Charlie Richards Kontra's Menagerie 02 Catlin's Appaloosa

Detective Catlin Hill doesn’t understand the instant,

possessive attraction he feels for the slender John Doe
in the hospital bed. But the minute those scared baby
blues meet his, Catlin lets his protective instincts rule
him. The guy has amnesia, and it’s only from a
conditioned response that Catlin confirms his name is
Gallo Ricci. After passing the case to a fellow
detective, he takes the victim home with him and gives
in to lust. For some reason, it doesn’t even faze Catlin
when his new lover turns into a horse in his living
room. When a group of guys drop by and start talking
about mates and centuries of living together, Gallo has
a panic attack, proving his past abuse won’t allow him
to take charge enough to claim Catlin. Is their
relationship doomed from the start? And what’s tough
enough to take down a shifter and leave him in the
hospital?

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Catlin’s Appaloosa

ISBN: 978-1-77111-177-5

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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Catlin’s Appaloosa

Kontra’s Menagerie: Book Two

Charlie Richards

To Jason – because I know you’re always there if I need you.

Chapter One

etective Catlin Hill stared at the man in the bed.
The nurse had told him the patient regained

consciousness for several minutes just over an hour
earlier. He’d been getting coffee, then his captain had
called, and damn it, he’d missed it. Now Catlin wanted
nothing more than to see those eyes open. He imagined
the lean, muscular African American’s eyes would be
brown. He knew it sounded stereotypical, but weren’t
most black men’s eyes brown? Catlin couldn’t
remember seeing any other color on a dark-skinned
man.

He cringed. Yeah, that sounded racist. Catlin sighed

and ran a hand through his own short brown locks. He
knew he wasn’t racist. His best friend, Detective Brock
Ridgeon, was black. Brock didn’t seem as tall but was
definitely broader than this guy, and he was easily
darker.

Easing into the chair at the head of the bed, Catlin

rubbed his eyes. It had been too long since he’d had a
decent night’s sleep. Three days? Four? Ever since he’d
been called in on this John Doe’s case, a mugging, from
the way the witness spoke. Catlin wasn’t so sure. His

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gut told him differently, and it didn’t matter how many
times his partner on the force laughed at him, he knew
better than to ignore his gut.

A soft groan from the bed interrupted Catlin’s

thoughts. He leaned forward. What was it about this
man that was so different? Okay, besides the obvious,
that Catlin would be more than happy to fuck or be
fucked by this sexy man. Did it make him a pervert to
be obsessing over an injured man? Shit, he hoped not.

The fluttering of the patient’s long, black lashes

caught Catlin’s attention and he spoke softly, “Hey, you
with us, friend?”

“Yeah.”
The guy’s raspy, whispered answer sent shivers all

the way down Catlin’s spine, settling in his balls. His
cock twitched in his jeans with the start of an extremely
ill-timed erection. He shifted in the chair to hide his
growing bulge, just in case the guy glanced at his groin.
Wishful thinking, Catlin was sure.

“Do you know where you are?” he asked gently.
“Hospital,” the guy said, cracking his eyes open.
Fuck! I was wrong. This guy’s eyes weren’t brown.

They were blue, as-clear-as-the-sky blue. He’d never
seen anything like it. Catlin nodded, buying himself
time to engage his brain. Mentally smacking himself in
the back of the head, he couldn’t remember the last
time a guy affected him this way. “My name is
Detective Catlin Hill. Do you remember what happened
to land you in the hospital?”

The patient’s eyes slid shut for several seconds

before reopening. “No.”

Okay, Catlin wanted to figure out a way to get

Catlin’s Appaloosa

beyond the one word answers. “Can you tell me your
name?”

That question received another slow blink, followed

by a sigh. “No.”

At least that coincided with what the nurse had said.

“You were found near a motorcycle. The registration
paperwork said Gallo Ricci. Does that ring a bell?”

“It’s pronounced Guy-o Reechee,” he whispered,

and Catlin’s brows lifted at the automatic correction. A
slight smile curved the corners of the man’s square jaw.
“I guess that’s me then, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Catlin replied with a relieved

grin. At least he could confirm the handsome man was
no longer a John Doe. “Do you remember anything
else? Is there someone I should contact about you?
Parents? Spouse? Siblings? Children?” Even as he
rattled off options, Catlin prayed a couple of those
weren’t viable for the man.”

“There’s…someone.” Then Gallo frowned. “I can’t

remember.”

“Just relax, Mr. Ricci. It’s not uncommon for

memory loss in head trauma cases,” said a middle-aged,
dark-haired doctor as he strode briskly into the room
followed by a nurse. Catlin didn’t like the way the
doctor stared at Gallo with clinical interest. “It’s nice to
see you awake and talking. We were getting worried
about you, especially in light of how quickly your
physical injuries healed.”

“No,” Gallo gasped.
Something in the man’s whispered word had Catlin

whipping his head around to refocus on Gallo. The fear
in his tone brought every protective instinct in Catlin

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roaring to life. He saw Gallo’s pale face and watched
him yank the needle from his arm and scramble up
toward the headboard of the narrow bed.

“Whoa. Hey, easy now. You’re just fine,” he

soothed, stepping closer and reaching out to the
obviously traumatized man.

To his surprise, the cute African American threw

himself at Catlin, wrapped both arms around his waist,
and held on tight. Catlin reflexively curled his arms
around Gallo, sat down on the mattress, and tucked him
close. The guy almost crawled onto his lap. Catlin
looked up at the shocked medical staff. “Give us a few
minutes, doctor,” he said, using an authoritative tone
that left no room for confusion about wanting to be left
alone.

Once the door closed, Catlin returned his attention to

the trembling man. Something had happened to the guy
for him to act like this. Catlin had seen enough abuse
victims in his line of work to recognize the signs. The
anger surging through him, however, didn’t make any
sense. He’d always been able to stay detached before,
but this guy made him want to hunt down Gallo’s
tormentors and do things to them. Things that were
definitely not legal.

“They’re gone, baby,” he whispered into the

patient’s ear, the endearment slipping out without
conscious thought. Rubbing his hands down Gallo’s
back, he caressed the skin exposed by the open-backed
hospital gown. To his pleasure, Gallo relaxed against
him. “No one will hurt you,” he added. “I promise.” But
he damn well wanted to find out who had abused this
man in the past.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

“Oh, you smell good,” Gallo muttered against his

neck, rubbing his cheek along the tendons attaching to
Catlin’s shoulder. The move sent tingles of awareness
through him, reminding Catlin that he had two hundred
pounds of sexy, nearly naked man pressed against his
side. Before he could formulate an appropriate
response, he felt Gallo’s tongue flick across his skin,
then teeth scraped up his neck, making him shiver.

“Come on, Gallo,” he muttered around a groan. “We

can’t do this here.”

“Yes, we can,” Gallo countered, sliding a hand under

Catlin’s t-shirt.

Catlin’s skin pebbled under the massaging fingers,

and his muscles rippled with pleasure. He gripped
Gallo’s wrist while shifting their bodies on the bed so
he was looking down at the handsome man. He pinned
those questing hands to the mattress. “We need to get
out of here first, Gallo.”

That had Gallo’s eyes widening and his gaze darted

around the room. “Yeah. No more tests,” he whispered.

“That’s right. No more tests,” Catlin affirmed,

wondering what kind of tests Gallo thought the doctors
would run. He gently released the patient’s wrists and,
much to his straining dick’s displeasure, eased away
from the sexy black man. “Are you well enough to get
dressed on your own?”

Gallo nodded and slid from the bed. Once standing,

Catlin realized the other guy stood about three inches
shorter than his own six feet two inch height. Maybe it
was the small bed that had made him seem so much
bigger. He watched Gallo pull on the sweats and t-shirt
Catlin had left for him that first day, and he wondered

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what he was going to do with the man. Gallo seemed to
have imprinted on him, almost.

The man cautiously glanced toward him several

times as he pulled on the clothes, although his gaze
never reached Catlin’s face. Catlin had swung into one
of the local BDSM clubs a few times a year when he
couldn’t ignore his desire to dominate a lover any
longer. He hadn’t missed the clear submissiveness in
Gallo’s gesture. It raised all kinds of questions in his
mind, like was the man hurt during a scene? Was it a
Dom who’d put him in the hospital? It certainly
explained Catlin’s immediate protective urges.

Once Gallo was dressed, he realized the next part

would be a little tricky. Catlin crossed to Gallo and
urged him to sit on the edge of the bed. “I need you to
wait here,” he said. “I’m going to get the release
paperwork from the doctor.”

Gallo’s dark skin paled. “You’re leaving me?”
Catlin crouched in front of the man and cupped his

jaw so he could lift Gallo’s face and force him to meet
his gaze. “I will be right back, Gallo. No more than five
minutes,” he promised.

After a couple of seconds, where Gallo’s blue eyes

seemed to search his face, he nodded. “Okay,” he
whispered.

Catlin strode from the room and found the doctor at

the nurse’s desk. “I need Gallo Ricci’s release papers,”
he stated flatly.

“B-but,” the doctor stuttered, “he’s not ready to be

released.”

“Yes, he is,” he countered. “He’s a witness in my

case, and I need him calm. He’s not calm here.” He

Catlin’s Appaloosa

glared at the doctor and crossed his arms over what he
knew was an impressive chest. “Release him into my
custody. I’ll make certain he’s well cared for.”

He’d never allowed his dominant personality out of

the bedroom, or the interrogation room, but couldn’t
stop himself now. Plus, it seemed to get the doctor’s
attention. After a few grumbles, and one scathing look,
the man obeyed, pulling a chart from a bin then typing
up some paperwork on the computer.

Catlin glanced at his watch and saw that four

minutes had passed. Something in him made him
realize he couldn’t be late getting back to Gallo, so he
gave the doctor one more stern look and said, “Bring it
to the room as soon as it’s ready.” After getting a quick
nod from the other man, he hurried back to Gallo.

He paused in the doorway, taking a moment to

watch Gallo pace back and forth. After a few seconds,
the man glanced toward the doorway. He spotted Catlin
instantly, freezing for a second before rushing back to
him. “You’re back.”

Catlin smiled down at the other man. “I said I would

be.”

“Yes, but…” A frown creased Gallo’s face as he

obviously tried to remember something.

“Relax, Gallo,” Catlin said. “Don’t force it. Your

memory will come back in time.”

Gallo nodded, and Catlin couldn’t help reaching out

and burying his hand in the smaller man’s scraggly
black hair. He wondered if there was a style Gallo was
going for under four days of disarray, or if the man
really didn’t care what he looked like. Even as he
thought a trim to make the thick locks frame his face

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would make Gallo’s stunning blue eyes pop, he
couldn’t miss Gallo’s head turning to nuzzle the hand
Catlin had in his hair. Nor did Catlin miss the fact that
he liked the show of affection.

A throat clearing had Gallo jerking away from him,

much to Catlin’s displeasure. He’d like to see if Gallo
would be more openly affectionate once he gained his
memory back. On the other hand, Gallo might
remember he had a boyfriend waiting at home for him.
That thought caused a frown to crease his features, and
that’s what Catlin focused on the doctor. “Is everything
ready?”

The doctor blanched, then hurried to produce the

necessary paperwork for signatures. Gallo drew back
when the man tried to hand it to him, so Catlin took the
clipboard and verified instructions for headaches,
muscle aches, or other possible side effects. He turned
to Gallo, who stood behind him and to the right, his
head down but cocked as if listening intently. The move
once again reinforced Gallo’s submissiveness. It was as
if he were looking for direction from Catlin. It occurred
to him from the incident on the bed, it wasn’t just
direction, either. Gallo seemed to need comforting, and
there was definitely mutual attraction, too.

Refocusing his thoughts, he got the necessary

signatures from Gallo. The handsome black man balked
at sitting in the wheelchair a nurse brought. “Sit in the
chair, Gallo,” he finally ordered. For a second, Gallo’s
gaze met his. Seeing the wide-eyed panic in the
muscular man’s eyes, he softened his gaze and smiled.
“I need to wheel you out of the hospital to my car,
Gallo. It’s hospital policy.”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

That seemed to be all the encouragement Gallo

needed, for he let out a breath and settled into the chair.
As Catlin wheeled the chair down the hall, he leaned
over, letting his breath brush Gallo’s ear as he
whispered, “Besides, you don’t have any shoes on,
baby. Those concrete parking lots are not comfortable
on bare feet.”

Gallo’s gaze glanced at him over his shoulder before

returning his gaze forward and giving a quick nod.
Even after his words of reassurance, Catlin saw the
white-knuckled death-grip Gallo had on the chair’s
armrests.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Two

allo stared through the window of the detective’s
car. Confusion, fear, and agitation warred through

his body, making his skin crawl. He wanted to run and
keep running, but Catlin smelled so good. For some
reason, he felt safe around him, and although he
couldn’t remember why that was significant, Gallo
knew it was.

He let his eyelids slide shut and concentrated on

breathing slowly and deeply. It helped. His skin seemed
to lose some of its tightness, and he no longer felt like
ants were crawling underneath it. He wondered, briefly,
who had taught him this. The image of a huge brunet
entered his mind, but he couldn’t see the guy’s face
clearly, or think of a name. He sighed. It was
something.

“Are you okay?”
The detective’s question had Gallo turning to focus

on him. “I feel… confused,” he whispered honestly.

Catlin reached over and lightly squeezed his thigh

just above his knee before returning his hand to the
wheel. “I’ll help you through this. We’ll figure out what

Catlin’s Appaloosa

happened.”

Gallo didn’t know how Catlin could be so confident,

and frankly, he didn’t care. All he wanted was that hand
on his leg again. The detective’s touch had sent the
most wonderful sensations along his nerves. Just that
brief touch had his prick thickening in his borrowed
sweats and his heart rate increasing. He liked it, almost
as much as he liked the taste of the guy’s skin.

That memory had his dick hardening further. He

inhaled deeply, taking in Catlin’s musky aroma. The
wonderful scent permeated the car. His shaft jerked,
pre-cum oozing from the slit and soaking into the
fabric. He couldn’t suppress his whimper of shock and
need, and Gallo dropped a hand to his cock, rubbing it
through the damp fabric.

“Oh, my god, Gallo!” Catlin growled.
Gallo jerked his gaze to Catlin’s shocked brown eyes

for several seconds before dropping them to the man’s
crotch. He saw the thick bulge outlined at the groin of
the guy’s jeans and licked his lips. His ass clenched,
and Gallo rubbed himself harder. “Need,” he whispered
breathily, unable to express the sensations suddenly
vibrating through his body.

“Gallo, I—”
Whatever Catlin would have said was cut off by the

honk of a car horn. “Shit,” Catlin growled. “Gallo,
behave,” he ordered, pressing on the accelerator and
moving the vehicle through the intersection. “We’ll be
at my place in fifteen minutes.”

“I burn,” Gallo whimpered, and he did. His dick felt

like it would fall off it was so hard. He couldn’t
remember ever reacting this way to another’s touch, not

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that what he could remember was much to go by. Still,
something told Gallo he’d know if he’d felt this way
before. Instinct running deep through Gallo’s veins
assured him that he needed this man, and soon.
“Please.”

He managed to bring his gaze up to Catlin’s,

beseeching the man with his eyes. Catlin glanced over
and looked him in the eye. “Damn it,” Catlin swore
before checking his mirrors.

Gallo followed his stare, taking in the country road

they’d turned down. Catlin whipped the vehicle over
and stopped. He quickly unbelted himself and leaned
over Gallo. “Take out your cock, Gallo,” he ordered
softly.

Moaning, Gallo quickly obeyed. He shimmied his

sweats down his hips, letting his dick spring free. The
dark, engorged organ slapped against Gallo’s stomach,
smearing pre-cum across his abs. Catlin wrapped his
fingers around Gallo’s dick and stroked it from root to
crown.

“Oh,” Gallo whispered, spreading his legs and

thrusting into the tunnel created by Catlin’s fist. He
gripped the door handle in one hand and the center
console with the other, trying to gain leverage to fuck
Catlin’s fist faster.

“Is this what you need?” Catlin growled. “My hand

on you?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” He grunted, lifting his hips again

and again. His eyelids drifted shut as pleasure tingled
through his body, settling in his balls. His testicles
pulled tight, and Gallo’s breathing turned ragged.

“Look at me.”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

The snarled words had Gallo snapping his eyes

open. His focus riveted on Catlin’s darkened brown
eyes. The hand on his dick slowed, keeping his body
just on the edge, but not letting him go over.

Catlin leaned close and whispered, “When we get to

my home, I’m going to have your ass, Gallo.”

Gallo’s skin formed goose-bumps where Catlin’s

warm breath wafted over his skin. He shuddered.

“You like the sound of that don’t you?” Catlin

growled the question into his ear.

Gallo couldn’t seem to get enough moisture into his

mouth to answer Catlin’s question, but the other man
didn’t seem upset. He smiled. The heat of desire almost
made Catlin’s brown eyes appear to smolder as he
swept an appreciative look down Gallo’s body.

“Oh, yes,” Catlin whispered, drawing his face even

closer. Catlin settled his lips over Gallo’s in a soft kiss
that sent hot lust coursing through Gallo’s veins.
Considering the way the bigger man was working his
dick, Gallo found the soft press of lips shockingly
chaste. After bringing the kiss to an end, Catlin leaned
close to Gallo’s ear and whispered, “Come.”

Gallo’s over-stimulated body obeyed. His cock

spewed his seed in pulsing jets across his shirt and
Catlin’s hand. Soft nibbles against his neck had his dick
sending one last arc into the air. His ragged panting
sounded loud in the confines of the car.

“You’re fucking stunning, Gallo,” Catlin whispered,

nuzzling his neck. “Use your shirt to clean yourself up
while I get us home.”

While Catlin got the car moving again, Gallo

struggled to do as instructed. His movements were slow

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and jerky as he pulled his soiled t-shirt from his body,
wiped away the rest of his cum, and righted his sweats.
By the time he was done, he realized the detective was
on the phone with someone.

“No, I need to be removed from the case. Brock will

have to take the lead on this one.” There was a pause,
where Catlin’s attention strayed to Gallo for a second.
“Because I’ve become too close to the victim.”

Gallo’s eyes widened. Was this about him? Had he

done something to jeopardize his soon-to-be lover’s
job? He tried to catch Catlin’s attention, but Catlin held
up a hand, telling him to wait. Gallo found himself
instinctively obeying the more dominant man.

“Thank you, Chief.” Catlin hung up just as he pulled

into the driveway of a small ranch-style home. “Here
we are,” he said, flashing a smile toward Gallo that
instantly changed to a heated look as he swept his gaze
down Gallo’s partially clothed form. “Get in the house,
Gallo.”

Gallo scrambled to obey, yanking the door open and

sliding from the car. Gravel bit into the soles of his feet
and he stumbled, crying out.

“Shit!” Catlin muttered. He was there instantly,

sweeping Gallo into his arms. “I should have thought of
that. I’m sorry.” He nuzzled his face into Gallo’s neck
as he held him close and headed toward the house.

Gallo wrapped his arms around Catlin’s neck and

snuggled close against the bigger man’s chest. He liked
how it felt to be held by the detective, almost as much
as he’d enjoyed Catlin’s touch on his dick. He had no
idea how Catlin got the door open, nor did he pay
attention to the décor of the place. Instead, he rubbed

Catlin’s Appaloosa

his face against Catlin’s neck, inhaling his scent,
wanting to wallow in the amazing odors emanating
from the man.

He resisted when Catlin tried to put him down on a

bed, and a low chuckle rumbled through the guy’s
chest. “I need to check your feet, Gallo.”

“Okay,” he whispered, uncurling his arms and letting

go.

He watched Catlin step back and lift first one foot,

then the other. The look in his eyes was so tender as he
inspected the flesh and ran his thumb over the pads of
his feet. Gallo couldn’t hold back the giggle. Catlin
grinned up at him, his brown eyes shining with mirth.
“Ticklish, huh?”

Nodding, Gallo tried to pull his feet from Catlin’s

grip, but the man would have none of it. Instead, the
soft touch changed to massaging caresses. “It looks like
your feet are just fine,” he stated, working his way up
Gallo’s leg then his thigh. “Now let’s check the rest of
you,” he growled.

Gallo moaned as Catlin leaned forward and reached

for the waistband of his sweats. He paused, his intense
look settling on Gallo. The look turned questioning. Not
wanting the man to second-guess himself, Gallo eagerly
lifted his hips. “Yesss,” he hissed. Catlin took him at
his word, sliding Gallo’s sweats down and off,
revealing his once again hard dick.

Flipping over on the bed, Gallo rose onto his knees

and elbows. He spread his legs wide, presenting his ass
to Catlin, showing him without words that he
desperately wanted to be filled by him. A low growl of
desire came from behind him, along with the sound of

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clothes being stripped.

A drawer opened and closed then the bed dipped

behind him. Catlin’s palms rubbed down his spine and
over his ass, settling Gallo’s nerves. “So beautiful,”
Catlin whispered before draping himself over Gallo’s
back. “Is this what you want?” he whispered, rubbing
his dick along Gallo’s crack. “You want my dick in
you?”

He mewled with excitement before pressing his ass

firmly against Catlin’s cock and begging. “Yes, please
fill me.”

Without warning, Catlin’s weight was gone. Panic

flashed through Gallo, thinking he’d said something
wrong. A cold finger pressed against his anus and he
sighed, easily relaxing as the digit pressed in. The lubed
fingers worked him open quickly. By the time a third
filled him, he was rocking against those wonderful
digits that were hitting his prostate every few thrusts.

Then the fingers were gone, and Gallo trembled with

anticipation as he heard the sound of a condom wrapper
being torn. The pressure of Catlin’s bulbous cock head
kissed his ass, and unable to take another moment of
being separated from this man, Gallo slammed
backward, ramming Catlin’s dick deep into his ass.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Chapter Three

atlin grunted as warm, sucking heat swallowed his
cock. He dug his fingers into Gallo’s hips, refusing

to let the other man move until he’d regained control.
He took several slow, deep breaths, willing himself not
to shoot his load right then.

He’d never responded to another man’s eagerness

quite like he did with Gallo. He’d actually stopped on
the side of the road to stroke him off, and still Gallo
seemed to want him with almost desperate intensity.
Gallo was beyond sexy, with his mocha, toned skin and
amazing blue eyes.

Finally, Catlin felt like he wasn’t going to come at

the slightest movement. He leaned over Gallo, pressing
his chest to Gallo’s back. He licked a line from the back
of Gallo’s neck to just behind his ear before whispering,
“You will not do that again, Gallo. I am in control
here.”

Gallo shuddered under him and nodded.
“Say it,” he demanded gruffly, needing to hear the

guy admit that Catlin was in charge.

“Yes. I won’t do it again,” Gallo gasped. “You’re in

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control.”

Catlin nodded, pleased beyond reason. He slid his

cock slowly out, relishing the sucking muscles
massaging his dick as he moved. Halfway out, he
switched directions and thrust forward. Gallo moaned
under him, his face buried in the comforter.

That wouldn’t do. He wanted to hear the sexy noises

his lover made. Catlin wrapped one arm around Gallo’s
torso and hauled him upright against his chest. “Wrap
your arms around my neck, Gallo,” he ordered.
Pleasure filled him when the man immediately obeyed
by lifting his arms above his head and opening himself
to Catlin. “Good,” he crooned, wrapping his other fist
around Gallo’s dick and slowly pumping the hard, silky
flesh.

“Oh! Catlin,” Gallo moaned.
Catlin grinned and nibbled the tendons of Gallo’s

neck, pleased when his new lover tilted his neck to give
him more room. He slid his cock out and in, setting up a
smooth, swift rhythm that used his own thrust to shove
Gallo’s dick through his fist. Gallo rested his head on
Catlin’s shoulder. The whimpers of pleasure escaping
Gallo had Catlin’s chest flooding with pride that he
could get the man to lose it so completely.

He tweaked one of Gallo’s nipples, first scraping his

nail over the pebbled nub, then gripping it and twisting.
Gallo cried out and his body stiffened. Gallo’s cock
swelled in Catlin’s fist, and he knew the other man was
close. He sucked on the sensitive flesh behind Gallo’s
ear, listening to the man pant, his body shuddering as he
struggled to keep his orgasm at bay.

“Please, please let me come,” Gallo pleaded.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Remembering what had happened in the car, Catlin

lifted his mouth from the reddened flesh and whispered,
“Come for me, Gallo.”

The scream of pleasure that ripped through the air

only rivaled the intense pressure wrapping Catlin’s dick
in a stranglehold of heat. Gallo’s ass muscles rippled
with each shot of his cock’s seed arcing across the
comforter, massaging Catlin’s dick in a milking
rhythm. Catlin’s eyes widened as his orgasm roared
through his body, starting at the base of his neck,
working down his spine, drawing up his balls, and
exploding cum from his dick.

Catlin’s body jerked, his cock flexing within the

confines of Gallo’s ass as he filled the condom with
more seed than he thought his body could produce. A
deep desire to actually warm Gallo’s channel with his
essence filled him, leaving him gasping with the
intensity of the sensations. One last shudder left Catlin
drained in more ways than one. The lack of sleep
caught up with him, and all he wanted to do was curl up
with Gallo in his arms and sleep.

He petted and stroked Gallo’s sides and chest as they

both came down from their endorphin high. The other
man settled almost limply against him, and Catlin held
them both upright. After a moment, Catlin’s cock
slipped from Gallo’s warm body, causing them both to
groan. He gripped the condom and slipped it off before
helping Gallo settle onto the bed.

“I’ll be right back, baby,” he whispered, pressing a

kiss to Gallo’s temple.

Gallo murmured softly, but didn’t move.
Catlin grinned, liking how cute the man looked sated

Charlie Richards

and relaxed. He hustled to the master bath and
discarded the condom before wetting a washcloth and
cleaning himself up. After rinsing the cloth, he headed
back to the dozing man. He gently cleaned his lover,
tossed the cloth toward the bathroom, and climbed into
the bed.

He pulled Gallo into his arms, pleased with how he

immediately snuggled close, resting his head on
Catlin’s chest and settling an arm around his waist.
Catlin sighed, relaxing into the mattress. He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d felt so sated. His relaxed
state had him immediately slipping into a light doze.

The doorbell ringing followed by a fist pounding on

his front door pulled Catlin awake. He glared at the
ceiling, willing his visitor away. When the pounding
came again, this time disturbing Gallo, he slid from the
bed. “Stay here and rest,” he murmured, seeing Gallo
eye him while he pulled a pair of sweats from a drawer
and yanked them on. He glanced at the alarm clock on
the nightstand and read the glowing red numbers. Eight
thirty seven. Just great.

He strode through the house and pulled the door

open. He wasn’t surprised to find Brock at the door. His
best friend and partner on the force didn’t wait for an
invitation. He strode into the front room, rested his
hands on his hips, and glared at Catlin. “What the hell
is going on?” he asked. “I got a call from the chief
saying you were handing the case over to me.”

Catlin nodded. “That’s right. Did he tell you why I

chose to hand the case over?”

Brock scoffed. “He said you’d gotten too close to the

Catlin’s Appaloosa

victim. You’re the most levelheaded person I’ve ever
met,” he said, shaking his head. “So I know that can’t
be the truth. Tell me what’s up.”

“It is the truth,” Catlin affirmed with a shrug.
Brock snorted. “What?”
Catlin crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a

brow, knowing his friend had heard him.

“That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard

you say!” Brock roared. The dark-skinned African
American reached out, grabbed his shoulders, and gave
a slight shake. “Why the hell would you jeopardize a
case for some ass? This could ruin your career!”

An angry, nearly unintelligible sound came from the

hallway. Catlin turned just in time to see Gallo leap
forward. His lover’s blue eyes blazed with anger. He’d
never seen the guy be anything other than timid, so this
display of courage on his behalf shocked Catlin even as
it turned him on.

Gallo’s skin began to ripple. White blotches

appeared on his flesh, bones cracked and sinew popped
as Gallo’s body grew and changed. His head
lengthened, his sweats tore from his expanding body,
and a scraggly black tail grew from his ass. Seconds
later, a fourteen-hand appaloosa stallion careened
between them, shoving his shoulder into Brock and
knocking the man back several steps. The animal
pinned its ears back and screamed a neigh of warning at
the other man.

Catlin froze for all of ten seconds, his brain trying to

work through what he’d just witnessed. Did Gallo
really just turn into a horse? Seeing the small equine
standing in his living room, he’d have to answer yes,

Charlie Richards

even though he had no clue how such a thing could
happen. Can Gallo change back? He had no idea, but
he sure hoped so. Can Gallo understand me? He’d have
to see.

“Gallo?” Catlin drew the one word out, using a low

tone to both warn and soothe. An ear flicked back at
him, showing him the animal paid attention to him.
Now will he listen? Using the same tone as he’d used to
get the man to sit in the wheelchair at the hospital, he
said, “Back away from Brock, Gallo. He doesn’t mean
any harm.”

Hooves scuffed the hardwood floor as the black

appaloosa with white teardrop shaped spots moved first
one step, then a couple more away from Brock. Catlin
rested a hand on the animal’s shoulder. Thick muscles
rippled under the fur, and Gallo’s head lowered. That
was when Catlin saw the animal’s eyes. Intelligent blue
eyes filled with remorse watched him, as if concerned
he’d done something horribly wrong.

He didn’t like that look in the man’s—shape-

shifter’s— eyes, but didn’t know how to reassure a
horse. Can Gallo control this ability? “Gallo, can you
change back?” he asked. How he managed to sound so
calm, he had no idea. All he knew was he had to hold it
together for his lover’s sake.

Slowly the horse folded its legs under it and settled

on its belly. Then the process started all over again, this
time in reverse. The tail disappeared, as did the fur. The
head reshaped, the eyes moving back to the front of
Gallo’s face. The bones and tendons again snapped and
popped, and Catlin had to fight back a cringe at the
painful sound. Seconds later, his lover lay naked on the

Catlin’s Appaloosa

hardwood floor, panting as if he’d just run a marathon.

“Hand me that blanket, Brock,” he ordered, pointing

toward the folded cloth on the back of the couch.

Brock brought it, a wary look in his dark eyes.

“What the hell is going on, Catlin?”

“I don’t know, yet, but I intend to find out,” he

answered.

He wrapped the blanket around the shivering man’s

body and scooped him into his arms. This is becoming
a routine, he thought wryly. He glanced over his
shoulder at Brock. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Brock snorted. “Hell, no, I plan on hearing whatever

your new boy toy has to say about that freaky little
ability.”

Gallo cringed, and Catlin turned and glared at his

partner. “Don’t call him that,” he snapped.

“What?” Brock asked, surprised. “Boy toy? Or

freak?”

The man in his arms huddled in on himself, tensing

further in his arms.

Catlin growled. “Both, he’s neither.”
Without waiting for an answer, he strode down the

hall and returned Gallo to his bedroom. This time he
tucked him under the covers. “We’re going to need to
talk about this,” he admonished.

“I didn’t mean to turn into my animal,” Gallo

whispered miserably.

Smiling, Catlin tilted Gallo’s head up to meet his

gaze. “Not that, baby. I told you to stay here, and you
disobeyed me. We can’t have that happening again. Got
it?”

“You’re not upset that I turn into an appaloosa

Charlie Richards

instead of a paint?”

Catlin truly had no clue what Gallo was talking

about, but he knew that the man needed reassurance,
and probably a lot of it. “No, baby. You could turn into
a purple hippopotamus with pink spots and I wouldn’t
care. You being safe and healthy are what I care about.”
He smiled at the wonder in Gallo’s expression, pleased
and relieved he’d figured out the right thing to say.
“Now, do you need anything? Water? Juice?”

He watched Gallo nibble his lip for a few seconds

before realizing his lover would need just a little more
encouragement. “Whatever it is, if I can provide it, I
will.”

“Do you have any hot chocolate?” Gallo asked,

staring shyly through his lashes.

“I think I have some,” he whispered, pressing a soft

kiss to Gallo’s lips. Gallo gripped his shoulders, his
body rising as he tried to press closer, but Catlin eased
the kiss to an end. “Stay here this time. I’ll be back in a
few minutes.”

After getting a nod from Gallo, he headed toward the

kitchen. He found Brock standing at the counter, two
empty beer bottles in front of him, and the man was
working on a third. Walking by, he waved a hand
toward the downed alcohol. “What’s this?”

“Are you telling me you don’t need a couple beers

after what just happened?” Brock asked incredulously.

Catlin shrugged and pulled the canister of instant hot

chocolate mix from the cupboard then the milk from the
refrigerator. “I guess it hasn’t hit me yet,” he admitted.
“I’m more worried about the man in my bed.”

“What the hell is he doing in your bed anyway?

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Since when do you bring home strange men from the
hospital and fuck ‘em, man?” Brock downed the rest of
his beer and slammed the bottle down. “And now
you’re cooking for him?”

Catlin paused from where he was buttering a piece

of bread in preparation for making a grilled turkey and
cheese for Gallo. Brock had a point. His behavior that
afternoon was completely out of character, from
cuddling a patient in the hospital to ordering his release,
to taking him home and fucking him. And even he had
to admit, his culinary skills were nil, but still, here he
was trying to feed Gallo.

He shook his head and put the sandwich on the stove

to cook. “There’s just something about him,” he
replied, trying to think of how to explain the possessive
protectiveness he felt every time he was near Gallo.

“You got that right,” Brock muttered, pulling

another beer from Catlin’s fridge.

Stirring the chocolate powder into the heated milk,

Catlin glared at Brock. “Is it because he’s a guy? Or
would you be this big of an asshole if it were a woman,
too?”

“Awe, fuck, man!” Brock barked, the bottle halfway

to his lips. “You know I never cared that you’re gay.”
When Catlin just continued to stare at him, Brock
dropped into a chair at his small wooden table and
sighed. “Come on. Even you have to admit that a man
turning into a horse is weird!”

“I’m not arguing that with you,” Catlin admitted,

scooping the sandwich from the pan to a plate. He knew
the strangeness of this situation would hit him soon, but
he didn’t have time to dwell on it at the moment. Catlin

Charlie Richards

needed to take care of the abused, traumatized man in
his bed. Maybe after Brock stopped whoever had
mugged his man he’d think about the fact that his lover
could turn into a horse, which brought another scary
question to mind that he didn’t want to deal with. At
least this one, he could pass on.

Picking up the glass of hot chocolate, he turned to

Brock and smiled evilly. “Here’s something to boggle
your mind. If Gallo can turn into a horse, what the hell
is tough enough to take him down?”

“Awe, shit,” Brock muttered.
Catlin smirked and headed back to Gallo, but his

mirth faded when he thought about the question he’d
posed. What had happened to Gallo to land him in the
hospital with amnesia? Again, he pushed the disturbing
thoughts from his mind. Some things were just more
important.

He entered the bedroom to find Gallo sitting up, his

back against the headboard and his arms wrapped
around his knees. When he looked up at Catlin, the
tears in his eyes sent an unfamiliar ache through
Catlin’s chest.

“Hey,” he whispered, settling on the bed next to him.

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Does it hurt you to
change into a horse and back?” It sure as hell looked
and sounded like it did. Why hadn’t he thought to bring
some pain killers?

“Your friend thinks I’m a freak,” Gallo whispered

miserably.

Catlin pressed the mug into Gallo’s hand, not liking

how cold and clammy his lover’s fingers were. “Your
ability just took him by surprise,” he said. Brock wasn’t

Catlin’s Appaloosa

the only one surprised, but he couldn’t add that.

“Do you think I’m a freak?”
“Absolutely not,” he immediately answered,

surprising even himself with the intensity of the feeling
behind his words. “You’re perfect just the way you
are.”

“You think so?”
“Absolutely,” Catlin assured. “You’re sexy as fuck,

Gallo, with your toned, muscular body, high cheek-
bones and striking blue eyes. I love the way you fit in
my arms. I love the way you take my cock. I love the
way you look to me for direction, but will still come to
my aid if you think I need it. I just hope you won’t
come to dislike me once you learn all my quirks,” he
teased.

That had a small smile curving Gallo’s lips, and the

guy finally settled down enough to take a sip of hot
chocolate. He hummed happily and took a much larger
swallow. “This is wonderful. Thank you,” he
whispered.

“Good. I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook, but you

need to eat. I hope you like grilled cheese.”

Gallo took the plate, surprise etched on his features.

“You cooked for me?”

Catlin eyed the man, again wondering just what had

happened to him in the past to make him doubt that
another would be willing to do something so simple for
him. “Yes, baby, I cooked for you. Eat up while I talk
to Brock. If you get done before I come back, the
bathroom is through that door. There are a couple new
toothbrushes in the second drawer. Clean up and get
some rest.”

Charlie Richards

“Okay,” Gallo whispered, but a smile played across

his lips. “Thank you,” he called softly.

Catlin paused in the doorway and smiled back at

him. “You’re welcome, Gallo.”

He walked out to the front room and gratefully took

the beer Brock handed him. “Let me guess. You’re
sleeping on my couch?” he asked.

“Thanks!” Brock said with a grin.
Catlin shook his head as they moved the

conversation to the living room. “Your case just got a
hell of a lot more interesting,” he said and grimaced.

“Yeah, so did your life,” Brock quipped back.
The sound of the shower running caught Catlin’s

attention. The thought of a wet, naked Gallo had his
pulse picking up and a grin splitting his lips. “Yeah,
yeah

did.”

Even

considering

the

strange

circumstances, Catlin couldn’t find it in him to be sorry
about that.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Chapter Four

allo walked slowly through the house, admiring the
Native American décor. He stared at the different

size dream catchers, Anasazi artifacts, and pueblo
pieces. Gallo wondered what Catlin saw in those items.
Did they mean something to the man? He’d seen the
small barn out back and the two bay horses grazing in
an attached paddock, and he wondered if Catlin had
Native American blood somewhere in his past. With his
light brown hair and pale brown eyes, he supposed it
was possible.

He hadn’t noticed any of the truly spectacular pieces

when he’d been carried through the door yesterday,
because he’d been too busy trying to get the other man
to fuck him. His cock jerked in his borrowed sweats at
the memory. He forced those thoughts away, since the
object of his obsession wasn’t there.

The detective had woken Gallo at seven, letting him

know he’d have to leave for the morning to talk to his
boss, but he’d be back around noon for lunch. That
brought another idea to mind. Catlin had made him a
late supper last night, so maybe he should make lunch

Charlie Richards

for him. Gallo nibbled his lip. Would Catlin mind if I
used his kitchen? What should I make?

He started opening and closing cupboards, learning

what was available, wondering what he could make.
Without thinking, he picked up the phone and dialed a
number.

“This is Brad.”
Gallo froze. Shit! Who is Brad?
“Hello?”
“Hi,” he finally whispered.
“Gallo? Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you? What happened? We’ve all been

worried sick!”

They had been? Who are they? Gallo took a deep

breath. “I don’t know. I don’t remember. Who— Shit!
Who are you?” he finally blurted out.

That got a pause, then, “Gallo, you called me but

you don’t remember me?”

“I have amnesia,” he admitted.
“Okay.”
For some reason, Gallo could actually hear the other

guy take a deep breath and let it out.

“What were you doing that made you think to call

me?”

“I was trying to decide what to make Catlin for

lunch,” he answered immediately. That, at least, he
knew.

“Who’s Catlin?” Brad asked.
“Detective Catlin Hill,” Gallo said. “I’m staying

with him while I figure out what’s going on.”

“Okay. Is he taking good care of you?” Brad asked,

Catlin’s Appaloosa

clearly worried.

“Yeah. He’s very nice. He didn’t even mind when I

turned into an appaloosa in his living room,” he added,
a smile tugging at his lips.

“You what!” Brad roared. “Bloody hell, Gallo!”
Gallo felt the blood drain from his face, dropped

onto a chair, and nearly hyperventilated at the
frustration he heard in Brad’s voice.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry I yelled, little bit. Your

words were just very…unexpected. Just breathe, Gallo,
just breathe.”

The other man’s crooning finally got through to him,

and Gallo sucked in deep breaths. “I’m sorry,” he
finally squeaked out. “I didn’t mean to. I thought he
was being attacked by this other guy, and I had to
protect him. I didn’t know it was wrong until Brock
freaked out.”

“Shit, there were two humans,” he whispered, then

he paused for a second. “And you thought you needed
to protect one?” Brad’s surprise came through loud and
clear.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “I—I thought the other guy

was hurting him and—and—” He couldn’t even begin
to express the terror that had swept through him at the
thought of something happening to Catlin.

“Okay, Gallo, okay. I’m going to let Kontra know

who you’re with, and I’m going to tell him what
happened. He’ll be able to make certain nothing bad
happens to you.”

“Who’s Kontra?”
“The leader of our motorcycle gang. You won’t be

able to miss him, just hold on a sec.”

Charlie Richards

Gallo nodded absently, even though he knew Brad

wouldn’t be able to see it. He heard Brad sharing the
information Gallo had just told him to someone named
Dagus, who promised to call Kontra right away, then
Brad returned to the phone.

“Now, you said you wanted to cook lunch for your

man, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered, remembering his original

reason for the call.

“Okay, tell me what you have in the pantry to work

with and I’ll help you whip up something to wow the
guy.”

Relief engulfed Gallo. “Thanks.”

“Baby, I’m home! Where you at?”
Gallo jumped up from where he was sitting in the

dining room, reading. “In here,” he called.

Footsteps approached and he couldn’t help but smile

when Catlin appeared around the corner. When the man
opened his arms, Gallo didn’t hesitate to step into the
embrace. Catlin cupped Gallo’s jaw, lifted his face, and
claimed his mouth in a deep kiss. Immediately, Gallo’s
dick responded, and he instinctively pressed his
hardening shaft against Catlin’s thigh.

Catlin grunted, and Gallo felt an answering hardness

against his hip. Sliding his tongue against Gallo’s in an
erotic tango, Catlin took the kiss deeper. He clutched
the detective’s shoulders, trying to get closer. Catlin’s
arm at his waist tightened, tugging him flush against
him.

Gallo wanted to climb the man’s body like a jungle

gym, or drop to his knees and suck dry the hard shaft

Catlin’s Appaloosa

pressing against him. The beeping of the oven timer
caught his attention and he groaned.

Catlin chuckled and broke the kiss. “Cooking

something, baby?”

“Yes, I made you lunch. I hope you like pizza.”
Catlin’s brows shot up. “You made pizza? I didn’t

know I had pizza in the freezer.”

“You didn’t. I called Brad, and he helped me make it

from scratch,” he replied happily, pulling the fragrant
pan from the oven.

“Really? Uh, who’s Brad?”
Gallo’s brow creased as he set the pan on the wire

cooling rack. “I ride my motorcycle with him,” he
finally answered. He grinned, immensely pleased with
himself. “I remembered!”

A smile creased Catlin’s mouth, but Gallo noticed it

didn’t quite reach the other man’s eyes. Worry filled
him. Had he done something wrong? Evidently, Catlin
must have noticed his trepidation, for he quickly
wrapped Gallo in his arms. “I’m very happy for you,”
Catlin murmured into his neck.

The vibrations had Gallo instantly relaxing against

the bigger man, and the scent of his lover calmed his
nerves. “I still don’t remember most things, like where I
was going or who I was with, or even most of my
friends,” he admitted.

“It’s a start, baby. It’s a start,” Catlin purred. Easing

his grip, Catlin inhaled deeply and stared at the pizza on
the counter. “That looks amazing! I didn’t know I had
sausage or green peppers around here.”

Gallo laughed. “You need to check your freezer and

crisper more often,” he teased.

Charlie Richards

Catlin winked. “I warned you last night that I’m not

much of a cook.”

Pulling out the cutting wheel, he quickly went to

work creating even slices out of the pizza. “Well,
you’re in luck, because it seems that I am a pretty good
cook.” Then his face heated, realizing how that
sounded. He glanced at Catlin, then at the floor. “I
mean… I can create a meal or two when we’re together
or—”

“Hey, I know what you really meant,” Catlin

interrupted, taking the pizza from him. He held Gallo’s
gaze and added, “I like the idea of you being around
here more often.”

Gallo sighed, tension in his shoulders he hadn’t even

realized he’d been holding seemed to ease. “Okay,” he
whispered.

He ducked his head, smiling shyly at the moan of

approval Catlin made when the detective chewed a big
bite of the pizza. “This is amazing,” Catlin said around
a mouthful. “I am never ordering out again. I’m hiring
you as my personal chef,” he said before taking another
huge mouthful.

Feeling the heat of a blush, Gallo focused on eating

his own pizza. He had to admit, it tasted fantastic. I’ll
have to send Brad a thank you note. Well, if I ever
remember where he lives anyway. And if the idea of
staying and being Catlin’s chef warmed him even more.
It wasn’t like Gallo had to admit it to anybody.

After they finished their meal, Catlin volunteered to

do the dishes. “Hey, I have a friend dropping off your
bike. It should be here soon. I set your saddlebags in the
hall, if you want to go through them.” He grinned and

Catlin’s Appaloosa

winked. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to dressing in
your own clothes.”

“Thanks,” Gallo murmured and headed through the

house.

He found the saddlebags and took them to the

bedroom. Setting them on a chair, he pawed through the
contents, finding the usual; clothes, toiletries, biker
leathers. There was one picture, showing him standing
outside a pub with a group of eight other guys. Most
were bigger than him, although a couple were much
smaller, and a huge bear of a man had his arm around
Gallo’s shoulders.

He wondered who everyone was and if Brad was in

the photo. He also wondered what his relationship with
the big guy was. Was that Kontra? Setting the picture
aside, he found a pair of clean jeans and a sweatshirt.
He stripped his sweats, pulled the jeans on, then after
tucking in his shirt, pulled the sweatshirt over his head.
He fingered the worn, navy green fabric before lifting
the collar to his nose and inhaling deeply.

Memories assaulted him, images coming hard and

fast. He gasped as the memory of pain radiated through
his back from a whipping with a horse crop. A bear of a
man roared angrily at someone while Gallo hid behind
his bulk. The tattooed behemoth stood over him as two
others carefully cleaned his wounds, fed him, and
helped him heal. The faces of the men in the photos,
laughing and joking, himself included in their fun as
they all had a good time at what must have been the bar
in the picture.

Tears slipped down his face and Gallo picked up the

photo again. Names swam through his brain, and he

Charlie Richards

was able to fit them to the bikers in the photo. Kontra,
he remembered the big man was definitely Kontra, had
stumbled upon his abusers in the woods, probably
saving his life. The big man had taken him to the hotel
he was staying at, given him his bed, had a small man
named Yuma soothe and feed him after a doctor named
Eli cleaned him up. Those men were his friends, and
they’d be worried about him.

The roar of a motorcycle engine caught his attention.

Gallo set the photo back down, wiped his face, and
headed to the front. Catlin had just finished the dishes
and met him in the hallway. Catlin gripped his shoulder
gently and pulled him close. His other hand cupped his
chin and a thumb wiped away a stray tear he’d missed.

“Are you okay, Gallo?”
Touched by Catlin’s concern, Gallo met the other

man’s warm gaze and smiled. “Yeah. I had some
memories come back.” Then he grimaced. “Not all of
them were good,” he admitted.

“I hope sometime you’ll feel comfortable sharing

with me,” Catlin said. “I’d like to help.”

He started to nod, but the honk he recognized as his

V-Rod Harley sounded outside the house. “That’s my
bike,” he said with a grin. “It took me six months to
figure out how to drive one and earn my license,” he
admitted, as he slipped on his shoes. “I’d never driven
anything before.”

“Really? How old were you when that happened?”

Catlin asked curiously.

“Um…forty-two, I guess,” he replied. Catlin’s

choked sound had him jerking his head up. “What?”

“How old are you, baby?” Catlin asked softly.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

From the serious look in his eyes, Gallo realized

he’d once again said something wrong. He seemed to
do that a lot. Not certain what it was, he folded his arms
around his middle and responded, “Fifty-seven.”

When Catlin just narrowed his eyes but didn’t say

anything, Gallo’s flight instinct took over. He hurried
out the door, suddenly wanting nothing more than to get
on his bike and run from that look, because he knew
what it meant. Catlin thought he had a few screws
loose.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Five

hit! I botched that up. Yeah, hearing Gallo say he
was that old had thrown him, and Catlin’s first

inclination was the guy was still confused from his head
injury. Then he’d seen the hurt in Gallo’s eyes,
followed by fear. It had speared Catlin through to his
core. He didn’t want his lover to slip away, and now
that Gallo had his bike back, it was a very real
possibility.

Catlin hurried after Gallo. He was surprised to find

his lover talking animatedly about his bike with Rich
and Katelyn. His friend had jumped at the chance to
drive the Harley, and his wife had followed him in their
pick-up. Now Rich and Gallo were discussing the pros
and cons of different motorcycles.

Needing to know just how upset Gallo was with him

and willing to take a chance, Catlin walked up behind
him and slipped an arm around his waist. He settled his
chin on Gallo’s shoulder and looked at the bike. “It’s a
beautiful bike, baby. You gonna take me for a ride on
it?” he asked softly.

When Catlin had initially drawn close to the shifter,

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Gallo had stiffened. When he whispered into his ear,
Gallo began to relax.

Gallo turned his head and looked at him. “You’d

really want me to take you for a ride?” He seemed
genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, Gallo, I’d love to wrap my arms around you

and hold you close as you carry us down the highway
on your bike.”

“Okay,” Gallo whispered.
Catlin watched Rich’s brows lift, and realized this

was quite a public display of affection for him,
especially since he was out on his driveway for all the
world to see. Katelyn, on the other hand, grinned,
saying, “I didn’t know you were dating someone again,
Catlin. You look so cute together! How’d you meet?”

“I met him on a case,” he answered simply, “and

couldn’t resist his sweet charms.” He grinned and
winked, then pecked a kiss to Gallo’s temple.

Before his friends could ask for more information,

the roar of several motorcycle engines powering up the
street drowned out the possibility of conversation. To
his surprise, four bikes came to a stop at the foot of his
driveway.

When the biggest of the bunch pulled his helmet off

and pinned a cold, dark-brown eyed stare at him and
Gallo, he had to fight back a shiver from working down
his spine. Gallo had no such problem. Suddenly, Catlin
found his arms empty as Gallo shouted excitedly and
raced toward the man. To his shock, the big biker
grinned, opened his arms, and caught his lover. Gallo
wrapped his arms and legs around the guy, who laughed
and hugged him tightly before pecking a kiss on his

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forehead and gently setting him down. “It’s good to see
you, too, little bit,” the biker said, chuckling.

“Who’s that?” Rich asked curiously.
“I have no idea, but I intend to find out,” he replied

through clenched teeth. Seeing his lover in another
man’s arms sent unexpected waves of jealousy through
him. For the first time in his career, he actually felt the
urge to use his badge for something other than police
business, like tossing this guy in jail on a trumped up
charge just to keep him away from Gallo.

Evidently, his glare wasn’t lost on the big man. The

guy smirked, but at least he gently pushed Gallo away
from him and toward Catlin. “Introduce me to your
friend, little bit.”

Catlin quickly schooled his features, not wanting his

skittish lover to feel threatened by him in any way. He
crossed to Gallo’s side and took his hand, earning a
smile from the horse shifter. That eased his frustration
almost as much as the fact that Gallo let him pull him
close and tuck him against his side.

“This is Detective Catlin Hill. Catlin, this is my

friend Kontra. He…” Emotions too quick for Catlin to
follow flickered across his face, before he tried again.
“He helped me when I really needed it.”

Catlin realized there was a hell of a story behind that

statement. He let his ire flow out of him with a slow
exhale as he pasted an understanding expression on his
face. “I’m glad you had someone.” Keeping his features
carefully neutral, Catlin said to Kontra, “Won’t you and
your friends come in?”

Kontra nodded, “That’d be great.” His gaze strayed

toward Rich and Katelyn, who immediately made their

Catlin’s Appaloosa

excuses and nice to meet yous before climbing into the
truck at the end of the driveway and leaving.

The hairs on the back of Catlin’s neck stood on end

as he led the way into his house, his arm still securely
around Gallo’s waist. “Can I get anyone coffee or a
beer?”

“A beer sounds good,” Kontra answered.
“Sure, make yourself comfortable,” he said. “I’ll be

right back.”

“I’ll help,” Gallo immediately offered.
Catlin smiled at his lover. “Thanks, baby.”
Reaching the kitchen, Catlin glanced at the contents

of the refrigerator. “Turn the oven on and reheat that
pizza. Would your friends like that, baby?”

Gallo nodded. “Yeah. Good idea.”
They quickly tossed the last three slices of the first

pizza into the microwave and the extra pizza Gallo had
made into the oven. Catlin pulled out several beers,
gave Gallo a quick kiss because he couldn’t get enough
of his lips, and took the beverages to the living room.

“Here you go,” he said, handing a bottle to each of

the men and leaving one on the coffee table for Gallo.
He straightened and glanced around at the men. All four
of them were good-sized guys ranging from about six
foot to six foot five or so. The big guy was obviously
the leader judging by the way the others discreetly
watched him and took their lead from him.

“How did Gallo end up here?”
Catlin straightened and met Kontra’s hard gaze head

on. “He was attacked and left in an alley. He was in a
coma for five days and woke with amnesia.”

“And he ended up in your home how?” Kontra

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raised a brow, obviously waiting for an answer.

Narrowing his eyes, Catlin’s jaw clenched for a

second. He took a deep breath and reminded himself
these were Gallo’s friends and had saved him
from…well…something. Catlin couldn’t deny his
worry. Since his lover’s pals had arrived, his man could
possibly leave him. Surely, he could convince Gallo
that he had more to offer him than these guys. They
might be fellow shifters, but Catlin could give him a
home, and eventually, maybe even love. He already
cared greatly for the man, and Gallo seemed to care for
him in return. Wait. Are these guys shifters, too?

He decided to test the waters. “His appaloosa likes

me.”

“That’s rare. I’ve only seen his appaloosa a handful

of times in the fifteen years he’s traveled with us,” a
tall, slender guy in the back said. “Kontra told us he
shifted to help you.”

Okay, so they know he’s a shifter. Does that mean

they can turn into horses, too? Or are they something
else? Because they sure as hell aren’t human! Just the
idea of sitting across from guys who could turn into
wild animals, men Catlin didn’t need to fuck more than
he needed his next breath, had his heart rate shooting
through the roof. He took a deep, soothing breath to
settle his nerves. He reminded himself one more time
that his own lover was a shifter and it didn’t bother him
before saying, “My partner on the force was frustrated
with my decision to pass the case to him. He didn’t
believe me when I told him I’d gotten too close to the
victim. He believed me after that,” he said flatly.

“Okay, here’s some pizza in case anyone is hungry,”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Gallo interrupted, bustling into the room. He set the
tray on the coffee table along with plates, napkins, and
silverware.

Kontra lifted a brow, and Catlin had to admit he was

pleased the guy deferred to him in his home. “Help
yourselves,” he said, waving a hand at the food. “As
you know, Gallo called his friend Brad. The guy helped
my man make a hell of a pizza.”

“Brad’s a great cook. We already miss him on the

road,” Kontra stated, leaning forward and grabbing a
plate and a slice of pizza. The others followed suit, and
Kontra added, “This is Eli, Haben, and Payson,” he
added, pointing first to the tall, slender brunet, then to a
broad-shouldered, black haired African American, and
finally at a toned, shorter redhead.

“Nice to meet you all,” Catlin replied easily. “Are

you human or horse shifters?” he asked bluntly. It
couldn’t hurt to try to confirm his suspicions.

Kontra took his question in stride. “We’re shifters,

but not horse shifters.” He set his plate on his knee and
leveled an even stare on Catlin. “Let me ask you this,
why did you bring Gallo here?”

Catlin took Gallo’s hand in his, but his gaze

remained fixed on Kontra. It didn’t escape him that the
man hadn’t actually answered his question about what
kind of shifters they were, but he answered anyway.
“I’ve asked myself that a number of times,” he
admitted. “I’ve never responded to another man like I
do him. Gallo calls to all my instincts.” He moved his
focus to the man in question and squeezed his hand.
“He’s sexy as hell. I can’t keep my hands off him. I
want to protect him from the world. And I’d love to

Charlie Richards

hunt down whoever left those marks on his back and
slice them to ribbons.”

His last words were whispered, and Gallo gasped.

Catlin grimaced. “I saw them when we fucked
yesterday, baby, then you said Kontra helped you out of
a bad place. If it was some kind of slave ring or
something, I’ll do everything I can to bring them down.
I want to bring to justice anyone who hurt you.”

“You can’t,” Gallo whispered.
To Catlin’s surprise, the shifter actually held his

gaze when he said it. “Why not? I am a cop. I can send
them to jail for a long time, baby.”

Gallo shivered and looked away.
Catlin pulled him close, rubbing his back. “Talk to

me, Gallo,” he pleaded.

“You can’t bring them to justice because they’re

shifters. That’s why.” The man introduced as Eli
growled the words, his lip curling in disgust. “It was his
family.”

“That’s enough, Eli,” Kontra snapped.
Silence descended, and Catlin watched the two men

for a second. He saw how Eli watched Gallo and
recognized some of the emotions working across his
features, a mixture of concern, compassion, desire, and
resignation. The man had been intimate with his lover
in the past. Catlin wondered if Eli would try to take
Gallo from him, and knew if Eli tried, he’d have a hell
of a fight on his hands.

“The existence of shifters must remain a secret,”

Kontra stated flatly, drawing Catlin’s attention back to
the conversation.

“What? Why?” Catlin frowned.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

“Can you imagine what would happen if you tried to

prosecute them as humans and it somehow came out
that they could turn into paint horses?” Haben pointed
out. “We don’t need to advertise our existence. It would
only cause a shit-load of problems. We have shifter
friends in Colorado who are fighting against a band of
scientists right now. Some private company has been
doing experiments on us for the last hundred years or
so. We don’t need to add problems with the government
and cops, too!”

“Haben, that’s enough.” Kontra said the words

quietly, but the other man obeyed immediately. Silence
fell over the room’s occupants for a moment, then
Kontra stated, “The reason you feel so protective of
Gallo is because he’s your mate. Fate gives a shifter
one true mate, and you’re it for Gallo, Catlin. With the
exception of Gallo’s sister, who’s no longer part of his
old herd, Gallo’s family doesn’t know where he is. Do
you really want to open a case that could endanger his
life from not only his family, but the government and
private companies looking to exploit his abilities as
well? Can you protect him from everyone?”

Catlin remained quiet for a moment, trying to wrap

his mind around everything these men were saying. The
shuddering of the man he adored prompted him to pull
Gallo onto his lap. He dropped his gaze to his lover,
smoothing his hands over his back, caressing his spine,
and massaging his neck. Gallo held tight to him, and
finally the trembling stopped.

“Please,” Gallo whispered.
He didn’t like the fear in Gallo’s eyes when he

stared up at him. That one word rocked Catlin, and he

Charlie Richards

knew he could never do anything to endanger this man.
He nuzzled his face into his lover’s neck. “It’s going to
be okay, love. We’ll let it go.” Gallo peeked at him
from under his lashes, and Catlin smiled down at him.
“Your safety is more important than anything else, and
if going after your family would put you in harm’s way,
then I’d never do that.”

“Thank you,” Gallo whispered.
Catlin’s lips curved up. It wasn’t quite a smile, but

relief calmed him.

“What about the other guy?” Kontra asked.
“What other guy?” he asked, confused.
“The other guy who saw Gallo shift into a horse?”

Eli elaborated dryly.

“Brock is my partner on the force. I’m sure I can get

him to keep silent,” he said, voice full of conviction.

“Good,” Kontra replied, “because your mate’s life

depends on it.”

Catlin’s brows narrowed. “You’ve said the term

mate a number of times. What does that mean?”

“Each shifter gets one mate, designated by Fate,”

Haben started, and Catlin nodded, remembering them
saying that already.

Eli leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms

over his chest. “Think of it as love at first sight, or
finding your soul mate. He’s your perfect complement.”

“That’s not saying the relationship won’t require

work,” Kontra added quickly, “but with a shifter, you
have a built in guarantee that he’ll never cheat, and
he’ll only want what’s best for you, or will make you
happy.” Then his eyes hardened, and so did his tone.
“Just keep in mind that we bikers are Gallo’s family,

Catlin’s Appaloosa

and we won’t tolerate anyone mistreating him.”

“I’d never mistreat him,” Catlin snapped, frustrated,

his mind reeling with the information he’d been given.

Gallo squirmed on his lap, and he felt his cock

respond to the movement, thickening and lengthening
in his jeans. It quickly distracted him from his
confusing thoughts, and he bit back a groan and looked
down at Gallo. The other man stared up at him through
his lashes, obviously wanting to ask something. Catlin
cupped his cheek and stroked his thumb over his plump
bottom lip. “You never have to ask permission to talk to
me, Gallo.” He wasn’t that kind of Dom. “What is it?”

“Does that mean you want to keep me?”
“I wanted to keep you before I knew you were my

soul mate, baby,” he replied. He captured Gallo’s lips
with his, slipping his tongue between them so he could
taste this wonderful man. His dick came to full arousal,
and Gallo rubbed his ass against him. Catlin had to grip
Gallo’s hips in one hand to still his movements.

“There’s one other thing you should know.”

Kontra’s gravelly voice interrupted them.

Reluctantly, Catlin ended the kiss and looked at the

serious expression on the big biker’s face. “What is it?”

“Shifters heal faster than humans. Our bodies are

constantly regenerating.” Kontra leaned back in his
chair, the beer bottle balanced on his knee. He tapped it
with his index finger as his eyes narrowed. Catlin could
tell he was deciding how much to say.

Catlin nodded, already knowing about Gallo’s

impressive healing time. “I noticed in the hospital,” he
admitted.

“This also impacts a shifter’s age,” Kontra

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continued. “A shifter can live three hundred, four
hundred years if they take care of themselves.”

“What?” His jaw dropped. How can that be? My

lover will outlive me by centuries! “How could Fate be
so cruel?”

“She’s not. She gives a solution,” Eli stated.
“A solution?” Unconsciously, Catlin’s arms

tightened around Gallo. The very idea of having to
leave his lover set his teeth on edge.

“Shifters claim their mates,” Payson stated, speaking

up for the first time. He grinned, showing off teeth that
appeared sharper than they should. “With a bite.”

Catlin’s eyes widened with surprise.
Eli rolled his eyes. “Stop scaring the man,” he

admonished. The slender guy popped Payson on the
back of the head, causing the other man to chuckle.
“During sex, the shifter sinks his canines into his mate’s
neck and drinks his blood. It binds them together. If one
of them is human, it extends his life to match the
shifter.” Eli glanced at Kontra, a brow rising in
question. Kontra lifted a hand, waving Eli on. Eli
returned his focus to Catlin and Gallo. “On the down
side, if something should happen to either one of you,
there is an extremely high probability that the other will
die of heartache. On the up side, I’ve been told it’s an
incredibly pleasurable experience.”

“I see,” Catlin murmured. “So you’re, uh, you’re not

mated?”

All four of the men shook their heads.
The room fell quiet for a moment before Payson

grinned. “Tell him about the condoms!”

Haben actually chuckled, shaking his head. “You

Catlin’s Appaloosa

won’t need condoms anymore.”

“Why?” Catlin couldn’t disguise his skepticism.
Eli shrugged. “Shifters can’t catch or pass on human

diseases.”

“Nice,” he whispered, impressed. Catlin had to

admit that was a nice little trait. He turned to Gallo.
“What do you think, baby? You gonna top me?” he
teased.

To his surprise, Gallo actually paled. “I don’t—I

don’t know if I can do that,” he whispered.

That had Catlin’s brows shooting up. “You don’t

want to fuck me, baby?”

Gallo actually trembled. Catlin tightened his grip

around him and held him securely against his chest.
With his free hand, he rubbed his back in soothing
circles. Eli looked like he was about to say something.
Instead he mouthed a few words, and Catlin’s eyes
narrowed when he figured out what the other man said.
Top from the bottom.

Fuck! Am I getting sex advice from Gallo’s former

lover? The idea set his teeth on edge. Returning his
focus to the man on his lap, he nuzzled Gallo’s cheek,
then tried to catch his eye. He didn’t like the glazed
look on his lover’s face. It told him their conversation
about Gallo topping him had triggered some memory of
pain or torture. He needed to bring the man back to the
moment. Cupping his cheek, he forced Gallo to look at
him, even if he wasn’t seeing him.

“Gallo, focus on me, baby.” He made his voice as

stern as possible, while still keeping it soothing.
“You’re not in any danger. You’re safe here. No one
will hurt you.” Still nothing. Catlin struggled to come

Charlie Richards

up with a way to reach him. He brushed his lips over
Gallo’s, allowing their breath to mingle. “Come back to
me, baby,” he whispered, his lips moving gently, almost
massaging the other man’s.

A whimper worked its way out of Gallo’s throat. He

brought his hands up and twisted them in Catlin’s shirt.
Catlin smiled against his lips, pleased by the reaction,
especially when Gallo kissed him back. He sighed into
the other man’s mouth and threaded his fingers through
Gallo’s thick black hair.

Gently, he brought the kiss to an end, holding Gallo

steady when he tried to follow his lips. Catlin waited
for those gorgeous blue eyes he was quickly falling in
love with to blink slowly open at him. “There you are,
baby,” he whispered.

Gallo whimpered, and Catlin’s cock jerked at the

sexy sound. Gallo snuggled against his chest. “I want to
claim you,” he whispered, “but I don’t think I
can…can…”

“Hush. It’ll be okay,” he assured. “We’ll think of

something.”

“You could always drink his blood,” Payson said

with a snort.

Catlin frowned. “Would that work?” He didn’t like

the idea, but he’d do it if it meant keeping himself
around to protect Gallo.

Eli exchanged a quick glance with Kontra. “Ah, I’m

not really sure.”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Chapter Six

allo’s heartbeat slowly settled back to a regular rate.
He was so embarrassed he’d had a panic attack right

in front of everyone. Catlin was so kind about it, so
understanding. He wanted to stay curled up in this
man’s arms forever. Which brought his thoughts back
to what had caused the attack in the first place, topping
his mate so he could claim him. The idea of taking
charge of their sexual encounter scared the shit out of
him.

He listened to everyone talk about the possibility of

Catlin giving him a claiming bite instead. Due to the
way the enzymes in a shifter’s saliva worked, they just
couldn’t be sure if it’d work. From the tightness in
Catlin’s jaw, Gallo knew the man didn’t like the idea. It
didn’t surprise Gallo. Most humans found the idea of
drinking blood gross.

The chirping of Catlin’s cell phone interrupted the

debate, and the detective answered his call. “Hello?”

This close, Gallo had no trouble hearing the other

end of the conversation. “It’s Brock. There’s been
another attack. This time the guy’s dead.”

Charlie Richards

“Shit. Same area?” Catlin responded.
“Yeah, pretty close,” Brock stated, then cleared his

throat. “I got a question for you. When Gallo was first
brought in, did he have any puncture marks on his
neck?”

Gallo watched Catlin’s brows furrow as he replied,

“Puncture marks? No. Why?”

“Because there are on this victim. Two sets of them,

and the body looks desiccated,” Brock told him.

“Desiccated?” Catlin frowned. “Does that mean

what I think it means?”

“If you think it means drained of fluid, then yeah,

that’s what it means,” Brock replied.

“Holy fucking hell!” he growled. “The victim was

drained? How is that possible?”

Gallo frowned, desperately trying to remember his

own attack. He’d been eating dinner alone at a small
café. When he was done, he’d walked outside to his
bike to head out and find a hotel for the night. “There
were two of them,” he whispered.

“Brock, I’ll call you back. Gallo’s starting to

remember things.” Catlin said into the phone, although
his gaze remained on Gallo.

“Good. I sure hope your guy there can shed some

light on what’s going on, because this is fucking weird,
Catlin.”

“Yeah.” Catlin hung up the phone. “Okay, Gallo.

Talk to me, baby.”

Gallo shook his head. “There’s not much to tell. I

was just rolling my bike out of the parking spot when
two men grabbed me, pulled me from my bike, and
dragged me into an alley. I remember pain shooting

Catlin’s Appaloosa

through my neck,” he whispered. He frowned, trying to
remember more. He lifted his hand to his neck, tracing
the vein. “One of them bit me, but he immediately
jerked away and spat the blood out.”

He looked up at Catlin. “He somehow knew I was a

shifter. He slammed my head into the brick wall, and I
lost consciousness.” Gallo shook his head. “How could
he know I’m a shifter?”

“Your blood gave you away, little bit,” Kontra’s

deep voice broke into his confused thoughts.

He turned to face his alpha, taking in his grim look.

“What do you mean?”

“A vampire can taste the differences in blood. A

shifter’s blood tastes more bitter than a human’s, but it
will give him more strength for a longer period of
time,” Kontra explained. “He may have been too used
to feeding off humans and didn’t like your taste, but the
probability is higher that he didn’t want to take the risk
of raising the ire of your pack. That means those two
who attacked you are rogues, without a coven to back
them.”

“Are you seriously talking about vampires?” Catlin

pulled Gallo tighter against him, as if that would keep
Gallo safe from future attacks. “As in creatures of the
night that suck people’s blood, vampires?”

Kontra snorted. “Sure, except they’re not creatures

of the night. Not really. They can handle the daylight
just fine. They live in covens like shifters live in packs.
You can’t be turned into one by being bitten, just like
you won’t be turned into a shifter if Gallo bites you.”
Kontra leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees,
the now empty beer bottle dangling between his fingers.

Charlie Richards

“But just like humans have their share of murderers, so
do our races.”

“How do you know so much about vampires, boss?”

Payson asked what Gallo wanted to know. He’d known
vampires were out there, but had never met any. They
kept to themselves just like shifters did, and their
willingness to attack him hadn’t even been a blip on
Gallo’s radar.

“Because I’ve met a few,” Kontra replied. “There’s a

coven not too far south of Santa Fe, as a matter of fact.
It’s led by a guy named Adalric,” he added, then
shrugged. “Well, at least he led it sixty-two years ago.”

“Sixty-two years,” Catlin whispered. “You weren’t

kidding about your longevity.” He sighed, nuzzling his
neck and Gallo settled closer against his chest. “How do
we stop them?”

“You don’t,” Kontra replied.
“We do,” Payson added, his gray eyes gleaming.
“Now, wait just a second,” Catlin snapped. “You

can’t just take the law into your own hands! This is a
police matter!”

“Vampires are stronger and faster than humans,”

Kontra warned, his voice turning hard. “You’re no
match for them, and do we have to remind you of what
could happen to Gallo if our existence is made public?”

“Fuck!” Catlin growled. “I can’t just let you kill

whoever these men are! What about justice? Closure for
the families of the victims?”

Gallo slid off Catlin’s lap, being sure to press his ass

against his mate’s hard shaft to get his attention. He
settled on the floor between the detective’s knees and
stared up at him. “Please let Kontra take care of this,”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

he beseeched. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.
If they can knock me out, and I’m a shifter, then I don’t
even want to imagine what they could do to you.”

Catlin rested back against the cushions and scrubbed

his hands over his face. “Ah, damn it. All right. I
understand what you’re saying.” He took Gallo’s hand
in his and grimaced. “I gotta call Brock back and get
him over here. He’s the detective in charge of the case
now, so he’ll need to help coordinate a cover story.”

“While you’re doing that, I’ll see if I can contact

Adalric,” Kontra said.

“Why?” Catlin arched a brow.
The huge biker grinned. “When I go to another

man’s house, I don’t reach into his refrigerator without
asking. We’re close enough to his territory where if we
kill a couple of vampires, he might take offense.”
Smirking, he shrugged. “He’ll want to know who they
are

and

verify

that they

really

are

killing

unnecessarily.”

“Okay. Make yourselves at home while I take care

of some things.” His voice sounded tense to Gallo, and
he wondered what was wrong. Of course, that was an
easy question to answer, Gallo realized. His mate’s
world had been turned up-side-down since meeting
him.

Catlin stood, pulling Gallo up with him. The

detective hit a number on his phone as he led Gallo
from the room. Consumed by his own thoughts, he
listened with half an ear to his mate’s side of the
conversation, not really interested in what Catlin’s
partner had to say. He wanted to know what was
bothering his mate.

Charlie Richards

“Hey, Brock, I know you’re busy, but I’ve got some

information you need to hear.” He shook his head. “No,
it’s not something I’m comfortable sharing over the
phone. When you’re done there, can you come to my
house?” Catlin led him into the bedroom and shut the
door behind them. “Good. See you in a couple of
hours.”

Catlin slowly put the phone on the dresser and

turned toward Gallo, who couldn’t stop from fidgeting
under his scrutiny.

“Are you okay?”
His soft question had Catlin shaking his head, a stern

set to his lips. “No, baby, I’m not. You were wriggling
on my lap on purpose, weren’t you?”

Gallo paled, but couldn’t stop the twitching of his

cock in his jeans at Catlin’s intense gaze. “Yes,” he
admitted softly.

“Well, I don’t want to meet my partner with a hard-

on, so now you’ll just have to take care of it. Take off
your clothes and get on the bed, Gallo,” Catlin ordered.

Gallo’s pulse rate quadrupled in a matter of

seconds, and his stiff cock oozed pre-cum. He yanked
off his shirt and scrambled out of his boots and jeans,
never in his life so happy to have forgone underwear.
From under his lashes, he glanced at Catlin, but the man
hadn’t moved. He stood halfway across the room, his
legs shoulder width apart and his arms crossed over his
broad chest.

It wasn’t until Gallo was lying naked in the middle

of the bed that he moved. Then Catlin slowly stripped,
peeling off his dark blue button-down shirt and his
white t-shirt. He toed off his shoes and slid his jeans

Catlin’s Appaloosa

down and off his legs. Once he stood in just his briefs,
he again paused and stared at Gallo.

When Catlin dropped a hand to the thick ridge

hidden by cloth, Gallo moaned softly. Catlin smirked.
“Take yourself in hand, Gallo. Stroke your cock.”

Gallo’s brow creased. “But I thought—”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The stern tone had Gallo whimpering, but he did as

he was told. He wrapped his fingers around his bobbing
erection, giving it a loose stroke. Even that sent a jolt of
pleasure careening through his system. His breath left
him in a whoosh and beads of sweat broke out on his
forehead. A voice in the back of his head nagged him
about how wrong it was to make himself feel that good,
but when Catlin appeared next to the bed naked, his
hand on his own cock, that little voice disappeared.
Desire took over. He desperately wanted to taste the
pearly seed of pre-cum leaking from Catlin’s blood
engorged dick.

“You look so amazing lying there with your prick in

your hand,” Catlin growled. “So stunning, baby.”

Gallo opened his mouth, ready to beg for Catlin to

join him on the bed. To his relief, his lover crawled up
next to him, but instead of giving him his cock, the man
leaned down and nibbled his lips, nipping and sucking.
Catlin’s voice came out a husky whisper when he
ordered, “Stroke yourself harder, Gallo. Let me see you
fuck your hand.”

Groaning, he obeyed. He tightened his fingers and

rocked his hips up to meet his fist. His eyelids slid shut,
and again memories assaulted him. Harsh voices
echoed through his skull, telling him he’ll be punished.

Charlie Richards

“Gallo, look at me!”
The sharp command from his mate had Gallo

snapping his eyes open. It was only then he realized
tears leaked from his eyes, he’d stopped stroking
himself, and his cock had begun softening.

Catlin’s eyes were full of warmth as he stared down

at him. “There you are, baby.” He gently kissed the
wetness from his cheeks. “You need to focus on me
when we’re together, Gallo. No one else matters.”

“Okay,” he replied.
“Good.” Catlin took Gallo’s mouth in a plundering

kiss, delving his tongue in deep, tangling them together.
Gallo mewled into his mate’s mouth, Catlin slowly
mapping his lips, teeth, and gums with his tongue. The
wonderful sensations had Gallo’s shaft swiftly firming
back up.

Catlin gently broke the kiss and grinned down at

him. “Are you ready for my cock, baby?”

“Yes, please,” he responded eagerly.
Instead of settling over him like normal, Catlin

swung around and straddled his head with his knees.
Gallo looked at the heavy shaft dangling just above his
lips. “What are you doing?”

“You’re going suck me, baby, and I’m going to suck

you,” Catlin replied while nuzzling Gallo’s balls. The
move sent tingles up his spine and goose bumps erupted
over his arms and chest. His nipples pebbled, and his
cock jerked.

“No one’s—No one’s ever done that before,” Gallo

finally managed to whisper.

“Then I’d best make it good for you,” Catlin replied.

“Now, stop thinking about it, my mate, and take my

Catlin’s Appaloosa

cock into your mouth,” he commanded softly.

The tone sent a tremor through Gallo’s body, or

maybe that was caused by Catlin calling him his mate.
Either way, he eagerly opened his mouth and sucked
the head of Catlin’s dick between his lips. He swirled
his tongue around the cap and dipped the tip into the
slit.

“Oh, yeah, Gallo. That’s it. Take my cock.” Catlin

growled softly and his hips moved, slowly fucking
Gallo’s face with his dick.

Gallo increased his suction while reaching up and

gripping the man’s thighs for leverage. Catlin groaned,
and Gallo took that as permission to keep his hands on
him. Warm breath blowing across his dick followed by
a wet tongue sliding along his shaft had him pausing.
Instantly the heat was gone.

“Focus, Gallo.” Catlin’s words were breathy, but it

was an order, none-the-less.

He grunted around the flesh in his mouth, but

doubled his efforts. Gallo sucked and stroked and
moved his hand, rolling Catlin’s balls. The detective
groaned around his cock, and the vibration sent intense
pleasure through Gallo’s dick, drawing his testicles
tight to his body. He moaned at the amazing sensations
Catlin sent coursing through his body.

Catlin’s thrusts picked up speed and growled his

pleasure, sending a fresh wave of vibrations through
Gallo’s body. It became exceedingly difficult to
concentrate. Gallo knew he had to get Catlin off
quickly, or he wouldn’t have any of his faculties left.

Gallo wrapped a hand around the base of Catlin’s

shaft and squeezed, pumping rhythmically as he sucked

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on the cap in his mouth. He tongued the glans,
massaging it. The small orbs under his other hand
tightened further. The shaft in his mouth swelled, the
thick vein pulsing faster, telling Gallo how swiftly
Catlin’s heart raced. He pressed his tongue into the slit
of the cock, delving deep.

Catlin let out a long, low moan as his body jerked

and his dick spewed stream after stream of seed into
Gallo’s mouth. He swallowed it greedily, massaging the
stalk and sucking out every last drop Catlin could feed
him.

Once Catlin stopped shuddering, Gallo let the man’s

softening cock slip from his mouth. His mate’s panting
breath puffed warm gusts along the wet skin of his
over-sensitized shaft. A tremble worked through Gallo
when he realized just how close he was to orgasm.

“Come for me, Gallo,” Catlin murmured then took

Gallo’s shaft back into his mouth.

Gallo’s jaw sagged open at the order, but his body

obeyed without question. A groan erupted from his
throat as he shot his essence into Catlin’s waiting
mouth. His fingers tightened spastically on Catlin’s
thighs as the other man continued to work him, reaming
even more pleasure from his body.

When he had nothing left to give, he collapsed,

panting on the bed. He was as limp as a wet noodle
when Catlin licked him clean. A moment later, Catlin
reversed his position and pulled Gallo against his chest.
Gallo was only too happy to snuggle.

Catlin cupped his cheek and turned his face toward

him. He nibbled Gallo’s lips, and he immediately
opened for the man’s kiss. He could taste himself on

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Catlin’s tongue, and it surprised Gallo how much he
liked that.

“Very nice, baby. You have an amazing mouth,” he

whispered after easing the kiss to an end.

“Why would you do that for me?” he asked,

knowing his amazement showed in his voice.

His lover’s brows shot up. Catlin remained silent for

a few seconds, before levering up on his elbow to stare
down at him. “Let me ask you this,” he said instead of
answering. “When you sucked my cock, did you enjoy
it? Or did you do it only because I told you to?”

Gallo’s jaw dropped. “No, I loved pleasing you,” he

quickly reassured.

That had the worry leaving Catlin’s deep brown eyes

to be replaced by relief. His lips curved into a smirk.
“And that is exactly why I did it to you, baby. I enjoy
giving you pleasure.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Seven

atlin heard Brock shouting even through the closed
bedroom door. “Rest for as long as you like, Gallo,”

he said, pecking his temple. “I’ve gotta convince Brock
this is a good idea.”

Rolling from the bed, he pulled on black jeans and a

black t-shirt. He gave the man he was quickly falling
for one more kiss, this time with tongue and far more
feeling. Catlin’s dick thickened in his pants. He pulled
away and grinned at the glazed look in Gallo’s
expressive blue eyes. “We don’t have time for another
round, baby. Sorry, we’ll have to wait until tonight.”

Gallo’s pout was so cute, Catlin couldn’t stop the

chuckle. “I’ll be out in the front room when you’re
ready to join us.” Giving the man a wink, he left the
bedroom.

He found Brock yelling at some guy he didn’t know

in the living room. The stranger stood six foot two, had
closely shorn brown hair, brown eyes, nicely tanned
skin, and listened to Brock’s rant with a mildly amused
expression on his face.

“Damn it, Brock. What the hell are you yelling

Catlin’s Appaloosa

about?” Catlin snapped.

“This asshole says we can’t be involved when they

go after the two dudes murdering people,” Brock
replied angrily.

Running a hand through his hair, Catlin let out a

frustrated breath. “Who are you?” he asked. “Where’s
Kontra?”

“I’m Adalric,” the man replied. He had a

surprisingly deep voice and a German accent. “The bear
is in the kitchen.”

Bear?
“Bear? What bear?” Brock snapped.
The man lifted a brow. “Kontra,” he stated simply.
Realization hit Catlin. “You’re the vampire.”
“One of them,” Adalric allowed. “Darian is around

here somewhere.”

“The leader of the vampires just drops everything to

take care of a couple of rogues?” Catlin really would
have thought he’d just send a couple of his people. And
how surreal did that sound? Talking to a vampire as if it
were an everyday occurrence?

“Rogues endanger us all,” he replied. “I take the

safety of my people very seriously.”

“Wait a minute.” Brock took a step back. “You’re a

vampire?”

Adalric lifted a brow. The corner of his mouth

slowly curved, and he lifted a lip into a smirk that
showed off one small, very pointed fang. “Yes. I am a
vampire.”

“Holy shit!” Brock stumbled back several steps.
While Adalric chuckled, Catlin grabbed his friend’s

shoulders. “Focus, Brock. Those guys out there killing

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people are vampires, too. Now, I agree that there’s no
way the shifters are going to go catch them without us,
but be smart about this. We can’t catch them alone. We
need their help, their protection, to bring these guys
down and make the killing stop.”

Brock’s dark eyes focused on him, and he nodded.

“Yeah. Gotcha.” Catlin removed his hands and the
African American sank onto the couch. “Boy do I hate
it when you’re right,” Brock muttered.

Catlin frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You asked what would take down a shifter. There’s

your answer,” Brock replied almost blankly. “A pair of
fucking vampires!”

Catlin grimaced, understanding how overwhelmed

his friend felt. He was trying to keep his shit together,
too. “Just think of all the bloodsucker jokes you’ll be
able to use now,” he cajoled, knowing how much the
other detective liked to tease.

That had his friend brightening. “Yeah. Cool!”
Kontra took that moment to walk into the room.

Catlin turned, facing him as Brock rose and stood
beside him. “You’re not leaving us behind,” Catlin
stated flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. Kontra’s
eyes narrowed. The alpha male probably didn’t like his
tone, but Catlin didn’t give a damn. “We’re the only
ones who can help you hide the truth. We’ll come up
with a story so no one will know what really
happened.”

Kontra exchanged a look with Adalric, who lifted a

brow as if to say it’s your call.

Surprisingly, it didn’t end up being that difficult to

Catlin’s Appaloosa

convince Kontra once he and Brock agreed to stay close
to the shifter and vampire group where they were
assigned. Brock was sent with Kontra, Eli, and Darian.
Catlin found himself teamed with Gallo, Adalric and
Payson. He’d tried to convince his mate to stay home,
but Gallo refused. Kontra had explained that because
Catlin was an unclaimed mate, the need to protect
would drive Gallo crazy if he were left home.

They prowled the dark streets, looking for signs of

the rogues. Brock had searched through the last
month’s assault cases where the victim hadn’t been
killed. He’d found six more where the victim had bite
wounds on their necks. From the appearance of those
assaulted, the vampires were becoming increasingly
violent in their attacks. Using the information, Brock
and Catlin created a grid of locations. It gave them an
area to start hunting.

Scuffling sounds from the alley ahead had Catlin on

full alert, and he drew his service weapon. They hurried
toward the noise as quietly as possible. Payson lifted his
nose to the breeze and smirked. “Just a cat.”

A scream echoed off the buildings for two seconds,

only to be cut off. Catlin tried to pinpoint the direction,
but Adalric seemed to know exactly where it came
from. He sprinted down a side street, Payson a step
behind. It took everything Catlin had to just keep them
in sight as they ducked between buildings and ran down
alleyways. His chest heaving, he came upon a
disturbing scene.

Deep in the alley, a blonde woman lay sprawled

across the wet ground. Blood oozed from two puncture
marks on her pale, slender neck. Payson was leaning

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over her, checking for a pulse. From the woman’s
pinched features, clouded eyes, and sallow skin, Catlin
couldn’t drum up much hope.

Beyond them, Adalric had a man pinned to the wall

of a building. The vampire leader’s eyes glowed an
eerie red. His hands were sharp claws where they dug
into the other guy’s neck.

As he drew closer, Catlin realized the captive’s eyes

were red as well. The guy opened his mouth in an angry
snarl as he struggled against Adalric’s hold.

Catlin shivered as he saw the vampire leader flash

his fangs, which seemed larger than what he
remembered seeing.

“You have been found guilty of endangering the

safety of our species,” Adalric snarled. “How do you
plead?”

“Fuck you,” the foolish vampire replied.
A creepy smile curved Adalric’s features. “Very

well.” Without a word, the powerful vampire dug the
claws of his other hand into the captive’s chest and tore
out his heart. Blood gushed from his chest. The red
glow dimmed from the man’s eyes only to be replaced
by a regular brown color. Adalric let the man’s body
drop to the ground.

“Was that necessary?” Catlin managed to get the

question out of a tight throat as he fought back the urge
to puke.

Adalric’s red eyes turned on him, sending another

shiver down the detective’s spine. The man blinked,
and the red was gone. “Removing the heart is the most
effective way to end a vampire’s life,” he stated, the
words coming out much calmer than Catlin thought

Catlin’s Appaloosa

they should considering what he’d just done.

“Yeah, I’ll file that little tidbit in my never-want-to-

use file,” he muttered. He hurried over to the woman on
the ground, crouching beside Payson. A search for a
pulse confirmed what he’d already figured. There was
nothing they could do for her.

“Bring them both. We can’t leave more bodies,”

Adalric said.

Payson heaved the body of the vampire over his

shoulder and followed Adalric out of the alleyway.
“Where are we going?” the shifter asked.

Catlin cradled the woman to his chest and headed

after them. “Brock told me about some abandoned
warehouses. We should take them there,” he said.

The other men nodded their agreement. During the

ten-minute walk, Catlin watched the blood congeal on
her neck and fought cringes as he felt it soak through
his t-shirt and crust against his skin. They piled into
Adalric’s SUV, and Catlin gave them directions.

Once the bodies were carried into the empty

building, Adalric took out his phone and dialed.
“Update, Darian.” The muscular vampire nodded once.
“Excellent. We are already at the rendezvous point with
the other one.” He disconnected the call. “They are on
the way with the second rogue. This will all be over
soon.”

Catlin rubbed his neck. “I don’t understand.” He

crouched down and located the woman’s purse. He
pulled out her ID and stood, shoving it into his pocket
for later. No sense having to deal with a Jane Doe. His
brows creased in confusion. “You and your friend
obviously have control over yourselves. Why were

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these vampires killing at will?”

Adalric focused on him and frowned. “Why does a

human beat their spouse? Why does a psychopath play
with their victim before killing them? Because they
have allowed their desire for power to control them. A
vampire drinks blood to survive. Although we can eat
other food as well, blood is what sustains us. We don’t
need to kill the donor when we feed.” He curled a lip in
obvious disgust at the dead vampire, then stalked
toward the entrance of the building, apparently having
said all he was going to on the subject.

After Kontra arrived with the second vampire, they

ignited the building.

The story he and Brock planned to weave was that

the murderers brought their latest victim to the
warehouse. Then they became trapped inside when the
building went up in flames, the blaze caused by some
spilled gasoline and a carelessly thrown match. The
vampires left, and Catlin really hoped he wouldn’t need
to call on their services again, ever. Kontra and the
other bikers escorted him and Gallo home, telling them
they’d stop by the next day before roaring away.

He led Gallo into the bathroom and stripped down

his quiet lover. “What’s on your mind?” he asked
curiously, leading him into the shower.

He soaped up his hands, rubbing the suds into

Gallo’s skin as he watched the expression flitting across
the smaller man’s features.

Finally, Gallo murmured, “I really do want to claim

you, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Can you tell me why the idea of penetrating me

causes such fear?” he asked gently.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Gallo shook his head, and at first, Catlin thought that

meant he wasn’t going to answer, so his man’s next
words surprised him. “It’s not that, really, it’s just, I’m
not allowed.”

His hands paused at those words. Catlin swallowed

and got his hands moving again. “Who says you’re not
allowed, Gallo?”

“The stallion of my herd,” Gallo whispered. “When

it came out that I was gay, I became the one used by
others for sexual release,” he admitted, “but if I was
found touching myself, I would be punished. They told
me—they told me I was there only for their pleasure. I
couldn’t come unless they said it was okay.” He
shrugged. “Some were nice about it, always making
sure I got off, too, and I like sucking cock, so that was
no big deal.”

Catlin swallowed hard, fighting back the rage filling

him. He’d known his man had been abused, but he’d
had no idea of the extent of the torture he’d endured. A
renewed desire to track down Gallo’s herd surged
through him, but he beat it back, knowing he couldn’t.
Forcing his voice to come out even, he whispered, “Is
that how you got the marks on your back, love?”

Gallo jerked a nod. “Some liked it rough,” he

whispered. “Or if I misbehaved during the tests,” he
added. “Then I’d have to be punished.”

“Tests?”
Nibbling his lower lip, Gallo nodded again. “They

wanted to know why my animal was an appaloosa
instead of a paint.”

That explained why the doctors had freaked him out.

Catlin forced himself to remain calm as he rubbed

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shampoo into his man’s hair, then gently washed it out.
Finally, he asked, “How did you end up with Kontra?”

Gallo shuddered, his breath hitching as he

whispered. “I was bad. I fought when they came at me
with a needle. It took three shifters to hold me down.
Two of my herd-mates took me into the forest
surrounding our ranch. They took turns, with my ass
and the whip.” Catlin’s mate shivered, even in the
steaming hot water. “Kontra saw it and stopped them.”

“I hope he killed the bastards.” He couldn’t stop the

snarled words, and he wanted to kick himself when
Gallo instantly tensed in his arms. He rubbed his palms
gently over Gallo’s glimmering skin and crooned,
“Easy, baby. I’m not angry at you, never at you. What
happened wasn’t your fault. You’re safe with me.”

When Gallo relaxed again, Catlin maneuvered his

lover under the spray to rinse out the conditioner.
Rubbing his hands through the mass of silky, dark hair,
Catlin thought about Eli’s silently mouthed words. Top
from the bottom. He wondered if that would work. It
had seemed to during the dual blowjobs. It brought
another question to mind. “Were you and Eli lovers?”

Gallo’s wide-eyed gaze snapped to Catlin’s face at

his questions. He swallowed and nodded once. “Sort of.
Our relationship was more of a teacher with a pupil,” he
admitted.

“What do you mean?”
Gallo’s face fell, so Catlin cupped his jaw and

brought his attention back to him. “He taught me that
sex could be pleasurable, not clinical or cruel. He
helped me accept that I’m submissive, and what it
should mean in the right relationship. He taught me that

Catlin’s Appaloosa

a Dom should never do anything to his submissive that
wasn’t good for him.” Gallo nuzzled into Catlin’s hand
as he continued. “Eli’s the gang’s doctor, so he
probably felt it was his responsibility to help me heal
mentally as well as physically.”

Okay, I can understand that. It wasn’t like he had

been a virgin before meeting Gallo. Catlin hurried
through the rest of the shower, needing to wrap his man
in his arms and hold him. He toweled them both dry
quickly, then guided his lover to the bed and curled his
bigger body around Gallo’s.

“I want you to claim me, too, Gallo,” he whispered

the admission. “I’d love to belong to you, just as much
as I want you to belong to me.” That earned him a sigh
from the shifter and Gallo snuggled closer. “Do you
trust me?” Catlin held his breath, knowing how
important the answer would be to both of them.

His heart skipped several beats before Gallo

whispered, “Yes.”

Catlin sighed with relief, his eyelids dropping

closed. He sucked in a deep breath, opened his eyes,
focused on his lover, and stated firmly, “You will do
exactly as I say.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Eight

is mate’s tone immediately had Gallo’s
responding, “Yes, sir.”

“Lie back on the bed, Gallo,” Catlin commanded,

pulling away.

Gallo obeyed, whimpering when he looked up and

saw the heat and desire burning in Catlin’s eyes. His
lover wasn’t angry, he was aroused. Something settled
in Gallo. He knew his man would take care of
everything. All he had to do was obey.

Catlin tossed the tube of lube on the bed next to his

hip. “Stretch yourself. Get yourself nice and ready for
my cock. You have two minutes.”

His eyes widened as he watched Catlin walk away.

He wondered what was going on, but didn’t question
him. Not wanting to disappoint Catlin, Gallo grabbed
the lube and quickly prepared himself. With every
nudge of his knuckles against his prostate, his cock
filled more and more. His eyelids dropped to half-mast
and he wrapped his other hand around his dick,
gripping the base tightly. His mate hadn’t given him
permission to come, he’d just been told to stretch

Catlin’s Appaloosa

himself.

When he looked up, he spotted Catlin leaning

against the footboard watching him. He paused,
wondering when he’d returned to the room. “Use four
fingers, Gallo.”

“Yes, sir,” he whispered between gasps. He inserted

a fourth finger into his ass, feeling the stretching burn
and whimpered with pleasure.

“Enough,” Catlin growled.
He set something on the bed, but Gallo’s lust-hazed

brain didn’t register what it was. His gaze was riveted
on Catlin’s sexy body. His mate prowled forward,
slinking toward him on hands and knees like a cat. The
light in his brown eyes sent sizzles of awareness up
Gallo’s spine. He’d never seen anyone look at him like
that, and Gallo knew he’d do anything to keep this man.

Catlin lifted Gallo’s legs, placing them on his

shoulders, then holding his gaze, Catlin slid his cock
into Gallo’s tight channel. “You’re mine, Gallo. Say it,”
Catlin demanded as he slowly fucked him.

Gallo moaned at the exquisite pleasure of having

Catlin fill his ass, his cock head nudging his prostate
with every stroke. “Yes,” he gasped out. “I’m yours.”

“You will please me any way I want you to, won’t

you, Gallo?” he pressed.

“Yes, sir,” Gallo responded.
That seemed to be the right answer, because Catlin

began fucking him in earnest. “Grab the headboard,” he
ordered gruffly, not slowing his speed.

Gallo reached up and grabbed a rung in each hand.

He used the leverage to rock his hips to meet each of
his mate’s strokes. He stared into Catlin’s eyes and

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reveling in the heat and desire he saw in them.

“I need more, Gallo. You will give it to me,” Catlin

snarled, his eyes filling with an odd light.

“Yes, anything,” he promised.
Before he could respond, Catlin slid out of his ass

and something thick and hard took the place of his
mate’s cock in his ass. He realized the thick object must
be a butt plug and was surprised at how good it felt
when Catlin nestled it against his prostate. He gasped,
but had no words to ask what he was doing. His legs
were dropped. Catlin straddled him, and without a
word, the detective pulled a silver object from his own
ass and sank down on Gallo’s rigid cock.

His dick was enveloped in tight, sucking heat and

Gallo let out a shocked, strangled moan. His brain
clouded with confusion and fear.

“Gallo, look at me.”
Catlin’s voice cut through the fog, and he stared up

at his lover hovering over him. “You will fuck me and
make me come,” he demanded in a voice thick with
passion.

Gallo’s mouth opened, then closed, then he managed

to squeak, “Yes, sir.” His mate wanted this? No one
had ever wanted this before, not even Eli.

“Focus on me,” Catlin snarled again. His lover lifted

halfway off Gallo’s cock, dragging clenching muscles
across his over-sensitized flesh. “Now fuck me.”

Obeying was second nature to Gallo, and it didn’t

fail him then. He rocked his hips up, sliding his shaft
deeper into Catlin’s body. To his surprise, Catlin’s
groan held nothing but pleasure.

“Yes, faster, baby. Show me what you got.”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

Catlin’s whispers sounded more like a plea, but

Gallo obeyed anyway.

Sweat beaded on Gallo’s brow from his exertions,

only to drip down his temple. Gallo watched Catlin’s
lips peel back from his teeth in a feral grin as his mate
groaned and grunted, gasping and moaning in his
obvious enjoyment. The amazing sounds told Gallo
exactly how much he pleased his man, causing his own
enjoyment to build exponentially, hot pressure sending
spikes of pleasure throughout his system.

Catlin’s chest heaved. “Yesss, love,” he praised.

“That’s the way.”

The plug in Gallo’s ass rubbed against his prostate

with every move, and his balls pulled tight. The tingle
in the base of his spine intensified. He groaned and
struggled to hold back his orgasm. He bucked up into
Catlin, striving to bring his lover to completion.

“Claim me,” Catlin whispered.
Gallo froze for a split second before ancient instincts

took over. He released the headboard and grabbed his
lover’s upper arms tightly. Lunging forward, he bit
deep into Catlin’s shoulder. His canines sank into his
mate’s flesh and Catlin’s blood flowed over his tongue.
Catlin groaned and his body convulsed. His warm seed
spurted from his dick, coating both their stomachs and
chests.

“Come.”
Hearing the gasped word, Gallo moaned around the

flesh in his mouth. He shuddered. His eyelids slid shut
as a heady wave of endorphins crashed through his
body. His cock swelled and his seed flooded his mate’s
rectum. Ecstasy zinging through him, clouding his

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mind, it took Gallo a moment to release Catlin’s neck
and lick the bite clean.

He opened his eyes and saw Catlin’s breathing was

just as ragged as his own. Catlin was grinning down at
Gallo with so much affection in his eyes that Gallo had
to swallow hard.

His cock softened and slipped from Catlin’s ass. The

bigger man leaned down and gave him a soft kiss.
“Thank you.”

Gallo didn’t know what he was being thanked for.

When Catlin leaned down to the foot of the bed and
retrieved a warm cloth, Gallo marveled at what had just
happened. His mate had controlled the encounter even
though Gallo had ended up with his cock in Catlin’s
ass. He’d been able to claim his mate.

He grunted softly, enjoying his mate’s care as Catlin

gently pulled the plug from his ass. After cleaning him
up, his lover pulled Gallo against his chest, half-
sprawled on him, and settled the comforter over them
both.

“Why did you thank me?”
“Because you trusted me enough to do what was

necessary for you to claim me, baby. Because now I get
to keep you and love you for many years to come,” he
replied.

Gallo’s heart stuttered. “You love me?”
Catlin cupped his cheek and pressed a chaste kiss to

his lips. “I love you very much, Gallo.”

“I love you, too,” he replied, knowing he was

sporting a goofy grin.

He’d almost drifted to sleep when Catlin’s quiet

voice prodded him back to wakefulness. “Baby?”

Catlin’s Appaloosa

“Hmm?”
“I can’t really leave my job,” he murmured, and

something in his tone had Gallo cracking an eyelid
open. The pensive look on Catlin’s face worried Gallo.
“Would you be willing to stay here with me?”

Gallo hadn’t even thought about that. First, he’d

worried about his memory. After that came back, the
rogue vampires needed everyone’s attention. Then the
problem of claiming his mate consumed his every
thought. Good thing Catlin planned ahead. Catlin
tensed underneath him, and Gallo realized he hadn’t
replied yet. “Yes,” he blurted. “I want to stay with
you.”

The tightness in Catlin’s body drained away. “Good.

Good.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Nine

he next evening, Catlin came home from work,
which had consisted of tons of paperwork to help

Brock close the case, to see a dozen motorcycles
outside his home. His brows rose. He hadn’t realized
there were that many men in Gallo’s gang. Striding up
the walk, he spotted his front door open and heard rock
music blasting.

He stepped into the front room where no less than

eight different big men hailed him with congratulations.
Catlin’s brows shot up as a number of them came over
and patted him hard on the back. He actually had to
lock his knees to keep from stumbling.

Gallo peered out of the kitchen. Seeing him, he

squealed with glee and leaped into his arms. Catlin
caught him easily, claiming his man’s mouth in a deep
kiss. He didn’t know how it was possible, but somehow
ten hours was just too long to go without seeing his
lover. After reacquainting himself with Gallo’s tonsils,
Catlin broke the kiss and asked, “What’s going on? Are
all these guys from your gang?”

Nodding happily, Gallo told him, “They want to take

Catlin’s Appaloosa

me running tonight.”

“Running?” It took him a moment to comprehend

what Gallo meant. “Oh, your horse?”

Gallo nodded again. “Can I go?”
“Of course, baby.” Setting him down, Catlin glanced

around at everyone. “Is this an outing only for shifters?
Or can I come? I’d love to see your appaloosa again.”

“Sure,” Kontra replied from beside him.
Catlin barely stopped himself from leaping out of his

skin at the man’s sudden proximity. He had no idea
how the massive mountain of a man moved that quietly.

Kontra smirked, his knowing eyes taking in his

reaction. “You can keep Ben company.”

“Ben?” He looked around curiously.
The ranks of men parted, revealing a slender brunet

standing next to a large African with dreadlocks. Seeing
everyone’s attention on them, the pair made their way
over. “I’m Ben Moore,” the smaller man said. He held
out a hand, which Catlin took. “I’m human, too.”

Chuckling, Catlin released the hand and nodded.

“Good to know.”

“Hey, can I swim in your pool later?”
Catlin turned and spotted a short, flamboyantly

dressed man with frosted black hair and brown eyes
staring hopefully up at him. “Uh, sure,” he replied.
“You can use it now if you want.”

The guy giggled. “I think the neighbors would be a

little concerned if they saw a penguin swimming in
your pool in broad daylight,” he teased.

“Penguin?” he whispered the question, looking at

Gallo for confirmation.

Gallo must have sensed his bewilderment, for he

Charlie Richards

wrapped an arm around him and said, “This is Yuma.
He’s a penguin shifter.”

“Oh, right,” Catlin replied as if that explained

everything, and maybe it did. His head was spinning as
everything he’d learned over the last few days finally
caught up with him. Shape-shifters were real. Vampires
were real. He was in love with, and mated to, a man
who could change into a horse. God, he had so many
questions. But first, Catlin whispered, “I think I need a
beer.”

In a daze, he headed toward his kitchen. Men—

shifters— moved out of his way as he approached. He
grabbed a beer, popped the top, and chugged the
contents. Setting the empty bottle down, he reached for
a second with the same results. The third he took a
healthy swig from before resting the cold glass against
his temple.

When he looked around, he spotted his lover

standing in the doorway, worriedly nibbling his bottom
lip. Catlin took a deep breath, gave his man a tight
smile, and held out a hand to him. Relief filled him
when Gallo didn’t hesitate to come to him.

“Are you okay?” Gallo murmured the words into the

shirt covering his chest, making them hard to
understand.

Catlin cupped his cheek and tipped Gallo’s head up

so he could see his pretty blue eyes. “Yeah. I’m fine. It
just kinda all hit me at once. I just needed a moment to
wrap my head around it all,” he admitted.

Gallo let out a shuddering breath. “You—you

haven’t changed your mind?”

His heart clenched at his lover’s tremulous question.

Catlin’s Appaloosa

He brushed a soft kiss over the lush lips that he enjoyed
tasting so much. “Oh, baby, I’ll never change my mind
about you. You’re everything to me. It may take some
time, but we’ll figure everything out, together,” he
vowed. “Don’t ever doubt that you’re the only one I
want to have a relationship with.”

A beautiful smile lit up Gallo’s face, and Catlin took

his shifter’s mouth again. He slipped his tongue into
Gallo’s warmth, stroking the other man’s tongue with
his own. Relishing the way his lover tipped his head so
Catlin could deepen the kiss, he took slow possession of
his man. When his lungs burned for air a moment later,
he gently brought the contact to an end.

“Let’s eat something. Then I know the perfect place

for you all to take your run. We’re not too far from the
Carson National Forest.” The look of excitement on
Gallo’s face told Catlin he’d made the right choice, and
he planned to do everything in his power to see that
expression on his lover as often as possible.

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her
handsome, supportive husband. She started writing
fantasy when she was eight, and after stumbling onto
her first erotic romance at nineteen, she realized her
true calling. She now focuses on writing erotic
romance, often of the paranormal variety, with heroes
and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled
up with her laptop and a cup of tea or glass of wine,
creating her next story, which could pair a sexy hero
with an adventurous heroine… or maybe with another
handsome hero. Charlie enjoys horseback riding, jump
lessons with Apache, watching movies with her
husband, and listening to her muse tell her about her
next project.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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