Let Sleeping Wolves Lie

by Tielle St. Clare

Let Sleeping Wolves Lie

Ebook Edition

Copyright © 2011 T. L. Green

All rights are reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or

redistributed in any format.

To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at

www.tiellestclare.com

Author’s Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any

persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Prologue

Dex ground his heels into the peanut-shell strewn floor, hoping to slow his progress to the back alley, but the slick heels on his shoes—so

freakin' cute in the store—were worthless. Maybe once he got outside he could kick Chuck or Tony in the shin and make a run for it. That was going
to be his only chance to escape.

Powerful fingers gripped his upper arms, cutting off the circulation to his hands, but there was little he could do. The two guys were huge. And

strong. And pissy.

All he'd wanted was a few drinks and to dance until Chuck and Tony decided he needed to pay more than the standard cover charge if he

wanted to stay.

That’s what you get for hanging out in a redneck bar in the middle of Hicksville.

Reese had warned him to be careful, but after a month in this

dinky town waiting for the car to magically heal itself, Dex had needed to get out. Have some fun. Move a little.

He looked helplessly at the bouncer standing near the back door. The guy just smirked.

Great, he’s going to want a turn

.

Dex pressed his lips together, swallowing the growl that tickled the back of his throat. He knew from experience he didn’t have the power to pull

it off. The noise would come out as whimper and he’d sound like a puppy whining.

He took a breath in through his nose, calming his fluttering tummy and focusing on his plan. Once they got outside he could—

The scent of a wolf nearby caught his attention. Dex tensed and scanned the nearby patrons trying to find him. A wolf made for a whole different

set of complications.

A wolf pack wouldn't like a couple non-affiliated wolves moving into the area. Alphas tended to be a bit fussy about who moved into their

territory. His spine tingled. A wolf without a pack was considered fair game. Dex had been in that situation before, and knew it was no fun.

But they'd been there for almost a month and hadn't been contacted by any packs. Typically, a pack would make an initial greeting before

actually beating the crap out of someone.

Unless it’s a lone wolf just moving through town.

That made more sense because he'd only smelled one wolf scent, and pack wolves usually

traveled in pairs.

If he managed to get away from the idiot twins, he would check the guy out. Maybe he'd fit into their little group. Two wolves and a witch didn't

quite make a “pack,” but it was at least some support and comfort on those lonely nights.

The presence of the other wolf distracted him long enough that his captors managed to drag him out the door and into the back alley.

“Now, guys, I don't—”

“What? You going to say you don't like to suck cock? Cuz we know that's not true.”

“Okay—”

Dex sighed and let his shoulders droop, hopefully giving the impression he wasn’t going to fight them. The hold on his arms relaxed a little. He

hesitated for one heartbeat, then bolted, heading for the street. Dex made it two steps before they grabbed him. Material ripped and he snarled.
Damn, he liked that shirt.

Chuck yanked him upright and into the path of Tony's backhand.

Pain exploded through his left cheek. His cry echoed against the bricks but the sound was drowned out by the noise of the wolf in his head. The

tips of his fingers ached and he knew his claws were poking through.

The wolf wanted free, but Dex couldn't let that happen. Tony and Chuck weren't the type to find a werewolf “fascinating.” They'd kill him before

he'd finished making the change.

He did the only thing he could do.

He took a breath to calm the animal and tried to convince himself it wouldn't be too bad. It wasn't like he hadn't sucked a lot of cocks in his life.

What was two more?

Even if the thought made him gag.

He'd just get it over with and go throw up.

Luckily, they didn't seem to want to fuck him. That was probably a bit too “gay” for them. He wasn’t sure he could keep his wolf contained if they

tried that.

Not that he didn't like getting fucked—he did—but he was damn picky about who he let have his ass.

Resigned to get this done as fast as possible, he didn't fight when Chuck pushed him to his knees. Tony laughed and unzipped his pants,

reaching in to find his dick—

please God, let that mean he's got a small cock.

Dex wasn't in the mood to try to deep-throat a huge prick.

The door burst open beside him. Dex flinched, almost afraid to see who might be joining them.

“What the fuck are you doing out here?” Tony demanded. “Employees only in this area.”

Dex ignored Tony and stared at the big man who'd just appeared. The wolf's scent flooded the alley, competing with the stench of the garbage.

Dex's wolf vibrated inside him—curious, cautious. A wee bit terrified. The guy was big and obviously powerful.

Dangerous.

Still Dex had to believe he was safer with the wolf than with these two.

“Just checking on my friend there,” the big wolf drawled.

Chuck laughed. “Well, he’s our friend tonight.”

“Doesn’t look like he’s feeling too friendly.” The big guy took a step forward. “Now why don’t you let him up.”

The command in the guy's voice made Dex shiver.

“I don’t think so. He likes to suck cock and if you want him to do you, you’ll just have to wait your turn.”

Dex lifted his gaze to the big wolf, hoping he didn't look too pitiful. Pure Alpha power poured off the man and Dex's instincts took over. He

bowed his head.

The wolf didn't acknowledge the sign of respect. He grimaced and rolled his shoulders back as if he knew the fight was inevitable. Tony

seemed to reach the same conclusion. He did up his pants and faced the big wolf.

Looking supremely bored and more than a little irritated, the Alpha wolf waited. Finally, Tony gathered enough courage and threw a punch.

The wolf stepped out of the way of Tony’s awkward lunge, coming up with solid fist to Tony’s gut.

Chuck’s hands dropped from Dex’s shoulders as he danced closer to the other men, obviously preparing to join the fight.

Dex stumbled to his feet, his wolf in full flight mode, but he couldn’t abandon the guy who’d rescued him. Not that Dex was going to be that much

help.

Then Chuck pulled back his fist and Dex saw his opening.

He jumped. And landed his full weight on Chuck's back. He wrapped his arms around the bouncer’s neck and squeezed. He didn’t need to hold

on long—just while the big wolf took care of Tony.

Chuck lurched forward but didn't fall. He grunted and tried to reach around, swatting at Dex. Dex tightened his grip and pulled. The motion

overbalanced them and Chuck stumbled backward, slamming Dex's spine against the brick wall. His skull cracked against the wall. That time he
couldn't stop the whimper. His head spinning, he ground his teeth together and concentrated on not letting go.

Chuck straightened and thumped Dex against the wall again. The rough bricks scraped his back like dozens of tiny claws. His muscles

trembled. He held on but he couldn't keep this up for long.

A growl roared through the alley. Chuck froze, then looked up, searching for the source of the sound. Feeling like he was being rescued a

second time, Dex blinked as the big wolf stepped forward. Though still in human form, there was something decidedly

not human

about him.

He grabbed the front of Chuck's shirt and jerked him away from the wall, carrying Dex along for the ride. The big guy glowered at Dex, silently

blaming him for this mess.

Dex yelped as the wolf snatched him off Chuck's back and dropped him on the ground. Dex landed on his feet but his knees wobbled and he

grabbed the wall for support.

“Stay there,” the wolf growled. Dex didn't move, both human and animal responding to the command in the big guy's voice.

Chuck came up swinging and landed one punch on the wolf's jaw.

Dex winced. Not for the wolf. He would recover, but oh, Chuck was going to hurt. One did not strike an Alpha wolf without expecting some

serious pain in return.

Even if Chuck didn't know the guy was an Alpha wolf, he had to see how big he was.

The wolf backhanded Chuck, swatting him like a bug. The bouncer crumpled, hitting the pavement face first. And hard.

Dex stared as his rescuer shook out his hand.

His breath caught in his chest as he watched the guy. Not only was he huge, he had that power, the very essence of an Alpha wolf.

Maybe he would take Dex and his friends into his pack. The wolf shook his hand a couple of times and swore.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I fucking broke my finger on his fucking head.” He glared at Dex. “Why didn’t you just stay out of it?”

Dex shrugged. “I was helping.”

“Right, helping.”

The big guy didn’t seem to believe it. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The sleeve of his shirt slid up, revealing a red

dragon tattoo on his forearm.

Dex’s eyes locked on the design. Breath caught in his throat. He had the same dragon tattooed on his shoulder.

He opened his mouth to ask about the design but blinked when he saw the man he was fast deciding would be the perfect Alpha toss six

twenties on Tony’s chest and walk away.

“You’re paying him to try and beat you up?” Dex blurted out. He should have kept his mouth shut, but really, who gives money to a guy who just

tried to kill you? Not that they’d had much luck.

“No, I’m paying him my bar tab because I doubt I’ll be welcomed back inside after that.”

“A hundred and twenty bucks? Damn, how much did you drink?” Dex squished his lips together and tried to stop his wayward mouth. His

parents had always warned him about filtering his thoughts. He chased after the other wolf, falling into step behind him.

“Obviously not enough. Listen, kid—“

“Dexter.”

“What?”

“My name is Dexter.”

“Well,

Dexter—“

“What’s your name?”

“What? Uh, Micah.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Micah.”

The corners of Micah’s eyes tightened down. Dex took a step back. Yeah, he was obviously pissing the guy off.

“Thanks,” Micah snapped. “Listen, kid, unless you’ve got your pack backing you up, I would suggest you stay out of that bar for a while.”

“Oh, I don’t have a pack.”

The big guy stopped in his tracks and looked down at Dex. The edges of his mouth crinkled into a disappointed line.

“Listen, kid—“

“I’m not a kid and my name is Dex.” He was small but he’d reached his majority and he’d survived for a year as a lone wolf. That took strength.

“Fine, Dex, don’t go telling other wolves you don’t have a pack. For whatever reason.”

Dex took a step back, waiting to see if the guy would turn on him now that he knew he didn’t have a pack to back him up.

Instead, the guy said, “Why don’t you have a pack?”

Dex rolled his eyes. “My dad said it was because the pack had too many Omegas, but really it’s because I’m gay.” He cocked his thumb

toward the back of the building. “Those guys were right. I do like to suck cock…just not like that.”

“Great. More things that you shouldn’t go blurting out to a strange wolf. Didn’t your parents teach you self-survival?”

“No.” Dex shook his head. “They kind of expected me to stay with the pack my whole life.” A lone wolf was dangerous—to himself and to others

—but Dex hadn’t been able to find a pack that would take him.

“Well, listen, wise up and I’d suggest getting out of town. Those boys aren’t going to be happy with you.”

“Are you leaving?” Dex called after him.

“In the morning. Take my advice.”

Dex followed him from a distance, watching as the wolf turned into the only hotel in town, before taking off the other direction. He didn’t know

how much time he had. He ran to the boarding house, slipped up the back stairs so he didn’t wake the owner, and tapped on Rhian’s door.

It was early enough in the evening that she wouldn’t be asleep. “Come to Reese’s room,” he called. He ran to the end of the hall and knocked

on his friend’s door, unable to contain his excitement before he burst in.

“Reese—“

“Dex.” Reese was sitting on the bed, his fingers moving across a page. A cross between irritation and curiosity moved over his face. Reese

didn’t like to be disturbed when he was reading. “What?” His blind stare tracked Dex into the room.

“I found him.”

“Found who?”

“Our Alpha.”

Rhian stepped into the doorway. “You found a pack that will take us? All of us?” She placed her hand protectively on her still-flat stomach.

“Not a pack, an Alpha.” He spun around and gave her a hug. “We’ll form our own pack, then no one can kick us out.”

Reese scoffed. “You just happened to find an Alpha werewolf wandering around looking for a pack.”

“Well, he doesn’t exactly know we’re his pack, but we are. I can feel it.” His friends looked at him like he was insane, but his “feelings” had all

come true in the past. The dragon tattoo had confirmed it.

Besides, they needed to do something. After tonight, staying in town wasn’t an option.

“Come on. We’ve got to pack. He’s leaving town in a few hours.”

“And we’re just going to hijack him?” Reese asked even as he climbed off the bed. After almost a month, Reese knew his way around his room

and didn’t need assistance as he walked to the closet, fumbling for a second to find his suitcase.

“Why not?” Dex asked. “He’s an Alpha without a pack. We’re a pack without an Alpha. It will be perfect.”

Dex made the announcement then went across the hall to his room and began throwing stuff in his bag. There wasn’t much. They’d been

traveling so long they’d gotten it down to a science. Within minutes, he was ready to go. Ready to find their Alpha and give them a place to be a
proper pack.

Chapter One

Maddock stared at the worn building. The red dragon on the sign looked new, but the rest of the paint was peeling. The whole place needed

work.

His hands itched to grab a sander and strip the paint off the wood. He couldn't stop himself from doing an estimate. It wouldn't take long. About

two weeks from top to bottom. Of course that meant fifteen-, sixteen-hour days. Doing all the work himself.

He rolled his shoulders to silence the urge. Those days were behind him. Now, he told others to do the hard work. It wasn't as interesting, but it

made a hell of a lot more money.

“He's running late. Said he’ll be there in an hour or so,” Monica announced as she lowered her phone. She sighed, the sound infused with

annoyance. “I could just call him back and say forget it. It's not like we actually need to see the place.”

“I never buy anything sight unseen.”

“We don't care how it looks. We just need the right of way.”

He shrugged off her answer. She didn't understand. He wasn't going to trust anyone else's opinion or a set of documents. He needed to see the

land. His instincts would guide him from there.

He shoved the stick into neutral and killed the engine.

Monica’s head snapped up. “What are you doing?”

He tipped his head toward the bar. “We've got an hour. Might as well go in and have a drink.”

“In there?”

Her lips tilted down in slight disapproval. Whether because he'd suggested going into a dive bar in the middle of butt fuck nowhere or because

he wanted a drink at four in the afternoon, he didn't know. Didn't care.

They'd pulled into the parking lot for “The Red Dragon” so Monica could make her call. The cell service in this area sucked. But the little bar

seemed to be a hot spot.

“This isn't really my kind of place,” she said.

Maddock nodded his head, catching the meaning behind Monica's words. It wasn't

her

kind of place, but it was his. Or it had been for years. A

dive bar in the middle of nowhere where he could drink and find a hot piece of ass to fuck.

But he didn't do that any more.

Now, he hung out in wine bars and posh lounges. Went on dates. Actually learned a woman's name before he pounded into her.

Sometimes he missed the old days, but the benefits clearly outweighed the missing sex. Back then, he'd fucked partially out of boredom. Now

he wasn't bored. He was busy.

But something about the bar called to him, teased his senses. Those instincts that told him a good business deal when he saw it drove him to

check out the inside.

“We'll go in, have a drink and maybe they have snacks.”

“Snacks?” She exhaled again. This time it was definitely more of a huff than a sigh. “Oh goody. I can't remember the last time I had chicken

wings.”

Maddock ignored the snotty comment. Monica was a good sort most of the time. But when she found the situation out of her control, she turned

bitchy.

Too bad that didn't translate into sex. He'd tried holding her down one night while they were fucking. She'd just turned cold and demanded to

know what he was doing. The chill in her voice had killed his hard-on and he'd headed home with instructions to visit a doctor if he was starting to
have

those problems

at his age.

The memory made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and the bar was looking better and better.

He climbed out of the low-slung sports car, going around to the other side to help Monica out. Her ankles wobbled as she stood on the gravel

pad. She grabbed the room of his car to steady herself. After a few seconds, she stabilized and straightened, smoothing her hand across already
smooth hair.

“Let's go.”

Maddock closed the car door and took her arm, helping her across the crunchy surface. They entered the dimly lit bar. Maddock's eyes

adjusted quickly to the low light and he spotted a table that kept his back mostly to the wall and gave him a view of the door.

Not that he thought he was in danger, but habits were hard to break.

He guided Monica into a chair, took his place against the wall and did a quick scan of the bar. Only one other table was occupied. Two women

and a man. The women seemed more focused on the two guys at the bar—the bartender and another man who looked like he belonged. Bouncer
probably. Maddock smiled. Doubtful they got much trouble with a big guy like him keeping the peace.

Maddock looked around for a waitress and menus. He shook his head. He’d really gone over to the dark side if he expected a dive like this to

have menus. Hell, he’d just order up at the bar.

Before he could push back his chair, another man walked in, appearing from an open door behind the bar. Blondish-brown hair hung past his

chin framing a face that looked too young to be in a bar. But like the other two—he looked like he belonged. He had an apron around his waist and
a damp cloth in his hand.

Something about the way he moved caught Maddock’s attention. The kid swished a little as he walked and Maddock found his eyes drifting to

the guy's ass. The pale blue denim looked thin and worn. It wouldn’t take more than one good tug and the kid would be bare-assed naked…
because some unknown insight told him the guy went commando.

It took him a moment to realize he was staring. At another man's ass. He gave himself a shake, glanced at Monica to see if she’d noticed, then

focused on his phone. He tapped the security code into the keyboard and sighed as his email popped up. That would keep his wandering eyes
busy.

Dex swung his hips to the slow rhythm of the jukebox as he wiped down the table. He was having a good day. The crowd was light but it would

pick up as people headed home. For an out-of-the-way bar, they'd started to draw in a fair number of regulars, plus the occasional traveler.

Like the couple who'd just walked in the door. Dex chuckled. They

so

didn't fit with the décor, but Dex had made it his mission to be friendly and

welcoming to everyone. Even if they looked like they belonged in a corporate boardroom.

Both were focused on their phones. She talked on hers. He seemed to be texting. Dex didn’t have a problem with cell phones and smart

phones, but the couple hadn’t even spoken to one another since they walked in. How rude.

The woman was dressed in a beige skirt suit that fit perfectly but the color washed her out. From the tight set of her shoulders and pursed lips,

she didn’t mind being a little bland.

But the guy…Dex's eyes locked on him and wouldn’t pull away. Yummy. Tall, broad-shouldered. The deep gray suit he wore fit his body to

perfection, clinging to the shoulders, tapering down to a narrow waist. Clearly tailored.

His dark hair was a bit too short, but that was something easily fixable.

Dex had become a fan of long hair on a man in the past six months. He'd let his grow. So had Reese. He didn't know if it was an instinctual

thing to match their Alpha or just that they both liked the way it looked on Micah.

Dex licked his lips and let his gaze linger on the new arrival.

Beyond just the guy’s looks, power hovered around him. He’d walked into a strange bar and looked around like he could take on anyone in the

place. That kind of energy made Dex want to hump his leg like a happy puppy.

Dex pushed the thoughts away and went to the bar. He tossed the rag away and grabbed his tray.

“You got 'em?” Reese asked. Dex nodded. He'd learned long ago not to ask

how

Reese knew someone had walked in.

Reese was blind, but he was the most sighted blind man Dex had ever met.

Dex walked over to the table and tossed down a couple of napkins.

“Welcome, folks. How y'all doing?” It was a little country, but sometimes the Southern boy in him just came out.

They both nodded, which he took to mean they were fine, though the woman looked across the table with a bit of a smirk. She pulled the phone

away from her ear and set it down on the table.

“Maddock, Tim said he'll take the four o'clock.”

“Good.”

Dex stood there for a moment, wondering if he should start again.

“What can I get you?”

“A menu,” the man said.

Dex turned what he hoped was a blinding smile on the guy.

“We don't—” The words locked in his throat. Blue eyes, the color of glacier ice, stared back at him. Dex took a breath and tried to start again.

“We don't—”

A delicious scent surrounded the guy and it was all Dex could do not to lean down and inhale. Fuck, that smell could make him high. Even as he

sampled the yummy scent, he acknowledged the fundamental sensation beneath it.

“Maddock” was a wolf. At least, Dex thought he was a wolf. He smelled like one, though it was difficult to recognize beneath the cologne he

wore. To a human, the smell wouldn't have been overpowering but it managed to mute the wolf's distinctive scent.

Dex took another breath trying to catalog the various smells. He dismissed the cologne, going for the scent beneath. Definitely yummy wolf. His

mouth watered as he imagined licking that delicious flavor from every part of the man’s body.

Another fainter smell invaded Dex’s nose.

Female.

The wolf in Dex's head growled. The sound tickled Dex's throat but he crushed the noise, turning it into a squeak.

Those ice blue eyes widened, then squinted down.

“Can you—” The phone in Maddock's hand chimed and he looked down. “Damn.” As if Dex wasn't standing there, he tapped an answer out on

the screen. “What were you saying?” he asked absently.

“Who? Me?”

Maddock looked up. “Yes.” The word was snapped out. His wolf whined as if he’d been spanked—which led Dex’s thoughts in a completely

different direction—him, naked, bent over, his ass burning from a good smart spanking.

Oh yeah.

He met Maddock’s glare and gulped.

“I’m sorry. What was the question?”

“A menu.” He spoke like he thought Dex was a little slow. Dex sighed. He couldn’t really blame the guy. He hadn't been at his most coherent.

“Right. No.”

“What?”

“No menu. We don't have one. No food.”

“Not even pub food?”

The question made sense. It was a pub after all.

“No. None of us can cook.” Dex stared into Maddock's eyes and lost himself for a few heartbeats. “Well, I mean, I can make scrambled eggs…”

And maybe I could make you breakfast someday.

“And sandwiches, but we really didn't think a menu of eggs and grilled cheese would bring in

the people. Micah makes hamburgers, but they are just decent, not anything near something you would sell.”

Maddock blinked and his lower lip curled down in sharp disapproval, almost like he was preparing to snarl. He clearly didn't expect his server

to be rambling on and on about their lack of a cook. Dex snapped his teeth shut.

“Sorry. Uhm, drinks?” He just needed to get their order and get the hell away, figure out what was going on because if what he thought was

going on was actually going on…he was screwed. The longer he stood there, the more he decided the female's scent was on Maddock.

Yeah,

totally screwed.

“I guess it's too much to hope for a wine list,” the woman said with a condescending laugh. She reached over and tapped the back of

Maddock’s hand as if he had to join the joke. She sat back, never giving Dex a chance to tell her to go fuck herself. “I'll have a red wine. Cab if you
have it.”

“We have a lovely Cabernet.” Well, it was decent. At least that's what Reese said. Dex wasn't a wine drinker. He liked his liquor like he liked his

men—strong and with a twist.

“I'll have a Guinness,” Maddock said absently.

“Oh, we don't have Guinness. We're a Welsh pub.”

Maddock glanced up and then shook his head as if he didn’t care. “So give me something Welsh.”

“Right, one Welsh beer, coming up.”

Before he'd even walked away, Maddock started tapping on his phone’s screen.

Dex forced a smile on his lips and then had to force his legs to walk away. His wolf really wanted to stay and breathe in the guy's scent.

Oh, this is bad.

Dex slapped the tray onto the bar. It made a satisfying “crack,” but his Alpha wolf didn’t even flinch. Instead, long moments later, Micah raised

his eyes and lifted his brows in silent question.

“I need your help.” Those brows went a fraction of an inch higher but Micah didn’t speak. “You see the guy at the table?”

“The prick who’s surgically attached to his phone?” Reese asked.

It shouldn’t have surprised Dex that Reese had noticed the guy or recognized he was on his phone. This was Reese after all.

Four months ago when they’d been considering the option of purchasing this pub, Reese had announced that he could tend bar. A blind

bartender. Who would have thought?

Micah managed the place. Rhian and Dex were the servers. The place was small, only about fifteen tables so they’d only needed to hire a little

extra help.

“Yes,” Dex finally answered, keeping his eyes trained on Micah. He needed help and dammit, Micah was going to do it.

“Is he giving you a problem?” Micah sat up a little straighter. He still wasn’t willing to call them a pack and wouldn’t admit he was their Alpha, but

he wouldn’t let anyone mess with them.

“No.”

“Refusing to pay his bill?”

“No.”

“Didn’t like his drink?”

Dex could hear the tension creeping into Micah’s voice.

“No, it’s personal.”

Micah sank back down on his barstool. “Then why ask me?”

“You’re my Alpha. It’s your job to help with problems.”

“I’m not your Alpha. I’m your boss, so if it’s not work-related, I don’t care.”

“What’s the problem, baby?” Rhian asked, stepping in from the office. The little pooch of her stomach barely showed that she was pregnant.

Still, he didn’t like that she was always on her feet. He tipped his head toward the couple. The woman seemed engrossed in her phone. Maddock
was as well, tapping the screen, neither acknowledging the other.

So not

what he was looking for in a man. Oh, he liked the gorgeous, muscular shape and definitely could fall in love with those ice blue eyes,

but Dex wanted a mate who would make him the center of his world. This guy looked all business. Even when the woman talked to him, he kept his
eyes on his phone.

He sighed. “I think he’s my mate.”

His pack mates stared at him. Even Micah cocked his head.

“That’s good, right?” Rhian asked. “Don’t some wolves search forever and never find their mate?”

“I guess, but as Reese pointed out, the guy’s been on his phone, texting or tweeting or whatever since he walked in, ignoring the woman across

from him…” He winced. “Who I’m pretty sure, he’s sleeping with.”

“Ouch.”

Reese placed a round of drinks on his tray. They were meant for the table on the opposite side of the room. As much as Dex wanted to stay

and discuss the possibility that tall, dark and gorgeous was his mate, he had work to do. Sighing again, he picked up his tray and headed to the
table. He dropped off the drinks, took two more drink orders as the tables filled, wiped down a couple of tables that didn’t really need it and headed
back to the bar.

Micah had put away his work and was currently sipping a whiskey, his eyes monitoring the bar. They didn't need a bouncer…not with an Alpha

werewolf sitting guard over the room.

Dex gave the orders to Reese. The Beta wolf nodded and started grabbing bottles. The only concession to his lack of sight was a marking on

bottles that he couldn’t recognize by touch—and no one put a bottle in the wrong place. The combinations that resulted weren’t pleasant.

“I went by your mate's table,” Reese said in a low voice. “We were both right.”

“About?”

“He is a bit of a prick and he’s definitely sleeping with that woman.”

“How is that possible? How can my mate not be gay?” Tales of lone wolves left to wander the Earth in solitude crushed his heart. He'd finally

found the one person who could complete him, and the man didn't want him. He’d never heard of a mated pair who didn’t fuck like bunny rabbits.

“One, you’ve only just met him,” Micah said, getting involved in the conversation for the first time. “You can’t be sure he’s your mate.”

“I’m pretty sure he is.” There had been no mistaking the sensation, the immediate desire to lick and touch and cuddle up against all those

luscious muscles. He’d always had a thing for big, strong guys, but this was different. This went soul deep.

“Even if he is, he’s not the only one.”

“What?” His parents had always told him that wolves had one mate for life. “But there is just one mate—”

Micah shook his head. “Once you’ve chosen them, you get only one, but can you imagine matching with only one other person in the world? The

odds of finding one's mate would be astronomical. There’s nothing mystical about this. Your wolf and his are compatible, but there are others out
there.” He tossed back his whiskey and the corners of his eyes tightened down.

“But—”

“If you want this guy, go after him. If you can tell right now that he’s an asshole, stay away from him. The more you're around a possible mate, the

more the wolf will imprint on him. That happens and you’ll never be able to break the tie.”

Dex sank down on one hip and considered this new information. This wasn’t his “one” mate. There might be others. He bit down on his lower

lip. There

would

be others. But he kind of wanted this one. The guy was big and handsome and just looked like a sundae on a hot summer day.

Damn, he could practically feel him on his tongue now.

Reese placed a glass of red wine and a pint of black beer on Dex’s tray. He stared at the drinks—Maddock’s order. He’d deliver the drinks

and get another sniff at his delicious mate.

“He is beautiful, though,” Dex said with the wistful tone.

The right side Micah’s mouth kicked up in a wicked smile. “If you’re that hard up for a fuck, I’m available.”

Wouldn’t be the first time, Dex thought. He and Micah didn’t fuck often, but occasionally, one of them needed and the other was close by.

Now that he’d met his mate, it seemed like cheating.

But he didn’t want to offend Micah. “Well, maybe I’ll take you up on the offer.”

“Excuse me—” The chilled voice dripped with annoyance.

Dex gasped and spun toward the sound, the tray gripped between his fingers. The wine and beer glasses teetered for a breathless second

before they both tipped.

The world slowed to the speed of a football replay and Dex could only watch it happen. Liquid tumbled from the glasses, red and black

splattering across the man's crisp white shirt and deep gray suit jacket.

“Oh fuck. I’m so sorry.” Dex grabbed a rag and started daubing. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. I can’t believe I did that.”

He continued to babble, his apologies liberally interspersed with swear words. His mind tapped on his shoulder, warning him to look up, that he

needed to pay attention to his surroundings, but Dex ignored the mental prompt. He didn’t want to see who he’d thrown wine on because he was
sure the fates had to be fucking with him.

Strong, smooth fingers grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away.

“It’s fine,” the man snapped. The biting tone made Dex’s cock rock hard.

Finally, he lifted his head and met the eyes of his mate. The wolf inside him went mad, clawing at Dex’s spirit to let him free, to let him have his

mate. Dex shook his head and tried to focus, ensuring his human side stayed in control.

Cold blue eyes stared back at him and Dex shivered. His mate was a hard man. Maybe Micah was right and he should let this one go, search

for another.

But then he glanced down, ostensibly to see the damage he’d caused, but his gaze drifted below his mate’s belt and there was the slightest

hint of a bulge. His mate had to be feeling the same connection, right? And truly, who could have a hard-on when someone just threw wine all over
you?

Dex looked up. His mate’s lips thinned out into a grimace.

“I was going to ask where the restroom is.” He held out his arms to show the red and black alcohol that drenched what had to be an expensive

suit. “It appears I need it even more now.”

“Uh, just down that hall.”

The man started to walk away and Dex’s wolf urged him to follow. He took a step after his mate. Micah’s hand caught his arm, tugging him

back.

“I don’t need a sexual harassment lawsuit.”

“I wasn’t going to attack him or anything.”

Maybe get down on my knees and beg to suck his cock.

And what guy wouldn’t appreciate that?

Micah tilted his head down and glared out the top of his eyes.

“You’re right.” He’d already dumped beer and wine on the guy. Propositioning him would probably get his ass kicked. Though the guy looked

more likely to sue than fight. He seemed like that kind of guy. Didn’t want to get his hands dirty.

So not

what he dreamed about when he thought of his mate, Dex reminded himself. He imagined strength and power, just a little bit of danger.

Someone who could dominate him, take him like a ravished romance novel heroine.

He looked at Micah. Someone like him but who didn’t cling to the lone wolf image like it was a lifeline.

“Just let him go,” Reese said, opening another bottle of red wine. “He’s got to come back through, right?”

Dex nodded glumly.

“I’ll clean this up.” Micah stood up. “You get those drinks delivered.”

Feeling like a kid who’d gotten in trouble by the school principal, Dex picked up the tray Reese had reloaded. The sympathy on Reese’s face

didn’t help.

Dex sighed. Could things possibly be more screwed up? He turned slowly, making sure there was no one nearby who he could pour more

alcohol on and went back to work. The wolf whimpered its distress, but Dex ignored it and concentrated on his job.

His mate had to return sometime.

Chapter Two

Maddock dragged the suit jacket off and hung it up. Most of the wine and dark beer had landed on his shirt, but enough had splattered on the

jacket and pants that the suit was ruined. What a fucked up day this had turned out to be.

Maddock patted the front of his shirt with a wet paper towel. “That's what you get wearing a four thousand dollar suit into a dive bar. Fuck.”

He stopped moving for a moment and closed his mouth, drawing in a long breath. Something had obviously gotten him stirred up. He didn't use

the word “fuck” that often unless he was actually, well, fucking. The fact that it was popping up in his brain meant his usual tight control was being
strained.

A quick glance down told him part of the problem. He had a freakin' hard-on. Not a normal occurrence during a business day. Even if the

woman who might eventually be his fiancée was sitting across from him.

Monica didn't inspire that kind of lust. Oh, he liked fucking her well enough and could imagine doing it for the rest of his life, but she didn't make

him think of sex. He thought about sex, then he directed his thoughts to her.

It would make it extremely uncomfortable to work with a woman who constantly made him hard.

So what the hell had happened?

He'd been on his phone—nothing that would arouse him—and the only other person who'd been near was the waiter.

Damn, the guy didn't look old enough to be out of high school let alone working in a bar. But that smile.

Fuck, he’d smiled at Maddock like he was the only person who mattered in the world. The kid could make a fortune with that kind of customer

service.

Too bad he was wasting it in a biker bar.

Maddock rolled his shoulders back trying to shake the tension.

The waiter wasn’t his problem. His problem was he was covered in red wine and black beer. He shook his head and stared in the mirror. He

couldn't meet the Realtor looking like he'd killed someone.

Another glance in the mirror confirmed the shirt, tie and trousers were a loss.

Great, the afternoon’s wasted.

Monica could call the Realtor and make an appointment for later.

He walked back into the bar, glancing around, telling himself he was just making sure the little waiter wasn't hiding in the corner, waiting to

dump more booze on him.

A couple of tables had filled up in during the time he’d been in the john.

The big guy still sat at the bar, watching. He looked like a lion, sitting high on a cliff. Maddock could practically see him surveying his domain.

The guy behind the bar wore glasses and reached for bottles without actually looking.

A blind bartender? That had to be some kind of gimmick. He was suddenly glad he hadn't ordered a mixed drink. Though the guy moved with

confidence, grabbing a bottle of Triple Sec and pouring it into the shaker. As if he felt Maddock's eyes on him, he turned his head and looked at
Maddock.

Even through the black glasses, Maddock could feel the man’s appraising stare. For a moment, he felt frozen, trapped, but after a few tense

heartbeats, the sensation vanished into his imagination.

Maddock dragged his gaze away and returned to his table, ready to get the hell home and out of the damp and sticky shirt.

Monica was on the phone, talking in a serious tone that told him it was a business call and sipping her wine.

A pint glass of black liquid sat in front of his chair.

Hell, the drinks were there. They would at least drink them. He put his jacket back on to cover the stain and sat down.

Maddock took a sip of the black beer and had to force himself to swallow. It wasn't quite what he'd expected. He took another sip and decided

it wasn't so bad. It definitely wasn't the pale ales he usually drank.

The bottom of his pant leg twitched and Maddock froze. Did this damn place have mice? Another flutter moved across his ankle then pressure,

up the side of his calf.

Reality struck him. That was Monica's foot.

He looked up and met Monica's gaze. She winked over the edge of her wineglass.

She was flirting with him. At work. They'd worked together for five years but had only started sleeping together a few months ago. Office gossip

said they were getting married. Maddock wasn’t sure who had started that rumor, but he hadn’t corrected it. Yet.

It made sense. Maddock could take over from Monica's father when he retired and the firm stayed in the family. But they'd been careful to keep

business and sex separate. Why would she suddenly turn sexy on him?

Unless she’d seen his hard-on and thought she'd caused it. He forced a smile, hoping he put enough interest in it to let her know he

appreciated the offer.

He could fuck her tonight. He hadn't really planned on it—they were going to get back to town fairly late. They had a charity reception the

company sponsored—homeless turtles or something—but Maddock could probably schedule in a quick fuck before he went home and finished
reviewing the budgets the CFO was supposed to complete today.

Monica continued her phone call and another email from Tim came through. Maddock read through it quickly. Tim was doing research on who

owned the properties around the farm they were intending to buy. Not that it mattered. He needed the one plot of land. Having the others would just
be a bonus. Future expansion options were always good to have.

“

Sending you contact information for the owners on both sides of the parcel. The one to the north is a recent purchase and Realtor says

they aren't likely to sell. Commune or something.”

Maddock scoffed and typed his reply. “

Even communes have to eat. Thx.”

He flipped through his email, took another sip of the beer that tasted like he was eating bread and looked around the bar.

The waiter who'd dumped the wine on him was moving through the space, wiping down empty tables and stopping at the full ones. One group

in particular seemed to be getting his attention. Four guys, big guys, took up the space around the table. The kid seemed to be in his element. He
managed to tease and almost flirt, but it didn't seem to bother the men. There was no aggression in his movements.

He tipped his head back and laughed at something one of guys said, then bent down and whispered something into the man's ear. Tight jeans

molded to the kid's ass and Maddock felt his cock harden again.

Fuck. What was wrong with him?

Monica leaned forward and lowered her voice.

“The twink was right.” She lifted up her glass. “It’s actually not a bad wine. I mean, for a place like this.”

Maddock’s mind locked onto one word. “Twink?”

“The blond kid. A little light in the loafers, wouldn’t you say?”

Maddock nodded absently.

“He seemed to like you well enough.”

“What?” The question whipped out of his mouth.

“Nothing. Don’t go all homophobic on me.” She sipped her wine and shrugged one beige shoulder. “I’m just saying, he wasn’t drooling over

me.” She smirked as if this reflected on him somehow.

Maddock just took another sip of the black beer. His eyes scanned the room and locked on the waiter. More particularly, the waiter’s ass and

the way it rocked with each step.

His cock twitched in his trousers and Maddock was tempted to cross his legs, but Monica watched him so closely he didn’t want her to notice

that he was getting hard from staring at another guy.

Dex made the rounds, determinedly keeping his eyes off the table where his mate sat with the human female. There were only a few other

tables so it didn't take long to check on drinks.

The construction guys were interesting. They were working on a job site about ten miles away, but it took forty minutes to get there. Their drive

home brought them past The Red Dragon so Dex couldn't say he minded. The bar needed all the business they could get. They weren't in the black
yet but heading that direction.

He glanced toward the table with his mate. The woman's glass was almost empty. His mate was about halfway through the black. Might not

have been the best choice. It was an acquired taste.

He returned to the bar and placed his next order. Looked like Reese was on break. Micah was behind the counter. He wasn’t as good as

Reese, but he managed.

“Here.”

Micah slid a business card across the bar. Dex picked it up. It had the name of the bar, address, phone number. He flipped it over. Someone

had written Dex’s name and cell phone on the back.

“Offer to have his suit cleaned.”

If it had been Reese, he would have expected a wink, a bit of teasing. Not Micah. He looked stern, as if he didn’t care—he just didn’t want any

hassle.

Dex tapped the card on the countertop and nodded. Micah’s lower lip tightened. It was a hint of sympathy and just what Dex needed.

He pushed his shoulders back, hoping some faked confidence would help. Taking a deep breath, he flipped around. Maddock—his mate—still

sat with the woman.

Dex breathed again, capturing the oxygen in his chest and holding it as he walked over, hoping it would give him strength. But the strain on his

lungs was too much and he gasped as he reached the table.

“I—” He shoved the card into the guy’s hand, his own fingers trembling. “I want to play—I mean, I want to pay for the cleaning of your—”

A heavy thud tapped him between his shoulder blades and sent him off balance. He tipped forward…falling face first over his mate’s lap.

Dex squealed and froze. He blinked and stared down at the floor, his mind taking a few moments to figure out how he’d gotten into this position

—head down, ass up, perfect for spanking.

He shivered. It had been a while since he’d been spanked. Micah wasn’t into it, and as smart and sexy as Reese was, he wasn’t powerful

enough to top Dex.

The hard cock pressing against his stomach told Dex his mate might be more interested than he’d thought. Resisting the urge to squirm

against the guy’s hard-on, Dex stayed still, not sure how to get up without rubbing all over Maddock.

“I’m sorry.” Reese’s voice rang through the air with a sincerity that Dex

might

have believed if he didn’t know the guy. “Guess they shouldn’t let a

blind guy walk around all by himself, huh?”

Dex held back a growl. He knew perfectly well Reese didn't need any help walking through the bar.

Bastard.

Reese had put him in the position on purpose. Now how did he get out of it gracefully? Maybe he should just wiggle his ass and tell

Maddock to punish him like the bad boy he was. Dex giggled at the thought.

“Excuse me,” Maddock said, his voice low and hard, rimmed with ice. “Are you going to stay there all night?”

The anticipation exited Dex’s chest in a rush and he felt his cheeks warm.

“Uh, no. Of course not.”

Holding his chin high, and going for as much dignity as he could while draped over another man’s lap, Dex pushed himself upright, lifting his

hips away first. He’d definitely felt a hard-on, but it was obviously meant for someone else.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he backed away, dropping his eyes to the ground. “Please send me the bill for cleaning your suit.”

Without looking up, he spun away, punching Reese as he walked by.

“Asshole,” he muttered.

“I was only trying to help.”

Dex kept his head down and stalked back to the bar, walking behind the counter and into the storeroom. His cheeks burned. What had Reese

been thinking?

He hid out until Micah walked in ten minutes later and glowered at him. Micah hated having to serve the tables. It meant he had to interact with

people and he didn't like that.

Grinding his teeth together to keep from whimpering, Dex washed his hands and headed back out. His mate and the woman were gone.

Just as well, Dex thought. The guy clearly wasn't interested.

If what Micah said was true, there was someone else out there, someone who would want him just as much. A perfect mate.

Well, Micah hadn’t actually said all that, but Dex had to believe.

He would just have to wait for Mister Right.

The center of his chest ached and the wolf whined inside his brain. Damn. The wolf wanted its mate.

* * * * *

Dex took his phone between his fingers and spun it in a slow circle across the smooth polish of the dining room table.

“Still hasn’t called?”

Dex shook his head and looked up at Reese. “I mean, just the once, but he said he’d come by and he hasn’t.” He tapped the back of his cell

which he’d kept faithfully charged since that night. “I just thought maybe he’d call if he couldn’t come.”

“It’ll be okay, pup.” Reese sat down and put his arm around Dex’s shoulders. He was only a few years younger than Reese, but Reese was

definitely the older brother type. He rocked against Dex.

“Maddock’s a Welsh name, you know?’

He could feel Reese’s smile. Dex didn’t know if Maddock was a descendant of the original Welsh wolves but he liked the coincidence that his

mate was somehow connected to their same background.

“I didn’t,” Reese murmured. “But I saw his aura and he seems like a basically honest guy. If he said he’d stop by, then he will.”

“Really?”

“Oh dear Lord, could you please stop whining about this?” Micah’s voice rang through the house the way only an Alpha’s could.

He stepped into the dining room, his white T-shirt stretched tight across his massive chest.

Damn, even with a mate on the horizon, he couldn’t help but admire Micah’s body. Perfectly lickable.

But the irritated glint in Micah’s glare stopped any sexual thoughts Dex might have had. He could practically feel his wolf curl his tail between his

legs. It was amazing that he didn’t whimper.

“Listen, the guy will come by or he won’t. Sitting around here, spinning that phone like it was a top, isn’t going to change anything.”

Dex lifted his head and glared back at Micah. If he wasn’t going to accept the role of Alpha then Dex didn’t have to give him that honor.

“What the hell else am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Clean. Needlepoint. Fuck, go for a run. Just quit sitting here pining for some guy who’s probably a prick if you got to know him.”

With that, Micah spun around and stalked back into the living room. Moments later the TV blared with some random football game.

“Maybe he’s right,” Reese offered.

“So I should just forget I ever saw the guy my wolf chose?”

“No. But a run wouldn’t be a bad idea. It would burn up your energy and your wolf would probably love it.”

Dex nodded. He didn’t shift often between full moons. His wolf was a fairly passive creature, but Dex still battled for control.

“Come on. Go for a run.” Reese tapped his leg and Dex sighed. Might as well. Sitting around wasn’t doing him any good and he didn’t care for

Micah’s suggestion that he “clean.”

Deliberately leaving his phone on the kitchen table, Dex walked out the back door and down the path that led to the Pack’s hunting grounds.

No, they weren’t officially a “pack,” but when they’d bought the place four months ago, they’d registered with the Pack Association, claiming the land
as theirs. It gave them the power to defend and protect their property.

Though they actually owned only one plot—the farmhouse and surrounding lands—they’d registered the tiny forest and the plots of ground to the

north and south. Werewolf packs didn’t live well in proximity to each other. This would give them some space if another wolf pack moved in.

He followed the trail to a secluded spot they used to change. The trees were almost impenetrable and gave them a nice safe spot to make the

shift.

Dex stripped off his clothes and took a deep breath, calling his wolf forward. The animal stayed concealed. With a sigh, Dex called on the one

image he knew would tempt his wolf—Maddock.

The strong powerful muscles he imagined beneath that crisp business suit, the delicious scent that made him want to lick his mate from head to

cock.

The temptation seemed to be enough. His wolf roared forth. Pain shattered his bones and muscles. Dex ground his teeth and pushed through

it. It only took seconds and he was there, his wolf form taking control.

Dex knew he wasn’t a powerful wolf. The stronger the wolf personality, the more volatile the creature was. It translated into dominance in the

pack.

Dex almost had to force his wolf to reveal himself…except on full moons. Then he was at the mercy of the animal inside him.

On the upside, it meant he mostly kept his human mind, even when in wolf form. The animal brain controlled the body, but Dex at least could

ride along, observe. He’d met some wolves who had no memory at all once they shifted. He didn’t think he’d like that. Too many late-night-horror-
show possibilities if you couldn’t remember what happened last night.

Even when he took on his third form—something only descendants of the original Welsh pack could do—he was able to maintain some human

presence. The thought of being a slobbering beast with no human control terrified him.

The wolf trotted off, following his nose, exploring. Dex kept himself alert for anything human—hunters, farmers, vehicles.

He lifted his head and sniffed the air. A car had passed this way recently.

Dex’s human brain processed the smell and recognized the location. He was on the neighboring property. It had been for sale for months, even

before they’d bought their property.

Considering the wife had killed her husband and hacked up his body in the living room…the Realtor was finding it a hard sell.

But if someone had recently driven this way, that might mean someone was interested. Micah would want to know about this. He’d considered

buying both properties, but between the four of them, the house and the bar were all they could swing.

Dex loped toward the neighboring farm, keeping plenty of distance between him and the potential buyer. Wolves in the area tended to make

property values drop.

But because he couldn’t get close, there was no way to see who was looking at the property.

Dex guided his wolf away. He didn’t know who but at least he could report back to Micah that someone was looking at the land next door.

And damn if Micah hadn’t been right. The run had allowed him to clear his mind. The wolf was much more interested in the scents and sounds

of nature. He wasn’t thinking about his mate.

Much.

He jogged back to his starting point and willed the wolf to retreat, letting the human form return.

He groaned as he stood. It really did hurt. Every time he changed.

But the freedom of the wolf was worth it.

Until he had to walk, then every muscle in his body hurt.

Dex dragged on his jeans, draped his shirt over his back and headed toward the house.

Reese looked up as Dex entered the kitchen.

“Have a nice run?”

“Yeah, actually.” He tipped his head toward the left…the far left. “The Realtor was showing someone that property next door.”

Reese’s eyes glowed for a second. “Micah will want to hear about that.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Oh, and…” This time Reese looked down, his lips curled up in a smile. “Your phone rang while you were out.”

Dex froze then bolted into the dining room. His phone sat where he’d left it.

One Missed Call.

Fingers trembling, he hit the voicemail and held the phone to his ear, almost coming when Maddock’s voice flowed through the line.

“Hey, uhm, it’s really not necessary, but if you wanted to buy me that drink, I’ll be in the area tonight. I’ll try to stop by.”

“Well?” Reese asked from the doorway.

“He’s coming by tonight.”

Reese smiled. “Then you’d better go shower. You smell like wolf.”

Dex whooped and ran for the stairs. Fuck, he was going to have to jack off in the shower if he was going to see his mate tonight.

Chapter Three

Maddock stepped into the pub and did a quick survey of the space. It had been almost a week since the kid had dumped wine on him and had

offered to pay for it. Maddock fingered the business card in his pocket. He’d called today to say he was coming by, but it was just for a drink.

There was no way the kid could afford the cleaning bill on one of Maddock’s suits. Not if he worked in a place like this.

Maybe he could take it out in trade. His overactive mind calculated how many fucks he could get for a four-thousand dollar suit. Damn, the kid

would be tied to his bed for months—tight ass pinked and well-fucked.

Maddock gave himself a shake, trying to clear the image before it could take up permanent residence in his brain.

The morning after the wine incident—after his irritation and embarrassment had fled—Maddock remembered the kid’s smile. And the sincere

horror at having drenched Maddock.

If he’d been in a better mood, he might have laughed it off. Except he didn’t laugh at much these days.

Still, it had been an accident and the kid had been honest in his apology.

That next morning, Maddock had called the cell number and left a message, telling “Dex” he didn't need to worry about the suit. That should

have ended it, except Dex had called him the next day.

Dex offered again to clean or replace the suit, but Maddock declined. He should have gotten off the phone then, but the strangest thing

happened—he’d gotten hard. Just from talking to the guy. Something about the kid's voice made his cock swell. He'd been tempted to keep Dex on
the phone, let him talk while Maddock stroked off, but just the fact that he had that urge—while at the office—told him something was seriously
wrong.

Despite all the reports and articles in women’s magazines about how often men thought about sex and how they fantasized at work, Maddock

didn't think about sex at the office. He thought about work at the office. And at home. He really only thought about sex when he was fucking.

And when talking to Dex, it appeared.

By the end of the conversation, Maddock had agreed to come back to the pub and let Dex buy him a drink as repayment.

The wisest choice was to drop it and move on. Stay the hell away from the guy whose voice made him think of things he shouldn't be thinking

about—Dex, bent over his bed, tight, firm ass, pink from Maddock's hand. Lubed up and ready to be fucked.

There was no escaping that particular fantasy. It had stalked him for the past five days, appearing in his mind at the strangest times—like the

staff meeting when Monica had announced they were “pounding” the competition. Fuck. He’d thought of pounding of a different kind. Dex’s smile—
hungry instead of welcoming—instantly came to mind, blurring his grasp on reality and leaving Maddock with the image of Dex, on his back, knees
at his ears and fuck, it was happening again.

He’d managed to hide his erection from the staff, but every day the challenge grew worse.

Knowing he should stay the hell away, knowing he didn't need to see Dex again because he didn't need to soothe some kid's guilt…why the

fuck was he there, standing in the tiny bar looking for the clumsy waiter with the tight little ass?

That round ass was the problem. When he'd seen Dex, draped over his lap, it brought to mind all sorts of wicked ideas. Things he hadn't

thought about in years, things he hadn't let himself think about.

When he’d made the decision to move out of construction and into property development, he’d picked a successful future over his natural

tendencies. He couldn't spend his nights with a sweet little sub tied to his bed.

No matter how discreet you were, in this time of Internet and cell phones, someone always found out.

Politicians hadn’t quite figured this out. They always seemed to believe they could get away with it.

Maddock knew better. He'd made the decision to back away from his dominant urges and find a nice safe woman to marry. It had taken him

years to find an appropriate woman. Monica met all his requirements—good background, solid business contacts and a body that he could fuck if
he put his mind to it.

He wasn't going to screw it up by fucking some kid just because he'd thrown himself across Maddock's lap. Monica had laughed about the

“accident” on the way home, but Maddock wasn't fooled. That had been deliberate.

The nerves at the back of Maddock’s neck tingled.

It felt like a setup, but he couldn't figure out the goal. He'd done his research on the bar. New business. Not much chance for long-term success

in a remote location like this, but they could probably keep it going for a few years.

Maybe they’d figured out a way to scam money to keep the place afloat.

For the first couple of days he'd expected a call or an email saying they had a picture of him with a cute blond over his lap. It wouldn't make a

bad blackmail scheme, but there was no way for them to know who he was.

None of it made sense and

that

was why he was back.

Well, that and the kid's ass.

He rubbed his thumb across his fingers, imagining the burn in his palm as he turned that round butt bright red. Or Dex screaming as Maddock

pounded his cock into him. Dex looked like the type who got loud when he fucked.

Maddock missed loud fucks. Most of his women were the quiet, “moan and pant”-type lovers. All well and good, but sometimes a man just

wanted to hear a scream.

Hear someone beg him for more.

Or beg him to stop.

He gave himself a mental shake. He wasn't going there. He'd made his decision years ago and nothing was going to shake that resolve. He

was too close to getting everything he wanted.

Finally meeting up with the Realtor, he’d seen the property and knew they had to have it. It put in back in the vicinity of the bar so it wasn’t a big

deal for him to stop by, let Dex assuage his guilt with a drink. It wasn’t like Maddock was driving all the way out here just to see the kid.

The thought reassured his own trouble mind.

He strolled into the bar, a plan forming as he sat down in a corner booth. He didn't usually sit in booths. His legs were too long to make it

comfortable, but this seat gave him a view of the whole bar.

He would wait until the cute little waiter came by for his order. He'd get his free drink and then walk away. That would ease the kid's conscience

and Maddock could forget about this place. Besides, if there

was

something hinky going on, they'd have to make their move soon.

The room was about half full when he sat down. The same guy was behind the bar—still wearing the glasses. He had to be able to see. There

was no way he could move so easily if he was really blind.

Maddock let his gaze drift around the room. The Welsh and American flags hung in the corner. The sight drew him out of his thoughts for a

moment. What had the kid said when he'd ordered a Guinness? They were a Welsh pub? That was definitely the Welsh dragon on that flag.

Beneath the flags, the same big guy sat at the corner of the bar. The grim set on his face warned that he was not someone to mess with unless

you wanted your ass handed to you.

Not much intimidated Maddock, but he didn't think he'd want to tangle with this guy. Maybe it wasn't intimidation so much as wisdom. The smart

choice was to leave the junkyard dog alone.

From the open door behind the bar, a blonde woman walked out. She had a towel draped over her arm and an apron wrapped around her

waist. It took Maddock a moment to realize she was pregnant. She smiled at the “blind” bartender, then walked around the end of the bar, heading
toward Maddock.

She tossed a napkin on the table. “What can I get you?”

“Beer. Whatever you have on tap.” Normally he was pickier about his beer, but he wasn't really here for the drink. He was here to put some

closure to this situation.

“We serve it warm, is that okay?”

He blinked and remembered the dark, black beer he'd had the other night. “Uh, sure.” He leaned in and for some reason felt like he needed to

lower his voice. “I'm actually here to see Dex.”

The woman's eyes widened. “Oh, you're him. Of course. I missed the other night when he poured the wine all over you.” She smiled and winked.

“That must have been a bitch to clean up.”

“Speaking of bitch—” A teasing male voice interrupted. “Are you going to get the man his drink or not?”

The waitress straightened and spun around. “You're one to talk about being a bitch.” She bumped hips with Dex. “I'll get your drink.”

“It's on the house,” Dex said.

She chuckled. “Like I didn't know that.” She winked at Maddock. “Family and friends discount, huh?”

He winced. He wasn't either.

Dex slipped into the seat across from him. “Hi.”

The cautious look on Dex's face tugged at Maddock’s heart. He rubbed his fingers against his breastbone, trying to ease the sudden ache.

This was a casual meeting, repayment for destroying a four thousand dollar suit. That's all.

So why the fuck did it feel like a first date? An awkward first date.

“Obviously I'm Dex.” Dex offered his hand across the table. Maddock took it. His fingers were long and slim.

And would look perfect wrapped

around my dick.

The thought jolted him. He gave Dex’s hand a perfunctory shake then released it. Unfortunately the image lingered.

“Maddock.”

“Thanks for coming out.”

“No problem. I—”

The waitress appeared with his beer and set the pale liquid on the table before walking away, though not before she gave him another wink.

“You didn't care for the black the other night. You might like this better.” Dex shrugged and almost looked like he was blushing. “It's a little more

American.”

Maddock took a sip and nodded. It was more like what he was used to. Warm, but he could handle that.

“So, I wanted to apologize again and say I'd really like to get the suit cleaned.”

Maddock shook his head and drank from his glass. “It's done and don't worry about the suit.” He couldn't tell the kid that he'd ruined an

expensive suit. Dex looked a little too tightly wound tonight.

“If there's anything I could do to—” Dex jumped and then leaned back, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He glanced at the

screen. “Oops, got orders waiting at the bar.” He slid out of the booth. “Listen, can you hang around for a bit?” The kid leaned down and Maddock
found himself enveloped in the most delicious scent—sweet and spicy. He licked his lips, wanting that flavor on his tongue. “I'm on break in about
thirty minutes and I'd really like to talk to you, maybe explain a bit?”

Dex left the sentence hanging. For the life of him, Maddock couldn't figure out why he agreed, but he found himself nodding. Dex's mouth

spread into a shy smile and something in Maddock's chest did a little flip.

“I’ll be back.”

Dex straightened and walked away.

Maddock tried, he really tried, but he couldn't stop watching Dex's ass as he headed back to the bar. Damn, what was wrong with him?

He wasn't interested in Dex sexually. He was practically on the verge of maybe getting engaged to Monica. And he sure as hell wasn't

interested in guys. A few exploratory encounters in college didn't count.

His foot tapped on the floor, expelling some of the energy surging through his veins. He took a deep breath and tried to stop the strange

twitching. Damn, he felt like he’d been shot through with electricity.

He pulled out his phone and opened his email. He could sit here and work just as well as at the office. They didn't have wireless, but the cell

service worked well enough.

The first email was from Monica, followed by another. He started flipping through the messages, typing a quick reply. His gaze tripped over to

Dex, carrying a tray of drinks to a table of men. They looked like the same guys who'd been here the other day. Sort of made sense. It was about
the same time.

These guys must be regulars.

Dex flashed the whole table a smile. The one closest to him raised his hand and patted Dex's hip, getting dangerously close to his ass.

Maddock's gums tingled and the muscles along his jaw clenched. The base of his throat tightened. Conflicting sensations crowded his brain.

And he had the strangest urge to growl.

He ran his tongue over the rough edges of his teeth. The lightest touch sent shockwaves into his jaw. Fuck, when was the last time he’d been to

the dentist?

Laughter he instantly recognized as Dex grabbed his attention. He watched as Dex spun away from the table and headed back to the bar.

The strange sensations in his teeth faded as Dex moved away from that table, but the strain at the base of his neck remained.

Maddock rolled his shoulders back but couldn’t release the tension. Forcing his eyes to focus, he stared at the half-typed message on his

phone and realized he didn’t understand what he’d written. How the hell would anyone else? He re-read the original note, remembered his reply and
jumped back in to tapping on the screen.

But the swish of a tight ass encased in black denim fluttered at the edge of his sight and he looked up. Dex was back at that table, handing out

drinks, bending over to place a pitcher of beer in the center.

The guy with the wandering hands put his fingers on Dex's arm, drawing him down to whisper something in his ear. Dex bent down and

listened.

He's probably just asking for directions to the bathroom.

Right.

The movements were subtle, keeping Dex close, the teasing glow in the guy’s eyes.

Dex leaned closer. He tipped his head to the side at something the guy said, then turned and looked over his shoulder, his gaze meeting

Maddock's. The other guy looked as well.

Instinct controlled his body. Maddock spread his legs a little bit and draped one arm over the back of the booth, warning the guy that he was

watching and letting him see Maddock was big enough to defend what belonged to him.

Not that Dex belonged to him.

Fuck, what was happening to his brain?

The twitch in his leg returned.

He looked at the time. Dex's break was another twenty minutes away, but he didn't think he was going to make it. He had to get the hell out of

there.

He went back to his phone but barely saw the screen. Every movement in the bar caught his attention. His senses tracked Dex's path around

the room, especially when he went near that table of men.

The volume level rose as another big group came in. Dex seemed to know where everyone was, when they needed refills. He moved quickly

but never seemed to rush a customer. Maddock had to admire the way he worked the crowd, smiling, flirting, teasing.

It was all fine until Dex headed back to the first table of guys. He leaned forward placing another pitcher in the center of the table, showing off

that tight ass. And the handsy bastard just couldn't keep from touching, once again patting Dex's hip like he had the right.

Maddock was out of his booth before he knew what was happening. Four strides carried him across the room.

He stared down at the construction worker and grabbed Dex's arm.

“Take your break now,” he growled.

Dex blinked and looked up at him. Those wide green eyes held a spark of fear, but the lust that flashed at him told him the shivers he sensed

running through Dex's body weren't because he was afraid. Dex nodded.

Maddock glared a warning down at the man who'd dared touch Dex. The guy flinched and satisfaction surged through Maddock's chest. He

was pretty sure the guy would keep his hands to himself from now on.

He nudged Dex to move and Dex headed toward the back of the bar. Maddock didn't let go as he followed, almost pushing Dex, urging him to

get them somewhere private so he could…

Fuck, he didn't know what he was going to do, but he needed Dex alone. Needed to get a few things straight.

Dex dropped his tray on the counter. The bartender looked up and stared, not at Dex but directly at Maddock. Even behind the dark glasses

Maddock could see the glow of the guy's eyes.

“Reese, can Rhian take over my tables? We…uh, well, we…”

“We need to talk,” Maddock growled out.

The bartender smirked but nodded. “I’ll have her cover.”

Maddock tapped Dex's ass telling him to move it.

Dex stumbled down the short hallway that Maddock knew led to the bathrooms. Hell no, they weren't having this discussion in the bathroom.

“We can go in here,” Dex said, leading Maddock away from the men's room, opening a door across the hall. The lights came on as they

entered and Maddock glanced around enough to see it was an office.

It would work fine for what he had in mind.

Which is what?

He pushed the annoying voice of his conscience aside and looked at Dex. The kid

picked at his fingernails, head down, blondish-brown hair hanging in front of his face.

Maddock crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. The words running through his mind were completely inappropriate so he didn’t dare open

his mouth. He couldn't demand to know why Dex was letting that asshole grope him. Or order Dex to bend over and take his punishment like a good
boy.

His cock twitched as the picture returned. The fantasy intensified with the subject of it standing right before him. Bright green eyes glittered

back at him, hesitant and hungry.

“Listen, I want to apologize…”

A knot deep inside Maddock's gut started to ease. Good boy, he thought.

He knows what he did wrong.

“I'm not usually so clumsy.”

Clumsy?

Fuck, he was still thinking about the wine.

“Fuck the suit.” He grabbed Dex's arm and yanked him forward, putting less than an inch of space between them. He reached up and tugged

on Dex's hair, tipping the kid's head back so he had to look up at him. “What about that guy putting his hands on you?”

Dex's eyes got wide and those soft lips opened. The sight distracted Maddock for a moment, making him think about those lips wrapped

around his dick, sucking the come from his body.

“I—I don't…”

A part of his brain screamed this was wrong—he didn’t do this kind of thing—but a completely different voice pierced the fog, telling him to fuck

Dex, mark him, show the others that he belonged to Maddock.

The clashing noises in his head blurred his control. His body took over.

He spun Dex away, pushing him face first against the wall. Dex gasped, but it wasn’t a sound of protest. No. The kid wanted it. As if he reacted

to the same impulses driving Maddock, Dex placed the flats of his palms against the wall and pushed his ass back, straining the seams of the tight
denim.

Maddock didn't think. His mind barely functioned, only observing as he pressed against the lean, hard body in front of him. That round ass fit

perfectly into his groin.

Heat flowed between their bodies. Maddock reached forward and placed his hands next to Dex's on the wall.

“Is this what you were thinking of when you let that asshole touch you?” Maddock asked, his lips brushing against Dex’s ear. The words came

out of his mouth thick and low, like a snarl, but Dex seemed to have no problem understanding him.

“I wasn't letting him—”

Maddock bit down on the delicate little earlobe within his reach, punishing Dex for the lie.

“Don't fuck with me, kid. I saw how close you let him get to your ass.” The fog over his brain deepened with one crystal clear thought breaking

through—he needed to let Dex know who was in charge.

Maddock dropped one hand down and around, sliding over Dex’s hip, his fingers tripping across Dex’s cock.

Fuck, yeah.

The kid was hard.

Maddock knew he would be.

“Did having that asshole touch you make you hard?”

Dex shook his head, the pale strands teasing Maddock's nose.

“Who then? Who made your cock so hard?” He cupped his hand around Dex’s erection and squeezed, holding him in place as he eased his

dick against the crease in Dex's ass, letting him feel every inch. “Who were you thinking about when you wiggled this tight little ass?”

“Y-you.” Dex rubbed back, massaging Maddock's cock.

“You sure about that?”

“Yes, fuck me. Please.”

The words flashed through Maddock like an electric shock. Desires he didn’t understand and couldn’t comprehend materialized through the fog

in his brain. A low growl rumbled through his chest. He swallowed a roar and took a breath, closing his eyes to center his control.

But then Dex moved, just a shallow pump, offering his ass. Fuck. He needed skin. Maddock tore open Dex's jeans. The kid’s cock tumbling into

his hand. Maddock curled his fingers around the long, hard shaft. The heat was incredible.

Dex cried out and the sound bounced around the room. The aching in Maddock’s jaw returned and he scraped his teeth across the back of

Dex’s neck.

“That's a sweet dick you got there, boy.” The words tumbled out of his mouth. The voice didn’t sound like his, but he couldn’t stop himself. Just

like he couldn’t stop touching. He pumped his hand up and down the shaft. The kid was long but not too thick. And fuck, he felt good in Maddock's
hand.

The corner of his mind still able to function screamed that this wasn't normal, but he couldn't stop the compulsion to stroke that smooth skin,

squeeze just a bit, wanting Dex to feel it.

“Stop.” The kid's moan was laced with so much pleasure Maddock was pretty sure Dex didn't mean it. “Please. I want to come with you inside

me.”

Oh, fuck, yeah.

He could do that, wanted to feel that ass tighten around his cock when Dex came.

“Let me—”

The door sprung open.

“What the fuck?”

Maddock lifted his head and snarled at the intruder. “Get out.”

“It’s my office,” the big guy from the bar announced.

Maddock’s fingers tightened around the dick thrusting into his fist. The kid’s round ass pumped back, just begging to be fucked. Need like he

never imagined flooded his groin. He had to fuck this guy’s ass, needed to come inside him. And he didn’t care who was around.

“Fine,” Maddock said to the big man filling the doorway. “I’m going to fuck your friend into next week. You can watch if you want.”

To prove his point, he grabbed his fly and jerked it open. His cock pushed against his shorts trying to get free.

“Dex,” the big guy called. The kid lifted his head. “You okay? Or you want me to pull this asshole off you?”

Maddock’s lips pulled back from his lips. The urge to snarl made his lips tingle.

“I—”

Maddock rocked his hips forward, letting Dex feel how hard he was, how much he wanted to fuck that ass that had been filling his dreams.

“I’m fine.”

Maddock ran his hand down the kid’s back, rewarding him. “Give me a few minutes and you’ll be so much better than fine.”

The lithe body beneath his shuddered and he was pretty sure he heard the kid whimper. His cock leapt in excitement. Fuck, he had to get

inside him soon or he was going to come in his pants and miss all the fun. Miss that hot, tight hole stretching just for him.

It took him a moment to realize the big guy at the door hadn’t left yet. “If you’re going to stay, you could be useful. Where’s the lube?”

“Fuck off,” the guy barked, but he backed away and let the door slam behind him.

“You really should be nice to him,” Dex said, his voice breathless and tight. Maddock gave the kid’s dick another squeeze just to feel that sweet

ass pump against him, begging him to fuck it. “He is the Alpha and it is his office.”

Alpha? I don’t think so.

Maddock had never met a man who could top him—not in business and sure as hell not in bed.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll apologize later.” But somehow he doubted it. “I wouldn’t want

the Alpha

to be mad at me.”

He ground his dick against the kid’s ass. Heat flowed into his cock. Fuck, he could only imagine how hot Dex was going to be when he actually

got inside him.

“Lube,” he growled trying to keep focus before he ripped off Dex’s jeans and dry-fucked him.

“Lower right hand drawer,” Dex moaned.

Maddock stepped back. He instantly regretted the loss of Dex’s warmth, but the sight of that bare ass, pushed back, waiting for him, made it

worth it. He went around to the desk and ripped open the bottom drawer. It fell to the ground with a thump and he left it there, grabbing the half-full
bottle of lube and returning to the man pressed against the wall.

“Is there a reason you know where that guy keeps his lube?” Rage like he’d never felt before overwhelmed him and he swore he actually saw

red. The thought of Dex spreading his tight little ass cheeks for someone else—that big asshole in particular—made him want to punch the wall.
“He fuck you?”

The anger moved through his hands and he yanked down Dex’s jeans, feeling the denim split beneath his hands. Need swelled inside him—to

mark the man, come inside him. Make sure when Dex got out of bed tomorrow he felt Maddock deep inside.

Maddock flicked the flip-top of the bottle with his thumb and poured the slick liquid on his finger. With no prologue, he pressed the single digit to

Dex’s opening and pushed, slow and deep. The tight hole gripped him. He hummed his approval and began a slow thrust in and out of that sweet
ass.

“Does he? Fuck you?” he murmured, his anger fluttering just beneath his skin.

Dex shook his head.

“Really? You don’t come in here on slow nights, bend over and offer this tight ass to your boss?”

Not giving Dex time to answer, he pushed a second finger inside along the first, needing the kid to feel him, to know who was fucking him. Dex

cried out and his fingers gripped the wall. Maddock watched those strong hands, clawing at the cinderblocks. Fuck, that was sexy. It was like he
could see the guy's need just by looking at his hands. His nails bit into the paint so deep it left scratches.

Damn, he wanted to feel those fingers on his body, gripping him as he pounded Dex’s ass.

“Please.” Dex tried not to whimper—begging was bad enough—but every nerve in his body sparked. He needed Maddock, needed to feel all

of him.

“You want my cock, baby?” Maddock asked, lowering his voice, putting his mouth to Dex's ear. “Want me to fuck this tight little hole?”

The words filled Dex's mind—the sounds both hungry and cool, as if Maddock was doing him a favor by fucking him.

Damn, the guy is good at

verbal foreplay.

He could almost come just from that voice…and those thick fingers sliding in and out of his ass.

“Yes.” He groaned and punched his hips back, needing to have his mate inside him. He didn't care what Micah said, he didn't think he'd ever

feel this kind of desire with another wolf. Maddock was his mate. And Maddock obviously wanted to claim him as well.

“Not just yet, baby.” He nipped Dex's ear, sending a shiver of pleasure into Dex's groin. “I'm going to put three fingers in your hole…” He

followed the description with the action. The burn pulled a low groan from deep in Dex's chest. “Push out, baby. My dick is a little thicker than this,
but you can take it.”

The groan turned to a whimper. He rolled his hips back, wanting more, loving the slight pain as Maddock worked the three fingers in deep and

slow.

“Fuck, you're hot.”

“Please. Fuck me.”

The slow penetration continued, driving him crazy.

“Damn.”

Dex froze.

“I don’t have a condom.”

“We don’t need it.” He shook his head and arched his back, offering his stretched ass to Maddock. “Don’t need it,” Dex said again. “Please.”

Maddock hesitated. Dex dug his fingers into the wall, holding back the wolf's howl. His mate had to know that they couldn't transmit diseases to

each other.

That meant only one thing…he didn't want to come inside Dex. Didn't want to strengthen the bond between them.

Pain lanced his heart and he dropped his forehead against the wall, holding back the fear, fighting the wolf's desire to rear up and claim his

mate.

Then he felt it, the first press of that thick head. Damn, he hadn't had a chance to touch his mate's cock so didn't quite know what to expect.

Hadn't known his mate's cock was so thick. Pressure swelled in his ass as he told himself to relax.

He forced breath into his tight lungs and allowed the slow burn as his mate pushed forward. Maddock moved cautiously, almost too slow,

drawing out that first penetration so Dex felt every inch.

“Please.” He whispered the word into the cinderblocks. His claws poked through the tips of his fingers and dug into the paint. He spared a

moment’s thought to explaining the scratches to Micah but Maddock’s slow entry consumed his focus.

“Slow, baby. I want to feel all of you.” Maddock eased his cock forward. The burn swelled inside Dex's ass, sending heat through his groin.

Another pause. Dex held his breath as his body adjusted to the thick invasion. As if calming a frightened animal, Maddock smoothed his hand

down Dex’s back. The gentle caress allowed him to relax, settle in.

“That’s it, baby. Almost there.” One slow final thrust and Maddock sank balls deep into Dex’s ass. A low, heavy groan vibrated Maddock's

chest. The sound radiated into Dex’s core and clutched the wall, fighting the orgasm that threatened.

He forced breath into his lungs, searching for calm, not wanting this to end too soon.

Neither moved. Dex closed his eyes and savored the sensation of having his mate inside him for the first time. The hard, heavy presence of

Maddock’s cock invaded his ass, taking possession.

“Very good, baby. Now we’re ready to fuck.”

With just that warning, he pulled out. Dex braced himself, ready for a hard pounding slam back inside, but the slow retreat was followed by a

slow, deliberate penetration.

Warmth filled his ass again, but now it wasn’t the burn of being stretched open—just the sheer heat of Maddock’s shaft as he pumped his cock

in and out of Dex’s ass.

He fucked Dex slowly, almost gently, each stroke sending wicked little shivers deep into Dex’s body. Fuck, it was good. Sensations

overwhelmed him—the smooth glide of Maddock’s cock, the strong fingers biting into his hips, the sound of Maddock’s breath as he fought for
control.

Dex struggled to remain still, to let Maddock fuck him as he wanted, but the urge to move was too much. He squirmed, silently giving Maddock

permission to fuck him harder.

“What do you need, baby?”

“M-more.”

Instead of pounding his cock into Dex, Maddock angled his hips and thrust forward, sliding his cock over Dex’s gland. The shivers turned to a

jolt and Dex yelped.

Maddock’s low chuckle might have pissed him off if the man didn’t have his cock up Dex’s ass, fucking him, tapping that sweet spot with each

thrust.

Still, he kept up the slow, steady pace. Never too hard, too deep. Never letting Dex relax. Never letting Dex come. Keeping him on the edge.

Staying in control.

“Please.”

“Sh, baby, I want to enjoy this tight little ass.”

Dex tipped his head forward and tried to hold off, tried to give his lover what he needed, but soon, he couldn’t stop himself. He pushed back,

driving Maddock deeper, harder.

A deep groan filled the air.

“Demanding, baby.” He smacked Dex on the hip—a punishment that just made it better. “You want it hard?”

“Yes,” he whispered, not knowing if Maddock evern heard him.

The need that had accumulated in his core swelled into his chest. He dug his claws into the cinderblocks, no longer caring if Micah was pissed

or not, and pushed his ass back, timing it to meet Maddock’s thrust, sending him deeper, harder.

Another soft grunt. “Oh, yeah, baby, I can do that.”

Fingers tightened on his hips, holding Dex in place as Maddock did another long slow retreat.

Dex held his breath, not sure what would happen next.

Another breathless moment and Maddock plunged inside, fast, deep—giving him every hard inch.

The world shimmered around Dex, as if a million butterflies teased his skin.

“Fuck!” Maddock’s shout filled the room as if he felt it, too.

Dex resisted the strong fingers holding his hips, needing more, slamming his ass back, meeting Maddock’s heavy penetration. That thick solid

cock pounded into his hole, making him ache, making him want.

Pleasure and need welled up in Dex—too powerful to contain. The sensations swelled inside him and seemed to radiate out of his body,

surrounding him and Maddock.

He lost himself to the pleasure, letting it consume him then escape into the air, expanding to take over the room.

But the only thing he cared about was the cock filling his ass, over and over, harder and deeper.

Fuck, he was going to ache tomorrow, but he didn’t care.

“Maddock!” He cried out the name, not really knowing what he wanted or needed from the other man.

“Fuck, baby, come for me.” Maddock’s strong fingers wrapped around Dex’s cock and began to stroke, working his dick in time to the hard

thrusts in his ass. “Come for me. Let me feel it—”

That was enough. The tight squeeze of Maddock’s hand, his cock and that wicked voice filling his head sent Dex over the edge. A jolt raced up

his spine as he cried out, spilling his come over Maddock’s fingers, onto the wall.

Energy exploded from his center and he punched his ass back, wanting to feel his mate come inside him.

A low, dangerous growl rattled the light fixtures.

And Dex just held on, letting Maddock pound into him, every thrust making him want more.

Maddock’s shout filled the room and moments later he came, flooding Dex's ass.

With a groan, Dex collapsed against the wall, the strength drained from his body. Pleasure surged through his core, another wicked jolt, as if

Maddock’s climax had flowed through his body as well.

They stood there for long moments, Maddock's softening cock still inside Dex. Heavy breaths rattled their lungs. Dex used the wall to hold him

up while he tried to slow his heart rate.

They'd fucked. His mate had fucked him.

He hadn't claimed him. Dex told himself he was okay with that. They’d just met after all. And he wasn't a romantic by any means, but when

Maddock finally claimed him, he wanted it to be more than a quick fuck in Micah's office.

Maddock bent his head, his nose brushing Dex's neck, a tiny caress as he retreated, easing his cock out.

With just enough space between them, Dex spun around and looked up at his mate. Maddock had his head down. Dex leaned in, wanting a

kiss, wanting to maintain the connection for just a few minutes more.

Maddock reared back, almost jerking away. He turned and grabbed a handful of tissues off the desk, quickly wiping off.

Dex's heart clenched even as his mind tried to convince him it hadn't been a deliberate motion to avoid kissing him.

Maybe he’s just one of those guys who doesn’t kiss.

Or maybe he just doesn’t want to kiss you.

The pain in his chest expanded when Maddock didn't turn back around.

“I've got to go.”

The breath left Dex's chest in a rush as he watched the door close behind his mate.

Chapter Four

Maddock stalked through the bar, his eyes focused on the door. He could feel the stares from the guys behind the counter, but he refused to

acknowledge them. He had to get the fuck out of there.

He slammed out the front door, practically ran to his car and climbed in. Maddock glared with unseeing eyes at the dashboard. What the fuck

had he been thinking?

He'd never fucked without a condom. Not even Monica, and he was likely, eventually going to marry her.

And he'd sure as hell never stuck his bare dick in some guy's ass. Hell, it was the first time since college he'd even fucked another guy.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sensory memory that made him relive how it felt to slide into that slick, tight hole. His cock swelled

and pressed against his fly.

Fuck. How could he have done that?

He cranked the car on and hit the gas, tires spitting gravel as he peeled out of the parking lot.

Within seconds the pub disappeared from his rear-view mirror and the band around his chest relaxed enough that he could breathe.

Distance helped. He’d go home, shower off the sensations and put it all behind him.

It was over. One time. He’d fucked Dex, lived out the fantasy that had been haunting him for the past week. It was done.

He'd call his doctor—well, maybe not

his

doctor because he played golf with the guy on weekends—and get tested for anything nasty he might

have picked up.

Fuck.

The word rang through his mind, switching from curse word to verb in the blink of an eye. Fucking Dex, that sweet ass, hot and tight, offered to

him.

It sure as hell hadn't been Dex's first time.

You're no virgin, his sarcastic conscience pointed out.

He cranked up the radio trying to drown out the voice in his head. He bet Dex and Micah were fuck buddies. The kid had known where to find

the lube. His jaw ached at the thought of that big guy fucking Dex’s pretty little ass.

He gave himself a shake.

Why do you care?

He didn’t, he told himself. It was none of his business who Dex fucked. He wasn't ever going back. That was the last he was going to see of

Dex and his tight little ass.

A low growl erupted in the car.

His hand jerked on the steering wheel and he swung into the oncoming lane. Thankfully, the backcountry road was empty at that hour.

Still, where had that noise come from? Had an animal gotten into his car?

Keeping half his attention on the road, he whipped a quick glance into his back seat. Empty. There sure as hell couldn't be anything in his trunk,

right?

His fingers tightened on the wheel and he drilled his focus forward. It was nothing. A strange auditory hallucination.

He took a breath and forced himself to relax. Whatever it was, it was gone now.

His throat burned and the sound returned, this time echoing through his brain.

Fuck. Had the noise come from him?

* * * * *

Dex cleaned up in the bathroom, but hadn’t quite found the courage to go back to work. It had been ten minutes since Maddock had left—long

past the length of Dex's break—but Dex didn't want to face Reese and Micah.

He'd done his best to be quiet, but when Maddock really started fucking his ass—those hard, deep strokes that consumed every one of Dex's

senses—he'd lost control. He was pretty sure he'd screamed at one point. Maybe twice.

He stared in the mirror and took a deep breath.

He couldn’t hide forever. He had to get his ass out there and help out. The crowd would be just starting to arrive. Rhian couldn't be on her feet

that much. Micah would be pissed if he had to serve tables and they sure as hell couldn’t have Reese do it.

Dex pushed his shoulders back and lifted his chin. Hoping his confidence would build, he walked down the short hall and into the bar.

As soon as he stepped through the doorway, Reese slammed a bottle down and turned to face him.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Uhm, sorry, I'll—”

Before he could get the apology out, Micah was at the front of the bar. His tray hit the counter hard.

“What the fuck?”

“I lost track of time.”

It happens when you're being fucked into next week.

“I'll be right there.”

He glanced out at the room. It was a little more than half full but there was a strange energy vibrating through the crowd. Half full and they made

enough noise for a full house. The jukebox could barely be heard over the voices, but that didn't seem to bother the three couples dancing next to it.
“Dancing” being a polite term for the way they were rocking against each other. “Dry humping” would be a better way to say it.

“Oh, thank God, that's done,” Rhian said as she approached. She looked a little flushed and new guilt swelled in Dex's chest. She kept saying

she was fine, that she was pregnant not sick, but obviously she’d been overdoing it. Dex nodded and grabbed an apron and wrapped it around his
waist.

“Wait, before you go out there—” Reese's fingers landed on Dex's elbow. “Seriously, what the fuck was that?”

All three of his pack mates stared at him, looks ranging from irritation to confusion marking their faces.

“I said I was sorry. It won't happen again.” Unfortunately. He lowered his voice and leaned in, no need to announce it to the bar if they hadn't

already heard. “I didn't know you guys could hear. I'm sorry.” He knew his cheeks had to be bright red. Him, who had given a guy a blowjob in public
before, blushing. Made no sense, but this was different. It had been special. At least to him.

Maddock

couldn't wait to get away after it was over. Dex ignored the ache in his chest.

“Babe, I don't think any of us are talking about the screams,” Rhian said.

“Though we do need to see about some soundproofing if you guys are going to do that often,” Reese added.

“Not in my office, they aren't.”

Dex shook his head. “If you're not talking about the noise, then what is it? It's not like none of you hasn’t ever taken an extra long break.” His

voice went up a bit. It was hard not to get defensive when his entire pack was staring at him like he'd betrayed them.

“So, it wasn't intentional?”

“What wasn't?” He was moving past defensive through confused and on to pissed off.

“The waves of sex that moved through the bar.”

He blinked and stared at Reese. “What?”

“Seriously, you two started fucking and it was like someone cranked up the hormones in the room.” Reese turned and started mixing drinks

again, his hands feeling for bottles. “I'm sort of surprised there wasn't a mad dash to the bathroom stalls.”

“I think the desperate ones went to their cars,” Rhian sighed.

“Wait, you guys felt it?”

“Like a truck.” And Micah clearly wasn't happy about it.

“I don't understand. How is this possible?”

“I've got an idea, but it will take too long to explain and we got people waiting.” Reese placed drinks on the counter. “That's two Sex on the

Beach and three Screaming Orgasms.”

“I wish,” Rhian muttered as she put them on her tray and turned away.

“Micah, jump back here and help me,” Reese commanded. “Dex, take over your tables. Let's get this horny crowd buzzed and happy.”

Dex nodded and flipped through his notebook, looking at the orders Micah had written down.

“I need two more Sex on the Beach and another Screaming Orgasm.” He turned the page. “Make that three more Screaming Orgasms.” He

winced and flashed a weak smile across the bar. “I'm sensing a theme.”

The drinks were made and he delivered them. From that point on, he didn't have time to think—not about Maddock or about why his pack

mates seemed to think he was broadcasting sex. The crowd was lively and a definite sensuality hummed beneath the tenor of the room.

Chairs were pushed closer together, more hands reached across tables and underneath tables and, oh, he was glad they had a cleaning

service that came in once a week to give the place a thorough spray down.

Finally, the last of the crowd was put into a taxi. This far out of town, most people seemed careful enough not to drink too much, but tonight…

they'd called more taxis out than ever before. The set rate of forty bucks back to town seemed to work for most people.

Dex locked the door behind the last couple, making out even as the taxi pulled away.

Whatever had happened, it hadn't faded much during the course of the evening.

He joined Rhian in wiping down tables while Reese and Micah cleaned the bar and loaded the dishwasher.

When everything was finished for the night, they met by silent agreement at the bar.

A pack meeting.

Dex knew better than to call it that. Micah didn't appreciate any references to them being a pack.

He sat down at the barstool and waited along with the others for Reese to speak. He was their “professor,” educated in the strangest areas and

probably the most knowledgeable about werewolf history.

“Well?” Dex finally asked, trying to get the Beta wolf to start.

“I think you're an Omega wolf.”

Dex shrugged. This wasn't a surprise to him. He'd always been the smallest in his class and even with Rhian around, it was obvious he was the

weakest member of the pack.

Reese seemed to read his thoughts. “No, I don't mean just you're the lowest- ranking wolf. I think you're a true Omega. A true Omega wolf is

often the smallest guy in the pack, but they typically have extra…powers, I guess you would call them. Powers that can aid the pack.”

“We aren't a pack,” Micah growled, reaching under the bar for his bottle of whiskey. He poured himself a shot and downed it.

No one bothered to correct him. They were all familiar with Micah's refusal to acknowledge them as a pack and they just worked around it.

“Joshua was always on the lookout for a true Omega,” Rhian said, referring to her ex-boyfriend. “But most of the other wolves in his pack didn’t

really believe they exist. Besides, I thought Omega wolves were supposed to be peacemakers. I don't know what that was with Dex earlier, but it
wasn't peaceful.”

Reese grinned. “No, but a true Omega is supposed to be able to transmit emotions or feelings. I'm guessing that if Dex started to meditate, he

might be able to transmit peace.”

Dex and Micah scoffed at the same time.

“But, instead of peace, I transmitted sex.”

“Yup.”

“That makes no sense. Why aren't we sensing what he feels all the time?” Micah asked. “I mean, we've all been around when Dex has been

fucked before, nothing like that happened.”

“I'm guessing…” Reese held up his hand as if to ward off questions. “And I'm only guessing that it has something to do with his focus. He was

so wrapped up in getting fucked, that he lost all control. Any sort of walls he built up just crumpled.”

Micah's eyes crinkled down at the corners but he didn't say anything.

Rhian laughed and slapped Micah on the shoulder. “Guess you're not the stud you thought you were, big guy.”

Micah growled and turned his gaze to Dex. “I'll just have to try harder the next time.”

Dex gulped. His mind swirled with thoughts and reactions. He didn't really want to fuck Micah again, not if he could have Maddock. But what if

he couldn't? What if his mate was gone for good?

“Well, right now, we only have to deal with it when Dex is fucking his mate, which, I for one, am happy with.” Rhian shook her head and climbed

off the barstool. “I've got to get home and get one of my toys. It's going to be a long night.”

“I know the feeling,” Reese added.

“I'd be happy to help you out with that,” Micah said. “Give you a fucking you won't believe.”

Reese growled. “I don't bottom, asshole. For anyone.”

“I can make you—”

The pressure in Dex's head just exploded.

“Will you all just shut up!” They all looked at him. “My mate walked out. And while I'm sorry you all are a little wound up—”

“A little?”

Dex ignored that. “This is a serious problem.”

“It's not a problem.” Reese shook his head. “I can't imagine that the guy won't be back.”

“He's got to feel the same pull as you, right?” Rhian asked. “If you're really mates.”

“But what about what Micah said? That you can ignore the pull of your mate?”

He looked at his pack mates, desperate for some kind of comfort. His stare finally landed on Micah.

Micah stood up and placed his hand on Dex's shoulder. “I wouldn't worry, kid. If the mating pull doesn't draw him back, that fucking probably will.

Not sure any man would be able to stay away after he's come like that.”

Dex nodded and took comfort in the squeeze of Micah's hand.

“Wait.” He looked up. “How do you know how hard he came?”

“Oh God, we all know.”

“We definitely need to invest in soundproofing.”

“Don't worry, pup.” Micah patted his shoulder one more time. “He'll be back.”

Chapter Five

Maddock tapped his fingers on the table, silently urging the waiter to return with the check. His knee took up the vibration until Monica’s slim

fingers landed on his thigh.

He snapped his head to the side and had the now familiar urge to peel his lips back from his teeth and snarl at the woman. Instead he pressed

his lips together and crushed the violence that pounded his brain. He didn’t want her touching him. Didn’t want

anyone

touching him. Not that he

normally had a lot of people

touching

him, but even casual bumps with strangers in crowds made him flinch.

It had started the night he’d stormed out of The Red Dragon—the night he’d fucked Dex—and it had only gotten worse.

He didn’t feel guilty about fucking Dex. He and Monica hadn’t agreed to be exclusive Maddock suspected she was sleeping with another guy

—a wimp from the accounting department. No, it wasn’t guilt that kept him away. The thought of putting his hands on her, and having hers on him,
made his stomach roil.

He and Monica had had their usual Friday night date—a charity event where they’d needed to be seen—but at the end of the night, Maddock

hadn’t been able to bring himself to fuck her. He’d left her at the door with the excuse he had to work. That was something Monica always
understood. Instead, he’d gone to the gym where he worked out until he was exhausted enough to sleep.

It hadn’t helped. A few hours later, he was awake and pacing, unable to sit still. That wicked tension had taken up permanent residence in his

body.

Energy pulsed through his veins. Constant. Insistent. It made no sense. He’d never fidgeted in his life. Now, he couldn’t sit still.

Maybe he needed to see his doctor. Again.

The tests had come back that afternoon and he hadn’t picked up anything nasty from fucking Dex without a condom. Just a lecture from his

doctor on safer sex practices.

He winced at the memory. He’d heard it all in ninth-grade health class. He never imagined he’d be hearing it again when he was thirty-four

years old.

Monica’s fingers gave a warning squeeze and she patted his leg like she was soothing a puppy. Maddock took a breath and willed his muscles

to relax. With a serene smile on her lips and irritation in her eyes, she turned to the couple sitting across from them.

This was ostensibly a social dinner, but they all knew it was a business meeting. Geoffrey Green was looking for a firm to purchase his network

of radio stations. Maddock wanted to expand into the broadcasting field and this looked like a good way to get into it. GreenComm was a slowly
failing system but with the right management, Maddock knew he could turn it around.

Still that didn’t mean it would come cheap. Despite his attention on his much younger wife, Green was far from being in his dotage.

The platinum blonde bimbette raised her eyes and blinked seductively at Maddock. Intelligence glittered behind the wide, too-blue-to-be-real

eyes. Maybe she wasn’t the bimbette he’d assumed. Her gaze dropped deliberately to his crotch, the offer clear in her eyes. She even boldly licked
her lips.

He suppressed the urge to grimace and forced himself to seriously think about the offer. Not that he would take her up on it—there was nothing

she could do to change his price—but he tried to consider the option. He was a red-blooded male, liked to fuck women. She was gorgeous. Big
tits, boldly revealed through a low cut gown. Blonde hair he imagined she would like to have pulled while she sucked him off.

But even as his cock started to harden, he realized it wasn’t

her

he pictured kneeling between his legs. Or even Monica—who gave a pretty

good blowjob when she wanted to.

It was Dex. Crystal clear green eyes, chin-length blonde hair that would slide through Maddock’s fingers, give him something to hold onto while

he fucked that pretty mouth.

Fuck, he bet Dex could suck cock.

His dick twitched and he crossed his legs. The movement helped hide his erection and pulled his thigh from beneath Monica’s touch.

The steady beat of his fingers started up again, faster. Harder. Fuck, he needed to move. Needed to get away from here and go—

Go where?

Back to the pub? Back to Dex? Bad idea. Good idea. Drag him into the back office and fuck him across the desk.

Maddock shook his head, trying to reject the thoughts. The images crowded his brain.

“So, when are you two getting married?” Green asked. The old man seemed to believe that marriage meant stability.

Monica smiled. This time, she reached out and put her hand on his, covering his tapping fingers. Her squeeze was a little less gentle this time.

“We’re thinking next June.”

June? Wedding? When had they gotten engaged? Pressure pushed the bones in his hand together and he realized he was supposed to make

some sort of comment. “Right. June. Perfect time for a wedding.”

And it was nine months away so he had time to change his mind. Not that he was going to. Monica was the perfect wife. She understood his

business. She knew how to work the social and political aspects.

And she gave a pretty good blowjob, he reminded himself. When she wanted to. Which wasn’t often.

I bet Dex

loves

to suck cock.

Maddock pressed his lips together to try to crush the groan. He wasn’t going to think about Dex. It had been an anomaly. One that should have

scared the hell out of him but every night, Maddock found himself retrieving the memory—Dex’s soft pleas, the tight squeeze of his ass. Even the
feel of Dex’s cock in his hand. God, it had been sexy as fuck, feeling Dex come, hearing him cry out as Maddock stroked him off.

The waiter placed the bill in front of him, jolting Maddock from his thoughts and giving him a reason to pull back—from the conversation and

from Monica’s touch.

He tossed his credit card to the server, hoping to hell things moved quickly.

Monica and the Greens were discussing a play they’d all seen and unfortunately, it required no participation from Maddock. He sighed. He

couldn’t exactly pull out his phone and distract himself with work. But with the current state of his brain, any free moment and his thoughts turned to
Dex.

He took a breath. The sex fantasies were bad enough, but the dreams, in those brief moments he was able to sleep,

those

scared the hell out

of him.

If he thought about Dex when he was awake, he remembered the sex, how tight his ass had been, how much the kid obviously loved being

fucked.

When Maddock slept, he dreamed of fucking Dex…and then biting him—hard. Breaking the skin and leaving four deep wounds on Dex’s neck.

He'd woken up the past two mornings with his teeth feeling huge in his mouth, like the dream wouldn't let go of him. Fuck, he didn’t even like

vampire movies. Why was he dreaming one? The same one. Every night.

He ran his teeth over his gums, needing to convince himself even now that he didn't really have huge canine teeth that could penetrate a human

neck.

“Maddock.” The insistence in Monica's voice warned him he'd missed something important.

“I'm sorry.” He offered a half smile to Monica then turned to Green. “I was wool-gathering.” He knew Green would appreciate an old-fashioned

term.

“Geoffrey was just saying that he'd like us to meet with his people first thing tomorrow. I said I didn't think we had anything on the schedule.”

Maddock pulled out his phone. The movement was purely for show. He knew his calendar by heart. Still, he checked it, just to make sure. “No.

Nothing scheduled.”

He knew he should be pleased. This would broaden their business interests. If this had happened two weeks ago, his mind would have already

been racing with strategies, but right now, he couldn’t find himself caring. Maybe he needed to get back out to the construction sites, get his hands
dirty. The purchase of the farm tract would go through by the end of the week. Maybe he’d put himself in charge of that demolition and clearance.
Nothing worked off tension like tearing something down.

Except maybe a good, hard fuck.

His knee started to bounce.

Damn, he needed to move. Get his mind off sex. His gym was open twenty-four hours. Maybe he needed another workout.

Or maybe you need

to fuck.

He glanced at Monica. Even if he could push himself past the sick feeling in his stomach at the thought of her hands on him, there was no way

she’d be up for what he wanted in bed tonight.

He looked away and his gaze landed on the backside of the busboy, busily clearing the table beside them. It was a tight little butt and reminded

him a little of Dex. Maddock waited, but nothing erupted inside him, his dick didn’t get hard. The busboy moved with a cool precision. Dex bounced

around like a puppy trying to get everyone’s attention.

A growl clogged the back of his throat as he wondered who’d caught Dex’s attention this week. The big guy? One of the construction workers

who seemed too fond of Dex’s ass?

The waiter returned with his receipt. Maddock glanced up at the server, just a quick nod to acknowledge his presence. The guy licked his lips

and winked. Maddock froze for a heartbeat then looked down at the paper.

That had been happening as well—guys flirting with him like he was suddenly wearing a sign that said, “I fucked a guy last week.”

Maddock signed the receipt, leaving a bigger tip than normal. Not because of the wink. He'd been doing that recently as if the memory of Dex

wiping down tables, dealing with obnoxious patrons, including the ones who tried to grab his ass, had made him more sympathetic.

His gums burned and his lips tingled. Damn, he needed to get out of here. Losing it in front of a potential client was not a good idea.

He tossed his napkin on the table, pushing his chair back.

“I'm sorry to rush you, but I have a meeting first thing.”

“I thought you said you didn't have anything tomorrow,” Monica said through clenched teeth. She stood up and smiled though her lips stayed

pressed together.

“It's an early morning thing. Well before office hours.”

“Of course.”

They said good night to the Greens and Maddock walked Monica to her car. They'd met at the restaurant, each arriving from separate business

meetings.

Monica clicked the key ring to unlock her doors. The parking lot was well lit and he knew he could leave, but he also knew he was expected to

give her some sort of goodnight kiss.

She turned to face him and he bent down, brushing his lips across hers. Her mouth remained unresponsive.

Maddock straightened. "What?" He should have known this was coming. Monica wasn't one to let something fester. That made her a good

coworker. It would probably be an annoying feature as a wife.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her.

Monica wasn't intimidated.

"Don't think I don't appreciate the whole macho thing you've been doing." She waved her hand vaguely in front of his body. "But you need to

stop whatever it is." Her tone held a subtle warning that he couldn't quite decipher.

"What do you think I’m doing?"

She folded her arms and peered up at him. "Are you on steroids?"

"What?! What the fuck would give you that idea?"

Monica flinched. It couldn't be that she'd never heard the word before, but Maddock didn't usually swear around her.

"That. That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"Because I used the word 'fuck,' I'm on steroids?"

"No. The aggression. The sudden changes in your body. Maddock, your shirts barely fit you."

He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. He'd been working out more than normal, trying to burn off the energy that had taken control of his body.

And damn, if his shirts and suits weren’t getting tight. Was it even possible to build that much muscle in a week?

He took a breath and willed his muscles to relax, forcing his arms to hang at his sides.

"Monica, I am not taking steroids."

"Well—" She sniffed. "Whatever it is, stop it." She lifted her chin and met his stare with hers. "We have a business to run and we can't do that if

you're going around growling at people. The staff is one thing, but you need to pay more attention to the way you treat clients.” She brushed the end
of her sleeve with her perfectly manicured fingertip. “I thought Brent Wells was going to pass out yesterday when you ordered him out of your office.”

Maddock tried to regret the incident, but every time he looked back on it, he wanted to growl. The guy had come into Maddock’s office,

demanding a change in contract. If he’d asked nicely, that would have been one thing. But he’d tried to intimidate Maddock, tried to top him. Fuck,
no.

“The guy’s an asshole.”

“He’s a client and he deserves better than you standing over him, snarling like some junkyard dog. And you could have been a little more

attentive to Mrs. Green tonight.”

That threw him off balance. "What? I spoke with her."

"Would it have killed you to flirt a bit?"

"You want me flirting with another woman? You just announced that we were getting married. June wedding and all that."

"Maddock, you and I both know that the wedding is a formality. We'll continue as we have been.” Meaning she could fuck her little man in

accounting. “Besides, I didn't say sleep with her—she’s a client’s wife—but this is business and you could have been more social."

Maddock shook his head and stepped back to give Monica space to get into her car.

"Whatever this is, get it out of your system." She glided into the driver's seat and closed the door with a solid thunk.

He stood there as she drove away, staring at the dark parking lot.

Monica could be a bitch, but she was smart and if she was seeing something different in his behavior then it wasn't all in his head.

He stalked back to his car, his mind racing. It had all started that night at the bar. When Dex had fallen over his lap.

Could he have slipped something into Maddock's drink? But why? And how?

He didn't know what was happening but he knew one thing…the answers were back at The Red Dragon.

* * * * *

Maddock walked into The Red Dragon and headed straight to the bar.

“Where is he?” he demanded of the blind guy behind the counter.

Reese raised his head, his hands still moving, grabbing bottles and pouring.

“I'm assuming you're talking about Dex.” He tilted his head to the side, indicating the hallway. “He's meeting with Micah.”

Micah was the big guy. The guy whose office they'd fucked in the last time. Where Dex knew the location of the lube.

Noises that he'd suppressed over the past week bubbled to the surface and he growled. The thought of Dex offering that sweet ass to

someone else made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

None of it made sense. He knew that. Logically, he knew he shouldn't care,

didn't

care, but that didn't stop him from striding down the hall,

ready to rip open the office door. If Micah wasn't fucking Dex, Maddock would, right in front of the big guy, so he knew Dex belonged to him.

The words flew through his mind, riding a wave of panic, but a different noise drowned out the sounds—pleasure. Dex. Belonging to him. Only

him.

His vision blurred, turning a hazy red.

The door at the end of the hall opened and Dex stepped out. His eyes widened when he saw Maddock.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“That's what I want to know.”

Dex shook his head, not understanding Maddock's comment.

Maddock stalked down the hall, looking like the predator Dex knew him to be. Fuck, he had enough power to be the Alpha of some pack. Why

was he on his own?

Maddock grabbed his arm, putting his free hand on the door to Micah's office.

“Uh no.” Fucking once in Micah's office was okay. Twice? Not going to happen. “We could…”

Maddock leaned in, bending down to place his nose at the base of Dex's neck. “Fuck, you smell good.” He pushed closer and every cell in

Dex's body responded, relaxing, complying, letting those hard strong muscles push against him and back him into the wall.

Hot lips skimmed along his throat followed by the dangerous brush of teeth.

Dex couldn't help himself. He arched his neck, stretching it long, baring it for Maddock's bite. Maddock opened his mouth and bit down, not too

hard, enough to leave a bruise.

Then he moved on, lips sliding up, nipping at Dex's ear.

Dex tried to ease his disappointment with logic. They barely knew each other. They shouldn't complete the claiming until they knew it would

work. It made sense, but still he wanted to wear his mate's mark.

Maddock pressed closer, easing his thigh between Dex's legs and rocking their hard cocks together.

Dex clutched Maddock's arms, letting the heat flow into his groin. Fuck, it wouldn't take much to come, but damn, they couldn't do this here.

“We-we can't.”

Maddock lifted his head. He looked almost drunk and a little pissed off that he'd been interrupted.

“Not here.” Dex wiggled, hoping Maddock would back up, but it only made him press closer. “Come on.”

Reluctantly, Maddock pulled away and Dex grabbed his hand, dragging him down the hall to the bathroom. It was a little cliché and Micah would

have a fit if he found out, but Dex needed Maddock. The only other option was outside. Dex had a feeling he was either going to be on his knees or
with his pants dropped to his ankles…yeah, he wasn't going out into the cold.

The door slammed shut behind them and Dex once again found himself against the wall, Maddock's hard body against his. Warmth enveloped

him and Dex reached up, wrapping his hands around Maddock's neck, wanting to feel his lips. But Maddock tipped his head away, bending down
and placing a hot kiss on his neck, his tongue flicking out and teasing the soft skin.

“Maddock, let me.” He reached down and tore at Maddock's fly. The tight material of his suit trousers—damn, his thighs looked bigger than

before—barely gave him space to reach in and find that delicious cock. His hand curved around the shaft and Maddock groaned.

Oh yeah

. He tightened his grip and stroked up and down the thick shaft. He wanted Maddock in his mouth, wanted his mate to come inside

him. His own cock pressed against his fly, aching in the best way.

“Please.” Dex hadn’t even realized he’d said it aloud until Maddock’s strong hand ripped at his jeans. Dex tipped his head back against the

wall, opening up, giving his mate full access.

A powerful growl rumbled through Maddock’s throat and he leaned forward, scraping his teeth across the tight muscles of Dex’s neck. Pain

zipped into his core and Dex rocked his hips forward, begging for his mate to touch him.

“Fuck.” The guttural word was like a caress.

Heat surrounded his cock as Maddock grabbed his dick and started to stroke.

Even knowing he didn’t want to come like this—that he wanted Maddock fucking his ass when he finally came—Dex couldn’t pull back. It felt too

good.

He tightened his grip on Maddock’s cock, matching stroke for stroke.

“Good, baby. Let me feel it.” He pumped forward, sending his shaft harder into the tight squeeze of Dex's hand.

“I want to taste you,” Dex whispered, leaning in and kissing the underside of Maddock’s jaw. “I want you to come in my mouth.”

“Fuck, yes.”

Dex started to sink to his knees, but the grip on his cock held him upright.

“Not so fast.” Another harsh nip on his neck. “I want to feel you come. I want to—“

The door swung open.

And every one of Dex’s human instincts went on full alert.

Micah is going to be pissed.

The door opened and Maddock flinched, his brain coming awake. Reality slammed into him like a freight train. He jerked away from Dex and

stared at the man standing in the doorway. It was the guy from the bar, the one who kept trying to grab Dex's ass last week.

“Damn, I didn't know it was that kind of bar.” He winked at Dex then propped his shoulder against the doorframe. “You both look hot. Can

anyone play?”

Maddock looked down and realized his cock was out. So was Dex's and fuck, that was

his

hand wrapped around Dex's cock. He had another

guy's dick in his hand. And he'd been practically begging for Dex to come for him, on him.

He stepped back, shoved his cock back in his trousers and zipped them up.

“I guess that's a 'no,' huh?”

His teeth throbbed. Maddock snapped his head around and snarled at the guy in the doorway. The other man jumped.

“Sorry, buddy, didn’t know you two were exclusive.” He backed out and the door swung shut.

“Maddock—“

He couldn’t let Dex speak. He didn’t know what the hell the kid would say to explain, but he couldn’t hear it. The last few minutes were a blur—

heat, sex and confusion.

He’d come here to confront Dex about what the fuck was going on and he’d ended up giving a hand-job in the men’s room.

“Maddock…” This time the word was accompanied by a light hand on his sleeve.

“Don’t touch me.” He yanked his arm away. “I don’t know what the fuck you’ve done to me, but it ends now.” Maddock bared his teeth at Dex

and whipped around, heading for the door. He had to get out of there.

Noises started up in his head, growls and whimpers, animalistic pleas to stay.

“Maddock, wait!”

He ignored Dex's cry and stalked through the bar. Footsteps followed him and he knew he had to move. He couldn't talk to Dex. Couldn't look at

him right now.

He smacked his hand in the center of the front door and flung it open, practically knocking the thing off its hinges. Halfway across the parking

lot, a hand grabbed his arm.

“Maddock. Wait. You can't just—”

Maddock spun around. The strangely seductive scent he now associated with Dex filled his nose. His jaw felt like it was on fire.

Instincts, urges, needs—fuck, he didn't know what to call them—rose up in him, telling him to grab Dex and fuck him, sink his teeth into that

strong shoulder muscle.

The desires warred with his conscious mind that screamed this was wrong. He didn't bite people. He wasn't a freakin' vampire. And he didn't

fuck guys, though recent experiences pointed out that wasn't precisely true.

“Maddock—” Dex put his hand on Maddock's arm. He yanked back.

“Don't touch me.” He backed away. Pain filled Dex's eyes, but Maddock rejected the twinge of sympathy. “I don't know what the hell is going on

here, what kind of scam you've got going, but I'm done.”

“Maddock, you—” Dex took a step forward. Maddock retreated. He couldn't let the guy touch him—not again—or he'd end up fucking him on

the hood of his car.

“Just stay the fuck away from me and leave me the fuck alone.” He yanked open his car door and threw himself inside. The engine screamed to

life and he spun the tires, flinging gravel as he roared out of the parking lot.

Whatever the fuck was going wrong in his life, it all centered around that place. Coming here had been a mistake. He just needed to stay away

and it would all disappear.

Breath left Dex's chest as he watched his mate's car peel out of the parking lot.

What the hell just happened?

“What the hell just happened?”

Dex shook his head, not knowing how to answer Micah's question.

“I don't know. His wolf obviously—” The words clogged his throat. “I'm obviously not his mate.” Tears tripped over his lower lids. “How could that

happen? How can I not be his mate?”

Micah shrugged. “I don't know.”

Needing the comfort of a stronger wolf, he leaned in, putting his head on Micah's chest.

“Oh, Dex, don't cry. You know I don't handle crying.”

Dex gulped and lifted his head. Micah sighed and put his hand on the back of Dex's head and pressed him against his chest.

“How could fate be so mean?” he mumbled against the hard muscles of his Alpha.

“Well, you did say the guy seemed like kind of a prick, right? Maybe this is fate's way of telling you to find someone else.”

“He thought it was a scam,” Dex whispered, ignoring Micah's logic. “Why would he think that?” This time he looked up, meeting his Alpha's

gaze, needing the older wolf's wisdom. “Why didn't he want me?”

Chapter Six

Depression weighed down his chest, but Dex knew he didn't have a choice. Micah had demanded that he show up today.

“Get your ass back to work” had been the actual turn of phrase.

Four days since Maddock had stormed out and Dex had spent most of that time in bed. Staring at the wall, trying to figure what he'd done

wrong.

So, dragging his mate into the bathroom for a blowjob wasn't the most romantic gesture, but it didn't really qualify for rejection. Maybe a

spanking.

That idea had started tormenting Dex two days ago…Maddock punishing him for being bad.

He squirmed as his cock pressed against his jeans. His wolf didn't understand why Maddock was gone. The damn animal just wanted his

mate.

They'd only met a few times. Was it possible his wolf had imprinted on Maddock and he'd never have another mate?

His chest tightened at the thought. What if he was bound to Maddock? And Maddock never wanted to see him again.

Not only was he looking at a loveless future but a sexless one as well. Already the thought of fucking someone else made him physically ill.

Maybe Reese would know a way to break the bond. Or Rhian. She was a witch. There had to be a spell to make him not want to vomit when he

thought about sex with someone besides Maddock.

But for now, he just had to get through the day and that meant work.

They only had one car between them so Rhian had come out to pick him up. It was early—the bar didn’t open for two hours—but he could sit in

Micah's office and brood.

He sighed and went inside. He wasn't going to let Maddock's memory take over The Red Dragon. It was his second home and he loved it.

Being here would give him something to think about besides his missing mate.

Entering the bar, he stopped. A strange energy filled the room. Maybe it was the way Micah and Reese stood near the bar, staring at him. Not

speaking. Obviously they were waiting for them to arrive. Rhian put down her purse and went to lean against the bar, taking the place next to Micah.

Dex stopped. The intense stares of his pack mates sent a shock into his heart. Why were they all so serious?

Dark fear washed over his soul. The last time he’d faced a panel like this, he’d been kicked out of his pack.

But Dex was pretty sure they couldn’t kick him out of a pack he’d practically formed.

“Hi.” Dex tried to force some cheerfulness into his voice, but it came out as a squeak.

Reese glanced at Micah as if looking for permission to speak. Micah nodded.

Anxiety filled Dex's chest as he watched his pack mates. Reese turned those blank eyes toward him. Rhian offered a half-smile, supportive but

still cautious. And Micah…well, Micah just folded his arms and glared at the universe in general.

“What?”

“I think I've figured out the problem with your mate,” Reese announced.

“You figured that out the first night.” Dex's heart tightened to a painful squeeze then released, letting him breathe again. “He's a prick.”

He pushed his shoulders back and lifted his chin, needing that little bit of confidence boost. He would get through this. They'd only fucked once.

Surely his wolf wouldn't have imprinted on him in that short of time. At least he hoped. If what Micah had said was true, there was someone else out
there, just waiting for him. Someone who would want Dex for what he was.

“Well, that might be part of it, but I think it's something else as well.”

Dex squished his lips together and tried not to whimper—it was so undignified. He’d hoped that work would be the one place he didn’t think

about Maddock. “Just let it go, Reese. I have.”

He started to spin away but Micah's voice stopped him.

“You need to listen to him because if what he thinks is true, we have a bigger problem on our hands.”

Dex's jaw tensed, but he sighed. Better to get this over with now so he could get on with finding his real mate…because if fucking Maddock

was anything like fucking his real mate, he wanted to find that man.

“Fine. What is it?”

“I'm not sure your mate knows he's a werewolf.”

“Not possible.” He shook his head. He remembered too many nips, growls. Fuck, the guy was pure wolf. Almost as alpha as, well, the Alpha.

“Did he ever ask about your pack or your Alpha? A wolf, even a lone wolf, would check your affiliation.”

“He knew my affiliation.” He flung his hand toward Micah. “I told him Micah’s my Alpha.”

“I'm not your Alpha,” Micah insisted. “But maybe he didn't see the significance.”

“Listen, Dex, I started to think about it, after he stormed out of here the other night. He came here looking for you but he didn't know why. You

said he wanted to know what you had done to him, right?”

Dex nodded. Maddock had been furious, almost as if Dex had cast a spell on him. But Dex had put it down to not wanting a male mate. Reese

leaned on the bar.

“I’m wondering if he doesn’t know about mates or the mate bond. I think he doesn’t know he’s a wolf.”

Dex grabbed his lower lip between his teeth and chewed on it. Could it really be so simple? And such a fucking mess at the same time?

“How could he not know? I mean, when I hit my change, it

hit

me.” He remembered that first change like it was yesterday—the brutal slam of the

moon's power into his body. The wolf had basically clawed his way out of his body. When he'd finally come back to his human form, when the wolf

had released him, he'd been bloody and scratched up. Not fun. And not something one could ignore.

Since then, he'd learned to manage the change, at least enough so that the wolf's arrival wasn't so violent. He still didn't have the control other

wolves seemed to have.

“Maybe he grew up without a pack around him. He's never mentioned a pack to you or why he left, right?”

“Well, no, but honestly, we haven't done a lot of talking.” Fucking, yes. Talking, not so much. “I still don't know how he could have reached his

thirties and not changed.”

“Maybe he can't change, babe.” Rhian curled her lips in sympathy. “Joshua used to say there are latent wolves around all over the place.”

Reese nodded. “Or maybe it takes the presence of other wolves to trigger the first change. Everyone assumes it’s age because we all make

the change in our mid-twenties but what if you’re never around another wolf? It could be the wolf senses another wolf and then decides it’s time to
take its physical form. No one really knows.”

“But how—”

Micah held up his hand, stopping Dex's words. “This is getting us nowhere. We need to talk to him because if he's got a pack or is a lone wolf,

then fine, we'll leave him alone. But if because he's suddenly around you and feeling the mating call, and he doesn't know he's a werewolf, that could
cause some problems.”

Dex's eyes got wide. “When's the next full moon?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Three nights away.”

“Damn.”

Reese nodded. “He could be in real trouble.”

“Get him out here so we can talk to him,” Micah commanded.

Dex winced. “We didn't exactly part on good terms.”

“Stay the fuck away from me and leave me the fuck alone” didn't inspire one to call.

“We don't have much of a choice.” Micah's grim pronouncement hit Dex in the chest.

He was right, of course. Not that Micah was always right, but on the big things, on the things that mattered, he usually got pretty dang close.

Dex grabbed his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. Maddock's number was at the top of his favorites list despite that fact that he

knew he couldn't, shouldn't,

wouldn't

call him. And he hadn't.

But his finger had hovered over the name a hundred times over the past few days.

This time, he let it rest on the screen.

“What if he says no?” he asked as he put the phone to his ear.

“Tell him you need to be fucked,” Micah said.

Dex felt his cheeks turn red and honestly he never blushed. The gentle twinkle in Micah's eyes made his heart flip. He must be pitiful if Micah

was being nice to him.

He looked at Reese. Even through the blank eyes that stared back at him, he saw comfort and support.

“Brennan.”

The snappy greeting jolted Dex out of his thoughts.

“Maddock?”

Silence greeted him, then a cool response.

“Dex?”

“Yes.” He opened his hand to Micah, silently asking for guidance. The Alpha just shrugged. “Uhm, hi.”

A heartbeat of hesitation gave Dex hope, then the chilly “hi” shot through the phone line and settled in Dex's chest.

“How're you doing?”

“I'm fine. Dex, I'm in a meeting right now. I'll have to call you later.”

“Wait. I need to see you.”

Silence filled the line and for a moment he thought Maddock had hung up on him.

“I'm really busy.”

“It's important.” He glanced at the encouraging looks from Rhian and Reese. “Really important.”

“I don't have—”

He was going to blow him off.

Fuck, this was worse than just being without his mate. If his presence had awakened the wolf, Maddock was in danger of making the change

alone.

Or in front of others.

“I need you.”

“What?” The question came out low and harsh.

“I need you. To fuck me.” He turned his back to his friends and closed his eyes, remembering how it felt to have Maddock inside him, those

strong fingers gripping his hips as that thick cock slid in and out of his ass. He let all that sensation flow into his words. “Please. I need you inside
me, fucking me with your fat cock.” He moaned, his own prick twitching, the pictures in his head becoming real, so real he could almost feel it.
“Please, Maddock. I'm so hard right now. I need you.”

“Dex—“

The warning was clear, but Dex ignored it. He needed his mate and right now, his mate needed him.

“I want to taste you. I want to suck you off and feel you come in my mouth. Oh fuck, then I need you, pounding my ass, just like before. You felt so

good. Hard and deep.”

The harsh breath on the other end of the line told him he was getting through.

“Fuck, for days afterward, I could feel you inside me. I—“

“Stop.”

He couldn’t disobey the sharp command. His breath caught in his throat as he listened to the silence on the other end of the phone.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The connection clicked off, leaving Dex holding a silent phone. He tapped the screen to end the call and turned to face his pack mates.

Reese stared at him, eyes wide. Micah looked about the same, but because he wasn't behind the bar, Dex could also see that Micah's cock

was hard.

“That would get me across town,” Micah announced.

“Damn straight,” Reese muttered.

Rhian laughed. “Boys are so easy.”

Dex wrapped his arms around his chest. “What do we do now?”

“We wait,” Micah announced as he reached for his whiskey bottle.

Reese looked at Dex. “You might want to get ready for him.”

“Get ready?”

“You know, cuz he's going to be coming in hard and fast.”

“Wha—? Oh! Right.”

“I have something that might help.” Reese reached under the bar and pulled out a plain paper bag. Dex was pretty sure he knew what was

inside.

“I don't want to know what that is.” Micah held up his hands and backed away.

Dex giggled. “I just want to know why you have it here.”

Reese just smiled. “It never hurts to be prepared.”

* * * * *

Maddock killed the call and turned to face Monica and the VP of Sales and Marketing.

It was hell to get the three of them in one room. They had business to discuss. The Green Property sale was going through and they needed

Sales and Marketing to get their asses in gear. Maddock had called this meeting, prepared to ream the VP a new one.

But Dex's voice echoed through his skull like a chime and he couldn't ignore it.

The past few days had been hellish. Sleep had become nonexistent. Energy hummed constantly through his body, keeping him awake and

fuck, aroused.

The sleeping pills his doctor had given him only worked enough to take the edge off…during the day. They made him barely able to function.

They were worthless at night.

Fuck, he hadn’t been at The Red Dragon long enough to have been dosed with anything. And there was nothing that lingered in the system this

long.

His doctor was running more tests—blood, not sex this time—to see if he was ingesting something that would keep him vibrating like this.

He paced to the window and stared out at the skyline. Dex’s pleas rang through his head, quieting the other noises.

He hadn’t told his doctor about those. How did he explain that he wasn’t hearing voices? It was more like snarls and growls.

He tugged on the end of his suit coat, making sure it covered his erection. Dex’s voice—hell, the general pleading to be fucked—had made

him hard.

“Is there a problem?”

Yeah. My cock's so hard I could pound nails and I need to get across town to the sweet little ass that will make it all better.

“Yes. I have a meeting across town that I'd forgotten about.”

Monica raised her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest. Classic female disapproval. She wasn't irritated with him woman to man,

but Vice President to President. She was all business.

She would never understand driving thirty miles out of town to fuck.

“Can't it wait? This is important.” She stepped close and leaned in. “Tills will screw this job up. You need to get him on track before this

company falls apart.”

That was a bit dramatic, but Monica was right. This was important.

I need you inside me, fucking me with your fat cock…

“I have to go. You talk to Tills.”

“He won't listen to me. You know he only takes direction from you.”

She was right. Tills was a bit of a chauvinist and a suck-up.

Maddock grabbed his tablet off the table and started for the door.

“Tills, don’t fuck this project up or you're fired.” It was a little more blunt than he usually liked to be, but he didn't have time for subtle. Dex was

waiting and that tight ass better be lubed and ready. “Monica knows how to run it so listen to her or again, you're fired.” He walked out of the
conference room and swung by his office to tell his secretary that he was leaving and probably wouldn't be back today.

Once he had Dex pinned against the wall he wasn't letting him go anytime soon.

The drive gave him a few minutes to clear his thoughts and remember why he'd told himself he wasn't going to see Dex any more. He went over

the reasons even as he guided his car closer.

A male lover didn't fit into his chosen lifestyle.

Certainly not a male lover who brought out all

those

tendencies, tendencies that had invaded his dreams and thoughts. Normal fantasies didn't

do it any more.

He needed Dex, bent over, ass bright red.

He hadn't actually spanked Dex's ass, but his hands tingled every time he thought about it. And in his dreams…damn, he'd reddened that

sweet ass just before fucking him, hard, making the guy scream as he pounded into him.

And then there was the biting. Never a kink of his before, now he couldn’t get past the urge to sink his teeth into Dex’s flesh, holding him in

place while Maddock fucked that tight ass.

His foot floored the gas pedal, his entire body vibrating with the need to touch and taste Dex.

Gravel sprayed as he made the turn into The Red Dragon's parking lot. He was out of the car before it stopped moving. His zipper dug into his

hard-on with each step.

The parking lot was empty. Too early for the place to even be open.

He yanked open the door. A small group stood near the bar. The three men he associated with the bar didn't flinch. The female grinned, but

stepped behind the counter as if protecting her unborn child.

Reese raised his chin in greeting, though how a blind guy could know it was Maddock walking in, he had no idea.

The big guy, Micah, looked up, the edges of his eyes tightening down in warning and challenge.

Hairs on the back of Maddock's neck stood up and his lips twitched, wanting to pull back in a snarl.

Dex dropped his tray on the counter and spun around.

Normal levels of restraint disappeared. Ignoring the fact that he was in a public place, that he was a fucking leader of business in town, he

stalked across the bar, meeting Dex halfway.

“We need to talk,” Dex announced.

Like hell.

He needed to fuck. His cock was so hard he wasn't going to be able to hear anything around it.

“Later.” The word came out as a growl. He wrapped his arm around the kid's waist and picked up him, carrying him around the back of the bar

and down the short hallway.

He pushed open the office door and carried Dex inside.

“Maddock, we—”

He placed Dex on his feet. The bright green eyes stared at him and Maddock had the strongest urge to lean down and kiss those pouty lips.

He'd never kissed a man before. Didn't even particularly care to kiss most the women he fucked, but something about Dex's mouth made him want
to kiss and lick and bite, make sure those lips were sensitive as they sucked his cock.

“You said you wanted my cock.”

Dex nodded. His eyes glowed with desire. A moment's hesitation and he dropped to his knees. The sight just about made Maddock come. So

sweet. Dex looked up as he eased down the zipper on Maddock's trousers.

“You look hot,” Dex whispered as he leaned in and inhaled, drawing in a deep breath. “I want to rip this suit off you with my teeth.”

Maddock smiled and groaned simultaneously at the image.

Damn, it was sexy to have a lover who wanted you so obviously. Hot lips brushed against his still-covered cock, but not even the thin layer of

cotton could mute the fire from Dex's mouth.

Dex rubbed his nose along the hard ridge of Maddock's cock. The red haze in Maddock’s brain exploded as Dex inhaled the scent of him.

Maddock watched, staring down as his lover whispered kisses across his erection, tiny flicks of his tongue.

The rampant energy that had tormented him for over a week mutated inside him. It didn’t disappear but now it had focus. The flutters that

twitched his muscles, vibrating his body from the inside out, turning to pure concentrated power in his core. He felt in command of his own body for
the first time in days.

He realized he’d been holding his body tense, fighting just to keep himself together.

But now, peace flowed through his veins as the strain eased in his muscles.

He looked down. The kid nuzzled his cock, sending heat through the material of his shorts. Unable to resist, Maddock reached down and slid

his fingers through the almost-blond strands, watching as the soft hair flowed between his fingers. He’d imagined this a hundred times. He tugged a
bit, letting the silky strands tease his skin.

Dex opened his mouth and stroked his tongue over the thick bulge of Maddock’s erection. Maddock groaned and realized that as much as he

wanted to come in Dex’s mouth, he wanted that ass even more—wanted to feel the kid’s body straining beneath his.

He tugged on Dex’s hair.

“Baby, if you want me to fuck your ass, you'd better get up here. I'm not going to last long.”

Dex lifted his head, those green eyes sparkling with hunger and flirtation. For a moment Maddock thought Dex would continue to tease him, but

need seemed to win out. He stood up and reached for the fly of his own jeans, tugging them down and turning around. Deliberately placing his
hands on the desk, Dex bent forward and offered that round ass to Maddock.

Maddock stared, captivated by the pale flesh and…

The curved end of a butt plug sunk deep in Dex's ass.

“What the hell?”

He ran his finger across the base of the plug, shifting it inside Dex's hole. His lover groaned and pressed back so Maddock repeated the

movement.

“Please.”

“You always walk around with this in? Ready to be fucked?” The idea both excited him and pissed him off.

Dex shook his head, his hair falling down around his face. “I put it in after I called you. I didn't want to wait when you got here.” He pumped his

ass up. “Fuck me.”

Maddock's cock swelled and a growl ripped from his chest.

“Oh damn, I love when you make that noise,” Dex moaned.

He growled again, partly to please his lover and partly because he needed to release the sound that rattled his brain.

“Please, we have to hurry.”

Maddock heard the urgency in Dex's voice, but he couldn't resist skimming his hands down Dex's ass, shifting the plug, testing the firm muscles

with his fingers, imagining smacking those hard cheeks. But Dex said they had to hurry and he had gotten the distinct impression that the three
people standing at the bar were waiting for them to finish.

Let them wait.

He placed one hand on Dex's back, then slipped his fingers between those tight cheeks and pulled the plug halfway out before plunging it back

in. Wild tension raced through his lover's body as Dex arched back.

“Fuck.”

“You put it in for me, I thought I'd play with it for a bit.”

He fucked Dex with the plug a second time.

“Now, why do we have to hurry?”

“M-Micah.”

“The big guy?”

Dex nodded. “Needs to talk to you.”

“Right.” He scoffed. “He can wait.” He tapped the end of the butt plug. “Or maybe I should just leave you here and go talk to him.”

“Nooo! Please.” Dex rocked back. “I need you, inside me.”

The need in Dex's voice grabbed Maddock's cock and he couldn't play any more.

“Lube.”

“Bottom drawer,” Dex reminded him.

Maddock felt another growl lodge in his throat. “One of these days you're going to explain how you know where another man keeps his lube.”

A corner of his mind pointed out this wasn't a long-term relationship. This was going to be the last time. Of course, he'd said that the last two

times so maybe he needed to stop lying to himself.

“Later,” Dex groaned. “Just fuck me.”

Maddock grinned and for a moment he considered teasing Dex a little more, but fuck, the kid really seemed to want it and that round ass was

too tempting to ignore. The “presence” inside his head—he didn’t know what else to call it—pushed him forward, demanding he plunge into Dex’s
ass.

He grabbed the flared end of the butt plug and pulled it out, slow and steady, making sure Dex felt it. Dex cried out and a shiver ran through his

body.

Maddock grabbed the lube and yanked down his briefs. The momentary consideration of a condom flashed through his thoughts, but a low

snarl at the back of his mind rejected the idea. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been inside Dex bare and he wanted to feel that hot ass squeezing
his cock.

He poured lube on his fingers and slipped two into Dex's already stretched ass. The plug hadn't been that big so his hole was still tight.

“Do you need more, babe?” He tapped his fingers inside the slick passage, finding Dex’s gland and watching the shudder race up his spine.

“You’re pretty tight. You're going to feel me if I fuck you.”

Dex tossed his head back, riding up on his toes. The movement sent Maddock's fingers deep.

“Do it.”

Maddock's vision turned red and a howl reverberated through his skull. He didn't know where the noise had come from, only that it drove him

forward. He slicked up his cock and put the head at Dex's entrance. He couldn't pause, couldn't hold himself back. He had to be inside Dex. He
pushed forward, heat surrounding his dick, pulling him deeper.

His growl blended with Dex's groan as he sank his cock into that tight hole.

“Fuck!” He couldn't stop the shout.

Dex nodded, his hair falling forward to cover his face. Maddock reached out and scraped the blond strands away, needing to see Dex as

Maddock claimed him.

Dex sighed and turned his head, placing his cheek against the desk. His eyes drifted shut, his mouth hung open.

“Too much?” Maddock asked, unwilling to hurt his lover, no matter how much he needed to fuck.

Dex’s lips curled into a soft smile and his eyes fluttered open.

“Just trying not to come. Want to feel you.”

The words sent him higher. Maddock ground his back teeth together, fighting his own need to come before he'd even gotten his cock all the

way in. A whimper escaped Dex's chest.

“Sh, it's okay, baby. I've got you.” He eased back, then pressed forward, going a little deeper, claiming another few inches. “Fuck, baby.” His

fingers tightened on Dex's hips and he pushed in, needing to go as far as he could.

Every warning he'd given himself had disappeared when Dex had begged to see him, begged for his cock.

Now, balls deep in Dex's ass, he couldn't regret it. He might later, but now, this was where he needed to be. Where he belonged.

He held himself still, just enjoying the sensation of being inside Dex.

After long moments, Dex moaned and wiggled his hips. “Maddock. Fuck me.”

“Damn, you're greedy today.” He smacked Dex's hip.

“I need you to fuck me.” The low hungry tone that had lured him out of the office returned. “I need to feel you pounding into my ass. Need that

cock—”

The rest of the words were lost. Maddock roared and pulled back, almost out before driving in, giving Dex what he wanted—a hard, fast fuck.

Dex cried out, but his ass pressed back, meeting Maddock's stroke, sending him even deeper.

“Fuck, baby.”

“Yes, more.” Dex babbled as Maddock fucked him. The words had no meaning but Maddock understood every one of them. They resonated in

his chest and flooded his groin. He wouldn't last long. The heat and tightness of Dex's ass was going to send him over the edge soon.

He shouted and angled his cock, finding that place inside Dex's ass that he knew would send the man flying.

Dex cried out, his words becoming noises. Maddock felt his orgasm rising fast and he wanted Dex with him, but there was no way he could

release his hold on Dex's hips.

“Stroke yourself off, Dex. I want to feel you come on my cock.” He growled out the words. He wasn't the most vocal lover normally, but

something about fucking Dex drew the words right out of him.

Dex reached down and wrapped his hand around his own dick and began to pump in time to Maddock’s fucking.

“That’s it.” It was as if he could feel Dex touching himself, could feel the other man’s pleasure. Sparks started at the base of his spine and

Maddock knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. His gaze locked onto the back of Dex’s neck, half-covered by the black T-shirt he wore.

The dreams of biting, of sinking his teeth into that flesh and holding on while he came inside his lover consumed his thoughts. He bent forward

and rubbed his teeth across the smooth flesh, pushing the soft cloth out of the way so he had access to skin. A growl formed in his head and the
compulsion to bite hard almost overwhelmed him, but he maintained control. Some control.

He bit down, not breaking the skin, just snagging the tight muscle with his teeth, knowing he was leaving a mark.

As if that little bit of sensation was what he needed, Dex cried out and the scent of his come flooded the room.

Maddock's shout turned to a roar as he plowed into Dex one more time and followed his lover over the edge.

Chapter Seven

Maddock led the way into the main bar, feeling relaxed and a little bit lazy. Fuck, he didn't know what was waiting for him. Obviously, Dex had

used sex to lure him out to the bar, but Maddock was too well-fucked to care. He wanted to find a bed and snuggle with Dex. The thought should
have sent him running for the door, but he was too satisfied to fight it.

The growls in his head had turned into contented rumbles. The energy dropped to a murmur, a pleasant sensation in his chest and stomach.

Damn, it would be nice to lay down.

They'd cleaned up in the bathroom, but every time he'd tried to touch or cuddle Dex, the younger man had pulled back saying that Micah

really

needed to talk to Maddock.

Whatever it was, he wanted it over with soon. For the first time in days, he felt normal, better than normal.

Dex’s scent teased Maddock’s nose and he leaned in, drawing in a deep breath. Dex smiled and pushed him away.

“Let’s go.”

They walked back to the main bar and those same three were waiting, though they looked strangely flushed and a little exhausted, as if

they'd

just had sex.

“We are going to have to find some sort of shielding if this keeps happening,” Rhian groused, her eyes squinting down into a glare.

Dex winced. “Sorry.”

Maddock felt his cheeks heat up. They probably had been pretty loud, but the urge to protect Dex was stronger than his embarrassment. He

crossed his arms over his chest and planted himself in front of the smaller man. His lips twitched as he held back a snarl.

Rhian’s eyes got wide and her lips pursed together like she was trying to hold back a smile.

“Wow.” She glanced at Reese. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Instinct,” Reese murmured.

“It’s cute.”

Maddock let a little growl come out of his throat, a warning. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he didn’t like the sensation of being

the only one out of the loop.

Dex’s hand came to rest on his back, the touch strangely comforting, as if he could rely on Dex for support. Particularly interesting when the

other three didn't seem at all friendly.

Micah wiped his hand across his forehead and stood up slowly. Maddock didn't usually look at other guy's crotches, but the ginger way Micah

moved drew his gaze.

And fuck, the guy had a hard-on. It was a bit too obvious to miss.

As if he noticed Maddock looking, the big man tugged out his shirt, letting the tails hang down and hide the bulge.

Micah crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the bar.

“We haven't been formally introduced. You've just fucked in my office,” he drawled with enough irritation to make Maddock smile. Something

about the big guy just made Maddock want to annoy him. “I'm Micah,” he said, but he made no move to offer his hand to Maddock. “You've met
Rhian and Reese. And you've fucked Dex.”

Maddock tipped his head to the side. “Didn't know he was off-limits.”

“I don't care who he fucks. I'm just getting tired of my office being used as your fuck nest.”

“Geez, Micah, it was twice,” Dex protested.

“And we are seriously off topic.” Reese leaned forward, resting his forearms on the bar. “Maddock, do you have a pack?”

Dex squeaked as if the question was as much of a shock to him.

“A pack of what?” Cigarettes? Beer?

Reese nodded and sighed just a bit. “That's what I thought. Are you adopted?”

“What? What the hell is this?” He took a step back, turning so he put Dex in front of him along with the others. He suddenly didn't feel

comfortable with

anyone

behind him. Hairs at the back of his neck stood up and he thought again that it might be some kind of setup.

“Maddock, just go with it for a few minutes, huh?” Dex asked. He reached out and gave Maddock's arm a squeeze and offered a weak smile.

Pleading filled those green eyes. And why the fuck did he suddenly feel the need to make Dex happy?

“Fine.” He looked at Reese. “No. I'm not adopted. My mom died five years ago.”

“And what about your dad?”

“What about him?”

“Who is he? Where's he from? Where is he now?”

“Don't know, don't know, don't care.” He let his arms drop to his sides. “Really guys, what's going on here?” This was getting a little creepy.

Reese looked at Micah, then at Dex.

“We think your father…” Reese hesitated. “Left you a legacy of sorts.”

“How the hell would you know that? My mom never even knew his name.”

“Listen, this is kind of hard to explain,” Rhian interjected.

Maddock's gaze jumped back and forth between the small crowd facing him. They all seemed to be in on some secret they thought involved

him and it was pissing him off.

“Maybe it's better if we just show him,” Micah offered.

“No.” Reese shook his head. “I've done this before and it's never better to just show someone.”

“Okay, you guys are starting to freak me out, so either say what you've got to say or I'm out of here.”

Reese sighed. “We believe that your father was…different. Like we are. We—”

“Fuck this.” Micah straightened away from the bar. “We're werewolves. We think you're a werewolf and that you're Dex's mate. That's why you

can't seem to stay away from him and keep fucking him in my office.”

“That was subtle.” Rhian punched Micah on the arm.

Maddock let the words settle in his brain. Werewolves.

Bad enough I’m fucking a guy, now I find out he’s insane-asylum-ready. Nice.

“What? You guys were just going to pussyfoot around it,” Micah defended.

It seemed to take them a minute to realize that he hadn't responded. Finally, Dex looked up.

“What do you think?”

“It doesn't matter what I think, does it? You guys live in the world you want and I'm okay with that.” He took a step backward, heading toward the

door.

“He's making a run for it,” Reese announced.

“Please, don't.” Dex looked at him with those wide, pleading eyes. “Just give us a few minutes to show you.” He turned to Micah. “Someone

needs to show him.”

“Why don't you?”

Dex shook his head and stuck his hands in his back pockets, lifting his chin in defiance. “The first time my mate sees someone change, it’s not

going to be me. That’s not something I want him remembering.”

Micah turned and looked at Reese.

“No—” Reese shook his head.

“I have to stay here in case he makes a run for it,” Micah said.

Reese sighed. He glared at Micah then at Rhian. Rhian shrugged. “I'm not a werewolf and I don't think he cares that I can create a thunderstorm

out of nothing.”

Maddock ground his back teeth together. They were all nuts. Rhian might not share the same delusion, but she seemed to be buying into their

crazed fantasy.

The bartender walked around to the end of the bar and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“Naturally, this involves getting naked,” Maddock drawled.

“You try to get out of clothes when you don't have fingers.” Reese whipped off his shirt. “It's a bitch.”

He undid his jeans and shoved them down to his ankles. Maddock couldn't help but notice he wasn't wearing shorts of any kind, leaving him

naked as he stepped out of the denim.

“Going commando, huh?” Dex asked. His voice hummed with teasing and a bit of flirtation. Reese looked up and smiled in Dex's direction.

Maddock could swear there was a connection between them. Damn, had Dex fucked all his friends?

Rhian scoffed. “I just don't understand the no panties things.”

As if controlled by one string, all four men stood up to their full heights and faced her.

“They aren't panties!” they cried, four male voices rising in unison.

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

Reese shook his head and turned to Maddock. They shared a visual connection of masculine disgust and for a moment, Maddock forgot what

was supposed to be happening. Then Reese took a breath and drilled those sightless eyes into his. The blank stare captured his, holding him in
place as Reese’s face stretched.

Maddock blinked, breaking away from the spellbinding stare. The logical portion of his brain tried to tell him this was a gimmick, but Reese's

body twisted and shrunk. It was like something out of a movie—only with the sickening sounds of bones popping and skin tearing.

In moments, it was over…and a wolf stood in the middle of the bar.

The edges of his vision started to sparkle.

“Maddock?”

Dex's call came from really far away. He blinked and looked around, trying to find his lover, but all he could see was that wolf. Reese.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered…and the world turned black.

* * * * *

“Here.”

The whiskey fumes burnt his nose hairs and Maddock jerked back, trying to escape.

“Seriously, here.”

It took him a moment to recognize the voice…Micah. He sounded irritated, but then every time he'd heard Micah speak, he'd sounded irritated.

Maddock lifted his head, opened his eyes and stared at polished wood. Groaning, he straightened up. The strain in his back told him he'd been
hunched over the bar for some time.

When had he…?

Memories slammed into his brain. Fucking Dex, then watching Reese turn into a wolf. What the fuck? He shook his head. He'd never

hallucinated just from alcohol before. A few pills in college had put him down, but even then he'd seen swirling lights, not a human turning into a wolf.
The sound of the bones creaking returned and his stomach rolled.

He blinked and looked at the whiskey glass sitting beside his hand.

“Shit, I think I've had enough.” He pushed it away with the backs of his fingers.

Micah chuckled though the noise didn't come across as friendly.

“This is your first.”

“But—”

“It was all real. Welcome to our world.”

Micah tapped the counter next to the glass then backed away, heading to the other end of the bar.

The breath left Maddock's lungs. He looked around. The bar was filling up. It had been empty, closed when he'd arrived.

How long had he been out? He glanced at his watch. Six o'clock. Fuck. He'd arrived at four. Of course, he had spent part of that time with his

cock buried in Dex's ass but still, he'd probably been passed out for an hour.

Fuck, he'd seen Reese turn into a wolf.

And they thought he could turn into a wolf.

No way.

No way

.

He tossed the whiskey back, telling himself it had to be a dream. Had to be. Things like this didn’t happen in real life.

“You okay?” The quiet male voice burrowed deep in his chest, silent fingers wrapping around his heart. Dex slid onto the barstool next to him.

He nodded, but the movement turned into a slow shake of his head. “It can't be true.” He dropped his voice. These guys might be crazy and

think he was a werewolf but—

He shook his head again. No way. Couldn't be.

“Well, we don't know for sure.” Dex leaned in, keep his voice low as well. “You smell like a wolf and my wolf certainly thinks you belong to him.”

Maddock had been blocking out that portion of the conversation. Micah had said Dex was Maddock's “mate,” whatever the hell that meant. It

seemed to have something to do with why he couldn't keep his hands off Dex. But he couldn't have a boyfriend, not in his world. Not now.

“Listen—”

Dex stood up. The sad look in his eyes tugged at Maddock's heart. “No. I know this is all a shock to you and finding out you have a mate is an

even bigger blow. Plus, I’m a man and I’m pretty sure you weren’t expecting that.”

Maddock shook his head.

“You have enough to deal with. Let's just let it sit.”

“But what happens now?” He grabbed Dex's arm and pulled him close. “If I'm what you think I am—and I'm not saying I believe it—why didn't I

know? Isn't this something I should have known?”

“Reese has a theory about you living away from a pack and that's why you haven't made the change.”

“And now?”

“You've been around us and it's possible your wolf has been drawn to the surface.”

“So because I met you I'm going to turn furry?”

“Maybe. We'll find out in three days.”

“Three days?”

“Full moon. We have a hunting ground nearby where we'll all make the change. You'll come there and we'll see what happens. I'll send you a text

with the address.”

“Wait!” The sudden feeling of being abandoned overcame him. Dex was the only one he knew, and really, he only knew what it was like to fuck

him.

Dex shook his head. “We really shouldn’t spend any more time together. It might already be too late.”

Dex stepped away before Maddock could react.

Too late for what?

Maddock tried not to watch him leave, but he couldn't. Only this time, his gaze didn't fall to that tight ass. It tracked the tension in Dex's

shoulders.

A noise tickled the inside of his throat. Not the warning sound he'd grown used to around Dex. This was more subtle, almost a whimper. The

ache in his chest swelled.

“He'll be okay,” Micah said placing another whiskey in front of him.

Maddock straightened, but didn't say anything. He didn't know how he felt about Dex. He sure as hell didn't want someone else guessing how

he felt.

“But, if you're not going to be his mate, it's best if you stay away from him.”

The warning in Micah’s voice set Maddock's nerves on edge. “He told me to be here for the full moon,” Maddock protested.

“Yes. But stay away from him until then. His wolf is imprinting on you and once that’s done, it’s permanent. If you don't want him, stay away from

him.”

Maddock wanted to protest—to say none of this was his fault—but Micah walked away, leaving his warning hanging in the air.

Maddock threw back the whiskey, deciding he deserved it. Having your world flipped on its ear definitely called for whiskey. He almost called

for another shot but stopped. He needed to be able to drive home.

And he needed a clear mind. Needed to be able to think about what he'd seen and everything they'd said.

He sat there staring at the mirror behind the bar for another few minutes then decided he needed some time alone.

Unable to stop himself, he glanced at Dex as he walked toward the door. Dex raised his chin in farewell, then turned away.

Maddock found himself standing next to his car though he didn’t remember the walk outside.

Maybe I’ve just gone crazy.

Somehow that seemed preferable to the reality he was facing.

A werewolf? It was something out of the late night movie. Couldn’t be real.

Except the noises in his brain, the strange energy coursing through his body,

that

seemed real.

He drove home, forcing his mind to concentrate on the road. His phone rang a half a dozen times but he ignored it. It was Monica, calling to find

out what the hell had happened.

Right. I’ll tell her I saw a guy turn into a wolf and in three days time, it might happen to me.

None of the guys from the bar had said anything, but he knew enough to keep this little secret to himself. He didn’t precisely believe it, but part

of him couldn’t shake the image of Reese changing.

Or the way the noises in his head seemed different now, calmer.

Once inside his house, he opened a fresh bottle of whiskey and did a few shots. Besides burning the inside of his throat, they seemed to have

no effect. He tried a couple more, but found himself sitting there as sober as before.

He sat in his living room for hours, staring at nothing. Finally, he went up to bed, but it was a no-go.

Sleep was out. And being awake seemed a waste of time. He just kept going over it in his mind. Reese turning into a wolf. Dex’s soft eyes,

supporting Maddock.

Fuck, he needed to talk to someone about this.

He grabbed his phone and hit the return call beside Dex’s number. It rang once, then Dex picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

“Maddock?”

“Yeah.”

“You okay?”

“Not really.”

Silence reached through the phone. “I guess I can see that,” Dex said. “I mean, that couldn’t have been what you were expecting.”

“It wasn’t even something I could have imagined.”

“Yeah,” Dex said with a soft chuckle.

The sound crept through the phone line and somehow eased the brittle edges of Maddock’s nerves. He sank down beneath his blankets and

pressed the phone to his ear, needing more. Needing some sort of connection.

“What’s it like?”

“Shifting?” The slither of material against material whispered down the line and Maddock was sure Dex was getting comfortable, maybe laying

down, naked.

He gave himself a shake and tried to focus on Dex’s words.

“It’s cool. Kind of scary the first dozen times.”

“Does it happen every month?”

“Yeah. I mean, you can stop it, but it’s not comfortable. It’s best just to let the wolf out.”

Something in Dex’s voice made Maddock smile.

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

Dex chuckled and sighed. “Well, I was young…”

* * * * *

Maddock pulled his car alongside the farmhouse. Another car and a couple of motorcycles sat in the open barn.

The twilight-ish light didn’t allow him to see much, but that was okay. He wasn’t there to sightsee. He was there to see if he turned into a wolf or

not.

The idea didn’t seem as foreign as it had three days ago. Obviously, he’d had three days to get used to it and the hours spent on the phone

with Dex had helped. The kid had talked to him about how it felt, what to expect. They’d talked about other things as well.

Hell, they’d talked until his battery had died, then he’d called back on the landline. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d used his landline, but

at least he didn’t risk losing the call.

Dex had refused to see him even when Maddock suggested they meet in a public place. Dex had said the phone calls were bad enough, that

his wolf was “imprinting” deeply on Maddock and they needed to stay away from each other until this was sorted out.

Maddock accepted that—he didn’t have much choice. He didn’t

need

to see Dex, he told himself, but being on the phone was just

uncomfortable. Sitting across a table talking would have been easier. It didn’t have to be sexual.

He told himself that over and over again, but each night found himself stroking off to the memory of fucking Dex, then dreaming about fucking

Dex.

If what they thought was true, the biting dreams made a hell of a lot more sense now.

A wolf howl echoed in the distance and a shiver ran down Maddock’s spine. The

thing

inside his brain came awake and mirrored the noise in

Maddock’s head.

The sound shook his body and he put his hand on the roof of his car to steady his knees.

The presence—wolf, voices, psychotic break, whatever you wanted to call it—had been manic the last three days. Explosive energy that

Maddock couldn’t control, that required him running full speed for hours, combined with lazy, satisfied bouts of just wanting to lay around and indulge
in all his senses.

Those moments usually came while speaking with Dex or jacking off, which usually took place immediately

after

speaking with Dex.

He took a breath and looked up at the old house. Funny, how fate had gotten him here. He and Monica had come out this far to look at the

property next door and it brought him together with this group.

He walked up to the front door and rapped his knuckles against the wood frame. Paint was peeling in the corners. It was clear no one here

liked to do home repair.

He glanced up at the sky. The sun had set and moonrise couldn’t be far away. A faint rush of energy eased through his veins, not the full power

of the wolf, but enough to make him twitchy.

Damn, he needed this night to be over.

The door popped open and Rhian smiled at him.

“Welcome.” She stepped back and waved for him to come in. “The boys are in the kitchen.”

He dropped his keys and cell phone on the hall table—didn’t think he’d need them to turn into a wolf—and followed her down the short hall into

the brightly lit room. Reese stood near the back door. Dex leaned against the counter but straightened as soon as Maddock entered.

“Hi.”

The urge to walk across the room and press up against Dex almost overwhelmed him, but Maddock kept tight control on the desire. Everything

about this night was going to be insane so he needed to keep control no matter what.

“You’re late,” Reese snapped. “Let’s go.” He pushed open the screen door and stepped out.

“Don’t mind him,” Dex whispered as he walked by, following Reese outside. “He’s always cranky on full moons.”

The delicious scent Maddock now associated with Dex swirled around him as the younger man walked by. He licked his lips and trotted after

him.

Reese took two steps into the backyard and stopped.

Maddock paused behind him.

It was the first time he'd ever seen Reese hesitate. He moved so well there were moments Maddock would swear he wasn’t blind. Dex had

assured him that Reese could only see heat given off living bodies, so he saw shapes but no features.

When Dex first told him Maddock didn’t believe it. It was something out of science fiction…but then so was turning into a wolf so, what the hell.

Dex nudged Reese with his elbow and Reese grabbed the offered arm. They started to walk carefully through the backyard, toward a bank of

trees.

Logically, Maddock understood what was happening—that Dex was assisting his friend—but the thing in his head snarled. It did not like his

man touching another guy.

The door closed behind them.

“Isn't Rhian coming with us?”

“She's not a wolf.” Dex shook his head. “She's a witch.”

“Of course, she is,” Maddock muttered as he followed the other two down a path off the side of the house. The trail moved through the trees and

opened into a small clearing. They hadn't gone far, but the trees were so thick he couldn't see the lights from the house any longer.

“About time you got here.”

Micah, once again, sounded irritated.

“Let's do this.”

Reese let go of Dex's arm. The three men spread out and started stripping. Maddock froze. What had he gotten himself into?

A strange tingling began at the base of his spine and worked up his vertebrae to his shoulders.

“You need to get ready,” Dex said, his voice soft, supportive.

“Yeah, don't worry, Maddock, we're all boys here.” Micah flashed him a smug smile. “You don't have to be embarrassed. We won't laugh.”

Dex straightened and stepped between him and Micah. “No, you won't,” he challenged the bigger man.

Pride reared in Maddock’s chest, that Dex would defend him.

Maddock couldn’t stop himself. He smirked and fluttered his eyelashes at Micah.

Micah huffed out a breath of air and pulled his jeans open.

Maddock dropped his gaze. Locker room rules. Don't stare at another guy's junk.

“Come on, Maddock, you need to get those clothes off. The wolf's going to freak out if you change and you're still wearing clothes.”

Reality of what might happen pressed on his brain. He'd thought about this a lot—constantly—for the past three days trying to find something in

his past to indicate he was a werewolf. He'd even tried to find his birth father, but he'd had no luck. Still, he would have known he was a werewolf,
right? Something had to give it away.

But there was enough doubt in his brain that he reached over his back and tugged off his t-shirt. He undid his fly and shoved down his jeans,

stepping out of the denim and his shoes in one movement.

He straightened and looked around, making sure the rest of them were naked as well and he wasn't being punked.

Dex met his gaze and Maddock couldn't stop his eyes from wandering the length of the sleek body. They'd fucked, but he'd never seen Dex

naked. The kid was in shape, defined muscles on his chest and abs. Not too big. Just enough strength that he could put up a good fight.

Like when Maddock tied him to the bed and fucked him.

Micah stood a few feet away, his back arched, head tilted up to the sky, moonlight creating shadows on his chest.

Unable to stop himself, he looked down. The guy was definitely naked. Not aroused, his cock hanging down between his thighs. Still even if he

grew just a little bit, he had to be huge when he was hard. Not that Maddock was interested, but one couldn’t help but be a little impressed.

Micah opened his mouth and a howl erupted, shattering the night silence. Dex and Reese tilted their heads back and echoed the sound.

Maddock's throat ached and the center of his chest vibrated as the noise reverberated through his body.

Micah lowered his head and directed his stare at Maddock. Power emanated from the guy and something inside Maddock reacted. He had

the strangest urge to kneel. He locked his knees in place and curled his hands into fists, needing the extra bit of control.

“The change will be a bit of a shock, but once it starts, the wolf will take over. Just go with it.”

Maddock nodded. The tingling in his jaw expanded, like electric shocks through his bones.

Moonlight washed across the clearing. Tension rippled through the air. Maddock felt it in his muscles and watched it invade the others.

Reese groaned. “Fuck, this needs to happen soon.”

“Go ahead and change,” Micah commanded. “It might inspire his wolf. You too, Dex.”

Dex shook his head. “I want to be here in case, well, in case he needs help.”

Energy pulsed through the clearing followed by the sickening sounds of cracking bones and tearing muscle. He couldn’t not look. Reese’s

human body changed and twisted, falling to the ground and landing on front paws.

The noises once again made Maddock’s stomach rumble, but another sensation followed quickly on its heels—hunger, longing. His bones

ached and his skin burned.

“Anything?” Dex asked. Support and sympathy hummed through his voice and the sound irritated Maddock even more.

“No! I told you guys this was stupid. I'm not a werewolf.”

Dex opened his mouth as if he was going to protest, but what was there to say? The moon was full. Reese’s theory that he needed to be

around other werewolves didn’t seem to be holding true. Maddock wasn’t a werewolf.

Disappointment curled through his chest, but he ignored it. This was a good thing. He couldn’t be at the whim of an animal trapped inside his

body.

“Listen, I’m going to—“

“I fucked Dex.”

Maddock whipped around and stared at Micah. The man's cool pronouncement shattered in his brain.

“What?!”

“Micah!”

Maddock ignored Dex's gasp.

Rage burned through Maddock’s chest and spread to his limbs.

Rage burned through Maddock’s chest and spread to his limbs.

“I fucked Dex,” Micah said again. “It’s been awhile, but yeah, I've been in his ass.”

The gasp turned into a squeak. “Micah, stop.” Dex's protest was once again ignored.

Pressure squeezed Maddock’s throat like a hand choking off his breath. The images of Micah fucking what belonged to him pounded against

his brain.

Micah's red eyes drilled into Maddock's head.

“Hard, too. Man, that's a tight little—”

He never heard the last word.

He leapt forward, lunging at the other animal. His world exploded. Pain ripped through his muscles. The bones in his jaw broke and he roared.

The sound bounced off the trees, but all he cared about was tearing out the throat of his enemy.

Instinct consumed him. His teeth tore through his gums and he opened his mouth, aiming for Micah’s throat.

The big man snatched him out of the air, one huge hand locking on Maddock’s neck. The world flipped as Micah spun him around and planted

him on the ground, knee to his chest, fingers cutting off his air.

“Settle.” The harsh command broke through the fury in his brain. He growled. Micah gave him a shake and pressed his back against the hard

ground. “Settle down.”

The grip on his neck eased, giving him a chance to breathe. He glared up at Micah and tried to order him to get the fuck off him, but the sound

came out as a whine—and a bark.

Holy shit. I’m a wolf.

He tried to make another sound but it came out as a whine.

“You’re fine,” Micah announced, getting up off him.

Maddock rolled over and stood up. His legs trembled beneath him, but he figured he was allowed to be a bit shaken. The “presence” was huge

now, taking over, making his human mind a rider.

A lovely scent teased his nose and he turned, in time to meet Dex's touch.

Fuck, he's a wolf. I'm a wolf.

Dex's wolf form nuzzled Maddock's

neck and the human portion of his brain continued its fade.

He turned and rubbed against his mate.

Another wolf came over and greeted him, bumping up against him. He vaguely recognized the animal's smell as Reese. That left only Micah.

Maddock swung around and faced the bigger wolf. Instincts he barely recognized warned him that Micah, while big and strong in human form,

was dangerous as a wolf.

Still, he'd fucked Maddock's mate. His lips twitched over his gums and he snarled. Micah's head lowered and his shoulders rose up, his teeth

glowing in the moonlight as he growled back, the warning clear.

A whine sounded from his side and Maddock recognized the distressed cry from his mate. Dex leaned in and tapped his nose against

Maddock's, moving it out of the way, as if trying to draw his attention away from Micah, breaking up the aggression.

The wolf couldn't resist the temptation to play with his mate, so Maddock nudged Dex back. The human locked the truth in the back of his brain.

They were going to have a discussion about Dex fucking anyone but him. They needed to do it when he could actually speak.

Micah's wolf howled and this time, Maddock couldn't contain the noise. He joined in, his voice blending with the rest. The sound faded away

and Micah took off.

Dex bumped Maddock's shoulder indicating he should follow. Maddock tried to hold on to his human brain—to maintain control—but the

animal’s instincts were too strong. Human thoughts retreated and he found himself falling into the wolf’s senses.

The most overwhelming of all was the scent of Dex. He didn't have the urge to fuck. The animal wasn't aroused, but the smell made him feel

safe, strong.

He put his nose to the ground and let the wolf take over.

Chapter Eight

They returned to the clearing and collapsed in a pile, the three smaller wolves snuggled up against Micah. The hunt had been successful. After

a few false starts, Maddock had learned how to run. The tail was always more of a challenge than most people thought it should be.

They'd run and played in the woods. Caught a couple of rabbits and played in the creek. Now they cuddled. It was Dex's favorite part of a full

moon run. They rested. Micah hated it that Dex called it cuddling, but that's how it felt. Almost like snuggling up with a lover after really great sex.

It was also the time when the wolf and human occupied the mind together and he could enjoy the sensations. Slowly the wolf would retreat

enough for the human form to return. The wolf’s energy, amplified by the full moon, lingered. This usually led to him following Micah to his room.

Tonight, it would be Maddock. His mate. Maybe.

The wolf grumbled his displeasure at the train of Dex's thoughts. Oh, he knew Maddock was his mate, but that didn't mean the human would

agree or go along with it.

And he didn't know how many more chances he had before the wolf imprinted permanently. But he couldn’t pull away. Not now.

The moon still hung full in the sky, but already Dex could feel the human dominance returning.

Micah was the first to move, standing up from the bottom of the dog pile and making them all move. Dex moaned, but the sound came out as a

whine.

Maddock leaned over and nudged his shoulder. Dex turned his head and nuzzled the other wolf’s neck, loving the scent of his mate. The human

brain tried to assert itself, warnings about imprinting permanently on a man who didn’t want him, a man who didn’t think of himself as gay.

But the power of the full moon and the presence of Maddock, as beautiful in wolf form as he was in human, pushed Dex’s concerns aside.

Micah shifted into human form and the action called the rest of them to follow. Even without a formal pack, Micah definitely served as their

Alpha.

Pain rippled through Dex’s muscles as he made the change. He really hated the actual shifting part. Being the wolf and coming back to being

human was cool, but the physical change hurt like hell. He looked over and saw Maddock, on his hands and knees, chest bellowing in harsh deep
breaths.

“You okay?”

“Fuck, that hurts.”

“The price you pay.” Micah stepped forward and offered his hand down to Maddock.

Tension vibrated the air between the two men before Maddock finally placed his palm on Micah’s and let him pull him up. Dex stood back as

they faced each other. Micah was physically bigger, though not by much, and he wore the power of the wolf in his very being. Maddock’s wolf was
still new enough that it seemed separate from him.

Neither male moved for the longest time and finally Dex sighed.

“Come on, boys. It’s done and I’m hungry.”

He pulled on his jeans and T-shirt and noticed Maddock pulled on his jeans as well. Too bad.

Of course, the jeans did really nice things to the man’s ass and the lovely bulge in the front gave Dex hope that his own ass would be sore by

morning.

Dex offered Reese his arm and led him back toward the house. Normally Reese had no problems, but the forest wasn’t something he could

memorize. And there were no shadows to differentiate.

Maddock trailed behind, his gaze flitting back and forth as if he couldn’t believe it had happened.

The light of the kitchen was a welcome relief. Rhian usually had something cooking for them, though she rarely hung around, claimed the mass

infusion of testosterone wasn’t good for the baby.

As soon as they hit the door, Reese released him and headed toward the sink, downing a glass of water. Dex watched. The other wolf’s hand

trembled as he refilled his glass.

Reese seemed to notice his stare and waved him away. Knowing Reese didn’t like to be monitored, Dex turned away and opened the

refrigerator. His stomach grumbled.

Another voice echoed the sound. Dex froze then slowly turned his head and followed the sound of the noise.

Red glittered in Maddock’s eyes—focused on Dex’s ass.

His wolf shuddered with pleasure. Fuck, if he was a cat, he’d be purring.

He wiggled his ass, tempting his mate.

But Maddock didn’t seem to be in the mood to be teased.

He took two steps and was at Dex’s side. Dex straightened and spun around, facing the other man.

“I have no problem fucking you right here,” Maddock warned.

“Uh, or we could go upstairs.” Dex grabbed Maddock’s hand and dragged him out of the kitchen and up to his bedroom. The wolf in his head

started dancing around like a puppy. The thing really liked Maddock.

Maddock followed Dex up the stairs. His mind crisscrossed with sounds and voices, human and not. Didn’t seem to make a difference.

Everything was focused on one thing—the little man in front of him.

Mounting him. Fucking him. Marking him. The wolf growled and Maddock let the sound come out. The animal was a part of him, at least for the

moment.

Dex opened the door at the top of the stairs and Maddock crowded him inside. Once he’d crossed the threshold, he slammed the door behind

him, blocking out any chance the other wolves would interfere.

His hyper-alert senses scanned the room for threats and challenges. The wolf took everything in and saw nothing of concern. As if comfortable

that the place was safe, the animal retreated, letting Maddock retain control.

He looked at the room with human eyes, his gaze landing on the twin bed in the corner. That had to go. No way was he sleeping on that tiny

mattress. But it would work for tonight.

Because he didn't plan on sleeping.

He turned to his little mate. A corner of his mind noticed how easily he'd taken on the term “mate,” but the revelation didn't stick in his brain for

long.

Not when he saw the bright green eyes staring up at him, unblinking. Those pink pouty lips open, ready for Maddock's kiss. He realized as he

stepped forward that he hadn't kissed Dex yet. Not on the mouth.

He wrapped his hand around the back of his mate's neck and pulled Dex hard against him. Dex felt like he weighed nothing as his slim body

pressed into Maddock's chest.

Dex stared up, surprise, shock and just a little fear glinted in those pretty green eyes.

Good.

Maddock bent down and covered Dex's mouth with his own. Fuck, he tasted good—coffee, chocolate and something distinctly Dex. He teased

Dex’s lips open and sank his tongue into the wet heat. Dex groaned and tried to push closer, his tongue wrapping around Maddock’s, sucking and
licking. Hell, yeah, he needed to feel that mouth on his cock.

He cupped Dex’s chin and tilted the smaller man’s head, taking control of the kiss.

Micah’s words echoed through his memory and before Maddock mounted his mate, he needed to make sure the little wolf knew that wasn't

acceptable. Never again was he allowed to offer that tight ass to anyone but Maddock.

He stepped back and stared down at Dex. With clothes on and that glint of fear in his eyes, he looked almost fragile.

But Maddock knew that Dex would take it and take it hard.

Dex reached for him, but Maddock backed away, shaking his head.

“No touching. Not yet.”

Dex slowly lowered his hands to his sides. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine.” His focus, all the attention of his human mind and the wolf brain was on his mate.

Maddock walked around his lover, staring at the fine back and sweet, sweet ass. His cock, already hard and digging into his own zipper,

ached, but Maddock savored the sensation. It helped him keep control.

“Maddock?” The hesitation in Dex's voice pierced the lust that encompassed Maddock's brain.

“Yes, baby.”

“Are you mad at me? I mean, I didn't—”

He didn't really want to hear Dex's apology. Didn't matter if the kid was sorry. He needed to be punished.

“Sh, baby.” He stepped close, letting his cock press against that tight ass. “We can talk later.” He reached around and undid the button fly of

Dex's jeans.

His lover groaned and pressed back, rocking his ass against Maddock's cock.

Maddock smacked Dex's butt. “What did I tell you about touching?”

“But I thought—”

He didn't let Dex finish. He grabbed the sides of his button fly and yanked. The wolf's strength joined his, wanting access to his mate's skin. The

denim shredded beneath his hands, tearing down the legs and leaving Dex instantly bare. Dex's gasp only made it better.

“Bend over, baby. Put your hands on the desk.”

“Maddock—”

He gave a quick swat to Dex's hip. “Don't make me tell you twice. You'll take your punishment like a good boy and then you'll get fucked.”

Dex hesitated, that slim body tensing. Maddock might have been concerned if he hadn't seen how Dex's cock had twitched when he'd told him

to be a “good boy.”

Dex met his gaze as if to assure himself Maddock was in control. Maddock nodded once. Dex swallowed and slowly turned. He placed his

hands on the edge of the desk and bent forward, pushing that sweet ass out. The pale skin just called Maddock's hand.

He ran his fingers up Dex’s spine. A mark on the pale skin caught his attention. Maddock looked closer. A red dragon tattooed on Dex’s left

shoulder blade.

The clear lines of the ink tempted him and Maddock ran his tongue across the image.

“What’s this about?” he asked tracing the outside line with his finger. Dex shivered beneath the light caress. “Pack symbol?” It was on the top of

their bar so it had to have some meaning.

“Sort of. We all have them.”

“But why a dragon?”

“Welsh legend.” Dex cried out and pumped his ass back. “Do we have to talk about this now?” That sweet backside wiggled, every stroke

massaging Maddock’s cock.

He chuckled. “So eager to begin your punishment?” Maddock eased back. “Fine. We’ll talk later, when your ass is bright red from my hand.”

Another shudder wracked Dex’s body and damn if Maddock didn’t think Dex could come just from a few more words.

“W-why am I being punished?” Dex's voice quivered toward the end. Oh, the young wolf was turned on, but that didn't mean he wasn't just a little

afraid.

He wrapped his hand around Dex's cock, holding the hard shaft at the base.

“For letting that big bad wolf fuck your pretty little ass.”

Before the words were finished his slapped his open palm against Dex's ass.

Dex cried out, but his dick twitched. Oh, yeah. Dex would enjoy this.

“But—”

Another smack. A low groan escaped his mate's chest.

“But…it was before I knew you.”

Maddock tapped Dex's ass three more times on each cheek, enjoying the way his lover's skin turned pink.

“Didn't say it made sense, baby.” He ran his open palm down the curve of Dex's backside, feeling the heat. He matched the movement with a

slow stroke up the full length of the shaft in his other hand. “You let him have this ass. This belongs to me.”

Dex groaned and arched his back.

“You like that, huh? Like me claiming this sweet ass as mine.”

Tension raced through Dex's muscles and Maddock realized this was more than just fuck-talk. And if he was going to back off, he needed to do

it now.

But how could he? The wolf inside his head rose with a howl, demanding he claim his little mate—fuck him, mark him until everyone knew that

Dex belonged to him. The urges had been hounding him for the past few weeks. At least now he understood the source.

He smoothed his hands down the curve of Dex's ass. The heat called him. Heat that he'd created, turning that sweet ass pink.

“Don't worry, baby.” He placed a kiss in the middle of Dex's spine. “No one's going to fuck you but me.”

The words tumbled out of his mouth. He didn't know how he was going to make them true, but the wolf in him knew he couldn't let anyone else

The words tumbled out of his mouth. He didn't know how he was going to make them true, but the wolf in him knew he couldn't let anyone else

near his mate.

The human wasn't so sure, but the pull of the full moon and the wolf's energy still pulsed through his body. Tonight, Dex belonged to him alone.

“Where's your lube, baby?” The wolf clamored to fuck his mate and Maddock wasn't sure how long he would have control. He needed to get his

little mate stretched, ready for his cock.

“Bedside table.” The words were low and breathless. Oh yeah, his baby was turned on.

“Hold still. I'm going to stretch your pretty ass, then fuck you. Hard. Make you feel me for a week. You're going to know that it was

my

cock that

made you ache.”

Dex groaned and rocked back. Unable to resist, Maddock popped his hand on each cheek, leaving another stinging mark.

“Fuck, that's hot.” He bent down and kissed the bright pink skin, then scraped his teeth across the heated flesh.

A puppy whine rattled from Dex's throat. “Poor baby. You'll think next time before you let someone else fuck your ass.”

One final time, he smacked his hand to Dex's ass, adding a bit more force, the wolf not liking at all the thought of someone fucking his mate.

“Ow. That hurt.” Dex's head snapped around and he glared at Maddock.

“It was supposed to. Punishment isn't supposed to be fun.” His lips pulled up in a smirk. “And I told you not to move.”

Before Dex could answer, Maddock had turned away and pulled open the drawer, tossing aside items to find the lube. Dex kept it handy. Made

for great stroking off.

Maddock hummed as he dug through the drawer. Even knowing he wasn't supposed to move, he couldn't resist checking out what Maddock

was doing. The lube wasn't that deep. He'd used it a few nights ago after Maddock had left the bar.

“Wh-what are you doing?” he finally asked.

“Just looking for something that I know you—ah, here it is.”

Maddock raised his hand and revealed a butt plug. Slim like the one Dex had in his ass the other night, but it was heavier and battery operated.

Fuck, he'd found the one that vibrated. Dex took a breath and turned back to the wall, hoping Maddock didn't realize what he had.

Dex couldn't take it. Not tonight. The wolf was too close to the surface and he needed to be fucked. The spanking had just left his nerves

sparkling, ready for more.

“This will work nicely, won't it, baby? Keep your ass open while I play with the rest of you.”

Dex squeaked.

“Oh, baby, did you really think you were going to get fucked soon? I know that's what you want, but it's not much of a punishment if you get what

you want.”

“I-I…”

Maddock pressed up against his back, the rough material of his jeans scraping the sensitized flesh of Dex's ass. Maddock wrapped his arms

around Dex and pulled him almost upright, so every inch was pressed against him.

“I'm going to fuck you, but I'm going to make you wait for it, beg for it.”

“Please.” Fuck, Dex could beg if that's all it took.

“Oh, not good enough, baby. You're going to be screaming for it.” He lowered his arms and eased back. Dex instantly felt the loss. “Sh, it's

okay, baby. You know I won't be far. I'm going to fill this ass tonight.”

The final words were growled out. The sound sent a shiver down Dex's spine. Maddock was lost in his wolf. The aggression made every nerve

in Dex's body flutter.

A cool slick finger circled his ass and Dex took a breath, telling his body to relax. The pressure built fast as Maddock pushed one finger in, then

eased back and added a second digit.

Dex cried out, his claws poking out the tops of his fingers and digging into the wooden desk.

“Sorry, baby. I just don't know if I have the patience to—”

Dex shook his head. “It's good. Good. More.”

Maddock fucked him with the two fingers, giving his ass a chance to adjust to the invasion.

And the whole time, Maddock talked to him, whispering soft words, telling him how sexy he was, how tight and hot his ass was and how

Maddock couldn't wait to fuck him, to come inside him.

The words filled his head, multiplying the sensations in his ass and around his cock.

Dex rocked his hips back, fucking himself on those two fingers filling his ass, needing more.

“Fuck, baby, that's hot. So hot.” Strong fingers wrapped around his cock, holding him, giving him something to push against. The grip on his

shaft tightened. “Come for me. Let me have it. I want to feel it, baby. Want you to come in my hand.”

His body seemed under Maddock’s control. Dex cried out and came, spilling come across Maddock's fingers.

“That's it. Next time you'll come, baby, I'll be in your ass, filling you.”

Dex nodded and pushed back, trying to drive Maddock's fingers deeper.

“Please, Maddock. I need you.”

“Soon.”

The heat from Maddock's fingers disappeared. Dex held his breath, waiting for more, knowing that his lover would lube up and add three

fingers.

But cool pressure filled his ass, wider, harder than Maddock's fingers.

“Wha—?”

“You didn't think I forgot about that plug, did you?” The heat built in his ass as Maddock pushed the plug deeper.

He moaned.

“You can take it, baby. I know you can.”

Dex inhaled and concentrated on relaxing, listening to Maddock's voice, the low seductive murmurs as the plug filled his ass.

The widest point stretched his ass, almost too much, almost to the point of pain, but Maddock guided the plug in place, rocking it so it tapped

Dex's prostate.

A spark ran up his spine and he cried out, grabbing the desk, using his claws to hold up his weakened knees.

“Nice, baby. Now, hold that there while I…”

He let the words drift away, not sure he could explain, hell, acknowledge what he was planning to do. He didn't actually know himself. Just that

he had to taste his mate.

“On the bed.” He smacked Dex's butt.

Dex straightened and Maddock smiled. He watched the hunger move through his lover's body as the plug shifted inside him.

Dex moved gingerly across the room. His hard cock and the butt plug had to make walking difficult.

“Do you feel it, baby?” Maddock asked, stepping up beside his mate, close, letting skin brush against skin. “Feel that plug in your ass? Maybe I

should make you wear it all night, some night down at the bar. I could watch you walk around, show off that pretty ass but know that I'm the one who'd
be fucking you.”

Dex whimpered and tripped. Maddock caught him before he could tumble to the ground.

“You have to stop talking,” Dex whispered as Maddock picked him up. “I'm going to come if you keep talking.”

Maddock placed Dex in the middle of the bed and pushed the hair back away from his lover’s pretty green eyes. “No. You don't get to come

until I let you.”

Red flashed in Dex's gaze. Challenge or lust, Maddock didn't know, didn't matter. He placed a quick kiss on his mate's lips and straightened,

looking down at his very naked mate, stretched out on the soft mattress.

That long cock lay hard against Dex's stomach.

He’d never thought about it—never really let himself consider another man attractive—but damn, Dex was gorgeous, all sleek lines and tight

muscles. And tension. The plug in his ass made him squirm, arching his back, giving Maddock a delicious view of that slim body stretched out.

The need to taste every inch of his mate, to claim him, mark him, roared through his soul. He crouched on the mattress, his knees on the inside

of Dex’s thighs, easing his legs wider, spreading his mate open. Dex whimpered and squirmed, but the motion just created more heat between
them.

Maddock could barely contain his groan as he slid his hands up the outside of Dex’s legs, loving the way his mate shivered with each touch. He

dipped one hand beneath Dex’s hip and pinched the tight hot butt cheek.

Dex cried out, his hips pumping up.

Fuck, his mate was sensitive.

Maddock leaned down and lashed his tongue across one flat nipple. The tiny peak tightened and Maddock couldn’t resist the temptation. He

scraped his teeth across the sensitive skin, savoring Dex’s moan and the way Dex thrust up against him, rubbing their cocks together. Even though
Maddock still wore his jeans, the sensation made his eyes roll back.

It was too tempting to let Dex dry-hump him to a climax. He needed to be in control, at least this one time.

Finding strength he didn’t know he had, he lifted himself away.

“You’re been naughty, baby.” His voice was deeper and huskier than before.

Dex whimpered, his hands fluttered like he wanted to grab Maddock, but finally he dropped them to the mattress.

“Good boy,” Maddock murmured. He sat back on his heels between Dex’s spread thighs. He licked his lips. The need to taste his mate was

too compelling to ignore.

He scooted down and bent over, facing Dex’s cock for the first time. He hesitated just a moment before taking a deep breath and running his

tongue up the full length of Dex's cock. The almost sweet flavor coated his tongue and made him crave more. His little mate shivered.

Maddock lifted the long shaft in his hand and lapped at the head, capturing the drop of pre-come. The taste was stronger here, more

concentrated.

Having never given a blowjob before, he hesitated but then remembered even a bad blow job was pretty damn good.

And he had to learn sometime. He trailed his tongue up the shaft again, learning the texture and taste, discovering the pleasure of making his

mate shiver.

Dex pressed his hips up, silently asking for more. Fuck, he'd do his best to make his mate scream.

And he had something to help. Stroking his tongue in a slow circle at the base of Dex’s cock, he reached into the bedside table, grabbing the

wireless controller.

Keeping his head down, he gave another slow lick up the long shaft, closing his eyes and savoring the sensation—not just the taste but the feel

against his tongue, the scent of his mate flooding his head. Damn, he could live his life breathing in that smell.

A noise broke from Dex’s throat, a mixture of groan and wolf growl. Good but not enough. Maddock fingered the remote. flicked the “on” switch

and felt the shock move through Dex’s body.

“Ahh!” His cry shattered against the ceiling. “Maddock, please.”

“Sh, you can take it, baby.” He glanced down, making sure the vibration was on the lowest setting. He wanted Dex begging for it, not coming

from the little toy in his ass.

He lapped at the head of Dex’s cock, capturing the new bead of pre-come. The salty taste had a sweet flavor. Addictive. He needed more. He

opened his mouth and sucked in the round head. He hesitated, the sensation so foreign, but fuck, he wanted to taste, wanted to feel Dex squirm
beneath him. Relaxing his tongue, he sank down. The hard cock filled his mouth, going deeper until it tapped the back of his mouth.

He pulled back and the sweetest groan filled the air.

“Please, Maddock, again. Just like that.”

Dex reached down and slid his hand to the back of Maddock's head, subtly guiding him. Maddock allowed it for a few moments as he figured it

out. Then he lifted his head, pulling back from Dex’s hold.

“But—“

“Baby, you don’t get to come like this.” He licked again. “I want to have you come in my mouth, but not yet.” Dex cried out. Maddock chuckled

and kissed the top of Dex’s cock. “Don’t worry, baby, you’ll come while I’m fucking your ass.”

He sucked the head back into his mouth and hummed, his vocals matching the vibration working Dex’s ass.

“C-can do b-both,” Dex cried.

Maddock lifted his head. “I don’t think so, baby.”

“Then fuck me.”

This was no submissive plea. This was the demand of a lover pushed to his limits. Maddock considered the idea of sending him over the edge,

but his own need to feel Dex wrapped around his cock was too powerful.

“But you taste so good, baby,” Maddock murmured, savoring the salty-sweet taste on his tongue.

Dex moaned and pumped his hips up. Maddock licked Dex’s cock head as he nudged the plug, rocking it against Dex's gland. Dex screamed,

his fingers clawing at the sheets, tearing little strips into the cotton.

Maddock’s own dick strained against his jeans. He reached down and dragged the zipper open, freeing his cock. He wrapped his hand

around his shaft and stroked himself a few times, imagining how it would feel to be buried in Dex’s ass.

His lover writhed on the bed, fighting the vibration of the plug and the weight of Maddock on top of him.

“Fuck, you look sweet,” Maddock whispered.

His gravelly voice moved through Dex’s body like a caress. Hell, Dex wasn’t sure his mate even knew he was speaking—just murmuring those

sexy words.

He pushed up on his elbows, watching as Maddock pulled away, just long enough to strip off his jeans. That thick hard cock stood out, away

from Maddock’s body. Even knowing it would fit, and knowing it would feel incredible, Dex still shivered at the size.

Maddock crawled over him, forcing Dex to drop back onto the bed. He reached down and wrapped his fingers around Maddock’s cock.

“What did I tell you about touching?” he asked, bending down and brushing his lips across Dex’s shoulder muscles.

Please. Fuck me. Love me.

Dex couldn't form the words. His wolf was in control, needing its mate. A low whimper escaped his throat, the hunger almost painful. He tipped

his head back—fighting the violent need to come. Maddock leaned over as if he couldn’t resist the invitation. He scraped his teeth across Dex’s
taut neck muscles.

Dex cried out and rocked his hips upward. Needing. Just needing.

“Sh, it's okay, baby. I’ve got you.”

“Please.”

Heat teased his opening as Maddock fingered the plug, grabbing the base and tugging, finally pulling it out.

Dex felt empty and couldn't stop the wolf's cry. Instinct demanded he move. He rolled over onto his knees and dropped onto his elbows, arching

his back and offering his ass.

Maddock’s growl joined the litany of animal noises echoing through the room.

“So hungry for my cock. That's what you want, isn't it?” The head of Maddock's dick pressed to his opening. “Hold on, baby. Let me fuck you.” A

delicious burn filled his ass as Maddock pressed forward. The plug hadn't been nearly as wide as Maddock's cock.

“Slow, baby. Don't want to hurt you. So tight.”

But Dex couldn't wait. He needed his mate inside him.

“I'm good. It's good, Maddock. I need you.”

Maddock's fingers tightened on his hips and he plowed forward, sinking balls deep in one full stroke. Fire raced up Dex's spine. The wolf in his

head growled and Dex let the sound come out.

“Fuck, Dex, don't let me hurt you.”

Dex shook his head and looked back over his shoulder, meeting Maddock's stare. The ice blue eyes were pierced with a red light. The light

flickered out and the concern of a lover showed through.

“You won't hurt me.” His voice was low and quiet. “Now fuck me.”

The command seemed to be all his mate needed. The red light flared once again in Maddock's eyes and he drew back, held still for one

moment, one breath, then plunged back in. The burn lit up Dex’s nerves and he dug his claws into the sheets, settling in for a nice hard fuck.

Maddock’s fingers held him in place as he slammed into his ass. Every stroke brushed along that sweet spot. Dex clenched his teeth and

fought his orgasm. Fuck, he could come now, but he didn’t want it to go too fast, didn’t want it to end.

His wolf released its “happy-to-be-fucked” growl and Maddock responded, bending down and biting that spot at the base of his neck, right

where his shoulder joined, right above his dragon tattoo. His teeth didn’t penetrate, but the pain flooded Dex’s core with sensation.

Just a bit more and he couldn’t hold back, couldn’t—

Maddock pulled all the way out. Dex couldn't stop his scream.

“No! Please!” He was so close, too close. But strong hands grabbed his hips and flipped him over, tossing him on to his back. The wolf inside

him, submissive most of the time, reared up and snarled.

“Don't growl at me, baby.” Maddock smacked his hand against Dex's hip then bent forward and scraped his teeth across the tight pec muscle.

The tiny jolts of pain went straight to his cock. “I want to watch you come.” Maddock pushed Dex's legs back, bending him almost in half as he drove
his cock back into Dex's ass.

Their groans blended together. Dex reached up, pulling Maddock closer.

The sudden need to connect with his mate, to make this more than a good fuck, swelled in his soul. As if he felt the pull as well, Maddock

rocked his hips forward, settling himself fully inside. He leaned down and nuzzled the skin at the base of Dex's neck. His tongue flicked out, sending
a hot shiver down Dex's spine.

The kisses lingered, moving up his throat, finally whispering caresses across his lips. Tempting strokes until finally Maddock pressed forward,

asking for entrance to Dex's mouth. His tongue slid inside, slow and easy, so opposite to the hard way he pounded Dex's ass.

The subtle flavor that defined Maddock settled on his tongue and Dex groaned. Sensation compounded sensation and he rocked his hips,

pushing against Maddock’s hips, needing his mate to come inside him. Pressure built in his chest.

Maddock reared back. He stared down at Dex. The wolf surrounded and infiltrated Maddock’s body, making them one being. He drew back

and plunged forward, sending his cock hard into Dex’s ass. The slight burn made him want more. Dex thrust against Maddock, the two of them
rocking, fucking Dex until it became too much.

Dex screamed and came. His orgasm seemed to trigger Maddock’s. His mate cried out and sank into him one more time, holding him as he

flooded Dex with his come.

Chapter Nine

Dex stepped into the hall, rolling his shoulders back, trying to ease some of the aches. His whole body hurt. It usually did the morning after a

shift. The trauma took a while to work through his muscles.

This morning, he had the added aches of being fucked six ways to Sunday by Maddock.

He couldn't stop the smile that curved his lips. He could tolerate that kind of ache. Damn, he'd sort of lost his mind some time in the middle of

the night, begging Maddock to take him again, wanting that fat cock pounding into him. He'd feel it for a few days, but it had been worth it.

The wolf had been hungry, wanting to connect with its mate. The full moon energy didn't hurt either.

Another door closed with a quiet snap and Dex looked up.

Breath locked in his throat as he saw Reese…leaving Micah's room.

“Wha—?”

Reese's head whipped around and he flashed those blind eyes down the hall.

“Don't say a fucking word.” The command was low and harsh. Dex blinked and stared at his friend. Reese had a decidedly “well-fucked” look

about him.

Despite Reese's order, Dex couldn't

not

ask.

“You and Micah? I thought you didn't bottom.” His spine snapped straight. “Holy shit, did Micah bottom?”

The blush on Reese's cheeks told him

that

hadn't happened. The Beta wolf hurried down the hall and slapped his hand over Dex's mouth. “Shut

up. Just shut up.”

“Mmph.”

Reese sighed. “Fuck, I don't know what happened. You and your freakin' radiating pheromones I guess.”

Dex leaned away from Reese's grip. “But you and Micah?”

“It was a one-time thing and we will never speak of this again. Do you understand?”

The intense look on Reese's face made him nod in response. “Sure.”

As if he realized how tense he was, Reese took a breath and relaxed marginally.

“So, how did it go with you and our favorite businessman?”

“Fine, you know, great, I guess.”

They walked down the hall. “Great, you guess?”

“Well, we know we’re good at fucking.”

“Damn good,” Reese mumbled.

“It’s the rest of it and Maddock isn’t ready for that. He’s got that woman and his job and now we’ve turned him into a werewolf. I’m not sure that

after the moon-lust fades he’s going to be all that thrilled.”

“First, we didn’t turn him into a werewolf. The wolf woke up once he was around us.”

Dex shrugged. Didn’t make much of a difference to him. He was still the cause of screwing up his mate’s life.

“And no one dragged his ass into the bar. Maybe it’s fate.”

Dex scoff. “Well, fate’s a nasty bitch, isn’t she?”

They wandered downstairs, Dex deciding he would make a big breakfast and take it to his mate in bed. They could talk, maybe sort this out.

A harsh ring shattered the early morning birds chirping, clashing with their pleasant tones. Dex looked around. None of them had phones that

rang like that.

He followed the noise. Maddock’s phone sat on the entryway table, vibrating and shrilling.

Fuck, that was going to wake the whole house.

Dex grabbed the phone, his fingers fluttering around the controls and screen, trying to silence the horrible noise.

He tapped one button and silence reigned. “Oh thank God,” he murmured.

“Who’s this?”

The voice came out of the phone loud and sharp. Fuck, he’d answered it…on speakerphone.

“Uhm, Dex.” He looked at Reese though the man clearly couldn’t see the panic on his face. He probably heard it in Dex’s voice because he

shrugged and winced a little.

“Where’s Maddock?”

Upstairs, naked, in my bed? So not the right answer.

“Uhm, he’s in the other room. Can I take a message?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to whimper. What the fuck was

he thinking?

“Yes, you can tell him his fiancée would appreciate a call back.”

“Fiancée? Right. I’ll tell him.”

He lowered the phone but didn’t hang it up. Hell, he didn’t know how he’d answered it in the first place.

He shoved the phone into Reese’s hands.

“I’ve got to get out of here.”

“Dex—“

He didn’t stop. What could Reese say? What could anyone say? It was his own fault. Maddock had a fiancée. Of course he did. There had

never been any conversations about this being exclusive or anything more than a few fucks. It was his wolf that had made the connection.

And his human side as well, just a little. The past few days, talking to Maddock, getting to know him beyond just fucking, had opened Dex’s

heart.

His wolf didn’t have a full understanding what it meant, but the animal picked up on Dex’s pain and howled.

Dex grabbed the car keys as he hit the front door and kept going. He had to get out of there before Maddock woke up.

* * * * *

Maddock came awake feeling like he’d been beaten with a stick. His body hurt, but it was the kind of ache he knew would disappear when he

got up and moved around.

Only he wasn’t sure he wanted to get up. He took a deep breath, gathering the scents around him—Dex. A low growl rumbled through his brain.

The noise was no longer foreign to him. He knew the source. It was part of him. He closed his eyes and listened to the wolf inside him.

It didn’t speak in words, but Maddock understood the animal’s first basic desire. He wanted his mate.

Maddock sat up and looked around. Dex had changed the sheets on the bed at some point during the night—Maddock didn’t remember much

about that except trying to drag his lover back against him—so the room was at least semi-clean. But it was empty. Empty of his mate at least.

He rolled out of bed, dragged on his jeans and stumbled into the hall to find the bathroom. Two doors down and a few minutes later, he felt

almost human again.

He peered into the mirror. But he wasn’t human, was he? Not fully. He stared into his own eyes and tried to see a difference.

Of course, he’d never looked that deep before. He looked the same to him.

Voices murmured downstairs. He’d left his shirt outside, but considering almost everyone in the house had already seen him naked, he wasn’t

going to be too picky.

He trotted down the stairs, following the sounds into the kitchen but drew to a stop when Micah, Reese and Rhian glared daggers at him.

“Uh, morning.” No response except maybe Micah’s lips tightening like he might snarl. “Where’s Dex?”

“He had to go out.” Reese slid Maddock’s phone across the kitchen table. “But he left you a message. Said you need to call your fiancée.”

Fuck.

“It’s not—“

Micah shrugged and shook his head. “Don’t care what it is. Just get out.”

Rhian crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“I need to talk to him.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to you.” Micah tossed Maddock his shirt. “And until he does, I don’t want you here.”

Maddock hesitated, but the closed faces staring back at him told him he wasn’t going to make any progress today.

“I’ll be back. I will talk to Dex.”

* * * * *

Maddock walked out the back door of his new home. He couldn’t believe he’d done it. He’d outbid his own company to purchase this property.

They wouldn’t get their right of way and he now lived a mile away from Dex and his pack.

Not the best place to live if Dex ultimately rejected him.

But he had hope.

And part of that hope was walking across the back field.

Micah. The guy had been surprisingly helpful.

When Dex wouldn’t talk to him, he’d contacted Micah. After an initial meeting where Micah reamed Maddock a new one for being a prick, he

said he’d consider letting Maddock talk to Dex.

That hadn’t happened yet, but he was getting closer. He hoped. His wolf was going insane not being near his mate.

And Maddock missed Dex. He knew they didn’t know each other that well, but something about the kid called to him and he didn’t think it was

solely because of the wolf. Or sex.

Micah stepped onto the back porch and lifted his chin in greeting.

“How’s it going?”

Maddock shrugged.

“Did you go into the office?”

He’d stayed away for the first few days after the full moon, uncertain of his ability to control the wolf, but finally he’d had to go in.

“Yes.” Maddock grimaced. “I quit.”

A small raise of his eyebrows was Micah’s only reaction.

Maddock wasn’t worried. He had plenty of money and investments to last him a good ten years without working. Now he just needed to find

something to do that didn’t call for much interaction with people. His wolf didn’t like it.

“I had to. The wolf did not like being there. And I thought he was going to come out and rip Monica’s head off when she touched my arm.”

Micah shook his head. “You’d better hope Dex takes you back because your wolf has imprinted on him, big time.”

“When can I see him?”

Micah sighed. “Soon. Maybe this week.”

It had been almost two weeks since the full moon.

“The new moon will help you two stay human long enough to discuss it.” Micah walked out into the backyard. “Come on. Let’s go for a run.”

Maddock looked down. He was still in his suit from work and his one-hundred percent leather shoes weren’t exactly good for running.

Micah chuckled. “In wolf form. You need the practice and the wolf needs the release. This is as close to male bonding as I want to get with you.”

With a growl, Maddock followed Micah to the hunting grounds between the two pieces of property.

* * * * *

Maddock sat in his car at the far end of the parking lot. He knew he looked like a stalker, but he had permission from the owner so he figured,

what the hell?

About nine o’clock, there seemed a steady stream of people into the pub. Still wasn’t full. He needed to talk to Micah about their business

model. They seemed to be content with a half-full bar.

No way to make money doing that.

But that was for later, once he got his other problem solved.

Deciding it was late enough, he climbed out. A deep breath calmed his pounding heart and awakened his wolf. The creature in his head

associated this place with Dex and every time he got near, the thing went crazy.

He tried soothing it the way Micah had suggested but had moderate success. The wolf wanted Dex.

Maddock sighed as his hand reached for the door, promising the wolf if it would behave, he would do his best to find his mate. That calmed the

animal. The energy was still there, but he could at least focus enough to think.

Tonight was the first night Micah had agreed to let Maddock try to talk to Dex. No guarantees, and if Dex ran for it, Maddock was on it own.

It had taken days of pleading and a bottle of expensive whiskey to get to this point—and even then, Micah had set limits. Basically no sex.

Maddock sighed again. Seeing Dex and not fucking him was going to be tough. The memory of that bright pink ass pressed against

Maddock’s groin had haunted his dreams.

First, he needed a few minutes alone with Dex, hopefully he could explain.

He stepped into the bar and his wolf went on alert. The animal did not like crowds. He immediately placed the other wolves in the room, then

zeroed in on Dex.

Dex seemed to sense his presence and straightened, searching. He froze when he saw Maddock, but the hesitation only lasted a moment

before he spun on his heel and headed toward the storeroom behind the bar. There was an outside door into that room and Maddock knew he’d
lose him if Dex made it that far.

He stalked across the bar and planted himself in front of his mate.

Dex jerked back like he couldn’t bear to touch Maddock.

“We need to talk.”

“I can’t. It’s really busy tonight.” He turned away, but Maddock stepped right back in his path.

“I need five minutes.”

Dex shook his head but finally met Maddock’s gaze. “I can’t.”

“Please.”

“Listen to the man, Dex. But not here,” Micah growled as he walked by. He stopped and looked back. “Use my office.”

Dex’s eyes got wide and that moment of shock gave Maddock the opening he needed. He grabbed his mate’s arm and pulled him down the

hall and into Micah’s office before he could protest.

The wolf in Maddock’s head gave a happy little whimper at being near its mate and Maddock didn’t even try to stop the impulse of cuddling

close. He pressed Dex against the closed door and moaned as their bodies connected knees to chest.

“Maddock—“

He didn’t give Dex a chance to protest. He covered his mouth in a kiss, needing the taste of his mate. He’d spent the past two weeks adapting

to his wolf. The animal still fought him, but Maddock was discovering that if he let the wolf have what it wanted, they were both happier.

And the wolf wanted Dex.

So did Maddock.

His head spun at the delicious flavor of his mate. It would be so easy to lose himself—but he’d promised Micah and he didn’t know how long he

had.

Maddock forced himself to step back. The space between there bodies allowed him to think.

“Let me say this first…I’m not engaged to Monica.”

Dex gave that little shrug-nod thing that indicated he didn’t care, but Maddock knew different.

“Great. Good for you. Listen, this is all well and good.” Dex flapped his hands in front of him like he was waving off a landing fighter jet. “It

doesn’t matter. You can’t be here. My wolf can’t be around you.” Dex slipped past him and around the far side of the desk. “I’m not mad. I’d say I
forgive you, but there’s nothing to forgive, right? I mean your wolf liked my wolf and there was never any talk about something beyond that. I get that.
I do.

“I just…” He shook his head. “I can’t live like that. I know some couples, mated pairs, are only mates at the full moon. At least that’s what Reese

says and I’m sure that’s fine for them, but I really want a mate who wants me.”

“I—“

“And of course you weren’t exactly expecting to become a werewolf so that makes sense why you might be, you know, sleeping around on your

fiancée, though I have to say, I’m a little disappointed about that ‘cause you really don’t seem like the type, but then again I don’t know your type
because we really don’t know each other and—“

Maddock lunged around the desk and slapped his hand across Dex’s mouth. Damn, the kid could talk.

“I’m not engaged to Monica.”

“Mmfifod fne.” Which Maddock took to mean “you already said that.”

“I was never engaged to her. She started telling people we were getting married and I just never corrected her.”

“Hmm?”

Maddock sighed and took his hand away from Dex’s mouth. “Let me speak for a moment? Please?”

Dex nodded.

“From a business standpoint, it made perfect sense to marry her. I could take over from her father. It stayed a family business.”

“You would marry someone for business?”

Dex sounded so appalled Maddock had to smile.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time and I couldn’t think of a reason not to.” He paused, giving Dex a moment, making sure the other man

was listening. “Until I met you.”

Dex’s head came up. He blinked and looked at Maddock. “But—but that’s just your wolf.”

“Maybe.” Maddock shrugged. “But maybe not.” He pressed forward. His erection pushed against his jeans and he moved in close to Dex,

feeling the heat of his cock through the two layers of denim. “I want to fuck you and the wolf in my head has nothing to do with that.”

“But how can we—?”

A fist pounding on the door cut off Dex’s words. “Five minutes—“ Micah’s voice rang through the door. “And if you’re fucking him, I will rip your

dick off with my bare hands.”

Maddock winced. “That was part of the deal.”

“What deal?”

“I could talk to you but no sex, at least not until we get this worked out.”

Dex blinked. “Get what worked out?”

“You and me? Is there something besides our wolves? You know, that whole mate-bond thing.”

“But, how? I can’t be—“

“Reese has it figured out that we can talk on the phone, see each other a couple of times a week, and it shouldn’t strengthen the connection

between our wolves too much.” Though he was pretty sure his wolf was imprinted permantently on Dex. “Provided we don’t fuck.” Maddock
shrugged. It wasn’t the best solution, but nothing else seemed to satisfy him and his wolf.

“Micah and Reese agreed to this.”

“And Rhian. They can’t really say no. I bought the property next to you guys. We’re neighbors.”

Dex stared at him again, those green eyes wide and a little bit stunned.

“So you’re…” He hesitated like he didn’t know what to say.

“I’m courting you.”

“Courting me?”

“Well, and your family. I have to prove myself. Prove to all of you that I’m worthy.”

The edges of Dex’s eyes tightened into a squint. “This is Micah’s idea.”

“Yeah.”

The pounding on the door repeated.

“That was not five minutes,” Maddock shouted.

“Don’t care. My rules.”

“Fuck, he’s an asshole.”

Dex giggled, but he didn’t correct him.

“We’d better go before your Alpha comes storming in.”

“We’d better go before your Alpha comes storming in.”

“Don’t call him ‘Alpha,’” Dex warned. “He hates that.”

Maddock grinned. “I know.” He walked Dex to the door. “Come on. One more kiss before the big bad wolf comes knocking.”

He leaned forward, but Dex leaned back.

“Are you sure you want this?”

He placed a quick kiss on Dex’s lips. “I’m sure.”

* * * * *

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Maddock threw up his hands and stalked toward the deck. “No.” He shook his head, staring directly at

Dex. He walked up and planted his hand on the arms of Dex’s deck chair. “I have fucking done everything that your family wants, but I’m done.”

Dex had wondered when they’d get to this point. It had taken Maddock longer than he’d expected.

Micah had started out telling Maddock to paint the bar, then the house. Micah explained it would give him something to do close by but wouldn’t

allow for Dex and Maddock to fuck.

It had been going on for three weeks, Micah finding things for Maddock to fix. His background in construction had come in handy.

Maddock was currently working on a back deck and a path down to their hunting grounds so Reese could walk there mostly unassisted. But

when Micah announced that Maddock had to pee in the back yard, behind a tree, Maddock lost it.

“I’m done. I’ve proven myself. I’ve painted the house, planted a garden, I’m clearly just not here for a fuck because believe me—“ He lifted his

head and glared at Micah. “There are easier places to get fucked. Now.” He tipped his chin to the side and stared into Dex’s eyes. “You and I are
going upstairs and either you have to say ‘no’ or Micah’s going to have to kill my ass, but I’m fucking you.”

Dex just grinned.

“What, no protest?” He straightened and glared at the other three.

“Fuck, I’m surprised you let it go on this long,” Micah laughed.

“You asshole.”

Dex giggled and reached up, wrapping his hand around Maddock’s neck. “Ignore him.”

“I try.”

“Take me upstairs.”

Dex had been planning to walk, but Maddock reached down and slipped his hands beneath Dex’s ass, scooping him up. Dex squealed as

Maddock lifted him up and had little choice but to wrap his legs around Maddock’s back and hold on.

It made the walk into the house and up the stairs awkward but incredibly hot, his cock rubbing against Maddock’s stomach, those strong hands

gripping his ass.

Maddock had gotten bigger over the past three weeks. The wolf’s presence had changed his body, building his muscles, getting rid of the

miniscule body fat he’d had in the first place.

He’d quit his job. After being contained so long, his wolf seemed determined to be free and didn’t care for the restrictions of the city. The office

environment had freaked the animal out. Maddock decided he had to quit or get fired. The extra time had given him more opportunities to spend
with Dex…and his pack.

Maddock pushed open Dex’s bedroom door.

“We’re getting a bigger bed,” Maddock announced as he closed the door behind them.

“Are you sure?”

“Hell, yes. I cannot sleep on this. My ass will—“

“No, are you sure about this?” Despite Micah’s first pronouncement, Dex and Maddock hadn’t spent that much time apart. Dex personally

thought Micah was playing matchmaker, but given the gruff nature of his Alpha, he knew better than to mention it. Micah had managed to put Dex
and Maddock together. A lot. And now…

“I mean, I’m pretty sure, that my wolf is imprinted deeply on yours and if you decide you want another mate, well, it could get messy because you

know, I’m a small wolf, but I’m pretty danger—“

Maddock’s mouth covered his, stopping the babble and scattering the words into the ether. Dex sank into the kiss. It was one thing that Micah

had allowed over the past three weeks so Dex and Maddock had kissed and kissed and damn did the guy know what to do with his mouth.

He drove his tongue into Dex’s mouth, tasting him with teasing strokes until Dex needed more. He groaned and pressed closer, craving the

warmth that poured from his mate’s strong body.

Maddock pulled back, lifting his head and staring down. His eyes were still a bright blue, but the chill had left them, leaving behind only heat.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“About what?” Dex shook his head. Maddock’s kiss had addled his brain.

“About this and you. I’m not sure where it will go, but I’m sure I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Dex couldn’t stop his smile.

“What about you?” Maddock rocked his hips, nudging his cock against Dex’s erection. “Do you want this?”

“Yes. And I don’t just mean your lovely cock in my ass.”

Red flashed in Maddock’s eyes and a wicked grin curved his lips. “Now, what do you say you and I make the others so horny they want to

scream?”

Dex giggled and dragged Maddock down on top of him. After several sly comments, Rhian had finally explained to Maddock what happened

when Dex and him fucked. “They’re going to hate us.”

“Fuck ‘em. After three weeks of keeping you away from me, they get what they deserve.”