Out of the Cage: A bit of Irish magic isn’t always a good thing!

Frederick Reb Drunger is accompanying his alpha and the alpha’s mate on vacation. He’s one of

the wolves charged with protecting them while they all enjoy the sights of Ireland. He never expects
to discover his mate is a human friend of the local Irish pack. That should make him easy to claim,
since Daithi Murphy knows all about shifters. Except Daithi already has a boyfriend, Evan, who’s
extremely possessive and not at all happy when Reb wants to get to know his mate. When an Irish
goblin targets Reb, can he find the culprit behind the attacks and convince Daithi it’s worth uprooting
his life and moving to Colorado with him?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,and incidents either are products of the

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by Angela Waters

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Catching a Bit of Irish Wolves of Stone Ridge: Book Thirteen
By
Charlie Richards

To all those who believe in a little magic. Keep believing.

Chapter One

rederick Drunger, Reb to his friends, had the bottle of beer halfway to his lips when he spotted the

muscular man across the clearing. There wasn’t anything very spectacular about him. From this
distance, Reb guessed he stood just shy of six feet. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a nice solid
well-muscled build.

The guy’s smile caught and held his attention. It was wide, and open, and seemed to make the hunk

glow with life. Reb found he wanted to go over there and bask in that look, maybe see if he could get
it directed at him.

“Better not let Evan catch you ogling his boyfriend. He’s got a jealous streak a mile wide,” Conor

warned, dropping into the seat next to him.

Reb smirked at the local wolf pack enforcer. It had been stressful traveling through Scotland

because Reb constantly had to be on guard, watching for danger to Declan and Lark. Not that his
alpha couldn’t handle problems on his own, but if anything happened to Lark, Reb just knew Declan
would go off the deep end. Declan loved his little human more than anything else in the world.

He acknowledged that, as mates, that was how it should be. Reb hoped he’d find that, someday.

Now, they were in Ireland visiting a wolf pack Declan knew from his time living on the Emerald Isle,
and Reb could finally relax and enjoy himself a bit. This pack was their ally.

Tipping his beer back, he finished taking the sip he’d been about to take earlier. Once he

swallowed, Reb tipped his bottle in the guy’s direction. “He looks happy, anyway.”

To Reb’s surprise, Conor shrugged. “Right now, he is. Wait until Evan’s had a few beers. He’ll

start hanging all over Daithi. Won’t let him out of his sight. Eventually, Daithi will get tired of Evan’s
whining and they’ll leave,” Conor told him.

Reb didn’t have much experience with relationships, but he was young by wolf standards at only

forty-eight. Still, that didn’t sound like a healthy relationship to him. He cocked his head and asked,
“And the pack is okay with how

—

Daithi you say? Everyone’s okay with how he’s treated?”

He wasn’t certain why it bothered him so much. Maybe it was because Reb didn’t like the idea of

having the joy lighting Daithi’s face replaced with unhappiness.
“Daithi isn’t really pack. He’s human,” Conor revealed. “Not much we can do.”

Reb’s brows shot up. It wasn’t often that a pack invited unmated humans to their gatherings, and

this particular party was to welcome Declan to the area for the week. “I’m assuming he knows about
shifters, then?” he said, giving the male another once over. With the way he was acting, Daithi
seemed comfortable laughing with the two guys

—

two guys Reb knew were wolves. They’d been

introduced as a couple of the pack’s trackers.

Thinking about it, why the hell did a spike of irritation shoot through Reb’s veins when he saw

one of them, Ross, slap him on the back, making Daithi stumble forward a step.

“Well,” Conor started, drawing his attention. “Daithi is good friends with Craig and Ross,” he

said, waving toward the group again. “Ross accidentally shifted in front of him when they were cubs.
He knows everything about shifters, and I do mean everything,” Conor added with a snort.

“Everything?” Reb stated skeptically, once more watching the interaction between the three

laughing men.
“Yep,” Conor confirmed.

Reb couldn’t help it. His smile turned lascivious. “If he knows the benefits of having a shifter

lover, why the hell is he with that guy?” His smile faded as he watched a tall, slender man lurch up to

Daithi, wrap an arm around him, and press kisses up his neck.

An unexpected spike of jealousy shot through Reb, and he had to turn away.

“He won’t date shifters,” Conor stated.
Frowning, Reb asked the obvious. “Why the hell not?” Yet, why the hell did he feel so disappointed?
He didn’t poach, no matter what a douche he thought the boyfriend was. Not to mention, why had he
formed opinions so quickly about two people he’d never met? Humans, to boot?
“He knows about mates and has no desire to get into a relationship with a shifter when he could
possibly be replaced at Fate’s whim.”
Reb’s brows shot up at Conor’s words.
Conor shrugged one shoulder. “His words, not mine,” he added before taking a swig of beer.
Okay, now that, Reb could understand.
“Who’s upset with Fate?”
Reb turned and watched his younger brother drop into a chair on his other side. He smiled faintly.
Franklin was bigger and stronger than Reb, with the same red hair, but brown eyes instead of green.
“No one is upset at Fate, Frankie,” Reb assured affectionately. “Conor’s friend won’t date a shifter
because he understands Fate might bring that shifter’s mate along at any time. He doesn’t want to get
hurt emotionally,” he explained slowly.
Frankie’s size and strength would have allowed him to be a great enforcer, and Reb was very proud
that Carson, their pack’s lead enforcer, had recognized this and offered him a chance to earn an
enforcer position. However, due to an accident when Frankie was two, before his shifter genes
kicked in fully, he’d suffered brain damage and was diagnosed with mild retardation as a result. He’d
lost the challenge to a couple wolves with military and martial arts experience.
Reb hated the label since his brother could do anything any of the other shifters could do. It just took
him a little longer to figure things out, that was all. In addition, he was easily manipulated, so Reb had
made Frankie promise at an early age only to obey commands given by ranked pack members,
himself, or Reb’s close friends.
He never regretted the day he left the military to go home and care for his brother when his parents
had died in that car accident. Reb loved his brother dearly, and would do anything for the other wolf.
Frankie’s brows drew together, and he nodded slowly. “Okay. I see. He doesn’t want Fate to take his
boyfriend away.”
“Right,” Reb replied.
“I can understand that,” Frankie said softly. “I wouldn’t want to be replaced either.”
Something in his brother’s tone caught Reb’s attention. He reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
“You’re family, Frankie. You always have me, even after we find our mates.” There was no doubt in
Reb’s mind that there was a mate waiting out there for both of them.
A relieved smile claimed Frankie’s face for just a second, then his brother took a swig of his beer
and the moment passed, but Reb told himself he couldn’t forget it. He’d have to make certain his
brother never felt replaced. It had taken Frankie years to understand that mom and dad hadn’t left of
their own accord, especially while struggling with his own rehabilitation.
Reb swallowed hard, hating those memories. Shoving them aside, he listened to Frankie and Conor’s
conversation about their plans now that they were in Ireland. To his surprise, Frankie’s eyes seemed
to glow as he said, “I read about all the horse activities here. I want to ride on the beach or maybe in
the mountains.”
“Well, why choose?” Conor asked. “You’re here a week. Do both.”
Frankie’s whole face lit up, and he looked toward Reb. “Can we, Reb?”

Why the hell not? When am I going to get to Ireland again?“Sure, bro. Sounds like fun. I’ll clear
some time with Declan and we’ll make plans.”
“All right!” Frankie did a fist pump, flexing his arm and showing off an impressive bicep.
Reb caught, with interest, the way Conor eyed his brother’s heavily muscled frame. He hid a grin,
thinking he might end up with a few evenings free while they were here. Slapping his brother on the
shoulder, Reb levered himself to his feet. “I’ll see if I can find Alpha.”
He turned and looked at Conor. The wolf shifter realized he was being eyed, and met Reb’s gaze,
giving him a rueful look.
Reb lifted his brows. “You gonna be here? Should I ask Killian if you’re going to have time to join
us?” he teased.
Conor licked his lips, cast a side-ways glance at Frankie, then nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t been on a
horse in a few years. That’d be fun.”
Smirking, Reb nodded and headed away. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned, seeing Conor
slide over a chair, lay his arm on the backs of the seats, and lean toward Frankie as he engaged his
brother in conversation. Reb knew Frankie had been out on dates. His brother lived with him, after
all. He was even fairly certain Frankie was no longer a virgin.
As long as Conor was up front that they were just having a fling and didn’t lead Frankie on, he didn’t
have a problem with them hooking up while they were here. He’d rather like to find a piece of ass of
his own. The picture of laughing brown eyes and a muscular body immediately came to mind. Fighting
a sigh, he shoved the image away.
Reb found Declan and Killian, the alpha of the Nenagh wolves, seated on the deck. Both men had
their mates curled up in their laps and were laughing about some memory shared between them. Lark,
on Declan’s lap, smirked, while Abigail, on Killian’s lap, smiled indulgently at her mate.
Reb cleared his throat. Declan looked his way and nodded, and Lark grinned up at him. From the
dilation of the human’s eyes, Reb knew the alpha-mate had had one too many of those fruity drinks he
favored so much. As he watched, Lark took a sip from the straw in his peach colored drink.
Reb made a mental note to keep an eye on the human. He might be in friendly territory, but that didn’t
mean things couldn’t happen. Reb had seen the barely disguised looks some of Killian’s pack
members had given Declan and Lark when they didn’t think anyone was looking.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Alphas. My brother and I plan to take advantage of a day or two and go
horseback riding. You and your mate are always welcome to join us, otherwise, we’ll coordinate
with Kade and Tom to make certain someone is always available if you need us,” he assured
formally.
Declan opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Lark squealed. “Horseback riding?
Really? That’d be so much fun! I saw an ad about riding on the beach.” He turned to Declan. “Can we
do that, too?”
His lips twitching, Declan nodded. “Of course, love. That sounds like fun.”
“Grand!” Killian said, cutting in. “One of me pack owns a riding business that offers beach rides. I’ll
get ye his number.”
Reb nodded. “Thank you. That would be most appreciated.”
Killian grinned. “Yer wolf is so formal, Declan.” He winked at his mate and then turned to Reb.
“Perhaps we can find someone to help loosen ye up?”
If he’d had anything in his mouth, Reb would have choked. Instead, he swallowed hard. “I—”
To his shock and relief, Reb was saved by the arrival of a staggering pair, except only one man
seemed to be drunk. The second was desperately trying to keep his amorous boyfriend on his feet, or

away from his neck. Finally, the sober guy spoke.
“I’m sorry, Alpha Killian. Thank you for having us, but it’s time we go.”
The melodious tenor caused Reb’s heart to race and blood to pool in his groin. He licked his lips.
Furrowing his brows in confusion at his reaction, Reb turned to find Daithi standing just behind him
with Evan leaning all over him.
Seeing the man up close, Reb didn’t know how he could ever consider the human plain. His eyes
weren’t brown

—

more like honey gold. Muscles rippled under the skin of his arms as he struggled to

keep the pair upright. And his scent—oh my God!—Reb wanted to rub against the man, roll in his
sweat, and cover himself in that heady scent.
Mate!
His wolf howled in his mind. It all made sense, the initial attraction, the jealousy. Daithi was Reb’s
mate, and he was in a relationship with someone else!
He’d completely missed whatever conversation Daithi had with the alphas, for now the man was
helping his drunken boyfriend around the house.
After quickly excusing himself, Reb followed them discreetly, stepping around chatting clusters of
wolves. He carefully timed his arrival just right. Daithi had just tucked his drunken boyfriend into the
car and closed the door. Reb tapped him on the shoulder, drawing his attention, just as he rounded the
rear of the vehicle.
“Excuse me,” he murmured. He couldn’t control the way his voice dropped a bit, finally being able to
stare his mate in the eye for the first time. He held out a hand. “My name is Frederick Drunger. My
friends call me Reb.”
Daithi took his hand. “Hello, Frederick. I’m Daithi Murphy.”
Reb watched the human look him up and down and lick his lips. The pink tongue slid across the
plump flesh and it took every ounce of self-control in Reb not to lean down and follow the path of that
tongue, suck it into his mouth, taste it.
“What can I do for you?”
Daithi’s voice came off in a breathy whisper that almost made Reb moan. Pulling his head together,
Reb became aware of how Daithi was tugging at his hand. Instead of releasing him, Reb tightened his
grip slightly and tucked the hand against his chest.
“I’ve been told that you know everything about shifters,” he stated softly.
The human frowned at where they joined hands. His body trembled in response to the way Reb
rubbed his thumb over his knuckles, caressing them. “Uh, aye,” Daithi replied almost breathlessly.
Leaning close, Reb whispered into Daithi’s ear. “I normally wouldn’t dream of poaching, but you,
Daithi, are my mate—my other half. I plan to pursue you. To do whatever it takes to please you in
everyway possible.”
Reb lifted his free hand and stroked it gently down Daithi’s jaw, loving the feel of his mate’s five
o’clock shadow. “You know what that means?” Reb asked.
Daithi’s honey brown eyes grew wide. He nodded, then shook his head.
Grinning, Reb leaned close again and brushed his lips against Daithi’s temple. “My sole purpose in
life is to keep you safe and please you.” He nuzzled his mate’s temple again, inhaling the heady aroma
of his scent.
His sensitive hearing picked up the click of a door lock and the passenger door swung open in his
peripheral vision. “Best get going, sweetheart. I’ll see you soon.”
It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but Reb managed to release Daithi and step away from the
human. Without looking back, he strode back to the house and around the side. Heaving a sigh, he

returned to his chair and frowned over at Conor.
Conor’s brows lifted and he eased away from where he had his head bent to talk with Frankie.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to know everything about Daithi and his boyfriend.”
Conor frowned. “Why?”
“Because I’m gonna split them up.” At Conor’s shocked look, Reb added, “He’s my mate.”

Chapter Two

aithi stared at the disappearing wolf shifter. He knew the man was one of the visiting shifters

because he’d had to make a point of steering clear of him the entire evening. One look had Daithi’s
mouth pooling with drool and an odd desire to climb him like a pole, which wasn’t something he’d
ever desired before. It unsettled him. In addition, with a boyfriend as jealous as Evan, it could only
spell trouble.

Now, the shifter, Frederick—no, Reb—had sought him out. Reb, odd name.

Movement to his right told him Evan was stumbling from the car. Daithi groaned. He hated dealing
with his boyfriend when he was this smashed. Evan could be so sweet and wonderful when he
wanted to be. Too bad those occurrences were rare anymore.
Daithi had thought about breaking it off on more than one occasion, but he’d been with Evan for
almost a year. They were in a rut, maybe not always a comfortable one, but the holding pattern was
tolerable, and at least Daithi got laid on a fairly regular basis. Now, it looked like Reb planned to
disrupt that pattern.
He quickly turned and hurried to Evan. “What’s going on?” his boyfriend slurred. “Who was that?”
Evan peered blearily in the direction Reb had disappeared.
“One of the visiting shifters. He wanted to make certain you would be all right,” he lied. Adding a
smile, he urged Evan back into the passenger seat, saying, “The alpha-mate for their pack is human, so
I guess he feels the need to protect all humans who know about shifters.”
“Huh,” Evan muttered, but settled back into the car.
Closing the door, Daithi hustled around the vehicle and dropped behind the wheel. He brought his
little car rumbling to life and eased away from the pack house. He loved visiting the shifters. They
always made him feel like part of the family, which was more than he could say for his own folks
when they’d found out he was gay. Civil partnerships might be recognized in Ireland, but that didn’t
mean his family approved. They hadn’t kicked him out of the family, at least not officially, but it sure
was uncomfortable to visit, especially since his grandmamma prayed with a rosary over him every
time he walked in the door.
Shoving those thoughts aside, he glanced at his passed-out boyfriend and frowned. He bet Reb
wouldn’t make him cart his drunken ass home from every party or gathering they went to. Daithi
grimaced. Gods above, he needed advice.
He stopped in front of Evan’s home and pulled out his cell. He shot a text off to Ross and Craig,
asking his best friends to meet him at his home within the hour. That would be enough time to pour
Evan into bed, cuddle with him until he once more passed out, and get back home.

It took him longer than expected. As soon as Daithi roused Evan, his boyfriend had gotten all

touchy feely with him. Evidently, the appearance of Reb right before they’d left had Evan worried.
Daithi had always been up front with Evan, saying he hadn’t ever dated any of the shifters, since he
understood mating and knew none of the Nenagh wolves were a mate for him. Finally, after avoiding
a sloppy make-out session by giving Evan a twenty-minute massage, Daithi confirmed his boyfriend
was down for the count.

Almost an hour and a half later, he pulled into the lean-to attached to his small, seaside cottage.

Daithi was a fisherman by trade, and lived on the outskirts of their small fishing community. He rested
his forehead on the steering wheel, trying to get his thoughts in order.

A knock on the car’s window had him jerking up his head. Daithi gazed into Ross’s worried

brown eyes. “Ye all right, Dai?”

The concerned tone of his friend’s words yanked Daithi out of his musings. He nodded and

opened the door, giving his friend a second to step away so he wouldn’t slam the metal into him.
“Aye, just grand,” he muttered.

“Was it Evan? Did he do somethin’ to upsetcha?” Ross asked, following him around the house.
He found Craig standing on his porch, his brows lifted, silently entreating Daithi to share the

answer to the very same question. “Nay, the man’s the same as always.” And wasn’t that the truth?
Dating him for a year, and still they’d never professed their love or even talked about moving in
together.

Daithi nearly missed one of the porch steps at that admission. Damn! His life really had gotten

stuck in a rut. A deep one!

He opened his door and ushered his friends inside. Daithi headed straight to the kitchen. He

needed a beer after all the revelations today—both Reb’s and his own internal ones. Daithi
automatically handed one to each wolf, and they took them while giving him beseeching looks.

Once seated in his small living room, Daithi opened the bottle and swallowed a mouthful of his

favorite bitter brew. “What can ye tell me about the Stone Ridge wolf pack?”

Ross’s brows shot up. Craig cocked his head in a very canine move. They exchanged a quick

look. Ross slowly said, “Wheel, the alphas have known each other for over a century.”

“From back before Declan moved his pack to the states,” Craig added.

“He’s a fair leader, open to all kinds of matings, be it human, vampire, gay, straight…” Ross frowned
as his voice drifted off. “Why you be askin’?”
“Are they a trustworthy group? Would Declan bring dishonest wolves with him?” Daithi asked. He
needed to know if Reb really thought he was his mate or if he was just yanking his chain to get into his
pants.
Ross shrugged. “As far as I know, they are. I can’t imagine Killian giving them free reign of his
territory for the week they’re here if he didn’t trust Declan and his pack-members.”
Craig leaned forward and tapped his half-full bottle against Daithi’s leg. “Why do ye ask, Dai?
What’s got ye in a snitch?”
He lifted the cool bottle to his forehead and held it there for a second, knowing his next words were
going to turn his life upside down. Reopening his eyes, Daithi looked at his two friends and blurted,
“Reb approached me before I left the party. He’s claiming that I’m his mate.”
Both men leaped to their feet, shouts and exclamations of joy erupting from them. They pulled Daithi
to his feet, hugged him, and slapped him on the back. Daithi rolled his eyes and let them. He knew
how exciting finding a mate was for a shifter. Finally, the impact of who his mate was seemed to
dawn on the two men.
They once more exchanged a look, then Craig asked nearly in a whisper, “Ye gonna leave Ireland?”
Daithi let out a slow breath. He spread his hands, palms up. “I have no idea. We’ve really only
spoken a few words to each other,” he admitted. “I’m assuming this isn’t something a shifter would
say just to get into another person’s pants, right?”
That really was his biggest fear. Not that he wasn’t attracted to him—because the shifter was a sexy
fucker—but there was no way in hell he wanted to screw up his life for some guy’s vacation fling.
“Nay, nay, I can’t imagine any shifter doing that!” Ross exclaimed.
Craig quickly shook his head as well.
“Okay.” Daithi set his beer on the end table and scrubbed his hands over his face. Were there
fishermen in Colorado?Shit, I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe the wolf would be willing to switch

packs and stay here? Smiling wanly, Daithi looked at his friends. “I guess I better get to know the
man, huh?”
“Aye, that be the best way,” Craig immediately responded. He grinned and thumped Daithi on his
shoulder. “Let him woo ye a bit before ye crawl into the sack,” he teased.
Daithi felt his face flush. “That could be a bit difficult,” he admitted. At Ross’s lifted brow, he
muttered, “Reb is fucking sex on a stick. When we shook hands, I felt like every nerve in my body
went on alert and I wanted to rub up against him like a cat in heat. Even staring at him with thirty
paces between us I wanted to climb him and lick every inch of his body.”
As the words tumbled out without any conscious consent from his brain, his friends burst into
laughter. They slapped him on the back, again, and it was a good thing he’d been sitting down or he’d
have stumbled forward several steps.
“Aye, that be the mate-bond ye feel,” Ross got out between guffaws.
Flushing, Daithi thought he really should have realized that. A number of pack members had found
their true mates, and they were always seen touching each other whenever they were close. Most of
the time they were innocent touches, holding hands, an arm around the shoulders, a hand on the waist,
but they always seemed to be in contact.
“Aye,” he muttered dryly.
“So, let us know when and where the first date will be, and we’ll vet him for ye,” Ross stated,
crossing his arms and easing back into his corner of the couch.
“Vet him?” Daithi asked, surprised.
“Aye,” Craig confirmed. “It’s not like yer parents will give ye honest feedback.” He grimaced. “No
offense.”
Daithi scoffed. “None taken,” he murmured. He knew his smile turned thoughtful as he stared at the
picture of his sister, Brenna. She was his one supporter. Well, more like an encourager to be happy
than supporter, but it still meant the world to him. Brenna had asked him several times over the last
year when he was going to kick Evan to the curb. He guessed he could give her good news soon.
“So, I guess I need to let Evan know we’re through,” he mused softly. “Do you think Killian will
know how to get in touch with Reb?”

“What the hell do you mean you no longer want to be together? You’re dumping me?” Evan

practically roared the words. “You’re my boyfriend! There’s no way I’m giving you up to some damn
shifter!”

Maybe he should have brought either Ross or Craig, Daithi mused. Somehow he’d deluded

himself into thinking Evan would understand his arguments about them being in a rut and needing to
see other people.

“Is this because I haven’t asked you to move in?” Evan’s tone took on a whining quality that, in

the past, had made Diathi cringe and try to placate the man. Evan took his hand and squeezed. “If
that’s what you wanted, how come you never said so? We can move in together, baby. I didn’t know
you thought I was dragging my feet.”

Okay, that was out of left field. Diathi patted their combined hands with his free one. “That’s not

it, Evan. We’ve been drifting apart for some time now. We’ve just grown comfortable with the
routine of calls a couple times a week, Friday and Saturday night dates, and the occasional pack
gathering. Ye deserve someone who’ll care for ye better than I do. Someone who appreciates ye,” he
said, trying to reason with him one more time.

“Damn it, no! I’m not letting you get away with that,” Evan snapped, his pleading quickly turning

into irritation.

Bloody hell! Just how long had Diathi allowed his desire to placate this man keep him in this

relationship? Shaking his head, Diathi pulled his hand away and crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, Evan.
It’s time we both move on. I’d like to remember the good times we had together. I hope ye can, too.”

With that, he turned and strode toward the door. He wasn’t surprised when Evan grabbed his arm

to try to keep him in the house. His now-exboyfriend might have been taller, but Diathi was more
muscular from the hard days of fishing on the ocean. He easily pulled his arm free and opened the
door.

Pausing on the stoop, Diathi turned back to eye the angry man. “I do care for ye, Evan. I wish ye

all the best. I know ye’ll find someone else right soon enough.”

Evan’s fair-skinned face turned an interesting shade of red. “This isn’t over, Diathi. You’re

mine.”

Daithi shook his head and let the door close. “It isover,” he whispered. At the sound of the door

clicking closed, an odd feeling of rightness flooded him. Diathi knew that even if there hadn’t been a
wolf shifter waiting, this was the right thing to do. And he really couldn’t wait to get to know that
wolf shifter.

Heading to his car, Diathi prayed Reb had been sincere, but even if he wasn’t, the sexy shifter

would make a great rebound fuck.

Chapter Three

eb sat in his hotel room, folding and unfolding the slip of paper Conor had given him. He’d

already memorized the numbers written on it. Tapping his cell phone on the small, round table next to
him, he tried to decide when would be the best time to call his mate.

If he gave him twenty-four hours, would Daithi think he hadn’t been serious about his claims? Reb

certainly didn’t want that.
“Just call him.” He turned to look at Frankie. His brother

lounged on Reb’s bed, watching TV. “Shut it, cub,” he growled. Why had he thought it’d be a

good idea to have his brother in the same room? Maybe they should think about switching, especially
after seeing how Frankie and Conor interacted.

To his surprise, Frankie turned to look at him, rolling his eyes as he did so. “If the situation was

reversed, you know what you’d say to me?” It must have taken Reb too long to answer, because
Frankie frowned, lowered his voice to impersonate him, and said, “Fate gave you that mate for a
reason. Get off your ass and claim him!”

Reb couldn’t help it. Though it was mockery, it was good. He burst out laughing. His brother was

right. If Frankie had been waffling over calling his destined mate like Reb had been doing, he would
give his brother a swift kick in the pants.

Screwing up his courage, Reb smoothed the paper on the table and dialed the number. He resisted

the urge to gnaw on his lip, barely. He sighed quietly when his mate’s voice came on the line, just the
sound of it settling something deep inside.
“Hello?”

Smiling, Reb returned the greeting. “Hello, Daithi. This is Reb Drunger. Do you remember me?”

He’d tried to make their meeting as memorable as possible with a drunk boyfriend waiting in the car,
but sometimes it was tough to tell the effect the mating link had on a human. His pack enforcer, Kade
McGraw, had had to fight for his mate tooth and nail.

“Aye, I remember ye,” Daithi replied softly. “Ye told me we’re mates.”

“Yes,” Reb responded immediately. “We are, Daithi. I know humans like to take time to get to know
someone before…jumping into anything,” he finished, struggling to express his thoughts. “A number
of us are going to ride horses on the beach tomorrow morning. Can you join us?”
“What time?”
The reply was immediate, with no hesitation. Reb grinned. “We’re meeting at the ranch at eight
o’clock.”
“How long is the ride?”
That had Reb’s brows lifting. “I’m not completely certain. A couple hours?”
With his shifter hearing, Reb made out Daithi’s breathing on the other end of the phone, so he knew
the man hadn’t hung up. It did take Daithi a moment or two to respond, though, and tension coiled
through Reb’s shoulders.
“I can do that. I need to get out on the water by four in the afternoon, but I’d like to take ye to a meal.
Would that be okay?” Daithi asked, his tone sounding a bit worried.
As if Reb would ever say no to that. He grinned. “That’d be great, Daithi. Thank you.”
“We have quite a bit to discuss, I guess,” Daithi said quietly.
“Yes, we do,” Reb acknowledged.
There was a pause, but it didn’t feel awkward to Reb. More like, both were busy mentally compiling

a list of things to talk about tomorrow. Finally, Reb smiled. “Can I pick you up tomorrow morning?”
“That’d be grand, Reb,” Daithi replied softly, then he rattled off his address.
After writing the information down, along with directions from his inn to his mate’s home, Reb said,
“I look forward to seeing you again, Daithi. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Reb disconnected the call and sat staring at nothing, a small smile playing across his lips. He was
going to take his mate on a date tomorrow.
“See. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
He’d completely forgotten his brother’s presence in his room. Reb grabbed the pen he’d been using to
write directions and chucked it at him. “Shut it,” he snapped. From Frankie’s grin and the way he
ducked the pen only to throw a pillow back at him, Reb was aware his brother knew he wasn’t at all
upset.

Reb stared at the cottage with the address Daithi had given him. He could only describe it

—

well

—

cute. A stone walkway led from the lean-to turned garage to the two, wide, stone front steps.

A green-shingled pitched roof sloped down to meet the front window and door.

Stepping from his vehicle, Reb heard a muttered curse coming from inside the lean-to. The early

light of dawn made it difficult for even his shifter vision to pierce the gray interior, so Reb headed in
that direction.

“Daithi?” he called out. He inhaled, but all he scented was the nearby sea.

“Bugger.”
That time, Reb recognized the voice of his mate, even while irritated. He hurried toward the dark
interior and finally spotted him on the far side of the small car parked inside the shelter.
“Daithi?” he shouted again.
His mate’s head popped up from where he was trying to cram something into a bin. “Aye?” Daithi’s
brows shot up. “Oh, morning,” he said, straightening. He dusted his hands on a towel hanging from his
belt and headed toward Reb, a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry about that. I thought I had a bit more
time.”
“Everything okay in here?” Reb asked curiously. Looking beyond Daithi, he spotted where a rose lay
next to the garbage bin. He returned his focus to his mate and lifted a brow, hoping Daithi would
answer his silent question. Who was sending him flowers?
Following his look, Daithi shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “Evan isn’t taking the
break-up well,” he muttered.
Pleasure shot through Reb. My mate broke up with his boyfriend already! Then the actual message
registered. Reb cocked his head, working to keep his voice even. “What do you mean?”
Daithi waved his hand toward the discarded roses. “When I left his home yesterday, he was spoutin’
off threats, but then those roses was on me doorstep this morn.” Shaking his head, Daithi led the way
out of the shelter and around to the front door. “He’s always been a wee bit on the jealous side, so I
guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Reb gently grabbed Daithi’s forearm, stopping his progress. Daithi turned to face him, and Reb took
in his mate’s flushed face and the bob of his Adam’s apple as Daithi swallowed. Being that close to
the human, Reb could smell the scent of arousal rolling off his mate in light waves. Daithi couldn’t
hide the fact that he wanted him from Reb’s shifter nose, although he was certainly doing a great job
of controlling himself.
“Part of my job as your mate is to keep you safe, Daithi,” Reb said softly, trying not to scare his mate
with the intensity of his need to do as his words said while still getting his point across. “Please, let
me know if he gives you trouble. Okay?”

Daithi’s pink tongue swept out, licking his lips. He nodded. “Aye,” Daithi whispered.
Desperate to follow the track that tongue took, Reb ducked his head the couple inch difference in their
heights and murmured, “Good.” He gently pressed his lips to Daithi’s, sipping his lips, swiping his
tongue across Daithi’s bottom lip, tasting his mate for the first time.
A masculine, salty musk exploded across his taste buds. As a lover of every salty snack known to
man, to Reb, his mate tasted better than his favorite tortilla and potato chip combined. Cupping the
back of Daithi’s head, Reb tilted his mate’s head and deepened the kiss.
Daithi let out a cross between a whimper and a moan. The sexy sound went straight to Reb’s balls,
making them ache. It also gave him access to his man’s mouth, and Reb slipped his tongue in to duel
with Daithi’s. Reb’s hand dropped from Daithi’s arm to his hip, urging him closer as he delved into
his mouth.
Reb pulled his mate’s body against him. A hard length pressed against his own erection, sending
delicious tingles through the sensitive organ and up his spine. Daithi groaned, his hands twisted in
Reb’s shirt, and he shuddered as he pressed closer.
The fact that Reb suddenly thought laying his mate on the ground and taking him like the animal he
could be caused a spark of reason to return. Reb slowed the kiss, easing the pressure. When he lifted
his head slightly and Daithi tried to follow his lips, moaning in frustration, Reb pressed his forehead
to his mate’s.
He held Daithi’s head against his own with one hand while gently petting his side and back with his
other hand. After a moment, Daithi stopped trembling under Reb’s soothing strokes.
“I’m sorry, my mate,” Reb whispered. “We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, and I
practically jump you on your front yard,” he said ruefully.
Daithi’s kiss-swollen lips curved into an amused smile. “I wasn’t complaining,” he pointed out. He
traced a finger along the lines of one of the Celtic tattoos running the length of most of Reb’s right
arm. “I like ‘em. I want to use my tongue to trace each line,” Daithi murmured, looking up at Reb
through his lashes. “Do you have more?”
Grinning, and feeling a measure of relief that his mate liked his tats, Reb nodded. “Yep. I’m a tattoo
artist. Own my own shop in Colorado,” he told Daithi, who looked appropriately impressed, though it
was clear to see the human’s mind was focused on the designs on his arm. “A dragon on my back and
vines along my—”
“Why don’t you let me find them? It’ll be more fun that way,” Daithi said, cutting him off.
He licked his lips and Reb fought the urge to take his mate’s mouth again. He chuckled, trying to get
himself under control. “That’s very true, and as much as I want to lay you down and claim you right
now, I think we really need to talk first. Don’t you?”
His mate stiffened in his arms, and Reb loosened his hold. He grudgingly let Daithi put a few inches
between them. “Aye,” Daithi murmured, worry and concern filling his liquid brown eyes. “No
claiming until we—” he cleared his throat before finishing—
“before we talk and figure a few things out.”
Nodding, Reb agreed. He forced himself to put a bit more space between them, and asked, “Are you
ready to go?” Glancing at his watch, Reb grimaced. “We should really get moving.”
“Aye,” Daithi murmured, but remained still, just staring at Reb with wide eyes, like he couldn’t figure
him out.
Reb smiled. He gently gripped his shoulder and turned him toward the house, giving him a gentle pat
on his ass. He growled seductively, “Get in there, mate, before I decide talking is overrated.”
For a split second, there was an expression of speculation on Daithi’s face, as if he wasn’t sure he

wanted to wait either, then he turned and fled into the cottage. Reb returned to his car and leaned
against the vehicle. He took several long, slow breaths, willing his erection to go down. Smiling, Reb
just knew his mate would be the best lay he’d ever had, and he could hardly wait to explore every
inch of his tight, muscular body.
His train of thought didn’t help ease the ache in his dick, so Reb glanced over his shoulder at the SUV
he drove. He was glad his buddy Kade’s mate, Tom, had read up on renting cars in Europe, otherwise
the larger than average men in their group would have been extremely uncomfortable in the average
size cars. They’d ended up requesting two SUVs, and everyone had expressed their gratefulness to
Tom more than once.
Suddenly, Reb became aware of the way the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stood on end. He
fought back a shiver. Reb inhaled deeply as he looked around discreetly. He smelled nothing out of
the ordinary, and other than a herd of sheep and a stray goat, he was the only one around. Staring at
the goat, Reb watched it chew something, probably a bite of sparse grass, while the animal stared
right back at him.
The appearance of his mate redirected his attention, and he shoved the odd feeling aside as he went to
him. He took in the tan breeches, knee high boots, and comfortable sports shirt Daithi had changed
into. Evidently, his mate rode often, if the way the worn but clean boots molded to his slender feet
was any indication.
Reb grinned and opened the passenger door. Before letting Daithi enter, Reb settled his hand on the
human’s shoulder and pressed a quick kiss to his temple. “You’re an incredibly sexy man, Daithi,” he
murmured into his ear.
Stepping back, Reb watched his mate drop a bag on the floorboard. He waited for Daithi to get
comfortable. His mate’s warm brown eyes were wide, but he managed to reply, “Thanks.”
He grinned and strode around the vehicle, more than ready to get his date started.

With Daithi’s help, Reb didn’t have any trouble finding the stables. Evidently, Daithi leased a

horse there occasionally, when the mood struck him to ride. They discussed horses, and Reb admitted
his ignorance about breeds. He’d ridden a few times, helping friends round up cattle in the Colorado
Mountains, so Quarter Horses were the only horses he’d been on.

Daithi laughed at his admission, telling him that the ones they’d be using today would definitely

be different. Whereas Quarter Horses were stocky, powerful animals with mellow attitudes, which
made them ideal for dealing with unpredictable cattle, the horses at the stables they were going to
were predominantly Warmbloods. These animals were tall, more slender, and had plenty of energy.

“They won’t try to throw us or anything, will they?” Reb asked, instantly worried for his alpha

and his alpha-mate’s safety. If anything were to happen to Lark on an outing that Reb had planned,
he’d be in hot water for sure.

Daithi placed a hand on Reb’s where it rested on the gearshift. “Nay,” he assured. “All the rental

horses are very well trained. It’s just, if ye give them a kick, they won’t hesitate to go, and go fast,” he
warned.

Reb chuckled. “I’ll be sure to warn the alpha.” He spotted his friends near the opening of the

barn. After parking his vehicle, Reb slipped his arm around Daithi and headed toward them.
After the introductions, Reb realized that just the fact that he could introduce the human as his mate
flooded his body with a different kind of pleasure. Reb had never felt more content.
That contentment fled fifteen minutes later when the stable hands led out the horses. The plucky cow
ponies he’d ridden in the past didn’t compare to the fine lines of the tall animals in front of him.
Some of his misgivings must have shown on his face, for Daithi patted his arm and whispered, “Don’t

worry. They really are very well trained.”
Figuring his mate wouldn’t steer him wrong, even if they had only met the day before, Reb nodded
and headed toward the stable hand beckoning him.
Five minutes later, he was in the saddle and the group was walking down the trail to the beach.
Frankie grinned at Reb from his left. “Isn’t this awesome!”
Reb knew it wasn’t really a question, but he grinned at his brother and nodded. “Yup. Good idea,
Frankie.”
And it was. The group rode down a sandy trail to the surf. Their guide gave those that didn’t really
know how to ride some pointers, and for the next hour and a half, everyone walked, trotted, and
cantered through the waves and across the beach.
Daithi was right. The horses were well trained and easy to control.
Reb came to a stop next to Frankie and grinned. “Are you having fun?”
“Hell, yeah,” was the immediate response. “Will you take my picture?”
Grimacing, Reb shook his head. “Sorry, Frankie. I’ve misplaced my camera. I couldn’t find it this
morning. Do you have yours?”
Frankie shook his head, looking disappointed. “No, I forgot it.” Then the grin was back as his
brother’s train of thought shifted. “I want to get a horse when I get home.”
At Frankie’s declaration, Reb grinned. “Maybe we’ll get a couple.” It would be fun to go horseback
riding with his mate whenever he wanted. The Rocky Mountains were gorgeous, and since Daithi was
human and couldn’t shift, it would be a great alternative to running together. It didn’t hurt that his mate
looked sexy as fuck in those tight breeches as he rode with obvious skill.
“Really?” Frankie asked, hope filling his expression.
“Yeah. Maybe I can get Daithi to help me pick out some good ones,” he mused.
Frankie looked at Daithi. “I guess things are going to change for us, huh?”
The quiet words concerned Reb. “Hey,” he soothed. “You’re my brother. There’s always a place for
you with me. You know that.” He’d said it before, but that was before Reb had found his mate, before
the reality of the situation probably hit Frankie. He grinned and winked at his brother. “Just don’t
walk into my bedroom without knocking first anymore,” he teased.
A flush swept up Frankie’s neck and his brother rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said, but now he was
smiling.
Just the reaction Reb hoped for.

Chapter Four

aithi saw Reb chatting with his brother. For a moment, the conversation looked serious, what with

the way Franklin was frowning and the intensity of Reb’s stare. Then Franklin threw his head back
and laughed, and the moment passed. Daithi headed his horse toward them.

To his relief, Franklin grinned at him. “Reb says you’ll help us pick out horses of our own when

we get home.”

His brows shot up, and Daithi turned to look at Reb’s flushed face and shocked expression. It

didn’t take a genius to realize what Franklin meant. They hadn’t talked about it yet, but from that one
comment, Daithi knew what the wolf shifter was going to push for.

“Well,” Daithi started slowly, drawing out the word. “Should I get to the states, I’d be happy to

help ye choose a good horse.”

That seemed to be enough to placate Franklin, for the younger shifter grinned. Franklin urged his

horse forward and once more began to play in the surf.

“Uh, that’s not exactly what I said,” Reb mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

Daithi smirked at him. “Plannin’ me move already, Reb?” He couldn’t say that it upset him. Daithi
even felt a bit flattered.
“Well, I—I mean I didn’t think—”
“Didna think I’d mind movin’ to another country to be with me mate?” he asked softly, cutting off
Reb’s bumbling attempts at an explanation.
Reb’s face turned a darker red. His jaw opened and closed, but no words came out.
Daithi shook his head and looked out over the ocean. “We did say we had some things to discuss,
didn’t we?”
“Yeah, I

—

I am sorry, Daithi. I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d leave your life behind for me,” Reb

murmured, sounding sad.
Shrugging, Daithi replied, “We’ll see what happens.” If Reb actually asked him to move, Daithi
wasn’t certain what his response would be.
“Hey, look at the goat,” Lark said, stopping his horse next to the other riders, and pointing.
They watched the brown, nimble creature scuttle down the trail toward them. It stopped every few
steps to flick its tail or ears and look around at the group. Once it reached bottom, the animal seemed
to circle around them, giving them all the eye as if trying to figure them out.
“Awe, he’s so cute!” Lark exclaimed. “I just love goats.”
“Ye love all animals,” Declan teased. He leaned over and bussed a kiss to his mate’s cheek.
Lark grinned at him.
An angry bleat made Daithi’s skin crawl. He turned around and watched in shock as the goat sped
across the beach, his head lowered, aiming right for Reb’s horse. Reb’s mount shied violently,
making the charging goat miss. The move nearly unseated the shifter, who was struggling to not only
stay in the saddle, but get the horse back under control.
Daithi swung from his own mount’s back and ran toward Reb’s pitching animal. From the corner of
his eye, he saw the goat pivot and charge again. The sand impeded his speed, and Daithi couldn’t get
close enough in time.
The goat rammed into the front legs of the horse, sending it into a rearing, screaming panic attack. Reb
tumbled from the horse’s back. Daithi could hear the wrangler yelling instructions, and he realized
none of the horses were taking the goat’s crazy antics well, and all the riders were struggling to stay

in their seats.
Reaching his date, Daithi felt relief when Reb rolled onto his knees. To his surprise, the wolf shifter
immediately pulled Daithi behind him, placing himself between him and the once more charging goat.
Suddenly, one of the biggest wolves Daithi had ever seen tackled the goat. They rolled across the
sand together. Somehow, the goat got in a good shot, sending the tawny colored wolf stumbling back a
few feet. The wolf righted himself, but before he could attack again, the goat’s skin began to ripple.
At first, Daithi felt certain the goat was shifting into a man. Instead, it just seemed to grow, stretch,
and contort until the goat reached over six feet and stood on its back legs. When it opened its goat
mouth and spoke, Daithi nearly fell on his arse in shock.
“Be wary, wolf. You won’t always have your friends around to protect you.” Once it issued the
warning, the creature turned and leaped away, disappearing into thin air before it landed.
“What the hell was that?” Declan snarled.
Daithi turned and discovered the alpha wolf staring right at him. The big African American stood on
the ground, holding the reins to both his and Lark’s horse. Daithi’s brows shot up. The guy’s glare
was fucking intimidating.
“I don’t know what that was,” Daithi murmured.
“It was a phooka.”
Daithi turned toward the speaker, their wrangler, Donal. He frowned. “What’s a phooka and why did
it threaten me mate?”
Donal shrugged. “A phooka is from the fae realm. Most consider it a goblin. It’s a shape shifter, but
not like us. It’s not tied to a particular animal, but a goat is one of its favorite forms,” he explained,
waving to where the creature had disappeared. “As to why it’s going after your mate, I have no idea.
Did you take something from somewhere that maybe you shouldn’t have? A fossil or something?”
Rising to his feet, stretching his back as he moved, Reb shook his head. “I haven’t been anywhere but
pack territory, the inn, and here,” he said.
“But you didtake something,” Lark murmured, getting everyone’s attention. Reb looked as confused as
Daithi felt. Then Lark pointed right at Daithi. “Weren’t you with a date at the pack BBQ?”
Daithi frowned. “Aye, but…” He shook his head. “You’re not suggesting Evan has something to do
with this, are you?”
Lark shrugged.
Snorting, Daithi rolled his eyes. “Sure, he was upset about me breaking up with him, but he’s human,
and knows about shifters just like I do. He knows what it means to find a mate.” Even as he said the
words, a niggling doubt worked its way through him. Evan sure had been upset when he left.
“How the hell could a human be responsible for this?” Reb asked what Daithi wanted to know, too.
“A phooka can be summoned by a witch or warlock,” Donal mused.
“But Evan is human,” Daithi insisted.
Declan swung back onto his mount. “Witches and warlocks are normally human,” the alpha wolf
pointed out. “And right now, we don’t have any proof of anything. It’s not like we can go to the man
and ask. He’d just deny it,” Declan said reasonably.
“Well, what do we do?” Daithi asked.
Reb wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him against his side, offering reassurance and
comfort. “We wait, sweetheart. From what the phooka said, it’ll be back. It seems willing enough to
talk. We’ll see if we can’t figure out what it wants.”
“In the meantime, I’ll talk to Killian to see if he knows anything about magic wielders in the area,”
Declan stated. He pointed a finger between the two of them. “Ye shouldn’t go anywhere alone.”

Daithi frowned. “I’m a fisherman. I can’t just not go to work. When the tides are right, I have to be out
on the water.”
Donal waved a hand, drawing attention. “A phooka is an earthbound fae. He’ll have no power on the
water.” Then he grinned. “Why don’t you take your new mate? It’d be a perfect way to get a little time
alone and still get your job done.”
He felt a warm flush sweep up his neck, and Daithi was grateful his sun-darkened skin hid the
evidence of his embarrassment. The other men laughed, and Franklin waggled his brows at his
brother. Reb grinned and pressed a swift kiss to Daithi’s lips.
The tension broken, Daithi looked around for his mount, but his and Reb’s horses were gone. “Bloody
hell, I wonder where they went.” He didn’t relish searching the shore for the two animals.
“They probably bolted right back to the stable,” Donal assured. “We’ll go and check.”
Daithi nodded and took the first few steps of what would be a long walk back. Declan’s voice halted
his progress. “Lark, come get behind me. We can ride double on the horses, right?” he asked,
questioning the wrangler.
Donal nodded. “Aye, that’d be fine.”

After getting to the stable and discovering that the two spooked mounts had indeed returned home

on their own, the group peeled off into a couple smaller groups. Declan, Lark, Kade, and Tom headed
toward pack territory and Killian. Daithi and Reb proceeded with their lunch plans and were joined
by Franklin and Conor.

Distracted, Daithi swallowed a mouthful of the clam chowder he’d ordered. His mind swirled

with a confusing mix of ideas. Daithi didn’t want to believe the man he’d been dating for almost a
year could be behind the attack on Reb, but nothing else seemed to make sense. And how did Evan
even manage to request the aid of a phooka?

Daithi felt a hand on his thigh and turned to look at his mate. Hot damn, he really had a mate. And

with just a light squeeze of Reb’s hand and his understanding smile, even though Daithi knew there
wasn’t anything sexual in it, he still felt himself grow hard.

“Stop thinking so much,” Reb said, leaning close.

His jaw tensed and Daithi shook his head. “How can I not? How can younot?”
“No sense worrying over something I have no control over,” Reb said, rolling his shoulders in a
semblance of a shrug. “At this point, I’ll just remain vigilant.” He leaned back in his chair and
smirked. “I know you may not believe me, but we will deal with this phooka and whoever is behind
it.”
Daithi nodded. Needing a subject change to get his mind off the problem, he tilted his head and asked,
“Yer name is Frederick. Ye have red hair.” He cocked his head and said ruefully, “In fact, ye make a
better Irishman than I do.” He pointed to his own dark hair, which earned him a smirk from the shifter,
then continued. “Why are ye called Reb instead of Red?”
Reb grinned. “Picked up on that, did you?” He winked and then pointed at Franklin. “It’s because of
him.”
Franklin flushed and looked away. “Awe, you could have changed it back.”
Daithi’s brows shot up. “How was it Franklin’s fault?”
Reb’s brother flushed, his fair skin, so similar to his mate’s, not hiding the color creeping up his neck.
“When I was little, I had trouble saying Red. It always came out Reb,” he admitted.
Conor chuckled and bumped shoulders with him. “Very sweet, cub.”
Daithi’s brows lifted at the affectionate way Conor treated him. From the way Conor touched
Franklin, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that they’d be getting to know each other very well

over the next few days. This brought his thoughts back to his own mate. Where did Reb think this was
going to go?
“My friends picked up on it,” Reb was saying, “so I’ve been Reb ever since.” He shrugged. “It’s not
a bad nickname, so I don’t mind.”
Looking between them, seeing the fond expression on Reb’s face as he gazed at Franklin, Diathi
realized how close the brother’s relationship was. Daithi sure hoped he could stay on Franklin’s good
side. He didn’t want to cause problems between them.
A glance at the clock caused Daithi to rise from the table. “I gotta get to me boat.” He looked at Reb.
“Did ye—Did ye want to come?”
Reb nodded. He wiped his mouth on a napkin as he rose to his feet. He leveled a stare at Conor. “You
take good care of my brother.”
The Nenagh pack enforcer grinned. “Oh, I plan to.”
All the men laughed.
Franklin and Conor followed them from the restaurant, where they then separated. Daithi directed
Reb to the dock. He was impressed with how easily they fit together, Reb following his orders
quickly and efficiently. Daithi had his boat launched in record time, and they headed out to sea.
For several hours, Daithi instructed and Reb learned and laughed. They laughed a lot as each fish they
brought in seemed like a new discovery to his mate. Finally, Daithi pulled in his nets for the last time.
The sun hung low in the sky, and Daithi shivered through his sweat.
Strong, warm arms wrapped around him from behind. Reb rested his chin on Daithi’s shoulder and
together they watched the streaks caused by the setting sun create a beautiful tapestry of color on the
horizon.
“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Reb whispered. “It’s so peaceful, so calm.”
Daithi nuzzled Reb’s temple. “Ye don’t get a lot of peaceful and calm where ye live?”
Reb snorted softly. “No, afraid not. I raised my brother from the time he was two. Caring for an
injured shifter who just lost both his parents wasn’t conducive to peaceful or calm.”
He could detect no bitterness or resentment in Reb’s tone. The shifter just stated it as a matter of fact.
“Is it okay to ask what happened?” Daithi hazarded.
“I’d tell you anything, my mate,” Reb murmured, pressing a kiss to Daithi’s temple. “But there’s
really not much to tell. I was in the military. My parents were involved in a car crash. It takes a lot to
injure a shifter in an auto accident, but having the entire front half of a car crushed by logs will do it.”
“My God!”
“Hmm,” Reb toned, rubbing his cheek against Daithi’s.
Daithi knew the wolf shifter did it in an effort to get comfort just as much as to give it.
Reb’s voice was quiet when he continued. “I was told my parents died instantly. Franklin was in the
back seat. He was injured. Ended up with a broken arm, a broken leg, and a concussion. It was a good
thing a few shifters were out running in the area and had heard the commotion. At the time, the pack
doctor was an old wolf shifter named Leonard Mapston. My brother was taken to Declan’s and the
doctor practically lived there the first week, keeping careful watch over Frankie.” Reb’s tone turned
rueful. “It’s not often a shifter ends up in a coma.”
“How old was Franklin?”
Another kiss bussed his temple. “He was two. He’s a little slow answering sometimes, but that’s not
because he’s stupid. It just takes Frankie a little longer to work words out in his head than others.”
“Ye’re a good man, Frederick,” he whispered.
Reb chuckled. “Not everyone would agree with you.”

Daithi sank further into his mate’s embrace. He could feel the telltale bulge of Reb’s erection pressed
against the crease of his ass. Rocking back into it, Daithi felt his own dick stiffen. “I’m not everyone,
and I think yer mate’s opinion should be the only one that counts. Don’t you?”
Growling softly, Reb sucked on Daithi’s neck for a few seconds before replying. “You may have a
point.” Then he returned to placing sucking kisses and gentle nips along Daithi’s tendons.
He hissed his pleasure, rocking back again. “Where do ye see this going?”
“Right now? I noticed that little cot you have below deck. That looked good, although I don’t have a
problem with fucking you right here under the stars,” Reb growled the words into Daithi’s ear.
As he spoke, Reb slid one hand down Daithi’s stomach to his groin and palmed his erection through
his jeans. Daithi’s hips bucked, seeking more pressure. Reb didn’t disappoint. Daithi’s grip on Reb’s
forearms tightened as his soon-to-be lover worked his fly open. Daithi just knew he was going to
leave marks on him, and boy if that thought didn’t make him hot all over.
Daithi moaned when Reb wrapped his calloused fingers around his hard cock and slowly stroked
from root to tip. “Ah, shite. Reb!” He shouted his mate’s name when Reb flicked his thumb into his
slit, sending the most wonderful sensations shooting through his stalk to settle in his balls. He felt his
testicles roll in their sacs, pulling tighter and tighter with each stroke and flick to his cock and each
suck and nip to his neck.
“Ah, damn it, Reb,” Daithi cursed, unable to control the bucking of his hips as desire for pleasure
took over. “Gonna come if ye don’t stop,” he warned.
“Mmm, yeah,” Reb purred against his neck, sending warm gusts of wind over the sensitive hairs of
Daithi’s neck. “Come for me. Come apart in my arms, mate. Show me how much you enjoy my touch,”
Reb crooned, continuing to work him.
Daithi’s balls pulled impossibly tighter and his cock swelled even more, twitching and jerking in
Reb’s grasp. His slit oozed pre-cum. He felt Reb’s canines scrape along his tendon and his entire
body convulsed as his orgasm swept through him. Reb’s strong arms held him steady, continuing to
work him, as Daithi shuddered and moaned his pleasure.
“Gods, you smell good, Dai. Gonna lick every inch of your body. Gonna make you feel so good,” Reb
promised, growling the words.
Reb shifted his grip and easily swung Daithi into his arms and carried him below deck. Instead of
making him feel feminine, the move made Daithi feel cared for, cherished even. With gentle hands,
Reb lowered Daithi to the narrow bed. Enjoying the afterglow, Daithi relaxed into his caresses as
Reb worked his clothes off. The kisses that traced every inch of exposed flesh had his arousal rising
again, his dick once more filling.
By the time Daithi lay naked on the bed, he was a writhing, quivering mess. His dick throbbed, his
balls ached, already pulled flush to his body, and his hole clenched in anticipation of what he hoped
was to come.
With lids at half-mast and his breath coming in sharp pants, Daithi watched Reb ease away and
quickly strip. When Reb’s thick, hard dick was revealed, already glistening with pre-cum, Daithi’s
mouth watered.
“Oh,” he breathed, “I like the look of that,” he murmured lazily.
Reb grinned, wrapping his fingers around his dick and pumping himself. “It likes the look of you,
too.”
He leaned over and grabbed a packet of lube from the pocket of his jeans.
Daithi’s brows shot up. “Sure of yourself?”
Shaking his head, Reb settled on his knees between Daithi’s spread thighs. “Nope, but better plan

ahead than be sorry later.”
“Ah, the Boy Scouts of America motto—Be Prepared ?” Daithi teased. He liked the playful banter.
Never could he remember a time when he’d had such fun with a lover.
Reb smirked, leaning over him on one elbow, his face inches from Daithi’s. “I wasn’t a boy scout,
sexy mate. I was a marine.” He lowered the rest of the way and took possession of Daithi’s mouth,
sliding his tongue inside, mapping his teeth and gums, and tangling their tongues together.
When the kiss finally broke, Daithi grinned. “Same thing, really,” he teased.
His mirth slipped away to be replaced by need at the lusty look Reb gave him as his gaze traveled
over his body. Fishing worked Daithi’s body hard, and it was easy to see that Reb liked what he saw.
Eventually, Reb’s gaze returned to his face, and Daithi sucked in a gasp at the possessive fire burning
in Reb’s eyes.
“Are you ready for me, mate?”

Chapter Five

eb watched his mate’s breathing hitch. Desire and need were etched clearly in his expression. His

dick flexed at his groin as a fresh wave of lust washed over him. This human was his, his mate, his
lover, his everything. His wolf howled and scratched at his mind, urging him to take him and mark
him as theirs.

Daithi lifted a hand, reaching out to him. “I’m ready. I want you,” he whispered.

Moaning in delight, Reb quickly opened the single use packet of lube and poured it onto his fingers
and his shaft. A bead of pre-cum oozed from his slit when his mate grabbed the backs of his knees and
pulled them to his chest, revealing himself to Reb’s hungry gaze.
He quickly pressed his fingers to the tight star and pushed one finger inside. His mate’s body opened
to his fingers, and Daithi’s moans of pleasure filled the small cabin. The sound of his mate’s
enjoyment was music to Reb’s ears, spurring him on. He stretched his mate as quickly as he dared.
“Now, oh God, now,” Daithi begged. “I need you.”
Needing no further prodding, Reb removed his fingers from Daithi’s clenching channel and settled his
larger frame over him, aligning his crown with his mate’s hole. Reb took his sweet human’s mouth in
a claiming kiss, thrusting his tongue deep, tasting his passion, and sank his dick into the tight, silky
heat of Daithi’s ass.
Reb didn’t stop moving until he was buried balls deep in his mate. He ended the kiss and pressed his
forehead against Daithi’s. A shudder worked through him as his body assimilated the glorious
sensations of his cock buried in his mate for the first time.
Snapping his eyes open, Reb stared down at his mate. “Mine,” he snarled.
“Yours.”
His mate’s immediate reply snapped his control and Reb let out a fierce growl as he pulled his dick
out and slammed it back in. Diathi arched his back and moaned. He released his legs, wrapping them
tightly around Reb’s waist. His arms latched onto Reb’s, gripping tight enough to leave marks as he
met Reb thrust for thrust. Pleasure filled Reb’s body at the idea of Daithi marking him.
“Want to claim you,” he said through clenched teeth, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he’d do it
without permission. His hips continued to move, his dick sinking over and over in sucking, rippling,
heat.
“Aye,” Daithi moaned throatily, his glazed expression telling of his pleasure. “Claim me. I’m yours.”
A howl erupted from Reb’s throat. He pulled away from his mate and flipped the man beneath him,
causing a shocked gasp to escape Daithi’s throat. Reb immediately blanketed his back and sank his
dick once more into Daithi’s clenching channel. Daithi wailed in pleasure, bucking beneath him as
Reb once more started a swift thrust and retreat rhythm.
Reb’s canines burst from his gums. He knelt upright, bringing his mate with him until Daithi was in
his lap. With one arm around his chest, Reb pinched and rolled a beaded nipple. With the other, he
worked his mate’s cock, all the while continuing to pound up into his ass.
The mewls and moans escaping Daithi’s throat, along with the shudder of his body, told Reb exactly
how close his mate was to release. Wanting to give him as much pleasure as possible, he scraped his
canines across Daithi’s tendon, just as he’d discovered earlier his mate liked.
Daithi screamed Reb’s name as he came, his body shaking and twitching. Unable to wait a second
longer, Reb sank his canines into his mate’s shoulder. His lover’s rich blood coated his tongue and he
swallowed it down, moaning at the exquisite taste of his mate. His balls pulled tight. Daithi’s shout as

another orgasm crashed over him filled Reb with feral delight.
Reb’s own release rolled through him. He pulled his canines from his mate’s flesh and howled his
release while his dick expelled his seed, coating his mate’s channel. Clutching his lover tight, he
licked Daithi’s shoulder clean and let the warm ping of afterglow soothe him.
Gently, he eased his softening cock from Daithi’s chute. Nuzzling the back of his mate’s neck, he
settled them both on the bed, spooning up close to his mate’s back so they’d both fit. Sighing happily,
Reb kissed the mating mark he’d placed on his human.
Daithi turned his head, eyeing him, then grinned. “We really suck at talking,” he murmured.
Reb grunted. “Actions speak louder than words.”
“Ye expect me to move to Colorado, don’t ye?”
The words were blunt, without malice. Reb sighed. There was no reason not to be equally plain.
“Yes, Dai. I hope to convince you to move with me. If it were just me, I’d ask to move packs, but it’s
not. It would be difficult for Frankie to adjust, and my business is there.”
“And me job isn’t here?” Daithi questioned mildly.
Shit, he hadn’t meant to insult the man. Reb rested his forehead against the back of Daithi’s neck. So
much for enjoying the afterglow…
“I know this isn’t an ideal situation for either of us. I

—

shit,” he muttered, uncertain what else to say.

“Let me get a cloth to clean us up with,” he whispered, pulling away from Daithi.
Reb crossed the small cabin and stepped into the tiny room with a sink, shower, and toilet. He turned
the water on and dropped a cloth into the basin, waiting for the water to warm. Setting one hand on
either side of the sink, Reb hung his head. He didn’t know how to resolve this problem. His mate
lived in another fucking country.
Despair knifed through his heart. As was the way of mates, Reb knew he was falling hard and fast for
his little horseback riding fisherman. He couldn’t fathom having to walk away from the man at the end
of the week. His wolf howled in his mind, echoing his grief.
Realizing the water was now warm, Reb heaved a sigh, quickly rung the cloth out, then cleaned
himself up. He rinsed the cloth thoroughly and carried it back to his waiting mate.
Daithi watched him solemnly as Reb gently rubbed the cloth over his groin and crack, cleaning away
the outside traces of their interaction.
After returning the cloth to the bathroom, Reb was at odds as to what to do next. Should he return and
hold his mate? Or find his clothes and head topside?
Fortunately, Daithi answered that question for him. “Come here, Frederick,” he said. The command
was so softly spoken, if Reb hadn’t been a shifter, he wasn’t sure if he’d have been able to hear it.
Reb obeyed.
When he paused at the edge of the bed, Daithi held out a hand. Reb took it. Daithi tugged and Reb
went with the action, allowing his mate to pull him down onto the cot.
Daithi positioned Reb on his back, then draped himself half on top of him, his body levered up on an
elbow. “I understand,” Daithi murmured softly. “I’ve heard about shifters and their mates for years.
It’s why I never dated a shifter,” he added ruefully.
Shaking his head, Daithi continued, “Me own family practically disowned me when I came out. Any
time I go to me parents, me grandmamma prays over me. Yer responsibilities exceed me own.” Daithi
took a deep breath and stated, “Killian owns the cottage I live in. I’ll let him know he’s going to need
to find a new tenant. Between our two alphas, I’m sure they can find a way to expedite the paperwork
needed for me to stay in yer country.”
Through the course of his mate’s speech, Reb knew his brows had lifted higher and higher. When

Daithi stopped talking, a sound reminiscent between a groan and a mewl escaped Reb. He wrapped
his mate in a tight embrace and pulled him to his chest. “I’ll do what I can to make this transition as
painless as possible,” he promised, nuzzling Daithi’s neck, temple, and ear. “You amazing man. I feel
so blessed.”
“Me, too,” Daithi whispered.
Reb grinned up at him before pulling him down for another deep kiss.

After they docked the boat and handled Daithi’s catch, they piled back into Reb’s SUV. Right

before Reb started the vehicle, Daithi’s phone chimed. Reb removed his hand from the key in the
ignition and watched his mate give him an apologetic look before pulling out his phone and
answering.

His shifter hearing made it easy to understand the other side of the conversation, although he

looked through the windshield at the sea in a pathetic attempt to give Daithi privacy.
“Hello?” Daithi answered.
“Son?” a deeply lilted voice questioned on the opposite end of the line.

From the corner of his eye, Reb saw Daithi roll his eyes. “Aye, Dad. Who did ye expect?”

“Well, Evan has picked up yer phone a time or two,” Daithi’s dad stated.
Daithi nodded, although Reb was certain he knew his father couldn’t see it. “What can I do for ye,
Da?”
“I’d like ye to come over this evening, son.” There was a pause, as if the man was gathering his
thoughts. “There’s somethin’ that’s come up that we need to discuss with ye.”
His mate lifted a brow and glanced Reb’s way. “Sure, Da. When do ye need me to swing over?”
“Eight thirty this evening. Yer mother and I will be waitin’.” Before Daithi could respond, the line
disconnected with a click.
Daithi’s brows shot up. “Huh. I wonder what’s wrong.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” The words were out of Reb’s mouth before he could think
better of technically out didn’t seem to approve. He wondered what they could possibly want.
He watched Daithi nibble his bottom lip before shaking his head. Daithi gave Reb an apologetic
smile. “That probably wouldn’t be wise. No sense subjectin’ ye to their snide comments.” The smile
turned more genuine. “How about ye meet me them. Reb knew his mate was with his family, and that
they back at me place this evening? How about around ten or so?”
Reb grinned, liking the sound of that. “Sounds like a plan. While you’re over at your parents, I’ll
catch up with my alpha and see if he learned anything from Killian.” He prayed they could get all
their problems wrapped up quickly. Figuring out how to move his mate across the ocean to be with
him was going to be difficult enough.
He returned his mate to his home, grabbing Daithi’s arm before he could get out of the SUV. At
Daithi’s questioning look, Reb whispered, “Please be careful.” With his free hand, he gripped
Daithi’s neck and tugged him in for a too-brief kiss. “You remember that there’s a phooka out there,
okay? Stay on guard.”
“I will,” Daithi promised.
Giving in to his desire, Reb closed the distance between their lips again. This time, he slipped his
tongue in deep, tasting his mate, enjoying the heady, masculine taste of him. He felt his dick go ramrod
straight in his jeans again, but knew he could do nothing about it. That didn’t stop him from plundering
his mate’s mouth, loving the way Daithi sank into his embrace and whimpered so nicely into his
mouth.
Finally, Reb pulled away. He rested his forehead against Daithi’s. Both men panted, their breaths

mingling. “You’re everything to me, Daithi Murphy. I’ll see you tonight.”
Daithi nodded. “I look forward to it.”
From the glazed expression filling Daithi’s lustblown eyes, Reb didn’t doubt his words. After one
more kiss, Reb released him. He watched in silence as Daithi grabbed his bag and slipped from the
car. A moment later, his mate gave him a quick wave and disappeared into his home.
Reb swept his gaze over his surroundings, but nothing caught his attention. He brought the SUV
roaring back to life and pointed the vehicle toward his pack members. A quick phone call to Frankie
told him that everyone was at Killian’s place, so he headed there.

Conor opened the door after Reb rang the bell, ushering him into the home. The sprawling

Georgian style country home had many rooms and was even bigger than Declan’s massive hunting
lodge. He knew the beta and enforcers also lived in the place, which meant more space was needed
for the wolves.

As Reb followed Conor through the manor, he discreetly sniffed the man and caught his brother’s

scent on him. He grinned, knowing he himself was probably reeking of Daithi’s smell. At least
everyone seemed to be enjoying their vacation.

He entered a large room that appeared to be a cross between a study and a library, noticing the

left and back wall was lined with bookshelves, save for the two floor-to-ceiling windows breaking
up the stacks. On the right side, a large desk and several leather couches took up the space. A number
of shifters occupied the area, including his own alpha, alpha-mate, and their guards, plus Killian and
his shifters. Several heavy looking tomes were open on the coffee table in the center of the couches.

Declan greeted him. “Reb, it’s good that ye’re here. We think we may have found a way to

discover who’s behind the phooka’s aggression.” His alpha looked beyond him, then at him again.
“Where’s yer mate?”

Reb appreciated his alpha’s concern, not to mention his easy acceptance of the situation. “Daithi

received a call from his parents. They asked him to drop by this evening,” he explained.

“Everythin’ okay on that front?” Killian asked, cocking his head.

Shrugging, Reb inclined his head to both alphas, then moved forward and dropped into an empty
chair. “His father said something important had come up that he needed to discuss with him. Daithi
didn’t seem overly concerned. I’m supposed to be meeting him back at his place in a few hours.”
Kade leaned close and sniffed. The big wolf enforcer grinned. “Congrats on your mating, buddy.”
He grinned back. “Thanks. He’s agreed to move to the states.” Reb looked at Killian. “We’d really
appreciate it if you knew someone, or could put us in contact with someone who could help us with
the red tape on that.”
“Aye, I think I know someone who can help. Ireland does recognize unions between same sex
couples. If ye go through a ceremony here, it may help with gettin’ Daithi a green card.” Killian
paused, obviously thinking. “I’ll talk to a friend of mine, see what she says,” he promised.
Relief flooded Reb. “Thank you.”
Declan cleared his throat, regaining Reb’s attention. “Now, in order to figure out what has the phooka
riled, we need to capture it. These books here give a few ideas on how that can be done.”
Reb’s alpha picked up one and started reading. He and his friends worked through various ideas,
often deferring to Killian and Conor on the workability of a plan. It wasn’t until Abigail slipped away
and came back with refreshments that Reb glanced at his phone and read that the time was almost
eleven, realizing how late it had gotten. He frowned, also realizing he probably should have met up
with Daithi almost an hour ago.
His phone told him he hadn’t missed his human’s call. A niggle of unease coursed through his veins,

making the hairs on his arms stand on end. Where is my mate?

Chapter Six

t was unusual for his father, Anthony Murphy, to call him. After Daithi had come out to his family

six years ago, nearly all contact had been through his mother. Even when Daithi visited, which was
rare anymore, his father barely acknowledged his presence.

Daithi rolled to a stop in front of his parent’s home, surprised to find a number of cars parked

nearby. Frowning, he found a place to squeeze his small vehicle and headed toward the door. It was
unusual to see all his relatives except on holidays. He walked slowly up the sidewalk, racking his
brain, trying to remember if he’d forgotten a birthday or something.

The door opened before Daithi reached it, and Anthony stood there. He noticed the slight smile on

his dad’s face, which almost made Daithi trip over a step. There was definitely something up. Daithi
followed Anthony’s waved hand, preceding him into the small home. The click of a lock behind him
had him spinning around and his brows lifting. Had his dad just locked him in the house?

Anthony settled a strong hand on his shoulder and guided him into the living room. Another wave

of trepidation shot through Daithi when he saw nearly everyone seated in a circle around the room.
His father pressed him into a chair near the kitchen doorway.

Daithi looked around the group. “What’s going on?” he asked warily, finally finding his voice.

“We’re here to discuss yer addiction,” Anthony stated calmly.
Confusion flooded Daithi. “My addiction? I don’t have an addiction.”
“Yer addiction to,” his father swallowed hard, “to touching boys.”
An intervention. His family was staging an intervention because he was gay—as if Daithi had some
choice in this matter. Blood pounded through his veins and his vision faded for several seconds. He
realized he was holding his breath and he forced himself to inhale a lungful of air.
He licked his lips, trying to engage his brain. Looking up, Daithi realized every pair of eyes in the
room was focusing on him. His grandmother had her rosary out and mumbled words too quiet for him
to make out. The only one who was conspicuously absent was Brenna. She’d always been supportive
and loving. It made sense that she wouldn’t be involved with this, but why hadn’t she warned him?
Daithi hoped it was because she hadn’t known.
Swallowing, Daithi forced words past the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry ye all feel the need to do this.
With the acceptance of government and all the research that proves that whom I’m attracted to is not a
choice, it’s alarming that ye think this is something that would help any of us, let alone me.”
Daithi focused on his father, who was obviously the spokesperson of the group. “And I don’t touch
boys, as ye say.” The fact that his father thought so little of him sent a spike of irritation through him.
“I have romantic relations with a consenting adult.” He struggled to keep a blush from working over
his features. The rosy hues of a couple of his family members told him that he wasn’t the only one
extremely uncomfortable with the very idea of discussing sex with most of them.
“It is an addiction,” his mother, Celine, insisted. “It’s hurting you.”
He started to refute that, when his uncle, who was sitting next to him, pulled the neck of Daithi’s shirt
down. “Ye’ve been bit. That is not normal behavior.”
Daithi’s face flushed. His family didn’t know about shifters or mates, so Daithi could understand their
confusion. He’d only learned by mistake when Ross had accidentally shifted in front of him while
wrestling with Craig when they were teens.
“And you will never have a family, the love of a wife and children, someone to lean on when times
get bad,” Daithi’s grandmother said, speaking up.

It figured that she’d point that one out, Daithi thought.
“I have someone to lean on. Someone who cares for me,” Daithi insisted. He almost smiled thinking
about Reb, even while sitting amongst his bigoted family members.
“That Evan character?” Anthony asked, scoffing. “Even if he was a woman, he would not be good
enough for you. Clingy, possessive, and weak.”
Daithi’s jaw dropped. He’d had no idea his father felt that way about Evan. They’d only met twice.
“Well, no, I’m not with Evan anymore,” he admitted.
His aunt’s face seemed to brighten. “Then this is perfect timing. Don’t you see? It’s providential! You
must realize that getting counseling and leading a normal life will be more beneficial for you. How
can we introduce you to our friends if you carry on with this behavior?” She shook her head. “You
must learn healthy ways to express your desires.”
He could feel the blood drain from his face at each word his aunt spoke. Daithi shook his head
slowly. “No. No counseling. No wife. If ye don’t want to introduce me to yer friends, that’s on you,
not me.” Daithi leaped to his feet when his father opened his mouth again. “No,” he yelled, no longer
able to control himself. How dare his family do this to him! “I’m leaving. I have a boyfriend who
appreciates me and I’m moving to the United States to be with him.”
At the shocked expressions on his family member’s faces, Daithi knew he shouldn’t have blurted out
his little announcement that way. His suspicions were confirmed when he was grabbed by first his
uncle, then his father.
“It’s obvious this tactic isn’t working, but don’t worry,” Anthony said, as if his calm voice would
soothe Daithi. “We’ve got a hypnotist lined up that has had great success with his patients.”
“What? No!” Daithi started to struggle. He managed to yank his arm away from his uncle, only to have
two of his cousins immediately grab it again. Daithi bucked and fought, but there were too many of
them. His family dragged him upstairs to a bedroom and shoved him inside.
Daithi stumbled sideways. His shin banged into a chair, sending him tumbling forward. Fortunately,
they’d shoved him into the room he used as a kid, which was small, and Daithi landed on his old twin
bed. The creak of springs nearly drowned out the sound of a slamming door.
Rising from the bed, Daithi crossed the room and jiggled the handle of the door, not surprised to find
it locked. He strode to the single window and tried to shove it open. It didn’t budge. Upon closer
inspection, Daithi realized it had been nailed shut.
“Oh, shite,” he hissed.
Next he patted his pockets. Nothing. No phone, no wallet. Someone must have swiped them while
he’d been struggling.
Resting his palm on the glass, he felt a shiver of fear pass through his body. Just when he’d found a
measure of happiness, Daithi’s family had gone off the deep end. For a fleeting moment, he thought
about breaking the glass, but dismissed the idea just as quickly. Daith felt certain his family would
hear that, and there was no way he could climb out the window and down the trellis before they
investigated the noise.
He pressed his forehead against the pane and stared out at the darkness. Hating the feeling of
helplessness that invaded him, Daithi closed his eyes and whispered, “I need ye, Reb.”

Chapter Seven

H
is mate wasn’t answering his phone. Reb let out a slow breath, trying to contain his growing
agitation.Why won’t Daithi answer? “Hey, everything okay?” Kade asked.

His friend’s concerned gaze swept over him, and from the furrowing of Kade’s brows, Reb knew

the other shifter noticed the too tight grip Reb had on his phone and the tension in body.

Kade inhaled deeply, taking in Reb’s scent, then he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Daithi isn’t answering his phone.” Reb knew there could be all kinds of reasons for that, but that
knowledge didn’t set him at ease. “I’m not sure why, but my wolf is telling me I need to find him.
Something is wrong.”
Kade didn’t question him further. “Okay. Let’s see if we can find him.”
Reb followed the pack enforcer back into the study. “Alphas, we seem to have a missing mate,” Kade
said without preamble.
That garnered the attention of everyone in the room. Declan and Killian rose, both alphas striding
toward them. “What do ye mean?” Declan asked.
“Daithi didn’t think he’d be at his parents long, and it’s already nearly eleven. I can’t get hold of him
and I’m worried,” Reb admitted. Saying the words out loud, it sounded ridiculous. Daithi was a
grown man and he was with family.
Killian crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, which did nothing to reassure Reb. “He went to
his parents, aye?” Killian mused.
Reb nodded.
“Ross once told me that Daithi can only stand his family in small doses, because they’re so dead set
against him bein’ gay,” Killian said. “They don’t know about shifters, so it’s not like ye can barge in
searchin’ for yer mate.”
Frowning, Reb mirrored the alpha’s pose. “What do you suggest I do?”
“Hmm,” Killian hummed, then a smirk curved his lips. “I think I’ll give Ross and Craig a call.
They’ve been best friends with Daithi for years, so them turning up on the parent’s doorstep lookin’
for him won’t rouse suspicion.”
Reb couldn’t stop the low growl from escaping. “I want to go with them,” he snapped, a possessive
need to stake his claim and help his mate rolling through him. It should be me rescuing

Daithi, not his friends!

“Relax, Reb,” Declan soothed. “No one is trying
to steal yer mate.”
The tension in his shoulders eased at his alpha’s
calm tone and tight squeeze to his shoulder. He
breathed out a sigh. Reb hated feeling helpless.
He’d only known Daithi a couple days and
already Reb knew he couldn’t live without the
man, even if they hadn’t already bonded. “Give me just a moment,” Killian ordered,
striding to the large oak desk and retrieving his
phone. He leaned against the heavy piece of
furniture and dialed a number. Reb was too far
away to hear more than a buzz, signifying the
speaker on the other end of the phone.

“Hello, Ross. Aye, I need yer help. It seems
Reb’s wolf is telling him something is up with
Daithi, who isna answerin’ his phone.” Killian
stared out the window as he explained, pausing
here and there, evidently listening to Ross say
something. “No, it seems Daithi went to his
parent’s house. His father called and said
something important had come up and they
needed to speak with him. Aye, I thought that
odd, too. Pick up Craig and come over here to get
Reb.” Killian’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Aye,
we’ll have a cover story by then.”
Killian hung up the phone and turned to Reb.
“Ross and Craig should be here before long.” Reb tapped his foot on the floorboard of Ross’s
car. Ross glanced over his shoulder at Reb where
he sat in the back seat. “Ye need to relax, Reb,”
Craig encouraged from the passenger seat in front
of Reb. “There’s probably a perfectly fine
explanation for all this.”
Frowning, Reb glanced out the window before
turning a glare on the back of Craig’s head.
“Daithi wasn’t at home. What if he left his parents
and got attacked by the phooka? I should never
have let him go to his parents alone. My alpha
warned us not to be alone,” he snarled, angrier
with himself than at either of the men in front of
him.
“We need to keep a steady head,” Ross warned.
“It won’t do any good if ye miss something due to
nerves.”
Knowing the shifter was right, Reb closed his
eyes and concentrated on his breathing. He drew
in a deep breath, taking in the other two men’s
scents. Knowing they were worried, too, relieved
some of his stress. Ross and Craig were taking him
seriously. They’d told Killian and Reb how odd it
was for Daithi’s father to contact him, regardless
of the issue. In the past, it had always been
Daithi’s mother, Celine, who called to speak with
him or invite him to a family get-together. They pulled up in front of the house and found a number of
vehicles, but none of them were his
mate’s.
“Oh, this can’t be good,” Ross muttered. “Why?” Reb quickly questioned.
Craig glanced back at him as Ross parked.
“Dealing with this many family members is tough

on Daithi. Only his sister, Brenna, doesn’t seem to
care that he’s gay, and I don’t see her car.” When Reb got out of the car, he inhaled slowly.
Daithi’s scent hung in the air, faint but there. A
mixture of relief and trepidation filled Reb,
knowing his sexy human had at least made it this
far.
He followed Ross and Craig up the walk, trying
to look relaxed instead of tense and stressed. Craig
knocked on the door while the other two men
stood a few steps back. He had to bang a second
time before someone appeared to answer the door,
which Reb found odd considering the number of
cars. Reb would have considered the idea of a
party going on in the back, but with his shifter
hearing, he would have heard the noise.
“Good evenin’, Mr. Murphy,” Craig greeted the
man, who appeared to be a slightly larger and
heavier version of Daithi. The eyes were the same,
but Reb noticed that they held a coldness that he
didn’t like.
“Craig,” Mr. Murphy replied with a small nod.
“What can I do for ye boys?”
Reb turned his head and sniffed discreetly. The
scent of his mate was heavy on the man. Heavier
than if they’d just shook hands or hugged. It
raised Reb’s wolf’s hackles.
“We be lookin’ fer Daithi. Me and the boys are
supposed to be doing some late night fishin’,”
Craig said, sticking with the cover story they’d
developed. “We can’t find him, and since we
knew he was swingin’ over here this eve, thought
maybe ye may know where he’s gone.”
Mr. Murphy looked over Craig’s shoulder at
Ross and Reb, his gaze lingering for a few seconds
on him. He returned his focus to Craig and shook
his head. “Nope. Sorry. He came by for a short
visit a few hours ago, but I don’t know where he
went after that. Have ye tried the docks?” In fact, they hadn’t, nor was there any reason to
head over there. Reb fought hard to keep the
scowl from his face. Mr. Murphy was lying about
something, and he wanted to know what. The
man’s scent reeked of deceit.
Out of the corner of his eye, Reb saw Ross’s jaw
tighten. Somehow, the man kept the smile on his
face.

Craig’s response caught Reb’s attention. “Well,
I guess we’ll try the docks. Thank ye for yer time,
Mr. Murphy.”
The human grunted and turned away, giving
Reb an unobstructed view into the home. From where Reb was standing, he could just make out a
sliver of the room on the right through a large archway. Several overturned chairs and scratches on
the wood floor caught his attention, but before he could say anything, the door shut, closing off
his view.
Ross grabbed his arm before he could say
anything and pulled him toward the steps. “Not
now,” the shifter warned, low enough for only
him to hear.
They reached the car. Craig opened the
passenger door and both men urged him into the
seat, then Craig took the one behind him.
“Something went down in that house,” Reb
snarled as soon as Ross settled into the driver’s
seat. “Mr. Murphy is lying about something.” “We know,” Ross snapped back at him before
starting the car. “But we can’t really force our way
into the house or slam him into the wall and force
the truth, no matter how much I’d like to.” Reb glared. “Then what the hell are we going to
do? Just drive away?”
“Don’t be an arse,” Craig growled. “Daithi has
been our friend for twenty years. We’ll not be
leavin’ him to the likes of him.”
He growled in frustration, but gave a jerky nod.
“Then what do you suggest?”
Ross grinned. “Park around the corner and
shift. See what we can sniff out.”
“Is it safe?” Reb liked the idea, but he had to
ask. They would need to find a different way if
shifting near the bigoted family endangered his
species’ secrets.
“Aye,” Ross replied. “It will be fine. There are
plenty of trees and brush round back. It’s dark.
We can stay in the shadows and figure out what’s
where. Did we mention we’re trackers for our
pack?” Ross winked at him. “We’ll find Daithi.” That news eased some of the tension
thrumming through him. “It looked like a scuffle
took place in the living room. Do you actually
think they’d hold him against his will?” Reb asked
softly. What kind of family would do that? Ross parked the car and rubbed his hands over
his face. “I’d never have thought it possible, but
for some reason, Murphy’s scent was off.” He
looked back at his friend. “Did ye notice that?” Craig’s eyes narrowed. “Aye, now that ye

mention it. There was the smell of hydrogen
sulfide. Extremely faint. I just thought they’d eaten
something I didn’t like for supper.”
“The rotten egg smell?” Reb cocked his head.
“You all eat some funky shit. I just thought it was
food, too.”
Craig snorted. “Nay, man. Not the food. There’s
somethin’ else going on here,” he growled. A sudden thought struck Reb. “Could the
phooka be behind this?”
The three men exchanged looks. “A phooka
can’t enter a person’s home,” Ross mused. “Could
he somehow manipulate others? Control them
somehow?”
“We won’t know until we trap it. After I find
my mate, that will be the next item on my to do
list,” Reb growled. “Now, show me the back of
Murphy’s place so we can start our search.” To his relief, the two wolf trackers didn’t
hesitate to act. All three of them stripped and
shifted. Reb felt his muscles pop, his bones crack,
and his tendons realign. It wasn’t painful, as much
as it reminded him of a soothing stretch after
being in one position for too long. Giving his body
a good shake, Reb settled his fur into place. A look to his left and right showed him that
Ross and Craig were in their wolf forms as well,
both smaller and leaner than Reb’s large canine.
Ross and Craig trotted through the trees and Reb
followed. Slinking through the underbrush, Reb
stopped next to the others and peered at the
house.
Lights were on in several downstairs windows
and one upstairs. People were yelling, but due to
the distance and the walls, Reb couldn’t make out
what they were shouting about. He lifted his
muzzle to the wind and inhaled. Reb’s body
practically vibrated with frustration. He could
smell his mate, but he wasn’t certain what direction it came from. The scent just seemed to
hang in the air.
A soft thump during a lull in the human’s
conversation caught Reb’s attention and he lifted
his gaze to the second floor window. A figure
stood there. A figure he knew very well. He
whined as he stared up at his mate.
Daithi stood at the window, his hand on the
glass, his forehead pressed against it, as if it were
too heavy to hold up, as if his lover carried the

weight of the world on his shoulders. Reb backed
several steps, slipping deeper into the shadows,
and shifted back to human form. The other two
followed suit.
“I need to get him out of there,” he whispered. Crouching next to him, the other two nodded. “Tell us
what ye need,” Ross muttered. Growling softly, Reb took in the structure.
There was a trellis across the back that looked
sturdy. “I need their attention on the front of the
house, so I can climb up and rescue Daithi.” Craig snickered and bumped his shoulder.
“Climb the tower and rescue the damsel, aye?” Ross smothered a snort.
Reb rolled his eyes, but the comments broke his
tension, replacing it with determination. He
smirked at the two shifters he was quickly coming
to respect. “Right. Just don’t ever tell Daithi that.” Ross smacked Reb on the shoulder. “Give us
twenty minutes and ye’ll get yer disturbance,” he
promised.
“Uh, you should probably let the alphas know
what’s going on, too,” Reb advised.
Craig gave him a thumbs up right before he
shifted back to his wolf form. A moment later, the
two brown wolves disappeared silently into the
trees. Reb looked back up at his mate, his shifter
eyesight allowing him to take in Daithi’s closed
eyes and despondent expression. It nearly broke
his heart and it took everything in him to stay put. A few moments later, Reb heard screeching
tires and crunching glass. His brows shot up. Was
that the sound of a car crash? A commotion came
from the front, and Reb knew it was his cue. Reb
sprinted across the lawn and leaped for the trellis,
trusting the pieces of wood were sturdy enough to
hold him. The wood creaked, but held.
Reb climbed swiftly. It only took him a few
seconds to reach the second story. He peered into
the room and spotted his mate pacing, glancing
toward the closed door every few steps. He
tapped on the window.
Daithi wheeled around. His eyes widened in
shock, then a look of pleased disbelief covered his
face as he took the two steps required to reach the
window. Resting his hand on the glass, Daithi
called his name, the sound muffled by the thick
pane.
“Open the window, baby,” Reb ordered. His mate tapped something at the bottom of the
frame and Reb leaned close. “Damn them,” Reb
growled. They’d nailed the fucking window shut.

“Are there other nails?” he asked, enunciating
slowly so his mate would understand.
Daithi’s eyes narrowed and Reb could tell from
the look on his face that he was trying to figure
out his words. Then his head snapped up and he
began searching the frame. Daithi seemed to look
carefully for several seconds, then his gaze
returned to Reb and he shook his head quickly. “Good,” Reb muttered. He planted his feet as
best he could while barefoot on a slender trellis
and braced his knees on a couple of the slats. He
gripped the top lip of the bottom window pane
and shoved, putting all his shifter strength into it. A deep groan sounded from the wood, then a
popping noise. The window shot up. Reb’s hands
slipped from the sill and his balance shifted. He
pin-wheeled his arms wildly. Jerking his torso
forward, Reb grabbed blindly for the trellis, just
managing to catch hold of the slats with his
fingertips. Once righted, Reb heaved a sigh and
looked at his mate’s startled expression.
“Reb!” Daithi gasped.
He grinned. “Hey, baby. You ready to get out of
here?”
“Hell, yeah,” Daithi replied. “What’s going on
out front?”
“Distraction,” Reb told him. “Let’s go.” He held out a hand, gratified when Daithi
immediately took it. Helping his mate over the
windowsill, Reb made certain the guy had his
balance and feet placed, then they started down
the trellis as quickly as possible. When they hit
bottom, Reb put a hand on Diathi’s elbow to
steady him.
Daithi turned and smiled at him. “Thank ye for
coming after me,” he whispered.
Reb dipped his head and brushed a quick kiss
to Daithi’s mouth. “Always.”
His mate’s eyes widened. “You’re naked!” Grinning, Reb got moving, tugging Daithi
behind him. “We were circling the house in wolf
form when we discovered you were being held in
that room. Come on.”
“We?” Daithi asked, following behind him. Reb nodded. “Yup. Me and your friends, Ross
and Craig. Good guys,” he conceded.
“Yeah, they are. Where are they now?” He didn’t respond to his mate’s question until
they were in the trees and out of sight of the
house. “Theyare creating the distraction.”

Chapter Eight

aithi couldn’t believe the shock he’d felt upon seeing his mate hanging outside the window.

Between seeing Reb shove the window up, affectively yanking the nails all the way through the board
—who knew shifters were that strong? —and the fact that the guy was naked, Daithi had trouble
focusing on anything but his aching dick. His mate was fucking sexy.

Trying to focus, Daithi asked, “What distraction?” His brows shot up as his brain finally caught

up. “I thought I heard a car accident out front.”

Reb nodded. “Yup. Don’t know the specifics because I was out back, but that’s exactly what it

sounded like.” The shifter smirked. “From all the dents on Ross’s car, I don’t think one more is going
to make a difference. Although, from the shouting, whoever he hit was mighty upset.”
Daithi snorted. “Aye, he isn’t the most careful driver. His insurance must be through the roof!”

The soft chuckle Reb let out had the tension around his eyes and mouth easing. The desire to kiss

Reb once more surged through Daithi, and, secluded in the trees as they were, he saw no reason to
fight it.

Reaching up, Daithi cupped Reb’s jaw and neck. He stepped in close, pressing their chests

together, feeling the heat from Reb’s naked body.

Reb followed his urging and dropped his head the few inches needed to press their lips together.

The warm slide of lips against his own caused a whimper to escape Daithi and he opened his mouth
for more.

Reb didn’t disappoint. His mate’s arms wrapped around him, pulling their bodies flush together.

Through his t-shirt, Daithi could feel the firm plains of Reb’s chest and his beaded nipples. His grip
on the sexy shifter tightened. His fear that he’d never see this man again slowly eased, to be replaced
by a new heat, one of need and lust.

His cock leaked pre-cum in his boxers, and Daithi rocked his erection against the crease of Reb’s

thigh. One of Reb’s arms slipped around his ass, a big palm gripping one cheek. He felt himself being
lifted slightly, so their groins were more aligned. Daithi hitched one leg over Reb’s hip, the other still
on the ground.

Never releasing his lover’s mouth, Daithi humped unabashedly against his mate. His body burned

with the need for release. His hole clenched, and Daithi wanted Reb to fill him so badly. He whined
and Reb swallowed the noises down. Daithi knew he was just seconds away from coming in his jeans
like an untried lad and he couldn’t care less.

A steely grip clasped his body from behind and tore him from Reb’s embrace.

Daithi stumbled several steps, a roar of anger from his lover registering as he managed to catch his
balance. Daithi turned back around and gasped. The phooka stood several feet in front of him,
between him and Reb.
“No,” Daithi whispered. Gathering his courage, he spoke louder. “You stay away from him,” he
ordered.
The phooka actually turned to look at him. Daithi almost thought his expression looked sad, tortured,
regretful. “He cannot have you.”
Daithi shook his head, confused. “Why? Why can’t you leave us alone?”
“I have my orders.” With those confusing words, the phooka turned back around to face Reb.
While they’d been talking, Reb had taken advantage of the distraction. The phooka hissed his
irritation that he now faced off against a nearly two hundred and fifty pound wolf. Reb bared his

canines at the creature and let out a low, rumbling growl.
The phooka shook his head, glaring at Reb as the wolf stalked toward him. “You couldn’t just leave
well enough alone,” the creature snarled.
The phooka’s body began to stretch and contort, his form moving fluidly into another. Daithi’s jaw
dropped and he retreated several steps until his back hit a tree. Instead of a goat, the phooka morphed
into a bull. The massive animal had heavy muscles and long, curving horns.
“Oh, shite,” Daithi muttered.
Dropping its head, the bull snorted and pawed the forest floor with one cloven front hoof.
Reb crouched low to the ground, his body tense as he waited.
The phooka charged.
Reb leaped sideways and snapped his jaws at the bull’s shoulder, drawing first blood.
The bull bellowed and spun on its haunches, swinging its head as it moved, and charged once again.
Reb jumped sideways for the second time, but didn’t move quite fast enough. One of the horns gauged
into his flank. The wolf howled and skittered away.
Daithi’s heart in his throat, he swept his gaze over the area, looking for something he could use to
help his mate. A broken branch caught his eye, and Daithi quickly picked it up. It was heavier than it
looked, but he managed, all the while thanking his strenuous job for keeping him fit.
Just as the bull charged Reb once more, Daithi stepped forward and swung. The thick branch caught
the phooka right across the face. The bull roared and struck out with a front leg, clipping Daithi’s hip
and sending him to the ground.
Reb sank his teeth into the fleshy butt of the animal, but didn’t manage to release quick enough when
the phooka kicked at him. The wolf went flying, his compact body slamming into a tree and falling to
the ground. Relief flooded Daithi when Reb immediately lifted his head and shook it.
Fear replaced the relief quickly when the bull once more lowered his head and charged at Reb.
Before it could connect, two brown blurs streaked through the trees and slammed into the phooka,
knocking him off course.
Daithi struggled to his feet and watched the pair circle and snap at the bull, forcing him away from
Reb, who was valiantly trying to rise. Never had Daithi been happier to see Ross and Craig. Before
long, the phooka bellowed in frustration, then turned and ran, disappearing into the evening gloom.
Limping as quickly as possible, Daithi made his way to his mate. Reb was at least on his feet, but
didn’t seem to be putting any weight on his right front leg. Blood dripped from several wounds,
creating clumps in his strawberry fur.
“Oh, Reb,” Daithi crooned. “He got you good.” He wasn’t certain where to put his hands, finally
settling them on the wolf’s ruff. Reb nuzzled closer, his nose sniffing and head rubbing as if trying to
determine if Daithi was okay.
He held tight to the shifter, reassuring Reb with voice and touch.
After a moment, Ross appeared at his side. “Bloody phooka,” he muttered. “Come on, buddy. We
need ye to shift so we can get out of here.”
Nodding, Daithi encouraged Reb to shift. The wolf whined, but then the tell-tale shiver worked
through the animal’s body from snout to tail tip. It took longer than Daithi thought it should, but he
finally had his arms filled with his human lover.
Reb ignored his own injuries and quickly began skimming his good hand over Daithi’s ribs and chest.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked, clearly concerned. “Gods, I wanted to tear him limb from limb for
hitting you.”
“I’m fine,” Daithi assured, grabbing Reb’s hand and gently holding it in place. “Nothing a warm bath

and a couple aspirin won’t cure. It’s you who needs medical attention. Can ye even move yer wrist?”
His lover seemed surprised when he looked down and realized he was cradling his right arm to his
chest. “Oh, yeah.” He scowled as he moved the injured limb from his chest. “Probably.”
Daithi rolled his eyes. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you to Killian’s. I bet Lark is still there and you’ll
probably feel much better being looked at by your own doctor, right?”
Reb gave him a relieved smile and nodded. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Now that I’m with ye again, I’m grand,” Daithi murmured. He grimaced. “Did that sound as sappy
out loud as I think it did?”
Chuckling, Reb pressed a quick kiss to his lips before saying, “Yeah, but I liked it.”
A fully clothed Craig appeared through the trees carrying a backpack and a couple pairs of sneakers.
He tossed the bag to the naked men. “The sooner we get dressed, the sooner we can get the hell out of
here. We need to put our plan into action for catching that blasted creature,” Craig growled.
“Plan? What plan?” Daithi asked, buttoning Reb’s jeans for him since he only had use of one hand.
“It’s something we were discussing while you went to your parents,” Reb replied, grimacing as he
pulled his shirt over his head. “These are going to be ruined,” he muttered.
Daithi nodded, watching blood seep through on Reb’s left thigh and right shoulder. They didn’t bother
putting the right arm in the hole, but left it tucked under the shirt when Daithi pulled it over Reb’s
broad chest and abs. He itched to touch, but knew this was not the time for such thoughts. That didn’t
stop his cock from twitching in his jeans.
He glanced up and saw Reb giving him a knowing, smoldering look. “Later,” Reb promised.
Shaking his head, Daithi replied, “Only if ye’re given the okay from yer doctor.”
“I will be,” Reb replied huskily.
“Knock it off, love birds,” Ross teased. “Let’s get out of the jungle and ye cleaned up before ye try to
jump Daithi’s bones, hmm?”
As they walked to the car, the shifters kept scanning the forest around them. Daithi looked, too, but
didn’t see anything. He didn’t know if the shifters were more worried about the phooka coming back
or if they thought Daithi’s family would be looking for him.
He had been locked up. It still tore him up inside that his family could betray him that way. Daithi
knew they didn’t like the fact that he was gay, but never before had they treated him like he had an
affliction that needed to be cured.
“Hey,” Reb crooned. “What’s wrong, baby? Is it your parents?”
His mate’s astute observation surprised him, but since Reb had raised his brother, figuring out how to
read emotions probably came with the territory of parenting. Reb’s hand on his back, coupled with
the soft stroking up and down his spine, made Daithi want to lay all his hurt and frustration at his
mate’s feet.
Well, why the hell not? Once they were in the car, Daithi quietly admitted, “They held a kind of
intervention for me, as if being gay was the same as a drug problem or something.” His brows drew
together and Daithi found himself burrowing into Reb’s side, encouraged by his lover’s strong left
arm around his shoulders.
“I never knew they thought that way about me,” he whispered.
He felt Reb kiss the top of his head.
Reb said the only thing he could say. “I’m sorry that happened to you, baby.”
To Daithi’s surprise, Reb continued. “That’s their opinion, and that’s on them. Because of their
bigoted attitude, they’ll miss the amazing man you are.” Another kiss fell on his head. “But I know,
Daithi. I know how wonderful you are. How kind and caring, and sweet.” Another kiss. “You mean

everything to me, my mate. I can’t replace your parents, but I vow to show you how much I love you
every day of my life.”
That finally made Daithi’s head jerk up. “Ye love me?”
There was a pregnant pause, making Daithi think maybe he’d misheard and jumped the gun. Reb
leaned down and rested his forehead against Daithi’s. “I know it’s only been a day, and I shouldn’t
have blurted it out like that, but yes, I love you. It didn’t take me long to fall for the amazing man you
are.”
“Oh,” Daithi breathed, his mind reeling from everything Reb said. “How the hell can ye be so
coherent with a possibly broken wrist?”
Ross snorted. Craig snickered. Reb grinned. Daithi blushed. “Shite, that wasn’t what I should have
said.”
Reb nuzzled Daithi’s neck and ear. “There’s no wrong answer, baby,” he assured. “I didn’t mean to
overwhelm you. I know a lot has happened today.”
Well, damn! Has it really only been just over fortyeight hours since I met this man? Daithi’s
emotions threatened to overwhelm him as that realization sank in.
“Hey, easy, baby,” Reb crooned, evidently recognizing his growing panic.
“I don’t know what I feel,” he blurted out.
Instead of becoming upset, Reb nuzzled his neck again. “That’s fine, sweetheart. We have time for
you to figure it out.”
Daithi pressed against his lover’s side, grateful once more to be safe in his arms, and tried not to
think about all the shite happening around them.

They remained quiet as they made their way to Killian’s. Ross had already called ahead, alerting

the alphas to the situation. When they arrived, Lark was waiting in a spare bedroom with first aid
supplies spread across the dresser. The small human instructed Reb to strip and sit on the bed, which
his lover did without hesitation.

To Daithi’s pleasure, Reb held out his good hand to him, asking for his touch. Daithi knew it was

a shifter’s need to be with his mate, to have the other half of their soul close, but it warmed Daithi
anyway. He didn’t hesitate to stand at Reb’s side and hold his hand as Lark inspected the wolf’s
wounds. Daithi even grabbed one of the towels—probably intended for cleaning blood— and draped
it over his lover’s exposed groin. He gave the man a stern look, which he hoped Reb took as a
warning that only he should see his exposed body unless absolutely necessary. Reb rewarded him
with a warm smile and peck to the lips.

“Well, you sure did a number on yourself,” Lark muttered, shaking his head. His brows creased as

he washed the large gash on Reb’s left thigh, which was already beginning to heal. “The goat creature
did this to you?”

Reb shook his head. “In a manner of speaking,” he replied. “If it had turned into the goat from the

beach, I would have killed it. Instead, it turned into a damn bull.”

“A bull?” Lark exclaimed. He shook his head. “Ouch.”

“Good thing Ross and Craig showed up,” Reb grumbled, somewhat grudgingly. “Too bad we didn’t
have the circle ready, or we could have taken care of the phooka then and there.”
“Well,” Declan cut in. “We’ve almost got it set up on the beach where ye were attacked the first
time.”
Daithi wasn’t certain when the alpha had arrived, but he frowned and asked, “What are ye all
planning?”
They explained, and Daithi didn’t like it one bit, so he told his lover. “I don’t want you used as bait,”

he whispered.
“I’ll be fine,” Reb assured. “Just promise me that you won’t interfere again.” He leaned down and
nuzzled Daithi’s neck. “I can’t concentrate on the fight if I’m worried about you.”
A mixture of fear and frustration settled like a lead ball in his gullet, making his stomach churn. Even
though it galled Daithi, he nodded. “I won’t be far away, but I won’t interfere,” he promised.
“Thank you, my love,” Reb murmured. Before he could say anything more, Reb hissed and frowned at
Lark. “That hurt.”
“No wonder,” Lark retorted. “You probably cracked one of the bones in your arm. This is too
swollen and too tender to be a sprain.” Lark looked over his shoulder at his mate. “I recommend X-
rays and a delay in your little plan,” the doctor advised.
Declan sighed and crossed to Lark. “We don’t have much time, love,” he reminded Lark. “We’re only
here another four days.”
“Well, it won’t do any good if Reb dies,” Lark reminded Declan gently, placing a hand to the alpha’s
chest to soften the reprimand. “At least wait twenty-four hours. Right now, Reb can’t even pick up a
pen, let alone fight with that hand.”
Declan exchanged a look with Killian. He glanced toward Reb, though he didn’t ask either of their
input, and Daithi wasn’t certain how he felt about that. Since he didn’t like the plan to begin with, he
supposed it was for the best. “Very well, love,” Declan said, redrawing his attention. Fixing his gaze
on Daithi and Reb again, the alpha simply stated, “Twenty-four hours. Get plenty of rest.”
Daithi felt Reb wrap his good arm around him.
“You mind if Frankie and Conor come to your place with us?”
It was then that Daithi noticed Franklin hovering on the other side of the bed. The worried lines and
uncertainty looked so out of place on the big man’s face. He watched Conor gently take Franklin’s
hands in his own, stopping the wolf shifter from wringing them further, while offering Reb’s younger
brother support.
Smiling at the two men, Daithi said, “Let’s all go to my place. We’ll camp out on my living room
floor in front of the fire and make s’mores.” He’d heard of the American treat, and if the way
Franklin’s eye lit up was any guess, the man knew about them and liked them.
“Thank you,” Reb whispered, and Daithi knew he’d made the right decision.

Chapter Nine

eb looked over and spotted his brother passed out in a dozing Conor’s arms. He smiled,

thoroughly pleased with how the night had gone. Daithi and Frankie got along great. Reb liked how
his mate treated Frankie as an equal, and didn’t bat an eyelash when he occasionally had to repeat
himself or explain something to him. “What are ye thinkin’ about so hard?” Daithi asked sleepily.

Turning his head, Reb reached up with his still swollen hand and gently traced Daithi’s brow. It

still ached, but at least he could touch things now without agony lancing up his arm. He’d hated to
admit how much pain he was in to Lark, but when the doc had rotated his wrist, Reb’d had to grit his
teeth to keep from roaring.

“Just appreciating how well you get along with my brother,” Reb admitted. “It means a lot to me.

You’re my mate, and Frankie’s the only family I have left.”

Daithi smiled lazily. “Franklin’s a good man. Worries about ye, though. Ye mean so much to him.

Yer close bond is easily seen when ye’re together.”

Reb chuckled at Daithi’s tired babbling. He’d have to remember that should he ever want to pry

information out of his mate.Ask him when he’s half asleep. Carefully rotating at the waist so he didn’t
put strain on his hip, Reb leaned over and kissed Daithi. “Sleep, my love. There will be time for
other things in the morning.”

Again, Reb received that lazy smile and Daithi muttered absently, “Can’t wait to feel yer cock in

me ass again.”

His dick went ramrod straight at those whispered words and Reb stifled a groan. At least, he tried

to, because from the way Daithi looked at him, his mate must have heard it. His sweet human gave
him a come hither smile, all signs of fatigue disappearing.

“In need, me mate?” Daithi crooned, even as he reached over and palmed Reb’s shaft with one

hand. Reb growled and thrust up, searching for more pressure. “Guess so,” his mate teased.

“I’m having a sudden desire for fluids,” Daithi murmured.

Then, to Reb’s shock, Daithi slithered under the blankets and between his legs. Reb knew he should
stop his mate. There were others in the room, even if they were asleep, but when he felt those strong
hands and nimble fingers work his sweats down his hips and wrap around his cock, he knew he was
lost. Reb shoved a fist into his mouth and closed his eyes, losing himself in the wonderful sensations
of calloused hands on his dick and a wet tongue probing his slit.
The first sucking pull of Reb’s mouth on his cock head nearly had Reb spilling his seed right then. It
was warm and intense and sent tingles of fire down his shaft into his balls. They drew tight. Reb
willed his orgasm to subside, but then felt Daithi’s palm against his testicles. He almost cried out
when his mate gripped the orbs and gently pulled them away, easing his need.
Reb groaned. “By the Gods.” He loved his mate’s talented mouth.
He bit into his arm to keep from roaring when Daithi swallowed his dick to the root. Daithi’s throat
muscles massaged his head once, twice, and he knew he was a goner. His mate was just too good. He
needed desperately to come.
“Daithi, love,” he whimpered. Biting his lip to keep from crying out, his release crested. His balls
pulled tight. His dick thickened. Daithi moaned around his shaft as Reb expelled his seed. The sound
sent vibrations through his body, heightening his pleasure.
Spots danced behind Reb’s eyes as ecstasy coursed through his system. He dropped his arm and let
out a sigh. He smiled as he felt his lover lick him clean, his sensitive organ twitching at the continued

attention.
Seconds later, Daithi’s head appeared from under the covers, a satisfied look on his face.
Reb pulled him close and nuzzled Daithi’s neck. “Can I offer the same treatment to you?” he
whispered.
Daithi buried his face in Reb’s neck, his heavy breathing caressing his hairs. It sent pleasant
sensations across his skin. “Daithi?” he prodded softly.
Daithi finally lifted his head and smiled sheepishly. “That’s not necessary.”
Reb lifted a brow in question.
“I came when you did,” he admitted.
Reb grinned and drew him down for a deep kiss. He loved tasting his seed on his mate’s tongue, the
combined taste of man and musk settling something inside him. This man was his. His mate. His
lover. His love.
“I’m so glad I please you,” he whispered against the other man’s lips before delving back in to
explore the heady taste again. Finally, tired and sated, Reb ended the kiss. He let his head drop
against the pillow and his eyes slipped closed.
“Do you think you can sleep now?” Daithi teased, although it was a breathless sound, proving just
how satiated his mate was, too.
Reb grinned, not bothering to open his eyes. “You couldn’t keep me awake if you tried.”

His wrist felt pretty good, Reb decided, rotating it experimentally. Lark had been right. Waiting a

day would make all the difference. Reb knew if he needed to fight now, he’d be able to.

Reb followed Daithi up the beach, carrying a picnic basket. A blanket was draped over his mate’s

shoulder. Jogging a couple steps to catch up with his man, Reb wrapped his free arm around Daithi
and quickly kissed his temple.

“Let’s get this over with,” he whispered, keeping a smile on his face.

“Do ye really think this will work?” Daithi muttered back.
Reb knew, to anyone watching, it looked like they were murmuring sweet nothings to each other. It
was what they wanted. “Nope, but it’s a good bet the phooka can track me somehow.” This made Reb
wonder how that was possible.
Daithi nodded. “How about here?” he asked, waving at the open stretch of beach.
To the left was the bend around which Reb knew their friends waited. He prayed they had everything
set up and were ready. He nodded. Daithi pulled the blanket from his shoulder and spread it out,
careful to avoid any rocks.
He even flipped up a corner and pulled a good size stone out from under the fabric and tossed it
away. Smirking at Reb, Daithi said, “Don’t need a bruise on that sexy ass of yours.”
Reb chuckled. “Thanks, babe. I appreciate you thinking of my ass,” he added with a wink.
Daithi rolled his eyes. They both broke out into chuckles. The tension broke, and they settled down to
enjoy their picnic lunch. Just because they kept watch, their gazes searching the area for movement,
didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy themselves.
“Well, isn’t this just cozy?” The sneering tone had both turning to stare south at the figure walking,
stalking, toward them, anger and disdain on his face.
“Evan, what are you doing here?” Daithi asked.
Reb figured it had been too hopeful to get away without at least one more confrontation with the ex,
but there it was. If Evan was involved with the phooka business, Reb had wanted to spare Daithi the
anguish of actually facing the man. Knowing what a betrayal that could be, and compounded with
what his lover’s family had done to him, Reb could only guess at how Daithi felt.

“What do you mean, what am I doing here?” Evan snapped. “You won’t return my calls. Even your
family doesn’t know where you are,” he snarled. “I had to track you down only to find you with him!”
“You’ve seen my family?”
Daithi’s stricken tone made Reb look his mate’s way. Unable to read his mate’s expression, he
reached out a hand and rubbed Reb’s back.
“Don’t you touch him!” Evan screeched. Then he pointed a finger at Daithi and snarled, “I warned
you. I warned you if you left me, you’d regret it. If I can’t have you, no one will!” he roared. “Your
family was only too happy to facilitate me.” Evan’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “With a little…
persuasion,” he added.
“They locked me up because of you?” Daithi gasped, rising to his feet.
Reb followed suit. “Easy, babe. Don’t let him rile you. That’s just what he wants. He’s not worth it,”
he murmured, crooning gently.
“ I amworth it!” Evan snapped. “I was always worth it!” Then, Evan whirled around and shouted,
“Phooka! Finish this!”
Following the line of sight Evan used, Reb felt his jaw tighten as the phooka, in goat-like humanoid
form, stalked over a sand dune and took in the scene. “Kill the shifter,” it ground out in its low
gravelly voice.
Reb grabbed Daithi’s hand and started slowly back-pedaling toward the bend where the others should
be waiting. Daithi came with him, but to Reb’s frustration, he taunted, “What, Evan? Can’t do your
own dirty work? You have to summon some Irish goblin to do it for you?”
Actually, if Reb cared to admit it, he’d be more interested in how the human had summoned the
phooka. He already knew the why. Evan was a controlling, manipulative bastard who didn’t have the
balls to wield his own knife, which was actually a good thing. Reb would hate to have to kill his
mate’s ex-boyfriend.
“I’d think that was obvious,” Evan replied with a smirk, following them behind the stalking phooka.
“You get killed by the phooka here, and it’s listed as an animal attack.” He shrugged, his smile cruel.
“No fuss, no muss.”
Stripping his shirt, Reb ordered, “Run, Daithi. Run, now.”
The command in his tone made Daithi snap his wide-eyed stare at Reb. Working his jeans down his
hips, Reb jerked his head to the path around the bend behind him. “Go!”
To his relief, Daithi took off.
Reb shifted. So did the phooka. Once more, Reb found himself facing a massive bull. The animal
charged. Reb lurched to the left, needing to give his mate time to get away. Pain shot up his bad leg.
Pushing it aside, Reb weaved and dodged, feinted and danced away, all the while keeping an eye on a
laughing Evan. Slowly, he led the phooka down the beach.
Reb took a chance and dove forward just as the bull turned. He clamped down on the beast’s rear leg
tendon and jerked his head. The phooka roared. Reb let go and took off, hearing the angry animal’s
uneven lope as it followed.
He streaked around the bend in the beach and scented his friends. Relief flooded him as two wolves
joined him in the clearing and two more closed in behind the phooka as soon as it rounded the bend.

Chapter Ten

aithi watched with wide eyes as Franklin, Kade, Ross, and Craig joined Reb and surrounded the

phooka. He wanted to go down the embankment and help, but Lark had a firm grip on his arm,
reminding him that his involvement would only hinder Reb’s decisionmaking abilities.
A glance toward the doctor told him Lark

didn’t like sitting out and watching his mate fight any more than he did. Lark stared intently as

Declan and Killian ran behind the phooka, sprinkling white granules from large sacks they both
carried. Daithi knew one held salt and one held sugar—the salt to capture the phooka in the circle, the
sugar to snap the compulsion spell, hopefully.

The phooka swung its head this way and that. It struck out with its hooves, trying in vain to hit the

shifters, although it did target Reb more often than not.

Every time Reb took a blow, Daithi’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. The phooka slammed a

shoulder into Reb when he didn’t move fast enough, sending the shifter sliding across the ground for
ten feet.

Giving chase, the phooka hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Declan and Killian managed to

complete the circle. The creature froze. His body trembled, then shifted back to its humanoid goat
form.

An odd glow, like a bubble of light formed around the phooka. The bubble shined brighter and

brighter. Daithi had to shield his eyes, watching in shock and wonder. The bubble popped, but instead
of dissipating like a soap bubble, the lights turned into shards that streaked through the air and around
the bend in the direction they had come.

The phooka dropped to all fours and shook its head. When it lifted it again, he looked around at

the group of watching shifters. He looked directly at Killian and stated, “Thank you for breaking the
bond. I am in your debt.”

Daithi had no idea how the creature knew Killian had come up with the plan, but it was clear that

the alpha was the only one who could call in the favor.

Killian nodded. “Ye’re welcome, phooka. No one should be forced to do somethin’ against their

will.”

Nodding, the phooka looked at Reb. “I want to apologize for my continued attacks against you. I

had no choice.”

Reb shifted and nodded. “No permanent harm done, phooka, but if it’s all the same to you, I really

don’t want to see you again.” He said the words with a grin, softening them.

The phooka snorted, then nodded. “That, I can understand.”

“What happened to Evan?” Daithi asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “I thought he was following
you?”
“Damn, we don’t want him to get away,” Reb growled.
“Ye’re free to go, phooka,” Killian stated before using a foot to break the circle.
The phooka nodded once, then disappeared.
“Let’s go,” Declan stated, holding out a hand to Lark.
Lark went to his mate instantly, and Daithi thought that an excellent idea. He rushed to Reb’s side,
who welcomed him with a grunt. Daithi rubbed his hands gently over the shifter’s ribs, already able
to make out the bruising on Reb’s stomach and chest.
“Are ye okay?” he asked, guilty that he’d thought of Evan getting away before Reb’s wellbeing.

Reb smiled, cupped his cheek, and kissed him. “Much better, now,” he said, drawing away. “Now,
let’s go see if we can track down your ex.” He looked down at his naked body and grinned. “My
pants, too, perhaps,” he added with a wink.
Daithi’s face flamed when he realized his mate was naked in front of the others. He’d never thought
about their nudity before, not after the first time or two attending the pack’s monthly full moon BBQs.
He knew the moon didn’t control shifters, but they still liked to use the excuse to get together and run.
It had made for great eye candy for Daithi, but now, because it was his own lover standing naked
before everyone, he wished he’d remembered the picnic blanket. He pulled his gaze away from the
sexy tattoos he still had yet to trace with his tongue and frowned at his lover.
“Relax, babe,” Reb crooned. “Shifters aren’t shy.”
Daithi glared. “I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he grumbled.
Reb had the audacity to laugh before pulling him close and taking his mouth in a deep kiss. Daithi’s
blood surged, heat heading straight to his groin, just like every time Reb kissed him. It was hot, and
carnal, and everything Daithi needed right then to remind him that Reb wanted only him.
When Reb lifted his head and grinned down at him, Daithi’s chest heaved and he leaned heavily on
his lover. “Never think I want any other but you,” Reb whispered lustfully into his ear. “You’re it for
me, Dai.”
Burying his flaming face against Reb’s neck, Daithi nodded. “I never thought I’d be the jealous type,”
he muttered. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “But I love you, Frederick.” He lifted his head to
meet Reb’s gaze. “You’re it for me, too.”
Reb nuzzled his cheek, then cupped his jaw. “I don’t like the idea of others seeing you, either, but it’s
a hazard of what we are,” he warned. “I love you, too.”
“I know that, too,” Daithi said. “Let’s go find ye some pants, so my little green monster can
disappear.”
Out of nowhere, a pair of jeans came flying toward them. Reb caught them and Daithi turned to see
Ross grinning at them, a pair of sweats riding low on his hips.
“Get dressed,” he called, fighting a laugh. “No one wants to see ye’re pasty arse.”
As Reb pulled on his jeans, Daithi asked Ross, “Did ye see Evan?”
“Well, that be one of the things I’ve come to tell ye. Evan won’t be botherin’ ye anymore,” Ross said,
rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“You caught him?” Reb asked.
“More or less,” Ross replied.
Daithi’s brows shot up in question, and his friend grimaced.
“It seems the magical backlash killed him,” he explained.
Daithi’s jaw dropped. “Oh,” he whispered. “I…I guess that’s best.”
Reb wrapped his arms around Daithi and held him tight to his chest.
Daithi returned the embrace, letting out a long sigh. “I never wanted him dead,” he admitted. “I just
wanted him to leave us alone.”
“I know, babe,” Reb crooned. “You have such a good heart. I feel honored to be the one who gets to
spend the rest of his days with you.”
Daithi looked up at his lover. “Will ye take me home? I have some packing to do.”
A look of surprise, then pleasure crossed Reb’s face. “Yeah. I can do that,” he whispered. He stole
one more kiss, then keeping an arm securely around Daithi’s waist, led him away.
Daithi went with him, unresisting. He smiled, pleased with the direction his life was taking. Sure,
there was a lot to get straightened out to make a life with his mate in the states, and sure he’d vowed

never to get involved with a shifter, but this was different. Reb was his mate, and Daithi was looking
forward to starting a whole new life with the man

—

shifter

—

he loved.

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:

ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

Document Outline

Catching a Bit of Irish Wolves of Stone Ridge: Book Thirteen By Charlie Richards
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten

Wolves Of Stone Ridge 13 Catching a Bit of Irish

Document Outline