Out of the cage: One can never be patient enough if it means earning the peace caused by true love
Raul Braga is finally ready to admit the reason he’s been so distracted of late is because of a man

—but not just any man. Raul finds himself attracted to a wolf shifter named Sean Garcia who comes
from a pack in Idaho. Even though his buddy has agreed to help him look into the shifter’s current
whereabouts, Raul doesn’t have much faith that a member of the homophobic pack they’ve had
problems with in the past would ever admit to being interested in him, too. Imagine Raul’s surprise
when Sean doorstep.

Sean claims that Raul is explains the attraction. Still, alone. He has an infant girl with him. Sean

is the legal guardian for his niece, Lily, who is his deceased sister’s cub. Now, Raul has to decide if
he’s ready for not only a relationship with a male, but a male that comes with a ready-made family.
Before he can start to figure things out though, Raul is sent away on an assignment. Although the
kisses are mind-blowing, will they be enough to help him overcome his fear of settling down? shows
up on his
his mate, which Sean didn’t come

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Choosing His Christm as Miracle Copy right © 2012 Charlie Richards ISBN: 978-1-77111-385-4 Cover art by Angela Waters
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Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasy books.com

Choosing His Christmas Miracle Wolves of Stone Ridge: Book
Fifteen
By
Charlie Richards

To those who appreciate an animal’s love— Never forget that it’s a gift beyond measure.

Chapter One

R

aul knew he should have riposted instead of retreating. If he’d pressed his advantage, he wouldn’t

have ended up with the tip of Jared’s foil pressed against his chest.
“Point,” Jared stated.

Dropping his foil, Raul stepped back. He sighed and pulled off his helmet. Jared did the same,

revealing his best friend’s narrow-eyed gaze as he stared at Raul. Under the other man’s intense
hazel-eyed scrutiny, Raul ran a hand through his hair, shoving the too long reddish orange strands
from his face.

“That’s four bouts to one, Raul,” Jared said softly. “Since I know that normally we’re evenly

matched, why don’t you tell me what’s been distracting you for the last couple months?”

Heaving a sigh, Raul couldn’t meet his friend’s eyes. He really, really didn’t want to talk about

this. It was embarrassing, and frustrating, and made his dick hard just thinking about… Raul turned
and crossed to the workout bench and dropped onto the padded seat.

“Shit,” he murmured under his breath. “I thought it would go away.”

He really had. Raul had never been attracted to another man before. Never. Even when he went out
dancing with his friends to a gay club and wound up dancing with other men, his cock had never taken
an interest. But one short conversation with Sean Garcia, and Raul couldn’t get the sexy fucker out of
his mind.
“Well, now I know it’s something big,” Jared teased, slowly peeling out of his fencing suit.
Standing, Raul followed Jared’s example and took off his own suit. “You’re going to think this is
sooo funny,” he grumbled.
“Probably. I think a lot of things are funny,” Jared acknowledged. “Especially if most people don’t.”
God, wasn’t that the truth. His buddy had an odd sense of humor, which probably served him well
since Jared had spent the better part of eleven years working as an assassin. Now, Jared had settled
down with a man named Carson who happened to be able to turn into a wolf.
Rubbing his hands through his hair, Raul scratched his scalp, easing the itch caused by the helmet and
sweat. “I’m attracted to a man,” he muttered, staring at the floor.
Jared snickered. “You’ve been dancing with gay men for over a year and this is the first time you’re
admitting that?”
Raul looked up and glared at his grinning friend.
Jared lifted a brow. “Is it that cute twink Bobby? Are you banging Bobby?”
“No,” Raul snapped. “I am not banging Bobby! The guy has a boyfriend. An asshole firefighter, but
he’s still the man’s boyfriend.” He’d met Bobby the first night he’d moved to Stone Ridge with Jared
over a year ago. Bobby knew he was straight, and the pair had a good time dancing together whenever
they met up at a club, but that was as far as it went for them. A couple months ago, Bobby had taken
up with a firefighter, Seth Remington. Raul had met him once and didn’t like the guy, but he’d held his
peace since Bobby had seemed happy.
“Yeah, I don’t like Bobby’s boyfriend, either,” Jared said off-handedly. “He abuses Bobby. I think
we should find a way to split them up.”
“He what?” Raul roared, leaping to his feet. Thinking about a friend’s problem was so much easier
than worrying about his own.
Jared frowned and shook his head. “Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook that easily, old friend. Who
are you attracted to and why does it have you bent out of shape?”

Raul growled and spun away. He paced the room, his stride short and choppy, expressing his
agitation clearly. Jared waited for an answer with the patience of Job. Knowing he couldn’t get out of
an explanation now that he’d spilled the beans, so to speak, Raul sucked in a breath and started
talking.
“When we went to Idaho to get Vee,” he said gruffly, referring to a human who was mated to one of
the wolf shifters in their pack. “I met a guy. A wolf shifter. We talked for all of two minutes.” He
glared at the floor, remembering. “But I can’t get him out of my head.” By the time he finished talking,
his words were a low growl rumbling from him as if the admission tore something inside him. And it
did. Raul had never vocalized his thoughts about Sean before, and now, now it was out there. He
couldn’t take it back.
A moment went by and Jared didn’t respond. Raul turned to look at him. To his surprise, a frown
creased his friend’s brow. Not liking that reaction, Raul scowled. “You asked,” he snapped.
Jared’s eyes narrowed and his lips thinned with displeasure. “You’re attracted to a wolf shifter that
helped kidnap Kyle’s mate and send him on a merry chase in the mountains, endangering not only the
human’s life, but those of several of our pack-mates?”
The cold, soft tone would have chilled most men, but Raul had lived and worked with Jared for over
a decade. He didn’t fear him, but indignant rage tore through Raul. “Don’t pull the holier-than-thou
attitude with me, Jared.” He lifted a hand and pointed at his friend. “I know all your dirty little
secrets. Every skeleton in your closet. How is what Sean did, following his alpha’s orders, any
different from what we do? Breaking into facilities, assassinations, destroying buildings?” Raul
scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hell, we’ve done more illegal shit than Sean ever
could.”
“Well, well,” Jared murmured, his expression slowly turning to one of amusement. “I do believe
you’ve found your mate, my friend.” His grin turned lascivious. “If you need pointers on sexual
positions, just ask.”
Raul felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh, shit.” His ass clenched at just the thought of sex with a
man. Since his mate was a wolf shifter, he just knew Sean would expect to be the top. It was the only
way for one mate to claim another during sex. Which meant Raul, because he was human, would have
to take a cock up his ass, probably a big one. He’d seen enough shifters naked to know they were
normally pretty well-endowed.
Evidently, Jared recognized his expression of panic. The man shook his head and settled a hand on his
shoulder. In an uncharacteristic but welcome move of compassion, Jared pulled him into a hug and
muttered gruffly, “Fuck, man, relax. You’ll like it, and even if he is a shifter, if Sean is anything like
the ones around here, he’ll be willing to switch. You shouldn’t have to bottom all the time.” He
grabbed both of Raul’s arms, moved him a step away, and stared him in the eye, his hazel eyes
glimmering. “Shifters do work hard to please their mates, remember?”
Raul managed to take a deep breath, forcing air into his lungs. He nodded, relieved his friend was at
least a little understanding.
Then Jared grinned. “You ain’t felt nothin’ til a hot ass clenches your cock, man. Fuckin’ tight,
exquisite pleasure.”
Now, Raul’s face flamed and he pulled away from Jared. He glowered at the man, all the while
hating how any embarrassment showed so easily on his fair skin. “Shut up,” he muttered, turning away
and running a hand through his hair.
Jared laughed. “Don’t be a prude, Raul,” he said, snorting. Jared slapped him on his back and
changed the subject. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up, then we’ll see what happened to your wayward

love interest.”
“What do you mean?” Raul asked, following Jared from the large home gym. The room was situated
at the back of the home, the room added on after Jared moved into Carson’s home.
Raul had bought a small parcel of land a couple miles away and the pack had helped him build a
three-bedroom ranch on it. At the time, Raul hadn’t understood why Declan and Lark had insisted on
the extra space, but had been swayed by their opinions and let them design the home. It had turned out
nice, and it was after six months of living there that he’d realized why they’d insisted on the extra
comfort.
Jared didn’t travel nearly as much anymore since he was no longer technically an assassin, which
meant Raul spent much more time at home. He’d even gotten itchy feet a few months ago, which was
how Raul had been one of the people assigned to help Kyle rescue his mate from the shifter pack up
north. It was there he’d met Sean.
His friend’s words drew Raul out of his thoughts as Jared stated, “The wolf pack alpha and inner
circle was investigated by the Shifter Council. Some of the members, like alpha Andy and his beta
Guy were removed from their positions. I’m not sure about any of the others, so we’ll need to find out
if Sean is still there or if he was reassigned to a different pack.”
Swallowing hard, Raul nodded once. He wasn’t completely certain he wanted to know what
happened to Sean. If he really was the shifter’s mate, and Sean hadn’t sought him out, Raul would
wonder why. And, since as a human, he could move on if he found someone he cared about, he didn’t
want to chase after a shifter denying the mating bond.
“Hey!” Jared popped him on the back of his head and Raul spun around and glared at him.
“What the fuck was that for?” Raul snapped, rubbing his head.
“Stop thinking like that. I can see the wheels in your head turning,” Jared replied. He brought up his
hand and pointed his finger at his own head. He made a circular motion, mimicking a wheel. “Did it
ever occur to you that something happened to him? Kyle told me how a shifter in their pack saved
your life,” he reminded him. “Maybe he got punished for it.”
Raul’s eyes widened. That thought had never occurred to him. “Damn you, Jared. Are you trying to
freak me out or encourage me?” he said through gritted teeth.
Rolling his eyes, Jared replied, “Meet me back here in an hour. We’ll see what we can find on your
love interest.”
“And if we can’t find anything?” Raul asked over his shoulder, heading toward the front door.
“Then we’ll start working on our plan to break into that facility those environmentalists told us
about.”
Raul could hear the pleasure in Jared’s tone. Nothing made the man happier than breaking and
entering. He nodded and waved, then let himself out of the house. Raul picked up a jog and headed
down the well-beaten path through the trees between their homes. He huddled in his coat, trying to
ignore the snow on either side of the path not to mention the crunch of the cold stuff under his
sneakers.
When he’d thought about retiring from being Jared’s spotter, Raul had always figured he’d move
some place warm. The mountains of Colorado had not been anywhere near his list. Yet, here he was,
and Raul found he actually liked it here. The shifters were almost like a second family.
That thought reminded him that he should probably contact his own family. If he did end up with a
man, his sister, Brianna Truollo, would shit kittens. She’d just about lost it when her son, his nephew
Jason, had come out four years ago.
Pushing the thoughts aside, Raul focused on his breathing and the rhythm of his feet. He loved running,

and doing it in the mountains had increased his endurance greatly. The sting of cold, clear air in his
lungs, the blood pumping through his veins, and the mind numbing repetition of movement all served
to relax him.
He reached his home within fifteen minutes and pounded up the porch steps. The scent of cologne had
him spinning away from where he reached for the doorknob. So lost in thought and the pleasure he
took from running, Raul hadn’t even noticed the man standing on the porch peeking through the
window.
“Who are you?” he snapped, the words coming out more harshly than intended due to frustration with
his own preoccupation. Missing something like this could cost him, or any friends who happened to
be with him, serious injury.
The man turned to face him. A blue-eyed gaze Raul had spent more nights than he cared to admit
dreaming about met his. Wariness filled their depths, and something Raul hadn’t felt in a long time
sliced through him. Guilt.
“Sean,” he whispered.
The wolf shifter’s lips curved into a small, relief-filled smile. “You remember me.”
Raul nodded, his gaze sweeping down the man’s heavily bundled form. Wait! It wasn’t heavily
bundled. Sean had something tucked inside his jacket. For just a second, a wave of apprehension
filled Raul before he realized the man carried a baby.
His brows shot up and shock swamped his system. When Sean took a step toward him, Raul
automatically backed up one, breaking him out of his stupor. “It’s too cold for a cub out here,” Raul
said quickly, turning back toward his door. “Why don’t you come inside?”
Sean nodded, and Raul led the way into his home, praying he wasn’t making a big mistake.

Chapter Two

G

rateful for the offer, Sean followed his mate— Holy fuck, I’ve finally tracked down my mate!—

into the home. He’d wanted to chase the man down months ago as soon as Raul had left, but Sean had
had responsibilities. The care of his niece, Lily, took precedence. The beating and poisoning he’d
suffered certainly hadn’t helped either.

Boy, had his alpha been pissed when Sheriff Linson, a fellow pack member, had finally limped

back to pack lands and told how Sean had stopped him from killing Raul. Considering his pack’s
position on gays, Sean hadn’t been able to just blurt out that Raul was his mate. They’d possibly have
tried to take his Lily, and Sean would never fail in his promise to Sarah to take care of her daughter.

Thoughts of his sister always saddened him, so Sean pushed them aside and focused on the man

shutting the front door behind him. Although the human didn’t look happy to see him, it did please
Sean that the man at least recognized him.

When Raul turned back to him and pulled off his coat, Sean nearly swallowed his tongue. The

man’s scent was enough to drive him to distraction. Seeing the sweat-soaked, white, wifebeater t-
shirt clinging to firm pecks and washboard abs made him want to fall to his knees and worship every
inch of Raul’s body.
“You’re my mate,” Sean blurted out.

Well, damn, that wasn’t the way I planned to share that information. He’d intended to ease into

it so he didn’t scare the human off. To his surprise, Raul scoffed and shook his head. The man crossed
his arms over his fabulous chest and stared at him through narrowed eyes for several seconds.

“I’m sorry,” Sean murmured. “I shouldn’t have told you like that. I should have wooed you, shown

you how much you mean to me,” he added, grimacing.

“Cute kid.” Raul complimented Lily instead of commenting on Sean’s words. It worried Sean

until he heard what Raul said next. “Why don’t you tell me where your wife is instead?” Raul asked,
looking pointedly at Lily, his tone way too cool for Sean’s taste.

“Oh, n-no,” he stuttered. Why hadn’t he thought his mate would think such a thing if he showed up

with an infant? “This is Lily. She’s my niece.”
Raul’s brows shot up. “Uh-huh.”
Instead of focusing on the disbelief in the

human’s tone, Sean found himself caught up in the way a damp curl of his mate’s thick red hair

fell over his brow. He found himself reaching out, wanting to touch, to brush the lock of hair out of
Raul’s face.

For just a second, Raul closed his eyes and let him touch. Then, he jerked out of reach and

snarled, “It’s been almost four months since I’ve seen you, Sean. If you think I’m your mate, why’d it
take so long to come here? Do you have something against a male mate or something?”

Lily took that moment to blink open blue eyes—blue eyes so similar to his sister’s—and let out a

loud wail. Sean shifted his hold on his niece, bouncing her gently on his hip. “Hey, little sweetie.
Easy now. You’re just fine,” he crooned.

“Geez,” Raul muttered, catching Sean’s attention. “How does such a little cub make such a loud

sound?”

He actually chuckled at the wide-eyed look Raul was giving Lily. “Awe, this is nothing,” he

assured. “You should hear her when she’s hungry. This just means she’s wet.” Sean lifted a brow.
“Do you have somewhere I can change her?”

It seemed to take Raul a moment to process the question, then the human took a step back, saying,

“Uh, yeah. This way.”

Raul turned and led the way through the living room, past a dining room, and along a hall. The

door on the left stood open, revealing a bathroom. Through an open door on the right was an office.
The second door on the left was closed. This one Raul opened and stepped back, letting Sean enter
first.

Turning his back to his mate, trusting Fate’s judgment of the man, Sean headed into a spare

bedroom done in pale blues and greens. He lay Lily on the bed, then dropped the diaper bag from his
shoulder to the mattress a couple feet from her. He rummaged through the contents, pulling out the
needed items—diaper, wipes, powder.

Sean could feel Raul’s presence over his shoulder, so he began to talk. If he didn’t look at his

sexy mate, Sean stood a much better chance of getting his words right than if he were distracted by
more than just his intoxicating scent.

“My sister Sarah, her mate died while she was carrying their first child. She managed to live long

enough to give birth to Lily, here,” he said softly, nodding toward the child he cleaned and changed.
“After that, she passed.”

“I’m sorry,” Raul said, sounding sincere. He rested a hand on Sean’s shoulder and squeezed,

trying to offer reassurance.

Sean paused in his work, relishing the contact. Glancing over his shoulder, he forced himself to

continue. “That day in the woods…” He paused, uncertain how to say what needed to be said.

He didn’t need to. Raul seemed to guess. “You were punished for saving my life.”

Jerking a nod, Sean knew a hard smile twisted his lips. “I couldn’t tell them who you were to me,” he
whispered.
“Embarrassed to be mated to a man?” Raul snapped, pulling away.
Damn, my mate really thinks the worst of me. Considering how they’d met though, Sean couldn’t
blame him. “No,” he immediately replied. He again paused and looked at Raul over his shoulder.
“Never.”
“Then what?” Raul asked, clearly disbelieving.
Raul finished changing his niece before answering. He rested a hand gently on her back as she gurgled
and kicked happily now that she was clean. “I knew my sister would give birth any day, and that I’d
be the one raising Lily,” he said, meeting his mate’s gaze. It shocked him to see the hurt in the other
man’s eyes before Raul hid it.
“I couldn’t run the risk that my bigoted alpha wouldn’t just kill me, or worse, go after you, Sarah, or
try to take Lily from me.” Sean shook his head. “I didn’t like any of my options, but I did the best I
could with the hand life dealt me.”
Just then, Lily froze under his palm. A second later, she let out a loud wail. Sean closed his eyes,
hating her timing, but knowing he needed to feed her. As much as he wanted to concentrate on Raul,
explain everything, and beg for understanding, Lily came first.
“Let me guess,” Raul murmured. “Lily is hungry.”
Sean grimaced, then nodded. He pulled the makings for a bottle from his bag, then picked Lily up.
“Can I use your kitchen?” he asked quietly.
Raul nodded once. “Sure.”
“I’m really sorry,” Sean said as he once more followed Raul through his house. “I thought she’d nap
for another hour. I thought I’d have enough time to talk to you.”
“This is actually good,” Raul replied, surprising Sean with his answer. Raul looked over his shoulder

at him, raking him with a lustful look. “This way we actually get a chance to talk instead of getting
carried away by the mate-pull.”
“You know about that?” Sean asked, knowing his shock sounded loud and clear in his words.
Raul snorted while hitting a light switch to illuminate the kitchen, then waving him inside. “Of course.
My best friend is mated to a shifter. I met you when I came with shifters. Why the hell does my
knowledge surprise you?”
Sean prepared the bottle for Lily, then took the liberty of settling into a chair at the breakfast nook
before answering. He looked at Raul who lounged comfortably with one shoulder resting on the
kitchen wall. Damn, the human really was a sexy specimen.
He finally shrugged. “I apologize. I guess I never really thought about it.”
Grunting, Raul strode toward the second chair, the one across from Sean. His mate had just grabbed
the back of the chair, probably intending to pull it out and sit down, when the sound of a door
slamming open echoed through the house.
Raul growled, glaring toward the front.
Sean’s jaw dropped open when his mate pulled a gun from under the table and pointed it toward the
doorway. He rose, holding a mewling Lily close, trying to decide the best course of action—to shift
or not?
A human dressed in blue jeans and a black turtleneck appeared in the doorway, his own gun at the
ready. A lean, gray wolf stood at his side, a low warning growl rumbling through his throat. Sean was
about to tuck Lily under the table and shift to wolf—fuck ruining the clothes he wore, when Raul
lowered the gun and cursed.
“Son of a bitch, Jared. What the fuck are you two doing?”
Okay, evidently, his mate knew these guys. From the way the human swept a cold hazel-eyed gaze
around the room, Sean didn’t know if that was a good thing. The human, Jared, focused on him, giving
him an assessing look.
“You didn’t come back, Raul. We were worried, especially when Carson scented a strange wolf near
your home,” Jared responded quietly, his gaze never straying from Sean. “Who is this?”
At least, both humans lowered their guns. Raul returned his own weapon back to wherever he hid it
under the table. The other man, Jared, slipped the gun behind his back and came up empty handed.
“Shit,” Raul muttered. He glanced toward Sean, then returned focus to Jared. “This is Sean Garcia.”
“Interesting timing,” Jared responded mildly.
The words confused Sean, but Raul seemed to understand, for he grimaced. “Yeah, funny, huh?” He
turned toward him and waved toward the strangers. “This is Jared Templeton and Carson Angeni.
Carson is our head pack enforcer. Jared is his mate.” Raul brushed a hand through his red hair and
muttered, “Guys, Sean is my mate.”
Sean knew his expression appeared just as shocked as he felt. Raul had just verbally claimed him. He
fought the urge to grin and, instead, did a mental fist-pump. If Raul was at least willing to voice the
fact that they were mates, it meant the human was going to give their bond a chance. Sean could work
with that.
A now-human Carson spoke, drawing Sean’s attention. “I wasn’t notified that a wolf from another
pack was entering the territory.”
Sean grimaced. Double damn. “I wasn’t certain Raul would be receptive, or even remember me,” he
admitted. “I wanted to make certain he was…well…” He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in
order.
Raul planted his hands on his hips and frowned at him. “Damn it, man. How could you pull that shit?

Especially, after everything that happened with your alpha and Kyle?” he snapped, green eyes
flashing.
Too busy taking in his mate’s sexy fierce expression and flushed cheeks, Sean didn’t really pay
attention to his words. He wanted to know how far down that red would creep in the heat of passion.
Not that Sean really knew what he’d do to Raul if he got him in his bed. Sure, he understood the
basics—Insert tab A into slot B. Still, the mechanics of man-on-man sex eluded him. Maybe he should
have done some research, but just the idea of watching porn felt like he was cheating or something.
“Sean!”
The frustrated snap of his name caused Sean to blink and focus on his glaring mate. Shit! What’d I
miss? He glanced at the other two men, surprise rocking through him at Jared’s amused smirk and
Carson’s bland expression as he shook his head.
“What?” he muttered, trying desperately to catch up.
“Sorry, pal,” Jared said. “You’ll have to fuck him later. We gotta take a little pit stop at the alpha’s
first.”
He felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh,” he whispered, tightening his hold on Lily. How could I be
so stupid?
Sean, however, knew what had happened. He’d been so consumed with discovering if his mate
remembered him that all proper protocol had flown from his head. Now he’d done the exact same
thing that had caused so many problems for the Stone Ridge wolf that had intruded into his old pack’s
territory. Would this alpha, Declan if he remembered correctly, demand restitution? And if so, what?
Raul shoved a hand through his hair. “So much for my shower,” he muttered. He pointed at Lily and
said, “Want me to hold her while you get into your coat? Where’d we leave that blanket she’d been
wrapped in?”
It warmed Sean that his mate seemed to worry about Lily. Pulling his courage together, Sean carefully
handed Lily to Raul, then pulled on his coat. To his surprise, Lily didn’t even fuss. She just stared up
at Raul with her big blue eyes as the human stared down at her.
After a couple seconds, Raul’s firm lips curved up at the corners. “Well, aren’t you just a cute little
angel,” he crooned, wiggling a finger at her.
Lily squealed and latched onto Raul’s finger with one chubby fist.
“Wow,” Sean murmured. “I’ve never seen her take to someone so fast.”
“And I’ve never seen Raul with a kid,” Jared stated dryly. “Fucking surreal.”
Raul glared at his friend—at least, Sean assumed they were friends. After pulling on his coat, Sean
reached out and took Lily back, tucking her close. “The blanket is in the bedroom where we changed
her, I think,” he said, finally answering the man’s earlier question.
Raul nodded and headed that way. Sean took a step after him, then stopped himself. There was no
need to follow the man, but the urge to do just that sure was strong. He didn’t want to let the
redheaded human out of his sight. It had taken too damn long to find him.
Which brought him back to the problem of his rash actions, just what would Declan do?
To Sean’s surprise, Jared clapped a hand on his neck and squeezed. It wasn’t in a dominant way—
okay, there was definitely an aspect of dominance to it, but it was also familiar and reassuring, too. It
almost felt like the reassurance from a higher ranking wolf.
“Stop worrying so much,” Jared said. “You’ll give yourself an ulcer. Declan is a reasonable man.”
The human’s grin appeared shockingly malicious. “Far more reasonable than I’ll be if you fuck with
my best friend in any way.”
Well, that answered the question of whether or not Raul and Jared were friends. They were, and good

ones from the sounds of it.
Sean jerked a nod, not completely surprised by the way his wolf easily bowed to this man’s show of
dominance. He was a tracker, and not really a dominant one, which is why he’d ended up in so much
hot water for defending his mate when Raul and his friends had gone to Idaho to help their pack-mate
save a human Sean’s ex-alpha had been holding.
Between taking care of Lily and healing, Sean had been in no position to go anywhere, no matter how
much he and his wolf had wanted to locate Raul.
“I’m not gonna fuck with Raul,” Sean stated. “He’s my mate. I just wanna care for him.”
“And the cub?” Carson asked, stepping close.
“That’s enough,” Raul snapped, returning to the room.
Jared shrugged, but dropped his hand. Even Carson didn’t press for information. Just what the fuck
were the dynamics between all these guys? From the way Carson wrapped a proprietary arm around
Jared, it was easy to see they were mates, but how did Raul fit into it? Why would a wolf enforcer
and his mate take orders from an unbound human?
Gods, his head was starting to hurt. The strain of the last several months was catching up with Sean,
and he fought the urge to return to his hotel room and hide until everything made sense.
“We’ll warm the SUV,” Carson stated. “Don’t be long.”
Raul nodded, indicating he’d heard. Sean’s disorientation grew. First Raul gave an order, which
Carson followed, then Carson gave an order which Raul acknowledged. What the fuck?
Sean allowed Raul to help him wrap the blanket around Lily and tuck her into his coat. Raul’s warm
hand cupped Sean’s jaw, urging him to focus on him. “Hey, you doing okay there?”
“What?” he whispered.
“You’re looking a little lost, Sean,” Raul murmured. “Are you with me?”
“Your pack dynamics are confusing,” he blurted out, feeling his face heat.
Raul smirked, and wasn’t that a sexy look on the human. “Yeah, I guess I can see how you’d be
confused, what with the way they barged in then with all the barbs exchanged. Carson really is the
boss of us,” Raul explained, “being our pack’s head enforcer, but he’s pretty lenient where his mate is
concerned as long as it’s just us around.” He shrugged. “As far as backing off when I asked, Carson
knows you’ll have to explain everything to Declan once we get there, so he’ll get his answers then.”
“Ah, yeah, that should—that should be interesting.” He was so not looking forward to this.
“Relax. We’ll work this out,” Raul soothed.
Then, to Sean’s eternal shock, the human leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss to his lips. It
happened so fast that Sean just stood there and didn’t react. Then his mate was turning and pulling on
his own jacket.
“Let’s get this done,” Raul said, leading the way from the house.
Sean could do nothing but follow.

Chapter Three

W
hat the fuck was that?

Raul had never kissed a man in his life, so why had he now? Was it the fucking mate-pull that

he’d heard so much about? Could be. The poor shifter had just looked so lost, so confused, something
in Raul had desperately wanted to soothe him.

The fact that he wanted to turn around and take the man right back into the house to do God knew

what with certainly didn’t bear thinking about. God damn. Now that the man he’d been obsessing over
for months was here, just what the hell was he supposed to do with him?

Raul knew Jared would be more than happy to give him all kinds of lewd advice, but that wasn’t

really what he thought the skittish man following him out the door—a skittish man holding a baby—
really needed.

A baby! Double damn! Not only was Sean here professing to be Raul’s mate, but he’d brought his

niece with him. The idea of having kids had never even crossed Raul’s mind—well, maybe it had, in
the deepest, darkest corner somewhere. Sean had essentially presented him with a ready-made family.
Could Raul handle that? His life had just become extremely complicated.
“I guess I need to get Lily’s car seat.”

Sean’s softly mused words jerked Raul back to the present. He gave himself a mental slap upside

the head as he glanced between Carson’s SUV and the small subcompact parked off to the side.

“Yeah,” Raul said. “It’d be better if you ride in with us rather than on your own.”

“Like a prisoner.”
Raul barely made out Sean’s muttered words. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he watched
Sean try to detach the car seat from his car. Unable to watch the man struggle, Raul grabbed Sean’s
forearm and gently urged him to straighten.
“That’s not what I meant,” Raul murmured. “You’re not a prisoner. You’re a welcome guest until
Declan says otherwise, which I seriously doubt he’ll do.” He didn’t like the disbelief clearly etched
across Sean’s expression. Raul heaved a sigh, but he couldn’t think of anything reassuring.
Instead, he turned the shifter toward the SUV. “Go on. Get Lily out of the cold. I’ll get this and be
right there.”
For just a second, Raul felt certain Sean was going to refuse. Then his shoulders sagged and he
nodded once. Raul watched Sean head to the running vehicle and shook his head. He hated how
defeated Sean looked and prayed he could figure out how to give the wolf the reassurance he
obviously seemed to need.
Raul made quick work of the car seat, then locked and closed up Sean’s small car. He carried the
contraption to the SUV, where, with Sean’s soft instructions, he installed it on the short, middle bench
seat.
He settled in the back and watched Sean carefully strap in a slightly fussy Lily. It pleased Raul,
probably unreasonably so, that Sean joined him in the back. Besides, he thought, berating himself, it
was probably just more comfortable for Sean to lean over the short middle seat to tend Lily than try to
fit on the seat next to her. The car seat did take up most of the space on the shorter middle row.
Except, that wouldn’t explain the way Sean leaned back and put his arm along the back of the seat and
started fiddling with the short hairs at the nape of Raul’s neck. It sent a shiver down his spine, which
settled in his cock. His dick had been at half-mast ever since he’d recognized Sean. Even watching
him change Lily and then Jared’s unexpected interruption hadn’t wilted him completely. Now all the

blood flowed right back south.
Raul couldn’t bring himself to dislodge the man’s hand, liking the contact too much. He flashed a
smile at Sean and found himself patting his leg. “Everything will be fine,” he muttered inanely. Hadn’t
he already said that? The gentle fingers on his neck sent tingles across his spine that short-circuited
his brain.
Damn, did he like this shifter’s touch.
Everything he’d heard Jared tell him about the mate-pull returned to him—the undeniable urges to
touch and taste, the desire to please, to protect, and most of all, Raul desperately wanted to hold and
pleasure this man.
Swallowing hard, Raul turned his head to look at Sean. He took in the way the man’s shaggy dirty-
blond hair caressed his strong brow. Sean’s firm jaw had just a hint of scruff even though it was only
around noon. His gaze focused on the man’s firm, thin lips.
Raul watched Sean’s lips curve into a smile, and the urge to taste them returned full force. His gaze
shifted to the man’s blue eyes, so kind, so full of hope. The hand that had been playing at the back of
his neck shifted to cup it instead and applied the gentlest of pressure.
Unwilling, or maybe unable, to fight any longer, Raul kept his gaze fixed on Sean as he closed the
distance between them. The light press of Sean’s lips felt better than he’d imagined a man’s should.
The quick peck when heading out the door didn’t compare when Sean slid his mouth from side to
side, almost nuzzling Raul’s, sending a warm tingle through his body and causing his nipples to
harden and his dick to throb.
Sean’s hand on his neck tightened, encouraging Raul to tilt his head. The shifter’s other hand came up
and cupped Raul’s jaw. A thumb pressed into the corner of his mouth had Raul grunting in surprise.
That must have been what Sean wanted, for he growled hungrily and swept his tongue inside Raul’s
mouth. Never having been a passive lover, Raul brought a hand up and grabbed Sean’s thick, blond
hair in a firm grip. He countered the man’s tongue with his own, giving as good as he got.
Never had Raul experienced a more aggressive kiss as they fought for dominance. Sean fed Raul deep
grunts and groans as they kissed, and Raul did the same to Sean. The only thing that kept Raul from
climbing onto the other man’s lap was the seatbelt around his waist. He wanted friction on his aching
cock so badly. Raul just knew a couple thrusts and he’d be able to come.
The bouncing of the truck on a rutted road pulled them apart. Raul’s breath came in ragged pants, and
from the way Sean’s chest heaved, Raul knew the other man wasn’t in much better shape.
“Holy fucking hell,” he whispered. Raul just knew his own face mirrored the shocked look on Sean’s.
“Yeah,” Sean said around a groan. “I want to fuck you so bad. My cock is hard as steel.”
Raul’s asshole clenched at the other man’s words. He licked his lips, uncertainty flooding him. Could
he give his ass up to this man? Just the thought sent a spear of fear and trepidation through him.
Evidently, Sean scented it, because his brows drew down in concern. “Hey, easy. It’s okay. We don’t
have to do anything you don’t want.”
“I—I don’t know what I want,” Raul admitted, sitting back in his seat heavily.
Sometimes, the truth doesn’t set you free.
His head resting on the back of the seat, he turned it just enough to eye the other man. He watched
Sean’s jaw clench and unclench. Unable to stand seeing him hurt, Raul reached over and rested his
hand on his thigh. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured, trying to sound encouraging.
The side door opened, revealing a leering Jared. “Well, first you’ll have to introduce your mate to
Declan. Then you can figure out the dynamics of gay sex.” Jared’s focus moved to Sean. “If you need
any instruction, just let me know.”

A spike of possessiveness stabbed Raul. “You will not touch him,” he snarled.
Jared threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he finally managed to get out. “I don’t
want to touch him. I was just going to explain it—not show him.” Shaking his head, Jared stepped
away, saying, “We’re here.”
As if Raul didn’t already know that, seeing as Carson had parked the SUV. Raul rolled his eyes and
unbuckled his belt. “Whatever,” he grumbled. “Get the fuck out of our way.”
He’d barely made it out of the vehicle when the alpha’s voice rang across the snow-covered clearing.
“Ah, perfect timing. I was about to call ye, gentlemen.”
“Always ready to help, Alpha,” Carson responded, his deep voice ever so respectful.
Raul climbed from the vehicle and gave a wave, then turned back and gave Sean an encouraging
smile. At least the altercation with Jared had wilted his erection. There was no way he wanted to face
Declan with a boner.
“Come on, Sean,” he urged. “Get Lily and we’ll get in out of the cold.”
Sean nodded. He turned and unbuckled the infant and cuddled her close to his chest. Raul lifted a
hand, indicating Sean should precede him. Sean stepped past him, and Raul settled a hand on the
small of his back. Raul figured the contact reassured himself as much as Sean. He looked toward the
deck where Declan watched their approach with one black brow arched and an unreadable
expression on his dark features.
“Why don’t ye introduce me to yer guest, Raul?”
It was phrased as a question, but Raul knew it wasn’t. “Alpha Declan, this is Sean Garcia. He’s from
the Idaho pack and came here because…” He paused and licked his lips, uncertain of Declan’s
reaction. Knowing there was no way around this one, Raul forced himself to continue. “Sean and I
met when we rescued Vee from Sean’s old alpha. He’s my mate.”
“Is he now?” Declan murmured. The alpha’s gaze swept over Sean, his gaze fixing on the baby in his
arms. “Come inside and we’ll discuss… everything.”
Raul placed his hand on Sean’s neck, giving it a squeeze as Sean stepped through the doorway. Raul
followed quickly, stepping up next to him when Sean stopped. He rested his arm on the other man’s
shoulder in a show of comfort. For some reason, it settled something in Raul, too.
Declan led the way to the study, then paused before the door and ushered the others inside. Raul knew
the alpha didn’t miss seeing his arm around Sean’s shoulder, nor did he say anything about it.
Lark, Declan’s mate, called from somewhere in the house, his voice carrying along the halls. “Hey,
stud! Is that the guys? Are they hungry for lunch?”
At that, Declan smirked. “Are ye interested in lunch?” he asked.
“I could eat,” Jared replied first. He dropped onto the couch and grinned up at Declan. “Thanks.”
Carson just nodded.
When Raul looked at Sean, he noticed that if his brows could get any higher, his hair would hide
them. Declan raised his eyes and looked at them expectantly.
“Yes, Alpha, thank you. We haven’t had a chance to eat yet,” Raul replied, answering for both of
them.
Declan nodded. “I’ll go let Lark know.” Pointing at a carafe and several cups resting on the
sideboard, he said, “Feel free to help yourselves while I’m gone.”
Raul strode to the service and poured a cup for everyone. He added a dash of cream to Carson’s, left
Jared’s black, and poured two scoops of sugar into his own. Turning to Sean, he asked, “How do you
take it?”
“Uh, I don’t—no, thanks,” Sean said, stumbling over his words.

Raul rested a hip on the piece of furniture and gave him an encouraging smile. “It really is okay to
have some coffee. This isn’t a test or anything.”
Sean’s gaze darted around the room, looked at the two men sitting on the love seat across from him,
then returned to Raul. “I—it’s not that,” he said. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“You don’t?” Raul couldn’t hide the surprise in his tone.
Sean shook his head.
Well, he certainly hadn’t been expecting that. Who the hell didn’t drink coffee? Well, other than a
certain elephant shifter Raul knew, Sean would be only the second person he knew who didn’t drink
coffee at least on occasion.
“Okay, then,” Raul said with a shrug. “Would you prefer some tea? Or juice? I can run to the kitchen
and get something else for you,” he offered.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Sean quickly replied.
Before Raul could think of a way to assure the clearly nervous shifter that it would be no problem,
Sean blurted out, “How come I’m allowed in here without several guards? What if I attack
someone?”
“Who are you going to attack?” Carson asked, leaning forward. “Me? I’d take you down. My mate?
No offense, little wolf, even though Jared is human, he could still take you. Or were you thinking of
attacking your mate?” he asked, waving a hand toward Raul. “Declan allows you in here with us
because he knows nothing will happen.”

Chapter Four

S

ean couldn’t believe the strength of conviction in the enforcer’s words. He’d never seen a pack

before where the alpha, especially a mated alpha, didn’t have at least one enforcer living with him,
but he couldn’t scent anyone in the home but them. Sure, there were traces of other’s scents, but only
one had a strong enough presence to signify a permanent living arrangement, and that scent was from
an adolescent.

Jared shrugged. “Relax, bud. Stop thinking about it so hard. The fact that you saved Raul’s ass at

the expense of your own goes a long way, too.”

“How do you know it caused problems for me?” he asked warily.

“I can smell the arsenic in your blood, Sean,” Carson stated softly.
“Arsenic! You’re sick?” Raul dropped onto the seat next to him, rested a hand on Sean’s leg, and
peered closely at him.
Sean really just wanted to lean forward and capture his mate’s mouth again. The kiss in the car hadn’t
been nearly enough. However, Sean saw the concern in his mate’s beautiful green eyes and the need
to reassure him kicked in.
“Relax, sweet,” he crooned, lifting his free hand to brush away an errant strand of Raul’s red hair.
For a second, Sean found himself caught up in the softness of the lock. Giving himself a mental shake,
Sean said, “I’m fine. He whipped me with a poison coated flogger. He wanted me to suffer, not die.”
Sean smiled. “It’s already almost worked through my system. I’m actually kind of impressed your
enforcer could scent it,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Almost worked through your system?” Raul snarled. “Your old alpha did that to you?” His gaze
snapped to Carson. “Where the hell is the Shifter Council keeping him? I’m going to tear him apart.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Sean cried out. He shifted the arm holding Lily so the girl was lying on his lap with
her head supported by the crook of his elbow. With his free hand, he grabbed the back of Raul’s neck
and held him in place, looking into his eyes. “You can’t do that. I’m fine. Just breathe for me,” he
ordered gently.
“Stand down, Raul.”
Declan’s order rolled through Sean. He knew it wasn’t for him, but his wolf still wanted to turn over
and show its belly to the far-more-powerful wolf. To Sean’s relief, Raul must have felt the power in
the command, too, for his shoulders slumped and the fight seemed to go out of him.
Raul grimaced, grabbed his coffee off the end table where he’d set it, and flopped back on the couch.
“Now, I understand ye were punished for helping me people while they were in yer territory,” Declan
stated, turning his intense darkeyed gaze on Sean. “For that selfless act, I grant ye clemency. Ye’re
welcome in me territory for however long ye need to stay.”
Sean’s brows shot up. “Just like that?”
“Would you rather he make you jump through hoops?” a slender blond human asked as he walked into
the room. He smirked and set a tray of food on the coffee table in the middle of the couches. Two
plates piled high with finger sandwiches took up most of the tray’s surface. The human picked up a
tall glass of orange juice squeezed onto the tray and set it in front of Sean. He waved toward it so
Sean knew it was for him. Then the human sat next to Declan on a love seat, practically on the alpha’s
lap, in fact. Although the alpha didn’t remove his gaze from Sean, Declan did wrap his arm around the
blond in a clear statement of possession.
Huh, the rumors are true. Declan really is mated to a man!

“Well, no, I…” He frowned, trying to get his thoughts in order. “It’s just, it wasn’t exactly a selfless
act,” Sean admitted. “Raul’s my mate.”
“Oh, congratulations,” the human said.
As Jared, Carson, and Raul filled small salad plates with several sandwiches, it finally dawned on
Sean that the blond human must be Lark, the man mentioned by Declan earlier. “Thanks,” he
whispered. The surrealness of the moment wasn’t lost on him. This pack was like a complete
opposite of his old one. The open door policy was almost freaky as hell.
“Here,” Raul said, leaning forward, grabbing the juice, and thrusting it into his hand. “Drink before
you hyperventilate,” he ordered.
Spots dancing behind Sean’s eyes made him realize he’d stopped breathing. He sucked in a much-
needed lungful of air, then gulped down some juice. The acid of the OJ burned slightly, grounding
him.
“I’m sorry, I-I…” He stopped and shook his head at his stammering. Licking his lips, Sean tried
again, “Thank you. I don’t understand why you’re making this so easy on me, but thank you.”
Declan lifted one dark brow. “And I don’t understand why everyone else seems to think it should be
so hard. Ye work with yer people, not against them.”
Sean nodded, seeing the truth in that statement.
Declan turned to Carson. “I heard from Kontra this morning. They ran across a shifter in Kansas that
escaped from a laboratory. It’s taken some work, but they’ve managed to back-track the shifter’s
escape route and at least know the town the lab is near.”
Jared leaned forward, clearly interested. A cold light flooded his hazel eyes. “Really? Where?”
“Beamington. It’s a wee town southeast of Springfield, Illinois,” Declan stated. “I want ye three to
head out there and do whatever it is ye do to figure out how to break in. Let me know how many more
people ye need to shut down the facility and I’ll send them out.”
“Sounds like fun,” Jared immediately.
Carson nodded.
“I—uh,” Raul muttered, drawing attention. “When?”
“As soon as possible,” Declan replied. “Manon is fueling his helicopter as we speak.”
Raul turned and looked at Sean.
Sean knew exactly what the issue was. He glanced between Raul and Lily. “But I just got here, I…”
Sean stopped and bit his lip, hating how whiny he sounded.
Declan leaned forward, looking between them. “I know ye’re not mated yet, but if ye’d like to stay
responded

everyone’s here, Raul, say the word. I’ll find someone else to—”

“No,” Raul snapped, interrupting him. “I’ll go.”

Instead of admonishing him, Declan just nodded and said, “Good.”

Sean couldn’t help it. He whimpered. “I just found you and you’re leaving me?”
He wanted to fight Raul when he took his hand, but the contact felt too good, almost like a lifeline as
Sean’s heart tried to beat out of his chest. “I’m sorry about the timing, Sean,” Raul told him, “but I
have responsibilities. We have to put a stop to these people experimenting on shifters. Keep the
world safe for the next generation, like Lily,” he said. “Let me finish this.”
“Then I want to come with you,” Sean said, desperate to not let the man out of his sight now that he’d
found him.
“Absolutely not,” Raul denied.
“No,” Declan said at the same time.

“But…” he looked between them, trying to think of a way to change their minds.
Declan shook his head. “Ye’re not going, Sean,” the alpha stated firmly, frowning. “For one, I don’t
know ye. Two, if ye expect to stay in me territory, ye will follow me orders, and three, ye have Lily to
think of. These men make a good team.”
A spike of fear went through Sean. He knew he really didn’t have any say in this matter, and he really
wanted to stay in Declan’s territory. “Yes, Alpha,” he whispered, ducking his head in submission.
“Relax,” Raul murmured, squeezing his hand. “I’ll be fine.”
Sean let out a slow breath and nodded. He couldn’t command his mate. He hardly knew the human,
but it still hurt his heart that his mate was going into battle without him to watch his back.
Declan rose. Sean bit back a whimper. He wanted to object, again, so badly, but held his tongue,
knowing as it was he was lucky he didn’t get into hot water for trespassing into the alpha wolf’s
territory.
Declan paused at the doorway and looked back at Sean. “Where are ye staying?”
Before he could rack his brain and remember the name of the motel he was renting a room at, Raul
stated, “I’m going to move him into my place so he’s comfortable while I’m gone. Once I get back,
I’ll let you know how things work out.”
“Very good.” Declan turned to Sean. “I’ll have me beta swing by tomorrow to interview ye on yer
current plans. I’m sorry I don’t have time to do it now, but I have things to plan.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” Sean murmured.
It was actually a testament to how smoothly his pack ran that Declan had even taken the time to meet
with him and accept him into the area. Sean knew if it had been his old alpha, Guy, their beta, would
have ordered him to remain at the hotel until he’d been called for.
“Come on,” Raul encouraged, carefully helping Sean to his feet without waking Lily.
They bundled back up and trooped out to the SUV. Sean remained silent, unable even to latch onto
one coherent thought. Fear, frustration, grief, disbelief, and lust all swirled into one giant knot of
irritation in his stomach, settling like a lead ball. Would Fate be so cruel as to take Sean’s mate away
when he’d just caught up with him? Surely not…he prayed.
“Which hotel you at?” Jared called from the front passenger seat.
“Uh, that small one on the north end of Stone Ridge,” he replied. “Room two-sixteen.”
Raul wrapped an arm around Sean and pulled him tight against him. “I’m really good at what I do,” he
reassured. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I just found you,” Sean said, staring into eyes so green he could drown in their depths. “I don’t think
I could stand losing you now.”
“You won’t,” Raul assured. When his mate buried his hand in Sean’s hair and tugged his head closer,
Sean went willingly. “Never thought I’d want to kiss a man,” Raul muttered right before capturing
Sean’s lips in a bruising lip-lock.
There was nothing tentative about Raul’s kiss this time. His sweet human dominated his mouth,
forcing his tongue between Sean’s lips and delving deep. Raul twined their tongues so they could
taste each other.
He didn’t know how long they kissed, but suddenly a deep chuckle intruded on Sean’s bubble of
bliss.
“All right,” Carson’s deep voice said as they eased apart. “You want us to check you out so you can
keep making out?” he teased.
Sean groaned, but wrenched away from Raul. “No. I need to make sure I don’t miss any of Lily’s
things,” he said, somehow managing to pant the words.

Raul’s brows creased as he stared at the sleeping baby. “She messy?”
“She throws things sometimes,” Sean admitted. “Or drops things and they fall into crevices you
wouldn’t think to look in.”
“Maybe she’ll grow up to be a quarterback,” Jared stated. “You want me to stay with her while you
pack up?”
Raul’s brows creased. “A quarterback? Stay with her?” He rolled his eyes. “God, you’re an idiot
sometimes.”
Jared smirked. “No, I’m not. There are those women’s teams,” he pointed out.
“They have some really hot uniforms,” Carson added.
Sean snorted, shaking his head. “Seriously? What planet are you guys from?”
“I think we call this Earth, don’t we?” Jared deadpanned, looking between Carson and Raul with a
lifted brow.
“It is. Yes,” Carson agreed.
Sean burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it.
“There’s your smile,” Raul murmured, taking his hand and tugging him toward the motel. “Come on.
Lily will be fine with Carson.”
Sean cocked his head, but allowed his mate to lead him as he tried to process what had just happened.
After unlocking the room, he paused and watched his mate start picking up baby toys. “Wait a minute.
Your friends spouted all that ridiculous nonsense because they were trying to cheer me up?” he asked
incredulously.
Raul paused and turned to look at him. He cocked his head. “Why does that surprise you?”
Frowning, Sean racked his brain for a response. “I don’t think anyone other than my sister has done
that for me before,” he admitted. Well, damn. Wasn’t that a sad admission?
Sighing, Raul came toward him. The man was only a couple inches shorter than Sean’s six foot one
height, but when Raul wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a hug, he fit perfectly in
Sean’s arms.
“They’re good guys,” Raul murmured, holding Sean close.
“Yeah,” Sean agreed. “I’m beginning to understand that.”
“I’m sorry we won’t have time to figure things out between us right away,” Raul added, pulling away
and putting a few inches between them that Sean didn’t like. “But maybe it’s better this way.”
Sean frowned. “Why?”
“Because even though you knew we were mates for the last five months, I didn’t,” Raul explained. “I
need to come to grips with this. I’ll be gone a few days, a week or two at most, then I’ll be back.” He
pressed a kiss to Sean’s lips. “I promise I’ll be back. I will accept this, I just need time.”
Raul’s admission nearly tore Sean’s heart from his chest. It was a real shame he understood where
Raul was coming from, and Sean didn’t have the time to woo the human. He had to accept his mate
was a strong, independent human.
Even as he mentally chanted those words over and over again an hour later while standing in Raul’s
front room as he watched Raul climb into Carson’s SUV, it didn’t make him feel any better.
In fact, it really pissed him off. What the hell was Fate thinking?

Chapter Five

R

aul couldn’t remember packing his bag or the drive to the airport, but since he carried it over his

shoulder and climbed into Manon’s helicopter, he knew it’d happened. He tried to keep his breathing
even, hoping that with each breath, his life would start to make sense. It didn’t work.

Dropping his bag on the ground, Raul rubbed his hands over his face, then buried them in his hair.

He massaged his temples, trying to get his shit together. They were about to face scientists and
possibly jacked-up soldiers. He needed to be able to focus.

Someone slapping him on the back pulled Raul out of his chaotic thoughts. He turned to see his

friend’s concerned gaze. It wasn’t a look Jared wore often and appeared extremely out of place on his
tanned face.
“You doing okay?” Jared asked.
Raul scowled. “No. No I’m not,” he answered honestly.

“Which part is bothering you?” Carson asked from Jared’s other side, leaning over his mate to

eye him with a penetrating gaze. “That he’s a man, a wolf shifter, or has a daughter?”

Well, put like that, Raul had no fucking clue. He shook his head, shrugged, then dropped his gaze

to the floor of the chopper as if the answers would be written there. They weren’t. Raul brought his
attention back to Jared and his mate

“All of it?” The concerned looks on the pair’s faces didn’t change. Raul shook his head again.

“Even though I’m not gay, I never planned to have kids. And yet, Fate decides to fuck with my life and
give me to a wolf shifter who is raising his infant niece? What part should I be okay with?”

Jared cocked his head. “Let me ask you this. If it were a woman who arrived with a baby in tow,

would it make it easier for you?”

“At least I’d know what to do with her,” Raul muttered.

Carson scowled. “So, it’s the fact that Sean is a man? You got a problem with gay relationships?”
Okay, this was coming out all wrong. Raul rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Fuck no,” he snapped.
Raul took a fortifying breath and after rubbing his hands over his face again, looked Carson in the eye
and said, “It’s the fact that I don’t get a say in the matter.”
God, how fucked up was that? He cared only that Fate was messing with his life. Sure, he’d been
thinking about this guy and obsessing over him for months. He and Jared had even talked about seeing
if they could find anything out about him. Except, now that Sean was there, in Stone Ridge, Raul
didn’t know if that was what he really wanted. Knowing exactly how fucked up and selfish that’d
make him sound, Raul kept those disturbing thoughts to himself.
He’d seen how frustrated Jared had become when he’d had to be separated from Carson, even for a
few weeks. That had been when the couple had first started out together and Jared still worked as an
assassin.
He and his friend had traveled the world together, Raul working as Jared’s spotter when the man
needed it. Then Jared had gone to Colorado for his sister’s wedding, and when he’d returned, he’d
been in love and mated to a shifter. For Raul, it was an eye-opening experience. He discovered not
only were paranormal creatures real, but that they drew his best friend into their world, yanking Raul
in right along with him.
As he thought back to those first couple of weeks in Stone Ridge, meeting shifters and learning how a
pack worked, Raul had been amazed and more than a little spooked. He never would have guessed
such things as shifters and vampires and even gargoyles were real. Now, he knew better. And now,

Fate decided to take things one step further. She decided to give Raul a mate, too.
Jared squeezed Raul’s shoulder, drawing him out of his thoughts. “We work with the hand we’re
dealt, Raul. You know that,” Jared said solemnly. “Sean seems like a decent fellow. Give him a
chance.” Then he gave Raul a twisted smile that, if he weren’t used to Jared’s sadistic sense of
humor, may have worried him. “And if he’s not a good guy, we can certainly whip him into shape.”
Raul knew his laugh was just a bit hysterical, but he appreciated his friend’s words. “Thanks, man,”
he muttered.
Jared handed him a slip of paper. “Here.”
“What’s this?” Raul asked. Opening the folded Post-It note, he read the name of a website he didn’t
recognize. He glanced between Jared and Carson, the latter man not meeting his gaze.
Jared grinned. “It’s our favorite porn site. Watch it with Sean when you get back to town. It’ll give
you some pointers.”
Raul could feel the flush working up his neck to his cheeks. “You want me to watch porn with the
man?”
“Sure. It sounded like your mate had never been with a man either, so you both need instruction.” He
grin turned lascivious. “That will definitely give you…instruction.”
Yeah, he was definitely blushing. Damn his fair skin. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” he
muttered. What if watching it only confirmed what he feared—that Fate was making a huge mistake in
pairing Sean with Raul. Would the visual of a cock in another man’s ass scare him from the act
completely? Sean would never be able to claim him.
“You found your mate?”
Manon’s question pulled Raul from his increasingly panicked thoughts. He looked at the wolf shifter
flying the helicopter and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Congrats, mon ami,” Manon replied, glancing over his shoulder at Raul and giving him a big grin.
Raul had gotten used to the way the Cajun tossed in French terms on occasion. At least those words
he recognized as calling him a friend. The guy had recently found his own mate and seemed
deliriously happy about it.
Trying to convince himself that getting a mate was a good thing, even one he knew nothing about, was
a man, and had a baby, Raul smiled back and said, “Thanks. We just caught up with each other so it’ll
be nice to get back to him. There’s still plenty we need to learn about each other.” Well, those words
are true anyway.

Manon nodded, then said, “Kontra and Payson be meetin’ us at the airstrip. They got

transportation all ready for us and show us where this place is.”

Raul appreciated the change of subject, giving him something else to focus on. He remembered

Kontra as the big bear shifter—a grizzly shifter, he’d been told. He didn’t remember the other guy
though, so asked, “Who’s Payson?”

“He’s a hyena shifter. A little touched in the head, but good in a fight,” Jared replied.

Raul turned to him. “When did you meet him?”
Jared shrugged. “I haven’t. But did you really think I’d work with people I didn’t know I could rely
on?” he asked, lifting a brow.
“When the hell did you have time to research them?” Raul asked, confused.
Carson chuckled, shaking his head. “You took longer to pack than you think you did.”
“Oh,” Raul muttered. The things Jared could do with a laptop would worry most people. Raul just
found it helpful.
“How many people do you think we’ll need to call in?” Carson asked.

Jared cocked his head and smirked. “I don’t think we’ll need to call others in. There are already six
of us. Any more than that and we’ll be too conspicuous.”
Carson rested his hand on Jared’s thigh and squeezed. “As long as everyone stays safe.”
Raul looked out the window of the chopper while Jared and Carson kissed. The enforcer may have
said he didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but Raul knew what he really meant. Carson was worried
Jared would get hurt. Everyone else was secondary to a shifter’s mate. That was just the way it was.
Sean would put me first like that. Would I be able to do the same for him?
Just the idea of Sean in danger had Raul’s pulse picking up. Damn! He scrubbed his hands over his
face again, trying to calm down. His mate was at home, safe and sound. Double damn! I already
think of Sean as my mate!
Needing something else to think about, Raul asked, “Did Kontra say how big this place was?”
“Oui,” Manon replied in the affirmative. “He say it ‘bout seven thousand square feet a floor and he
see two floors above ground. Payson manage to get in and the main floor is office buildings. The
second floor is labs. The hyena say he could smell shifters, but not find them.”
“More hidden elevators,” Jared muttered, making Raul realize his friend and his mate had finally
come up for air. Raul looked at the man and saw the pleased smile and glimmer of excitement in his
hazel eyes. Jared was looking forward to the challenge.
And challenge it turned out to be. They spent two days doing reconnaissance, not only on the building
itself, but by breaking into the local county archives and stealing every building plan on file for the
structure.
Unfortunately, they didn’t end up being real accurate. Payson, the hyena shifter, pointed out several
places where there were discrepancies. Drawing on past experiences, Raul and Jared were able to
pencil in three locations that could hold the elevator.
Since they didn’t have an in and Payson had already been in the building once, the group decided to
send Kontra and Manon through the front. As Raul waited for the signal to rush the side door he’d
been assigned, Payson at his side, he prayed they weren’t making a mistake hurrying a mission along
this way.
Payson moved restlessly beside him. He glared at the shifter, not particularly pleased that he’d been
paired with someone he didn’t know. Raul hoped it wouldn’t come back and bite him in the ass.
Sadly, it did, almost the moment he walked through the door. Although, if Raul were to think about it
later, he knew it wasn’t really anyone’s fault. These kinds of things just happened.
Once they received the signal to head in, namely a text to everyone’s cell phones, Raul rushed
forward, keeping just behind Payson. Payson used his shifter strength to yank the door open, snapping
striding down themselves about heading to the gym. Although they all only wore uniform trousers and
white tank-tops, all carried guns strapped to their hips, and they were quick to use them.
They pulled their firearms and started shooting, not even asking questions about Raul and Payson’s
presence. Evidently, their door had been a guard entrance only. Raul and Payson dodged in opposite
directions.
Raul used his shoulder to slam wide a halfopened door and found himself in a room with three more
armed men. He shot repeatedly as he rolled sideways behind a desk. Too bad the craftsmanship of the
piece of furniture was shoddy at best. The bullets ripped right through the wood, splintering chunks in
every direction.
He couldn’t hold in his cry of pain as bullets slammed into his body. His suddenly numb right hand
lost its grip on his gun and it clattered to the floor. Raul could hardly care about that as agonizing
flames shot through his right thigh right before a hit to the side of his chest sent him flying sideways.

Focusing on one slow breath after another, time the lock. Three guards were the hallway, talking
amongst seemed to stop. Everyone says that their life flashes before their eyes when they’re near
death, but all that registered to Raul was the roar of a very large and very angry sounding animal.
Maybe it was Raul’s imagination, but he thought he saw a massive, silver-tipped grizzly lumber into
the room.
The last thought before consciousness fled was that he really wished he could see Sean one more
time.
* * * *

Kontra’s head whipped around at the sound of gunfire. He exchanged a glance with Manon, and

both men sprinted toward the noise. Kontra knew the Cajun had found it odd that they hadn’t faced
more opposition at security. Either this wasn’t a building owned by the Silver Lake Corporation, they
weren’t expecting so swift retaliation, or all their people were hiding elsewhere.

From the sounds of things, Payson and the human, Raul, had run into opposition, and a lot of it. It

wasn’t often Kontra traded in his biker’s boots, but he felt grateful he had tonight. The sneakers were
quieter and more comfortable as he pounded down the halls toward the gunfire.

A cry of pain followed by the scent of blood told Kontra all he needed to know. Someone had

shot their companion. Following his nose, he let out a roar and let the shift take over. He stood a
better chance of rescuing the human in bear form.

Rounding the corner, Kontra lumbered forward and roared again. Two guns drew a bead on him.

He lunged toward the first, taking a bullet to the shoulder. It didn’t slow him down, and he swiped a
clawed paw across the guard’s chest, shredding the man’s torso. From the amount of blood spray and
the way he crumpled to the ground, Kontra knew the guard wouldn’t live. Next, he moved toward the
man pointing his gun at something behind the desk.

He lunged over the piece of furniture, his massive bulk barely clearing the bullet-riddled

obstruction. Landing on the other side, he crouched over Raul’s prone, bleeding form and struck out at
the human. A pair of gunshots cracked through the room. Kontra grunted as another slug hit him,
slicing through flesh and leaving a fiery trail across his side.

Flesh wound.

The crack of another shot had him crouching lower over Raul, but this time the human was the one
who fell. His lip curled in a snarl as he swung his massive head around to take in the scene. Three
men’s bodies were sprawled across the floor and Manon and Payson stood in the doorway, guns out
and ready.
Kontra shifted back to human form. Unmindful of his nudity, he checked over Raul’s injuries. The two
wounds on his limbs didn’t seem too bad, but the one in his chest needed attention, immediately if the
human were to have any hope of surviving.
“Manon,” he roared. “You’re a paramedic, right? Get over here.”

Chapter Six

S

ean sat in the glider in front of the fire, gently rocking Lily to sleep. He hoped Raul wouldn’t mind

that he’d moved the chair closer to the fire, but he loved being able to relax and watch the flames
dance as he fed his niece. It was peaceful— the first inkling of peace he’d felt in months. The only
thing that would make it perfect was if his mate was by his side.

Noticing Lily had nodded off, Sean rose from the chair and headed deeper into the house. As he

laid her down in the crib, he still couldn’t believe the events of the last couple days. The beta, Shane
Alvaro, had come and introduced himself as Declan had stated. After the shifter had confirmed that
Raul and Sean were mates, he’d taken one look at the infant in his arms and made a call to someone
named Caroline, who turned out to be his mate.

Forty-five minutes later, and during that time Sean had been completely stressed out because he’d

thought Shane wanted Caroline to take his Lily from him, the woman in question had arrived with
several others in tow, men and women. Instead of taking Lily, they’d set up a bedroom for her.

To Raul’s spare bedroom, they’d added a crib, a changing table complete with fully stocked

drawers, and an armoire, also fully stocked with baby things from diapers to toys to enough clothes to
last Lily until she turned at least one.

Shane had just sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, and let his mate work. It was like

watching a queen with her ants. Just amazing! After they had everything set up, the twenty questions
began anew. This time, Caroline and her friends, Victoria and Teline, had asked about Lily and Lily’s
mother. They’d ooh and ahh and even growled in all the right places, all the while promising support
and help if he ever needed it.

After many best wishes and congratulations on his mating, they had left and Sean found himself

alone again, except he no longer really felt alone. He had the phone numbers for at least a dozen pack
members in the new phone Shane had given to him.

He knew he’d have trouble putting faces to names, but as he’d watched them all leave, two men

stood out. A funny smelling human named Miach and his wolf mate Nick. He watched in amazement
as Miach opened the door of a very pretty classic car, then cupped Nick’s jaw and kissed him
thoroughly.

Instead of looks of derision, or even scowls, the women tittered and a couple men smirked. Even

Shane just rolled his eyes at their display and helped his mate into their sedan.

It was then when Sean finally came to grips with the fact that this pack was like none other he’d

ever heard of. It was a place he could call home, with a safe open environment for Lily to grow up, a
place where the pack would accept him and his mating. And people would really be happy for them
instead of lying through their teeth.

Now, all Sean had to do was convince Raul. Another thing Sean realized pretty darn quickly was

that he couldn’t not sleep in Raul’s room. He’d tried. Sean knew it’d be best if Raul actually invited
him into his bed, but Sean’s wolf was having none of it.
He’d lain down at night on the spare bed in Lily’s room, only to wake up in wolf form on Raul’s bed.
Sean was mighty glad that no one else was there to witness the indignity, because pajamas bunched up
around a wolf’s tail, hips, and shoulders was not a good look.
Sean likened it instincts took over to sleep walking. His baser and he went to where his psyche was
calmest. After two nights like that, he slept in Raul’s bed with no incident. Sean acquiesced to his
wolf and planned to stay there.

He was getting ready for bed on the fifth night after his mate’s leaving—but really, Sean wasn’t
counting—when the phone call came. It was Declan himself, and when the alpha calls with a grave
tone in his voice, the news was never good. Even before hearing more than his name, Sean’s wolf
was cowering in his mind. As he sat down on the bed, he told his beast to buck up. Their mate may
need them, and he asked the alpha what he could do for him.
Declan’s next words would have made his knees buckle if Sean wasn’t already sitting down. “I’m
sorry, Sean. Raul’s been shot. He’s been taken to a hospital near Springville and I’ve just received
word that he’s in critical condition.” The alpha’s voice turned soothing. “He is listed as stable right
now, Sean.”
Sean had to swallow twice to clear the lump in his throat. “Can I—can I go see him?” he asked
tentatively.
“Normally I’d say, yes, Sean, but they’re already making plans to airlift him to Colin City Memorial.”
Sean frowned. “Where—”
When he couldn’t seem to manage to finish the question, Declan said, “That’s about forty-five minutes
from your house. As soon as I know when he’ll be landing, I’ll send someone with a car. Don’t worry
about Lily,” he soothed. “I’ll send someone to watch her, as well.”
“Th-thank you,” he stuttered.
“Don’t thank me yet, Sean,” Declan replied, revealing his own worry. “Raul’s not out of the woods,
yet.”
A whimper escaped Sean as fear ripped through him. After all this time, after fighting for his life, for
Lily’s life, for the chance, the hope, of seeing, of being with his mate, would life be so cruel as to take
Raul away without giving them a chance together?
“Breathe, Sean, breathe. Long, slow, deep breathes. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
The faint voice of Declan’s human mate, Lark, came through the line. “You’ve got to calm down.
Concentrate on three words. Raul…is… alive. He needs you to be strong. Be strong for Raul. Be
strong for Lily. Your family needs you.”
Sean obeyed, concentrating on the alpha-mate’s words. Finally, his heart rate returned to something
resembling normal, and he could speak again. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Please let me know when
I can see him.”
After he hung up, Sean sat in a daze for the longest time. Lily’s fussing, the noise coming through the
baby monitor, finally brought him out of his stupor. Sean walked into the other room. He saw that her
face was scrunched up in irritation and she waved her fists impudently.
“Hey, sweetie,” he crooned. Reaching into the crib, he gently rubbed her back, hoping she’d just drift
back to sleep. “What has you so upset, hmm?”
For a heat beat, Lily stopped fussing and froze. Sean grimaced, knowing what was coming. Lily
proved him right as she let out a loud wail. He picked her up and laid her on the changing table,
asking, “Are you wet, little girl? Hmm? Did you make a stinky?”
She did.
While Sean cleaned her up, Lily’s cries quickly diminished and turned into coos and burbles. She
laughed at Sean’s silly faces. Once he was done and had her in a clean outfit, he then picked her up
and headed to the kitchen. “One of these days, you’ll sleep all the way through the night, won’t you?”
He kept up the inane chatter as he heated her bottle. Then he settled in the glider and fed her, staring
into the empty fireplace, wondering if he’d ever get the chance of enjoying the view with his mate.
Mentally shoving the useless, not to mention depressing, thoughts away, Sean finished feeding and
burping Lily. Sean laid her back in her crib and turned the mobile on, letting its soothing melody

capture her attention and lull her back to sleep. He then stripped off his sweats and crawled into bed.
Raul’s scent soothed his frazzled nerves and he managed to drift off to sleep.

The ring of the doorbell jerked Sean out a very pleasant dream, a dream where his mate was

going down on him and wrapping his shaft in wet, sucking heat. Sean groaned, staring at his aching
erection. The ring of the doorbell followed by the pounding of a fist on wood told Sean in no
uncertain terms that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about his dick’s engorged state.

Besides, now that he was awake and remembered Declan’s call last night, he was already

wilting.

Sean sighed, pulled his sweats back on, and hustled to the front door. He glanced through the

peephole and frowned. It wasn’t anyone he knew. “Who is it?”

“Me name’s Cliff MacDougal. I’m here to take ye to Colin City,” said the man behind the door.

“Who will take care of Lily?” he asked warily.
“I have me mate, Lisa, with me,” Cliff replied.
“Sean, will you open the door, please?” came a woman’s voice, probably Lisa. “I don’t like Abigail
being out in the cold like this.”
“Who’s Abigail?” he asked on reflex.
“Me cub,” Cliff responded, agitation working its way into his voice.
Sean’s wolf wanted to obey, and fast, recognizing a more dominant shifter. Opening the door, Sean
beckoned them to enter. In trooped a tall, dark-haired wolf shifter and a slender, petite blonde woman
carrying a babe wrapped in blankets.
The woman, Lisa, smiled. “Caroline told me how cute Lily is. It’ll be nice for Abigail to have a girl
her own age to play with when she gets older.” As she talked, she unwrapped a couple folds to reveal
a pink-faced sleeping infant.
“Oh,” Sean breathed. “She’s lovely,” he said, more because he was supposed to than because he
really thought the baby was all that. He was a man, after all.
Lisa smiled. “Thanks. Now, just show me where Lilly’s things are and then you can be off. I’m sure
you’re eager to see your mate.” She finally looked at him for the first time and smirked. “Maybe you
should be less eager and put on some clothes,” she said, hand over her mouth to smother a snort.
Remembering his state of undress, Sean glanced toward Cliff. The shifter was clearly amused more at
his wife’s reaction than caring about Sean running around bare-chested. Like most shifters, Sean
figured Cliff didn’t care about nudity much.
Sean still scurried to obey because the sooner he dressed, the sooner he could go see his mate. He
pulled on jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, socks, and boots. Heading to Lily’s room, he found Lisa already in
there sitting on the bed. She held a finger to her lips and made a shooing motion with her other hand.
He mouthed thank you, then headed toward the front room.
Cliff took one look at him and started toward the front. Sean grabbed a coat and followed. Once Sean
settled in the other man’s sedan, he had to clasp his hands between his legs to keep them from
trembling.
“I’m sorry about yer mate,” Cliff murmured, breaking the silence.
Sean nodded, uncertain what to say.
“I have great respect for the man,” Cliff continued. “He’s been invaluable in our fight against the
scientists using us as lab rats.” He shook his head, then glanced toward Sean, catching his gaze for a
couple seconds before returning his focus to the road. “He’s a tough human, that one. Don’t ye worry.
He’ll pull through.”
Somehow, Sean managed to force a weak smile.

Needing something to talk about, Sean murmured, “How long have you known Raul?”
“Oh, a little over a year now. He moved to Stone Ridge with his friend, Jared, after the guy mated
with Carson, our enforcer.” Cliff actually snickered. “Gods that be, what a pair. Crazy humans.”
Sean grimaced. He didn’t know if he should be offended on behalf of his mate or not. “What do you
mean?”
Cliff spared him a glance before answering. “This isn’t common knowledge, but since ye’re mate is
Raul, I figure ye’ll learn sooner or later.” Cliff shrugged. “Jared worked as an assassin for over a
decade before meeting Carson. Raul worked as his spotter when needed and his cover if his presence
was ever questioned.” Cliff shook his head and grinned, clearly amused. “Devious bastards.”
This time, Sean did fill with indignation. “That is my mate you’re talking about,” he snapped.
The other shifter’s brows shot up, but instead of putting him in his place, Cliff nodded. “Me
apologies. It was meant as a compliment.”
The pair fell into silence, and soon, the lights of the city appeared in a valley below them. The tight
turns of the mountain roads forced Cliff to slow the vehicle, and Sean fought his urge to tell him to go
faster. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if they got into a wreck on the way.
Sean felt like he was ready to jump out of his skin by the time Cliff finally pulled up in front of the
hospital and was out of the car before Cliff turned the ignition off. He strode swiftly toward the
doors, but once inside, had no clue where to go.
Fortunately, Carson was waiting and motioned to him. Sean followed willingly as the stoic man led
him down a corridor and into an elevator. Once the door was closed, Sean murmured, “What
happened to him?”
“When Raul and Payson broke into the facility through a side door, there were some guards waiting.
They made the mistake of diving in opposite directions. Payson ended up in an empty room. Raul
wasn’t so lucky,” Carson told him, his voice soft and low, as if saying the words quietly would lessen
their impact somehow.
“Raul dove behind a desk, but it was a cheap piece of shit. Several bullets went right through, hitting
him in his shoulder, his thigh, and his chest.” Carson shook his head, his expression fierce and angry.
Then the big man swallowed and cleared his expression. “If it hadn’t been for Kontra shifting and
covering him with his bulk, Raul would probably be dead.”
Sean nodded, recognizing the name of the guy Declan said had called him. “Be straight with me,” he
said as the elevator came to a stop and the doors whooshed open. “Is he going to make it?”
Carson placed his hand on the elevator bumpers to keep it from closing, then turned back and stared
Sean in the eye. “I don’t know.”

Chapter Seven

T

hree days…three days Sean had been sitting by his lover’s side. Still no change. A cat shifter

named Doctor Ailean Carmichael encouraged Sean to talk to Raul and hold his hand. He thought that a
little odd, but did as the guy said. Who knows…maybe it will help after all. He’d do anything that
would bring his mate back to him.

Every day, Lisa brought Lily to him. Sean felt horrible for just dumping his niece on the kind

woman, especially when she already had her own cub to care for, but she and Cliff were extremely
understanding and supportive.

The nurses were the only ones who really gave him trouble, glaring and frowning. Sean would

ignore them, unless they started making disgruntled noises, then he glared at them. Even humans
seemed to understand when a predator had them in their sights because they were quick to finish
whatever they were doing and get out.

The first time a nurse came in to give Raul a sponge bath, Sean had nearly lost it. After much

yelling and cussing, the nurse threatened to call security. Fortunately, Doctor Carmichael appeared
before that happened and gave Sean permission to give his mate the daily sponge baths instead. It sure
wasn’t how he’d planned seeing every inch of his mate for the first time, but the thought of someone
else doing something so intimate riled him beyond words.

Sean wasn’t certain how it happened, but he actually managed to fall asleep. When he roused, the

first thing that registered was the pain shooting up his neck. He was leaning forward in his chair, his
head cradled on one arm on the bed and his other hand was stretched out to the side, where, at one
time, he’d been holding Raul’s hand.

Blinking, he wanted to purr at the feel of Raul’s fingers running softly through his hair, almost

petting him. Oh! Sean shifted a bit and peered up at his mate. “Raul,” he mumbled, upon seeing
unfocused, murky green eyes staring back at him.

Raul didn’t respond, but that was okay. He’d actually woken!

Sean really didn’t touch, but the pain ignored. Carefully, he lifted a hand and entwined Raul’s petting
fingers with his own as he slowly want to dislodge Raul’s in his neck wouldn’t be straightened, trying
to hide his grimace of pain.
After popping his neck, Sean leaned forward and murmured softly, “Hey, mate.” He tilted close and
pressed a soft kiss to Raul’s pale forehead. “I’ve been worried about you,” he admitted. “A lot of
people have been.” He forced a smile. “There’s been quite the parade of people in and out of here.
Drives the nurses nuts.”
That finally had a slight smile curving the corners of Raul’s mouth. “Sean,” Raul whispered as he
squeezed Sean’s hand lightly, his voice scratchy and hoarse.
That his mate remembered him sent relieved pleasure flooding through Sean’s system. He’d been so
worried that Raul would have lost his memory of him. Irrational, maybe, but fear didn’t always make
sense.
“I’m going to press the call button,” Sean said. “We need to let everyone know you’ve woken.”
Raul grunted and he pulled weakly on his hand.
Sean leaned closer. “What is it, sexy?”
Suddenly, Raul let go of Sean’s hand.
Sean immediately felt rejection spike through him, but then the human gripped Sean’s hair and tugged
lightly. Confused, Sean went with the movement until their faces were only an inch apart.

“Kiss,” Raul breathed the word against Sean’s lips.
Sean whimpered and obeyed. No way he could deny his mate, even if there were so many other things
that should have happened first now that Raul had woken. Raul had wanted to kiss him first. Nothing
could be sweeter than that knowledge.
He closed the distance between them and brushed their lips together once, twice, keeping it light and
gentle. After a third brush of lips, Sean eased back. Raul’s grip tightened just a bit, then loosened,
letting him go.
“I’ll be right back,” Sean promised.
* * * *

So asking for a kiss before painkillers from the doctor probably wasn’t his smartest move, but this

hadn’t been the first time Raul had been awake. Consciousness had been flitting around the edges of
his mind for a while, but he just hadn’t been able to open his eyes. Still, Raul had known Sean had
been there every time awareness danced around his head. He’d been able to smell him.

Now, he wanted meds because all he could feel was wave after wave of pulsing pain. Then he

planned to go back to sleep. He’d care about how he’d ended up in the hospital with Sean by his side
later, much later.

Raul had just started to drift off when footsteps caught his attention so he forced his eyelids back

open. “Ailean,” he croaked, the word coming out so hoarse he wasn’t certain how the man understood
him.

“Raul, it’s good to see you finally aware. You’ve gone and given us quite a scare with your

heroics,” Ailean said.

The light teasing from the surly cat shifter told Raul exactly how worried everyone must have

been. “How long?” he rasped.

Ailean handed Sean a cup and pointed toward the bathroom, silently telling the wolf shifter to fill

it. Then he crossed to the bed and started checking monitors. Raul stayed quiet, not having the energy
to attempt to pry information out of the man, but Ailean didn’t make him wait long.

“You were brought in three days ago, Raul, and I understand you were stabilized at a place in

Illinois, so maybe another day and a half for that and transport.” He leaned over and shone a light in
first one of Raul’s eyes, then the other. “You’re very lucky.”

After taking a sip of the water Sean offered, Raul murmured, “Where was I hit?” He did vaguely

remember getting shot, and from the various aches, it was in more than one place.

Ailean looked him in the eye and said, “Your right shoulder. You’re lucky it missed your

collarbone and ended up being a through and through. Your right thigh and the one in your chest
weren’t so clean, though. Some unlucky bastard, probably Manon, had to keep you on oxygen all the
way to the hospital. One of the bullets shredded the muscle in your thigh. If you complete your mating,
you might be able to skip out on physical therapy.” His lips pinched into a thin line as he continued.
“It was your chest that almost killed you. I understand you were put on a ventilator for twelve hours
before you were deemed stable enough to move.”
“Damn,” he hissed.
“What’s the last thing you remember, Raul?” Ailean asked gently.

After taking a slow breath, Raul whispered, “Charging into the building with Payson. There was

gunfire. We got separated. A shitty desk. Pain.” Raul’s brows creased and his eyes slid closed for
several seconds as he struggled to sort things out. One thing stood out in his mind above all else, and
he turned to look at Sean. “You,” he murmured.

“Me?” Sean seemed taken aback. “But I wasn’t there.”

Raul scoffed, then grunted when it hurt. He shook his head. “I remember wanting to see you again.”
He wiggled his fingers where they lay on the mattress, too tired to lift his hand. Sean seemed to get
the idea and gently took his hand. “I’m glad I got my wish.”
“All right,” Ailean said, hooking up something to his IV. “Now that I’m able to pass on the good news
that you’re awake and talking, you need to get more rest. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of visitors over
the next few days, so you should sleep while you can.”
Raul didn’t think Ailean sounded too pleased by the prospect of lots of shifters in and out of his
hospital. Too tired even to think up an effective jab, Raul asked, “How long am I stuck here?”
“Good grief, Raul,” Ailean muttered. “You’ve been shot three times and had two surgeries. Enjoy
your down time.”
“How long?” he insisted, really wanting to know.
Ailean’s eyes narrowed and Raul could see him working his jaw. “I plan to keep you at least a week,
maybe even two, so get used to the idea.”
Before Raul could ask anything else, Ailean turned on his heel and left. Raul could feel the medicine
working, dulling not only the pain, but his senses as well. Pretty soon, he’d pass out. “You gonna
stay?” he slurred.
Sean sat down in the chair next to the bed and nodded. “I’ll stay.”
Raul patted the bed beside him. “Here. That’s not comfortable.” He swallowed and frowned. What
was he trying to ask again? His brain was so foggy.
“When you’re feeling better,” Sean said, pressing a butterfly kiss to his lips.
“Mmm,” Raul hummed. Oh, I like this man’s kisses. Why am I kissing a man again? He couldn’t
remember. Then Raul couldn’t remember why he cared. “More.”
Sean chuckled softly, and wasn’t that a nice sound?
Then his lips were on Raul’s again. Even more nice. He’d complain another time. Right now, his
eyes were sliding shut and warm tingles were spreading through his body. When Sean pulled away,
Raul really did intend to reach up and pull him back, but the sandman had other ideas.

Raul was ready to slit someone’s throat. He wanted to leave the fucking hospital and there wasn’t

anyone here who was going to force him to stay. The fact that he’d convinced—well, blackmailed
really—Jared into helping him just proved his desperation.

He’d been there a week and that was enough. Managing to convince Sean to spend time with Lily

at home hadn’t been nearly as difficult as he’d worried it would be. He knew his mate felt guilty
leaving her with Lisa so much. Raul had four hours to pull this off.
Raul glanced at the clock on the wall, tapping his fingers impatiently on the bed. He wanted to call
Jared, find out where he was, but then his friend might decide not to help. He’d had to assure his
friend that he really was feeling fine. He’d even started refusing pain meds. Six days floating on the
damn things was enough. It was time to get on with his life.
Besides, there was no way in hell he was going to be in the hospital over Christmas, which was only
four days away. He wanted his first holiday with his mate to be at home, together. And the fact that he
was tired of having an erection he couldn’t do anything about except in the bathroom didn’t have
anything to do with it.
It was fucking miserable.
Admitting that he had permanent blue balls was what finally convinced Jared. His friend’s left brow
had risen slowly, then he’d cracked up into huge guffaws. He’d even lost it enough to slap Raul’s
calf. Good thing it was on his good leg.
Jared pushing a wheelchair into the room pulled Raul out of his thoughts. “You ready?”

Raul nodded. “How you getting me by the damn nurse’s station?”
His friend gave him a toothy grin. “No worries. She’s prepping your release papers right now. For
some reason, she got approval from Doctor Carmichael just ten minutes ago via phone.”
Pausing while disconnecting wires, Raul murmured, “I thought that wasn’t allowed.”
Shrugging innocently, Jared responded, “They must have made an exception.”
Snickering, Raul said, “I don’t even want to know.” He waved his friend over. “Let’s get out of here.
Where are my clothes?”
Jared tossed a backpack on the bed next to his hip. “You need help?” he asked, eyeing him dubiously
as Raul struggled to tuck his arm into his sleeve.
His glare must have been answer enough, because Jared stepped forward, muttering jackass under his
breath, and helped him maneuver his arm into his shirt. Sure, Raul would have preferred it was his
mate, but then again, his mate wouldn’t have helped him break out of here. That’s what friends were
for.
After a couple hisses of pain, they got the t-shirt on. Next came the sweats. Fortunately, they’d seen
each other buck-ass naked more times than they could remember over the years. The sweats ended up
being easier because once Jared worked them up to above his knees, all he had to do was stand and
pull.
Still, by the time they finished, Raul had sweat beading on his upper lip and he struggled to keep his
breathing even. Jared got behind the chair and leaned over his shoulder to whisper, “I know this is
just killing you, Raul, you stubborn fool. If you end up dead because of this, I will find a witch to
raise you from the grave just so I can kick your ass. You got me?”
Raul grinned and looked over his shoulder at his friend. “I love you, too, Jared.”
Jared straightened with a snort and pushed him out the door.
True to his claim, the nurse had his release papers ready. She gave him a commiserating look. “I’m
awful sorry to hear about your father’s heart attack, Raul. You give him our best wishes, okay?”
He nodded slowly. “Thanks, Stacey. I appreciate it. It came as quite a shock,” he said, playing along.
Evidently, he was getting out early because Jared made everyone think his father was ill or
something. Whatever works!
Raul listened carefully as she explained cleaning procedures. She’d even gone so far as to secure him
a prescription for the higher dosage pain relievers. He sure prayed he didn’t need them past tonight
because he hated how loopy they made him. But this evening, yeah, he’d need them. Thanking her
profusely as Jared rolled him away, Raul grinned at his buddy.
They made it to the elevator without mishap. Waiting inside, leaning against the wall, was Ailean.
Jared didn’t even hesitate. He pushed Raul right inside and hit the appropriate button for parking
level.
“You weren’t really trying to sneak out of here, were you, Raul?” Ailean asked dryly.
Raul grinned through the throb beginning to permeate his body. “Naw, Doc, I got my release papers.
See?” He held up the referenced sheets.
Ailean’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “I’d force you to go back to your room, but I find
myself giving you grudging respect for actually getting away with it.” He scowled. “That is, at least,
as far as the hospital is concerned.” Sighing, he rolled his eyes and actually smirked. “Damn ballsy of
you.”
Jared shrugged. “It’s a hospital, not a prison.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Ailean gave them a nod, but stayed in the elevator as
Jared pushed Raul out, content to order, “Call me or Lark if you have complications, Raul.”

With a grunt or two of pain, Raul got into Jared’s Porsche. At least, with that, he hadn’t needed help.
Sighing, he settled back in the bucket seat and closed his eyes, trying to will the aches and pains
away. Raul wasn’t sure, but if he’d been a betting man, he figured he fell asleep before they even got
out of the parking garage.

Chapter Eight

S

ean tickled Lily, making her squeal and kick where she lay on the blanket spread over the rug.

He’d known he’d been a bit distracted recently, what with spending all his time at the hospital, and
Sean appreciated Raul’s understanding. He smiled, tickling Lily again, thinking how sweet it was for
Raul to encourage him to spend time with his niece.

He glanced at the clock, realizing he probably ought to try to put Lily down before Lisa got there

with Abigail. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about it after he left for the hospital again.

Sean reached for her, but the sound of crunching gravel under tires made him pause. His brows

creasing, he looked at the clock again. No, Sean hadn’t been mistaken. Lisa shouldn’t be there yet.
Leaving Lily where she was, kicking happily on her stomach, he headed toward the window and
peeked out.

His brows lifted when he spotted Jared’s Porsche carefully maneuvering around patches of snow.

It was a good thing the pack plowed all of its members’ driveways regularly, otherwise the man’s
pretty sports car would have trouble.

Come to think of it, this was only the second time Sean had seen it out in the winter. All the other

times, Jared had been riding shotgun in Carson’s SUV. Concern filling him, Sean glanced once at
Lily, double-checking that she hadn’t moved, then headed toward the front door.

He opened it and watched Jared park and get out of his car. That’s when Sean realized someone

was in the passenger seat, though he couldn’t figure out who, what with the tinted windows and all.

Jared closed his door and looked at him. “Oh, good. Help me out with him,” he said, motioning.

“He passed out as soon as I gave him his pain meds,” the man continued, grumbling.

Sean carefully shut the door and headed down the steps, trying not to shiver in the winter chill.

“Who?”

The human stopped in his tracks, his hand pausing on the handle of the passenger door, and peered

at him with brows drawn. Then his eyes widened and he started to laugh. “He didn’t tell you?” he got
out between guffaws, which just confused Sean even more.
“Who tell me what?” he asked.

That’s when Jared, still laughing uproariously, opened the door and Sean realized who was in the

passenger seat. His jaw dropped open. “They released him? When the hell…” Sean paused and took
at Jared’s grin. The man still snickered. “They didn’t release him, did they? He broke out, didn’t he?
And you helped!” he said, pointing between them accusingly.

Jared shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Ailean knows he left. Besides, it’s not a fucking prison,” he

muttered, gripping Raul’s arm and urging the barely conscious man to his feet.

Sean might be irritated, but even he wouldn’t leave his mate out in the cold just to make a point—

which he really didn’t care about anyway. Stepping around them, he carefully wrapped both arms
around him and leaned his mate against his back.

Raul roused. His head lolled and he peered up at Sean and grinned. “Hey, baby. Don’t be mad,”

he slurred. “Wanted to be here with you.”

Groaning, Sean breathed in his mate’s scent. Even if he had been mad, he couldn’t be now after

that confession, even though, from the look of Raul’s pupils, he wasn’t totally coherent. “Not mad,” he
promised, nuzzling his neck. “Let’s get you inside where it’s warm,” he urged.
“Yeah,” Raul agreed.

As carefully as he could, Sean lifted his mate into his arms. Sean had no clue how the two men

managed to convince Ailean that Raul was well enough to leave, but now that he had the
sweetsmelling human in his arms, Sean wasn’t about to let him go.

Jared opened the door and Sean followed inside. When Sean started heading toward the bedroom,

Raul lifted a hand and pointed toward the front room. “Want to sit with you,” Raul muttered.

Sean paused, hesitant. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Watch you play with Lily,” Raul slurred, smiling at the little girl who was now propped up on her
elbows and gracing the three men with a huge smile.
“Best just do what he says,” Jared advised. “Otherwise, the idiot will just try to walk out here on his
own.”
Well, Sean sure as shit didn’t want that. His mate could barely stay standing leaning against the car.
He’d probably end up falling and hurting himself. Doing as Raul bid, Sean laid him on the couch,
tucking a pillow under his head, then covered him with the afghan from the back of the couch.
Kneeling, he kissed Raul gently. “Are you happy to be home?” he murmured.
Raul’s fingers threaded through Sean’s thick hair and pulled him into another kiss. This one had heat
and tongue, and Sean’s cock started pressing insistently against his fly. He really, really needed more
from his mate, but there were others in the room, not to mention Sean feared reinjuring his hurting
human.
Sean gently ended the tongue-tangling and pressed a couple more butterfly kisses to Raul’s lips to
stop him from trying to lift his head. Smiling, Sean whispered, “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“I’m glad I’m feeling better, too,” Raul responded, smiling back. “And I’m happy to be home because
you’re here.”
Sean knew it was just the pain meds talking, but his heart still skipped a beat at Raul’s words. His
chest warmed, and he knew it’d be so easy to fall in love with his mate. In fact, Sean figured he was
halfway there already. Their talks in the hospital over the last few days went a long way in learning
about each other. Raul was a good man, confident, always there for his friends. Sean just knew he’d
make an excellent second father to Lily and prayed his human really wanted the job.
“I’m going to put these bottles on the kitchen counter,” Jared said, cutting into his thoughts. He held up
a couple containers, shaking the one in his right hand. “These are antibiotics. He still needs to take
them every six hours with food. There should be enough in here for a week.” He smirked. “I’d advise
to get either Lark or Ailean to look at him at that point to evaluate his wounds. And don’t take no for
an answer.” He shook the second bottle. “This is his pain killers. As you can see, he’s a lightweight,”
Jared said, snorting. “He can take them as needed.”
“Thank you,” Sean said.
Jared waved his hand, cutting off anything else Sean could have said. The man shrugged. “I did it for
him, not you. Hurry up and claim him, so his healing will speed up.”
With those parting words, Jared left the room. Sean turned to Raul, wondering what he thought of
Jared’s comment, but his mate had passed out. Sean smiled, tracing the man’s nose and jaw. The lines
of stress and pain had eased in sleep, and Sean hoped he’d be able to see this relaxed look on Raul
all the time soon.
Lily’s happy squeal pulled Sean’s attention from his mate. He smiled at the little girl. Sitting next to
her, Sean tickled her side, making her giggle. “Who’s a happy girl? Yes, you’re a happy girl, aren’t
you?”
He got to his knees and swung her in his arms, carefully spinning her around while making airplane
noises. Sean loved the way Lily shrieked and giggled. After a moment, Sean said, “Okay, little girl,
let’s get you a bottle, then I gotta call Lisa. Yes, I do.” Cradling her in his arms, he tickled her belly

as he left the room.
While Sean fed Lily, he told Lisa that Raul was home. She’d been pretty surprised, which was to be
expected. After getting off the phone, Sean burped Lily, then put her down for her nap. She fussed a
bit, but quieted once he turned the mobile on. Two minutes later, she was out like a light.
Sean watched her sleep for a few minutes, smiling. Heading to the front room, he sat on the floor next
to the couch and let out a slow breath, just enjoying the moment.
When Raul put his hand on Sean’s shoulder and murmured hey, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
Chuckling at himself, Sean turned to face his mate and grinned at him. “Sorry. You startled me. Guess
I was lost in thought.”
Raul smiled and touched his mouth. Sean flicked out a tongue and tasted the pad of the man’s finger.
“What were you thinking about?”
“How you need a Christmas tree,” he replied truthfully, then drew the tip of Raul’s finger into his
mouth and sucked lightly.
His mate’s nostrils flared and his eyes dilated for a completely different reason. The scent of arousal
hit Sean’s senses like the finest aphrodisiac. Sean’s erection, which had never completely deflated,
thickened with a vengeance, and he moaned and sucked harder, flicking the rough pad with his tongue.
The image of him sucking something else of Raul’s shot through his brain and he couldn’t stop his
gaze from dropping to his mate’s crotch.
“Where—where would you put the tree?” Raul managed to get out.
He smiled and allowed the finger to slip from between his lips. The move made Raul’s breathing
hitch and Sean grinned. “In front of the window,” he murmured. “A seven-footer would be perfect
right there, don’t you think? We’ll cut construction paper into thin slips and create a rainbow chain.
Celebrate the changes in our life,” he said.
Taking courage at the scent of lust rolling off his mate, Sean flipped the blanket off Raul’s torso and
cupped the thick, hard cock straining against the fabric of his sweats. “What do you think?” he
whispered, giving Raul’s dick a squeeze.
Raul moaned and rocked into his touch. “That sounds like a great idea,” he gasped out. “But first,
shouldn’t we actually do the deed?”
Sean grinned at his very soon-to-be lover. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Releasing his grip on his mate’s cock had Raul moaning, so Sean quickly maneuvered the sweats
down Raul’s hips and under his balls, allowing his dick to spring free. He licked his lips and leaned
forward, inhaling deeply.
“Fuck, you smell good,” Sean said with a groan, his tone deepening with desire.
“Sean,” Raul grunted. “Do something,” he pleaded, threading his fingers into Sean’s hair. His hold
neither pushed nor pulled Sean away, letting him choose.
And Sean chose to taste his mate. Of course, making the decision to suck another man’s cock, even
one that was his mate’s, was completely different than actually doing it. Carefully, he wrapped his
hand around the base of Raul’s thick, maybe six-inch meat. He pumped the shaft once, twice, glancing
up when Raul hissed, gratified to see the pleasure straining his features.
“Sean,” Raul said again, growling his name this time.
Sean grinned. Oh, he felt powerful, in control, making his mate burn with obvious need if the
glistening drops of pre-cum oozing from the wide slit was any indication. Sean wanted more.
He leaned forward, stuck out his tongue, and slid the flat of it across the swollen, sensitive glans,
taking care to scoop up those tantalizing beads. Sean hummed at the taste. Wanting to taste more, he
opened his jaw wide and sucked the head of Raul’s cock into his mouth.

Raul moaned, indicating Sean must be doing something right. His mate bucked his hips convulsively,
thrusting more of his dick into Sean’s mouth. Sean’s gag reflex kicked in, forcing him to back away.
“Sorry,” Raul apologized breathily. “Felt so good.”
Sean flicked his gaze up, surprisingly pleased at the gasping, slack-jawed look of pleasure on the
other man’s face. Going down on him again, Sean made certain to keep his second hand firmly on
Raul’s hip so he couldn’t choke him again. Sean bobbed his head, sucking and licking, doing all the
things he knew he liked when getting a blow job. He tickled the sensitive skin under the cap, traced
the pulsing vein up the underside of Raul’s stalk, and dipped his tongue into the slit.
“Wait, wait, oh fuck, wait!” Raul cried out.
Concerned that he’d somehow hurt his mate, Sean pulled off Raul’s dick. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Raul gasped. “Just don’t want to come yet,” he admitted.
“What? Why?” Sean asked, confused. Wasn’t that the point of a blow job?
“Want to taste you, too,” Raul admitted. “Come up here.”
“Oh.” Sean felt his heartbeat speed up at what his mate proposed. After a second, he stood and
stripped his jeans. Like most shifters, he didn’t bother with underwear. His dick sprang free, hard,
already weeping, jutting from his groin and ready for action.
Raul reached out and tentatively traced a finger up the underside of his dick, along the bloodengorged
vein. He tickled the membrane called the frenulum with his fingertip, making his dick bob and sending
shivers through Sean’s body. Finally, Raul swiped the pad of his finger over Sean’s head, rubbing the
clear fluid that oozed from his slit all around the glans.
Sean growled low in his throat, loving not only the sight of his mate touching him, but the shudders his
touch sent through his body. When Raul lifted his finger to his tongue and tasted Sean, licking his
finger clean, Sean moaned.
“Raul,” he murmured. “You’re killing me!”
Raul grinned. “We wouldn’t want that. Come up here,” he beckoned.
Letting out an unmanly whimper, Sean quickly obeyed, positioning himself above Raul in a classic
sixty-nine position. He mentally reminded himself to be careful not to put any weight on his healing
lover, then lowered his head and sucked in as much of Raul’s dick as he could.
He slowly started bobbing his head, lifting in slow, sucking drags, knowing how good it felt. Sean
nearly lost it at the first touch of Raul’s tongue to his glans. He had to freeze and concentrate on
beating his orgasm back as Raul’s tongue swiped around him, the warm, wet appendage sending
fantastic sensations up his stalk to his balls.
When Raul actually wrapped his lips around his crown and sucked, Sean moaned. It was a good thing
he’d remembered to grip Raul’s hip again, because the vibrations caused his mate to whimper and
thrust.
It only took a few seconds for Raul to catch on, and they started a race to get each other off on their
orgasms. Sean’s lover seemed to mirror his movements, sucking, licking, and working the base of his
prick—which Raul couldn’t fit into his mouth—with his hand.
Sean felt his balls pull tight to his body. His cock swelled and he knew he was seconds away from
coming. He desperately wanted Raul to get off, too. He reached down and rolled his lover’s testicles,
feeling the hard orbs tighten in their sacks. Yeah, his lover was close, too. Sean hummed.
That seemed to do it. Raul groaned. His cock swelled and pulsed, filling Sean’s mouth with cum. At
first, Sean almost gagged as the creamy liquid hit the back of his throat. He pulled off halfway and
swallowed, drinking his mate’s fluid. Actually tasting it had him moaning in delight and his own
orgasm hit him.

His body shuddering and twitching, Sean tried to remember to continue to swallow as his balls turned
inside out and pleasure swamped his senses. It didn’t quite work, and some of Raul’s cum oozed past
his lips.
When he finished coming, it took every ounce of self-control Sean possessed to keep from collapsing
on his lover. Instead, he carefully pulled off Raul’s cock and licked his lips, catching most of the
cream that had escaped, then wiped his tongue over Raul’s softening shaft, licking it clean.
Goose bumps broke out over his body as Sean felt Raul doing the same to his own cock. His dick
twitched at the attention, trying valiantly to rise again. Carefully, Sean shifted off the couch and knelt
by his lover’s head.
Raul grinned up at him. Sean thought he’d never looked better with the sated look on his face and the
cat-that-ate-the-cream smile. Raul sank his fingers into Sean’s hair and tugged. “Love your hair,”
Raul muttered absently.
Instead of kissing him, Raul licked his chin and jaw. Sean hummed with pleasure, realizing his mate
was cleaning up some cum he must have missed. Then Raul drew him forward into a deep, tongue-
curling kiss. Sean could taste both their essences mixed in with Raul’s own unique flavors, and he
thought it was the most amazing taste in the world. Sean knew he’d never get enough.

Chapter Nine

“

It’s still crooked,” Raul said, unable to hide his grin.

Sean let out an irritated huff and scowled at him. “Which direction?”

Looking at the blue spruce, Raul tilted his hand, indicating that it needed to go a little to the right.
His lover adjusted the tree and then looked at him. “Now?”
“Perfect,” Raul said, deciding it was as close as it was going to get. He grinned. “Now come here
and give me a kiss, grouch,” he teased.
Sean rolled his eyes, but did as Raul bid. He spread his thighs and Sean knelt between them. They
reached for each other and came together, exchanging the slow, drugging kisses that Raul had come to
enjoy so much.
Over the last few days, they’d explored each other’s bodies with hands, lips, and tongues. They only
had one last thing to do together, and Raul wasn’t certain if he felt eagerness or trepidation. Sure,
Raul wanted to belong to Sean, just as he already knew Sean belonged to him, and if having his
lover’s seven-inch rod shoved up his ass was the only way to do it, then he’d welcome his lover into
his body.
Raul slid his hands down Sean’s chest, tweaking his nipples through the t-shirt he wore, just as he
knew Sean liked. His mate grunted and hummed, deepening the kiss, thrusting his tongue into Raul’s
mouth.
Sean leaned back and whispered against Raul’s lips, “I want you in my ass, Raul. I’ve been thinking
about it for days. How you’ll feel filling me up. Will you let me ride your cock?”
Raul’s brows shot up. His cock flooded to full arousal and a bead of moisture seeped from him. “Oh
fuck,” he muttered. His mate had been thinking of the same thing he had!
“That’s the idea,” Sean murmured, skimming butterfly kisses over his lips, along his jaw, and over to
his ear lobe, sucking it into his mouth. Sean cupped Raul through his sweats, squeezing his sensitive
shaft, making him moan. “How about it, big guy?”
“Hell, yeah,” Raul murmured, his eyes practically rolling into the back of his head. He’d talk to his
mate about taking his ass later.
Sean stood and whipped his shirt over his head. Then he dug a small bottle of lube out of his jeans
pocket and dropped it on the couch, then shimmied out of his pants.
Raul swallowed and licked his lips, taking in his sexy lover’s aroused state.
Seeing his hungry look, Sean smirked. “Let’s get you out of those clothes, sexy,” he said huskily.
Raul nodded, on board with that idea. He lifted his arms and Sean carefully helped him take off his t-
shirt. He lightly traced a finger around the healing puckered flesh on his shoulder and upper chest.
“Fuck, I was so lucky not to lose you, Raul.”
Not wanting to lose the moment, Raul leaned up and kissed his lover. “But you didn’t. Show me how
much you appreciate me being here,” he urged as he lifted his hips and shoved off his sweats and
socks.
He held out a hand, beckoning his lover onto his lap even as he slouched down a bit on the couch.
Carefully, Sean climbed over him, his jutting cock seeming to lead the way. Raul grabbed the lube
and poured some onto his fingers. He reached behind his lover, and carefully felt for Sean’s puckered

entrance. As he gently slipped the tip of his slicked up finger into the man’s anus, Raul looked up at
Sean, trying to read his expression.
“This okay?”
Sean nodded. “Yeah, more,” he said, rocking backward and impaling himself on Raul’s finger.
Taking that as permission, Raul pressed a second finger in beside the first. Sean grunted, his eyes
widening slightly. Raul wrapped his fingers around Sean’s prick and stroked slowly, giving his lover
something else to think about as he worked his fingers in and out and opened him up.
When he brushed his knuckle over a soft bump, Sean nearly jumped out of his skin while howling in
pleasure. Raul grinned. “So, there it is,” he murmured, finally figuring out why Jared didn’t mind
taking it up the ass. If it felt half as good as Sean seemed to think, Raul would be happy to feel his
mate’s prick pegging his gland.
“Holy fucking shit. Do that again,” Sean ordered, his eyes glowing with feral lust.
Raul grinned and obeyed. After hitting it a couple times, he thrust in a third finger. Sean grunted, but
he didn’t stop rocking against the fingers filling him and his erection didn’t flag, so Raul figured he
was all right. He watched beads of perspiration form on Sean’s temples and on his lip.
“Oh, fuck, this is good,” Sean ground out. “Now, Raul. Fill me now, my mate. I’m ready. Need you to
fill me up, lover.”
If his mate’s words didn’t clue him in, the incessant babble did. Raul gently pulled his fingers free
and wiped the rest of the lube coating his digits all over his cock. His own touch had him on edge,
and he gripped the base of his dick in a tight grip, willing himself to calm down.
Once he felt like he wouldn’t explode the second he sank his dick inside Sean, he held his cock
steady. Sean lowered himself and pressed against Raul’s cock head. It took more pressure than he
thought it would, but when Sean let out a slow breath, the head of his dick popped into the hottest,
tightest, most amazing heat he’d ever felt.
“Sean,” he hissed, groaning. He tightened his grip on Sean’s hip. “Shit.”
“Yeah,” Sean murmured as he let his weight sink him all the way down Raul’s shaft. Once his ass
was flush with Raul’s groin, Sean let out a long sigh.
Raul whimpered. The pressure on his prick felt like a cross between exquisite pleasure and intense
pain, and he wanted to stay buried in this man forever.
Sean rested his forehead against Raul’s and they came together in a soft kiss. “My lover,” Raul
whispered. “Such an amazing man.”
“I’m yours,” Sean practically breathed the words.
Smiling, Raul pressed another kiss to his lips and murmured, “And I’m yours.”
Sean started to move. His powerful thighs flexed as Sean lifted his body. His sucking heat massaged
Raul’s dick and he groaned as the amazing sensations flooded his system.
“Sean,” he said, moaning.
His lover grinned and slammed himself back down. Raul roared. Sean started a steady rhythm, his
powerful legs working. Feral delight filled Raul at the look of ecstasy on Sean’s face as he fucked
himself on Raul’s prick.
“Don’t come,” Raul ordered gruffly.
Sean froze with Raul’s dick halfway in and out of Sean’s ass. Raul groaned, wanting desperately to
buck his hips, but his battered, healing body still didn’t have the strength.
“What? Why?” Sean asked, almost whimpering the words.
“Because I want you to fuck me after I come,” Raul said, clearly surprising his mate if the lifted
brows were anything to go by.

“You do?”
Raul grinned and nodded.
“Hell, yeah,” Sean muttered. “Let’s get you taken care of.”
The look of delight never left Sean’s face as he picked up the pace. The sexy shifter adjusted his
angle so Raul’s cock no longer pegged his gland. Sean tightened his anus muscles on each upstroke.
Raul wondered how his lover could be so coordinated, then all thought left as Sean reached down
and pinched his nipples.
The little bite of pain had his balls pulling tight. His breathing hitched. Tingles shot up his spine,
ricocheted off his skull and swept back down his body to settle at the base of his spine. He knew he
was only seconds from coming. Raul’s breathing hitched. His dick thickened, and the next time Sean
sank down on him, Raul’s dick erupted, soaking his lover’s channel with his seed.
He felt Sean carefully lift off his cock and slip between his legs, encouraging him to spread his legs
wide. Raul smiled at his lover. Even Sean slipping a finger into his ass didn’t diminish the wonderful
endorphins pinging through Raul’s system.
“Mmm, yeah,” Raul hummed his pleasure at his mate’s handling. “You gonna fuck me so good,
Sean?”
Sean paused in his ministrations to look up at him. “Oh, no, babe,” he said, his expression suddenly
serious. “I’m going to make love to you.”
Raul swallowed hard. His mouth opened in surprise. “Oh, Sean,” Raul whispered. He cupped his
lover’s jaw. A smile caused by a different reason curved his lips. “I love you, too.”
“Yeah?” Sean asked, showing uncharacteristic vulnerability.
Nodding, Raul told him, “You’re my Christmas miracle, you and Lily. You gave me a reason to live,
and I never want to be without you.”
A whimper escaped Sean and he leaned forward and captured Raul’s lips in a crushing, dominating
kiss.
When they finally came up for air, both men were panting. Raul grinned. “Claim me, mate.”
Sean grinned. “So pushy,” he scolded softly.
Raul just grinned as Sean quickly stretched him. He had to admit it was far more pleasant an
experience than he thought it’d be, what with the way Sean rubbed his gland with each pass of his
fingers. In no time, Sean lubed up his cock and pushed his way inside, connecting them.
Sean stilled, firmly planted inside him, and the initial bite of pain eased to a pleasant ache. “Please
move,” Raul urged, groaning.
His lover grinned with devilish glee, but he obeyed. Slowly, he withdrew and thrust back in just as
slowly. Sean leaned close, his lips a hair’s breadth from Raul’s. “You’re mine, Raul. My mate.”
“Yes,” Raul responded, breathily, “I’m yours.” A thought pushed through his lust-infused brain.
“Yours and Lily’s,” he said, his tone serious.
Pausing, Sean’s expression turned just as solemn. “Yeah, we’re a family.”
“Our family,” Raul confirmed.
A low, possessive growl erupted from Sean’s chest and he started moving again, this time rutting
swiftly. Heat and love filled Sean’s eyes where he stared into Raul’s and he couldn’t help but grin
and give that same look right back.
Sean snarled and wrapped his jaw around Raul’s shoulder. Raul felt the prick of teeth far too sharp
for a human mouth. He knew what Sean wanted. “Do it,” he urged into his lover’s ear. “I am yours.”
Teeth pierced his shoulder. A spike of pain shot through his shoulder and was gone just as quickly,
morphing into the most intense pleasure Raul had ever felt. He hadn’t thought he’d been close, but his

cock erupted anyway. Moaning, Raul coated both their abs with his cum, and his ass clenched down
on Sean’s dick.
Lifting his head, Sean howled as he thrust once more and convulsed, coating Raul’s rectum with hot
semen. It heated him from the inside out and left him inordinately pleased. Raul couldn’t explain the
peace that settled over him, but he didn’t need it to be explained to pull his lover closer and nuzzle
his neck.
“Merry Christmas, Sean,” Raul murmured.
Sean leaned back just enough to smile and look him in the eye. “Merry Christmas.”
Raul grinned back. “I have bad news though, lover.”
His brows drew together and Sean looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“The tree is still crooked.”

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her husband and furry, four-legged children. She

started writing fantasy when she was eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic romance at age
nineteen, she realized her true calling. She now focuses on writing erotic romance, normally of the
paranormal variety, with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her
laptop and a cup of tea or glass of wine, creating her next adventure. Charlie enjoys exploring the
mountains on horseback, 4-wheeler, or motorcycle. Her favorite exercise is jumping lessons with her
Arabian gelding Apache or her Thoroughbred mare Repo. And she can’t get enough of sexy
highlanders with their kilts and swords. Right now, she and her muse are working with dedication on
her Wolves of Stone Ridge series and Kontra’s Menagerie series.

She can be reached at [e-mail]

Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com