recognized.

Finally, while the group made short work of Karl’s guards, Doc

and Ford appeared. Doc was still in her human form, of course, since
as an aquatic creature, she couldn’t change like they could. Ford
escorted her to Lowell’s side, his leonine form blocking every
possible threat.

She knelt by Lowell’s side and gave him a penetrating look. “Let

me see, Lowell. I have to see if I’m going to help.”

Lowell realized he was instinctively shielding Raven’s wounded

body with his own and forced himself to back off a little. He couldn’t
help a little snarl when Doc came closer to him. His beast wanted to
pounce her before she wounded Raven further, but his human side
knew Raven needed her help.

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Impotently, he watched her smooth away the black feathers and

analyze Raven’s wound. Lying down next to Raven, Lowell tried to
will his mate to awaken. There were so many things left unsaid. Their
story couldn’t end here. Lowell wouldn’t accept it.

“I need to remove the bullet,” Doc said, “so that he can shift.”
Gently, she picked Raven up. “Come on. One of these rooms has

to have some equipment we can use.”

To Lowell’s surprise, a tall, black man appeared behind them.

“Come with me,” he said quietly. “I know a place.”

It was the panther, Lowell realized in shock. He no longer seemed

in any way hostile, and for some reason, Lowell trusted him.

The battle behind them had ended at one point, and all the soldiers

were either dead or unconscious. The panther led Lowell and his
companions to a room close by, where they found an examination bed
and equipment used for all sorts of operations. Doc nodded in
satisfaction and immediately proceeded to remove the bullet from
Raven.

Lowell paced as he waited, the only thing that kept him sane his

tenuous, half-formed connection with Raven. Through it, he could
feel Raven’s pain, but also the fact that the other man was alive.

The operation couldn’t have been easy since the hospital was still

dark. Thankfully, Doc succeeded in retrieving the projectile, and
almost instantly, Raven shifted into his human form. “He’s going to
be fine,” Doc said.

It was in that moment, as Doc looked down at him, that he

remembered he hadn’t even bothered to change shapes. Hastily, he
fixed the problem, allowing the shift to flow over him. His human
form took the place of the wolf, and Lowell rushed to Raven, kneeling
next to the bed.

“Will he really?” he asked Doc.
She nodded. “The bullet hit his wing, and it was mostly the shock

that knocked him out. He’ll recover.”

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103

As if having heard her words, Raven cracked his eyes open. “Hi,”

he whispered at Lowell. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Lowell could have sobbed in relief. “And you,” he replied with a

smile. He caressed Raven’s hair with a trembling hand. “Don’t ever
do that to me again. You scared the hell out of me.”

“Now you know how I feel.” Raven grimaced as he tried to get

up. “When I saw you get shot at the prison, I almost lost my mind.”

They just looked at each other, for the first time acknowledging

what their relationship truly meant. Lowell had never confessed to
Raven his love, always thinking that his feelings amounted to
weakness. He’d never been brave enough to admit his jealousy
because he’d always thought Raven loved another. It had been right in
front of him, so many times, whenever Raven mentioned Wallace’s
name and whenever Raven refused to move in with Lowell because of
Wallace. But now…Now, Lowell could see what he’d been too blind
to realize. He saw the love in Raven’s eyes, genuine, pure love. They
were mates. They always had been, only they’d be too stubborn to
fully understand it.

Lowell would have liked the moment to go on forever. He’d have

wanted to climb into the bed with Raven and just embrace his mate
and hold him in his arms until the world was no more. He wanted to
clarify every misunderstanding between them and assure Raven that
none of this would ever happen again. None of it happened. Instead,
their friends burst into the room, breaking their closeness.

“We couldn’t find Melissa,” Ivory said. “Wallace went after her,

but we think she must have fled while Karl stayed to catch us.”

Lowell couldn’t be bothered to care about her absence. “I assume

Karl’s dead,” he murmured, still unable to look from Raven’s face.

“Very dead,” the strange panther replied with undisguised

satisfaction. Lowell had forgotten about him completely, but
apparently the man had remained there. “I made sure of it.”

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What could someone say to that? Thanks? Okay? Lowell had

hated Karl, but he’d also known the man for years and he couldn’t
imagine himself feasting on Karl’s flesh like the panther had.

“I take it you’re on our side, then,” he offered lamely.
The dark man gave him a weird look. “I’m on my side. You just

happen to have the same goals I do.” He paused, as if realizing just
how asshole-ish he sounded. “But if you’re worried about me jumping
your man again, don’t. I thought he was one of Karl’s men. I have no
quarrel with anyone except them.”

Lowell nodded, satisfied by the reassurance. Their brief

conversation ended when Ford piped up, “Look, we can’t linger here
much longer. You, panther,” he said, “do you know where records are
kept here?”

“My name is Onyx,” the stranger said haughtily. “And yes, I

know. You wish to destroy them?”

Onyx, huh? Lowell distantly thought the name suited him, perhaps

too well.

“We can’t be connected to these events,” Ford told Onyx. “For the

moment, the staff is too frightened, but someone will call the police.
When that happens, we need to have all the videos wiped and the
records of our presence here gone.”

“There are others here,” Onyx said. “They must be in worse

conditions than I if they didn’t manage to escape their rooms when
you struck.”

Lowell took a deep breath. The thought of someone else bound to

a bed, drugged into oblivion, and at Karl’s mercy like he himself had
been made his stomach roil. “Right. We need to split into teams. They
can’t be left behind.”

Raven struggled to get out of the bed. “I’ll deal with the computer

room if someone gets the generators back on.”

“Impossible.” Ivory shrugged. “That won’t happen without

extensive repairs.”

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105

“Fuck.” Ford rubbed his eyes. “Okay, new plan. We need to

evacuate this wing of the sanatorium and burn it all down.”

“That could work,” Raven replied. “This wing is separate from the

rest of the hospital.”

“All right, it will have to do then,” Ford ordered. “Take everyone

out as soon as possible. I’ll deal with the rest.”

Lowell didn’t even think about questioning Ford. The lion was

used to dealing with things like this, and Lowell just wanted to get
himself and especially his mate out of there. They organized
themselves in teams, and Lowell, of course, remained by Raven’s
side. Raven ushered him away. “You don’t have to babysit me. Go
on. I’ll be fine.”

But in spite of Raven’s protests, Lowell took him and Doc outside

first. After that, he could think better, knowing Raven was away from
harm. He returned to the building, rushing to aid the others in the
evacuation.

Onyx explained where everyone was held. It seemed Karl had

somehow gotten hold of other people with S.S.E.X., and his finding
out of Lowell’s secret had been a mere coincidence. Knowing what he
did now, Lowell could easily figure out that the man had him watched
with the intention of framing him for the fraud and ended up seeing
Lowell’s loss of temper.

Thankfully, with Onyx’s help, Lowell and the others succeeded in

releasing all the patients. They were in various stages of
consciousness, some of them looking quite frightened and not
knowing who and where they were. Obviously, they’d been abused,
both physically and mentally. Lowell would have liked to resurrect
Karl, only to kill him again. He could understand now what Onyx had
done because in that moment, Lowell would have easily torn that
monster’s throat out himself.

They also carried out the guards and staff that remained

unconscious. A part had already fled, but Lowell couldn’t worry
about that now. After they’d finished the task, they found themselves

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with a new problem, transporting the former prisoners. Even after
they brought their own cars there, there were far too many people to
fit them all inside the vehicles. Onyx solved it for them, finding the
keys to some of the cars in the parking lot. Lowell and the others
loaded everyone inside. Several of the cars drove off, leaving only
Lowell, Doc, and Kalum waiting for Ford to come out. An explosion
sounded inside the hospital, and Doc released a high-pitched sound of
dismay. She tried to lunge forward, but Kalum held her back. “He can
make it. He will make it.”

Like Kalum said, Ford came rushing out of the building, seeming

completely uninjured. “Go!” he shouted at them. “We don’t have
much time.”

They all took their seats in the remaining car, and Kalum drove

off, leaving the hospital behind. As they reached the highway, they
heard sirens, and soon, ambulances and police cars passed them.
Thankfully, the traffic was quite intense even at this hour, so no one
stopped them.

Lowell slumped on his seat, the adrenaline beginning to dwindle,

leaving him feeling weak. He’d been just healing from the gunshot
wounds, and the earlier sedatives and shocks hadn’t helped his
condition.

But in spite of it all, for the first time in many months, Lowell felt

at peace. His mind returned to Raven’s expression from earlier. Oh,
he was still in a shitload of trouble, but somehow, knowing that he
had Raven by his side made it all right. Now, if only they’d get to the
damn orphanage already. He desperately wanted to see Raven, to kiss
him and touch him.

His imagination soared, and he dozed as the car progressed

through the streets of New York. At one point, Lowell thought he
heard Doc talk to someone on the phone, but it could have easily been
a conversation with Ford. He couldn’t really bring himself to care.

Finally, the car stopped. Lowell blinked away the tiredness,

expecting to see the orphanage or, perhaps, Raven’s apartment. He

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107

didn’t. The building was completely unfamiliar, and the only thing
that identified it was a small panel that read St. Mary’s Private
Hospital. Oh no. Not again.

“Doc?” he asked.
“Sorry about this, Lowell, but you’re still a wanted man,” she

said. “I can’t risk having the attention of law enforcement on the
orphanage.”

“We’ll make arrangements so that today’s disappearance act

doesn’t affect you in any way,” Ford added. “Don’t worry. Trust us.”

Lowell’s peaceful world shattered. He had trusted them, but that

had really gotten him nowhere. “Easy for you to say, Rutherford,” he
replied coolly. “You’re not the one who has to relive that nightmare.”

They looked at him with twin expressions of discomfort. Finally,

Lowell decided it was no use. They meant well, and in the end, this
was his own fault for allowing Karl to learn his secret.

“Let’s just go,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s get this over

with. I want to get some sleep.”

Ford nodded quietly and slid out of the car. There were already

nurses waiting, and as he was secretively ushered to a private wing,
Lowell wondered when in the world he’d be allowed to see Raven
again.

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Chapter Seven

A few months later

Raven paced in front of the prison, looking at the clock. This was

already getting ridiculous. He shouldn’t be here at all, let alone
waiting for hours on end. But apparently, things could never be easy
in his life. In spite of the evidence Raven had found regarding Karl’s
activities, Lowell had still been sentenced to two years of prison for
his supposed escape attempt.

It had taken an almost inhuman effort from the part of Wallace

and their lawyer to find evidence that the guards had been bribed into
inventing the whole thing and severely injuring Lowell. With great
difficulty, Wallace had dug up the backup videos of the prison
episode, as well as followed the trail of dirty money those very same
guards had been paid with. It had been a very tortuous journey
because at the same time, they’d had to avoid any one’s eyes from
wandering to the truth about Karl’s death, and their involvement in it,
as well as the true purpose of the sanatorium where the man had
found his fiery tomb.

Sadly, throughout this time, Lowell had been forced to leave the

relative safety of the private hospital and had been put behind bars.
Raven had fought that decision all the way, but it had been of no use.

But finally, today Lowell was being released, his name cleared of

all connection to the crime. He was also entitled to suing the firm, as
well as the police department, for damages. From what Raven knew,
Lowell had no intentions of pursuing it beyond gaining his freedom

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and life back. A messy trial might bring to light details best left
unknown.

Now that they were here, though, each second of delay seemed to

last ages. Wallace released a sigh of exasperation. “Calm down, Rav.
He’s going to come out any moment now.”

“Easy for you to say,” Raven snapped down irritably. “What

would you do if it were Blue, not Lowell?”

The dark expression on Wallace’s face made Raven regret his

words. Given his friend’s assistance, he should be kissing Wallace’s
feet, not berating him. Then Wallace’s gloomy look cleared and he
nodded. “I understand. Sorry. I shouldn’t have been dismissive.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Raven sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want

anything like this to happen to anyone. But God…Why are they
keeping him so long?”

Just as he asked this, Raven felt the presence of his mate closing

in. His breath caught, and he barely managed to contain himself from
jumping over the prison wall. And then, the gate opened, and Lowell
strolled out, looking more gorgeous than ever. Raven’s heart hurt with
love for him. Okay, so they were an odd pair, and they still hadn’t
figured out their old problems. There simply hadn’t been time. But
somehow, when one was faced with the possibility of permanent
separation, priorities changed. Right there and then, Raven’s were to
get Lowell alone, preferably next to the first horizontal surface.
They’d fuck like rabbits—or like a wolf and a raven, as it were—and
then they’d finally speak of the issues that made them break up in the
first place.

Lowell seemed extremely pleased with seeing him there, but not

so much with Wallace’s presence. He made his way to Raven’s side,
hugging him tight and inhaling, as if he couldn’t get enough of Raven.
They didn’t kiss, but the embrace was like a balm for Raven’s needy
heart. Even if he’d come to visit Lowell in prison during their time
apart, they hadn’t been able to touch. These weeks without his mate

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and lover had been torture, and the fear for Lowell’s safety had not
disappeared until this moment.

Lowell broke their embrace and gave Wallace a mildly

disgruntled look. “Hello, Wallace.”

“Hey,” Wallace replied. “It’s nice to see you out. Get in, would

you? I have other things to do today.”

Wallace’s attitude was only a mask, and Raven admitted he still

felt saddened that the most important people in his life couldn’t get
along. He’d done a lot of thinking in the past weeks, and he realized
the root of the problem was that, of course, Lowell didn’t know how
to share him. Even if Raven had told Lowell many times that he and
Wallace were just friends, his lover had clearly not believed him. It
needed to stop. It was the first step toward a better future for them all.
But now was not the time, or the place.

Wordlessly, they got into the backseat of Wallace’s car. As

Wallace drove off, Raven realized that all his life, he’d relied on the
wolf. Even today, he’d taken it for granted that Wallace would come
to support him, and Wallace must have felt the same. Raven hadn’t
really given much thought to what Lowell would feel upon seeing
Wallace there.

Raven held his tongue until they reached the apartment he shared

with Wallace. Wallace stopped, obviously intending to let them off
there and go on his merry way, perhaps simply to allow them their
privacy. “Wait,” Raven said. “I need a word with you inside.”

Lowell didn’t seem very happy with that, and Raven hated

spoiling their reunion, but he wanted no more doubts to shadow their
relationship. Wallace just arched a brow, but left the car with them.

While they climbed the stairs to the apartment, Raven went over

what he wanted to say. He and Lowell had been on an emotional
roller coaster ride ever since they’d started seeing each other. It was
time to put a name to it and to make Lowell see Wallace wasn’t a
threat. Perhaps, in his heart, Lowell did see it, but Wallace was and

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111

would always be a permanent fixture in Raven’s life, and if they
didn’t get clarify things, the situation could get ugly again.

Finally, they reached their home. As the door closed behind them,

Raven’s thoughts scrambled and he couldn’t find his nerve.

“Where’s Blue?” Lowell asked, filling the silence.
“Out with Avery and Maddox,” Wallace replied shortly.
The tense exchange snapped Raven out of his trance. “Okay, guys.

I’m going to say this once. I love you both, a lot.” Lowell opened his
mouth, perhaps to question him or protest, but Raven lifted a hand,
stopping him. “Please let me finish. I love both of you, only
differently. I love Wallace like a brother and Lowell like a man.
So…are you going to make me choose between two loves, or are you
going to get your heads out of your asses and shake hands once and
for all?”

Both men spoke at the same time.
“Baby…”
“Rav…”
Raven had known it wouldn’t be so easy. There was too much

history between them for it to be erased just like that. “Look,” he said.
“Lowell, you are my mate. You must know it now. There’s no reason
to deny it, and you have to see Wallace is no threat to you. Wal, I
know you’re upset that Lowell hurt me, but that’s all in the past. It’s a
misunderstanding, and I need to leave it behind.” He opened his heart
to his lover and his best friend, trying to make them understand the
importance of this all. “I want you both in my life, and it hurts me to
see you fighting or even like this, so tense. I’m going to leave this
room now and let you work it out for yourselves. I’ll be in the
bedroom if you need me.”

And with that, Raven left the living room, seeking shelter in his

quarters. He toed off his shoes and crashed facedown on the bed,
exhausted and desperately needing to reach out to the man he loved.
Perhaps he should have waited to do this until later. Suddenly, he
couldn’t remember why he’d thought conversation—and with

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Wallace, to top it off—had been a good idea. Raven groaned and
buried his face in his pillow. What a clusterfuck. Why wasn’t his life
ever easy?

He didn’t know how long he lay there, wanting to get up and

forcing himself not to. It couldn’t have been long because his
resistance was already very strained. Finally, the door opened, and
Raven felt Lowell come in.

He turned on his back and watched his lover approach. “What

happened?”

Lowell’s expression was completely unreadable. “He laughed at

me.”

Raven arched a brow at his lover. “Pardon?”
“He laughed at me.” Lowell shook his head and chuckled. “I was

staring at you as you left, and when I looked back at him, he just…He
laughed and told me to close my mouth because I would flood the
apartment with the drool.”

It sounded like something Wallace would say. “And what did you

answer?” Raven inquired.

“I wanted to punch him. I really did. But I realized when he

looked at me that you’re right. He’s not a threat. He never has been.”

As he spoke, Lowell sounded in awe. It seemed the concept had

never occurred to him. “It was all in my head.”

Raven nodded. “Partially, it’s my fault because I cancelled our

stuff for him. But…he’s like my brother, and he’ll always be special
to me.”

Lowell sat on the bed and cupped his cheek. “I understand that

now. I can’t say I’m not going to be a possessive bastard from now
on, but I do understand where you’re coming from.”

“Excellent.” Raven had enough of conversation. “Now kiss me.

We have lots of wasted time to make up for.”

He’d just finished the phrase when Lowell’s mouth crushed

against his. They hadn’t kissed in what seemed like ages and hadn’t
slept together since the day of their argument at the club. Raven didn’t

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113

know how he’d been able to bear it. Lowell’s tongue thrust into his
mouth, fucking it in an imitation of the act that would soon follow.
The only thing he could think about was taking their clothes off and
making love until the world ended.

As always, Lowell seemed to sense his need. In fact, it was unlike

their previous times together. Their half-formed connection flared
with their combined passion, and Raven could only guess how much
better it would get once that bond was completed. Every nerve in his
being sang out with the desire to become one with Lowell. And
Lowell gave him what he wanted.

Lowell’s strong hands ripped Raven’s shirt. The sound of tearing

material was strangely arousing, simply because it reinforced Raven’s
conviction that Lowell shared his feelings. More importantly, it
released Raven’s heated skin from its prison. Desperately, he tried to
return the favor and disrobe Lowell, but Lowell’s frantic ministrations
were sabotaging his own efforts. Finally, with a frustrated growl,
Lowell separated their bodies. He toed off his shoes, then pulled off
his plain shirt and hastily pushed off his jeans. A wet spot was already
forming on the front of his white briefs. Raven wanted to suck on it.
He wanted to taste Lowell on his tongue, to have Lowell’s prick fuck
his mouth like his tongue had.

Licking his lips, he pounced on his lover. Lowell fell back on the

mattress, and Raven spared a moment to congratulate himself for
indulging in buying the king-sized bed even if he didn’t really need it.
Without it, Lowell might have fallen off or hit his head or something.
Then again, Lowell was entirely capable of holding Raven back if he
so desired. If he’d allowed Raven to push him, it was because he
anticipated what Raven intended to do.

Indeed, there was no mistake as to what the heat in Lowell’s eyes

meant. Knowing that his brain was about two seconds away from
short-circuiting, Raven took advantage of the brief respite to shimmy
out of his pants. They were refusing to cooperate, so Lowell released
another annoyed groan and pulled them off. Raven’s underwear went

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with them, and this time, the noise Lowell made was a cross between
a choked gasp and an aroused moan.

Grinning to himself, Raven pushed Lowell back down. He pressed

kisses to Lowell’s abdomen, caressing his lover’s flanks. Lowell
growled. “Don’t tease.”

Chuckling, Raven lowered his mouth to Lowell’s genitals.

Lowell’s cock was visibly straining the material of the tight briefs.
Raven mouthed the wet spot, moaning as the flavor that was so
uniquely Lowell hit his taste buds.

As much as he wanted to prolong this, he needed flesh, not fabric.

He pulled off the last piece of clothing that shielded Lowell’s body
from his eyes. Lowell’s prick sprung out of his underwear, pointing
accusingly at Raven’s mouth.

“Come on, baby,” Lowell said. “Suck me.”
Raven didn’t delay in complying. He swirled his tongue over the

head of the mouth-watering erection, stabbing it a few times in the
slit, tasting the pearlescent liquid seeping from the tip. God, Raven
loved the flavor of Lowell’s pre-cum, spicy, salty, with a taste of
something wild that only Lowell had.

Lowell was moaning in earnest now, begging for Raven to stop

torturing him. Unable to resist, Raven wrapped his lips around the
head of Lowell’s cock and started bobbing his head up and down the
thick shaft. At first, Lowell allowed him to go at his own rhythm, but
then a hand was in Raven’s hair, pushing him down, and Lowell
began fucking his mouth in earnest. At one point, Raven didn’t even
have to do much since Lowell had taken over. It was heaven, having
Lowell use him like this, making his lover lose control. Lowell’s prick
went all the way into his throat, but Raven was good at giving head
and had no trouble swallowing around the glans. With each passing
moment, Lowell grew more desperate, and Raven found himself
humping his lover’s thigh, chasing his own orgasm.

All of a sudden, a stream of cum erupted from Lowell’s prick,

filling Raven’s mouth. Raven swallowed every drop of the offering,

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115

dizzy with lust and need. He was close, so very close to reaching his
own climax. Much to his surprise and glee, Lowell remained hard.
Raven well remembered that Lowell had great stamina and recovery
time, but now, he didn’t even get soft.

He slipped out of Raven’s mouth and pushed Raven down against

the pillows. His honey-brown eyes had grown almost dark with the
heat of passion. Lowell pressed his lips to Raven’s once again, and his
tongue explored Raven’s mouth with greed. He was tasting himself,
Raven realized, and the idea almost made Raven come on the spot.

As they kissed, Raven heard Lowell blindly reach toward the

nightstand. It was easy to guess what Lowell wanted. Raven broke
away, allowing Lowell to focus on his target. For a few moments,
Lowell just looked at him then resumed his task. He retrieved a tube
of lubricant from the drawer and turned toward Raven once again. “I
want to fuck you, baby,” he said.

“God, yes.” Raven actually whimpered. “Please, Lowell. I need

you so bad.”

He lifted his legs, exposing his hole to Lowell’s inspection.

Lowell’s nostrils flared, and he opened the tube of lubricant, his hands
trembling as he squeezed a generous amount on his fingers. “Please,”
Raven said again. “Hurry.”

Two slick digits invaded his anus, thrusting deep inside. Raven

arched his back and cried out. He was so close, oh so close. “Now,”
he panted out. “Just fuck me. I need you inside me.”

For once, Lowell ignored him. He scissored his fingers inside him,

making him writhe on the bed. Acknowledging the urgency inside
Raven, he squeezed the base of Raven’s shaft, keeping him from
coming. It was torture, sweet, delicious torture, and Raven was losing
his mind and his very sense of self at Lowell’s skilled touch.

He babbled and pleaded, no longer caring about anything but

getting his mate’s prick inside him. At last, Lowell must have decided
he’d been sufficiently prepared. The wolf removed his fingers from
Raven’s body and lifted Raven’s legs on his shoulder. With Lowell’s

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fist no longer stemming the flow of pleasure, Raven almost found his
peak, but he bit the inside of his cheek to distract himself. He didn’t
want to lose it, not now, not when he was so close to getting what he
needed. Lowell’s hot prick prodded at Raven’s opening. Raven’s
breath caught as anticipation coursed through him.

He’d half expected Lowell to thrust in and impale in one single

motion, but his lover didn’t. Instead, Lowell slid in gently, almost
lazily, as if he had all the time in the world. Obviously, the bastard
knew anything different would trigger Raven’s orgasm. Damn him.
Raven made a mental note not to allow Lowell to come first next
time.

After what seemed like forever, Lowell was inside him, his hard

prick filling Raven to perfection. Raven wanted to scream at Lowell
to move, but Lowell just stilled, staring down at him.

“Problem, baby?” Lowell asked huskily.
“No problem.” Raven squeezed his ass muscles around Lowell’s

prick. “You?”

Lowell gasped, and then there was a flash of something wild in his

eyes, like anger but not quite. Raven recognized it oh-so-well. It was
always like this between them. Even fucking had been like a duel of
wills, but once they both surrendered, it was heavenly. Maybe a while
back, their need to oppose each other even in bed would have
bothered Raven. But now, Raven recognized it as their own natures
adapting to their type of relationship. He should never have yearned
for a relationship like Wallace had with Blue, simply because he
wasn’t Blue and Lowell wasn’t Wallace. They already had something
special only they could understand.

Whether or not Lowell thought the same, the fact remained that on

this particular occasion, the wolf decided to surrender the battle. He
clutched Raven’s hips and pulled out. One instant later, he thrust back
inside so hard Raven’s teeth rattled. “Oh, God. Oh, fuck. Lowell,
Lowell, Lowell.”

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117

“Don’t come,” Lowell told him. “Don’t you dare come before I

tell you to.”

His lover’s name became a litany on his lips as Lowell fucked him

in earnest. The effort of holding his climax back was so intense tears
started streaming down Raven’s face. Lowell licked them off then
crushed his mouth to Raven’s, never once ceasing his assault on
Raven’s ass. Every motion of his pelvis drove his cock harder and
harder against Raven’s prostate. Any moment now, Raven was going
to come, whether Lowell wanted him to or not.

Lowell’s hands were squeezing Raven’s hips so hard Raven knew

he’d have bruises later. Sure, they’d heal soon, but just the thought of
Lowell leaving marks on him like that was arousing in itself. On and
on it went, and at one point, Raven lost count of everything that
wasn’t Lowell, Lowell’s cock inside him, his voice whispering
Raven’s name, his hands caressing Raven’s flesh. There was just so
much sensation after so much loss and loneliness, like a deluge after a
drought.

And then, out of the blue, Lowell buried sharp fangs in Raven’s

neck. It was like during their last night together, but at the same time,
different. This time, Raven didn’t pull away. Instead, he embraced it.
His orgasm burst out of him like a supernova, and he felt Lowell
thrust inside him one last time before his lover found his peak as well.

It was one instant, one delicious instant when their minds were

perfectly connected. All the limits of flesh and the boundaries
between two consciousnesses disappeared, swept away when their
bond finally clicked into place. Lowell’s thoughts and feelings
invaded Raven’s mind, so intense that at one point, Raven could no
longer tell where he ended and his mate began. It was ecstasy, but
more than carnal, it was transcendental at a level Raven had never
thought pleasure could exist.

His mind, body, and heart were filled with Lowell, and he

couldn’t get enough. He couldn’t speak, but he still heard himself
saying Lowell’s name, and he heard Lowell speaking to him. The

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words didn’t really register, but they were phrases branded in his
heart, the love they hadn’t seen and that had nearly slipped through
their fingers.

Finally, the haze of pleasure began to diminish, and Raven was

thrust back into reality. He found himself on the bed, sweaty and
covered in spunk and feeling better than ever. Lowell lay collapsed by
his side, panting.

They looked at each other, both of them not knowing what to say

after the magnificent episode. Lowell must have decided actions
spoke better than words because he pressed their mouths together in a
lazy lip-lock.

“Oh, baby…Oh, Raven,” he finally said. “That was amazing.”
His mouth was still making love to Raven’s, so Raven was

temporarily startled when he heard Lowell’s voice. He then recalled
how the bond worked. “You’re talking to me in my head,” Raven
said, testing their connection.

“So are you,” Lowell replied. “I can’t believe it. God, I thought

this moment would never come.”

Raven broke away from Lowell and gave his new mate a

chastising look. “Don’t. Don’t think about that anymore. Don’t doubt
us again. We fucked up because we were both idiots.” He cupped
Lowell’s cheek. “But not anymore. Okay?”

Lowell just stared at him, his brown eyes scanning Raven’s face.

“God,” he said at last, “you’re sexy when you get all serious.”

Raven was torn between getting pissed and cracking up. In the

end, he grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Lowell’s head. “I take my
words back. You’re still an idiot.”

Lowell grabbed Raven’s arms and pinned him down, trapping

Raven under his larger body. “Yes,” he murmured. “But I’m your
idiot.”

And then, Raven had no more smart replies because Lowell kissed

him again and made love to him for hours on end.

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119

Epilogue

The lines of Raven’s palm were well defined, his skin soft under

Lowell’s touch. Lowell traced a finger over his lover’s hand,
analyzing each detail. “Well?” Raven prodded.

“Shush, this takes concentration,” Lowell replied. “It’s not easy to

read into someone’s palm, you know.”

He looked at Raven and gave his mate a serious look. “I have

good news for you, though.”

Raven’s eyes widened, and he gasped theatrically. “Oh? Do tell

me? Will I meet my Prince Charming?”

Lowell barely managed to contain his laughter. “Oh, you’ve

already met him. And he’s gorgeous, a great kisser, and well
endowed.”

Raven snorted. “And very modest, too.”
Lowell kissed Raven’s palm. “And he loves you like crazy and

worships the ground you walk on.”

Raven’s expression softened. “Does he? Well, if I were to read

into his palm, do you know what I’d see?”

Lowell shook his head mutely. Raven leaned closer to him and

whispered, “I’d see a blow job in his near future, like in the next five
minutes.”

Lowell groaned. “Oh, baby, don’t tease me like that, not in

public.”

Raven chuckled and sat back on his chair. “You’re no fun.” He

looked at his watch. “What’s taking Wallace and Blue so long?”

Lowell arched a brow at his mate. “Probably a last-minute blow

job,” he replied through their bond. Even if he was referring to

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Wallace and Blue, he sent Raven an image of their last time together,
remembering how well Raven looked with his lips around Lowell’s
prick.

Arousal pulsed through their connection. “Now who’s teasing?”
Lowell started to chuckle, but his laughter died when he felt a

familiar presence. Indeed, he spotted his boss, James Gilpin, pass by
their table. The café where they’d agreed to meet Wallace and Blue
was quite popular, so there were chances that Gilpin would
accidentally drop by for a cup of coffee or something. But seriously,
in a city the size of New York, Lowell had trouble believing in
coincidences.

Gilpin headed their way without too much tact. “So have you

given my offer any thought, Mr. Kingston?” he asked in place of
hello.

Lowell stared at his former boss’s face, trying to see what secrets

James Gilpin was hiding. “Yes, sir,” he finally said. “It’s very
generous of you, but I didn’t think the firm would be needing my
services from now on.”

Gilpin shrugged. “Not where you worked before, no. As you can

understand, with the whole unpleasant affair with Mr. Brook, I will be
shutting down operations there. But we’re focusing on another
business that we own, and we’d like you on board.”

Lowell had the urge to ask who was this “we” Gilpin kept

mentioning, but stopped himself from it just in time. Truly, he had no
interest in working for Gilpin again, and had circumstances been
different, he wouldn’t even be here at all. He’d tell Gilpin to take his
job offer and shove it where the sun didn’t shine. But there were two
things Lowell had to consider while taking this decision. The first was
purely practical considerations. Getting a job was hard enough in
today’s economy, and it wouldn’t be made any easier by his time
spent in prison. Even if he’d been innocent of the accusations,
employers were unlikely to look beyond that stain, and Lowell didn’t
relish working at fast food restaurants for the rest of his life.

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121

However, he’d have gladly turned to flipping burgers had he been

certain that he and his friends were safe now. Unfortunately, Melissa
Fee had disappeared without a trace, and Wallace had been unable to
determine whether or not other people at Gilpin and Sons had been
involved in Karl’s plan. Furthermore, Onyx had been unable to
provide any information as to how Karl had found out about the
syndrome in the first place and whether or not there were more
captives in other locations. The only remaining lead they had was
Gilpin and Sons. And as much as Lowell hated it, it was of optimum
importance for this lead to be pursued.

Lowell could still remember the sorrowful state in which the

prisoners from the sanatorium had been. Doc and Ford were caring
for them, but it would take a while for them to recover, if they ever
would. One of them, a teenage girl named Dana, had suffered from
severe gene manipulation which threatened to leave her broken for
life.

For the moment, the former prisoners had been taken at another

facility owned by the Goldwins, where they could recuperate in
peace. Dana was the only one who’d stayed behind, mostly because
she was much more sound of mind than the others.

Just remembering all that made Lowell swallow the insults he

wanted to direct at Gilpin and nod.

“Very well, sir,” he told the man. “I’d be happy to work with you

again. On one condition.”

Gilpin arched a brow, looking amused. “Oh?”
“I’d like to hire my own assistant.” Melissa had been assigned to

him, and that hadn’t worked out very well.

Gilpin chuckled. “Understandable. I’ll be e-mailing you the

details of your new assignment tomorrow.” He nodded at Raven then,
just like that, turned his back on them, and started to walk away.

“Wow,” Raven said as he stared after the man. “That

was…interesting.” Through their bond, he added, “Do you think he’s
involved?”

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“Maybe. I’m really not sure. It would certainly make sense,

although if he had been backing Karl, I don’t think we’d have gotten
away with what we did so easily. Gilpin is a powerful man, and I
suspect that if he’d really wanted to, he could crush me.”

“He still can.” Raven’s concern reached Lowell like a balm. “Be

careful. Please.”

Lowell squeezed Raven’s hand. “I intend to. But let’s not think

about Gilpin anymore. I believe we were on the topic of blow jobs?”

Raven didn’t seem completely satisfied with his answer, but

allowed him to change the topic. “Actually,” he said out loud, “I’ve
been thinking.”

“About what, baby?” They were still getting the hang of their

connection, so Raven’s thoughts often drifted into Lowell’s mind. The
fact that Raven was bringing this new topic up like this meant that
Raven had deliberately kept it from him, which was somewhat
unsettling.

“Don’t be stupid,” Raven said, obviously catching the thought.

“It’s nothing bad. It’s just…Do you remember that time you invited
me to move in with you?”

Lowell blinked in surprise. “Those times,” he corrected. He’d lost

count of the arguments they’d had over Raven’s refusal to live with
Lowell.

Raven licked his lips, his nervousness reaching Lowell through

their bond. “If the offer still stands, I’d like to take you up on it.”

Distracted by the sight of Raven’s pink tongue, Lowell didn’t

immediately register the words. When he did, he gaped at his mate.
“Seriously?”

Raven nodded. “I wasn’t ready before, but I am now. If you want

to, of course.”

Lowell’s first impulse was to say, hell yeah. He debated for a

second then answered, “Don’t do it just because I want you to.”

Raven beamed at him. “You never would have said that a few

months ago.” He pressed a brief kiss to Lowell’s cheek. “I want to

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123

move in with you. I don’t know why I even waited so long to tell
you.”

“What about Wallace?” Lowell reluctantly asked.
Raven laughed. “It’s not like you live in a different city. We’ll

still be best friends. And besides, Wallace has Blue now, and I have
you. Once, we were the most important people in each other’s lives,
and I admit it hurts a little that things have changed. But at the same
time, we love each other as much as we did then, and we have two
mates to complete us, too.”

Raven looked so beautiful as he spoke, his black eyes full of

emotion, glinting with happiness and melancholy. If they hadn’t been
in a café waiting for their friends, Lowell would have jumped Raven
and fucked him. “You can move in whenever you like,” he told
Raven. “Just let me know.”

Raven’s smile was wicked, and Lowell knew his mate had heard

his thoughts again. “This weekend?”

“Done.” Lowell paused and began to think about the practical

aspects of it. His condo was big enough for two, of course. However,
Raven had a lot of computer equipment, which meant the apartment
would probably have to suffer some modifications.

They were still making arrangements over how to organize things

when Blue and Wallace showed up. Blue still looked a little mussed,
confirming Lowell’s earlier theory about the blow job. “Hi,” he said a
bit breathlessly. “Sorry we’re late.”

“No problem,” Lowell replied. “We had the most interesting

meeting.”

Wallace gave him an inquiring look. “Oh?”
Lowell began to tell Wallace about Gilpin, and as he spoke, he

realized in awe that his resentment for the other wolf had all but
disappeared. Oh, he’d always feel possessive over Raven, but now, he
could appreciate Wallace and his affection toward Raven.

“Don’t you dare tell Wallace that,” Raven said through their

bond. “I think all four of us would die of embarrassment.”

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Lowell almost laughed, but he forced himself to focus on the

conversation at hand. “You’ll need someone you can trust there,”
Wallace was saying.

“I was thinking about Avery,” Lowell replied.
“Avery?” Blue repeated. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea, as long

as it’s not dangerous. Maddox is very protective of him.”

“It seems something quite common with wolves,” Raven said, a

hint of amusement in his voice. “And speaking of Avery and
Maddox…They’re still looking for a place to live.”

“I heard. That last place traumatized poor Avery.” Wallace shook

his head. “I think they might go back to Maddox’s cabin if they
continue not having any luck.”

“Well, I was thinking they could come live at the apartment,”

Raven said.

“With us?” Blue blinked. “I like having Avery around, but the

place is too small.”

“I’m moving in with Lowell,” Raven explained, “so there’ll be

plenty of room.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and Lowell waited to see

what Wallace would say. At last, Wallace grinned. “Finally! Christ,
man, I didn’t think you’d ever leave.”

The words might have sounded dismissive, but Lowell somehow

knew that Wallace didn’t mean them that way. Perhaps, with the
bond, Lowell had gained a deeper understanding of Wallace directly
from his mate.

Blue smiled gently. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you. I’ll miss

you, but you need to be with your mate.”

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Raven reached over and fluffed Blue’s

hair. “I’m not moving to a different state. We’ll still see each other.”

“We’d better.” Wallace glared at Lowell. “And you, you’d better

take care of Raven, or else.”

Raven rolled his eyes. “Heads up, Blue. The pissing contest is

about to start.”

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125

Blue burst into laughter. “Don’t say pissing contest around

wolves. They might actually do it.”

Lowell couldn’t help it. He started laughing as well, and Wallace

and Raven did, too. When they registered the fact that the other
people in the café were starting to give them curious looks, they toned
it down. Lowell wiped a tear of mirth from his eye and pulled a still
chuckling Raven into his lap. “You know, Wallace,” he said, “these
mates of ours are going to be the death of us.”

“Too true,” Wallace replied, but he sounded as happy as a pig in

shit. “Too true.”

And then Lowell’s gaze met Raven’s, and Lowell forgot they

were in the middle of a café, with their friends at the same table. Their
mouths met in a sweet kiss, and their tongues dueled lazily as they
tasted each other.

They broke apart to breathe, and Lowell saw Wallace grinning at

him. No one else was paying much attention to them anymore, other
than a few girls who were giggling and blushing.

“Well, guys,” Lowell said, “it’s been fun, but we’re gonna be off.”
“Sure.” Wallace smirked. “Have fun.”
“Will do. You, too.”
They placed a couple of bills on the table, for their part of the

check, and left the café. As they headed toward the car, Lowell held
onto Raven’s hand. His mind went back to the conversation with
Gilpin, and he distantly wondered what else the future had in store for
them. But as Raven wrapped an arm around his waist, Lowell realized
that he was no longer afraid. He’d faced the hardest challenge in his
life and passed it. He’d won Raven’s heart. Beyond that, he didn’t
fear a thing. Whatever tomorrow brought, the love he’d found today
would get him through it.

“You’re such a sap,” Raven whispered in his mind.
“Yes, but I’m your sap,” Lowell shot back.
“My sap and my wolf.” Raven squeezed Lowell’s waist. “Take

your raven home. I want you to fuck me in our bed.”

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Lowell grinned and started walking faster. Suddenly, the future

seemed much more promising.

THE END

WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid

fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled
onto romance.

As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer

day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.

Also by Scarlet Hyacinth

Siren Classic ManLove: The S.E.X. Factor 1:

On the Wings of a Butterfly

For all other titles, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/scarlet-hyacinth

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com