One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Chapter One

T WAS

the fourth day of having his bandmate, Rory, as his

pretend “boyfriend,” and Benny had to admit it was going
better than he‟d hoped.

A huge sigh came rocketing through the dark from the

bed next to him.

“What‟s wrong?” Benny asked dutifully.
“Nothing,” came the expected reply.
Well, it would have been going well if Rory hadn‟t fallen

for the leader of the group they were performing for, head
over moony heels.

Benny rolled his eyes in the dark as the residual of the

music hummed through him, making it almost impossible to
lie still. Benny‟d gotten the group an amazing gig—a chance
to play a really small venue and try out some of their new
music in an intimate setting. Three consecutive shows for
their band, One Wish—and the one tonight had been a
cappella, and it had sounded like a fucking dream in the
outdoor amphitheater.

He‟d been so jazzed to have the request land in his lap

just when he‟d been wanting to try out the ballads taking
over his mind that Benny had eagerly had their new
manager, Les, sign the gig. It was essentially a private
performance for some kind of religious organization or
something, and he‟d talked over, ignored, and railroaded Les
until it was a done deal. It wasn‟t until he‟d come down from

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one of his almost manic highs of excitement that he‟d
realized they‟d laid down some very bizarre ground rules.

No photography or videography. Whatever. Rory had

been pissed, but Benny was secretly relieved that his initial
foray into the slower-paced, lyric-heavy music wouldn‟t be
recorded until he knew how it would sound.

Once the band arrived at the property containing the

venue, they could not leave until after their last show. Again,
he‟d shrugged. Why would they?

And everyone involved had to be in a committed

relationship. He‟d looked that one over at a loss several times
before hitting on the idea of pretending to be with Rory for
the duration of their stay. After all, they were long-time
roommates and had once been lovers, so acting the part
should be a snap. He knew they could pull it off… if he could
get Rory to go for it. He‟d used every bit of charm he
possessed to get his oddly distracted friend to come around.
Benny needn‟t have worried. Rory was his best friend and a
sexy guy, but his one flaw was that he was almost too
agreeable, too easily led. It was why they hadn‟t made it as a
couple. Benny preferred a bit more salt or spice to sweet.

It was their fourth night at the lodge, and the a cappella

show in the amphitheater had been a rush. Rory and Benny
had given themselves several hours to wind down before
going to their shared bed, but apparently that wasn‟t enough.
Rory was tossing and turning, and Benny could tell he had
Jared on his mind. The tension between his friend and the
huge, hunky owner of the lodge was palpable, and the fact
that Rory couldn‟t act on it, due to their deception, was
evidently driving him crazy. Benny tried not to think about
Jared‟s nephew, Curtis, or the crackle of sexual attraction

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that seemed to pull him to the big man‟s side whenever they
were in the same room together.

No, Curtis wasn‟t his type. Too… young, for lack of a

better word. Oh, he wasn‟t any younger than Benny
chronologically—they were both in their mid-twenties—but
while Benny had been playing in the cynical and dog-eat-dog
music scene since he was a teenager, Curtis seemed to have
led a very sheltered life, living quietly with his uncle and
extended family up here in the back of beyond. The lodge
was so secluded, Benny would never have been able to find
his way here if his GPS had gone out.

Rory broke his mental rambling with yet another

pathetic sounding sigh, and Benny knew it was time to give
up. “That‟s your third sigh in as many minutes, love. What‟s
eating you? And don‟t say „nothing‟ again, or I might have to
smother you with my pillow.”

“Dunno. Just… antsy, I guess.”
“Oh, that‟s much better than „nothing‟.” Benny‟s voice

dripped with sarcasm. Then it was his turn to sigh in the
darkness of the wee hours of the morning. “I‟m a little wired
too. Wanna mess around?” A little friendly sex might take
both of their minds off things. He ran his hand with easy
familiarity down Rory‟s side. They had an extensive history
together, in and out of bed. But since they‟d been at the
lodge, despite their constant fondling in public, neither man
had pressed for more in private. They shared a bed as part of
their ruse, which wasn‟t new for them, but they hadn‟t been
inclined to do anything more than chat and sleep.

Rory only chuckled in response, and Benny‟s pride took

a light hit. Ouch. “Oh, sure, laugh at the idea of sex with me.
You‟re great for my ego.” Suddenly unable to lie there for

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another moment, Benny stood. “I‟m going for a walk. Light
bright,” he warned a millisecond before he snapped the
bedside light on.

Rory groaned and squinted against the sudden

brightness then sat up and watched as Benny picked up his
shirt and slipped it on, adding his favorite white silk scarf
around his neck. “A walk? Where? Not outside alone. It‟s
dark, and there‟s probably animals and stuff out there.”

Ha. “Oh, quit being such a drama queen. I‟m only going

out to the parking lot, and they have lights out there. I just
want some fresh air. I‟m obviously not going to sleep anytime
soon, and I‟m keeping you up. Don‟t bother,” came the
second Rory opened his mouth to protest. “You know I am.”
Benny pulled up and fastened his jeans and slid his feet into
the old battered mocs he took everywhere. “Don‟t forget, I
know you. We‟ve shared space in one form or another for a
decade, yeah? So I know when I‟m bugging you.”

He walked over and leaned down to plant a sincere kiss

on Rory‟s lips. It was moments like this he regretted that
they weren‟t compatible as partners for real. “Get some sleep,
Ree,” Benny whispered reassuringly, inches from Rory‟s
concerned face. “M‟kay?”

“M‟kay. Be safe.”
Benny gave him a wink. “Don‟t worry about me, babe.

I‟m like a cat.”

“In the nine-lives way, or the land-on-your-feet way?”
Benny chuckled, picturing himself as a feline flailing for

position in midair. He was way too visual. “I was thinking
more the prowling-tomcat way, but those‟ll work too. And
no”—he held up a hand—“I‟m not going out looking for some
tail. Ha-ha. Just taking a breather.” Rory‟s expression

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relaxed just a bit, and Benny gave his friend one last smile
before heading to the door to their suite.

He walked out and headed for the big main staircase

down to the circular lobby of the mountain lodge. It was
quiet with no one in sight. A brief hit of disappointment
surged before he ruthlessly cut it off. Just because Curtis
Salinas was rightly in bed rather than waiting downstairs on
the remote chance Benny might appear…. Benny gave
himself a mental bitch slap. How conceited could he get? Get
over yourself, Oshiro. He’s not that into you, it’s not the time
or the place, and he’s not your type.

What? Liar.
Okay, tall and gorgeous with muscles on top of muscles?

Yes, physically he’s perfect, but c’mon. You’d be bored as
soon as you got off the first time. Maybe even before.

Yeah. You just keep telling yourself that.
The huge fireplace had mostly glowing coals with just an

occasional flicker of flame remaining. Four o‟clock, the
mantel clock told him. No wonder it was dead.

Benny headed out the huge front doors to the porch and

tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness as he moved through
the parking lot, aiming for the picnic table he remembered
being on the far side. The longer he was outside, the more
stars appeared, until it seemed there were millions scattered
in an uneven fashion across the looming black universe
above him.

A chill shook his frame, reminding him he hadn‟t

grabbed his coat. Even though it was summer, the nights at
this altitude could be very cold. It was more exhilarating
than uncomfortable, though, so he hopped up on the table,
thinking to lie back to watch for shooting stars.

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Instead, he saw stars of a different sort as something

impacted his upper back. Then pain exploded in his head
even before the stars disappeared.

URTIS

stepped out of the side entrance and walked along

the wraparound porch to the corner where it met the front.
Yet another night he was unable to sleep with the mating
call roiling inside him.

He‟d known as soon as he met Benny that he was his

mate. Or, as his uncle Jared had explained, could be his
mate. Technically, there wasn‟t one mate and one mate only
for shifters. You could meet several possible mates over the
course of a lifetime. It was whether they were available,
suitable, and there at the right time in your life that
determined whether you could or should act upon your pull.

Unfortunately, Benny was none of the three. He was

seeing Rory, though Curtis was dubious that they were as
close as they portrayed. Benny was known worldwide and a
media magnet—about the worst possible person to get close
to. And Curtis was in his period of celibacy prior to the
solstice ceremony during which he would come into his
powers. But Curtis was hard-pressed to think that he‟d ever
feel this way about another person in his life, ever have the
same overwhelming sense of rightness. The urge to claim
Benny, to keep him away from any… threat, was almost
overwhelming.

Curtis frowned. Why was he thinking threat? Just then

he noticed all the outside lights were off. Maybe the breaker?
Before he could turn to go inside, he caught a hint of
movement in the parking lot.

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He inhaled. Not one of his own. It was the all-too-

familiar mixed scent of Rory and Benny, but it was difficult
to distinguish which man it was. After he went through the
change in a week‟s time and came into his powers, he would
not only be able to tell which man it was, but would be able
to see him clear as day. Right now, though, he was
hampered by his only slightly enhanced human state.

Now movement on the porch by the front door. Even in

the poor light, he could tell this one was Rory, which meant
the man on the far side of the parking area was Benny. He
froze in place, not wanting Rory to see him and think he was
spying on Benny.

Rory walked tentatively out through the dark parking lot.

Curtis could hear his low voice. “Fuck,” he whispered. “Ben?”
he called in a slightly louder tone. “Benny?”

Suddenly the scent of blood overwhelmed Curtis.

Benny‟s blood. Rage boiled up inside him, bringing with it a
burgeoning well of power. He dropped helplessly to his knees,
instinctively scrabbling at the fastenings to his clothing as
the rapidly submerging rational human was overtaken by the
rising change. In a dim part of his mind, he knew it was too
soon, that he needed to get help. But the smell of his mate‟s
blood colored his perception red, and he lost all will to fight
what was happening within him.

Freed of his clothes, he hovered in between states for a

moment before his mind seized on the image of a wolf, the
shape his uncle preferred. A moment later it was so. He
bounded to his feet and took off running even as he heard
Rory scream. “Ben!”

Almost instantly across the darkened lot, his vision now

acute, he stopped a short distance from Rory. No Benny in

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sight. Crouching as Rory turned, he could instantly scent
the worry turn to fear when Rory saw him and froze, holding
Benny‟s bloody scarf loosely in his hand. Curtis sprang
forward, snapping his jaws around the fabric, and pulled it
from Rory‟s fingers.

“Hey!” Rory‟s exclamation followed him into the night as

he turned all his senses toward tracking his injured mate.
Whoever had him was dragging him, according to the
evidence on the ground. A growl gathered in his throat, and
he picked up speed. He hit a gravel road and stopped as the
visual trail became more difficult to distinguish and he had
to use his senses of smell and hearing.

Wheeling to the right, he arrowed down the roadway,

then slowed to a silent prowl as he rounded a curve, not
wanting to miss the trail if they suddenly went off the road.
The trail led to a seldom-used side road opening into a
clearing. His gaze narrowed on a large vehicle with a
motionless figure lying on the ground behind it. Benny. He
scanned for danger, but the sight of his mate quickly
overcame his caution as he moved forward more quickly now.
He didn‟t see anyone inside the Hummer, but he was too low
to the ground to get a good look.

As if in response to that thought, he felt a disorienting

haze flow through him, almost as if he was on the verge of
fainting; then he realized he had the rocky ground under his
hands.

Hands.
He had regained his human form, but that probably

wasn‟t the worst thing since he would need arms to carry
Benny. Rising cautiously, he peered into the Hummer and

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didn‟t see anyone. He knew the assailant had to be around
somewhere. Where could he have gone?

Then Benny groaned from beneath him, and he dropped

to his knees next to him, heedless of the stones beneath his
knees. The smell of his own blood was suddenly in the air,
and mixed with Benny‟s, it was a heady combination.

All at once, Curtis‟s efforts at restraint, in holding

himself back from Benny this week to protect him, didn‟t
seem so important anymore. Never having chanced being
with a more fragile human, very conscious of his physical
size coupled with his latent powers, he‟d tried his damnedest
to keep from touching his potential mate. Oh, he knew deep
down that no matter what Benny and Rory portrayed, they
weren‟t in the intimately involved relationship they claimed.
At least not presently, though the familiarity with which they
interacted bespoke a past connection. No—when Benny
looked back at Curtis, it was with a mutual interest and heat
he knew was reflected in his own eyes.

An interest he couldn‟t act upon at this vulnerable

crossroads in his alpha training. By the time he had enough
control to touch Benny, the man would be long gone.

Damn it! Of all the fucking timing.
Benny‟s eyes fluttered open and slowly blinked as he

appeared to try to focus on Curtis, bringing him forcibly
back to their current predicament. “Curt?”

“Yeah, I‟ve got you.” He began to carefully slide his

hands under Benny‟s shoulders and knees, kicking himself
for his damned scruples. It was just wrong that the first
time he touched and held Benny was when he was injured
and in danger. Damn his automatic obedience to his alpha
and clan laws.

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A metallic click that could only be a safety disengaging

froze his motion.

“Stand up!” a voice ordered from a few yards away in the

depths of the tree line surrounding the clearing. Curtis
slowly raised his head and stood as ordered, his newly acute
vision finally spotting the man dressed in all black pointing a
gun directly at him. He could just make out a smallish tent
in the trees behind the man.

“Now back away from him.”
An ill-timed groan from Benny had him looking down,

and he met Benny‟s uncomprehending, drugged stare.

“Back up!”
He was helpless to stop the growl that bubbled up from

inside at the thought of moving away from his injured mate,
and he shook his head as he narrowed his gaze on the man,
mentally gauging whether he could get Benny and himself
behind cover of the Hummer before the lunatic could get a
shot off.

The man either read his mind or had the same thought,

because an instant later he heard the shot just as pain
impacted his deltoid. “Uh.” He staggered back a step, trying
not to tread on Benny, as his eyes went automatically to his
upper shoulder. Dart.

Oh fuck.
Curtis could feel himself losing his already tentative

hold on his magic, and as his head became woozy, he felt the
newly discovered and disconcerting moment before the
change came over him, way faster than earlier on the porch.
It was as if sheer muscle memory was kicking in, because he
had zero control, and it took no effort at all. When he hit the

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ground next to and partially atop Benny, he was already a
wolf.

“Holy shit….” Benny‟s voice seemed tinny and distant,

but it caught Curtis‟s attention, and with effort, he raised his
head to look at his mate, dimly satisfied to be touching him
but vaguely concerned that he was forgetting something. He
felt Benny‟s hand stroke him lightly and keened with
pleasure deep in his throat.

Then Benny was leaving, moving away. No! He reached

out and watched bemusedly as his paw changed to a hand
before his eyes.

“Leave him alone!” Benny shouted. Then another sharp

report, and he landed with a thud atop Curtis, whose arms
instinctively went around Benny. The black-clad stranger
came into his vision, and he tried to marshal a defense, but
the sucking effect of the tranquilizer held him immobile as
another dart plunged into his chest from a short distance
away and everything went black.

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Chapter Two

“

ENNY

. Benny, love, it‟s me. Rory. C‟mon. Open your eyes,

babe.”

It was Rory‟s voice floating into his darkness, but Benny

didn‟t know what to believe anymore. The touch on his face
was soothing, though when it glanced over a throbbing area,
the pain caused him to flinch away. Suddenly hands seized
and held him down by the shoulders as the litany took on
greater volume and urgency. Panicking, Benny surged
upward, trying to free himself from his captor.

“Ben! It‟s me.” Benny‟s eyelids finally obeyed the order

to open, and he saw Rory‟s worried face looming above him.
“I think he‟s been drugged.”

Thank God it was Rory. He had to warn him about their

former manager taking Curtis…. “Ree?” he croaked, barely
recognizing his own voice. “It was Richard,” he slurred,
unable to keep his eyes open.

“Shh, it‟s okay now. You‟re safe.”
Not okay. Curtis…. “No.” He forced the words through

the curtain over his mind, had to make them understand.
“Curt.” His own words followed him back into the void. “He
has Curtis.”

E AWAKENED

later to find the sun was up and Rory had

been replaced with Buzz and Pierce, who looked ridiculously

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shattered as they spoke in low tones across the room. “Hey,”
he whispered, and they immediately rushed to his side.

“Man, are you okay? What the fuck happened?” Buzz

was almost growly in his upset state, and Benny felt a smile
tease the corners of his mouth before he remembered Curtis
and sobered.

“Is Curtis back?” He sat up, and the room spun wildly.

“Is he okay?” The last cryptic thing he‟d heard from Richard
before he blacked out was something about Curtis being way
more valuable than Benny.

The memory returned of Curtis standing naked over the

top of him, protecting him, then collapsing when he was shot
and turning into a large black wolf on the way down….

“Nah, not yet. They‟re all out looking for him. Rory too. I

can‟t believe Richard did this. Yeah, he was always a dick,
but….”

Benny swung his legs over the side of the bed. His

temple throbbed, and for a moment, he thought he was going
to be sick.

“Dude, lay down before you fall down.” Pierce tried to

push him back, but Benny impatiently batted his hand away.

“Guys, you can either help me or get out of my way.” He

was glad to hear his voice sounded much steadier than he
felt. The image of Curtis and the wolf and Richard‟s words all
tumbled in his mind.

He‟d been subtly chasing Curtis since he‟d arrived. Oh,

not enough to give away his and Rory‟s game, just flirting
and the like. And he‟d loved Curtis‟s fierce responses to his
interest, until last night, surprisingly, Curtis had cornered
him in the back of the pub and growled at Benny to leave
him alone.

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“I have something very important to do in the coming

month, something that defines me as a… man. You don‟t
understand. I can‟t afford to be distracted by you right now,
can‟t let my guard down. Not until I learn some control….”
His eyes had dropped to Benny‟s lips, and Benny‟s heart had
almost stopped with desire.

Then he‟d abruptly shaken his head before finishing

roughly, “Just let me be. Please.” Curtis had then strode
away, leaving a normally unflappable Benny shaking with
want, hard and in lust, and thoroughly confused.

Now, with what he‟d seen, some of the clues were

coming together to form an at-first unbelievable picture. The
weird stipulations in the contract. The fact that every man
here at the lodge was built like a Mack truck. Curtis‟s
obvious desire for him, tempered by his restraint. His cryptic
warning with the odd hesitation before the word “man.”

There was something different about the lodge‟s

residents. He pictured the moment Curtis had flashed into
the wolf and landed against him. The fur had been real—his
palm prickled as though he could still feel it under his hand.
And he‟d seen it happen—there had been no mistake, even
through his increasingly hazed, drugged state. The tactile
evidence proved it was more than a visual trick.

Werewolves? Really? But what else could they be?
It was too hard to think at the moment. He reached a

hand up to the source of most of his pain and found a very
large and painful lump covered with gauze near the hairline.

“They had to stitch ya,” Buzz commiserated. “Not going

to be the prettiest one anymore, Benners.”

“That was always Rory‟s job anyway,” he answered

automatically, his thoughts still churning. Then it hit him.

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Rory. Did he know? Should Benny tell him that Jared, who
Rory had really fallen for, wasn‟t exactly… human? Oh my
God, I’d sound like the world’s biggest nut case.

But you saw it. You felt it.
Could’ve been the drugs. Or the head injury maybe.
He shook his head, negating the excuses. No, Benny

knew what he‟d seen. And even though he didn‟t have any
sort of rational explanation for it, he was humble enough to
realize there were a lot of things in the universe he didn‟t
understand. Didn‟t mean they didn‟t exist.

“C‟mon. Help me out front.” Benny gestured to his

bandmates until they braced him on either side as they
walked into the lobby, yakking in stereo right in his ears
until he snapped and told them to put a lid on it. Just as he
was about ready to give in to the headache and abort the
excursion, his eyes caught on activity around vehicles
outside the front of the lodge.

Extricating himself from Buzz and Pierce, he walked

rapidly to the front porch and down to Rory, who was
watching Jared pull an unconscious Curtis from the truck
they‟d pulled up in. Jared carried Curtis quickly and way too
easily up the steps of the lodge. “Oh God, is he okay?”

“Hey, what‟re you doing up?” Rory latched on to Benny.

“Oh, your poor head!”

“I‟m fine.” Benny waved off the concern impatiently.

“How‟s Curtis?”

Les had joined Buzz and Pierce, who crowded around

them as Rory answered, “They think he‟ll be okay. He‟s still
knocked out with whatever Richard used on you, but he
doesn‟t look injured.”

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“What about that asshole, Richard?” Benny was furious,

shaken by sight of Curtis brought low. “I can‟t believe he did
this. I always knew he was a vile weasel, but assault and
kidnapping? What was he thinking? He‟s fucking nuts!”

Rory dropped his head, guilt plain on his face.
“Hey.” Benny‟s heart lurched, and he gentled his voice

and forced Rory to look up at him. “What‟s this?”

“It‟s my fault.”
“What?”
Rory explained that their former manager—and Rory‟s

ex-boyfriend—had used a power of attorney Benny hadn‟t
known Rory had signed to clean out most of Rory‟s savings.
No wonder he‟d been so distracted and worried lately. That
vile asshole. Knowing Rory as well as he did, he knew the
betrayal of trust was eating him up inside.

“I didn‟t want to tell you guys, because I didn‟t want to

hear—”

“„I told you so‟?” Benny finished for him gruffly. “You

stupid fucker. Of course we‟d say that. But we wouldn‟t
think any less of you. Jesus, you‟re human. Everyone fucks
up sometimes, but it wasn‟t your fault. He’s the criminal.
Not you.”

“I thought I‟d shut him down when I closed the last

account. I never dreamed he‟d try using you to get to me. I
don‟t even know how he knew where we were. This was just
a private gig-slash-vacation, not on the schedule.”

Buzz cleared his throat, and they all looked at their

camera-happy drummer. “Sorry, man. I didn‟t know.”

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Rory figured it out first. “Your blog.” Buzz was always

sending snapshots to his boyfriend, Skip, who posted them
up on Facebook and Buzz‟s blog on the group‟s website.

“Yeah. He follows it, I‟m sure. We put up pics and

stories, and I kinda mentioned the name of the lodge. Hell, I
thought it was only fair, give them a bit of publicity, you
know?” Buzz added defensively.

“And with all the shots of you two making out, he saw

an opportunity to score,” Pierce guessed. “Crazy fucker. But I
don‟t get why he‟d dump Benny for Curtis. How did he know
he was connected to money?”

As soon as Rory looked hesitantly at Benny, Benny

could see that Rory knew Curtis and Jared‟s family‟s secret.
Benny frowned at him warningly.

Rory gamely winged it. “Oh, you know how he has lots

of connections and is always online. He probably recognized
him from a picture.” The three clueless members of their
group nodded, accepting that idea, and Benny relaxed as
Rory—never a good liar—sagged in relief.

Now maybe I can go see Curtis.
First, though, Benny slid an arm around his distressed

bandmate‟s shoulders, who turned to him and teased, “And
what are you doing up? I think you need a trip to the
infirmary.”

He blushed at the thought that he was so easily read.

They walked to the room Benny had just come from and
found that Curtis had regained consciousness and was
sitting up. It took one smile from Jared to have Rory jumping
into his arms, and Benny smiled to himself as he
approached Curtis.

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“C‟mere,” Curtis rumbled, beckoning him. Giving him a

tug, he pulled and guided Benny until he was straddling
Curtis‟s lap. “Are you okay?”

“Are you?” he returned, resting his forehead gently

against Curtis‟s and trying to ignore the arousal the position
was engendering.

“Hey, take it easy on the patient, you spaz,” Rory called

from across the room. Reminded of their presence, Benny
flipped him off over his shoulder, and Curtis flushed.

Jared settled into a chair near the bed with Rory on his

lap. “I was just telling Curtis that Richard has been arrested.
And with the evidence of theft, trespassing, kidnapping, and
assault, at the very least, we shouldn‟t be bothered by him
for some time.”

“What if he got hold of some awful people and told them

where you are?” Rory sounded frantic.

“It‟s possible, but I doubt he‟d have given away much

without being sure of his payout. It was such a spur-of-the-
moment thing, taking Curtis, that he would‟ve had to start
from square one trying to find a „buyer‟. We have some
computer techs working on finding out exactly what he
managed to accomplish before we found him.”

“We‟ll be fine.” Curtis added his reassurance to his

uncle‟s, then lowered his voice for just Benny‟s ears. “I guess
we need to talk, though, huh?”

“You mean about the furry thing? Um, yeah. But it can

wait.”

The door opened, and a man Benny vaguely

remembered seeing around the lodge came inside, shaking
his head at the sight of Benny atop Curtis.

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“You. That bed.” He gestured firmly from Benny to the

other cot. “Go on, I need to look at both of you.”

The doctor took over, efficiently assessing both of his

patients before pronouncing them fit to leave the infirmary…
but only to go to their own rooms for the rest of the day.
Exhaustion was catching up to Benny at this point anyway,
and though he didn‟t want to be separated from Curtis, he
didn‟t have the energy to protest as Curtis was led away by
Jared, and Rory pulled him along to the elevator up to their
floor.

Rory fussed over him until he was tucked into their bed;

then he hovered uncertainly.

“I‟ll be okay. Go ahead. I know you want to be with

Jared. But first, um….” Benny paused, not sure how to bring
up the wolf thing. “Have you noticed anything… different
about these guys?”

His best friend looked at him warily. “Have you?” he

evaded.

Benny mentally rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it was a little

different when Curtis changed into a wolf and landed on top
of me.”

Rory‟s lips twitched, and he fought a smile. At the sign

of his bandmate‟s amusement, Benny was hard-pressed to
keep his own bubble of laughter at bay, and his own smile
grew into a grin. Then suddenly they were both laughing
hysterically, Rory flopping helplessly down on the bed next to
Benny as the hilarity seized them in its grip. A part of Benny
realized they were just letting off steam from the stressful
events of the past day. But every time he started to get hold
of himself, his eyes would catch Rory‟s, and they‟d be off
again.

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“Oh my God.” Rory gasped, his familiar face flushed,

head thrown back on the pillow. “He pounced on you?”

“No, more like… fell. I don‟t think he‟s really got the

hang of it yet. Well, and the tranquilizers didn‟t help.” They
chuckled together for a few more minutes before falling into
thoughtful silence.

Rory turned over toward him and absently stroked his

arm. It felt nice in his descent into sleep. “So Curtis likes
being a wolf too. Like Jared. I wonder if it‟s a family thing.
I‟m still pulling for a dragon, but I think he‟s probably just
kidding me.”

Frowning at the strange turn of conversation, Benny

tried to mentally sort through Rory‟s ramble but got nowhere.
“What?”

“Well, Jared explained that they‟re shape-shifters, not

werewolves. He just likes taking that, uh, form for some
reason.” Rory flopped onto his back, jiggling the bed. “We
didn‟t get into it too much, but I got the impression they‟re
not limited to what they can shift to.”

“Not a werewolf. Huh. Well, that‟s… good? I guess?”

Benny yawned, then made a frustrated sound in his throat
as Rory rolled onto his side, jostling him once again.

“Sorry, Ben.”
“Will you stop it?” Benny sighed in resignation. “C‟mere.”

He lifted his arm, and Rory immediately scooted back into
their familiar spooning position. He felt a twinge of regret
that, going forward, they would each be wishing for another
strong set of arms, but right now, he was glad to have the
warmth against him as his eyelids grew heavier and his
focus softened.

“Get some sleep, Ben.”

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“You too, love,” he mumbled. An errant thought popped

into his head, giving him a last little dose of adrenaline,
enough to check. “Jared‟s not going to freak out if you sleep
here, will he? I mean, I‟ve had enough excitement for one
day.”

“Don‟t worry. I can handle Jared. And more importantly,

he can handle himself. I‟d be more worried about Curtis if I
were you.”

Rory‟s words had seemed to come from far away, but he

made an effort at responding. “Mmm-hmm.”

“Benny?” A hand reached back and patted his hip gently.

“Sleep.” The word followed him down into the void as he
turned word to action.

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Chapter Three

uncle‟s arm around him was at once a help and

hindrance. Curtis was still woozy enough to realize he‟d be
using the walls for support without Jared‟s presence. At the
same time, he didn‟t want to be going in the opposite
direction of Benny, who was being pulled along back to his—
their—room by Rory.

Curtis growled low.
“How can you stand the thought of Rory still sharing a

room with Benny?”

His uncle smirked, but his gaze was sympathetic. “Lots

of control. I know I can trust him. And yes, even knowing
that, my inner self doesn‟t want him touching or being alone
with anyone else. But that‟s not realistic, so….” He shrugged
as they stopped at door to Curtis‟s suite.

Jared pulled out his passkey and swiped the door before

ushering Curtis inside. “Come on. Let‟s get you in bed before
you fall over and I have to carry you.”

“Ha,” Curtis responded automatically, his mind still on

the dark-haired singer on the opposite end of the lodge. He
wondered if Benny was in bed yet. Whether he‟d undressed….

Stop it, he told himself. He shrugged off his uncle‟s

guiding hand and strode to his bedroom with an assurance
and energy he didn‟t feel.

“I‟m glad to see you are dealing with your attraction to

Benny so well.” Jared followed Curtis inside his room

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uninvited and sat on the edge of his bed while Curtis
rummaged for his own clean clothing, dying to get out of the
random T-shirt and sweats Jared had helped him into earlier.

Curtis shot his uncle a glare, not happy with the

reference to his ill-timed crush on Benny. “Don‟t worry. I
know the timing sucks. I get it.”

Jared sobered. “Even more so now that you‟ve released

your powers too soon somehow. We‟ll have to see what this
means as far as your long-term control and ability to wield
them.”

The serious tone of voice stopped Curtis in mid-motion

of removing his shirt. “What?” He felt a wave of vertigo and
resumed undressing.

His uncle nodded to him. “Go ahead and get comfortable.

We‟ll have plenty of time to talk after you get some rest and
get the residual of the tranq out of your system.”

“No, I think we should talk now,” Curtis countered as he

finished undressing and headed to the bathroom. “Stay right
there.” He caught a glimpse of Jared‟s shocked expression in
the mirror as what he‟d just said hit him. He quickly
tempered his command with, “Please, sir?”

Crap, where had this aggressive side of him come from?

He‟d better rein it in before he challenged his alpha beyond
even his patient limits. Frustrated, he made quick work of
cleaning himself up and returned to find his uncle right
where he‟d left him, an unreadable, closed expression on his
face.

Uh-oh.
“Sorry, sir.” He bowed his head in a show of obeisance.
No response from Jared. Curtis kept his gaze on the

floor as he dressed himself, hoping he hadn‟t screwed up too

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badly. His gut roiled not only at the thought of displeasing
his uncle—like a father to him—but also at disrespecting his
alpha.

Half his mind on Benny, and exhausted from his ordeal,

he waited silently, almost overwhelmed with all the opposing
thoughts and emotions surging within him. Underlying it all
was a feeling of barely tapped power, which trying to control
felt like trying to stuff a feather pillow into a suitcase—
pushing it down in one area just made it rise elsewhere.

With his body idle and his aggression in check, his

senses had opened enough so that he heard the rumbling of
dozens of conversations happening throughout the building,
could discern hundreds of separate scents… including that
of Benny. He tried to control the upwelling of desire and
worry, ruthlessly pushing it down, telling himself Benny was
safe. Was in bed.

With Rory.
A small, involuntary sound bled from his throat, and he

swallowed against it, redoubling his efforts to concentrate on
his alpha and his alpha alone. It was almost impossible.

Jared‟s hands landed on his shoulders, and Curtis

almost sagged in relief as some of his tension instantly
dissipated at the knowledge that his uncle wasn‟t too upset
with him if he was offering his touch.

“Curtis.”
He chanced a glance up at his uncle. Pride and concern

warred in the older man‟s eyes.

“Yes, sir?”
“Let‟s sit.”

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Without hesitation, Curtis preceded his uncle to the

sitting area in the other room.

Once they settled, Jared ratcheted his stress level back

up by starting with, “You challenged me in there. That‟s
never happened before.”

Instantly hot, Curtis bit his tongue to keep from

interrupting as his uncle continued. “It‟s not entirely
unexpected. After all, you are my heir and the strongest of
the young alphas. But this makes the early advent of your
powers all the more concerning. As does the proximity of
Benny and your fixation on him.”

“But—” He cut off his protest at the look in Jared‟s eyes.
“But nothing. Hear me out.” Jared waited until Curtis

acknowledged him with a curt nod before going on.

“You have incredible potential. The way you‟ve handled

yourself is well beyond what would be expected of you at this
stage… by anyone other than me.” Jared smiled ruefully. “I‟ll
freely admit that I have higher standards than anyone,
especially where you‟re concerned.” He paused and narrowed
his gaze. “Except maybe for yourself.”

The observation hit home in a big way. Curtis knew that

most of his frustration was due to disappointment in himself
for his lack of control. He wanted to master the new abilities
coursing randomly through his mind and body… now.

Not the least of which would be control of his strength

and magic so he could lose himself in Benny without
inadvertently hurting him.

Jared smirked at him, apparently catching the direction

of his thoughts. “You‟re still a long way from being able to
take on a human partner.”

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“I know.” Curtis combed his fingers through his hair

and blew out a breath. “I just don‟t want to let him go.”

His uncle sobered. “He might not be the one, Curtis.

Remember that. And with his high profile….”

“That‟s not stopping you with Rory, is it?” he lashed out.

His alpha raised a brow but didn‟t otherwise react to his
outburst. “I can sense you‟ve accepted him, for all that there
hasn‟t been a formal announcement. And he‟s just as
publicly visible as Benny.”

“To a point,” Jared returned levelly. “Rory is much more

introverted than Benny. Benny is a true media darling and
the frontman for the group. How are you going to feel when
he‟s away on tour, and he‟s linked to other partners in the
press? Or photographed with strangers on his arm?” The
images conjured up by Jared‟s words burned like acid in his
gut. “His life is on the road, and Benny seems to relish that. I
accept that Rory will be away a lot.” A touch of frustration
finally showed in his uncle‟s heretofore stoic expression. “Yes,
it‟ll about kill me to have him gone. But I know he leads a
quiet lifestyle compared to Benny and Buzz. My hope is that
he‟ll spend his future downtime here at the lodge. Anyway,
we‟ll work it out.” Jared shrugged. “Perhaps you two could as
well… far down the road. But right now, you need to focus
on harnessing your abilities, completing your alpha training,
and preparing yourself for a future”—he stressed the word—
“mate, who may or may not be human.”

Curtis caught himself shaking his head, negating the

thought of anyone in his life but Benny. His uncle‟s knowing
and slightly pitying look was starting to grate on his last
nerve.

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“Meanwhile, I‟ll speak to Rory about keeping our nature

from Benny.” Curtis grimaced, and his uncle‟s expression
turned wary.

“It wasn‟t just Rory who saw you?” he surmised with a

sigh.

Curtis reddened as his understandable but no less

irritating lack of control over his burgeoning powers was
once again topic for discussion. “No. Benny woke up just
before I was shot the first time. I kind of… shifted midfall.
On top of him,” he added quietly.

“What form?” Now his uncle sounded curious, but there

was an amused undertone. Fucker.

“Both times it was a wolf.”
“Hmm.” Jared stared at him thoughtfully. “And you

weren‟t in control either time, right? The shift happened
unexpectedly?”

Curtis nodded to confirm, now interested to know where

his uncle was going with this.

“Each of us has a line, a base form in which we are

most comfortable. Most of the time, your other half reveals
itself during the solstice ceremony. I had thought you might
be… something different. But a wolf is a fine line for a leader.”

Curtis scrutinized his uncle. Even though he was

keeping his thoughts private, he could sense his uncle‟s
confusion and… disappointment? “But you‟re a wolf. Right?
Wouldn‟t it make sense that I‟m one too?”

Jared went still and raised a brow. “Maybe. But your

father was of the line I‟d predicted you‟d follow.” There was a
sense of evasion. Something he wasn‟t telling Curtis. He tried
to reach out and probe his uncle‟s thoughts, only to be firmly
and painfully rebuffed.

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“Instead of being rude, why don‟t you ask what you

want to know?”

Chastened and rubbing his temple, Curtis wasted no

time in raising the question he had not been able to get any
sense of. “You are or are not a wolf?”

Jared pressed his lips together as he appeared to think

for a moment and come to a difficult decision. “That is the
public face I put on for the clan as a whole. I settled on the
wolf a long time ago to protect my true line. All but a few of
us are gone or assimilated. Let‟s leave it at that. There‟s no
point in delving into it now that you‟re—”

“But what if I‟m not a wolf?” Curtis interrupted, unsure

of where his uncle had gotten the certainty of his line.

Jared frowned at the interjection, then relented to

answer, “If one of us is overly stressed or injured, our line is
the form we would revert to. In both shifts, you were a wolf.”

“Does it make any difference that I thought about being

a wolf? At least the first time.”

“What do you mean?” Jared demanded, his gaze

piercing Curtis.

Curtis tried to think back with clarity to the moment on

the porch when he had begun to shift. “I smelled blood—
knew it was Benny‟s. And I started to lose control. Somehow
I realized I was going to shift, so I started to remove my
clothing. That‟s when I pictured your wolf in my head. The
next thing I knew, I was on all fours.”

His alpha watched him closely for a moment before

carefully and neutrally venturing, “It might have made a
difference, yes.”

“Can‟t we just try it right now, see what happens? As my

alpha, you can force me into my base shape, right?”

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“No.” Jared was already shaking his head before Curtis

stopped speaking. “You need to get some sleep—clear your
head and rebuild your strength. And we absolutely cannot
attempt it while the humans are still here.”

“Why not?” Curtis persisted, wanting to get to bottom of

all the secrecy and Jared‟s reluctance to delve into specifics.

His uncle sighed. “The form is not one that‟s… easily

hidden or passed off a native animal to this area.”

“What. Is. It?” Curtis gritted out. He kept his eyes locked

on his uncle‟s, not giving a damn anymore whether he was
challenging his alpha or not. His future, his sense of self—
and, he instinctively surmised, something that affected his
future with Benny—was at stake here.

With a rare flare of temper, Curtis was pushed back by

a wave of power as his uncle‟s eyes glowed with an inner
light Curtis had never before seen. Unnerved, he
nevertheless continued to silently stand his ground.

“I am something which, should you prove to be of my

line, will force you to work harder, give more, and be held
accountable to higher standards than any other alpha
candidate you know. You will always have to reside away
from the population centers. And you will have to keep your
distance from anyone who can bring light to who we are.”
Jared met his gaze, absolutely serious and still as he
revealed his secret self to his nephew and heir.

“I am drákōn.”

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Chapter Four

Four months later

MILING

with contentment at the sight of Curtis‟s name on

his phone, Benny made an “okay” sign with his hand to Gilly,
his makeup artist, while answering, “Hey, babe. Hold on a
sec.” As soon as she removed the cape protecting his stage
outfit, he hopped up and strode to the corner of the room,
trying to get away from the din around him.

“Ten minutes!” Laurel bellowed, looking up briefly from

her smartphone before whirling around and leaving the
dressing room.

All the time in the world.
“Okay, that‟s better.” Benny settled down into the corner,

his back to the wall, helping with his personal sense of feng
shui. He pulled his knees up and watched the craziness from
the safety of his hiding spot as the various helpers finished
getting his three bandmates ready. “Where are you?” Rory
was looking great as usual, Gilly just touching him up.
Pierce was also on the phone, probably with his wife, who‟d
just learned she was pregnant. He watched absently as Buzz
and his longtime partner, Skip, got into yet another
whispered argument. Skip had recently lost his job and
joined them on the road, and the unusual togetherness was
not working for their relationship.

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“A better question would be where are you, since you‟re

in a different city almost every night.” Benny could hear the
smile in Curtis‟s voice. “Just to clarify, I already know you‟re
in Salt Lake City, and I‟m at the lodge as always, up in my
room to be specific. And I miss you,” Curtis added, his tone
lowering.

Benny pressed his lips together and inhaled sharply

through his nose to keep from getting emotional. Not an
option with this much makeup on and no time to repair. He
stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles.

“I miss you too.” With an ache he‟d never thought he‟d

feel for another person. When they‟d parted this summer, the
instant connection between them had been stretched but not
broken. Their time together had been too short, and Benny
had always known there was something weighing Curtis
down, holding him back. So he‟d done his part to make their
parting easier, backing off as requested… and keeping the
shape-shifting clan‟s secret. After all, they were practically
family, what with the connection between Rory and Jared.

Yeah, but you sure don’t feel brotherly toward Curtis.
It had been for the best. Benny‟s life revolved around his

band and music and had absolutely no routine or stability to
it. Meanwhile, Curtis had responsibilities that kept him with
his extended family. Responsibilities… and secrets.

Secrets that Benny was privy to, though he‟d scarcely

believed the evidence he‟d seen with his own eyes last
summer. And after that one sleepy, slightly disjointed
disclosure from Rory the day after the kidnapping, Rory had
shut his mouth tightly about anything to do with what
Benny thought of as the shifters‟ “secret selves.”

“Five minutes!”

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“I caught you too close to showtime. Sorry,” Curtis

apologized, and the discomfort radiating through the line
was palpable. “I call you too often, I know.”

“No!” Benny lowered his voice when heads turned his

way. “No, you don‟t. I just… sometimes I just don‟t know
what to say. Breaking away is going to be impossible for the
next few weeks.” He paused, having mixed feelings about
voicing his next thought. “Maybe I could come for a visit
when the tour‟s over next month? Come there with Rory?”

Curtis sighed over the line. Just as Benny was about to

retract his offer, Curtis broke his silence. “Sorry, I was just
thinking about the timing. Can I let you know? I‟m not sure
I‟ll be… done with my training.”

“Sure, babe,” Benny answered automatically, already

knowing that Curtis would eventually find a reason to say no
to a visit… yet again. Frustrated with the whole ridiculous
long-distance thing they‟d been somehow nurturing along,
he was seconds from telling Curtis he just couldn‟t do it
anymore.

“Two minutes, guys. Let‟s move!”
Benny took a deep breath. “I‟ve gotta go.”
“Yeah, I heard. Look, we‟ll talk soon. Okay?”
“Okay,” Benny easily agreed. Easy to go along when

there was no change from the status quo. They said goodbye,
and Benny disconnected the call, tossing his phone
carelessly on the floor just as Rory came over. He reached
down and helped Benny lever himself up from the floor.

“You okay?” Rory gave him a searching look.
Benny rolled his neck and ignored his friend‟s concern.

“Fine. Let‟s rock it.”

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RENCHED

with sweat, Benny ran offstage with a wave

when the lights went down at the end of the last set. He
headed straight to Scott and chugged the bottle of water he
handed him, then took the towel and mopped his neck and
bare chest before giving it back. Scott then handed him a
vest, which he pulled on and left unbuttoned down the front.

The crowd was still cheering and starting to

rhythmically clap in the universal request for an encore. The
four bandmates took their customary time, catching their
breath and waiting for the high sign from their stage
manager, Gideon. At that moment, Benny should have no
room for anything in his head except for the music and the
show. But the uncertainty of his and Curtis‟s quasi-
relationship was eating away at him. Was it really worth it?

“Back in two.”
Rory bumped him with his hip and shoulder. “Ready?”
“Get off me, sweaty boy.” Paradoxically he slung an arm

around Rory‟s shoulders, laughing when he pretended to
cringe away. “Might have to do me some grindage during the
encore now.”

“Mmm, bring it.”
Heart lightened a bit by the exchange, he made a snap

decision. “Hey guys—” He beckoned Buzz and Pierce in. “I
want to stay on after the encore and do „Calling You‟.”

Pierce shrugged his assent, and Rory gave him a

knowing look. “I‟ll need my acoustic setup—guitar, low mic.
A stool for you… single spot?” Before Benny could respond,
Rory turned away and jogged over to where Les and Gideon

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were waiting. After some quick talking and a bit of playful
begging, Rory sauntered back over to Benny with a smug
grin on his face. “They‟ll set it up after „Bounce‟. Buzz and
Pierce, you guys can just sit tight in the black until it‟s over.
Then we‟ll do the final bow and we‟re done.”

A bit disconcerted now that he was actually committed

to performing the song, Benny took a deep breath when
Gideon twirled his finger to signal it was time to retake the
stage.

They flew into “Bounce,” one of their biggest hits and a

crowd favorite. They dragged it out to about twice as long as
usual, the whole concert arena shaking with the upbeat tune.
The cheer from the ecstatic audience afterward was almost
deafening, and Benny felt his usual sense of proud
amazement at their accomplishment. The lighting went to
black, and the stagehands ran out onstage, delivering a stool
to the center X mark and one to about ten feet stage right.
They took his headset and handed him a wireless mic. He
then watched as they took Rory‟s guitar and, after he‟d
seated himself on the other stool, handed him his acoustic
one, which he immediately began to tune by ear, even
though it was probably already perfect. They set up a waist-
high mic in front of Rory and cleared the stage.

The crowd was still clapping and cheering, and Benny

settled himself on the stool and turned to Rory. In the
ambient light, he could see Rory give him a thumbs-up of
encouragement before signaling to the stage manager that
they were ready.

Rory played his way through the first two eight-counts

and paused. The first single spot hit Rory just as he picked

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up again, and the upwelling of the audience surged, then
waned as everyone began to listen.

The smile on Rory‟s face while he played the intro to the

ballad was enough to settle Benny‟s nerves, and he took a
deep breath. When Rory paused again, the second spotlight
hit him, and he said into the mic, “This is going out to two
people who are very important to us”—he watched Rory‟s
head snap up as he included him in the dedication—“who
couldn‟t be here tonight. It‟s a little number I wrote called
„Calling You‟.”

Rory led him into the song once more, and this time

when he paused, Benny began to sing.

“Once a constant presence,
Now you‟re far away.
Once I had the good life,
With you day to day.
Now the pieces that are missing don‟t seem to fall in place…
Calling you—
The light that shines, the road that winds, the evening light…
Calling you—
In every town, when I am down, and needing you…
Calling you—
There‟s nothing else that makes it right, your love is true.
My heart, my mind, my love, my soul…
I‟m calling you.”

Benny continued to pour his heart out in song, giving

voice to all of his uncertainty and longing. Rory improvised a
harmony during the last chorus, and they trailed off together
as Rory finished with a slow flourish on the guitar, the last
notes hanging in the air for a brief moment before a tidal
wave of sound broke over them.

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Startled out of the trance the song had thrown him into,

Benny kept his head bowed until the lights went off. Rory
was quickly there with an arm around his shoulder, then
Buzz and Pierce.

“Let‟s make this quick, guys. I‟m wiped.”
Rory said something low to the stagehand who had

come to grab his guitar. He nodded and ran offstage before
the lights came back up. The guys took their bows, and Rory
tossed his guitar pick into the grasping crowd. Then Buzz
took his turn winging his sticks out there—Benny was
shocked no one had ever gotten hurt, that he knew of—and
they all did another few waves before heading offstage.

This time when they hit the wings, they were

immediately led along corridor after corridor lined with
clapping arena workers and people with backstage passes.
Benny kept a smile on his face, but his emotional state was
not the usual satisfied high he usually had post-show. Rory
seemed to sense this and kept close by before pulling him
into his dressing room rather than the communal staging
room they had started the show from. As soon as the door
closed behind them, he pulled Benny into his arms for a
quick hug.

“That was amazing. And thanks for including me in the

ded. It‟s a perfect song for Jared and Curtis.” Rory turned
away, his usual emotional overspill taking effect. “I‟m going
to just….” He gestured with his cell phone that someone
must have handed to him on the way back. You didn‟t go
through the daily grind of a tour with a crew without them
knowing every little habit, and Rory called Jared the second
he could, every time he came offstage.

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Benny gave him a go-ahead smile and stepped into the

hallway to cross the short distance to his dressing room. At
the door, he spoke briefly to Laurel, then remembered his
cell phone and detoured to the staging room. He went to the
spot where he‟d left his phone and frowned. Fuck, where was
it?

He looked around for a minute, getting increasingly

pissed at himself. It had been pretty stupid to just throw it
down instead of giving it to Scott or Laurel.

Buzz‟s partner, Skip, walked into the room. “Hey, Benny.

Great show, man.” For all his effusiveness, Skip was
probably the last person Benny wanted to see. It‟d been a
strain on his and Buzz‟s previously solid relationship to have
Skip along on tour now that he was unemployed. Buzz was
usually as amped up as his name, but the past couple weeks,
it looked like there was trouble in paradise—their drummer
been chronically and uncharacteristically subdued. “So
what‟s up? You don‟t usually poke your head out of your
dressing room until you‟re all prettied up,” Skip observed in
a superior tone of voice.

Oh brother. “Just looking for my phone, and I‟ll get right

on that.”

“Is that it?” Skip waved toward the makeup counter,

and Benny saw with relief he was right. He quickly snagged
it. A glance at the screen showed several missed calls,
including one from Curtis. Not sure he wanted to talk just
yet, and certainly not around anyone else, Benny thought for
a moment, then turned it off. Just as he did, a chime came
from Skip‟s phone.

“Oh shit.” Skip went pale.
Benny frowned in concern. “What‟s wrong?”

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“It‟s Buzz. Oh shit.” He looked up at Benny, frantic.

“Can you come with me?”

“Sure, let me….” But Skip wasn‟t waiting, and Benny

found himself following in his wake as Skip rushed
unerringly through the busy maze of people backstage.
“Where is he?”

“By the unloading dock doors. I think he went to see

about his drum kit or something, and….” Skip trailed off but
didn‟t stop moving until they were past the crowds of people
and in some random industrial-looking area of the arena.

“I think he‟s in here.” Skip stopped before a door and

turned to Benny. “Wait here and I‟ll check.”

Thoroughly confused and getting chilly, Benny was

starting to think this was some big wild goose chase. Idly he
pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it back on,
thinking to listen to Curtis‟s message while he waited for
Skip to return. Then he saw motion and stepped closer to
the door Skip had gone in to see him bending over the
crumpled form of Buzz.

“Fuck! Buzz! Skip, is he okay?” He started to hit speed

dial for Laurel as he started forward.

“Oh, we‟ll have none of that now.” A strange voice came

from his right, and before he could protest, his phone was
snatched from his hand.

“What—” A blinding pain to his temple, the other one

this time, and Benny was thinking, Oh shit, not again, as his
knees buckled and he succumbed to the black.

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Chapter Five

phone call went to voice mail right away again, and

Curtis swore aloud.

What the fuck is going on?
He‟d been sitting downstairs in the lobby when his

phone rang about an hour earlier. He was surprised to see
that it was Benny, knowing he should still have been onstage.
But when he‟d answered, no one had been there.

Pocket dial, he‟d thought and put it out of his mind.
About a half hour after that, the same thing happened

again, only this time a strange man‟s voice laughed on the
other end. When he demanded to know who it was, they‟d
said, “You‟ll know soon enough,” and had hung up on him.

He‟d called back and left a voice mail for Benny to call

him. Doubt started nagging at him as his jealousy started to
prey on him. What was some random guy—and it wasn‟t one
of the band members, whose voices he knew—doing using
Benny‟s phone? Benny was almost rabid about his privacy,
so it had to be someone very close to him.

That, or maybe it had been stolen?
Neither scenario sounded very good to Curtis. The

enforced separation, the constant rebuffing of efforts to plan
a visit—especially when he desperately wanted to see Benny
again—were all starting to take a huge toll on Curtis. He was
so mentally preoccupied it drove Jared to actually walking
away from their training sessions at times, which was the

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last thing he needed. The sooner he had his drákōn self
under complete control, the sooner he could be with Benny.

Unable to wait until the solstice ceremony like the rest

of the young alphas, Curtis had persuaded his uncle to force
his base form to appear the very day the members of One
Wish had left the lodge. His reasoning was twofold: he
wanted to begin learning control as soon as possible, and he
needed a distraction from the sharp pain of letting Benny
exit his life that day. And both revolved around one eventual
and ultimate goal: claiming Benny as his mate.

It was killing him to have Benny so far away, to have let

him go without binding them together as Jared had bound
Rory. At least in their case, Jared had the commitment of
being mated to Rory to get him through their time apart.
With Benny, there was nothing tying them together. And
every day that passed, Curtis became more afraid that they
would never reunite. After all, why would Benny give up
what he loved to stay up here with Curtis? For it had been
made crystal clear that day in the meadow near the lodge
that Curtis was going to be bound to an isolated existence
just as Jared had been.

When he‟d knelt there in the circle and Jared had

pushed his strong magic through, over, around him like a
warm wave, he‟d closed his eyes and cleared his mind as
he‟d been instructed. And so the resulting shift into a
strangely comforting form had been extremely fast and easy.
When he‟d opened his eyes, the sight of a small-looking
human Jared far below him had startled Curtis backward.
That was when he‟d noticed his clawed feet with golden
brown scales and had realized the breeze was from him
flapping his wings for balance.

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“I’m a fucking dragon?” he‟d mentally sent to Jared.
“You are of my line, drákōn. My heir.” The pride and

empathy on Jared‟s face at that moment was a precursor to
months of nonstop training.

Since then he‟d worked to develop all of his abilities, not

just shifting, as well as control over his magic. One area he‟d
refused to practice, however, was restraint during sex. He
had no desire to fuck anyone but Benny, and had put his
foot down when his uncle suggested it. Jared hadn‟t liked it
but grudgingly understood. So he had redoubled his efforts
to round Curtis‟s control in other areas and teach him the
tools to keep his power harnessed, submerged when it was
not under his conscious rein—such as when asleep, injured,
drugged… or climaxing. This last was accomplished—
sometimes successfully but occasionally not—during and
after some equally frustrating and satisfying phone calls with
Benny.

He hadn‟t slept with anyone since before Benny had

come to the lodge. And he‟d never slept with a human.

He didn‟t want anyone else. But self-pleasuring was

getting really old. He wanted the real deal. And soon.

As soon as it was safe.
Curtis tried Benny‟s number once more, and again, it

went straight to voice mail. Uneasy about the odd calls, he
decided to seek out Jared and have him call Rory.

Crossing the lodge, he rapped on his uncle‟s study door.
“Come in.”
Curtis opened the door just as Jared was obviously

saying goodbye to Rory on his phone. “Wait! Don‟t hang up,”
he hurriedly interrupted.

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“Hold on a sec, love,” Jared said into the receiver, then

pressed it to his shirt. “What‟s wrong, Curtis?”

Curtis suddenly felt foolish and about thirteen years old

instead of twenty-five. But his concern for Benny drove him
onward. “Can you ask Rory if Benny‟s okay?”

Jared‟s gaze narrowed thoughtfully on Curtis as he

replaced the phone to his ear.

“Rory, is Benny alright? Curtis wants to know.” A brief

pause. “I‟m not sure why.”

He listened for a while, then told Curtis, “He says the

concert went great, though Benny seemed to be missing you.
He was in Rory‟s dressing room up until about a half hour
ago when Rory called me. Have you spoken to him tonight?”

“Not since before the show.” Knowing that he‟d been fine

a half hour ago should have reassured him, but the phone
calls…. “Does he know if Benny‟s phone‟s been stolen?”

Jared pressed his lips together. “I‟m putting this on

speaker,” he announced, pressing the button and setting the
receiver down.

“What‟s wrong, Curtis? Why are you worried about

Benny?” Rory‟s concern came through loud and clear.

He explained about the two phone calls from Benny‟s

number during the time while they‟d been onstage. There
were some random noises from the other end before Rory
reported, “He‟s not in his dressing room or the staging room,
which is where his phone was. It‟s not here anymore either.
What‟s going on?”

Jared spoke, the command plain in his tone. “Rory, I

want you to get Les and the other guys and put the word out
to find Benny. Get a member of the security detail to stay

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within sight of you until I say otherwise. And keep your
phone on you. Call me back as soon as you know anything.”

“Jared, I….”
“Rory, love. Just do this okay? It‟ll be fine, I‟m sure. It‟s

just a precaution.”

A deep breath. “Okay. Love you.”
Jared glanced at his nephew, his expression serious.

“Love you too. Go on now.” He disconnected and immediately
dialed another number.

“Tom? Call and have the jet ready to go. File a flight

plan to Salt Lake City, departing in an hour. You‟ll be in
charge here while I‟m gone. I‟ll need two guards as well.
Thanks.”

Curtis burst out as soon as he hung up, “What about

me? If you think I‟m staying behind….” His gut was roiling
with turmoil and worry and anger at the whole situation. All
the „if‟s rolled through his mind: If he‟d only mated Benny
back in June…. If he hadn‟t told Benny again tonight he
couldn‟t visit yet…. If Curtis had done better and been more
focused on his training….

“I don‟t,” Jared informed him. “It might be a moot point

if we get a call that he‟s fine. But I have a bad feeling, and
you do too. I‟d tell you to stay here if I thought it would have
any effect. Don‟t think I‟ll waste my breath, though.”

It wouldn‟t be worth it. They both knew he‟d be going.

More than a little relieved that Jared wasn‟t going to fight
him on it, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared
at it, as if that would make it ring with good news, or maybe
even Benny‟s voice, any sooner.

Instead the desk phone rang, and Jared picked it up

immediately.

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“Hello? Hi, love.”
His lips pressed into a line, and Curtis‟s heart sank.
“Okay, we‟re flying down. No, just stay there in the

dressing room with your security detail until we arrive. You
can send the tour buses ahead and fly to the next venue.”

Jared took a minute to reassure Rory and bid his mate

good night and goodbye. Then he raised his gaze to Curtis.

“Nobody can find him. Benny‟s gone. So are Buzz and

Skip. No one has seen any of them since right after the
show.”

A ball of black rage and fear rose from Curtis‟s chest

into his throat and lodged there. What the hell is going on?

“Let‟s go.”

At first, Benny thought he was reliving the night this

past summer when their former manager Richard had tried
to kidnap him. The pain in his head, the drugged feeling, the
bone-deep chill. The feeling that something was missing,
wrong….

“Curtis!” he called out.
He tried to open his eyes; then he realized his eyes were

open, but it was still dark. No, wait, there was a tiny little
line of light—under a door maybe? Benny rolled over but was
stopped short of getting up by a tug on his wrist. Some kind
of restraint with enough slack for him to move around but
not enough to leave whatever he was lying on.

Clarity came quickly at that point. The text about Buzz,

following Skip down to the warehouse of the arena, then a
blow to the head. He had just enough slack to lightly touch

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the side of his head at the point that throbbed. At least they
didn‟t break the skin this time.

A groan came from the darkness to his right, and Benny

tensed then relaxed with a little rush of relief. At least he
wasn‟t alone. “Who‟s there?”

Stillness and a pause. “Ben?”
“Buzz! Oh my God.” He tugged at his restraints. “Fuck. I

can‟t get up. Can you move, or are you tied up too?”

“What the fuck is going on?” Buzz groaned then there

was a rustling sound. “Damn it! Somebody fucking tied me
up? Where are we?”

“I don‟t know. Some room. Maybe a warehouse.” Huh.

“Maybe we‟re still in the arena?” Benny looked around, trying
to remember what the place had looked like. Fuck. After as
many venues as they‟d played, he stopped noticing details or
tuned out his surroundings other than the immediate
performance and backstage areas.

“Hey!” Buzz yelled, and the sudden sound of his trained

voice filling the small room caused Benny to fill with
adrenaline.

“Shhh!” he warned. “We don‟t know who‟s out there.”
“But what if they‟ve left? Maybe someone else will hear

us.”

They argued for a few minutes before the sound of a key

in a lock shut them up in an instant. Benny was relieved
that Buzz had also fallen silent. It might work to their
advantage if their captors thought they were still
unconscious.

“Hello gentlemen. Comfy?”
Benny almost held his breath, and neither responded.

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“Don‟t bother. I know you‟re awake.” Benny now

recognized the voice he‟d heard right before he‟d been
knocked out. His head spun, and he wasn‟t sure if he‟d been
drugged again or if it was just from his injury.

The backlit form crossed the room to where Benny could

now see Buzz restrained in a sitting position with his back to
a large piece of equipment. It soon became clear from the
loud ripping sound of Velcro disengaging that Buzz was
being released from his restraints. He surreptitiously looked
at his wrists in the improved light and saw wide leather cuffs.
Benny tried to bring his hands together but couldn‟t reach.
Damn it.

“C‟mon. You‟ve been paid for.”
“What about Benny? I‟m not going anywhere without

him. Hey!” Buzz was yanked to his feet by the much larger
man.

“You‟re coming with me. He‟ll get his turn. Let‟s just get

this on.” The man pulled some kind of dark hood over Buzz‟s
head.

Benny‟s mind raced. Just some kind of ransom thing?

He wondered who was paying for Buzz‟s release—maybe Skip,
though he didn‟t have much money right now. He probably
had access to Buzz‟s accounts, though, and of course Rory
and Pierce would help him if needed. He tried to calm
himself by telling himself that they were obviously just
looking for money and not out to harm them… much. But
still, the sight of Buzz being herded out the door, protesting
loudly all the while, was hard to take.

The sound of the door closing behind them and the lock

reengaging activated his panic button. He struggled and

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pulled at his restraints until he‟d broken a sweat, then
finally fell back, tired and cold and shaky.

With nothing else to occupy his time, his mind went to

Curtis. Picturing the man simultaneously comforted him and
made him ache with regret.

I swear if I get out of this okay, I am not letting him put

me off, put us off, any longer. No way.

Benny let the determination he felt give him strength,

and tried to relax and prepare for whatever happened next.

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Chapter Six

“

HANK

God you‟re here.” Rory‟s exclamation became

muffled as he buried his face against Jared‟s chest. Jared
clasped his mate to him so tightly he finally began to squirm.

“Where were they last seen?” Curtis asked urgently. Too

many hours had passed for his comfort during the flight to
Salt Lake and drives to and from the airports. Where was
Benny last? his mind cried, but of course he was concerned
about Buzz and Skip too.

Rory knew what he meant, thankfully. “Benny left my

dressing room, I think to go to his own.”

“Take us there.”
The three of them moved quickly down a corridor, and

already Curtis could scent his mate, just a hint. No, not my
mate yet, he corrected sadly, determined to fix that at the
first possible moment.

The building was oddly busy at this time of the night,

but though workers looked at them as they passed, nobody
waylaid them. Finally, they stopped at a door, and Curtis
had a very strong sense of Benny having been here. His
scent trail was almost tangible. Probably sweating after the
show. The fact that he likely didn‟t shower before he
disappeared might make all the difference.

Rory pointed to another door. “That‟s his dressing room.

I assumed that was where he was going when I….” His face
crumpled. “When I told him to leave so I could call Jared,” he

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finished in an emotional whisper. Jared pulled him close and
soothed him, but Curtis didn‟t have time to reassure his
uncle‟s mate just then. He walked to the other dressing room
and opened it. No, he hadn‟t been inside. Instead he‟d gone….

“What‟s that room over there?” He pointed as he walked

to the door.

Rory visibly composed himself as he and Jared followed

Curtis, Jared letting Curtis take the lead since he was
obviously more in tune with Benny. “The staging room.
That‟s where we all gathered right before the show, to do
last-minute prep and so all Laurel‟s „sheep‟ are in the same
place.”

The phone calls suddenly sprang to mind. “Is this where

he spoke to me from right before the show?” They walked
inside the empty room. Rory pointed to the back corner.

“Yes, he was sitting on the floor back there.”
Benny‟s scent was all over the room, but almost as if he

could visually see a path, Jared knew he‟d walked to that
corner and then to the mirrored counter. His gaze went to
the door.

“He left this room….” Curtis walked out into the corridor

again, wishing the head start Benny‟d had didn‟t seem so
daunting. He turned right and started moving down the
corridors, not even having to pause as he made turn after
turn.

Coming around one corner, he stopped short, and Jared

and Rory almost ran into him. Skip and Buzz were
embracing on their knees on the floor before them.

“Buzz!” Rory ran toward them, helping them to their feet,

and Jared caught up to his mate with a growl as Curtis also
joined the group.

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“Rory! Oh my God. They still have Benny.” Buzz

sounded shaken and distraught.

“Where?” Curtis‟s heart was beating through his chest.
Buzz shook his head. “I don‟t know. Some warehouse

somewhere. I was there with him not too long ago, so it must
be pretty close. They took me out, said I‟d been paid for, and
put this hood on my head. Next thing I knew, I was thrown
in a van with Skip”—he glanced at his lover, who smiled
reassuringly at him, before finishing—“and we drove for a
few minutes until they dumped us out here. Skip got free of
his restraints first and then got me free. We were just trying
to find the way out, and that‟s when you found us.”

Curtis looked around, then took off in the direction

they‟d been headed.

“Wait!” Skip called, obviously upset by the whole ordeal.

“They said they were going to call you with a ransom demand.
Before they brought you out”—he turned from Curtis to
speak to Buzz—“they‟d said your, uh, ransom had been paid
and that they were going to call Curtis for Benny.”

Curtis rejoined the group and frowned. “How would they

even know about me? Wouldn‟t Rory or Les be the logical
ones to call?” He looked at his uncle and saw the speculation
in his eyes, felt his unease.

“I, uh….” Skip swallowed nervously. “They asked who

Benny was dating. And you guys have gotten so tight since
that time you all were at the lodge, I kind of gave them your
name.”

Fuck. He exchanged glances with his uncle, then

mentally shrugged. He‟d pay whatever he had to, to ensure
Benny‟s safe return.

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And after Benny was back safe… they’d be the ones

paying.

Checking his phone to make sure it was on, he quickly

directed his uncle, “Call Tom. Have any calls that come in at
the lodge for me forwarded to my cell. I‟m going after them.”
Jared nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

“Careful. Control,” he reminded his nephew with a

meaningful look.

It was Curtis‟s turn to nod, and then he took off down

the hallway.

“Hey!” Skip called once again after him, but he ignored

the human in favor of following Skip and Buzz‟s trail, which
was paralleling Benny‟s scent. He found himself in a big
warehouse-type room with a tall ceiling and multiple vans
parked around. Suddenly it hit him. In an arena this big, the
“short drive” they‟d been on might not have even left the
building. Hope began to grow even as he ruthlessly tried to
push it down until he had something more concrete to base
his hypothesis on.

The trail diverged at the other end of the room. A van

with a ticking, cooling engine was obviously the one Buzz
and Skip had been transported in, and he found a set of
leather cuffs and a hood nearby, supporting Buzz‟s
recollections. But more promising was the continuation of
Benny‟s scent farther beyond this point… and growing
stronger by the second.

Wary of who or what might be waiting for him, he

followed the scent until he came to a locked room. He knew
without question that Benny was inside. He checked—locked.
The only thing holding him back was wondering if it was a
setup or if someone was inside with Benny.

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A sound from his left had him moving against the wall.

In the near dark, he could see as if it were day, but hopefully
the human approaching would not be able to make Curtis
out. It looked like a maintenance worker, dressed in dark
pants, a blue work shirt with Roger stitched on the pocket,
and a jingling string of keys. He walked along without speed,
and Curtis figured he was likely not involved—not yet
anyway.

Curtis needed those keys.
He waited until the man was almost upon, him then

froze. Benny‟s scent was coming from this man. Rage
erupted inside Curtis, and he felt the world around him
waver.

No! Don’t shift, not here! a little part of his brain was

screaming at him. Calling upon every scrap of control he‟d
learned, he subdued his drákōn, repressing his inner self.
Something gave him away to the man almost directly in front
of him now, and his head snapped around to the side as he
froze.

Too little, too late.
Curtis seized the man and immediately put him in a

choke hold. He kept the pressure on until the man went limp,
wishing he could break his neck and be done with it—oh, it
was so tempting and would be so easy, almost easier than
holding back. Instead, he dragged the unconscious man
back to near the van, where he secured him to a security
gate with the leather cuffs, before taking the keys and
running back to the door.

Using his senses to locate the keys most recently

handled from amongst the dozens on the ring, he got lucky
on the second try and opened the door.

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Benny was lying on the cement floor, shivering, arms

secured above him with similar cuffs and ankles tied
together with rope. At the sound of the door opening, his
body jerked, then remained tensed, as if faking sleep.

“Benny, it‟s me.” He rushed to his side, ripping the

Velcro cuffs open and gently sitting Benny upright before
undoing his feet. As soon as Benny was freed, Curtis pulled
him onto his lap.

“Curtis, oh my God.” Benny buried his face in Curtis‟s

neck and fiercely returned his embrace, shaking in reaction.

“Let‟s get you out of here.” He stood and easily carried

Benny out of his prison and back toward the equipment bay
where he‟d left “Roger.” Finding Benny‟s assailant still out for
the count, he set Benny on his feet and dialed Jared, who
answered on the first ring. “Curtis?”

“I‟ve got him—Benny‟s okay, and the guy responsible is

unconscious. Call the police. We‟re in some kind of motor
pool or something.”

“We‟ll be right there.” His uncle disconnected, and

Curtis turned his attention to Benny, standing in the curve
of his arm.

“Are you okay? Oh—” Curtis saw the bump on Benny‟s

temple. “That fucker hit you?” A growl rumbled up from the
depths of his chest as he envisioned using the guy‟s head for
a football.

Benny ran his hand down Curtis‟s cheek, pulling his

attention away from the man on the floor. “Don‟t. He‟s not
worth it.” He glanced down at the man and did a double take.
“Oh crap. No way.”

Curtis looked from the stirring man to Benny and back.

“What is it?”

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Snapping his gaze up to Curtis, he pulled Curtis farther

away and whispered urgently, “Did Richard escape from
prison? Because I swear it‟s him.”

The danger of the man who‟d discovered their clan‟s

secret this summer being out and free and coming after
Benny again hit Curtis like a blow. Pulling Benny along by
the arm, he placed as much distance as he could between
Benny and Richard while still staying within sight of the man.

Gauging them to be at a safe distance, though prison

would have been preferable, Curtis finally answered, “I don‟t
see how that‟s possible. We would have been notified.”

“Unless it just happened. But”—Benny paused—“no, he

couldn‟t have. I mean, this was all too well planned. Him
having the uniform, maybe even actually working here.
Knowing what room he could use without discovery. The
restraints. Even getting Buzz down here somehow, then
luring Skip and me down here….” Benny trailed off, an odd
expression crossing his face.

Jared appeared with Rory and continued straight

toward them, though his gaze was on the figure on the floor.

“The police should be here any moment.”
Benny went straight to Rory. “I think it‟s Richard.”
“What?” Rory‟s shocked voice rang out. Benny gathered

him into a hug, and Curtis wasn‟t even jealous. Much.

A groan from the man on the floor punctuated Rory‟s

exclamation. He was pulling against his restraints when four
officers, an equal number of facility workers, and Skip and
Buzz arrived in the room.

Two of the officers questioned Benny and Curtis while

the other two properly cuffed Benny‟s assailant and read him

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his rights. EMTs arrived and began checking Benny‟s and
Buzz‟s head injuries.

It was Jared who brought up the subject they were all

wary of. “We‟re afraid that man might be the same one that
assaulted Benny and Curtis this summer, but who is
currently supposed to be imprisoned.”

After checking the ID and running a background check,

Officer MacKay returned to the group. “His last name is the
same, but it‟s Roger, not Richard.”

“He looks just like him,” Rory marveled, and Benny and

Buzz agreed. Roger was assessed by the EMTs, then taken
away by two officers.

Benny still looked thoughtful, a light frown creasing his

brow. Extraordinarily thankful to finally have the green light
to hold Benny, Curtis pulled him into a side-hug and
whispered, “What has you so puzzled?”

Benny glanced over at Buzz and Skip and led Curtis a

bit closer to Jared. “I have a feeling Roger wasn‟t working
alone.”

Jared met Curtis‟s eye over the two bandmates‟ heads.

“Do you mean Buzz and Skip?” Curtis asked Benny, who
looked stricken.

“I don‟t know,” he managed, his belief in the betrayal

showing on his face. “Skip is the one who brought me down
here, saying there was something wrong with Buzz. But why
would Buzz be down here right after a show? And why
wasn‟t Skip being held in the room with us? And Buzz was
released almost right away, just like that.”

“When we got down here, Buzz and Skip were free

together in the hallway.” Rory picked up the thread, looking
horrified.

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“And only one set of much lighter restraints for Buzz.

None for Skip that we could see,” Curtis looked over at the
two in question, who had stopped talking and were looking
at the huddled group curiously.

Jared took the bull by the horns, asking clearly across

the space, “Skip, why did you tell the kidnapper Curtis was
the one he should call for the ransom?” This caught Officer
MacKay‟s attention, and he walked over quietly.

His gaze flickering nervously from man to man as they

approached him and Buzz, Skip stammered, “I, he asked me
who would pay the most, come up with the most money for
Benny, and….”

“That doesn‟t make sense. Why would he ask you and

not Benny himself? And Curtis is just a twenty-five-year-old
who works at a resort, while the band members would have
access to more.”

“Curtis has money. Lots…,” Skip unthinkingly protested.
Buzz cut in, his voice so flat and unnaturally somber he

didn‟t even sound like the same man. “How would you
know? And what you just said Roger asked is not what you
said earlier. Then, you said Roger wanted to know who
Benny was dating.” Buzz was stiff as he stepped away from
Skip and faced him dead-on. “You betrayed us for money?
All the years we‟ve been together, and you sold me out? Sold
my best friends out? I know you‟re not working. If you were
that hard up, why didn‟t you just ask me for—”

Skip interrupted venomously, “Because I‟m a man, not

your bitch. Okay? I don‟t want you to support me. When
Richard‟s brother said I could make some big money and all
I had to do was get Curtis here, I….” Skip trailed off as he
finally seemed to realize what he was admitting. He began to

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sweat and turned a deep red. Curtis could almost hear his
heart hammering in his chest. When he made a break for it,
pushing Buzz aside and bolting toward one of the exits,
Curtis snagged his arm easily and none too gently, furious at
his mate being used as bait to draw him out.

Officer MacKay took over from him and placed Skip

under arrest.

Eventually the band and their supporters were left alone

with requests to come to the station to give official
statements later that morning.

Buzz looked as if he was about to shatter into a million

pieces. Rory looked at Benny and they moved as one to take
Buzz into a three-way hug.

“I‟m so sorry.”
“It‟s not your fault, Buzz,” Benny reassured him gently.

“Come on, let‟s go back to the hotel. We have a busy day
ahead before we catch up with Pierce and the crew.”

Buzz sighed and acquiesced to being led. “At least all

three of them are behind bars now. Everyone will be safe
now that this is over.”

Curtis silently disagreed. They had work to do to find

out whether Richard and his accomplices were acting on
their own, or had involved a third party—who knew about
his clan‟s existence as well as their weaknesses. His eyes cut
to Benny and Rory.

Benny looked up at Curtis, and Curtis could read the

relief tinged with apprehension there. He didn‟t need the
mating bond to know that Benny was also wondering if it
was really over. And if they‟d ever be entirely safe.

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Chapter Seven

ACK

in his room, finally alone with Curtis, Benny wished

fruitlessly that the first night they would spend together—
what was left of it—could have been different.

Not having to deal with a head injury, being kidnapped,

talking with the police, watching Buzz‟s poor heart break,
and having most of the night already gone would have been a
much better start.

But they were finally behind a closed door alone—

together.

He wasn‟t going to waste the moment, flawed though it

was.

Starting with one of his strengths—performing in front

of an audience—Benny slowly parted the vest he wore before
shrugging it off his shoulders. He caught it lightly on the tips
of his fingers before tossing it aside.

Glancing up from under his lashes, he could see that he

had Curtis‟s undivided attention now.

Though—really—when didn‟t he?
Crossing to the ottoman, he perched on the edge and

unfastened the buckles running up the side of his black
knee-high boots—first one, then the other—before slipping
them off along with his socks. Left in just his leather pants,
he debated for a moment about just how much he wanted to
tease Curtis, who was staring at him with the most heated,
lustful expression he could imagine.

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Without removing his gaze from Curtis, he undid the top

button then the next until his black jock was displayed.
Then he started to slide his pants off. It took some major
wiggling due to the sweat he‟d worked up. Once the waist
was past his hips, he turned around to finish the process
facing away from Curtis, but still able to see him in the
reflection of the mirror. Arching a bit, he bent over to give
Curtis a good show as he pushed the pants to the floor, then
stepped out.

By now, Benny‟s jock was barely concealing his nearly

full erection. It was at this point that Curtis decide to return
tit for tat, only Curtis-style. He pulled his shirt over his head
and tossed it aside in one sweeping, impatient movement.
Benny‟s jaw literally dropped at the bounty before him. Deep,
muscular chest, broad shoulders, well-defined arms almost
the size of Benny‟s thighs, and an abdomen that made
Benny want to do moguls.

Curtis‟s V-cut was etched hard into his lower body,

drawing the eye eagerly downward to where the man‟s long
fingers were making quick work of the fastenings of his
pants. He toed off his shoes, then lost pants and socks in
one fell swoop.

And he had gone commando.
“Shower.” It was nothing less than a growled command,

and Benny shivered in anticipation.

“Together?” he invited and got his answer when Curtis

abruptly knelt before him and yanked his jock down, then on
the way back up caught him up over one shoulder and
hauled him into the bathroom.

Placed gently back on the floor, Benny passed the time

while Curtis adjusted the temperature and spray by running

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

admiring hands over the twisting and flexing muscles of
Curtis‟s smooth back. “Mmm.” Benny let his hands trace
farther down over the rock-hard globes of his ass. “Wow. You
are just solid.” He poked one cheek experimentally, hard,
and barely made a dent.

Curtis‟s eyebrow rose as he glanced back over his

shoulder. Benny grinned at him, and Curtis chuckled before
ushering him into the shower.

They took their time learning each other‟s forms,

running eager hands over every part of each other‟s wet,
soap-slick bodies—except for the part standing proud and
begging to be touched. By the time they were clean, the
teasing mood had passed into something more intense and
needy, and finally Benny couldn‟t take anymore.

He‟d never toweled off so fast in his life, and Curtis

caught his urgency and gave himself a lick and a promise.
Ohh, a lick. Benny watched greedily as several rivulets of
moisture raced down the dips of Curtis‟s abs, and he bent to
catch the drops on his tongue, prompting a groan from
Curtis as his hand landed undemandingly on Benny‟s head.
The fingers twined into Benny‟s wet hair almost roughly, and
a tug brought his gaze up to Curtis.

“Let‟s go to bed. I want to do this right.”
Benny nodded as Curtis‟s hold loosened and turned into

a caress. “Yes. I want this. I want you. All of you. Everything
that you are.”

Curtis‟s heart soared at the words, even though he knew

Benny didn‟t fully realize what the scope of his wish
comprised. Deciding to save the more detailed explanations
for later, he instead warned, “You need to know that when

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

we do this, I‟m not going to want to let you go. Ever.” His
drákōn rumbled its assent.

At that moment he knew he would never—even

accidently—hurt the human mate fate had seen fit to give to
him. All this time, Curtis had been holding himself back
from the experience of his first time with a comparatively
fragile human, afraid he wouldn‟t know his own strength or
would somehow lose control and hurt or frighten Benny. But
he‟d sooner die than harm his man. That firm knowledge
coupled with Benny‟s verbal acceptance meant their mating
was happening tonight… starting now.

A slow, hot smile curved Benny‟s lips as he answered,

“That sounds about perfect. Because I‟m going to be holding
on to you for just as long.” He sobered again and dropped his
gaze. “I didn‟t think you would ever be ready for this.” He
gave a short huff of laughter. “It was enough to make a poor
guy wonder. I was starting to doubt whether you found me
sexy anymore.”

Oh hell no. He pulled Benny‟s hand to his straining

erection. “Feel this and tell me I don‟t think you‟re the
sexiest man on the planet.” He bit his lower lip and broke
out in a sweat as Benny took his challenge a step further
and stroked him, applying an insanely perfect amount of
friction.

“You may have a point.” Benny gave him a saucy wink,

sinking to his knees. “My mistake.”

Curtis threw his head back on a gasp as Benny‟s hot

mouth closed around the sensitive head of his cock, molding
his lips around his glans and then sliding down his shaft
before drawing back up with a heart-stopping amount of
suction. He set a rhythm Curtis both praised and cursed.

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

Looking down, he watched the arousing visual of those
perfect lips on his shaft as long as he could.

“My turn,” he declared. Benny pulled off with a pop and

backed toward the bed, scooting across the mattress until he
was laid out wantonly, inviting Curtis to plunder at will,
which he did, at length. He learned Benny‟s cock with his
mouth and tongue before exploring and preparing his
entrance to the helpless tossing and groaned encouragement
of his partner.

Curtis gazed warmly at the flushed and aroused form

before him and shook his head in wonderment. How he‟d
ended up with the mate of his dreams was beyond him. All
he knew was, he was going to make sure to repay the karma
that brought Benny to his lodge and into his life… to stay.
For as long as it took.

Forever.
He gave his erection one last stroke of lube before

reentering Benny‟s hole with his slicked fingers. “You ready,
babe? And it‟s up to you whether you want me to use a
condom. We can‟t catch or transmit anything, but if you feel
more comfortable….”

“I trust you. And I want… ungh… to do it all with you.

Including feeling you come inside me.” Benny looked
decadent as all get-out as he rode Curtis‟s fingers while he
gasped out his challenge.

In a smooth motion, he withdrew his fingers and placed

the head of his cock where he most wanted to be and, with
slow steady pressure, popped the rim just inside. “Good?”

Benny could only nod, breathing long deep breaths as

his body adjusted to Curtis. Curtis waited for the viselike
grip to loosen, signaling Benny‟s readiness for more. Then he

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

slid slowly inside before pulling back just a bit, then
farther—rocking his way inside the heavenly grip of Benny‟s
passage until he was fully seated.

He savored the complete possession of his mate, the

sense of coming home and the feelings between them. The….

“Love,” he finished aloud. His gaze locked on to Benny‟s

dark, widening eyes. “I love you, Benny. My life. My mate.”

“Yes! Oh God, I love you too.” Benny surged upward, no

longer just meeting Curtis‟s thrusts, but demanding them. A
hand went to his own erection, lying red and seeping against
his abdomen, and Curtis batted his hand away, taking
Benny in his grip, stroking in time with the movement of his
hips.

Curtis felt the tightening around his shaft an instant

before Benny‟s neck arched impossibly and he cried out. He
slowed his motion just a bit to gently fuck Benny through his
climax before he gave in to the overwhelming pressure and
went over the edge, spilling into Benny‟s warm depths. He
held hard against Benny as his cock pulsed time and again,
before collapsing on and just to the side of Benny in total
repletion.

“If you ever again tell me I can‟t come to you because

you‟re busy training, I‟m just going to ignore you.” Benny‟s
voice was low and satisfied and thoroughly fucked-out. It
was the most beautiful sound Curtis had ever heard.

“Ignore away. I‟ll admit it—I‟m an idiot.”
Benny smiled, his dark eyes warm with emotion and

humor. “Not an idiot. You were just trying to protect me from
the big, bad side of you. Right?”

Curtis nodded, lips twitching at his mate‟s description.

He doesn’t even know how big and bad yet.

One More Wish | Devon Rhodes

So why don’t you tell me, then?
Curtis blinked as the mating bond kicked in… with nary

a freak-out on Benny‟s part. This doesn’t bother you?

Why would it bother me? Don’t forget, my voice is

valuable. If I can talk to you in my head, just think of all the
extra rest it’ll get. Benny‟s eyes twinkled at him teasingly.

“Good point,” he rumbled out loud. Then he

remembered the song and admitted, “Speaking of which,
Buzz sent me a bootleg of you singing „Calling You‟ last night.
He shot the video from the behind you, but….”

“Oh.” Benny flushed as he looked away, then back. “I

wrote that for you. And the dedication… well, it was just all
for you. And Jared,” he added. “But from Rory, of course.”

Curtis‟s already content soul thrilled to the confirmation

of Benny‟s commitment, and his rambling was just sweet. “I
was hoping you had. Thanks for being patient with me. I
was… worried about our first time. I didn‟t want to cause
anything to happen to you.”

“You would never hurt me,” Benny declared loyally.

Then he grinned. “Unless of course I asked for just a smidge
of pain with our play.”

The sated drákōn within roared its approval of the

images that conjured, of Benny over his lap or restrained as
Curtis sensually tormented him.

I caught some of that. Mmm. Benny smiled wickedly at

Curtis before leaning over him to grab the covers and pull
them up. He turned back to Curtis with a questioning look.

So anyway, the mental conversation I get. But what’s

this about a dragon?

Don‟t miss how the story started in

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

About the Author

EVON

HODES

started reading and writing at a young age

and never looked back. After a creatively sapping career in
the business world, she gratefully took some time off to be at
home. At thirty-nine and holding, Devon finally figured out
the best way to channel her midlife crisis was to morph from
mild-mannered stay-at-home mom to erotic romance writer.
She lives in Oregon with her husband and two girls, who are
(mostly) understanding of all the time she spends on her
laptop, aka the black hole.
Visit her web site at

http://www.devonrhodes.com

and her blog at

http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/

You can contact her at

devonrhodes@hotmail.com

Paranormal Romance from

REAMSPINNER

RESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the
authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Paul Richmond

http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is
illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon
conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No
part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To
request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 382 NE 191st Street
#88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Released in the United States of America
September 2011

eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-111-7

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Don’t miss how the story started in
About the Author
Paranormal Romance from Dreamspinner Press
Copyright

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