Stephani Hecht Braxtons Salvation

Why does cupid always have the worst timing?

Ever since he spotted the cute, yet vulnerable,

Wolf shifter named Braxton, Wright has been
determined to claim the younger man. The only
problem is that Braxton thinks Wright was a one-
time hookup, he belongs to a very protective pack,
is fine with being single and oh… there is the fact
that Wright is being hunted down by the human
military.

Wright isn’t about to let that stand in his way,

though. Braxton is his and Wright will have his
mate. Even if he has to walk through glass, fire,
and brimstone to get him. The only question is,
once he gets there, will Braxton want him back?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.

Braxton’s Salvation

ISBN: 978-1-77111-430-1

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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Braxton’s Salvation

Wayne County Wolves Book 3

Stephani Hecht

Dedicated to all the misfits out there. Just know

that I’m a misfit, too, and we’re all perfect the

way we are.

Chapter One

This had to rank among the stupidest things
Braxton had ever done. And since he once wore an
Avalanche jersey while attending a Red Wing
game, that said a lot.

Clutching his inhaler tight to his chest, Braxton

looked behind him. While the sidewalk was as
crowded as hell with post-holiday shoppers, he
could still make out the unmistakable forms of
three Ravens tailing him. Their overly pale faces,
black eyes, and greasy dark hair made them easily
identifiable.

Damn it, they were getting closer. He took in a

wheezy breath as he glanced around for a way he
could make a run for it. Preferably one that didn’t
have so many humans around. It was one thing to
get his ass kicked, but it was another to call even
more attention to the shifter world while doing so.
As it was, the Ravens already brought too much
trouble their way when it came to stuff like that.
While Braxton might be half-human, he still had
his shifter pride, and that meant protecting any

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innocent people from getting hurt.

He tried to move faster, but his damaged leg

began to ache, and his limp became more
pronounced than normal. His shoe made loud
scraping noises as he dragged it across the cement.
Although he tried to hide it, the snickers from
behind him told him that the Ravens had not only
seen, but they were going to use the lifelong injury
against him. Not that he expected anything less. It
was his biggest weakness, and, since he was a bag
full of weak, that said a lot.

He finally spotted an empty parking lot. It was

like so many that dotted the city of Detroit, only
this one was deserted and semi-dark. The
surrounding buildings were closed, adding to the
whole ominous feeling.

What in the hell was he thinking? He should be

running toward lights and policemen, not taking
them to a prime beat-down spot. If Braxton could
have, he would have kicked his own ass.

Then common sense took over his fear, and he

reminded himself that he had no choice. It was
either him or the humans, and any shifter worth
his salt would make the same sacrifice. Besides,
it’s not like his death would be a huge loss to the
shifter community.

Weak, half-human, and with more medical

problems than the giraffe from Madagascar,
Braxton was more of a hindrance than anything

Braxton’s Salvation

else. Sure, his siblings might miss him, but his new
pack would no doubt secretly be grateful. Braxton
had no illusions when it came to them. The only
reason they’d taken him in was because his
brother, Miles, mated a member of their pack.

Otherwise, they would have culled Braxton a

long time ago and tossed his carcass out the back
door. He might be young and new when it came
to shifter customs, but he wasn’t that dumb. There
was no room for the weak in their world.

The Ravens followed him in. Despite the fact

that the only weapon he had on him was an
asthma puffer, Braxton backed up, drawing them
in deeper.

His only regret was that he wouldn’t get a

chance to say goodbye to his siblings, Miles, Kylie,
and Dawson. But they probably would only miss
him for a little bit. Miles was so caught up in his
mate, and the younger ones were so happy with
their new friends. They didn’t have time to care
about their loser of a brother who couldn’t even
cross the street without sucking wind or having
heart palpitations.

Even as it grew darker, Braxton could still see

perfectly well. That was one shifter gift he’d
managed to inherit. Now he wasn’t so sure it was
a good thing. The last thing he wanted to see was
his own death coming at him. Maybe he’d get
lucky, and they’d make it quick and painless.

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He’d only been up close and personal with

Ravens a couple of times, and it’d never ended
well for him. He’d ended up either beaten or
running for his life like a chick in a cheap horror
flick. While this trio chasing him looked a bit on
the small side, Braxton had no doubt the outcome
would be the same. Only this time, he wouldn’t be
coming out alive.

Then he smelled it—the unmistakable tang of

the Detroit River. Bingo! How could he have
forgotten about that? Changing directions, he ran
toward it. He was certain of one thing: while he
might not be able to swim very well, there was no
way in hell the Ravens would follow. Everybody
knew the birds couldn’t swim for shit, plus only a
fool would jump in when it was so cold outside.
Unfortunately for Braxton, he just happened to be
that fool.

He reached the low protection wall, just as a

Raven reached for him. Ducking out of the way,
Braxton did a rolling motion that sent him into the
river.

Cold instantly snapped through every cell of

his body, and an allover ache began the second his
head went under. Fighting for control, Braxton
managed to swim up until his head crested the
surface.

Laughter reached his ears, and he glanced up

from his already freezing eyelashes to see the

Braxton’s Salvation

Ravens laughing at him while they remained
perfectly cozy on the shore.

“You won’t last five minutes in there,” one of

the Ravens taunted.

“N…no…shit…Sherlock,” Braxton shivered

out, his teeth chattering so hard they hurt.
“W…why don’t yo…you come in…here wi…with
me? You…dick…heads.”

“Thanks, but we’re fine right here,” another

Raven snarked.

Braxton saw a dark shadow coming behind the

Ravens. For a moment, he thought he was just
imagining it until the shadow shifted, and he
could tell it was a man. He looked vaguely
familiar, but Braxton knew better than to believe
his eyes. He must be hallucinating from the
hypothermia or something.

There was no way in hell his one-night stand

from months ago had suddenly reappeared, let
alone right when Braxton needed him the most.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t just when he needed

him, because time was something Braxton just ran
out of. His frozen legs could no longer tread
water. He flailed around a bit, but he knew it was
a losing battle. With a small gasp, he sank under
the surface.

As he drifted down to the bottom of the murky

river, Braxton’s last thought was how stupid he’d
been to ever leave home at all. Now, he was about

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to die with nobody but a group of Ravens nearby,
and all they would do was take satisfaction in his
demise. Sometimes it just sucked to be him.

* * * *

“No!” Wright yelled as he watched Braxton sink.

He’d just found his way back to the Wolf, and

Wright was damned if he was going to lose him
again, this time for good.

Turning to his brother, Justice, Wright growled,

“Take them out.”

Wright nodded, then turned his back on the

Ravens. The fact that Justice was outnumbered
didn’t even come into consideration for Wright.
He’d seen his brother take down twice that many
on his own before. Kicking off his shoes, Wright
dove in after Braxton.

The cold water seemed to soak away all his

energy, but Wright fought past it, determined to
get to Braxton. It was so dark that, even with his
enhanced shifter vision, Wright couldn’t see shit.
He swam down, reaching blindly in hopes of
bumping into Braxton.

Just as Wright began to give up all hope, his

fingers brushed against somebody’s hair. Braxton!
Pulling, Wright brought Braxton closer until he
could hold the Wolf in his arms. Once he had a
good grip, Wright began to kick toward the

Braxton’s Salvation

surface.

His lungs burned from the need to breathe, but

he didn’t even consider letting go of his precious
cargo. He’d rather die. Finally, after what seemed
like forever, Wright broke through the surface
with a great big gasp.

Tucking Braxton under one arm, Wright began

to swim toward the dock. The cold was really
sinking in and Wright could feel his movements
getting sluggish and uncoordinated.

As always, Justice was there. He dove in and

swam toward Wright. When Justice went to grab
Braxton, a violent flash of possessiveness went
through Wright. He even growled, “Mine!”

Justice rolled his sapphire blue eyes. “Don’t

worry. I’m not going to steal your boy-toy. I’m just
trying to save you both from drowning.”

Common sense took over, and Wright let

Justice take Braxton. Together, they struggled to
shore. All the while Braxton remained still and
lifeless. Once they got to shore, Justice laid
Braxton on his back.

Wright went over and put his head to Braxton’s

chest. While the Wolf’s heart was still beating, he
wasn’t breathing. Wright pinched Braxton’s nose
shut and gave a few rescue breaths in.

After a few moments, Braxton heaved and

began to throw up water and other gunk. Wright
quickly rolled him to his side, so he didn’t choke

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on it. Braxton let out wheezy sounding breaths as
he clutched at the ground.

“Are you okay?” Wright asked, shocked to hear

how shaky his voice sounded.

“I think I’m going to have an asthma attack. I

need my inhaler,” Braxton panted.

Wright’s heart skipped a beat. “Where is it?”
“I dropped it when I jumped into the river.”
Wright looked up at Justice. “Go, find another

one for him. Do whatever it takes. Break into a
pharmacy if you have to. Meet us back at our
place ASAP.”

Justice cocked one raven brow at the command,

but otherwise didn’t reply. Not that he ever said
anything to begin with. Out of the five siblings,
Justice was the most withdrawn, to the point
where there would be days when he didn’t speak
at all.

“Take the car. There’s a change of clothes in

there for you so you can get dry. I’ll run to the
house from here, since it’s only a couple of blocks
away. The sooner we get the inhaler to him the
better. I meant what I said, too, do whatever it
takes to get one to him and make it quick.”

As soon as Justice left, Wright picked up

Braxton and began to hot-foot it home. That was if
they could even call the rundown townhouse a
home. It was more a pit, but it was the first
permanent place they’d had in a while, so Wright

Braxton’s Salvation

wasn’t complaining.

“Where are you taking me?” Braxton

demanded.

The fact that he’d obviously missed Wright’s

and Justice’s conversation worried Wright. It
could only mean that Braxton was drifting in and
out of consciousness.

“To my house. We need to get you warmed up

before you freeze to death.”

Wright meant that literally, too. He’d noted

how Braxton wasn’t shaking anymore, a sure sign
that he was going into hypothermic shock. If he
didn’t get Braxton’s body temperature up soon,
the guy would die—shifter or not. After all, they
weren’t immortal, just harder to kill than humans.

Even though only minutes had passed, it

seemed to take forever to get back to the house.
His sister Defeat was waiting by the front door.
Her raven hair was pulled back into a tight
ponytail, and her eyes sparked with anger.

“What in the hell are you thinking bringing him

here?” she snapped.

Okay, it would seem that Justice had called to

warn her. Why was it that Justice only chose to
talk when it would cause an inconvenience for
Wright? If he didn’t know better, he’d think his
brother had it out for him or something. Now,
thanks to Justice and his mouth, Wright was
getting ambushed by his sister’s fury before he

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could even get through the front door.

While she was younger, when they’d still

worked for the government, she’d held rank over
him and was his superior. The fact they were now
AWOL didn’t stop her from being bossy. Any
more than it stopped the brothers from giving her
respect. But at that moment, Braxton was the most
important thing. If Wright had to be rude to
Defeat, she’d just have to get over it.

Wright brushed past her. “He jumped into the

river and almost drowned.”

That made her pause. “Why would he do that?”
Obviously, Justice hadn’t told her the whole

story.

“To get away from some Ravens. Can we talk

about this later? You have to help me.”

When she just glared at him, he added,

“Please.”

Some of the anger left her face as she gazed

down at Braxton, who’d grown alarmingly
unconscious again. “Fine, take him up to your
room. Take off all of his clothes and then yours, as
well. Get under the blankets, and we’ll try to use
your body heat to get his temperature up.”

Wright had waited forever to get a naked

Braxton in his bed, but not like this. He nodded to
his sister and ran upstairs. She went running to
the kitchen, where they kept their medical
supplies.

Braxton’s Salvation

Lying Braxton down on the bed, Wright took

off the wet clothes. It wasn’t easy since they stuck
to Braxton’s body, but Wright managed. Once
Braxton was nude, Wright only took a moment to
study the slight, pale body below him before
pulling off his own clothes. He then grabbed
Braxton, got under the blankets and pulled the
Wolf close to his chest.

Wright just hoped it worked, since he was

pretty cold himself. While he hadn’t been in the
water as long as Braxton, Wright knew he was
also slipping into the earlier stages of
hypothermia. The way his body tensed painfully
was clue enough of that.

Defeat came in with the medical bag and a

handful of heat packs. She handed them to
Wright. “Put these around him, too. I would do it
myself, but something tells me that if I so much as
glance at him naked, you’ll bite my head off.”

Since Wright realized she could very well be

right, he did the job himself. He then tightened his
grip on Braxton, who’d begun to whimper a bit.

“Will you be able to save him?” Wright asked.
Since part of her training included EMS classes,

she always served as their doctor when they got
hurt or sick.

She gave a slight shake of her head as she

grabbed Braxton’s wrist. “I don’t know. His
breathing is crappy and his pulse is weak, it seems

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irregular, too.”

“Before he passed out, he said he was having

trouble with his asthma.”

She nipped at her bottom lip, a gesture she

always used when angry or confused. “I’ve never
heard of a Wolf shifter with asthma before.”

“He’s a half-breed like us,” Wright reminded

her. “So, he’s not immune to human diseases,
either.”

“Shit, you would have to fall for somebody

weak.”

Had it not been for the fact that she was starting

an IV on Braxton, Wright would have lashed out
at her for that comment. As it was, a low growl
rumbled in his chest.

“He dove into the water to get the Ravens away

from the humans. That’s not something a weak
person would do,” Wright defended.

Defeat offered no apology, but then again, she

never did. While Wright loved her, she had a
tendency to be blunt and offensive at times. It was
her way of coping with all the shit in their lives.

Another ten minutes passed before Braxton

began to stir a bit. However, his breathing was
getting worse. When Justice walked in, an inhaler
in hand, Wright let out a sigh of relief.

Defeat took it and held it up to Braxton’s lips.

“Okay, you troublemaker, you need to inhale this
in.”

Braxton’s Salvation

Braxton gave a weak nod, but did as instructed.

After a few moments, his breathing seemed less
labored.

“He’s going to be okay,” Wright murmured as

he brushed away a lock of wet hair from Braxton’s
forehead.

“Maybe so, but what about us?” Defeat

demanded. “Once he goes home and opens his
yap, the local pack will be all over us.”

“I’m sorry, but there was no way I could stand

by and watch him die,” Wright fired back.

“So, instead, you put us all at risk just for some

guy you only met once.”

“It’s more than that, and you know it.”
She made a face of disgust. “Why? Because you

think he’s the one for you. Sorry to break it to you,
but the runt probably doesn’t even remember
your name. Now we’re going to be exposed all just
because of him.”

“There is one way we can protect ourselves,

“Justice spoke up.

“How?” Defeat snapped.
“We keep him with us for good.”

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Two

Braxton must have been unconscious, if not
hallucinating, the night before because there was
no way in hell that they’d said that they were
going to keep him. Who did they think he was, an
errant puppy who’d wandered away from home
or something?

He went to roll over and found that Wright was

still in bed with him. He must have stayed the
entire night, since the morning sun was shining
through the dirty, cracked window.

“You’re not keeping me,” Braxton said.
Wright opened his eyes, showing he was

awake. “We may have no choice.”

“Fuck off,” Braxton muttered even as he

snuggled deeper into Wright.

He couldn’t help himself, Braxton was still cold,

and Wright felt so warm. It was then that he
realized they were both naked. Letting out a yelp
of surprise, Braxton pulled back only to have
Wright drag him back in.

Braxton’s Salvation

The woman from the night before came in,

along with Wright’s friend from the previous
night.

“Relax, Pup. We’re just trying to warm you up.

Wright isn’t trying to take your honor or
something,” she said.

“Maybe not now, but I may just do that later,”

Wright murmured into Braxton’s ear.

A little thrill went through Braxton as he

recalled how hot their one and only encounter had
been. While Braxton might not have had that much
to compare it to, it was still the most intense
experience in his life.

That still didn’t mean that he was about to

become their prisoner. He had a family and pack
to get back to. Miles was probably freaking out at
that very moment. The worst part was Braxton
couldn’t even call to tell Miles he was okay
because the water had trashed his cell phone.

“If you like me so much, then let me go home,”

Braxton suggested to Wright.

“Sorry, no dice,” the female said. “It’s either

keep or kill you. Choice is yours.”

“Back down, Defeat,” Wright snarled as he

tightened his grip on Braxton.

Braxton let out a small wince as Wright’s

fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises
behind. It hurt like hell, but at the same time it
sent a heady feeling through Braxton to have

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somebody acting so possessive over him. Most
other Wolves just looked through him like he was
invisible or something.

“If you let me go, I won’t tell anybody where

you are. I promise,” Braxton tried.

The female let out a dry laugh. “We may have

never been in a pack, but we know how they
work. You’re never allowed to keep secrets from
your Alpha.”

“I didn’t tell him the last time I was with

Wright, and I found out he was half-human, too,”
Braxton pointed out.

Defeat let out a snarl, showing off the Panther

side of her that Braxton had detected the night
before. “How did you find that out about us?”

“Wright kind of blurted it out when he found

out I was part human.”

Wright ran a hand up and down Braxton’s

spine. “That’s only because I thought you were
another one of us from the lab, sent out to kill us.”

Braxton couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do I look

like any kind of assassin to you? I can’t even kill a
spider without getting the heebies, and by that I
mean full spiders, not shifters. If I ever ran into
one of those, I’d probably pee my pants.”

“You could still be a spy for them,” Defeat

retorted.

“How? I can’t lie to save my life. That’s why

everybody always wants to play cards with me.”

Braxton’s Salvation

“And we’re just supposed to believe you? We

don’t even know you,” she shot back.

“My pack will come looking for me,” Braxton

bluffed.

She gave him a dismissive look. “Funny, I

didn’t think packs gave a damn about runts.”

“That’s enough!” Wright roared. “I won’t have

you talking to him that way.”

“You’re just blinded because you’ve been

mooning over him ever since you met him,” she
snarled.

Touched, Braxton craned his head to look up at

Wright. “Really?”

Braxton gave himself a mental kick in the ass.

They were talking about taking him hostage, and
he was getting all gooey over Wright. He must
have frozen some of his brain cells, because he
obviously wasn’t thinking straight.

Braxton shifted gears. “What I meant is, are you

some kind of stalker or something?”

“He’s kind of cute when he gets angry,” the

other man in the room said.

Braxton sniffed and realized he was a Tiger

shifter. Since he knew for a fact that Wright was a
Wolf, that made for an interesting combination.

“Now you decide to talk, Justice,” Defeat

huffed.

Justice just shrugged. “I’m just saying, I can see

the appeal.”

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When Wright let out a growl, Justice shot off a

droll look. “I already told you, I’m not interested
in him in that way. So pull back, Wolf boy.”

When the growling continued, Braxton gave

Wright’s arm a slight slap. “Stop it.”

Braxton was shocked when the bigger Wolf

immediately did as told. He still kept up with the
iron grip, though.

“You can ease up on your hold, too, I’m not

going anywhere,” Braxton assured him.

Not that Braxton would get that far even if he

did make a run for it. Not only because his asthma
still acting up a bit, but he felt completely drained
of energy. So much so that even the realization
that he was nestled against Wright’s naked body
couldn’t get any real reaction from Braxton.

He was still wheezy, so he held out his hand.

“Can I have the inhaler, please?”

Defeat handed it over, and Braxton used it, all

the while checking out the room around him. He’d
bet anything that it was Wright’s bedroom. Bare
except for a bed, nightstand and dresser, it looked
a bit rundown. The wallpaper was peeling in
several areas and the wood floor was scuffed and
worn.

“So, I take it that you guys are still are on the

run from those people,” Braxton stated the
obvious.

“What do you know about that?” Defeat asked

Braxton’s Salvation

sharply.

“Nothing, really. I just know that they’re

human and kind of jerks. When they showed up at
the club that night, they weren’t exactly gentle
with the place. They busted in the door and broke
a ton of tables and glasses. They just recently
reopened. Who are they, and what do they want
with you?” Braxton asked.

When nobody answered, he let out a huff.

“Since you’re keeping me captive, who am I going
to tell? It’s the least you guys could do. At least
then I know what I’m against if they decide to
come here.”

“They’re a secret branch of the US

Government,” Wright said.

Defeat let out an exasperated sound. “Don’t tell

him anything more.”

Wright ignored her. “Unlike the rest of the

humans, this group has known about us for a long
time.”

“Well, duh,” Braxton retorted. “The feline

coalition works for them.”

“It’s not the same group. The ones chasing us

are a whole lot meaner.”

Braxton felt more confused than ever. “Mean

how?”

“Once they found out about shifters, they

decided that they could find a use for our
enhanced strength and skills. But, instead of just

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working with them like with the felines, our group
decided to breed their own super-soldiers. So,
they captured some shifters and mated them with
human women.”

Braxton frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.

Why not just capture a bunch of shifters and use
them? Being half-human would make the soldiers
weaker.”

“Because the group didn’t trust full-blooded

shifters. They thought that they were too close to
being animals and wouldn’t be able to be trained
or obey orders. So, they thought that if they added
a bit of humanity to the mix, we’d all be more
civilized.”

That made Braxton so mad he wanted to punch

something. “Shifters are every bit as smart and
civilized as humans.”

“You don’t need to tell us that,” Wright assured

him. “It’s the assholes at the lab who think that
way.”

“So, you all were raised at this…place?” Horror

filled Braxton at the thought of any child being
brought up in what had to be a cold, sterile place.

“Yes, they began our training from the moment

we were old enough to handle a weapon.”

“What kind of training?”
“You name it, we’ve done it. Assassinations,

espionage, or just plain grunt work. We know a
ton of ways to kill somebody, and we can break

Braxton’s Salvation

into a place in under ten seconds if we have to.
There’s nothing we can’t do or get if we set our
minds to it.”

That would explain how they had an inhaler on

hand for him. They must have lifted it from
someplace.

“So if you can do anything, then why haven’t

you and your friends managed to escape?”

“We’re siblings, not friends,” Wright explained.
Okay, now Braxton was back to being confused

again. “But you all are different types of shifters, I
can smell it on you.”

“We have the same mother, but each of us has a

different father.”

Braxton let out a sigh. “This is all so confusing

and hard to take in.”

“Yeah, well, try living it, kid,” Defeat snapped.
“Is she always this way?” Braxton asked.
“No, usually she’s worse. She must like you,”

Wright replied.

That comment got a muffled laugh from Justice.
“Lucky me,” Braxton drawled before adding,

“If you guys are in trouble, then why don’t you let
me take you back to our pack? I’m sure my Alpha
will help out. He’s let other types of shifters take
sanctuary there.”

Justice snorted. “Like we would trust any

shifters.”

Braxton shook his head. “Why not? They

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weren’t the ones who hurt you.”

“No, but we’ve heard how they look down on

humans, especially half-breeds like us.”

“That’s not true. They’ve been nice to me and

my family.”

Even as he said those words, Braxton felt the

familiar insecurities plaguing him. What if Justice
was right, and the pack looked down on him,
Miles, Kylie, and Dawson?

“I don’t care what you say, I’m not about to let

my brothers walk into a pack and throw
themselves at their mercy,” Defeat argued.
“Besides, how do we know that we can even trust
you? You could be one of the researchers’ pets or
something.”

Braxton was really beginning not to like the

woman. “We weren’t part of some experiment.
Our parents loved each other. My dad didn’t care
that our mother was human. We were born and
raised in the real world. He even left his pack and
went rogue for her.”

“Prove it,” she challenged.
“Come back to the pack and let me.”
She took a couple of steps forward. “We’re not

going to your damn pack, so you can stop talking
about it. You’re not going back, either. You’re
stuck here until we decide what to do with you.”

Braxton swallowed hard. He had a sinking

suspicion that he wouldn’t like her solution to that

Braxton’s Salvation

problem.

* * * *

Miles ran through the pack dwelling toward the
office of the Alpha. His heart was racing, and a
cold ball of dread filled his stomach. Miles was so
upset that once he got there, he only paused long
enough to give one warning knock before he burst
inside.

“Something is wrong,” he blurted by way of

greeting.

Chris looked up from a stack of papers on his

desk. To his left sat his mate, Cassie. She was a
Jaguar shifter and looked the part, from her long,
speckled brown hair to her amber eyes.

“What’s going on?” Chris asked.
“It’s Braxton. I can’t find him anywhere.”
Cassie frowned. “Did you search the entire

dwelling? It’s not like him to wander off.”

Miles could feel his panic building with each

passing moment. “Yes, I looked everywhere. He
must have left for some reason.”

Miles ran a hand through his hair. For the life of

him, he couldn’t figure out why Braxton would go
off on his own. Not only was he a runt, but he had
medical weaknesses. Both of which could prove
dangerous in the shifter world.

“Has he been acting strangely or anything

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lately?” Chris asked.

“Well, he’s been known to go into funks before,

but it’s been worse lately.”

“Do you have any idea why?” Cassie frowned.
“No, all I do know is that he hasn’t been the

same since he went to that stupid sex club with
Alger’s friends.”

“What do you mean by that?” Cassie gently

prodded.

“He’s been sad. Which makes no sense. We’ve

been safer than ever and now have a real home.
He should be happy.”

“Do you think he was upset enough to do

something stupid and leave the pack lands?”
Chris demanded.

Miles shrugged. “I have no idea. A month ago, I

would have said no, but now I’m not so sure. He’s
been…different.”

“I noticed how he holds back and isn’t eager to

make friends,” Chris said.

“I wonder if it’s because he thinks he’ll be

rejected,” Cassie piped in.

“That’s impossible, I already instructed all the

pack members to treat him as an equal,” Chris
said.

Cassie tilted her head to the side. “Maybe so,

but have you ever told him that?”

“I would think he would know that since we

initiated him into the pack,” Chris retorted,

Braxton’s Salvation

although a flash of guilt crossed his eyes.

Cassie let out a sigh. “Don’t take all the blame

on this one. We all should have done more to
make him feel at home. We just assumed since he
had Miles, things would go easy.”

Miles wanted to let out a growl of anger, but

held it in out of respect for his Alpha. “Can we
play the blame game later on? My brother is out
there, and anything could happen to him. He
could run into some human hunters or Ravens,
and Braxton won’t be able to defend himself.”

Chris nodded. “You’re right. I’ll start sending

out teams of trackers immediately. I’ll make sure
they’re the best ones in the pack, too. Don’t worry.
We’ll find Braxton and bring him back home
safely. Then he and I will have a long talk.”

Miles dipped his head. “Thank you, Alpha.”
He just hoped that they would be in time to

save his brother. Miles would never forgive
himself if something happened to Braxton. He
should have been paying more attention to
Braxton instead of getting caught up in his own
life. Then none of this would be happening.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Three

The next time Braxton woke up, he was alone.
While he missed having Wright’s body next to
him, Braxton felt a little thrill go through him.
Now would be the perfect time for him to sneak
away.

He glanced down at the end of the bed and let

out a small chuckle. They’d laundered and
brought him back his clothes. How kind of them
to make his escape all the easier.

He gazed down at his arm and saw that he was

no longer attached to the IV. Wow, this was
almost too easy. Not that Braxton was going to
complain. He needed to get the hell out of there
before somebody came back to check on him.

He quickly got dressed, taking care to make as

little noise as possible. Once done, he found his
shoes. They were still a bit damp, but he slipped
them on too. He could worry about warm feet
later when he was safe and back at the pack.

The only thing that could stand in his way now

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was if they had locked the door on him. If that was
the case then Braxton was well and truly fucked
since he couldn’t pick a lock to save his life.

Reaching for the handle, he was pleased when

it turned easily. Yes! Now he could leave this
bunch of crazies behind. He wasn’t going to miss
Wright for one moment, either…honest, he wasn’t.
After all, the only thing they’d shared was a one-
night stand and a save-me-from-freezing-to-death
snuggle. So they weren’t mates or anything.

Then why did a pain come to Braxton’s chest at

the thought of never seeing the Wolf again?

Braxton carefully opened the door, slid out, and

found someone was sitting there, guarding the
room.

“Shit,” Braxton swore.
The guard was blond and on the smaller side,

but Braxton knew that he couldn’t take him in a
fight. So there he was, still a hostage and totally
screwed.

“Who are you?” Braxton blurted.
The question came out a little sharp since he

was pissed that his great escape hadn’t last ten
seconds.

“Might,” the guard smiled, his blue eyes

dancing with amusement. “Come on, you didn’t
actually think we’d leave you alone. That would
make us pretty sucky kidnappers. Our reputations
would never recover.”

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“Perish the thought,” Braxton drawled

sarcastically. “What is it with you guys and your
names?”

“What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing, besides the fact that they sound like

superhero names.”

“Wait until you meet our other brother, his

name is Salvation.” Might grinned wickedly.

“How many of you are there?”
“Five, although if Wright has his way it will

soon be six. He wants to keep you, and it’s not just
because of what you know about us. He really has
it bad for you.”

Braxton rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because guys

like him are into scrawny, sickly, runts like me.”

“What’s wrong with you? I admit I’m more into

the bear type, but you’re cute enough.”

“I have a bad leg, asthma, a heart condition,

and an ulcer. Oh, and I can’t shift. Do you need
any other reasons or are those enough?”

Might made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Those aren’t anything compared to us. I’m a slut.
Defeat is a control freak with OCD. Justice is a
robot most of the time, and Salvation is pissed at
the world. So, we all have our faults.”

“What’s Wright’s?”
Again Might flashed a devilish grin. “He’s in

lust with some runt who can’t swim.”

Braxton must have needed a cup of coffee or

Braxton’s Salvation

something because it took him a few moments to
realize that it was him that Might was referring to.
Glaring at him, Braxton asked, “Where is
Wright?”

“He went to buy you some new clothes. You’re

too scrawny to wear any of ours.”

Braxton refused to take the bait and get

offended over the scrawny reference. “I have
plenty of clothes—back home.”

Might leaned forward, put his hands on his

knees and gave a cocky look. “But you’re not
going home, now are you?”

“You guys can’t just keep me around like your

very own version of Patty Hearst. I have a family
waiting for me,” Braxton nearly yelled.

“Sorry, little guy, but Defeat’s orders were to

keep you here, and I know to never disobey her.
It’s not fun when she gets angry.”

“You can stop with the little references, you’re

not that much bigger than me.”

It must have been a trait amongst Eagle shifters

since Braxton had yet to meet one who was tall or
overly muscular and there was no doubt that
Might was an Eagle. The guy reeked of that breed.

“I’m still big enough to hold you down and

keep you here until Wright gets back,” Might
retorted.

Shocked, stunned, disbelief—none of the words

came close to describing how Braxton felt at that

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moment. “Your whole family is crazy. You know
that, right?”

“It didn’t take you too long to figure that one

out. Yeah, we’re crazier than a reporter on a
conservative news channel.”

Braxton’s stomach chose that moment to growl.

Reminding him that it’d been nearly a day since
he last ate. “Do you have anything to eat here? Or
is starvation part of your kidnapping plan, too?”

“Nah, we’re going to feed you. You’re already

too skinny to begin with. Come on downstairs
with me and meet Salvation, you guys are going
to love each other.”

“The sarcasm in your voice doesn’t make me

too confident of that.”

“Don’t take offense to it. Salvation doesn’t get

along with anybody. One time he shot a Snake
shifter, just for shits and giggles.”

“I can’t wait to meet him,” Wright deadpanned.
Might stood and hooked his thumb over his

shoulder. “Well then, let’s not keep him waiting
any longer.”

The rest of the home looked like the Wright’s

bedroom, worn and dated. Strangely though, it
came off as homey to Braxton. No doubt because
that was the kind of home he’d lived in before
joining the pack. Even as a kid, he’d been poor
because they had always been on the run due to
their parents’ rogue status.

Braxton’s Salvation

The man in the kitchen was also blond, but he

was much bigger than Might and had brown eyes.
Even though he’d only met one Falcon shifter
years ago, Braxton immediately scented that the
man was one of them.

“Hey, Salvation, how’s tricks?” Might asked as

they walked in.

“It would be a lot better if we could finally

leave this town. They have so many shifters here,
they could start a damn zoo,” Salvation retorted.

Salvation glanced over at Braxton and gave him

a onceover. Going by the sour look on the guy’s
face, he was not too impressed, although he did
say, “I guess you’re not too bad since you’re half-
human, too. I still don’t see why Wright has such a
hard-on for you, though.”

Well, that comment was less than nice.

Salvation wouldn’t be any Miss. Congeniality
contests any time soon.

Might gave a bright smile. “See, I told you. He

hates the world, plus he’s about as mature as a
bratty kid who’d just had his toy taken away from
him.”

Salvation sat down heavily in an ancient

looking chair. “At least I’m not a slut like you.”

“Liking sex doesn’t make me a slut. I just like to

spread my love around. Everybody deserves a
little bit of Might in their lives.”

Might went over to the fridge and then opened

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the door. Braxton’s stomach did a happy dance
when he saw that if was fully stocked. They even
had fresh fruit and several types of soda.

“I can’t cook, but I can put together a mean

sandwich if that’s okay with you,” Might offered.

At that point, Braxton would have taken

anything. “Sounds great to me.”

As he was digging for the supplies, Might

asked, “So, Salvation, where were you last night?
You missed all the fun.”

Since Braxton didn’t recall meeting Might the

previous night, the guy must have been in the
bedroom during one of the times that Braxton was
unconscious.

“I was out scouting around. One of us needs to

be on alert. The rest of you are being way too lax.
Well, that is all of you but Defeat, she just too
worried about how to be mean to worry about
anything else.”

“She’s not that mean,” Might defended.
“Are you shitting me? The other day she stole

my computer because she didn’t think I cleaned
my gun properly.”

“How is that new? You never take good care of

your weapon.”

“Hey, don’t ride me. I was too worried about

scouting to worry about something as silly as
cleaning my gun.”

Even Braxton knew that was a big no-no. One

Braxton’s Salvation

always took care of their weapons because they
could be the only thing between you and a group
of Ravens.

“Where did you do your scouting?”
A wicked grin came over Salvation’s face. “The

gay bar two blocks from here.”

“ I should have known.” Might snorted. “And

yet, I’m the slut.”

“I was just trying to keep us safe.”
Might put the lunch meat on the counter.

“Somehow I don’t think the lab goons are going to
be hanging out at the club. They just don’t seem to
be the partying type to me.”

“You never know. Even evil scientists have to

let their hair down from time to time.”

Braxton gave a small shake of his head. “Are

you guys always like this?”

If so, he was willing to bet that it wouldn’t be

too hard to escape from them. All he’d have to do
is point and yell squirrel! Then, while their
attention was diverted, he could make a run for it.

“Yes, but don’t think that you can get away

from us,” Salvation replied.

“I wasn’t thinking that at all,” Braxton lied.
“Of course you were. I could tell by the look on

your face. You really need to learn how to mask
your thoughts,” Might chimed in. “You were right
when you said you can’t lie worth a shit.”

Well shit, that meant Braxton was still screwed.

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So he sat down and made himself comfortable. All
the while resenting Ravens, rivers and so-called
rescuers.

“Where’s Giggles and Mr. Friendly?” he asked.
Might looked confused until Salvation said in a

loud stage whisper, “I think he’s talking about
Defeat and Justice.”

“They went with Wright. It’s never safe for us

to go out without backup,” Salvation explained.

“I guess that makes sense. You never know

when you’re going to run into trouble.”

“If that’s the case, then why were you out by

yourself last night?” Might asked, shooting a
shrewd look Braxton’s way..

Braxton found himself fidgeting. “I just needed

to get away from it all for a little bit.”

“From what? This super-spectacular pack of

yours. The same one you want us to go to? Hate to
break it to you, but that doesn’t really boost my
confidence about your plan to help us,” Salvation
cut in.

“Are you always this much of an ass?” Braxton

snapped.

“No, I’m usually much worse. I’m just cutting

you a break since Wright likes you so much,”
Salvation drawled.

Braxton threw his hands in the air. “I still don’t

get that. We only met once, and it was just for a
quick tug and grab.”

Braxton’s Salvation

Might set a plate down on the table. “I guess

you made a lasting impression.”

Since Braxton didn’t know how to even begin to

respond to that, he just grabbed the sandwich and
bit into it. It’d been so long since he’d eaten that he
couldn’t hold back his moan of pleasure. It was
just turkey with cheese, but it tasted like pure
heaven.

“So, what’s wrong with your leg?” Salvation

asked.

Well, wasn’t he a blunt one. Braxton swallowed

his bite then said, “I was born that way. One leg is
shorter than the other one. It gives me a slight
limp.”

“Does it ever hurt?”
“Sometimes, but I’ve learned to live with it.

Usually it’s my hips that hurt the worst, since the
way I walk puts too much pressure on them,”

Might joined them at the table. “Have you had

your first shift yet?”

Braxton shook his head. “No, but they think it

won’t be too long since Miles had his a few
months ago.”

“Maybe it will heal your leg when you do

finally have your first transformation,” Might
offered hopefully.

“They don’t think so. Since I was born with it,

they think I’m going to be stuck with it for the rest
of my life.”

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Salvation let out a low whistle. “It must suck

having to deal with that.”

“It does. The docs at my new pack gave me

special shoes that were supposed to help, but they
bother me more than help, so I don’t usually wear
them.”

“You have doctors at your pack?” Might asked,

perking up a bit.

“Forget about it, Mouse,” Salvation growled.

“We don’t need any kind of help from shifters.”

“But, they might be able to tell—”
“I said forget it,” Salvation cut in.
It made Braxton wonder if maybe one or two of

them had medical issues like him. It would only
make sense because they were half-breeds, too.
While it would make them stronger than a regular
man, it would leave them open to having human
ailments.

“Why do you call him Mouse?” Braxton asked

to ease up the tension.

“Because his first name is Might and he’s so

damn small. Get it…Mighty Mouse?” Salvation
laughed at his own joke like it was the funniest
thing ever spoken.

“Seriously, who named you guys?” Braxton

asked.

Suddenly, Salvations became somber. “The

people at the lab did.”

“Why not something more simple like Bob or

Braxton’s Salvation

Rich?”

Might’s gaze grew so haunted that it sent a

shiver down Braxton’s spine. “Because they liked
to fuck around with us. They also were into
torture and all kinds of fun things. To them, we
were no better than animals, so they had no
problems abusing us.”

Salvation leaned forward on the table. “They

used to show us pictures all the time of what
groups of shifters did. How they would kill each
other and humans just for the hell of it. Then the
research techs would treat us like garbage because
we were part animals. So, you can see why I want
nothing to do with any shifters. All they’ve done is
made my life a fucking misery.”

Braxton swallowed hard. How did he answer

that one when it had a ring of truth to it? “Sure,
there are some bad shifters out there, but there are
more that are good. If it hadn’t been for the pack
docs, I would have died. They took care of me
even before I was initiated into the pack.”

“Why would they do that?” Salvation

demanded.

“Well…because they liked and cared about

me.”

Damn it, why hadn’t Braxton realized that

sooner? They didn’t see him as a burden or less
than nothing, as Chris and his pack had done
nothing but try to help. Braxton, on the other

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hand, had been too bitter to realize it up until that
moment, and now he might never have a chance
to say thank you.

Braxton’s Salvation

Chapter Four

As soon as Wright walked into his house, Braxton
was on him like a cheap stripper on a pole.

“I need to talk to you,” the small Wolf insisted.
Going by the irked expression on Braxton’s

face, it wasn’t going to be a conversation that
Wright wanted, either. Braxton face was so red
with rage the only thing missing was the cartoon
steam coming out of his ears. Great, just what
Wright needed after a whole afternoon of listening
to Defeat and Justice’s bitching—more static.

Even when Braxton grabbed him by the hand

and led him to the bedroom, Wright’s mood didn’t
improve. Especially when Braxton slammed the
door behind him then turned on Wright.

“Do all of you think that shifters are nothing

better than mindless, animal killing machines?”
Braxton demanded.

Braxton’s eyes were bright with anger, and

damned if it didn’t turn Wright on. It made him
want to throw Braxton on the bed and make that

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look appear for a whole different reason.

“I see you’ve been talking to Salvation,” Wright

surmised.

“Yes, he had no problem telling me how he felt.

Do you agree with him?”

Wright ran a hand through his hair, wondering

how he could answer the question without
making Braxton any angrier. “I don’t know.”

Braxton took in a big breath. “What do you

mean?”

“I mean, I honestly don’t know what to believe

any more. While growing up, we were told that
shifters were vicious killers who loved to cull half-
breeds, and then you show up in my life and tell
me something else. I’m confused.”

That wasn’t easy for Wright to admit to. While

Defeat might be their leader, he’d always been the
more levelheaded one in the group, the one who
knew what would be best for all of them. Now, he
found himself at a loss, and it unsettled and scared
him a bit.

“And you think keeping me hostage will help

you figure this out?” Braxton began to pace, his
limp becoming more pronounced. “It’s just going
to piss off my pack, and they’re your only hope
right now. If you want a good place to hide, it’s
with them. After all the bullshit the lab fed you,
they’re never going to think that you would hide
out with shifters. Not when they went out of their

Braxton’s Salvation

way to make sure that you hated and were
terrified of them.”

“I’m sorry, but we just can’t take the risk,”

Wright argued.

Braxton paused in his pacing. “I thought you

liked me.”

“I do.”
“Then why don’t you trust me? With all your

doubting, I’m beginning to think that you’re not
attracted to me at all, and this is just some kind of
game to you.”

Moving quick as lightning, Wright stepped

close to Braxton. Walking forward, he forced
Braxton to backpedal until the smaller Wolf
bumped into the wall. Leaning forward, Wright
placed a hand on either side of Braxton’s head,
pinning him in place. Wright moved in until their
lips were inches apart, their breaths mingling as
they both began to pant.

“Never doubt how I feel about you. For this

past month, you’re all I could think of. Even now
that I have you with me, it’s all I can do to keep
my hands off you,” Wright all but growled.

The sexual tension between them became

electric when Braxton let out a soft whimper.
“Who said that I didn’t want to be touched?”

That was all the invitation Wright needed.

Tilting his head down, he crushed their lips
together in a kiss that would leave Braxton with

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no doubt to how Wright felt. One that would
render both of them stupid with desire.

Braxton’s response was hot and instantaneous,

his mouth opening to give Wright access. Wright
took advantage, his tongue sweeping in to sample
the sweet taste of Braxton. Yum, it was like the
most taboo piece of candy out there and Wright
couldn’t wait to get another bite.

Braxton let out a timid growl, his arms going

around Wright’s shoulders, moving them closer
together. The move allowed Wright to slide his
hands around and cup Braxton’s ass. And what an
ass it was, too. Slightly rounded, but not too big, it
was just made for fucking. Lifting Braxton, Wright
pivoted, then set him on top of the dresser.

Braxton gave a wanton chuckle as he wrapped

his legs around Wright’s hips, the motion causing
their cocks to rub against each other. “Yes, just like
that.”

“You like that, Pup,” Wright goaded.
Braxton gave a small nod. “It doesn’t exactly

suck.”

Wright thrust against him again. “So, does that

mean you want me to do it again?”

“Please,” Braxton hissed, his head tilting back

in a show of submission.

The gesture proved too tempting to resist.

Wright leaned forward and licked a slow path
over Braxton’s neck before pausing to give a soft

Braxton’s Salvation

bite. It wasn’t anything vicious, but it did let it be
known that Wright now considered Braxton to be
his. Braxton replied by thrusting his fingers
through Wright’s hair, as if he wanted to keep
Wright in that position forever.

“More,” Braxton pleaded.
Even though he knew they’d both have a mess

to deal with later on, Wright began thrusting in a
slow, yet steady rhythm, each movement sending
strong jolts of pleasure through Wright’s body. All
the while, he continued to nip, lick, and suck
Braxton’s throat.

“Gonna leave behind a hickey,” Braxton

panted.

“Do you care?”
“No, I want them to know.”
“To know what?”“ Wright prompted.
“That I’m yours.”
The last bit of Wright’s self-control splintered as

he bit into Braxton again, this time hard enough to
leave behind lasting marks. Braxton let out a gasp
of pleasure, the sweet sound of that throwing
Wright over the edge. He came, his cried of
pleasure l muffled because his mouth was still
pressed against Braxton’s flesh.

At the same time, Braxton came, too, his howl

echoing through the air as his body shuddered
against Wright. The sharp tang of cum filled the
room and Wright’s Wolf let out a satisfied growl,

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knowing that he’d pleased his mate.

Mate.
Until that moment, Wright hadn’t been one

hundred percent sure, but as he held Braxton in
his arms, Wright knew that there was no way he’d
ever be able to give up the other Wolf. In fact,
Wright would kill to keep Braxton.

As their breathing slowed down, Wright was

forced to face the fact that they both had a wet,
sticky mess in their pants. While it’d been nice a
few moments ago, it was quickly becoming
uncomfortable.

He kissed the tip of Braxton’s nose then said,

“Shower?”

Braxton grinned up at him. “Can we take it

together?”

“I hadn’t planned on doing it any other way.”
“Do you think the others heard me?”
“Probably, does it bother you?”
Braxton crinkled his nose up. “Not really. Does

that make me a slut?”

“We have Might in the house. No matter what

you do or say, you won’t be the biggest slut
around.”

“Is he really that bad?”
“Later on tonight, I’ll tell you some of his more

interesting stories.”

Braxton paused. “Are we going to be sleeping

together tonight?”

Braxton’s Salvation

Wright studied Braxton’s face, trying to read

what he might think of that possibility. “I’ll admit
that I would love to. Is that okay with you?”

Braxton flashed another grin. “Fuck yeah, I’d

love it.”

Wright gave Braxton’s thigh a mock smack.

“What are we going to do with your potty
mouth?”

“Oh, I can think of a lot of things that you can

do with it.”

“Maybe I was wrong, and you are the biggest

slut after all.” Wright leaned in until his lips were
inches from Braxton’s ear. “And I love it. So, don’t
ever change.”

“Really?” Braxton asked, his question coming

out as a breathy moan.

“I wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.”
Braxton grew stiff and, just like that, the

moment was shattered. “Don’t lie.”

“Who says I’m lying?”
Braxton pulled back, his face full of hurt. “I

know how defective I am. Every damn day, I’m
reminded of it. So, you don’t need to pretend that
you would want to have an actual relationship
with a half-breed who’s a fucking mess.”

Wright reached out and gripped Braxton’s chin,

so the Wolf couldn’t turn away. “Listen to me, I
want you—all of you. I don’t give a fuck that you
have medical issues. If I were that shallow then we

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would have dumped Salvation a long time ago
because he drags us down.”

Wright closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He

hadn’t meant for that last part to get out. Then
again, if he was truly going to be with Braxton, it
was better for him to find out sooner rather than
later.

Braxton blinked a few times. “What’s wrong

with Salvation?”

“He has a heart condition like you, plus he has

seizures.”

“Were the researchers ever able to figure out

why?”

“No, in fact they were getting ready to cull him

and mark him as a failure.”

Braxton gasped. “That’s why you guys ran,

wasn’t it?”

Wright nodded. “That and because we were

sick of being treated like lab rats.”

Braxton swallowed hard. “It was bad there,

wasn’t it?”

The last thing Wright wanted was for the

memories of that place to ruin their special
moment. Caressing Braxton’s hair, Wright said,
“How about that shower?”

The only good thing about the rundown house

was that Wright’s room had its own bathroom.
Taking Braxton by the hand, Wright led him there
and they both began to slowly undress.

Braxton’s Salvation

“Ugh, this is kind of gross,” Braxton laughed as

he took off his pants.

“Don’t worry. I bought you some new clothes.

You can change into them as soon as you’re
clean.”

Braxton turned on the shower and put his hand

under the spray. “Do you guys have any hot water
here?”

Wright snagged Braxton around the waist and

thrust them both under the freezing spray.
Braxton let out a sharp yelp as he slapped Wright
on the chest. “Are you trying to give me
hypothermia again?”

Giving one of Braxton’s love bites a playful nip,

Wright said, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you warm
until the water heats up.”

Braxton opened his mouth, no doubt to argue,

but Wright silenced him with a kiss. Braxton
immediately became pliant, his body melting into
Wright’s.

“We’re never going to get clean like this,”

Braxton said.

“You’re right, and Defeat is going to get pissed

when we use up all the hot water,” Wright agreed,
even though he had no plans on hurrying things
up.

He felt himself getting hard again, despite the

fact he’d just had a mind-shattering orgasm
moments earlier. Braxton reached down and gave

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it a squeeze. “Is this for me?”

Before Wright could think of a witty reply,

Braxton dropped to his knees. Giving the head of
Wright’s cock a light kiss, Braxton then ran his
tongue over the flesh. Wright let out a moan as he
allowed his head to drop back against the shower
stall.

“Yes, baby, that’s all yours,” Wright said.
Braxton seemed a bit hesitant at first, showing

that he wasn’t that experienced—a fact that
pleased the jealous side of Wright. Soon enough,
Braxton found a rhythm that had Wright on the
edge once again.

“You better pull back. I’m going to come,”

Wright warned.

Braxton looked up from under his wet, spiky

lashes, a devilish expression in his gaze as instead
he sped up his sucks and licks. Going along with
it, Wright cupped the back of Braxton’s head and
began to fuck his mouth in earnest.

“So good,” Wright moaned right before he

came.

Braxton took everything he had to offer, even

going so far as to lick Wright’s softening cock
clean. It was only then that Braxton stood back up.
Running the back of his knuckles over Braxton’s
swollen lips, Wright asked, “What about you?”

A flush came over Braxton’s cheeks. “I kind of

came when you did. Sorry, I was a little excited.”

Braxton’s Salvation

“Don’t apologize for that. It’s hot as hell.”
Wright meant it, too. The thought of Braxton

coming, untouched and just from the taste of
Wright’s spunk, was both hot and a bit humbling.
It gave him a heady thrill to know that he could
have that kind of effect on somebody.

Wright kissed Braxton deeply, savoring the

taste of himself on the other Wolf’s lips. They then
quickly washed up and got dressed. Running a
hand over his new clothes, Braxton said, “How
did you know what size I wear? This fits perfect.”

Because ever since our first night together, I’ve

mapped your body out in every single one of my
dreams.

Since he didn’t want to come off as even more

of a stalker, Wright just shrugged. “Lucky guess?”

A scream from downstairs rang through the

house. Wright’s heart sank as soon as he
recognized the tone. “Salvation!”

He tore out of the bedroom, Braxton hot on his

heels. Running down the stairs, he found his
brother convulsing on the kitchen floor. Defeat,
Might, and Justice were all kneeling by his side.

“How long has it been going on?” Wright

barked.

Defeat glanced up at the clock, “Only thirty

seconds so far. He should be out of it soon.”

It was times like then that soon seemed to take

forever. As he watched his brother’s body jerking,

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his eyes rolled up in his head, Wright never felt so
helpless in his life.

The time seemed to stretch on, and soon Wright

realized that it wasn’t just his imagination
anymore. It was taking Salvation way too long to
snap out of it. Which mean that this seizure could
very well kill him.

“What’s going on?” Might asked, his voice

quivering in fear.

Might and Salvation had always been tight,

each of them feeding off the other’s smartass
mouth. So, Wright could only imagine how hard
this must be on the little guy. While Might tried to
hide it, he was the most love-starved out of all of
them and losing Salvation may be a blow he’d
never recover from.

Defeat shook her head. “I don’t know. He’s not

coming out of it.”

“Why is he turning blue?” Justice cut in.
“Because he’s not breathing,” Braxton said. He

held out his hand. “Somebody give me a phone.”

When they hesitated, he let out a snarl. “Do you

want him to die? I need to call the pack and get
him help right away. We can’t waste any more
time.”

Realizing Braxton was right, Wright took out

his phone and handed it over.

Braxton’s Salvation

Chapter Five

As soon as Braxton made the call for help, he
became lost in a flurry of activity. It seemed like
only seconds passed before a couple of teams of
Wolves descended upon them. They were then
whisked off to the pack dwelling.

The entire time, Braxton made sure to stay close

to Wright’s side, not wanting to be separated from
his Wolf. And that was exactly what Wright was,
his, and Braxton would fight anybody who tried to
say differently.

He knew that there would be a lot of explaining

to do, but he was ready to do whatever it took to
protect Wright. Even if that meant lying to
everybody including his twin brother, Miles.

Sure enough, no sooner had they taken

Salvation back to the infirmary, the questions
began as Braxton and the others found themselves
surrounded by pack members.

“Where in the hell have you been?” Ervin

demanded.

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Not only was Ervin Miles’s mate, but he was a

pack beta. Since Braxton was basically an omega,
he was outranked, and he knew it. As such, he had
to answer Ervin, but that didn’t mean that Braxton
was going to throw Wright under the bus.

“I was chased by some Ravens and got hurt.

Wright and his family helped me out,” Braxton
said.

“Then why didn’t you call us and tell us where

you were,” Miles demanded. “We were worried
about you.”

Of course, that had to be the moment Defeat

opened her trap. “We didn’t allow Braxton to
communicate with you for the sake of our
security.”

Nico, another beta, let out a growl. “So, are you

saying that you kept one of our pack members
hostage?”

She squared off against him. “Yes, we did, and

if it weren’t for Salvation needing help, we still
would be keeping Braxton.”

Braxton reached out and grabbed Wright’s

hand when her comment was met by a series of
growls from pack members. This was exactly how
Braxton had hoped it would not go down. The last
thing he wanted to do was have to choose
between his pack and Wright.

“They treated me well. They even healed me

when I was sick,” Braxton defended.

Braxton’s Salvation

“That still doesn’t mean that we’re going to

answer to any of you,” Defeat added.

“Uh…sis, you’re really not helping here,”

Might muttered.

Braxton nodded in agreement. Defeat could

really use some lessons in people skills. She could
act as mean and arrogant as she wanted, but not
even the best warrior could stand up against a
whole pack.

“Braxton is staying with me,” Wright declared.
Braxton wanted to slug some sense into the

guy. While he felt the same way about Wright, this
really wasn’t the time to get all possessive.
Braxton needed to talk to Chris and Cassie and
smooth things over first.

“And why is that?” Miles demanded angrily.
Pulling Braxton closer, Wright said, “Because

he’s my mate.”

All gazes went to Braxton.
“Is that true?” Ervin demanded.
Was it true? Now if that wasn’t the million

dollar question. Until a few hours ago, Braxton
hadn’t even been sure of that himself. In fact, part
of him still wondered what somebody like Wright
would want with a defect like him.

Unfortunately, Braxton was so busy thinking

that one over that the pack saw it as a negative
response and they started moving in on Wright. A
red hot rage filled Braxton as he saw his mate in

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danger.

“Mine!” he roared.
He then jumped forward, and his Wolf burst

out as he shifted for the first time ever. He was in
such an amped up emotional state, that it didn’t
even cause him pause. Instead, he placed himself
between Wright and the pack. Baring his teeth, he
let out a low but steady growl.

Miles took a step forward then quickly back

when Braxton snarled. While he knew that Miles
was his brother, he also knew that Miles was a
threat to Wright, and that would not do.

“What in the hell is going on?” a strong

feminine voice called.

Braxton cocked his head to the side. He knew

that voice, it was Cassie, the Alpha’s mate. Letting
out a small whine, he sat down and waited.

She shoved her way through the crowd and

stared down at Braxton. “Well, look who decided
to have their first shift.”

Since she was the Alpha’s mate, and because he

sensed she posed no threat to Wright, Braxton
rolled over and exposed his throat and belly to
her. She patted him before saying, “Good Wolf.
Now shift back and tell me what all this ruckus is
about before I have to kick somebody’s ass.”

As he transformed back into his human side,

never before had Braxton been more glad that they
retained their clothing when they shifted.

Braxton’s Salvation

Otherwise, he would have been showing off his
bits and pieces to the whole pack. Not exactly the
kind of how-do-you-do that he liked.

As soon as he was human, he went down on

one knee and bent forward, once again paying
respect to Cassie. “I ask for asylum for this family,
Alpha Mate.”

She looked up at Wright. “And you must be

pretty important to Braxton for him to get this
protective over. Why do I have the feeling that it’s
you I should be asking all the questions?”

“I’m the leader of this group,” Defeat

interrupted.

Cassie put a hand up, not even bothering to

glance in Defeat’s direction, but that was all it
took. Her mouth closed, and she took a step back,
an expression of astonishment on her face. Braxton
looked up from under his lashes to exchange can-
you-frigging-believe-it glances with Wright.

Wright dropped down on his knees and bowed

his head. It wasn’t until Cassie touched both of
them on the back of their necks that they got up.

“My brother, Salvation, is sick and we ask your

pack for mercy. My mate, Braxton, says that you
have doctors here that may be able to help him,”
Wright said.

Braxton reached out and grabbed Wright’s

hand in a silent gesture that everything would be
okay. It also reaffirmed to the whole pack that

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Braxton was on Wright’s side and that wouldn’t
be changing anytime soon.

“And why are you only now making

yourselves known to us? This is our pack territory.
How long have you been here?” Cassie asked
evenly.

“We’re on the run, and we didn’t know who we

could trust. We were hoping that being in such
close vicinity to your pack would help mask our
scent from our pursuers.” Wright gave Braxton’s
hand a squeeze. “Plus, I knew my mate was here.”

“And how were you so certain that he was

here?” Cassie cocked her head to the side.

“We met in a sex club a few months ago,”

Braxton blurted.

That comment earned a bunch of twitters from

the rest of the pack. Braxton felt a heat come over
his face, but he stood his ground and kept his
head held high. He wasn’t about to act
embarrassed over anything that had to do with
Wright.

Cassie didn’t look the least bit surprised,

although Braxton felt pretty sure she’d have
plenty to say about that later on. She wasn’t the
type to let something like that slide by.

She glanced up at the rest of Wright’s family.

“What about you? Do you seek asylum as well?”

Might grabbed Justice’s hand and dragged his

brother over, prompting him to go down on his

Braxton’s Salvation

knees. Justice, for his part, just seemed to be going
through the motions. Wright had told Braxton that
his brother sometimes withdrew into himself, and
this seemed to be one of those times.

“We swear our allegiance to you, Alpha Mate,”

Might said solemnly. “All we ask is that you help
our brother.”

She patted the back of their necks before

looking up at Defeat. While Cassie didn’t say
anything, the way she cocked her brow clearly
said Well? Letting out a heavy sigh, Defeat
stepped forward and swore her allegiance as well,
all the while her eyes burning with resentment.

“See, that wasn’t too hard, now was it?” Cassie

asked brightly.

Since the show appeared to be over, the rest of

the pack began to dissipate, save for Miles and
Ervin. Braxton let out a sigh of relief, hoping that
the worst of the drama was over.

“Can we, please, see how our brother is doing?”

Wright asked in a respectful tone.

Braxton knew how hard it must be for his mate

to act so calm. If it had been Miles in there instead
of Salvation, Braxton would be tearing down the
walls to get to his brother.

Cassie nodded. “Chris is in there with Doctor

Scott.”

They walked in and found the Alpha and Doc

standing by a gurney. Salvation was pale and

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unconscious but no longer convulsing, so that was
a good sign. Or at least Braxton hoped so.

Chris was a tower of a man with the muscles to

match, his dark brown hair was cut short, and his
brown-eyed gaze seemed to miss nothing. In other
words, he was an Alpha through and through.

Doctor Scott, on the other hand, had a gentle air

about him. With mocha colored skin, caramel
eyes, and a soft tone, he easily put others at ease.
Even if he did have a wicked sense of humor at
times.

“So, what is it with half-breeds?” Chris asked

by way of greeting. “Here I thought there were
just a handful of you, and now I have them
crawling out from the walls.”

The one fault of their Alpha was that he

sometimes lacked tact. That’s where Cassie
balanced things out. She was the one who
smoothed over all the ruffled feathers that Chris
left behind.

She went over and elbowed him in the ribs.

“What my mate means is he’s surprised to see
another family of half-humans when we thought it
was such a rare occurrence.”

Braxton gazed at Wright, silently pleading with

his eyes for him to trust the Alpha. Or better yet,
for Wright to trust Braxton that everything would
be okay. That he hadn’t been lying when he’d said
that he could trust the pack.

Braxton’s Salvation

“That’s because we were purposely bred,”

Wright announced.

When Defeat looked like she was going to

protest Wright spilling the secret, one sharp look
from Cassie shut her up. Braxton had never loved
that Alpha Mate more than at that moment.

“Are you trying to tell me that somebody

purposely made a half-breed?” Chris asked.

Braxton flinched at the term. He knew Chris

didn’t mean anything malicious by using it.
However, Braxton had had it tossed at him so
many times in a mean-spirited way. For while
most of the pack accepted him, there were still a
few assholes who looked down on him for being
only part shifter.

“I think the better term is half-shifter, love,”

Cassie said as she ran a hand over Chris’ arm.

Chris glanced down at her, the love for his mate

evident in his gaze. “You have a point there. I like
that much better.”

Braxton let out a sigh of relief, happy that

Cassie had managed to ease the tension once
again. She was going out of her way to show that
she didn’t look down on Wright and their family.
That could only make Wright trust the pack, or at
least Braxton prayed it did.

Doctor Scott looked up from his chart. “How

long has Salvation been having his seizures?”

“It started up about a year ago,” Might said.

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“Are you going to be able to help him?”

Scott let out a sigh. “I’m not used to treating

humans, much less Falcons, but I’m going to do
what I can to help.”

“You haven’t treated any humans at all?”

Wright asked a bit sharply.

“No, just Braxton and his family, and they’re

part Wolf. I’ll admit, this is all still new to me, but
I promise to take good care of him.”

“You said you were bred,” Cassie interrupted.

“By whom exactly?”

“A branch of the military who wanted to try to

make a brand of super soldiers,” Wright said.

“But, I thought the military was already

working with us.” Chris frowned.

“This group apparently didn’t agree with those

who work with the feline coalition,” Braxton cut
in. “They think shifters are just animals who can’t
be trusted, so they decided to make their own
breed that they could control.”

“Yet, apparently you guys escaped and went

AWOL,” Chris directed his comment to Wright.

It made Braxton proud that Wright was

stepping forward in a role of leadership and that
the Alpha was looking to him for the answers.
Defeat, on the other hand, was being ignored. It
shouldn’t have given Braxton any satisfaction, but
he couldn’t help it after the way she’d treated him.

“I should warn you that the ones who made us

Braxton’s Salvation

are still chasing us,” Wright warned.

Chris shrugged it off. “We’re already used to

the human hunters and the nastier breeds of
shifters attacking us. One more group isn’t going
to worry us. Besides, from what I gather from
what you told me, this is going to be the last place
they look for you. If they do decide to come, we
have enough allies to fight back.”

“When we offered you sanctuary, we meant it,”

Cassie added.

“So, you’re just going to take us in? No

questions or tests?” Defeat spoke up. “Why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Cassie

answered simply.

“But most of us aren’t even Wolf,” Defeat

added in a bewildered tone.

Braxton laughed. “That doesn’t mean anything.

Cassie is a Jaguar, plus we have a Rabbit, Ferret,
and Dove here, just to name a few.”

Scott gave his own smile. “We’re the Land of

Misfit Shifters.”

The corners of Cassie’s mouth twitched. “Cute,

but I think we’ll stick with our official name,
Wayne County Wolves.”

“I like that name,” Braxton added.
“We’ll still expect all of you to contribute to the

pack,” Chris warned.

“You know what I think?” Cassie asked him.
“What?”

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“That Defeat would be perfect for Russell’s

team.”

Chris grinned. “Yeah, she’ll fit right in with

them.”

Braxton bit the inside of his cheek to keep from

laughing. He couldn’t wait to see what happened
when Defeat tried to get mouthy with Russell. As
a former crime lord, and scary soldier Russell
didn’t put up with any shit. He’d knock her down
a peg or three real fast.

“What about the rest of us,” Wright asked.
Chris nodded. “We’ll find places for all of you.”
“We’re all trained soldiers and are ready to

serve wherever you need us,” Wright added.

“Yeah, Justice took out all the Ravens that were

chasing me. He did it by himself, too.” Braxton
blushed. “Or at least I think he did. I was kind of
out of it at the time since I was too busy
drowning.”

“You almost drowned!” Miles cut in, his eyes

wide with horror.

“Don’t worry, Wright saved me.” Braxton

beamed up at Wright.

Doctor Scott patted an empty bed. “Hop on up.

If what you say is true, then I need to check you
out.”

Braxton let out a groan. He hated being poked

and prodded. Since he was so sickly, it seemed
like he spent way too much time in the infirmary

Braxton’s Salvation

as it was. Wright gave him a pat on the back.
“Come on. I promise that I’ll stay by your side the
entire time.”

That vow gave Braxton a warm feeling. “Okay,

but only because you asked so nicely.”

“So, you really are mated,” Miles said, his voice

laced with amusement.

Gazing at Wright, Braxton replied, “It would

appear that I am.”

Thankfully, Scott’s examination only lasted a

moment before he returned all his attention to
Salvation. Taking advantage of their momentary
bit of privacy, Braxton leaned in and whispered,
“See, I told you everything would be okay.”

Taking in a deep breath, Wright said, “I hope

so. But, part of me wonders if we’ll ever be safe.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Six

Wright moved over so he could stand by
Salvation’s bedside. He glanced down at his
brother, glad to see that while he was way too
pale, at least his skin had lost its blue tinge.

“Do you have any clue as to what may be

wrong with him?” Wright asked the doctor.

“I think he’s suffering from epilepsy, which is

usually just a human condition. In addition to
that, he has a heart arrhythmia.”

“What does that mean?” Wright demanded as

he wondered why the doctor didn’t just speak
English.

“It means that his heart rhythm is off for some

reason. While I can’t be for sure, I think he was
born with it, and it’s just now becoming a problem
for him.”

Wright let out a sigh as Braxton rubbed his back

in a soothing manner. Which showed how good of
a mate he was, since Wright could really use some
comforting at the moment.

Braxton’s Salvation

“Will you be able to help him?” Wright reached

down and touched the back of Salvation’s hand,
finding the flesh way too cool.

“I’ll try my best. It’s not always that easy with

half-humans, though. I found that out the hard
way with Braxton. Your bodies burn off medicine
at a faster rate than humans, so I have to figure out
a way to amp it up enough without causing an
overdose. Luckily, there’s a really good chemist at
the feline coalition who’s been helping us out. I’ll
give him a call and see if he can come down for a
while,” Scott said.

“I’ll warn you that Salvation isn’t going to like

you or this infirmary. It’s nothing against you, but
this will remind him too much of our former
home,” Wright warned.

If what they had been kept in could even be

called a home. While they had let Wright and his
siblings interact, it’d only been during training
sessions. Otherwise, they were alone in their
rooms or in the lab, going through their sadistic
forms of tests or experiments.

Even at that moment, Wright could feel himself

breaking out in a sweat and trembling, just from
being around so much medical equipment. All he
could think of was how the researchers would
cause various wounds and then force him to shift
to see how they would heal. The bastards hadn’t
believed in pain killers either, so Wright had felt

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every cut, burn, or punch. The same could be said
for all his siblings, too.

“How did you get away?” Chris asked.
“They made a huge mistake,” Wright said.
“What was that?”
“They trained us too well. We were eventually

able to decode the locks holding us in our rooms
and sneak away. We had a three hour head-start
on them before they even knew we were gone.
We’ve been running from them ever since.”

“Were there any other half-shifters there?”

Cassie asked.

“A lot more, and some of them aren’t so nice.”
Wright shuddered as he recalled some of the

horrifying encounters he’d endured. There had
also been times when the lab workers would pit
the halflings against each other. While they said it
was for testing purposes, Wright always suspected
it’d been just for their entertainment. There’d been
more than one time when they’d almost lost Might
because of that game. It’d only been because he
thought so quickly on his feet that he’d managed
to come out in one piece.

“Do you think they could prove to be a threat to

us?” Chris asked.

“The ones like us, no, but the others—yeah, I

could see them being used against shifters. While
we may not be as strong as you guys, we’re still
stronger than humans, so it wouldn’t be easy to

Braxton’s Salvation

take down a team of us.”

The room grew silent as those words weighed

heavily. Finally, Cassie said, “And the good ones,
would they be willing to help?”

“Sure, if we can ever get to them. After we

escaped, they locked up that place tight. I don’t
think we’ll be able to get back in,” Wright
admitted.

“Which just sucks,” Might cut in. “I feel bad

being out here and free, while they’re still
suffering in there.”

Braxton let out a sigh. “I guess I should

formally introduce you all to the Alpha, even
though you already swore your allegiance to the
pack.”

Braxton pointed out each of them and made the

introductions. When he was done, a smaller Wolf
who looked like a medical tech of some sort let out
a snort of laughter. “Might, Wright, Defeat,
Salvation, and Justice? Wow, you were right, they
did have it out for you guys.”

“Not now, Tyson,” Chris said as he pinched the

bridge of his nose.

It was obvious from his reaction that this Tyson

guy was a source of many headaches for the
Alpha. Wright had to admit he was cute in an aw-
shucks, kiddo kind of way. He even had blond
hair and baby-blue eyes that were surrounded by
long lashes. In short, he looked like a Ken Doll’s

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little brother.

Tyson blushed. “Sorry, sometimes my brain

vomits, and I can’t control what comes out.”

“Then maybe somebody should gag you,”

Justice offered.

The entire room turned to stare at him. Wright

wasn’t sure what shocked him more, the comment
or the fact that Justice talked at all. Wright was
half tempted to pinch himself to make sure he
wasn’t dreaming because Justice had never
snapped out of one of his funks that quickly
before.

Tyson gave a saucy grin. “Are you volunteering

for the job?”

“Are you a shifter?” Justice countered.
“Of course, I’m a Wolf.”
“Then, no.”
Tyson blinked a few times. “Do you have

something against Wolves?”

“No, I have an issue with all shifters, period.

The only reason I’m here now is because of my
family. Otherwise, I’d go out and make my own
way.”

Wright suddenly wished for a muzzle. They’d

just smoothed things over with the pack, and now
Justice’s attitude was going to ruin it. He glanced
over at the Alpha, expecting him to be angry.
Instead, the Wolf smiled. “You kind of remind me
of Russell, Ervin, and Nico when they first joined

Braxton’s Salvation

the pack. Eventually they came around.”

“I won’t,” Justice said with dead certainty.
Giving Tyson a knowing glance, Cassie said,

“We’ll see about that. I think you’re going to find
things that you really like here.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Justice snapped.
“Justice…shut up,” Wright ordered.
“Bet that was something that you never thought

you were going to have to say,” Salvation said as
he opened his eyes.

Wright nearly jumped in shock. “You’re

awake!”

“Yeah, kind of thought that was pretty obvious

since I’m talking,” Salvation snarked back.

“Great, just what we need, another Carson,”

Cassie groaned.

“Who’s that?” Wright asked.
She shook her head. “Never mind, just hope

that the two of them never meet or the world will
never be the same again.”

Salvation got up on one elbow and looked

around. While he kept his usual droll expression
in place, Wright saw the look of fear in his eyes.
“Where are we?”

“This is the pack infirmary,” Wright supplied.

“We’re going to be hiding out here for as long as
they’ll have us.”

“A pack as in Wolves?”
“Yeah.”

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“They do know I’m a Falcon, right? If they

expect me to run around and howl at the moon,
they’re in for a disappointment.”

“They know and they don’t care,” Wright

assured, happy that Salvation was back to his
usual bratty self.

“What happened for me to end up here in the

first place?”

“You had a seizure,” Might said as he came

closer. “It lasted a long time, and you weren’t
breathing. It scared us, so Braxton called for help.”

“So, it looks like I owe the puppy a great big

thank you.”

Miles let out a gasp of outrage, but Braxton

laughed. “Yeah, we’ll see who’s the puppy when
you find out how much of a nag Doctor Scott can
be. He’s going to have you running in circles.”

Salvation grinned. “It’s better than running

after my own tail like you Wolves do.”

“Is he serious?” Miles demanded.
Braxton clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax,

it’s just Salvation’s way of coping. You should see
how bad he is when he’s feeling better. Right now,
the drugs still have him all muddled.”

Salvation lifted his hand and wiggled his

fingers. “Whatever it is, I want some more. This
stuff is awesome.”

“Like you need any inspiration to be a

smartass,” Wright grunted.

Braxton’s Salvation

When Braxton laughed, Wright told him,

“Don’t encourage him…please.”

“I think he’s funny. It’ll be nice to have

somebody like that around from now on,” Braxton
replied.

Wright only hoped that it would be from now

on. While they might have a good hiding place for
the moment, they could still have to run if they
were tracked down. When that happened, Wright
had a feeling that Braxton wouldn’t be too happy
to leave his family and pack behind.

“How long do I have to stay in here, Doc?”

Salvation asked. “No offense, but places like this
infirmary really aren’t my kind of thing.”

“Since you will be staying in the pack dwelling,

you can go to your room, so long as somebody is
with you,” Scott said.

“I’ll watch over him,” Might offered. “Justice

can bunk with Defeat. That way they can take
turns glowering at each other. It’ll be fun for
everybody.”

Cassie sighed, but there was a tiny smile

playing on her lips. “Fine. Tyson, go find them
rooms. Try to make them as close to each other as
possible.”

Tyson nodded then glanced over at Braxton.

“What about Wright?”

Braxton reached out and took Wright’s hand

again. “He already has a place to stay, with me.”

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Tyson grinned. “I thought that would be what

you had to say. I just wanted to make sure.”

All of the sudden, two kids, a boy and a girl,

burst into the room. They both had the same hair
and eye coloring as Braxton, and they looked to be
around eleven. The pair ran over to Braxton and
threw their arms around him.

“Braxton! Where have you been?” the boy

demanded.

Braxton put his arms around them. “Hey, Kylie.

Hey, Dawson, I want you to meet somebody.”

“Who?” Kylie asked, her eyes narrowing as she

looked at Wright.

“This is Wright, and he’s my mate,” Braxton

said.

It gave Wright a sense of pride to hear Braxton

confirm their relationship in front of a room full of
people. Kylie, on the other hand, didn’t seem too
impressed.

“What do you need a mate for? You have us to

take care of you,” she demanded.

Braxton leaned down and gave the top of her

head a kiss. “Don’t worry, I’m not going
anywhere. In fact, I’m not even leaving my room,
so I’ll still be next door to you guys. Wright will
just be moving in with me.”

Wright’s chest grew tight. Damn it, but it hurt

to even think about asking Braxton to choose
between him and his family. It would be unfair to

Braxton’s Salvation

take that from the Wolf. It was obvious just by
looking at them how much he adored them. Since
Wright mostly adored his own siblings, he knew
that feeling all too well. Could a mate ever be
more important? That was a question Wright
hoped he never had to find out the answer to.

“Wow! You’re as big as Ervin,” Dawson

exclaimed as he looked up at Wright.

Wright smiled. “It’s great to finally meet both of

you. Braxton says the nicest things about you.”

“Funny, he didn’t mention you at all to us,”

Kylie said.

Wright realized that he was going to have to

work hard to impress her. Dawson, on the other
hand, was looking up at him with something akin
to hero worship. Wright didn’t know which one
made him feel more uneasy. Especially if he were
to be forced to run and leave Braxton behind.

Dawson grabbed him by the hand. “Come on,

I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

“Wait up for Braxton,” Kylie yelled.
It was then that Wright noticed how tired

Braxton looked. His face was pale and there were
lines on the sides of his mouth, like he was
grinding his teeth in a effort to hold back his
reaction to pain. Without thinking twice, Wright
scooped him up fireman-style.

“What are you doing?” Braxton demanded.
“Taking care of my mate.”

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“Everyone is going to see us.”
In fact, they were already attracting way too

attention as it was. The entire infirmary was
looking on with amused expressions.

“Good, then they’ll know that you’re taken

now.” To emphasize his point, he gave Braxton’s
rump a good, firm swat.

Braxton let out a yelp. “I am so going to get you

back for this.”

Wright didn’t doubt that for a moment. While

Braxton might seem quiet and timid to others,
Wright knew better. His mate might be weak
physically, but he made up for it, and then some,
in spirit.

Kylie surprised him by giggling. “Braxton looks

funny upside down.”

Dawson led them through the dwelling, which

looked like it’d once been some kind of boarding
school for humans. They passed several Wolves
along the way, many of whom looked shocked,
but Wright ignored him. The only Wolf that
mattered to him was the one in his arms. Okay,
maybe the two little ones weren’t so bad.
Especially since Kylie had stopped glaring at him
all the time.

Dawson took them down a long corridor. He

pointed to a set of three doors. “This is ours. Kylie
and I sleep in the room in the middle. That way,
Braxton and Miles can come to us if we have a bad

Braxton’s Salvation

dream.”

“Now will you please put me down?” Braxton

demanded.

Once Wright did as requested, Braxton turned

to the twins. “Go on now, I have to talk to
Wright.”

Once the kids left, Braxton took Wright into his

room. Once inside, Wright looked around. It was
pretty basic, just a queen bed and a large dresser,
but Braxton had made it homey by adding several
posters. Some were of popular television shows
like Doctor Who, but there were others of Marilyn
Monroe and James Dean.

Braxton gave a nervous scratch of his head. “So,

this is it. If you want to make any changes, go
right ahead. This is your room, too.”

Wright smiled at his mate. “No need,

everything is perfect.”

Braxton laid down on the mattress and patted

the spot next to him. “Come on, you can test out
the mattress.”

While Wright wanted to test it out and then

some, he noted the dark circles under Braxton’s
eyes. With all the excitement, Wright hadn’t been
taking proper care of his mate. He vowed to make
sure to never allow that to happen again.

He got into bed, still fully clothed, and pulled

Braxton into his arms. Braxton snuggled against
Wright’s chest and let out a happy sigh.

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“Can I ask you a question?” Wright hedged.
“Sure.”
“What happened to your parents?”
Braxton grew stiff. So Wright ran his hands

through his mate’s hair in an attempt to soothe
him. It worked, and soon Braxton was once more
relaxed.

“One night Ravens attacked our home. Since no

pack wanted us because our father had mated
with a human, we were isolated and didn’t have
anybody we could call for help.”

Wright ran a comforting hand down Braxton’s

back. “What happened next?”

“Miles and I wanted to stay and help fight, but

our father told us to run in order to protect the
twins. So we obeyed. The last time I saw my
parents, they were getting ready to face-off against
the Ravens. We don’t even know if they killed our
mom and dad or not. When we went back to the
house, it was burned to the ground, and there was
no trace of them.”

“How did you manage to make your way in the

world after that?”

Wright couldn’t even begin to imagine how

they must have had to navigate their way with no
money, two young kids in tow, and Braxton
having to deal with his medical issues.

“Miles took over. He worked his ass off at a

series of dead-end jobs to help us get by. We lived

Braxton’s Salvation

in crap houses, some of which were condemned
and didn’t have heat or water. I helped out by
going to local food-banks and begging for help.
Sometimes that wasn’t even enough, and we’d go
hungry.”

“That must have been so hard.”
“It was. The worst part though was watching

Kylie and Dawson getting thinner. Out of
desperation, we approached some other packs, but
they would always run us off for being half-
human. It wasn’t until Ervin found and saved
Miles that we were accepted into a pack. Chris is a
good Alpha. He doesn’t care that we’re half—
shifter, and he’s always made sure the rest of the
pack treats us like we’re equals.”

Wright found himself wanting to bow down in

gratitude to Chris for taking care of Braxton and
the others. With the shifter world getting more
and more violent, Wright didn’t even want to
think of what could have happened to Braxton
had he’d continued not to have the support of a
pack.

“Chris sounds like a fair man,” Wright said as

he gave Braxton a squeeze.

“He is. So is Cassie.”
Braxton let out a yawn.
“How are you feeling?” Wright asked.
“A bit sleepy. My hips are a little sore, too. I’m

not used to being on my feet so much.”

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Wright winced in guilt. “Sorry about that.”
But he was talking to empty air, since Braxton

had fallen asleep. Kissing the top of his mate’s
head, Wright allowed himself to drift off, too, all
the while savoring the sensation of being able to
hold his mate in his arms.

Wright knew that it would be one night when

he wouldn’t be plagued by bad dreams, because
he had never been more content in his life. Now if
he could only keep things that way, then he’d be
the happiest Wolf in the world.

Braxton’s Salvation

Chapter Seven

Braxton woke up the following morning and let
out a groan. He couldn’t believe it. He’d had
Wright exactly where he’d wanted him, in his
bedroom, and what had Braxton done? Fallen
asleep without so much as a kiss.

He’d just been so worn out after all the

excitement that as soon as he’d hit the mattress
he’d been out. It was at times like this that he
hated his medical issues that made him weaker
than others.

He smiled when he realized that he wasn’t in

bed alone. Wright lay on the other side of the
mattress. Braxton couldn’t begin to imagine a
better thing to wake up to. He rolled over and
then pressed the front of his body to Wright’s
back. Yes! Wright was so warm. Braxton didn’t
think he’d ever have to worry about being cold
again. Not since he had his own Wolf-sized heater.

With a hum, Braxton began to rain kisses down

the back of Wright’s neck. It was only fair since

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Wright had paid so much attention to Braxton’s
throat in the past. Who knew, Braxton might even
leave behind a hickey or two.

He was just getting ready to do that when

Wright flipped over and pinned Braxton under
him. Desire flashed through Braxton as he stared
up at his mate. Wright’s hair was sleep tousled, his
lips parted, and his eyes dark with desire. The
look was perfect on him, too.

“That has to be the best wake-up call I’ve ever

received,” Wright declared as he pinned Braxton’s
wrists above his head.

Braxton rolled his hips, just so Wright could see

how hard and ready he was. “Sorry I fell asleep on
you last night. We didn’t even have a chance to
change out of our clothes.”

“That’s okay.” Wright leaned and rained slow

kisses down Braxton’s jaw.

“It’s actually too bad. I would have loved to see

you in some fuzzy jammies.”

Wright moved his mouth so it was inches from

Braxton’s ear. “I have a secret for you. I normally
sleep in the nude.”

Braxton moaned. “Fuck, that’s hot.”
“Not nearly as hot as you look now. I like the

sight of you in bondage. Maybe someday I’ll tie
you up for real.” Wright began to kiss his way
down Braxton’s throat. “I won’t let you come until
you beg me. Maybe even then I’ll make you wait

Braxton’s Salvation

for a while. See how long you can take the teasing
before you blow.”

Braxton had never been the kinky type, but

damn if that mental image didn’t almost make
him come on the spot. He rolled his hips again in a
desperate bid for more friction. Just a little bit to
give him the smallest measure of satisfaction.

Wright bit down on Braxton’s ear. “Stop that.

You’re going to make a mess of your pants again.”

“Then fuck me,” Braxton whined.
“Why should I? Holding you this way is kind of

fun.”

“Please.”
“That’s not what I’m looking for, try again.”
“Pretty please?”
“No, Braxton, tell me why I should fuck you.

Give me a solid reason.”

Locking gazes with Wright, Braxton said,

“Because I’m yours, and I want you to claim me.”

Wright leaned down and nipped at Braxton’s

neck. “That, my little Wolf, was the right answer.”

“What is it with you and biting? I’m going to

look like a chew toy.”

“Do you not like it? Because I can stop if you

want.”

Braxton shook his head. “No, I love it. Please,

keep doing it.”

“If you get naked, I’ll do it to your entire body.”
Braxton couldn’t help but thrust up again. “Yes,

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I want that.”

Wright let go of Braxton’s wrists. “Strip, now.

Make it quick.”

Wright got up, and Braxton began to strip. He

tried to be smooth and quick, but nerves and
excitement made his movements clumsy. He still
managed to get everything off. Settling back on
the bed, he said, “I have condoms and lube in my
nightstand. I know shifters don’t get STD’s but
since I’m half human I never take the risk. At least
that’s what I’ve always done in the past.”

Wright had shed his clothing as well. He

cupped the back of Braxton’s head and forced him
to lock gazes. “But there aren’t going to be any
other guys but me anymore, are there.”

It came out as a statement rather than a

question. Braxton licked his lips. The sign of
ultimate ownership shouldn’t have turned him on
so much, but it did. “Nobody but you. I swear it.”

Wright gave him a mind blowing kiss before he

got up and retrieved the supplies. Tossing them
on the bed, he stared down at Braxton with a look
of raw lust. “You’re a dream come true.”

For once, Braxton actually believed it. How

could he not when Wright had that expression on
his face? He gazed at his mate, taking in all the
hard lines, defined muscles, and his thick cock.
“You’re one, too.”

Wright grabbed Braxton’s leg, the one that

Braxton’s Salvation

always ached and caused him to limp. “All of you
is beautiful.”

Before Braxton could even think about arguing,

Wright began to kiss and nip his way up Braxton’s
leg, stopping just short of his cock. Braxton
writhed under him, as fissures of pleasure
traveled up his body.

“Please…I’m begging here. I’ve wanted this

since that night we first met,” Braxton said. “The
one where you had to run away.”

* * * * *

How Wright wanted to swear that he would

never have to leave again. The words were on the
tip of his tongue. In the end, he swallowed them,
because he had no right to make that kind of
promise. Not when every day—every moment—
was a gift that could soon be ripped away from
him. Never before had he hated his makers more
than at that moment.

He pushed those thoughts aside. He refused to

allow them to spoil what was about to become the
most special moment in his life. Wright knew
more than anybody how few and far between they
could be. How that life often delivered more pain
than pleasure.

He reached out blindly and grabbed the lube.

Using one hand, he opened it and squirted out a
handful. It was sure to make a mess of the sheets,
but he wanted to make sure that Braxton didn’t

Stephani Hecht

feel one moment of discomfort.

“I can’t wait to get inside you,” Wright

breathed.

He slowly inserted one finger into Braxton’s

tight hole. Braxton’s eyelids fluttered shut as he let
out a moan. “Yes, just like that.”

The expression on Braxton’s face was so lustful,

with his flushed cheeks and swollen lips, that
Wright nearly came on the spot. It was only after
taking several deep breaths that he was able to
rein himself in.

He added a second finger, all the while

watching Braxton carefully for any signs of
discomfort. Instead, he caught the smallest of
smiles playing across Braxton’s face. If Wright
were to put a label on it, he’d call it bliss.

Spreading his fingers out, he stretched Braxton.

After one more kiss, Wright pulled back and
grabbed the condom. Putting it on, he regretted
that there would be a barrier between him and his
mate. Wright vowed that at the first possible
moment, they were going to the infirmary to be
tested. To hell with the fact that Wright hated
needles and being prodded at.

Sliding the condom on, Wright smoothed a

hand over Braxton’s taut stomach. Braxton licked
his lips once in a nervous gesture but otherwise
appeared as eager as ever. He even lifted his hips
up a bit in a silent invitation.

Braxton’s Salvation

Lining his cock up, Wright slowly slid inside.

Braxton let out a hiss of pleasure, his eyes briefly
closing. “Finally, I thought we’d never get here.”

Wright pushed the rest of the way in, his Wolf

howling in delight as he finally claimed Braxton as
his. “Mine.”

“No, you’re mine, you damn caveman,”

Braxton snarked.

Wright laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
He then began to thrust inside Braxton in a

hard, fast pace. While Wright would have liked it
to be slow and sensual, he was at the end of his
control. The need to make Braxton his was too
strong to deny.

“Harder,” Braxton urged.
Wright smiled, as he should have known that

his mate would like it a bit rough. Despite
everything the world had thrown at Braxton, he
remained one of the strongest men Wright had
ever met.

Knowing that he wasn’t going to last long,

Wright grabbed Braxton’s cock and began to
stroke him off. Braxton let out a long howl right
before he came, his spunk spilling over Wright’s
hands.

Wright gave one last hard thrust before he

joined his mate, his cock filling the damned
condom. As the pleasure washed over his body,
Wright threw his head back and called out

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Braxton’s name.

After it was over, Wright almost collapsed on

top of Braxton, only remembering at the last
minute to fall to the side of him. They laid there
for a moment, catching their breath before Braxton
finally rolled over. Taking Wright’s hand, Braxton
slowly began to lick the cum off of it.

Wright watched in fascination as the pink

tongue darted in and out. Braxton even made
happy little humming sounds. It wasn’t until
every drop was gone that he gazed up at Wright.

“I’m all yours now?”
Wright didn’t know if Braxton really meant that

to come out as a question or if it was his old
insecurities coming out. Either way, Wright had to
soothe him. Pulling Braxton into his arms, Wright
gave him a deep kiss. “All yours. I’ll never want
another. I promise you.”

“So, you don’t feel cheated because of how

sickly I am?” Braxton asked as he snuggled up
against Wright’s chest.

“Never. I wouldn’t trade you away for

anything. To me, you’re perfect.”

Wright meant it, too. There was not a thing he

would change about Braxton. Sure, he might not
be the strongest or the quickest shifter, but he was
the smartest and the sweetest. In the end, that’s
what mattered the most to Wright.

Braxton’s stomach rumbled, reminding Wright

Braxton’s Salvation

it’d been a long time since either of them ate.
“Where do we go for breakfast?”

“They have a cafeteria type thing in the middle

of the dwelling. You want to go?” Braxton asked.

Wright gave his mate’s rump a slight slap. “Yes,

let’s get dressed and see what they’re serving.
Then after that, we can check up on the others and
see how they’re doing.”

They quickly cleaned up and got their clothes

on before Braxton led him to the cafeteria. Since it
was still breakfast time, it was packed with
Wolves. All of whom seemed to be interested in
Wright.

They all openly stared at him, some of the

males even glowering. While Braxton seemed
oblivious to it, Wright had a feeling more than a
few of those glares were because they were jealous
of Wright. Braxton still didn’t seem to be aware of
how sensual and good looking he really was.

“How are you feeling today? You’re not still

overly tired, are you?” Wright asked as they
grabbed their trays.

“My hips hurt a little bit, but that’s nothing

new. They usually ache at night and in the
morning.”

“Can’t Doctor Scott give you something for the

pain?”

Braxton reached for a plate of eggs then

shrugged. “Probably, but I don’t like the way the

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pills make me feel. Besides, I’m used to the pain.”

“Shit,” Wright swore under his breath. “I

probably didn’t make things better by being rough
with you.”

Braxton rolled his eyes. “I would have been

bitching had you been gentle with me. I’m
disabled, not helpless.”

Braxton did have a point. Wright would never

call his mate weak or helpless. Inside, he was
stronger than most warriors. Braxton stood on
tiptoe and kissed Wright’s cheek. “How about
this, if you’re ever too rough with me, I promise to
tell you? That way the only thing you have to
worry about when we’re having sex is getting me
off.”

A couple of nearby Wolves laughed at the

comment. To his horror, Wright felt a heat come
over his face. Which was surprising since he
wasn’t the type who was easily embarrassed.

“Hey, look. There’s the rest of your family,”

Braxton pointed. “Why don’t we go over and sit
with them?”

Given the sour look on Defeat’s face, Wright

didn’t know if that would be much fun, but since
he did want to find out how Salvation was feeling,
he agreed. They grabbed the rest of their food and
went to join the others.

“This place is so cool,” Might exclaimed as soon

as they came up.

Braxton’s Salvation

“You’re just saying that because there’re so

many new guys to fuck,” Justice countered.

Might shrugged, not looking the least bit

contrite. “That’s only part of it. I think I’m going to
like being part of this pack.”

“You’re an Eagle, and they don’t have packs,”

Defeat countered sourly.

Wright was quickly coming to realize that she

didn’t like not being in charge anymore, and
under all those layers of titles and orders, she was
nothing more than a petulant brat. He hoped that
being around some real warriors, who were free,
would help her grow up a bit.

“I understand what he means,” Braxton cut in

softly.

“How can you say that? They probably treat

you like crap because you’re half-human,” Defeat
snapped.

“No, they haven’t treated me any differently

than any other pack member. Even with all my
medical issues, they still expect me to put in my
fair share of work, too. I like that about them.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what

is it exactly that you do?”

“I teach history to the older students. While I

never went to a real school or college, I’m a huge
buff and I pretty much know everything there is
about that subject . Chris saw that I was capable,
and he gave me the job.”

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Wright was shocked to learn something so new

and interesting about his mate. “How long have
you been doing that?”

“A few months. I really like it, and it feels good

to be contributing to the pack.”

“I know we can help out, too,” Might added.

“We’re all trained to fight.”

“Yeah, and the first time we step foot out in

public, we’re putting ourselves at risk for being
caught,” Defeat said in a snide voice.

“Don’t worry. Russell is really good at teaching

people how to hide in plain sight. That is if you
are smart enough to pick up his lessons,” Braxton
replied, his eyes narrowing in anger.

“Of course I can learn. Why do you think they

put me in charge of these guys? I’m the most
intelligent of all of us.”

Wright doubted that, but he didn’t say

anything aloud. While Defeat might be a kick-ass
fighter, he’d always suspected the decision to put
her in charge had been to demean Wright. Since
he was the oldest, it was he who should be taking
care of Defeat, not the other way around.

“I can take anything you Wolves throw at me,”

she declared.

Braxton laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

Braxton’s Salvation

Chapter Eight

It’d been a couple of weeks since they’d taken
sanctuary with the Wolves, and so far things had
been relatively calm for Wright and the others.
While they hadn’t encountered any of their
pursuers, they’d yet to go out in public, either.

Wright was spending the day doing pretty

much what he’d been doing since he’d settled in,
training with the others. While the Wolves were
already proficient, they were still able to learn a lot
from Wright and vice-versa.

Most of what Wright and his siblings learned

was how to fight in a group, or better yet a pack.
They’d been raised from birth to fight alone, so it
was a hard concept for them to grasp. So far, all of
them were slowly getting it, though, with the
exception of Justice and Defeat.

Wright was doing some light sparring with

Nico and Ervin, learning how to take on multiple
attackers at once. After getting clocked in the head
for the tenth time, Wright asked, “What’s the

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purpose of this drill?”

“Ravens and Hyenas like to attack in groups of

two or three, so we need to learn how to cover
ourselves on all sides,” Nico explained.

“Didn’t they ever learn that it’s polite to take

turns?” Wright tried to shake away some of the
birdies that were circling his head.

“Hey, we attack the same way, so we can’t be

too critical of it,” Nico said.

“Then what makes us any better than them?”
Ervin tossed off a cocky grin. “We’re just much

proficient at it and have more pizazz.”

Wright just shook his head. He was quickly

getting used to their smartass comments. In fact,
that’s one of the reasons why Wright like hanging
out with the pair so much. As for them, they
seemed to like Wright, even though he was half-
human.

He glanced over at Might, who was training

with a pair of Hawks. The birds had come to the
pack specifically to help Might, since he was an
Eagle, and they had a whole set of different skills
and weaknesses. Even so, they towered over
Might.

Not that Might let that stop him. He fought

hard and often got the upper hand on them. He
wore only a pair of fatigue pants and a black tank
top. While he might have been several inches
shorter, his body was tight with muscles, and he

Braxton’s Salvation

was a scrappy fighter. Wright was never worried
when he went into battle with Might because he
knew his brother would have his back.

“So, what’s up with Justice?” Nico asked.

“Doesn’t he like us?”

“Justice had it rough in the lab. Out of all of us,

he was abused the most. So, he tends to withdraw
into himself a lot,” Wright confided.

He didn’t add how he often worried that there

might be a time when Justice wouldn’t mentally
return to them. That he would finally give in to
the demons that haunted him and permanently
become a shell of a man.

Ervin squinted over at Justice. He was sitting

cross-legged on the mat, his eyes closed, his
breathing deep and even. “Is he meditating?”

“Yeah, he does that a lot when he’s having a

bad day.”

“But, he’s been at it for over an hour,” Ervin

interjected.

“That’s nothing. One time he was like that for

two days.”

It’d scared the hell out of Wright, too. He’d

been the one who’d finally coaxed his brother
back. While Defeat had suggested they just slug
Justice in the head or something, Wright had
chosen soft words and pleas. In the end, his way
had worked before she’d had a chance to try hers.

“It must have been really bad where you guys

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came from,” Nico observed.

Wright repressed a shudder as unwanted

memories flashed through his head, the long stints
of solitary confinement, the forced battles, the
horrific punishments that were meted out when
they failed to please their makers. Then there was
a time when they’d pitted him against another
half-breed who was basically a kid, and Wright
had been forced to—

No, he wouldn’t go there. He couldn’t. Nor

could he think about all the poor half-shifters like
him who were still being held captive. Just
thinking of them, still going through all the torture
while he was alive and free, was enough to make
him go crazy.

“It wasn’t exactly pleasant there,” Wright said

simply.

“Have you ever thought about going public

with this?” Ervin suggested. “Maybe then they’d
be forced to stop.”

Nico snorted. “Yeah, because the humans

already love us so much. If they found out that
they were breeding halflings, they would just fear
us more. They wouldn’t want us to ruin the
precious gene pool.”

“That’s funny, the researchers used to say the

exact thing about shifters. That’s why we were too
afraid to come to you guys sooner,” Wright
pointed out.

Braxton’s Salvation

“Yet, you don’t see groups of Wolves hunting

down humans the way some of them are with us,”
Nico said, his eyes growing dark with anger.

“I just worry about what would happen if they

ever got their hands on Miles,” Ervin said. “I bet
they’d love to run all kinds of pleasant tests on
him.”

That was a sentiment Wright could understand,

for he had the same worry about Braxton. Where
Wright and the others had been made with forced
breeding, under the guidance of the lab, Braxton
had been the result of a natural, loving
relationship. It would be a variable that would
have the research goons creaming themselves with
excitement.

“I’d die before I let that happen to Braxton,”

Wright vowed.

He meant it, too. He’d do anything to keep his

mate safe. Even if it meant that they could no
longer be together.

There was a loud smacking sound from the

other side of the gym. They all looked over to see
Defeat flat on her back. Russell was above her, a
practice dagger pressed to her.

“You need to learn to control your anger, or

else you will never be fully focused on the battle.
That can get you killed quicker than anything,”
Russell warned.

“I’m a Panther, not a Wolf,” Defeat seethed. “So

Stephani Hecht

why should I listen to anything you say?”

“Because I’m the only one who’s willing and

able to work with you. In case you haven’t
noticed, you have a bit of an attitude problem.”

Defeat sprang to her feet. Her body tensed as

she balled her hands into fists. “Maybe you should
spend more time worrying about your mate. I’ve
seen him, and I don’t think he’d be able to fight his
way out of pile of pillows.”

Wright groaned. There was no way that was

going to end well. While he’d only talked to
Russell on a few occasions, Wright knew there
was no way that comment wasn’t going to piss
Russell off. From what Wright heard, an angry
Russell was a bad, bad, bad thing.

Quick as lightning, Russell kicked her feet out

from under her and Defeat once again hit the mat
hard. This time, Russell put his foot on the center
of her chest.

“You’re lucky that the Alpha has taken you

under his protection, or else I would have killed
you for that comment,” Russell replied in a deadly
calm voice.

While Wright knew that he should rush to her

aid, he also realized that Defeat needed to learn
how to get along with the Wolves. He wasn’t for
sure how long they’d be there, and it wouldn’t be
easy living at the dwelling if half the pack wanted
a piece of Defeat. As it was, she seemed to be

Braxton’s Salvation

going out of her way to insult as many pack
members as she could.

Wright let out a sigh. His sister was in

desperate need of an attitude adjustment, and it
looked like Russell was just the Wolf to do it.

“Wow, Russell isn’t playing around, is he?”

Ervin said.

“Defeat’s been asking for it for a while now. I

should have taken her to task a long time ago,”
Wright admitted. “I was just too worried about
making her angry. With us already running for
our lives, the last thing we needed was infighting.
Now I realize that I’d been wrong. If I had done
something sooner, then maybe she wouldn’t be
such a brat.”

Wright spotted Braxton walking in. His mate

waved at him before taking a seat in the stands.
He had a pile of papers with him. Wright recalled
Braxton talking about a huge test one of his
history classes had that day. He must have
decided to come to the gym and watch as he
graded them.

As usual, just the sight of his mate was enough

to make Wright smile. Braxton smiled back before
turning his attention to his papers.

Nico reached over and lightly slapped Wright

on the back of the head. “Hey, we’re supposed to
be training. We can’t do that if you don’t stop
drooling over your mate.”

Stephani Hecht

Your mate. Wright liked how that sounded. He

gave Braxton one more lingering look before
returning to the others.

* * * * *

Braxton was trying his best to grade his papers,

but he kept getting distracted. If it wasn’t because
he was mooning over his mate, then it was the joy
of watching Defeat having her ass handed to her.

He knew it was wrong of him to get so much

enjoyment out of seeing his mate’s sister
continually getting knocked on her ass. It was just
after all the grief she’d been dishing out lately, it
was nice to see her on the receiving end for once.

Braxton gave the show one more glance before

he went back to work. He’d been at it for only
about five minutes before somebody sat down
next to him. Turning, he was surprised to see that
it was Defeat. She never willingly talked to him,
let alone sought out his company.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working with

Russell?” Braxton asked, eager to get rid of her.

Once again, the bitter sting of guilt hit him. He

should be welcoming her company, not wanting
her to stay the hell away from him. After all, they
were kind of family.

“Russell sent me up here to watch. He thinks

that I’m not paying enough attention and that if I
observe I might get the hang of things.” She used
air quotes for the last part, showing that she was

Braxton’s Salvation

using Russell’s exact wording.

“He does look like he’s being kind of tough on

you,” Braxton offered.

It was actually a lie. Braxton thought that she

could use some discipline. In his eyes, Wright
should have been the leader all along. Not only
was he much kinder, but he was more
levelheaded. In Braxton’s opinion, the only reason
why the researchers had made her the leader in
the first place was to weaken the family and make
them less of an escape risk. Not that it had
worked, since Wright and the others had managed
to get away anyways.

She let out a dark laugh. “I’m not worried. I

won’t have to be here much longer.”

Braxton repressed an irritated sigh. “Why? Are

you planning on leaving or something?”

God, how he hated himself for thinking it, but a

huge part of him wished that she did. It would
make everybody’s life a whole hell of a lot easier.
More so, it would bring some peace to the pack.
Ever since she’d come, there’d been constant
tension running through the place.

“It’s not just me who will be leaving, but my

whole family,” she scoffed, in the way that
someone does when talking to an idiot.

Braxton froze, his hand halfway down to grab

another paper. “What in the hell are you talking
about?”

Stephani Hecht

100

His mouth grew dry as a lump formed in his

throat. Surely she wasn’t suggesting what he
thought. There was no way that Wright would
abandon him. Especially not since Wright had
made it so clear that they were mates.

“One of the rules of being on the run is that you

never stay in one place too long. It makes you a
sitting target,” Defeat said, a malicious smile
forming on her lips.

Oh yeah, there was no doubt about it. She hated

Braxton and was taking great delight in dropping
her little bombshell. She was all but rubbing her
hands together in glee.

When Braxton didn’t say anything, she

continued, “And before you ask, Wright won’t be
taking you along. With all the shit that’s wrong
with you, you’ll only slow us down.”

“So, does that mean you’ll be leaving Salvation,

too,” Braxton shot back in an attempt to hurt her.

“No, he’s nowhere near as bad as you. At least

he can run. With that limp of yours, you couldn’t
out run a pup.”

“Wright doesn’t care about that.”
Or did he? Braxton wasn’t too sure about

anything anymore. While he might hate Defeat,
everything she was saying did have a ring of truth
to it.

She let out a scathing laugh. “It just shows that

Wright had a brief lapse in judgment. No wonder

Braxton’s Salvation

101

you hang on so tightly to him. With as defective as
you are, most guys probably don’t look twice at
you, much less fuck you.

That comment hit so close to the truth that it felt

like a physical blow to Braxton. He stood up, his
body so tense that his muscles ached. “Excuse me,
I left some papers back at my office.”

“Is that really why you are leaving? You sure

it’s not to go cry or something?”

Braxton turned on her. “If you stopped wasting

so much time being bitter, maybe then you would
be able to actually beat Russell in sparring.
Instead, you’re just making yourself look like an
idiot in front of the whole pack. No wonder you
want to get away.”

“I can handle myself in a fight just fine,” she

countered.

“Maybe against human and other halflings, but

when it comes to full-blooded shifters, you suck,
and we both know it.”

“At least I can fight. What can you do? Nothing.

You’re the biggest waste of space here, and
everybody knows it. Even Wright does. Why do
you think he’s planning on leaving you behind?”

Braxton slowly shook his head. “He wouldn’t

do that.”

Even as he said that, Braxton knew that Wright

would. There was no way he could be on the run
and protect Braxton at the same time. Wright

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102

would have no choice but to desert his mate. A
thing that was almost unheard of in the shifter
world.

But then again, they weren’t full-blooded

shifters. Maybe Wright had more human-like
tendencies than Braxton originally thought, and he
didn’t believe in soul mates at all.

Turning, he limped his way down the bleacher

and left the gym as fast as he could. He could hear
Wright calling out his name, but Braxton ignored
him.

Of course, that could only last so long. Since

Wright was quicker, he caught up with Braxton in
the hallway. Grabbing Braxton on the shoulder,
Wright spun him around so they were facing each
other.

“What in the hell is going on?” Wright

demanded.

Braxton studied his mate’s face closely. Looking

for any signs that he might have missed before.
Then he spotted it, the slight flicker of guilt that
passed over Wright’s gaze.

“Are you planning on leaving me behind?”

Braxton demanded in a tight voice.

The expression of utter devastation that passed

over Wright’s face told Braxton everything that he
needed to know.

“Why?” Braxton asked, fighting the urge to

give in to tears. He refused to give that bastard the

Braxton’s Salvation

103

satisfaction. “You have sanctuary here.”

“I’m doing it to protect you. I don’t want them

to capture you, too,” Wright finally said.

A red hot surge of anger went through Braxton.

“Why? Because I’m some weak piece of shit who
can’t take care of himself?”

Wright gave a slight shake of his head. “I never

said that.”

Braxton gave him a not-so-gentle shove. “You

didn’t have to. Your actions scream it loud enough
on their own. Were you even going to tell me? Or
was I just going to wake up one day and find you
gone?”

When Wright didn’t reply, all of Braxton’s

worst fears were confirmed. Taking in a
shuddering breath, he said, “Fuck you. You’re not
my mate, or else you would have never even
thought about being without me. You can go
screw yourself. I don’t need or want you
anymore.”

“Braxton! Please, don’t…”
But whatever Wright might have said was lost

as Braxton shifted into his Wolf and ran. While he
might be slow in his human form, his animal
moved fast. Running down the hall, he burst
through a door and escaped to the pack land.

Braxton ran as hard as he could, his Wolf

mourning the loss of his mate. Braxton huffed.
Who was he kidding? He never really had a mate

Stephani Hecht

104

to begin with. Wright had only made him think so
in an attempt to fuck him.

Wright and his family had probably been

laughing at him the entire time. The poor little
defect, thinking that somebody as strong and
handsome as Wright would ever look twice at
him. It was so pathetic.

Braxton went to the very edge of the pack lands

then stopped. Sitting down on his haunches, he let
out a soft howl. Wright should have let him
drown that night. It would have been better than
having to go through the heartbreak he was
feeling.

He was so lost in his own pain that he didn’t

sense the human hunters until they were right in
front of him. There were a half dozen of them,
each and every one dressed in camo and looking
like extras from a low-budget military movie.

The leader smiled, then raised his rifle. “Look at

what we have here. A freak.”

Even as Braxton prepared to run, he knew it

was too late.

Braxton’s Salvation

105

Chapter Nine

Wright ran toward the door just in time to see
Braxton transform and take off. Turning back he
looked up in the stands at Defeat. She had a
satisfied smile on her face and looked way too
pleased with herself.

“What did you say to him?” Wright yelled.
She slowly came down the stands, the smirk

never leaving her face. By that point, the entire
gym had grown quiet as they watched the
exchange. Wright sensed more than a bit of
hostility coming their way, too. It would seem that
the pack was very overprotective of Braxton.
Something that didn’t come as a shock to Wright.
The sweet Wolf had a way of growing on people.

Except for Defeat. She’d never liked Braxton.

Wright had hoped she’d get over it, but obviously
she hadn’t, and now she’d fucked everything up.

“I only told him the truth,” she said once she

was within a few feet of him.

“And what was that?”

Stephani Hecht

106

She gave a flick of her hair. “Just that we would

be leaving soon, before the researchers came here
and found us. I also told him that we wouldn’t be
taking his lame ass with us.”

Several gasps sounded at her slur.
“Is that true?” Miles asked Wright. “Are you

planning on leaving Braxton behind?”

Everything was tumbling out of control so fast,

Wright didn’t know how to reply, so he went with
the blunt yet hurtful truth. “Yes, but it’s not how
Defeat makes it sound. I’m doing it to protect
him.”

“To protect him?” Miles echoed, his face twisted

with anger. “How do you think he’s going to take
it when his mate leaves him? It’s bad enough
when the world rejects him because of his medical
issues, but when it’s somebody who supposedly
cares about him…”

Miles trailed off as he turned away, but not

before Wright saw the hurt and disappointment in
the other man’s face.

“What’s going on here?” Cassie asked as she

approached.

Since everybody in the pack was mad and

worked up, it only took a few moments for her to
get the whole story. Once she was caught up, she
turned to Wright, her upper lip lifted in a snarl.
“Tell me that they’re mistaken, and you did not
just break Braxton’s heart.”

Braxton’s Salvation

107

Wright felt like utter shit, but most of all he

wanted to find Braxton and beg for forgiveness.
How could he have fucked up this bad? Most of
all, would things ever be the same between him
and Braxton again?

“You can leave if you want, but I’m staying,”

Might said in a soft voice. “I like it here. I’m sick of
running all the time and living in shit places. If
you guys want to keep living that way, you’re
going to have to do it without me.”

Wright shook his head, not believing what he’d

just heard. “And what happens when the
researchers catch up with you?”

Might shrugged. “If they’re going to get me,

then they will. Running and making myself
miserable isn’t going to help. At least this way, I
have my pack backing me up.”

Cassie let out another snarl. “So, tell me,

Wright, when you made your vow of allegiance,
you were planning on leaving?”

Wright swallowed hard as he realized he’d let

down more than one person. He’d let down a
whole lot of others, specifically the whole pack.
And wasn’t that a bitch, since they were the first
ones who’d ever shown him and his family any
compassion.

“I didn’t want you to suffer because of our

problems,” Wright confessed. “These people
chasing us are bad, and I was afraid that if we

Stephani Hecht

108

stayed they’d come here and hurt you, too.”

Cassie let out another sound that was all feline

and pissed off. “Since you’ve never belonged to a
pack, I’m going to give you a pass this time, but
you need to learn two things. One, pack always
protects each other. Two, once you make a vow of
allegiance, you can’t back out. Do you understand
me?”

If it weren’t for the crushing grief plaguing

Wright, he would have actually been relieved to
hear that. It took all the pressure off his shoulders.
He didn’t have to leave after all. The pack would
be there to protect and help take care of him.

But, all Wright could think about was how he’d

hurt Braxton in the worst way possible and that
his mate might never forgive him. For Wright now
realized that without Braxton, life wouldn’t be
worth living. Wright would feel so empty inside
that he might as well be back in his cell.

“I’ve got to find him,” Wright declared.
No sooner were those words out of his mouth

than the sound of a single gunshot echoed through
the air. Wright felt his heart skip a beat. “Braxton!”

Without waiting for the others, he transformed

into his Wolf and ran outside. The acrid scent of
gun smoke and humans filled the air, but there
was also the sweet scent of his mate. Then Wright
detected a different smell, the metallic tang of
blood.

Braxton’s Salvation

109

Letting out a howl, he took off in the direction

of the scents. All the while, he pleaded with
whatever god would listen that Braxton would be
okay. Wright was willing to do anything, even
give up his own life, if it meant that his mate could
be safe.

He could sense Justice and Might on either side

of him, both of them in their shifted forms, behind
them were several pack members. A second
gunshot sounded, this one much closer. Letting
out a snarl, Wright picked up his pace.

They burst into a clearing and spotted a half

dozen hunters standing in a circle, in the middle,
on the ground and bleeding, lay a Wolf. Wright’s
heart sank as he recognized it as his mate.

Shifting into human, Wright left the others to

deal with the hunters. He crouched down next to
Braxton, a groan slipping past his lips when he
spotted the two bullet holes marking Braxton’s
side.

The sounds of the human’s screams filled the

air as Might and Justice took them out with cold
efficiency. Wright would rejoice about that later,
right at the moment all that mattered was making
sure that Braxton was fine Braxton was fine.

“Come on, baby. Let me know that you’re

okay?” Wright pleaded.

Braxton opened his eyes and let out a yip then a

whimper. Wright ran his hands through the

Stephani Hecht

110

blood-matted fur, trying to assess the damage.

“I’m so sorry. I should have never said those

things to you. I know now that there is no way I
could ever leave you. You’re my world, baby. I
just need you to be okay,” Wright babbled, not
caring if it made him sound like a fool.

Braxton let out another whimper, but made no

move to shift back to talk.

Dr. Scott came over and pushed his way

through the crowd, Chris and Cassie hot on his
heels. By that point, the hunters were a bloody,
silent mess. Chris went over to examine them, a
snarl forming on his handsome face.

He nodded to Justice and Might. “Drag them to

the boundary of our pack lands. Leave them there
as a warning for any other hunters who may be
thinking of trespassing.”

Might and Justice shifted then did as told. Not

before Might gave Wright a concerned glance.

“Don’t worry about Wright. We’ll take care of

him,” Cassie assured them.

“Where’s Defeat?” Might asked.
“Right now, I suspect she’s getting her ass

handed to her by Russell. He decided it was time
to up her training a bit. Maybe then she’ll learn
how to respect other pack members.” Cassie gave
a cold smile. “Little does Defeat know that it’s
about to get a whole lot worse for her. Tomorrow,
she’s training with me.”

Braxton’s Salvation

111

Braxton let out another whimper as Dr. Scott

began to poke at his injuries. After a moment, the
doctor gave a nod. “They’re only superficial. Once
Braxton shifts, they should heal.”

Wright gestured to all the blood. “How can you

call all this superficial? Look at him, he’s hurt. Do
something to help him!”

“Why should you care? You’re just going to

leave him,” Miles demanded.

Wright shook his head as he began to speak to

Braxton, “I was stupid. I should have never even
thought that, much less said it to you. I realize
now that there is no way I could ever leave you
behind. I love you too much. I’m pretty sure I
loved you from that first night we met at the club.
You looked so cute yet alone sitting at the bar that
my heart melted, and it’s never been the same
again.”

Braxton huffed, yet made no attempt to shift.
Desperate, Wright continued, “I was an asshole,

a really big one for hurting you the way I did. I
should have had more faith in you. Instead, I let
my worry over you hurt you.”

When Braxton averted his gaze, Wright begged,

“Please, shift. Please, forgive me. I really, really do
love you, and I promise that I’ll never make you
doubt that again.”

A gold light shimmered over Braxton as he

slowly transformed back into his human shape.

Stephani Hecht

112

Once completed, Braxton paused for a moment, as
if he were doing a mental inventory to see if he
was still injured.

Scott reached over and lifted Braxton’s shirt,

revealing nothing but smooth, unblemished skin.
Wright let out a sigh of relief as he pulled Braxton
into his arms.

“Are you crying?” Braxton asked, his voice

laced with wonder.

It was only then that Wright realized that he

was indeed a blubbering mess. He was so going to
lose points on his man-card for that. It didn’t
matter though, so long as Braxton forgave him.

“I guess I am,” Wright admitted as he held

Braxton tighter.

“Is it because I was hurt, or because you really

are sorry for what you said?”

Wright placed a kiss on the top of Braxton’s

head. “Both. I meant it when I said I am so sorry
for what I did.”

“Did you mean it when you said that you loved

me?” Braxton pressed.

By that point, most of the pack was listening in,

but Wright couldn’t have given a damn. All that
mattered to him was that he found a way to make
things up to Braxton. Wright would have groveled
in front of the whole world if that’s what it took.

“I mean every bit of it,” Wright replied in a

shaky voice. “You are my everything, and I would

Braxton’s Salvation

113

be lost without you. You may think that you’re the
weak one in the relationship, but you’re wrong.
Until I met you, I was nothing, an empty shell. It
wasn’t until you showed me that I realized the
world could actually be a good place. If not for
you, I would have ended up as bitter and jaded as
Defeat.”

Braxton pulled back, then reached up and

cupped Wright’s face. “I love you, too.”

Joy filled Wright. “You do?”
“Yes, but if you ever pull a stunt like that again

I’m going to go all Bob Barker on your ass and
neuter you.”

Wright laughed. “Deal. I promise to never

make you doubt me again.”

Sure, he might still be hunted. His sister might

be a vindictive bitch, and he might only be half-
blooded, but Wright realized that he was home.
Most importantly, he was with the only one who
truly mattered…Braxton.

Cupping the back of his mate’s head, Wright

said, “I owe you so much make-up sex.”

Braxton grinned. “I like the sounds of that.”
They shared a kiss before Braxton confessed, “I

meant what I said, I love you, too. I always have.”

They shared another kiss, all the while Wright

gave thanks that Braxton had come in and saved
Wright from a lifetime of misery. For Braxton was
truly his salvation in more ways than one.

About the Author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of
two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all
things about the state, from the frigid winters to
the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. You can
usually find her snuggled up to her laptop,
creating her next book.

Contact her at:
Email Address:archangelwriter@yahoo.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht

FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=pr

ofil&id=1109353859

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht

Blog:
http://stephanihechtauthor.blogspot.com

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