Wolves of Stone Ridge 10 - The Wolf Biker's Mate

As a retired gay military man, a wolf shifter, and owner of a bike repair shop, Kade McGraw is

comfortable with who and what he is. When Kade does a favor for his adopted sister, Theresa, he
discovers his mate is joining them, as the date of Theresa’s friend. The fact that Tom is human and
knows nothing about the existence of shifters is only one of many hurdles. His mate doesn’t want to
admit he’s gay, and Kade finds himself fighting for his future as Tom fights the mate-pull.

A straightlaced marketing executive, Tom doesn’t understand his attraction to the tattooed,

pierced biker with the burning green eyes and sensual smile. Tom is so deep in the closet, he may as
well be chained there. But Kade turns up at the oddest times, and somehow he seems to know every
one of Tom’s hidden desires, turning his body against him. It doesn’t matter how much Tom likes it,
though, because he has family obligations that don’t include revealing his sexuality.
Can Kade convince Tom that he can help him and his family? Or will Tom fold under the pressure?

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by Angela Waters

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“I

need a favor.”
Kade grinned as he leaned back in his office chair. “Sure, sis, what’s up?” he asked into the phone.

“Oh, don’t call me that,” Theresa whined. “Especially considering what I’m about to ask you.”

That had his brow lifting. His foster sibling had never had a problem with him affectionately calling
her his sister before. Kade leaned forward and propped an elbow on his desk. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a date for tonight. Are you busy?”
Kade’s second brow joined his first at his hairline. “You did not just ask me out on a date, Tessa. I
don’t  swing  your  way  and  even  if  I  did,  the  idea  of  dating  you  is  just…wrong,”  he  muttered.  “No
offense,” he added quickly. He’d never once gotten the inclination that Theresa was interested in him
like that.
To Kade’s relief, Theresa giggled. “Of course not, ya big oaf. I’m supposed to be double dating with
Patricia Templeton tonight. You know, Jared’s sister? She’s introducing me to her new boyfriend. I
guess he’s a friend of her brother-inlaw’s. Anyway,” Tessa continued, and Kade smiled, losing focus
as  he  imagined  Theresa  waving  her  hand  in  a  dismissive  gesture  as  she  talked.  His  foster  sister
always  talked  with  her  hands.  It  was  entertaining  to  hold  her  hands  down  when  trying  to  have  a
conversation with her and watch her get frustrated. “So, is that okay?”
Shit!He’d totally missed something. “I’m sorry. What was that last part?”
Theresa blew out a frustrated breath. “Pay attention, Kade!” she snapped. “I said my date cancelled
and I don’t want to be a third wheel, so I need you to come so I have someone to talk to while Patricia
makes goo-goo eyes at Tom.”
“Oh, yeah, sure, but you owe me,” he teased. They both knew he would have done it regardless, but
he might as well get a promise for a return favor out of the deal.
“Fine,” she huffed, probably rolling her eyes. “Can you be at Dave’s Ribs & BBQ in Colin City by
seven?”
“Oh,  nice.  Did  you  pick  that  place  just  for  my  benefit?”  he  asked,  already  looking  forward  to  the
amazing ribs the place was famous for.
Chuckling, she replied, “Afraid not, big guy. I guess Tom really likes the place.”
“Mmm, a man after my own heart.”
“Hey, Tom is Patricia’s date. You’ll have to settle for me tonight,” she scolded.
Kade grinned. “Sure, Tessa. I’ll see you later.”
He had started to pull the phone away from his ear when he heard her shout, “Wait! Bear?”
Uh,  oh,  she  only  called  him  that  over  the  phone  when  she  wanted  something  she  thought  he  might
refuse to. “What is it?” he asked warily.
“Can you look kind of intimidating? You know, just in case this guy’s a douche and we need to scare
him off,” she explained.
Throwing his head back, Kade let out a belly laughed. “Ah, baby, have you looked at me lately? I’m
fucking intimidating without even trying!”
“Ah, you haven’t let yourself go have you, Kade? Is something wrong?”
Kade’s  features  settled  into  a  smile.  “No,  Tessa,  but  you  gotta  admit  I  look  the  part  of  a  rough
mechanic. Comes with the job.” He loved owning his own repair shop and wouldn’t trade his job for
all the gold in the world.
“Okay. So long as you’re fine, Bear. I’ll see you tonight,” Theresa replied, happiness returning to her

voice.
“Bye.”
After tossing the cell phone on his desk, he frowned at the clock. He’d have to leave closing the shop
to someone else if he wanted to get to Colin City on time, but that was fine. He had several capable
employees.
Kade  pushed  away  from  the  desk,  opened  a  door  to  a  dark  stairway,  and  headed  up  to  his  large
apartment over his garage. He hopped in the shower, using special soap to scrub at the grease under
his fingernails. A moment later, he stared at himself in the mirror. He did look a little rougher than
normal.  Maybe  the  beard  needed  to  go.  He  cocked  his  head,  running  a  wet  hand  over  the  carefully
trimmed whiskers. A goatee, maybe? Sure.
He  picked  up  his  razor  and  got  to  work,  carefully  buzzing  and  trimming  the  dark  hair  on  his  face.
Once  done,  he  ran  his  hand  over  the  freshly  shaved  skin,  liking  how  the  new  look  accentuated  his
strong jaw and cheekbones. So what if it wasn’t a real date. He could still look nice for his pseudo-
sister. As far as looking intimidating went, all he had to do was wear a shortsleeved shirt and show
off  his  tats  for  that  to  work.  His  six  foot  four  inch,  heavily  muscled  build  and  piercing  green  eyes
would  do  the  rest

—

and the bike, he decided. Spring was starting to warm things up, but it was still

pretty cool for the motorcycle. His leathers would take care of the rest of the look Theresa seemed to
want as well as the chill in the air.
Grinning, he finger combed the tousled mop of long dark curls he called hair, slicking it back from his
face. Kade pulled on a dark green t-shirt and comfortable, form-fitting jeans. After strapping on his
black leather chaps, he grabbed his motorcycle jacket, tossed it over his shoulder, and headed down
to the garage.
He found Todd finishing up an oil change on a beat up Toyota pickup. “Hey, do you want some extra
hours?” he called. “I need to get out of here.”
The fellow wolf shifter looked him up and down and whistled. “Hot date?”
Kade grinned and shook his head. “Dinner with my sister and her friends,” he admitted.
“Too bad, ‘cause you look killer in that outfit.” Todd pointed at his own face as he added, “I like the
goatee. It looks good on you. And the green shirt brings out your eyes.” He leaned close and checked
out the Celtic tattoos running the length of Kade’s left arm. “Where did you get these done? They’re
awesome!”
He knew the small wolf was already mated, but Kade still appreciated the compliments. “If you or
Lyle want a tat, go to Reb’s. He’s the best,” he advised.
Todd  glanced  around,  then  asked,  “Isn’t  he  the  big  redheaded  wolf  with  the  massive  dragon  on  his
back?”
Kade nodded. “Yup. That’s the guy. So, are you good closing uptonight?”
Todd beamed, obviously pleased that Kade trusted him enough to close on his own. “Yeah. Lyle is
working  late  tonight,  so  this  is  perfect.  It’ll  keep  me  from  stewing  at  home,”  he  added  with  an  eye
roll.
“Great,”  Kade  responded,  slapping  Todd  on  the  back,  the  impact  making  the  smaller  wolf  shifter
stumble forward a step. “I appreciate it.”
Giving him a sly look, Todd teased, “You could always swing by Rooster’s before going home. I’m
sure there’s a bunch of guys that would lick those tattoos for you!”
Laughing, Kade lifted a hand in a wave of acknowledgement and kept walking. He had to admit, the
smaller wolf had a very good point. A couple months ago he’d finished a three week stint as a guard
that  kept  him  unavailable  every  other  day.  While  catching  up  on  all  the  projects  and  orders  in  his

shop,  Kade  hadn’t  had  time  to  go  out.  Going  to  a  club  and  picking  up  some  cute  twink  would  be  a
great way to blow off some steam.
He thought of Nick, wondering if his friend and his mate would be up for that. But then he’d have to
tolerate Miach. He figured it was because he felt like he’d lost his best friend that he had such a hard
time accepting the guy. Nick was happy, that was what mattered, Kade admonished himself.
After  fitting  the  helmet  to  his  head,  he  brought  his  chopper  roaring  to  life.  He  headed  out  of  Stone
Ridge. He drove slowly, enjoying the scenery as well as the bite of cold, heralding another snow. The
winter  had  been  mild  this  year,  allowing  him  to  get  his  bike  out  more  than  usual.  His  high  shifter
tolerance for cold also helped with that. There was nothing better than romping through snow drifts
with other wolves.
His grin remained in place for the rest of the drive. He parked his bike and pulled out his cell phone,
chuckling when he saw he had a text from Tessa. Booth in back on right.
Locking up his helmet and leathers, he stretched his arms above his head and popped his back. After
doing the same to his neck, he headed into the restaurant. Walking inside, he inhaled the cooking meat
and spices. His appreciation.
The hostess gave him an enquiring look, but he waved her away. “My party is already here,” he told
her, heading in the direction Theresa had told him.
He saw his sister just as she glanced up and spotted him. She slipped from her side of the booth, a
relieved grin spreading over her lovely blonde features. “Hey, Bear! You made it!”
Oh, gods, was the date going that badly already?
He lifted an enquiring brow, but pasted a grin on his face and gave hera hug before kissing her cheek.
“Hey, Tessa, thanks for inviting me.” After smelling the delicious meat cooking, he really meant that.
Pulling away he finally turned to look at the couple sitting on the opposite side of the booth. A lovely
light brown haired woman smiled up at him, and he could easily see the resemblance to Jared. The
major  wonderful  smell  of  stomach  growled  in  difference  was  the  eyes.  Where  Jared’s  hazel  eyes
were cold and calculating, his sister’s eyes were alight with the joy of life. She held out a hand and
he shook it with a polite nice to meet you.
He turned to look at her date, and almost swallowed his tongue. The guy was absolutely stunning! He
had  auburn  hair  that  was  cut  into  a  respectable  businessstyle  do.  His  oval  face  ended  in  a  slightly
pointed  chin,  and  his  nice  cheekbones  were  formed  just  wide  enough  to  keep  his  face  looking
masculine. Kade held out his hand, and the other guy took it.
A  current  of  electricity  shot  through  his  body,  zinging  straight  to  his  groin.  His  cock  jerked  in  his
jeans,  and  Kade  felt  grateful  that  the  constrictive  material  would  hide  his  untimely  erection.  Tom’s
scent hit him, and Kade’s nostrils flared. Mate!
The guy cleared his throat. “Tom. Tom Bristol.”
“Kade McGraw,” he replied, unable to help it if his voice dropped an octave and came out a bit gruff.
His wolf howled in the back of his mind, and it took everything in him to release Tom’s hand and sit
down in the booth. Theresa eyed him speculatively. He ignored her. Kade grabbed Tessa’s water and
took a huge swig. “Did you all already order,” he asked when he finally had enough moisture in his
mouth to speak.
“Just an appetizer,” Theresa told him.
A waiter took that moment to stop at their table. “Can I get you something to drink, sir?”
With  his  mate  sitting  across  from  him  occupying  his  attention,  it  took  Kade  a  second  to  realize  his
tattoos  were  being  given  an  appreciative  look.  It  nearly  killed  him  that  his  mate  was  sitting  across
from him, and not next to him, and on a date with a woman, no less. He needed to know if Tom felt the

mate-pull at all. To do that, Kade leaned back in his seat and grinned up at the cute brunet. “I’d like a
Guinness, cutie,” he said with a wink. “Got that on tap?” He knew they did, but also knew the sexual
innuendo wouldn’t be missed.
The  waiter,  Phil  his  nametag  said,  gave  him  a  wide  smile.  “Oh,  yeah,  we  have  that  on  tap,”  he
replied.
“Excellent,” Kade purred.
Glancing  around  the  table,  Phil  said,  “Your  appetizer  should  be  ready  in  just  a  moment,  so  I’ll  be
back with those in a minute.” Kade watched the man leave, noticing there was a little extra swish to
his hips that had him smirking.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Tom’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard and looked down
at his plate. Was that a slight blush tingeing his neck and ears? Interesting.
Theresa laughed. “Gods, I can’t take you anywhere!” she teased.
Kade shrugged. “What can I say? He’s got a cute ass.” It was true. The guy did have a nice ass. Too
bad Kade didn’t feel even an iota of desire for him now that he’d met his mate.
“You’re gay?” Patricia asked bluntly.
Kade  leaned  forward,  resting  one  well-muscled  arm  on  the  table,  and  grinned.  “Oh,  I  don’t  mind
looking at the soft curves of a woman every now and then, but even you can’t deny that there’s nothing
like sliding your hands up the firm planes of a guy’s chest.”
Yup,  that  was  definitely  a  blush,  and  if  Kade’s  shifter  nose  wasn’t  mistaken,  arousal.  His  words
aroused his mate. Kade did a mental fist-pump.
Patricia giggled, tucking her hand into Tom’s arm. “Yeah.”
Kade  had  to  grit  his  teeth  to  keep  from  growling  at  the  woman  and  the  way  she  touched  his  mate.
Fucking  hell!  He  settled  back  on  the  booth  seat,  making  certain  he  couldn’t  reach  Patricia  as  she
scraped her nails down Tom’s arm. Kade didn’t think Jared would take too kindly to him murdering
his sister.
A pinch to his leg had him focusing on Theresa. “I’m going to the ladies’ room while we wait for the
food. I’ll be back in a minute,” she told their companions with a smile. The look that flashed in her
eyes said something completely different to Kade.
He smiled and slid from the booth to let her out. “I think I’m going to do the same. Long drive,” he
stated as an excuse.
He  followed  Theresa  around  to  the  other  side  of  the  restaurant  and  to  the  hall  where  the  restrooms
were hidden. Once in the relative seclusion of the hallway, she rounded on him, resting her hands on
her hips. “What the hell is going on with you?”
Kade grimaced. He propped his back against a wall and slammed his head into the wood trim. “He’s
my fucking mate, Tessa!” He groaned out the admission.
“Oh, Kade!” she murmured, taking his arm. “I’m so sorry!”
Growling softly, he focused on his sister. “You know that favor you owe me? Well, I’m cashing it in.
I need your help.”
She  blinked  up  at  him,  her  expression  clearly  pensive.  “Okay.  I’ll  help  as  long  as  it  doesn’t  hurt
Patricia. She practically has them married already.”
A  snarl  escaped  him  before  he  could  get  a  hold  of  himself.  “I  know  he  feels  the  connection,”  he
snapped.  “I  could  smell  his  arousal  when  I  started  talking  about—”  he  cut  himself  off  and  turned
away, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck!”
“Okay, okay,” Theresa crooned, running her hands up and down his arms. “What do you need me to
do?”

“I need information about Tom,” he replied, thinking quickly. “What does he do for fun? Where did he
go to school? What does he do for a living? What kind of car does he drive?” Theresa’s eyes
widened with each question he wanted to know about his mate, and he grimaced. “I’d ask myself but
I’ve a feeling now that Patricia knows I’m gay, she’ll get offended.”
Theresa nodded. “Right, I can understand that. Anything else?”
“Can you figure out a way to have his car break down outside my shop?” he muttered dryly.
She scoffed. “That might be a little harder.” Sobering, she frowned. “So what’s with you and the
waiter?”
“I wanted to know if Tom would get upset, aroused, irritated.” He shrugged and waved a hand. “Just
looking for a reaction to see where he stands,” he admitted.
“Maybe Jared has met him,” Theresa pointed out. “Tom is dating his sister, and he strikes me as the
overly protective type.”
Kade grunted. “You got that right,” he muttered. He was one of a few wolves in the pack that knew
Jared used to work as an assassin. When the human mated with Carson, he gave that life up and now
worked mostly for the pack, procuring information and rescuing shifters. Kade had been on one such
raid with him and watched the man work. His cold efficiency impressed Kade almost as much as it
scared him. He wondered how Carson lived with the snarky man.
Refocusing, he let out a long breath. He smiled and pointed back down the short hallway. “Well, let’s
get this show on the road.” He followed Theresa back toward his mate.

Chapter Two

om struggled to keep his breathing even and the tension filling his body hidden. There was nothing

he could do about the stiffness in a certain member, though. Why the hell am I reacting this way to
the big man? He was so deep in the closet, his urges buried so far beneath the surface, he shouldn’t
be responding like this to just Kade’s handshake and voice. Even if everything about the man was
sexy as hell.

Banishing that thought, he tried to focus on what Patricia was saying. He needed to get hold of

himself, and fast. He didn’t want the woman to think his sudden boner was due to anything she’d
done.
“What do you think you’re getting?”

Patricia’s perky voice cut into the tumult of his thoughts. He swallowed a gulp of beer, trying to

get moisture into his throat so he could answer. Tom still needed to clear his throat to get words out.
“I always get their ribs.” He’d already told her that, twice.

“Oh, right,” she murmured absently, returning her focus to the menu.

Tom wanted to roll his eyes, but resisted the urge. Patricia’s father was an important man in the local
banking industry, and a match with her would be good for his family. They desperately needed a loan
to  keep  their  family’s  sporting  goods  store  open.  It  had  been  an  abysmal  season,  and  even  though
things had started to turn around now that he handled marketing, it was too little too late. If he could
win Patricia’s hand, he could talk her father into getting the loan for his store to keep it afloat because
they were family.
What about what’s good for you?
Clenching his jaw, Tom banished his inner voice. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t physically attracted
to Patricia. He’d find a way to make it work. Being gay in his family wasn’t an option. Every time he
went  home,  his  father  Harvey  was  on  some  tirade  about  how  fags  were  clogging  up  Colin  City.
Tomwasn’t even man enough to tell his father that Patricia’s brother was gay. How the hell could he
ever admit it about himself?
I can’t.
At least all his self-flagellation had gotten rid of his erection. The return of their waiter with the beer
and nacho supreme appetizer interrupted his thoughts. Even as he smiled and thanked the man, who
looked  disappointed  that  Kade  wasn’t  at  the  table,  jealousy  unlike  anything  Tom  had  ever
experienced  surged  through  him.  This  slender  guy,  who  probably  wasn’t  even  legal,  was  out  and
proud.
Fuck! Stop thinking about it!
Steeling  his  emotions,  he  smiled  and  handed  Patricia  a  plate.  “Can  I  serve  you  some  of  this?”  he
asked.
“Mmm, sure. Just make sure I don’t get any olives. Kay?” she replied, flashing him what she probably
thought was a sultry smile. The problem was, it did nothing for him.
Keeping his smile firmly in place, he teased, “Excellent. More for me.”
He piled a serving on both their plates and took a bite. Tom couldn’t fathom why the hell a rib joint
had  a  nacho  supreme  on  their  appetizer  list,  but  these  were  fantastic.  “Oh,  delicious,”  he  muttered,
letting out a hum of approval.
“Oh, now I like the sound of that.”
The deep, rumbling purr of Kade’s voice heralded the man’s return. And his dick began to firm back

up just that fast. Tom offered him a smile before quickly turning his focus to the food. He pointed at
the  pile  of  chips,  cheese,  refried  beans,  flavored  ground  beef,  and  various  other  toppings.  “That  is
fantastic. I could live on these guy’s nachos and ribs,” he admitted.
Kade chuckled, and Tom had to suppress a shiver. “A man after my own heart. Hand me a plate there,
would you, Tom.”
The  way  Kade  practically  purred  his  name  sent  all  kinds  of  tingles  skittering  across  Tom’s  nerve
endings. His tension ratcheted up a notch. Handing the man a plate, Tom was careful to avoid contact
between them.
The waiter must have been watching, since Phil almost immediately appeared at Kade’s side. “Have
you decided what you’d like?” He asked the question of all of them, but most of his attention was on
the biker.
Kade grinned up at the man and waved a hand to signal the ladies should order first. Tom couldn’t
help his feeling of disapproval when Patricia ordered a salad. A freaking salad for supper at a rib
joint?  Come  on! And  the  pleasure  he  suddenly  felt  a  moment  later  had  nothing  to  do  with  Kade’s
order of a double rack of ribs, loaded baked potato, and green beans. Could the man really pack that
much away? Looking at Kade’s size and muscle mass, something told Tom that he could.
Once Phil left again, Theresa leaned her elbows on the table and focused on Tom. “So, Tom, Patricia
tells me you met her through her brother-in-law. What do you do for work?”
“I’m the marketing executive for my family’s store, All Weather Outfitters,” he said. It looked like the
inquisition was going to start before dinner. Ah, well. He’d expected as much.
“Nice. Have you been doing that long?” she prodded further.
Smirking, Tom decided he’d just get it over with. “I graduated from Colin City University in the top
two percent of my class three years ago. I’ve worked just about every aspect of the family business
from  sales  representative,  cashier,  all  the  way  up  to  management.  I  was  promoted  to  marketing
executive six months ago, and since then have increased sales by thirteen percent. I’m twenty-six. I’m
five foot ten, and I weigh one hundred fifty-two pounds. I enjoy running and hiking in the summer and
cross-country  skiing  and  snowmobiling  in  the  winter.”  His  long-winded  self-talk  gave  Tom  the
audacity to wink at Kade, then he returned his focus to Theresa. “How about you?”
Kade chuckled softly. “He got ya there, Tessa.”
Tessa glared at Kade, but there didn’t appear to be any heat in the look. “Shut up, Bear.” Then she
grinned at Tom and shrugged unabashedly. “Gotta make sure you measure up. I wouldn’t be a good
friend if I didn’t.”
The  sly  look  Theresa  gave  Kade,  and  Kade’s  consequent  eye  roll,  spelled  trouble.  “What’s  your
favorite football team?”
“Green Bay Packers,” Tom answered warily.
That had Kade slamming his beer onto the table. Good thing it was nearly empty already, or he would
have made quite the mess. “What! How can you root for that sham of a team?” he snapped, leaning
one elbow on the table as he frowned at Tom. “They pawned off Favreon us and it’s done nothing but
bring us down! Someone greased some palms there. I just know it,” he said, dropping his fist to the
table to add emphasis to his words.
Tom  curled  his  lip.  “Sure  palms  were  greased,  because  the  Vikings  could  never  beat  the  Packers
while  Favre  was  playing  for  them.  Packers  are  better,”  he  stated,  adding  a  negligent  shrug  just
because he knew it would irritate the man further.
“They most certainly are not,” Kade snarled, leaning even farther across the expanse of the table.
His  blood  zinged  through  his  veins.  Excitement  coursed  through  him  and  his  dick  throbbed  as  Tom

enjoyed  the  heated  argument  with  the  sexy  man.  That  realization  caught  him  up  short.  After
swallowing  hard  to  get  his  racing  pulse  under  control,  Tom  settled  back  into  his  seat  and  smirked.
“Superbowl wins say it all, Kade.”
Kade opened his mouth to reply, but Patricia huffed. “As if any of that’s important.” She turned her
attention to Theresa and said, “How can men spend so much time arguing about that stuff?”
Irritation  coursed  through  Tom  that  the  woman  he  was  entertaining  the  idea  of  proposing  to  could
dismiss football so easily. To his surprise, Kade actually grinned, settled back in his seat, and turned
to look at Theresa in expectation of her answer.
Theresa finished chewing the chip she’d just put in her mouth. After carefully wiping her lips with a
napkin  she  replied,  “Sorry,  Kade.  Tom  makes  a  valid  point.  Packs  have  won  four  superbowls.
Vikings, zilch.”
Seeing  the  mock  shock  on  Kade’s  face  was  worth  any  price  as  he  sputtered  about  betraying  the
family. Tom leaned over and pecked a chaste kiss to Patricia’s cheek. “See, sweetie? Some women
enjoy sports.” Tom knew he’d never change her mind when he saw the look of disgust on her face.
He gave a mental shrug and turned back to the man across the table, wondering if he had any more
words  on  the  subject.  To  his  utter  shock,  he  found  Kade  was  giving  him  a  look  of  angry,  feral
possession so hot that Tom actually felt a drop of pre-cum ooze from his erection.
Kade’s  deep  green  eyes  narrowed,  and  for  a  second,  he  seemed  to  lift  his  nose  and  inhale,  as  if
scenting  the  air.  Then  the  big  man  turned  to  look  at  their  approaching  waiter,  and  the  moment  was
gone. Tom felt a shiver run down his spine, but he wasn’t certain if it was attraction or fear.
And the jealousy he felt seeing the flirting that passed between Kade and Phil made no sense. Even if
Tom  could  admit  that  he  wanted  use  his  tongue  to  trace  the  outline  of  the  Celtic  tattoos  partially
hidden by Kade’s short sleeves, find out how far up they went, he’d never act on it.
For the remainder of the meal, Tom focused on his date, his food, and making certain he mostly spoke
with the women. Still, he couldn’t help noticing when Phil slipped Kade his phone number written on
the back of a receipt. Nor, could he figure out why it pissed him off so much when Kade returned the
much younger man’s smile and even leered brazenly at him.
All Tom wanted to do was get home and forget this date ever happened. Instead, once they made it to
the  parking  lot,  the  women  gathered  around  Kade’s  motorcycle  for  their  last  good-byes.  Kade  had
agreed to drop Theresa off at home, since Tom had picked her up.
Kade  strapped  on  a  pair  of  leather  chaps  which  clung  to  his  legs  and  ass  in  the  most  delicious  of
ways, then he swung his leg over his bike and grinned at them all. “You sure you don’t want a short
ride, Patricia? Nothing like the power of a Harley between your thighs,” he said, holding up a second
helmet.
He might have been talking to Patricia, but Tom couldn’t help noticing the way Kade’s gaze slid over
him  like  a  visual  caress.  There  was  no  way  Kade  could  miss  the  erection  filling  Tom’s  jeans,  and
Tom didn’t miss the heat in the biker’s eyes.
“Oh, no. Motorcycles are really not my thing,” Patricia answered, shaking her head.
I’d love a ride, and not just on your motorcycle.
The thought slipped through his mental guard, making Tom struggle to keep from blushing. Somehow,
from the way Kade lifted a brow and the glitter of his green eyes, Tom just knew the man was aware
of the direction of his thoughts. Damn!
Finally, he was able to get away. Tom just managed to keep from looking at Kade over his shoulder
when  his  big  bike  roared  to  life,  but  nothing  could  stop  him  from  checking  him  out  in  his  rearview
mirror as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Do you really like hiking and running and cross- country skiing?” Patricia asked.
“Sure do,” he replied. Pasting a smile to his lips, Tom said, “My family does own a sporting goods
store, after all. I can get you some great deals on sneakers or skis if you want to join me some time.”
“Oh, no way,” she replied, waving away his offer. “I’ll just go get a massage while you’re off doing
that.” Patricia giggled, as if that were the most obvious choice in the world.
Tom cringed inwardly. Do I have anything in common with this woman?
When they pulled up to her house, Tom dutifully walked Patricia to the door. She looked up at him
through her lashes and asked, “Would you like to come in for a nightcap?”
He knew she meant to be seductive, but Tom felt nothing, and he sure as hell didn’t want to fake it
tonight. Smiling, he lied, “I’m sorry. I have a marketing presentation in the morning, and I really need
to finish the presentation.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then pulled away. “I’ll call you
soon,” he promised even as he hurried toward his car.
Quickly getting behind the wheel, Tom turned toward home and a bottle of Scotch.
Shit, what the hell am I going to do?

Chapter Three

fter dropping off Theresa at her townhouse, and assuring her multiple times that he’d be fine,

Kade roared down the country roads. He wondered what the hell he was going to do. His mate was a
closeted human. He needed advice, and needed it fast.

As Kade made his way back to Stone Ridge, he thought through his available options and

grimaced when he realized who he needed to go to. Looking at his watch to verify that it wasn’t too
late, he turned his motorcycle toward the home of Patricia’s brother.

Kade pull ed up in front of Jared’s home and stared at the ranch-style structure. A wraparound

porch disappeared to the left, and an attached three car garage stood to the right. He shut down his
motorcycle, settled his helmet on the handlebar, and swung his leg over, all the while trying to figure
out how in the hell he was going to tell the other man that he planned to steal his sister’s boyfriend
from her.

He hadn’t even reached the porch when the front door opened, casting a beam of light across the

front yard. “Kade, is something wrong?”

Well, shit, he really should have stopped to call first, as he saw the concern on Carson’s face.

The Native American wolf shifter was the pack enforcer and Jared’s mate. “No, sir,” he replied
quickly. “I’m not here on pack matters.”

Reaching the door, Carson stepped back and ushered him inside. “Really?” Kade could see the

concern gleaming in Carson’s brown eyes turn to interest.

Kade paused in the entry hall and turned to face the pack enforcer and ran a hand through his hair.

“I have a personal problem that I hope your mate can assist me with,” he admitted.

“I see,” Carson replied. “This way.” He followed the other wolf deeper into the house and down

a beautifully carved wooden staircase. “Jared, are you at a point where you canpause for a moment?”

Kade’s jaw nearly dropped when he reached the bottom of the stairs and the large basement

opened before him. On the wall on the left hung a massive display of guns, old ones, from muskets to
bayonets. One long desk took up nearly the entire length of the far wall, with a safe kitty-corner to the
bookshelves that lined the wall on the right. On the desk rested a computer and several laptops. The
bookshelves were filled with every reference material known to man.

A redhead sat in a chair in front of one of the laptops. Upon Carson’s voice, he spun around and

Kade recognized him as Jared’s friend Raul. “Hey man,” the human greeted Kade before returning his
focus to whatever he was working on.

Movement out of the corner of his eye had Kade turning toward his right. This time he couldn’t

stop his jaw from dropping when one entire bookcase swung outward into a hidden room. Jared
strode through the gap and into the room, flipping through files as he walked. As the bookshelf swung
back into place, Kade spotted weapons in the room beyond, illegal ones if he didn’t miss his guess.

“Close your mouth, Kade. You’ll catch a fly,” Jared said, a corner of his lip curving in amusement

although he never seemed to even look their way. “I can’t locate the scientist’s headquarters if I keep
getting interrupted,” he toned.

“I apologize for interrupting,” Kade quickly replied, giving the enforcer’s mate the respect he was

due. “I have a problem and I’m hoping you can help.” When Jared didn’t respond and instead leaned
over Raul’s shoulder to stare at the laptop’s screen, Kade ran a hand through his thick hair. He pulled
the band from the back and scratched his scalp. There was no easy way to say this. “I met your sister
this evening. Patricia.”

That brought Jared up short. He straightened and tossed the files on the desk. Turning cool hazel

eyes on Kade, he looked him up and down. “Don’t tell me she’s your mate,” he said dryly.
“No,” Kade admitted. “Her boyfriend is.”

Jared rested his hands on his hips and frowned. “Tom Bristol?” Kade swallowed and frowned.

“Awe, fuck,” Jared growled.

He expected the cussing, since he’d essentially just told Jared his sister would have to find a new

boyfriend. What he didn’t expect was for the man to whip out his wallet, count out several twenties,
and slap them into a very amused Carson’s palm.
Not really understanding, he asked, “You bet on your sister?”

Carson chuckled. “Nope. On Tom.” The shifter pocketed the cash and turned to a scowling Jared.

“I told you he was gay.”

“Well, even if he wasn’t before, he will be now,” Jared muttered.

Kade  knew  what  Jared  meant,  since  it  was  fairly  common  knowledge  that  Jared  had  never  even
thought about being with a man until he’d run into Carson and learned he was mated to the wolf. But
in this case, Kade stated, “He’s definitely in the closet, but that still leaves me with the problem of
your sister.”
Jared leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “How so?”
“Well, I’m gonna subtly court the man,” Kade declared. “I don’t really wanna piss you off because
I’m gonna steal your sister’s man.” He didn’t like poaching but in this case, Kade didn’t really see a
choice.
“Awe, Patricia wouldn’t have ended up with Tom anyway,” Jared said, waving a hand dismissively.
Kade shook his head. “That’s not what I heard from my friend Theresa. She told me Patricia is talking
marriage  to  Tom.”  He  growled  the  last  few  words,  hating  the  idea  of  what  the  pair  could  be  doing
right now. His hackles rose at that thought, and Kade had to fight back his wolf’s desire to track down
his mate and make certain they both went home alone.
“Hmm,”  Jared  toned,  his  eyes  narrowing.  “The  man’s  not  right  for  her.”  Then  he  smirked  at  Kade.
“No offense to your mate.”
He forced out a chuckle. “I agree with you.”
“Well, I guess I have some other research to do,” Jared muttered, sliding into a chair and booting up a
laptop.
Kade  glanced  between  the  muttering  human’s  seated  form  and  Carson.  The  enforcer  shrugged.  “He
approves you breaking up his sister and Tom.”
He  swept  an  arm  toward  the  stairs,  and  Kade  recognized  the  dismissal.  “I  appreciate  his,  um,
understanding,” he said, heading upstairs.
Carson  nodded.  “I  was  actually  going  to  seek  you  out  tomorrow,  but  since  you’re  here,  I  have  one
other thing to discuss with you.”
Pausing in the hall, Kade turned his focus to his enforcer and inclined his head. “Anything I can do to
help.”
Smiling,  Carson’s  eyes  twinkled  with  mischief.  “This  is  something  that  could  actually  help  you,
within the pack anyway.”
“Yeah?” Kade cocked his head in interest.
“As you know, over the last couple of years we’ve accepted a number of new members as well as
granted asylum to several shifters without a pack,” Carson said. At Kade’s nod of acknowledgement,
Carson  continued.  “Declan  has  decided  to  offer  the  position  of  second  and  third  enforcer  to  half  a
dozen wolves. If you’re interested, there will be a right-for-position challenge next Saturday. You’re

welcome to come fight for one of those positions.”
Amazement and pride flooded Kade. Just the idea that his alpha and Carson felt him a candidate for
such a prominent position in the pack filled him with pleasure. “Thank you,” he managed to get out.
“I’m honored to be offered such an opportunity. I will be there.”
Carson  nodded,  a  smile  curving  his  lips.  “Good.  Nineo’  clock  at  Laremie’s  Rock.  Come  early,”
Carson commanded.
“I will, sir,” Kade responded.
The  enforcer  opened  the  front  door,  and  Kade  strode  into  the  night.  As  he  straddled  his  bike  and
headed  home,  he  couldn’t  help  but  feel  blessed.  He’d  met  his  mate  and  had  been  offered  the
opportunity to increase his status in the pack all in one night. Now, how to succeed in both areas?

It took Theresa two days to call Kade. Two days of struggling to concentrate on bike repairs and

detailing fenders. As he listened to her explain what she’d found out about Tom’s schedule, Kade
began to smile.

Chapter Four

om stared at the sales figures, his brows crinkling. Although they weren’t quite where Tom

wanted them, they were still climbing. Just not fast enough. The store would still need the loan, which
meant his plans to get in with Patricia’s family needed to continue.

Rising from his seat, Tom stretched his arms over his head and popped his back. He decided it

was past time to take a stroll through the store. He wanted to people watch and see how the new
marketing displays were working out.

He strolled down an aisle of camping equipment, pleased with the interest he saw in the recently

erected end display regarding new collapsible camping stoves. The shelves were half empty, and
Tom made a note to mention restocking the section to the floor manager. He moved on toward the
clothing department, curious how the addition of Adidas and Nike to their more local lines impacted
attraction.

Several men had shirts over their arms as they moved through the racks. He hid a pleased smile as

he watched them check the racks. Who says women are the only ones who like to shop? Tom turned
to a rack and moved shirts as if looking through them for his own interest while he continued to watch
the traffic patterns.

After ten minutes, there was a lull and no more customers were in the area. He was about to turn

and move to the next section of the store when he became aware of a presence behind him. “You have
a very nice store here, Tom.”

The rumbling voice sent shivers down his spine and the hair on the nape of his neck stood on end.

Licking his lips, he swallowed hard before turning around. Just as he suspected, Kade McGraw stood
no more than three feet away from him. His throat dried up just that fast at the delicious looking man.

Kade wore a blue t-shirt advertising a bike repair shop on his chest, form-fitting, faded blue

jeans, and black biker boots. Edges of tattoos peeked from under the top of his t-shirt, up his neck,
and down his arms. Kade’s hands were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, outlining his groin,
and Tom had to clamp his jaw shut to stop from licking his lips at the sexy picture he made.

“What are you doing here?” he finally managed to ask.

Shrugging one broad shoulder, he smiled sensually, if a smile on a man could be called such. “I came
to check out your hiking boots.”
Tom did not feel disappointed by that response. He didn’t want Kade to come see him. The big man
was a complication he didn’t want or need in his life.
Somehow,  as  if  reading  his  thoughts,  Kade  moved  a  step  toward  him,  closing  the  distance  between
them. He dropped his head down a bit and growled into Tom’s ear, “And I came to see you, Tom.”
The  heat  of  the  man’s  breath  against  the  shell  of  his  ear  had  his  cock  thickening  in  his  slacks.  He
couldn’t move, couldn’t think, as all the blood in his body flowed south. Kade’s lips brushed against
his  neck,  caressing  lightly.  He  could  smell  the  dark  musk  of  man  on  the  guy’s  skin  and  Tom’s  dick
oozed a bead of pre- cum. A whimper of need escaped Tom’s throat.
The sound acted like a bucket of ice water to his face, and Tom jerked away from Kade. Hangers dug
into  his  back  and  he  spun  sideways,  putting  distance  between  himself  and  the  man  who  was  so
dangerous to Tom’s libido. How the hell could I forget that cameras are everywhere in here?
“Cut that shit out,” he snarled, glancing around nervously.
Kade cocked his head, his deep green eyes narrowing. The smile grew slightly. “But you enjoy it so
much, Tom,” he seemed to purr, his gaze dropping to the bulge outlined in Tom’s slacks.

His cheeks heated. It didn’t matter how right Kade was, he did not need this right now. Somehow, he
had to explain his position to the exasperating man, but he sure as hell couldn’t tell him in the middle
of the store. “Come with me,” he snapped.
Turning, he forced himself to stride calmly through the store. He knew the big man followed, not just
from the sound of his long-legged strides and biker boots thumping on the floor behind him, but from
the heat caused by how close he stayed behind him. Tom led Kade to his office.
He  heard  the  door  click  closed  behind  him,  locking  him  in  with  the  big  man.  Suddenly,  the  walls
closed in on him and the room seemed to shrink. Maybe bringing him to his office wasn’t such a good
idea. His fears were confirmed when Kade’s heat pressed against his back and strong muscle-corded
arms wrapped around him, one around his shoulders and chest, the other around his waist.
“You’re right,” Kade’s voice rumbled. “This is so much better.”
Tom shook his head. “This isn’t why I brought you here,” he forced out. It took everything in him not
to melt against the man and give in to the lust coursing through his body.
Kade nuzzled the back of his neck then started nibbling down the tendons of his neck. Tom groaned,
unable  to  stop  himself  from  tilting  his  head  and  offering  the  other  man  more  room.  “You’ve  gotta
stop,” he said with a moan.
“Nooo,”  Kade  crooned.  “We  both  like  it  too  much.”  To  prove  his  point,  he  slid  the  hand  that  was
around Tom’s waist to his thigh and used his thumb to caress the side of Tom’s hard dick through his
pants. While he did that, Kade gently bumped his groin against Tom’s ass, rubbing his own erection
against his backside.
Tom let out the groan he’d been fighting and finally pressed back against the man. “I can’t,” he stated,
even as his actions were at odds with his words. “I’m not out. I’m going to marry a woman.”
“Jared’s sister?” Kade asked with a chuckle. Tom grunted his confirmation. “No, you’re not. You’re
going to be mine.”
The man’s confidence was sexy and stimulating, but also pissed Tom off. Still, he couldn’t force his
body to pull out of the man’s arms. Kade’s touch felt too good. His thumb as it slid along his dick had
Tom’s words coming out breathy,with longing. “Not yours. Not gay.”
“Ah, gonna play that card, are you?” The purring, chuckled question sent more warm breath ghosting
over the skin of his neck, already moistened by Kade’s kisses.
Tom  hissed  in  appreciation.  Fuck,  the  man  knew  how  to  seduce  someone.  “You’re  much  too  tense,
Tom,” Kade whispered, resuming his kisses. “You need some relief. I can help you with that. All you
have to do is ask.”
As he spoke, one big hand smoothed over his chest, grazing his nipples. The other cupped his inner
thigh,  pressing  the  flesh  of  his  hand  against  Tom’s  balls,  and  the  man’s  thumb  massaged  the  soft,
sensitive tissue at the base of Tom’s dick. It was the most delicious stimulation his body had felt in
years, ever since he’d returned from college and had to put aside his desires. Damn it to hell, Tom
wanted to give in so badly.
Tears  sprang  to  his  eyes  as  he  gripped  the  edge  of  his  desk  with  both  hands.  “I  can’t.  Oh,  god,  I
can’t,” he moaned.
Kade’s hand moved away from his dick to settle on Tom’s quivery stomach muscles, and Tom didn’t
know if he wanted to cry with relief or protest. The big man’s grip loosened slowly as he nibbled up
Tom’s  neck  to  the  sensitive  skin  just  behind  his  ear.  “You’re  loyal,”  Kade  whispered  once  he’d
ceased  sucking  lightly.  “I  respect  that.  Break  it  off  with  Patricia,  Tom,  so  you  won’t  feel  any  guilt
when I take you.” A hard nip to his earlobe had Tom crying out in pleasure, his cock jerking in his
slacks. “And I willtake you,” Kade added, growling the words gruffly.

Then the arms were gone from around him. Tom stood there for several minutes, his body trembling,
the blood roaring in his ears. When he finally had himself together enough, he turned to face Kade, his
mouth opening to say something, anything, but Kade was gone.
Tom dropped into the chair in front of his desk and groaned. “Holy fuck,” he whispered. “What am I
going to do?” His cock jerked, reminding him that there was something he needed to do, desperately.
Reaching behind him, he flipped the lock on his door. Tom unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants.
His eager cock outlined his briefs, and he maneuvered his dick through the hole. A groan escaped him
when he wrapped his fingers around his shaft and stroked.
His  breath  coming  in  soft  pants,  he  pressed  his  thumb  into  his  slit,  gathered  a  couple  drops  of  pre-
cum, and then used it to massage the moisture into the soft, sensitive nerves directly under the head of
his dick. He mewled in pleasure, imagining it was Kade’s thumb instead of his own.
He wondered what it would be like to give in to Kade’s ministrations. He’d never gone all the way
with  a  man,  even  in  college.  His  experience  was  limited  to  jerking  off  and  blowjobs.  Stroking  his
shaft firmly, he used his other hand to cup his balls, rolling them in his palm. With how keyed up he
was, Tom knew it wouldn’t take long for him to blow.
Sparks were already spreading down his spine and settling in his balls, pulling them tight against his
body. He moved his fingers back, massaging the sensitive skin between them and his anus. His breath
hitching, he moved farther back, ghosting over his hole.
Giving in to temptation with a groan, Tom eased the tip of his forefinger into his clenching hole while
still massaging that sensitive patch of skin with his thumb. His other hand worked his dick. Stroking
deeper and deeper into his anus again and again, he moaned and rocked between his hands.
His breathing sped up. Heat flared from his ass to his balls to his dick. His thighs trembled. His abs
clenched. His testicles tightened and his body convulsed. “Oh god!” he moaned as cum shot from his
dick and arced toward his desk. Streams of seed spattered on the floor between his trembling legs.
Tom grunted as one last stream pulsed from his dick. He dropped his head against the back of the seat
and  panted  softly.  His  hand  stilled  and  his  shaft  slowly  softened.  He  closed  his  eyes,  enjoying  the
afterglow of the most amazing orgasm of his life, and Kade’s sensual smile and burning green eyes
swam behind his eyelids. His penis actually twitched.
Groaning in disbelief, he thumped his head against the chair. “Fucking hell!”

Chapter Five

om decided he was going crazy. For the last three days, he thought he’d seen Kade everywhere.

At the gas station filling a travel mug with coffee, at the grocery story picking out cantaloupe, at the
bus stop stepping off a vehicle headed downtown, but none of them were him. In fact, Tom hadn’t
actually seen the object of his lust since the seduction scene in his office Monday evening.

He tossed back the shot of tequila and picked up the bottle, intending to refill the small glass.

Instead, he set the bottle back down on his kitchen counter and rested his forehead on his fist.

Tom knew he couldn’t keep going on like this. He had a date with Patricia and needed to pick her

up in an hour and a half. He couldn’t do that if he was sloshed, no matter how much he wanted the
liquid fortification. If he was drunk enough, maybe he could convince his dick to cooperate, so they
could have sex. When they’d talked on the phone last night, she’d asked him if he found her attractive.

Tom knew she wondered why he didn’t take her up on her offers, and if he couldn’t get it up for

her while they were dating, how the hell was he going to be able to screw her after they were
married? He knew the answer. He couldn’t. This wasn’t fair to anyone, not Patricia, not himself, not
even Kade. Kade. God, I want him. Tom just knew a night with that man would be amazing.

Groaning, he thumped his head on the counter once, then he poured that second shot after all and

slammed it back. He grimaced at the burn and put the bottle in the cupboard. Heading to his bedroom,
Tom resigned himself to his fate. He had to get ready to go.

When he pulled up to Patricia’s apartment, he stared at the door for several long moments before

easing himself out of the car. He’d come to a decision as he showered earlier, and he didn’t know if it
was right or wrong, but it had to be done.

He strode up the walk and rang the bell. Patricia answered the door before the chimes had even

finished ringing, but her smile faded as she took in the jeans and tshirt he wore. “Hey, what’s going
on?”

“I’m sorry, Patricia. I had to cancel our reservation. Can I come inside for a minute to talk?” he

said quietly.
He watched the woman’s eyes narrow and her lips press into a firm line. “Okay.” She swung the door
wide  and  led  him  into  the  living  room.  Before  he  could  even  begin  to  think  of  how  to  begin,  she
crossed her arms over her chest and stated, “You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?”
After letting out a long breath, Tom nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, Patricia.” As he said
the  words,  he  realized  he  truly  meant  them.  If  it  could  have  worked  with  her,  his  life  would  be  so
much less complicated.
Patricia  swallowed  hard,  blinking  her  eyes  quickly  for  a  few  seconds.  “After  our  conversation  last
night, I can’t really say I’m surprised,” she admitted. “We used to have fun together, but you’ve been
distant recently. Has another woman caught your eye?”
At  least,in  that,  Tom  could  be  honest.  “No,”  he  replied.  “No  other  woman. You  have  to  admit,  as
we’ve  gotten  to  know  each  other,  it’s  been  painfully  obvious  that  our  interests  lie  in  completely
opposite directions.”
Lifting  her  shoulders  in  a  jerky  shrug,  Patricia  harrumphed.  “I  suppose.  I  certainly  can’t  see  myself
mountain biking or hiking or whatever,” she admitted grudgingly.
Tom  stepped  forward  and  grasped  Patricia’s  hand,  cradling  it  between  his  own.  “You  deserve
someone  you  can  be  happy  with.  So  do  I,”  he  said,  realizing  his  words  were  quite  true.  He  did
deserve  happiness.  “You’re  a  wonderful,  sweet  woman.  I’m  sorry  that  it  couldn’t  have  been  with

each other, but we just don’t mesh.”
After  she  nodded,  Tom  leaned  forward  and  pressed  a  chaste  kiss  to  her  lips.  “Thank  you  for  the
wonderful times together.”
He squeezed her hand once more and she gave him a wavering smile. Then Tom said good-bye and
left.  He  paused  on  the  doorstep  and  took  a  deep  breath.  Fear  settled  in  his  gut.  He  knew  what  his
father would say when he found out about this. God, he didn’t want to hear any condescending words.
He’d have to find another way to bail out the store. Rubbing two fingers over the skin between his
eyebrows, he decided he’d figure it out later. Right now, he wanted some down time where he could
be anonymous and not have to think, about anything.
Tom  knew  it  was  a  gay  club,  but  he’d  never  had  the  courage  to  enter  the  place.  Maybe  it  was  a
masochistic desire to see what he was missing that made Tom go there now. Maybe it was a need to
be amidst other men with desires similar to his own.
Either way, Tom soon found himself sitting in Rooster’s at a back table, both hands wrapped around a
beer bottle, as he stared at the uninhibited men on the dance floor. He wondered what it’d be like to
be comfortable enough with himself to be one of those men, letting the music and press of bodies take
him away. He bet Kade would make a sexy dance partner. His dick filled just thinking about having
the man’s arms around him as they ground together on the dance floor.
To  his  eternal  shock,  Tom  had  a  few  men  stop  by  his  table  and  ask  him  to  dance.  After  the  first
blundering  refusal,  Tom  discovered  the  phraseI’m  just  here  to  view  the  scenery  tonight  delivered
with a smile and a wink worked great to send the men on their way.
A  man  leaning  against  the  bar  caught  Tom’s  eye.  He  looked  vaguely  familiar,  and  tension  began  to
return as he tried to place the short dark hair, smirking lips, and lithe build. He wore black jeans and
a dark t-shirt, and looked comfortable in this environment. Does that mean he comes here often?
He tried to lean back into the shadows even farther when the guy turned his back to the bar and slowly
swept his gaze over the room. At first, Tom thought he’d succeeded in not being noticed. But then the
man turned back to the bartender, took a beer and a tumbler full of something else, and headed right
toward him.
Without asking for permission, the guy sat down in the chair next to him and set the drink he’d carried
in front of Tom. “Hello, Tom,” he said, his tone full of warmth that didn’t quite reach his eyes, hazel
eyes, like Patricia’s.
“Oh, shit,” he whispered. “Did Patricia send you? How’d you find me here?”
Jared  grinned  at  that,  his  amusement  clear.  “Nice  greeting,  especially  after  I  brought  you  a  drink.”
Tom  knew  his  stricken  look  didn’t  change.  Jared  rolled  his  eyes  and  looked  across  the  room.
“Patricia did not send me,” he stated. “If you hadn’t broken up with her tonight, I’d be here to warn
you away from her, but since you already did that, I’m here to help you.”
That  had  Tom  jerking  back.  “What?  If  Patricia  didn’t  call  you,  how  did  you  know  we  broke  up
tonight? And why would you warn me away from her?”
Smirking, Jared shook his head. “I bugged my family’s homes, and do I really need to answer that last
question considering where we are?”
“Why would you bug your family’s homes?” Tom latched onto the first answer, since he wasn’t ready
to address the second. As he watched Jared’s cool, assessing gaze, he wondered if he’d even get a
straight answer.
“At  times,  I  deal  with  many  dangerous  people.  I  need  to  be  certain  those  choices  don’t  impact  my
family,” he stated bluntly.
“Dangerous people?”

Jared  fastened  an  inscrutable  look  on  Tom.  “That’s  all  I’ll  say  for  now.  And  don’t  think  I  didn’t
notice  your  evasion  of  the  other  part  of  what  we  were  talking  about. You’re   gay,  Tom.  I  have  no
intention of letting any closeted man use my sister as a beard.”
“What!” Tom nearly choked on his last swallow of beer.
Jared pushed the glass of…something…toward Tom. “Drink it. You’ll feel better. Besides, now that
you’ve met Kade, you wouldn’t have been able to stay with my sister even if you weren’t gay.”
Tom’s  head  spun  as  Jared’s  words  created  more  questions  than  answers.  He  grabbed  the  offered
drink and took a large swallow. The burn of good Scotch made his eyes water as it sent a warm trail
down his throat to settle in his stomach. “Holy shit, that’s good,” he gasped out.
“Yeah, it’s all right,” Jared said. “Best stuff they have here, anyway.” He shrugged.
Still trying to sort things out, Tom asked, “You know Kade?”
Jared nodded once, sipping his beer.
“What’s he got to do with this?”
“He’s pursuing you,” Jared stated bluntly. “And like a wolf on the prowl, he gets what he goes after.”
That  was  an  interesting  analogy,  and  Tom  felt  certain  that  Jared  chose  his  words  for  a  reason,  but
with the alcohol swimming through his veins, he couldn’t grasp what it mightmean. Instead, he asked,
“Why is he after me?”
Jared  shrugged.  “You’ll  have  to  ask  him.  That’s  not  what  I’m  here  to  help  with,”  he  answered
evasively. “Then why are you here?”
“To give you the loan you thought you needed to marry Patricia to get.”
Once again, Tom found himself sputtering. How the hell did this guy know about that? He opened his
mouth to ask, but then he saw where Jared’s focus had gone to. A pair of big men weaved between
dancers, cordially brushing aside interested dancers as they headed toward them. It took him a few
seconds to place a name with the face of the Native American. Carson Angeni, Jared’s boyfriend?
Partner? He wasn’t sure of the term.
The  second  man  had  Tom’s  throat  going  dry  and  the  blood  flooding  his  groin.  Kade  grinned  at  the
slight blond that had a hand on his thigh, dangerously close to the man’s groin. Even as he watched
Kade remove the pawing appendage, a wash of jealousy unlike anything Tom had felt before slammed
into him.That’s my man!
Tom forced back a groan at the thought. Sure, Kade seemed to want to be Tom’s man, but did Tom
really want a man?If it’s Kade, hell yeah! Yum!
He turned away and downed the rest of his drink, wondering where the hell the little inner slut voice
had come from. In his peripheral vision, he watched Carson lean down and kiss Jared before sliding
into the booth next to him. It was a short, hot kiss with a little tongue, and Tom tried to figure out how
it could be that even though the two men were kissing, they didn’t look any less masculine. There was
no way anyone would mess with either of the men, or Kade for that matter.
The man in question slid into the booth next to Tom without invitation. He set another couple drinks
on the table, a beer for himself and what was probably another Scotch for Tom, then rested his near
arm along the back of the booth. “Hey, babe,” Kade purred, leaning close. “I didn’t expect to see you
in a place like this, but I’m pleased by the development.”
A shiver worked its way up Tom’s neck and his dick jerked in his jeans. He’d always been able to
control  his  urges  before,  so  what  was  so  different  about  this  man?  Not  knowing,  and  realizing  he
couldn’t figure it out with the object of his obsession pressed against him in the booth, Tom needed a
distraction. He returned his focus to the men across the table and the interrupted conversation.
“How  did  you  know  the  store  was  trying  to  get  a  loan? And  how  can  you  help  me  get  one?”  Tom

Chapter Six

ade listened as Tom questioned Jared’s reasons for offering him a loan. He knew why Jared

would do it, and it wasn’t just because Kade needed Tom away from Patricia. Once Kade claimed the
human, Tom would be pack, and pack helped pack. That was the way it was.

Deciding a distraction was in order, and desperately wanting to hold his mate, Kade interrupted.

“That’s enough talk of financials,” he stated. “Come on, baby. It’s time to dance.”

“Wait, what?” Tom sputtered as Kade pulled him from the booth. “But—”

He didn’t let the guy finish his protest. Kade pulled Tom’s body tight against his own and captured the
man’s lips. Tom tasted even better than he remembered, and he’d done plenty of reminiscing over the
past three days. It was a wonder he’d managed to get any orders completed at all.
Kade slid his tongue along the inside of Tom’s lower lip, taking advantage of cutting the man off in
midsentence to delve in and taste him properly. Teasing the other man’s tongue, he encouraged Tom
to play with him, nipping, sucking, and licking along the way. Kade slowly backed off and ended the
kiss when air became a necessity. Unwilling to break off all contact, he rested his forehead against
his mate’s.
“Mmm, I hope you’re not against PDA, because I could kiss you forever,” he said just loud enough for
Tom to hear over the music.
Tom  blinked  blearily  up  at  him,  his  pupils  blown  wide  with  lust.  “Huh?” Apparently  it  took  him  a
second to realize what Kade had said. Unfortunately, when he did, Tom began to struggle in his grasp.
Kade let him go with a resigned sigh. Working this man out of the closet was not going to be easy.
He’d  thought  his  mate  had  made  a  break-through  when  Carson  had  called  to  tell  him  that  Tom  had
broken off with Patricia and headed to a gay bar. He finally wondered why Tom was here.
Knowing he wasn’t going to get a straight answer right now, Kade picked up Tom’s drink and pressed
it into his hands. “Finish this, then I’m dragging you onto the dance floor.”
Tom took the glass, his brow creasing as he frowned at the liquid. “But, I don’t know how to dance
like this.”
Well, at least that wasn’t an outright no, Kade decided. He grinned. “Don’t worry, babe. I can teach
you. As long as you’re willing to loosen up, it’s easy,” he declared.
“I don’t know,” Tom responded dubiously, but he drank the Scotch and, after setting the glass down,
sent a baleful look toward the dance floor. He worried his lip with his teeth, and Kade had to fight the
urge to pull that plump piece of flesh into his own mouth and suck. As if coming to a decision, Tom
nodded once and said, “Okay.”
Kade  tugged  on  the  hand  he  still  held,  a  hand  Tom  probably  hadn’t  even  been  aware  he’d  been
gripping for dear life until then.
Tom glanced down at their twined fingers with surprise on his face.
Grinning, Kade led his reluctant mate to the dance floor.
Instead  of  starting  face  to  face,  Kade  positioned  him  with  Tom’s  back  to  his  chest.  He  settled  his
hands  on  his  mate’s  hips  and  started  moving  his  body  in  time  with  the  music.  Tom  moved  stiffly  at
first, jerking in his grip. But slowly, Tom gave in to his obvious desire, if the stiff cock trapped under
denim Kade had spotted more than once was anything to go by, and his mate settled his back against
him. Tom lifted one arm over his head, gripping Kade’s neck, and settled the other hand on Kade’s
hip, and they undulated together.
Kade’s cock pressed insistently against the cleft of Tom’s ass, sending delicious tingles down to his

balls. Gods  above,  I  want  this  man.  Clenching  his  jaw,  Kade  let  out  a  low  growl  that  vibrated
through his chest as desire and need unlike anything he’d felt before warmed his body and settled in
his groin.
Kade’s dick jerked and leaked in his jeans, and he just knew when they left, he’d have a wet spot on
his fly. He’d be embarrassed except he knew Tom was enjoying it just as much. When he’d growled,
his mate had groaned. It emboldened him, and Kade slid his hand under Tom’s shirt and caressed his
abs. Tom’s breath hitched at the move, the muscles of his stomach twitching and contracting under his
touch.
Slipping  the  tips  of  his  fingers  beneath  the  waistband  of  Tom’s  jeans,  he  skimmed  across  the  wet
fabric  of  his  mate’s  boxers,  caressing  the  head  of  his  dick  with  feather-lite  touches.  Tom  let  out  a
strangled moan, his head falling back against Kade’s shoulder. “Kade!”
If  he  hadn’t  been  a  shifter,  Kade  knew  he  wouldn’t  have  been  able  to  hear  his  mate’s  pleasure-
tortured cry. His balls pulled tight at the sound, and another growl escaped him. Enough dancing. He
needed his mate, to touch him, taste him, hold him.
It took very little prodding to maneuver Tom so that he was tucked against his side. In that position, he
led his mate to the men’s room. It wasn’t how he wanted to please his mate for the first time, but he
was desperate, and from the lusty scents rolling off his mate, so was Tom.
A  quick  look  around  showed  him  it  was  empty.   Odd,  but  fortuitous.  Kade  led  Tom  to  a  stall  and
pulled him inside, then locked the door. He pressed Tom against the door, trapping him with his much
larger body.
It was then Kade realized Tom was trembling. He leaned close, tucked his nose against Tom’s neck
and inhaled. He groaned at the spicy aroma of lust, male, and Tom.
His mate wanted him, wanted him with an intensity that took his breath away. For days they’d been
fighting it, keeping their distance from each other, but no longer. Tom was his, and Kade would prove
that to him soon enough.
Using  one  large  hand  on  Tom’s  ass,  he  used  his  shifter  strength  to  easily  lift  the  man  from  his  feet.
Tom quicklywrapped his legs around Kade’s waist, grabbing his shoulders tightly for balance. Both
men  let  out  hisses  of  pleasure  as  Kade  pressed  into  the  vee  of  Tom’s  body  and  their  hard  cocks
pressed together.
Rocking  his  hips,  he  rubbed  his  denim-covered  dick  against  Tom’s.  It  wasn’t  enough,  not  nearly
enough. Kade’s free hand delved between them, unbuttoning, unzipping, and pushing fabric aside. As
he  worked,  he  pressed  open-mouthed  kisses  along  the  thrumming  artery  in  Tom’s  neck,  gauging  his
mate’s excitement by the pounding of his heartbeat and the heady scent of arousal.
Tom’s shocked gasp had him pulling his head back to stare at the man. His concern left him when he
realized what drew his man’s gaze. Tom’s focus was riveted on Kade’s cock. He knew he was big,
nine  thick  inches  of  cut  cock,  but  it  didn’t  take  a  genius  to  realize  that  wasn’t  what  drew  Tom’s
attention.
“You like them?” Kade murmured. A spike of worry filled him when Tom didn’t answer right away.
Tentatively,  Tom  moved  a  hand  from  Kade’s  shoulder  to  his  dick.  His  mate  rubbed  a  forefinger
lightly over his sensitive head before gently flicking the Prince Albert piercing. Kade grunted at the
sensations, his cock jerking in response to the petting, a drop of pre-cum oozing from his slit. Next,
Tom ran his thumb up and down the Jacob’s Ladder running along the underside of his dick.
Kade  fought  through  a  shudder  as  he  realized  Tom’s  response  was  one  of  wonder  and  desire.  His
mate liked his piercings, thank the gods.
“How  many  do  you  have?”  Tom  asked,  his  voice  thick  with  arousal.  His  fingers  continued  to  play

with the small metal balls and rings decorating Kade’s shaft.
His  dick  leaking,  his  body  trembling,  Kade  had  to  swallow  twice  before  he  had  enough  focus  to
answer. “Eight,” he gasped out. “Ah, gods, I love your touch. Squeeze my dick.”
To his pleasure, Tom did as he asked without question. He wrapped his fingers around Kade’s shaft
and stroked. He tweaked the Prince Albert on each upstroke and rubbed the balls creating his Jacob’s
Ladder on the down stroke. It didn’t take long for Kade’s balls to pull tight, the tingling of his spine
heralding his impending orgasm.
His canines began to ache, and he had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from sinking them into Tom’s
shoulder.  The  desire  to  claim  the  human  was  so  strong.  Kade  had  just  enough  presence  of  mind  to
scrabble for a handful of toilet paper, wrapping it over his dick’s head before he shot, and shot, his
body shuddering and trembling. He rested his forehead against his mate’s as he floated on the heady
endorphins. “By the gods, Tom,” he whispered absently. “Your touch is amazing.”
Tom’s  pained  whimper  caught  Kade’s  attention,  and  a  glance  down  showed  him  why.  His  mate’s
shaft was impossibly hard, engorged red and purple with blood, leaking beads of pre-cum freely from
the wide slit.
Kade  licked  his  lips  in  anticipation,  then  dropped  to  his  knees  and  sucked  Tom’s  prick  down.  The
drops of pre-cum were like ambrosia on his tongue, and he wanted more. He wanted everything.
A muffled groan sounded above him, and as he caressed the pulsing vein running up Tom’s shaft, he
glanced up through his lashes. Tom had stuffed one fist into his mouth, stifling his sounds as he stared
down at Kade. The other he tentatively feathered through Kade’s hair, brushing a strand of black hair
out of his way for a better view.
Smiling around his mouthful of cock, Kade doubled his efforts. He tightened his lips into a suckling
ring and moved up and down the shaft. He swiped his tongue over the man’s sensitive cap, dove into
his slit for another taste of pre-cum, then massaged the wrinkled skin just below the head. Tom’s hips
stuttered in his grasp, his thighs trembling.
Kade  softened  his  hold  on  Tom’s  hips,  letting  them  move  of  their  own  accord. A  strangled,  muted
moan sounded above him as Tom gave in to his desire. Sinking his dick into the warm, wet recesses
between Kade’s lips, Tom fucked his mouth in swift strokes.
His  panting  gasps  and  blown  pupils  told  of  his  pleasure.  Kade  reached  between  Tom’s  legs  and
gently palmed his balls before rolling them in his fingers. Tom gasped, his hips stuttered, and his cock
swelled. It was all the warning Kade got before stream after stream of warm, salty seed shot down
his throat. Kade pulled back slightly so the next shot landed on his tongue, allowing him to taste his
mate’s cum.
I was wrong. This is ambrosia.
Kade continued to suck and lick and work his mate’s cock, eager to enjoy every last drop of jism his
mate could give him. After Tom stopped shuddering, he licked the softening cock in his mouth clean.
He let his mate’s dick slip from his mouth, before nuzzling his nose into the human’s groin, inhaling
his scent. Gods, he smells good.
Rising, he towered six inches over his mate’s height and settled his forearms against the metal door
behind Tom. He smiled, enjoying the blissed-out expression on his panting mate’s face. Giving in to
temptation, Kade kissed Tom and slipped his tongue into his mouth for a quick taste.
Tom’s hands gripped his shirt and he mewled helplessly as he pressed closer to Kade. Knowing they
had to get out of the bathroom, Kade eased the kiss to an end. He pulled Tom to his chest and tucked
the human’s head under his chin. This was where Tom belonged, safe in his arms.
“Are you ready to leave? Or would you like to dance some more?” he asked softly.

The  sound  of  his  voice  seemed  to  pull  Tom  out  of  his  orgasm-induced  stupor.  He  pulled  away  and
glanced around his surroundings, as if taking in the bathroom stall for the first time. He swallowed
hard. “Home,” he whispered. “It’s time for me to go home.”
“As you wish, babe,” he replied, even though the idea of dancing a few more songs appealed to Kade.
Well, it was probably purely his desire to hold Tom some more. “I’ll take you home.”
After a quick peek into the bathroom proper, he saw luck was still with them. Only one man stood at
the  urinals.  Kade  led  the  way,  keeping  himself  between  the  human  and  Tom.  When  the  guy  glanced
their way and gave him a lustful look, Kade just shook his head.
He led the way back to their table, not surprised to find Carson and Jared still there. Although, from
the  sweat  glistening  on  their  skin,  Kade  knew  they’d  been  on  the  dance  floor.  He  held  up  his
motorcycle keys and glanced between them. “Is one of you okay to take my bike back to Stone Ridge?
I need to drive Tom home.”
“Of course you do,” Jared replied with a smirk. Both men stood and the human snatched the keys from
Kade’s hands. “We’ll follow you.”
Kade  nodded.  “Thank  you.”  He  didn’t  relish  the  idea  of  running  in  wolf  form  all  the  way  back  to
Stone Ridge, nor did he want to call a cab. It had occurred to him that he might be able to talk Tom
into letting him stay, but he really didn’t want to push his mate too hard too fast. This would solve that
problem.
It  pleased  Kade  that  Tom  didn’t  fight  him  when  he  took  the  man’s  keys  and  settled  him  into  the
passenger seat of his sedan. He glanced around the interior curiously, taking in the dust-free dash and
clean floors. As someone who repaired bikes and the occasional car, it pleased him to see how well
maintained the interior was. That habit often transferred to taking care of the vehicle’s mechanics, as
well.
He  didn’t  try  to  touch  Tom  as  he  followed  the  human’s  directions  to  his  home.  Tom  seemed  to
withdraw a bit, remaining silent, but that didn’t concern Kade, yet.
Turning the vehicle into the indicated parking garage, Kade parked in Tom’s reserved slot and shut
off the car. He turned to Tom and cupped the man’s jaw, unable to go another second without touching
his mate. “I know you’re still uncertain, so I won’t walk you to the door,” he whispered. It just about
killed him to admit that, but he knew Tom still needed time. The human was only now coming to grips
with his sexuality, and Kade didn’t want to scare him away.
“Thank  you,”  Tom  whispered.  Kade  cocked  his  head,  wondering  if  Tom  would  expand  on  that.  He
did. “I don’t—I don’t know how to do this,” he said thickly, waving a hand between them. “So your
patience helps. I—I’m attracted to you.” The admission had red creeping up Tom’s neck.
Kade  didn’t  like  that  his  man  was  embarrassed  to  admit  his  attraction  to  him.  He  wanted  Tom
comfortable.  “Come  on  a  hike  with  me,”  he  said  suddenly,  an  idea  forming.  “We  can  be  alone,
allowing  you  to  learn  to  feel  comfortable  with  our  touching  without  an  audience.”  Just  the  idea  of
having his mate all to himself for a while had his cock twitching in his jeans. “How about I pick you
up Saturday? Nine AM? We’ll head into the mountains and get some fresh air. You did say you enjoy
hiking,” he pointed out, letting Tom know that he paid attention to his words when they’d first met at
dinner last week.
After staring at him for several seconds, Tom whispered, “Okay.”
Excitement and anticipation coursed through him. “Excellent. I’ll see you then.”
He  stepped  from  the  vehicle,  Tom  copying  him.  Kade  walked  around  the  vehicle  and  dropped  the
keys into his outstretched hand. Before Tom could move away, Kade grabbed the back of his neck and
pulled him in for a quick kiss. He kept it short, not giving Tom the time to protest, even though every

fiber of Kade’s being screamed to drag his mate home with him and claim him.
Instead, he turned and walked away, his head cocked to make certain Tom made it into the secured
apartment building without mishap. Kade’s wolf howled in distress, but he hushed his inner animal,
reminding the beast that their mate was skittish and needed time.
Meeting Jared on the street, he took his keys and helmet.
“He seems to be coming along if that interlude in the bathroom is any indicator,” Jared teased, his
eyes twinkling with amusement.
He knew better than to snarl at the higher ranking pack-member. Jared might not have been wolf, but
he was the mate of the enforcer. Not to mention, the human had some freaky abilities and a scary lack
of morality. He really didn’t want to cross the man.
Instead, he smirked. “You’re just sorry you didn’t think of it first,” he said, pulling his helmet over his
head.
Jared just laughed and headed toward a Porsche parked a few yards away. Kade couldn’t see through
the tinted windows, but he knew Carson was behind the wheel. As the powerful engine roared to life
and the car sped away, Kade brought his bike to life, shaking his head.
Damn, Jaredwasn’t kidding when he said he was rich.

Chapter Seven

om stared at the motorcycle. Was Kade serious? He looked around the parking garage, but didn’t

see any other vehicle. Kade, who’d been walking behind him, set a hand on his lower back and
guided him right to the bike. Ah, shit.

Tom’s dick had been half hard since Kade had stepped into his apartment fifteen minutes before

and given him a quick, chaste kiss in greeting. He didn’t know if he’d been disappointed or relived by
the brevity of the contact. They’d chatted about where to hike over cups of coffee, then headed out the
door. It wouldn’t take much to get a full blown erection and he sure didn’t want to hike with one.

He wa ved toward his car. “Maybe we should take my car.”

“Nonsense,” Kade replied immediately, already taking Tom’s belt and tucking it into a saddlebag. He
straddled  the  bike  and  held  out  a  second  helmet.  “Part  of  the  fun  of  driving  in  the  mountains  is
enjoying the scenery. No better way to do that than on the back of a bike.” He winked. “Don’t worry. I
brought the Goldwing,so the bitch seat is comfortable.”
“Bitch seat?” Tom asked, dubiously.
“Yeah, baby,” Kade answered, patting the slightly raised seat behind him in answer.
The cloth seat looked well-padded and it had a large back rest complete with arm rests. It really did
look comfortable. Still.“That’s not very flattering.”
Kade chuckled. “It’s just a term. Come on. I promise you’ll love it.”
He  held  out  the  helmet  again  and  this  time  Tom  took  it. After  slipping  it  on,  he  buckled  it  and  then
swung  up  behind  Kade.  The  seat  was  even  more  comfortable  than  it  looked,  he  realized  as  he
bounced experimentally.
Laughing, Kade looked over his shoulder at him. “Comfy?”
“Yeah,” he said, pleased. “This is actually really nice!”
“Glad you think so.” Kade started the bike.
The vibrations went straight to Tom’s balls, making his cock thicken. He stifled a groan, leaned back
against the rest, and enjoyed the sensations. He wondered if he could possibly come from just this.
At  Kade’s  low  chuckle,  Tom  realized  the  guy  was  looking  at  him  over  his  shoulder.  “Enjoying
yourself?” he teased.
“Shut up,” he snapped back.
Kade grinned and winked. “Now you know one of the reasons I enjoy bikes so much.”
Before Tom could think up a reply, Kade threw the bike into gear and steered out onto the road. At
first, Tom’s grip instinctively went to the arm rests and he held on tight. As they rolled out of Colin
City and along the country roads, he began to relax. The scenery was gorgeous, and he could smell the
pine trees. Kade was right. This was a beautiful way to see the mountains, even with the chill in the
morning air.
After a forty minute ride, Kade turned into a parking area. “This is it,” he said, settling the bike on the
kickstand. He swung off the machine and pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his thick black
hair then tying it back with a rubber band. Tom stared for several seconds before swallowing hard
and  pulling  off  his  own  helmet.  Kade  removed  his  biker  boots  and  switched  them  out  for  a  pair  of
hiking boots from his saddlebags. After tucking his leather jacket into one of the hard cases, he turned
and motioned at Tom’s. “You wearing that orstoring it?”
Tom hesitated, then pulled the heavy coat Kade had recommended from his shoulders. Underneath it
was a sweatshirt and a t-shirt, and he knew he could pull off another layer if he needed to later. Kade

swung a backpack over his shoulders, while Tom wrapped his belt containing water bottles and fanny
pack  around  his  waist.  Kade  had  said  he’d  packed  a  picnic  lunch,  but  it  never  hurt  to  have  a  few
protein and carb snacks on hand. Once Kade had locked the helmets in the saddlebags, they started up
the trail.
They remained mostly quiet, occasionally pointing out an interesting bird or plant. At one point, Kade
lifted his nose to the wind and seemed to sniff curiously, as if scenting the wind. It was such an odd
move that Tom cocked his head and asked, “Something wrong?”
Kade glanced over at him and shook his head. “No, just thought I smelled something. Campfire smoke
or something, but the wind shifted and it’s gone now.”
“Really. Is camping allowed in this area?”
“Not sure about that either,” Kade replied, moving forward again. To Tom’s surprise, he pulled out
his cell phone and started dialing.
“You get service out here?”
“Satellite phone,” Kade responded, then held up a finger to stall his questions. “Hey, Cliff. Yeah, I’m
out  hiking  the  Fire  Spring  Trail  and  about  thirty  minutes  in  I  thought  I  smelled  smoke.”  A  pause.
“Yeah, campfire.” Kade paused and scented the wind again. “Not now, but the wind shifted. I didn’t
know if camping was allowed through here.” He nodded, almost absently. “Yeah, man. Noproblem.”
Once Tom’s companion shut the phone, he could no longer contain his curiosity. Especially since his
date was calling another man. “Who was that?”
He thought he kept the jealousy out of his tone, but evidently he didn’t quite succeed. Kade stopped
and grabbed Tom’s arm, pulling him into a loose embrace. “Cliff MacDougal is a friend who works
as a Forest Ranger. He’s happily married, and isn’t my type even if he wasn’t.” He pressed a soft,
lingering kiss to Tom’s lips. “I’m going to convince you that you’re the only man I want,” he crooned,
sealing his lips over Tom’s.
Tom opened immediately, enjoying the way Kade’s thick arms felt around him, how his lips massaged
his  own,  and  the  feel  of  his  tongue  mapping  and  dominating  his  mouth.  And  Kade’s  taste!  Tom
moaned, pressing forward, wanting more.
Kade’s  large  hand  gripped  his  hip,  pulling  him  tight  against  him.  His  erection,  which  had  softened
during the first ten minutes, refilled with a vengeance. When he felt an answering hard cock pressed
against his stomach, he gasped into the kiss and ground his dick against the other man’s thick thigh.
He  felt  the  rumble  vibrate  against  his  chest  before  the  growl  sounded  from  Kade’s  throat.  Tom
swallowed  the  sound  with  a  groan  of  his  own.  The  realization  that  he  was  dangerously  close  to
coming shot through him, and he jerked back.
The big man let him go, his eyes dilated with lust, though his expression appeared concerned. He held
his  hands  out,  palms  up  in  placation.  “I’m  sorry,  baby.  I  didn’t  mean  to  push.  Gods,”  he  thrust  one
hand through his thick black hair, “you just feel so good in my arms, taste so good.”
Tom’s eyes widened as he realized what Kade thought. “Oh, no,” he said, trying to stop Kade’s flow
of  words,  not  that  he  didn’t  like  hearing  how  much  the  other  man  enjoyed  him.  Tom  wanted  to
reassure the man, and opened his mouth to do so, but then he remembered why he’d stopped, and he
snapped his mouth shut. His face flamed.
Kade paused and cocked his head. “Tom?” he asked, sounding uncertain.
“I liked it,” he whispered. “Just…too much.”
Understanding dawned on the guy’s face, replaced quickly by a heated look of satisfaction. “I see,” he
purred.  Kade  stepped  close  again,  but  he  didn’t  touch  him.  “Then  perhaps  we  should  hurry  to  our
destination. As hot as Ithink that would be to see, I’m sure we’d both rather it be in the comfort of one

of our homes, hmm?”
“Yeah,”  Tom  replied,  pleased  that  the  man  understood,  found  the  idea  of  him  coming  in  his  cargo
slacks hot even, while at the same time, disappointed Kade didn’t drop to his knees and suck him off
like he’d done in the club bathroom. That memory had given him jack-off fodder for the last couple
nights,  and  mornings,  and  lunch  hours.  Shit,  he’d  had  to  hide  out  in  the  staff  bathroom  at  the  store
several times over the last couple days. His dick seemed to be wired to get hard at thoughts of Kade.
“Come on, babe,” Kade murmured. He grabbed Tom’s hand, pulled him close, gave him a quick kiss,
and then started down the trail without releasing him.
Tom knew he sported a huge grin, but he couldn’t help it. It thrilled Tom that Kade seemed excited
enough to drag him to the top of the trail, so they could explore each other. Tom didn’t delude himself.
He knew what would happen when they reached the lake. Kade might be bringing food, but it would
be used to regain their strength after they’d explored each other. And Tom really wanted to explore
Kade.
He’d  never  considered  himself  into  piercings,  but  the  Prince Albert  and  Jacob’s  Ladder  he’d  seen
decorating Kade’s dick had him wanting to discover where the other three Kade said he had were.
And  his  tattoos!  The  idea  of  getting  the  opportunity  to  touch  Kade,  trace  the  tattoos  he  knew  were
hidden under his long-sleeved shirt, had Tom laughing and sprinting up the trail past Kade.
“Hey,” Kade shouted, but Tom heard the mirth in the single word.
Then he heard booted feet pound up the trail after him. Tom ran regularly, hiked often, and swam at a
gym  when  he  wanted  to  relax.  He  knew  he  was  quick,  agile,  and  had  great  endurance.  Something
made him really want to beat the bigger man up the trail. He pumped his legs, dodged under branches,
around trees, and over rocks.
A  glance  over  his  shoulder  showed  Kade  charging  up  the  trail  after  him,  a  determined  glint  in  his
green eyes. Tom laughed, increasing his pace. Over his shoulder, he glimpsed Kade drawing close.
The  big  man  is  quick!  When  Kade  reached  for  him,  he  twisted  sideways,  out  of  the  man’s  grip,
laughing gleefully at the biker’s growl of frustration.
“I will get you, my mate!”
The roared words had Tom’s step faltering for just a second.  What an odd thing to say! But then he
realized it must be meant as a distraction, and he doubled his efforts to elude the man. From time to
time  he  felt  Kade  breathing  down  his  neck,  but  each  time,  Tom  managed  to  slip  through  Kade’s
fingers.
By  the  time  the  lake  appeared  between  the  trees,  his  lungs  burned,  his  legs  ached,  and  his  chest
heaved as he tried to get enough oxygen. He leaped over a tree root and sprinted toward the bank of
the lake.
A body slammed into him from behind and he found himself tumbling forward onto the grass-strewn
lake  bank.  In  mid-air  the  body  wrapped  around  him,  turned,  and  thudded  to  the  ground  first,  saving
Tom  from  being  crushed  beneath  a  much  heavier  mass.  Instinctively,  he  knew  it  was  Kade  who’d
grabbed him, but that didn’t stop him from struggling.
A low growl, almost like an animal, had Tom freezing in place

—

well, as much as he could,since he’d

landed on the other man’s chest and the two of them were still rolling in Kade’s arms. They stopped
with him on his back and Kade on top.
The big biker stared down at him, and Tom smiled up at him, thrilled at the feral heat glowing in
Kade’s green eyes. Wait, are his eyes actually glowing? Nah. “What’s the matter? Don’t like being
beat?” Tom teased.
Kade cleared his throat and shook his head, as if trying to clear it. Then the man refocused on him and

growled  softly.  “You  are  going  to  be  trouble,  aren’t  you,  Tom?”  He  nuzzled  Tom’s  neck,  nipping
lightly along the tendons. “So much trouble.”
Tom threaded his fingers through Kade’s hair, releasing the band, relishing the softness. “Maybe,” he
said, admitting what was probably the truth. “If that’s too much for you, we should probably figure
that out now.”
A low rumblesounded from Kade’s chest. “I can handle trouble,” he growled.
“I hope so,” Tom whispered, unable to deny the truth of his feelings regarding Kade’s words. Tom
knew he wasn’t ready to go proclaiming his desires to the mountain tops, but here, alone, he wanted
to grab Kade and hold him tight, touch him, lick him, taste every inch of skin he could reach.
Just  the  ideas  had  his  dick  jerking  in  his  cargo  pants,  and  Tom  rocked  his  hips  up,  desperate  to  rut
against  the  hard  body  of  the  man  above  him.  Sparks  of  white  heat  shot  from  his  cock,  through  his
thighs  and  abs,  and  had  his  muscles  clenching  in  anticipation.  Kade  lowered  his  pelvis,  thrusting
back, proving how hard the other man was, too.
Kade lifted his head and stared down at Tom.Kade’s green eyes had darkened with arousal to a rich
emerald. The look of lust and desire on his face took Tom’s breath away.
“You will be mine, Tom Bristol.” Kade growled the words, and it almost seemed like a vow.
Tom shivered at the sound. Excitement coursed through his systemat Kade’s possessiveness. He liked
the  idea  of  belonging  to  this  man,  even  as  the  idea  scared  the  shit  out  of  him.  This  was  a  guy  who
could stand beside him if his family turned their back on him.
“Kade,” he whispered, at a loss for words.
“A simple yes will do.”
Tom’s eyes widened in surprise. Kade wanted confirmation. He could do that. Tom quickly nodded.
“Yes. I want to be yours.”
A low growl of excitement rumbled through Kade’s chest and his face lit up as if Tom had just given
him the best present ever. Then Kade was kissing Tom, his hands thrust under his shirt, stroking his
skin. His brain began to shut down in lue of the wonderful sensations Kade created, and Tom happily
went along.

Chapter Eight

ade knew Tom had no idea what he’d just agreed to, but that didn’t stop his wolf from howling

happily in the back of his mind. And it didn’t stop Kade from ravishing the man. Tom tasted so good,
like the woodsy outdoors mixed perfectly with male musk. He wanted to drown in the scents his mate
gave off.

It didn’t help that Tom had charged up the trail, racing ahead of him, setting off every instinct

within Kade to hunt his mate down and take him. His wolf had wanted to catch the man and force him
to submit. It had taken every shred of human control Kade possessed to keep from shifting and
bounding after his mate. That would have been a sure fire way of scaring off the human. He had no
idea how to explain shifters to a human. Maybe he needed to ask some of the other mated guys.

Those thoughts had enough of his control returning that Kade was able to soften the kiss and slow

his thrusting hips. The whole reason they’d stopped making out on the trail earlier was to avoid
coming in their pants, and now here they were dangerously close to that outcome once again.

He moaned softly, but managed to pull away. Tom whined his name in protest, and damn if that

sound didn’t cause a drop of pre-cum to ooze from his cock. He wanted to hear that again, and often.

“Let me spread out the blanket, love,” he whispered, brushing one more kiss to Tom’s lips. “I

want you comfortable.”

Tom nodded, although his eyes were dilated with lust, making Kade wonder if his mate really

knew what he was agreeing to. Kade dropped the backpack on the ground and pulled out the blanket.
He glanced around the clearing, looking for a good place to set up. He chose a bare area near the
tree-line, since it offered protection from the sun and the location would allow them to hear or see
anyone coming up the trail before they entered the area. Plus, it was downwind.

“Come here,” he crooned, holding out his hand for Tom.

There was no hesitation from Tom as he moved into Kade’s arms, and he wanted to howl his pleasure
that his mate was becoming used to his touch. Gently, he eased Tom’s sweatshirt and t-shirt over his
head, baring Tom’s pale slender chest. He caressed the human’s shoulders, then his chest, tweaking
his nipples as he went.
Tom  had  a  lean  runner’s  build,  something  that  explained  how  quick  and  agile  the  man  had  been
sprinting up the rock and tree-root littered trail. His mate shivered, but whether it was caused by the
cold or his touch, Kade wasn’t certain. Then he noticed the way Tom’s breathing had sped up again,
his breath coming in soft, open-mouthed pants, and Kade had his answer.
He reveled in the affect he had on Tom. As he continued to stroke and touch, Kade leaned forward
and placed openmouthed, sucking kisses from Tom’s shoulder up his neck. When Tom tilted his head,
baring  his  throat  andneck  submissively,  Kade’s  cock  jerked  and  twitched  in  anticipation.  The  man
was  just  too  perfect.  When  Kade  reached  the  soft  skin  just  behind  his  mate’s  ear,  Tom  mewled  in
pleasure, his hands clenching and unclenching spastically where they rested on Kade’s waist.
Unable to deny himself any longer, Kade eased away and pulled his own t-shirt over his head. Tom
sucked in a breath and reached out tentatively. Kade paused, letting Tom take a moment to trace over
his tattoos. His mate’s fingers slid over his flesh, starting at his neck, working over his shoulder, then
down  his  chest.  Tom’s  fingers  latching  onto  the  bar  piercing  one  of  his  nipples  caused  a  hiss  of
pleasure to escape Kade’s lips.
“I was never into tattoos or piercings,” Tom admitted, “but these…these are amazing.”
Kade grinned. “I’m glad you approve. They’re kind of permanent.”

Tom  laughed  softly,  then  lifted  his  second  hand  and  tugged  gently  on  the  piercings  in  both  nipples.
Pain  mixed  with  pleasure  zinged  through  Kade’s  system,  tracing  a  direct  line  to  his  cock.  His  shaft
oozed precum, jerking in his jeans. The fabric of his boxer briefs, damp from his secretions, scraped
across  the  sensitive  flesh  of  his  head,  and  Kade  couldn’t  hold  back  the  moan  as  Tom  continued  to
play.
He felt his balls begin to contract, forcing him to grab Tom’s hands and gently pull them away from
his chest.
“Does that hurt?” Tom whispered, uncertainty filling his expressive blue eyes.
Kade shook his head and smiled. “Only in the best way. You keep playing with them, and I’ll come in
my pants without you even touching me.”
A sly smile curved Tom’s lips and his tongue darted out as he licked them. “Really?”
Oh, yeah. My mate likes that idea. Kade grinned. “Yeah, and I’ll let you do it sometime, but not right
now. Right now, I want to see the rest of that sexy body of yours. Get naked. Now.”
Tom’s  mouth  gaped  for  a  second,  then  he  glanced  around  furtively  and  scrambled  to  obey.  Kade
watched  Tom  sit  on  the  blanket  and  pull  off  his  hiking  boots.  Thinking  that  was  an  excellent  idea,
Kade did the same. He paused unbuttoning his jeans, opting instead to watch Tom’s slender fingers
work open the button and zipper. He nearly groaned in anticipation as the pale human shimmied his
hips to push the pants and briefs off his body, revealing Tom’s long, slender prick, already hard and
weeping, the engorged head a dark reddish purple.
Swallowing  hard  to  get  saliva  flowing  through  his  mouth  again,  Kade  ripped  open  his  own  jeans,
suddenly desperate to relieve the pressure on his aching dick. After removing the last of his clothes,
he  knelt  and  stared  down  at  his  mate.  The  blue  eyes  looking  up  at  him  were  filled  with  nerves  and
uncertainty, and that just wouldn’t do.
Kade eased down on the blanket, sprawling next to the man. Wrapping an arm around Tom’s waist, he
pulled Tom against him, fitting them together as they rested on their sides. He slipped a knee between
Tom’s legs and pressed it firmly under his balls as he cupped Tom’s thigh and eased his leg forward,
encouraging him to rest his leg over Kade’s hip.
Tom moaned softly and tucked his head against Kade’s shoulder, hiding his face. Kissing the man’s
temple, he felt the heat of embarrassment rising from his mate’s skin. “Hey,” he crooned. “None of
that, my sexy man.”
He  shifted  his  thigh,  rubbing  it  lightly  against  Tom’s  sack.  Tom  gasped  and  rocked  his  hips,  taking
over  the  motion,  and  Kade  encouraged  his  movements  by  moving  his  hand  from  Tom’s  thigh  to  his
ass. It only took a few seconds for the man to become pliant in his arms. Rutting against him, Tom’s
head rolled from side to side.
The soft moans of pleasure coming from his mate, along with the ever increasing scent of arousal, told
Kade  how  much  Tom  enjoyed  his  touch.  He  shifted  his  torso  and  head  slightly,  so  he  could  nibble
along Tom’s neck. Kade sucked Tom’s earlobe into his mouth and tugged, causing Tom’s hips to jerk.
He moved his mouth to the skin behind Tom’s ear and sucked gently, just enough to cause a riot of
sensations. The goose bumps breaking out over Tom’s skin indicated the human’s pleasure, and Kade
struggled to keep from sucking hard enough to mark the man.
Tom  panted  roughly  as  he  moaned  indistinct  words.  Kade’s  fingers  brushed  the  cleft  of  Tom’s  ass,
playing with the sensitive skin there.
“More, please more,” Tom groaned, moving his dick faster and faster against Kade.
Kade pressed more firmly against Tom’s testicles, giving him more pressure. The move also shoved
Tom’s leg higher, opening his ass for Kade’s exploration. He feathered his fingers along his crack,

working  his  way  down.  His  first  light  touch  over  the  wrinkled  skin  of  Tom’s  entrance  had  the  man
squirming,  obviously  uncertain  if  he  wanted  to  push  against  Kade’s  finger  or  rock  his  dick  against
Kade’s abs.
Taking away the need to make a choice, Kade pressed forward just enough to breach the tight ring of
muscles.  Tom’s  groan  matched  his  own  as  Kade  imagined  his  dick  sinking  inside  Tom’s  clenching
channel. He worked hisfinger in and out of Tom’s ass, massaging the sensitive tissues. Crooking his
finger, he located his mate’s gland and scraped across the man’s prostate once, twice.
Tom gasped, and jerked, then shuddered as he let out a long, low, moan and came. Kade continued to
gently massage the spongy bump, wringing every last bit of pleasure from the man.
Once Tom stopped trembling, Kade gently slipped his finger from his mate’s ass and settled the hand
back  on  his  hip.  He  smoothly  rolled  Tom  onto  his  back  and  smiled  down  at  him,  pleased  with  the
blissed-out  expression  he  saw  on  his  face.  He  leaned  down  and  kissed  Tom’s  lips,  slipping  his
tongue into the yielding mouth.
He  gave  a  full  body  shudder  when  slender  fingers  wrapped  around  his  still  aching  cock.  Kade  had
done his best to ignore his own needs as he pleasured his mate, but Tom’s tentative grip had all his
desires rushing to the forefront.
Kade  broke  the  kiss  and  growled,  “Harder.”  Tom  complied,  massaging  his  thumb  over  the  Prince
Albert, then squeezing along theJacob’s Ladder.
“Oh, by the gods,” he hissed through clenched teeth. His eyes fell closed as he focused on the feel of
his  mate’s  hand  stroking  him.  Nothing  felt  better  than  Tom’s  touch.  Suddenly,  it  was  gone,  and  he
wanted to howl in protest. It took every ounce of control Kade had left to obey the insistent pushing
on his shoulder and roll onto his back.
He panted harshly, trying to get his brain to function, so he could remember how to speak. He needed
to ask what he’d done wrong, find out what had happened—
A  warm,  wet  mouth  wrapping  around  his  cock’s  head  had  his  eyes  snapping  open  and  a  howl  of
pleasure  erupting  from  his  throat.  He  looked  down  and  struggled  to  stay  still  as  he  watched  Tom’s
lips stretch wide around his dick. Tom sank partway down his shaft, his tongue massaging the balls on
his dick.
The man began to gag and had to back off, telling Kade of his mate’s inexperience. “Easy, Tom,” he
whispered hoarsely. “Use your hand. You don’t have to take it all.” Just the fact that Tom was giving
him a blowjob had him close to shooting.
A determined look crossed his mate’s face, and he slowly sank down again. This time he wrapped a
hand around the base of Kade’s cock, stroking in time with his sucks. Tom’s tongue tapped the Prince
Albert and delved into his slit, encouraging more pre-cum from Kade’s dick.
He tried to hold on, to prolong the agonizing pleasure, but then Tom’s other hand went to his balls.
The sensitive orbs pulled tight to his body from his mate’s tentative touches. When Tom slid a finger
back to the sensitive patch of skin behind his balls and found the guiche piercing there, Kade lost it.
His  body  bowed  as  his  release  erupted  from  him.  He  tried  to  warn  Tom,  really  he  did,  but  all  that
came out was a growling roar of ecstasy.
Once he regained some semblance of control, he released his death grip on the blanket beneath him.
He sank his fingers into Tom’s hair with one hand, caressing his mate’s scalp. “Holy shit, that was
amazing,” he whispered to the wide-eyed man who’d just rocked his world. “Sorry I couldn’t warn
you. It kinda just hit me,” he admitted, reaching up and wiping away the cum dripping from the corner
of Tom’s mouth.
He  brought  the  spunk  to  his  own  mouth  and  sucked  it  from  his  finger.  Then  he  encouraged  Tom  to

come to him, and proceeded to lick the traces of his release from his mate’s chin, cheek, and neck.
From the looks of things, once Tom got his first mouthful, he’d jerked back, so his face had taken the
brunt of the next several streams.
Seeing his essence on Tom’s skin, Kade felt an urge to massage it in instead of lick it off. That way,
any shifter who got near would smell Kade on his mate’s skin, and know Tom was taken.
Worrying that doing that would freak Tom out, Kade instead helped clean the man up, then himself,
and pulled his mate into his arms, cuddling him close. The quiet holding session progressed to making
out, then Tom leaned over him and began licking Kade’s tattoos. By the time Tom got to his nipples,
Kade was already hard again. Five minutes of Tom sucking, nipping, and massaging his nipples had
Kade howling out another release without his dick being touched.
In return, Kade tackled Tom and sucked his cock until the man exploded, filling his mouth with seed.
After swallowing every drop, Kade crawled up Tom’s body and captured his mouth in a slow,
sensual kiss. He loved the way their combined essences tasted on his tongue, like the finest wine. It
was something he wanted to experience again and again.

Chapter Nine

ade was sorry the afternoon had to end, but they couldn’t stay up there forever. Hours after they’d

enjoyed their sandwiches, and each other, they packed up and headed down the mountain. The trek
back was done much more slowly, their limbs lethargic from repeat orgasms.

Kade thought about the right-for-position challenge he had to compete in that evening and knew

he’d need a nap before then to gather strength. He didn’t like having to lie about his activities for the
night, but when Tom asked if he could cook him dinner, Kade knew he couldn’t tell him the truth yet.

Asking for a rain check, Kade told Tom that he had plans to help his foster sister move some

furniture that evening. Tom accepted that, and they agreed to meet the next afternoon. After a quick
glance verified that the parking garage was empty, Kade gave Tom a deep kiss, wishing for the day
when he wouldn’t have to leave his mate behind.

The nap did wonders for his energy levels, and after the sixteen ounce rare steak he grilled

himself for supper, Kade felt ready to take on any wolf shifter. At eight o’clock, Kade tossed on a
pair of sweats and a t- shirt and climbed into his pickup. The old Dodge might not have been the
prettiest truck on the road, but it still ran great. Plus, he didn’t mind bouncing it along the rutted roads
he’d need to use to get to the enforcer challenge.

After parking on a service road, Kade headed into the forest. His enhanced shifter vision made it

easy to scope out the trail, and he jogged slowly, using the opportunity to warm up his muscles.

He arrived in a large clearing and spotted Carson right away. The man had three other shifters

standing with him, and Kade wondered if they were fighting for the right to be a pack enforcer as
well. He knew all of them by scent if not by sight, and the other two men walking toward them he
knew personally.

Striding over to them, he greeted Phillip and Kyle with a slap to each of their backs and a grin.

“Hey, breeders, I wondered if you’d been invited to this shin- dig.”

The two men laughed, although Kyle rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t mind swinging both ways

if the scent is right,” he responded.
Kyle’s comment brought Kade up short. “Really?”

His brows lifted when Kyle leered at him. “Sure, big man, but don’t expect me to get near your

hairy ass.”
Barking out a laugh, Kade slapped him on his back again. “No can do, my friend. I’m a one man wolf
now. I found my mate.”
“Hey, congratulations!” both men offered at the same time.
“Thanks,” he replied.
Jared appeared at his elbow, nearly freaking Kade out. How the hell the human moved like that, Kade
wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “Speaking of Tom, where is the man?” he asked.
Kade grimaced. “He doesn’t—I haven’t—”
“Oh, man!” Phillip howled. “Your mate’s a human who doesn’t know?” He clamped a hand on
Kade’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Kade.”
“What about the closet?” Carson asked, joining them.
He got a sympathetic look from a shifter he’d met only once. Manon Lemelle was a Cajun transplant
who’d left Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. His explanation was that his wolf was tired of the bayou
heat. “Ah, I’m sorry, mon ami,” he said, his Cajun accent thick. “That’s a tough stroke.”
Kade shrugged. “I’ve made some headway there,” he admitted. “He’s grown much more comfortable

with my touch.”
Carson nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“What’s this I hear about ye findin’ yer mate, Kade?”
Kade  spun  around  and  quickly  inclined  his  head,  showing  respect  to  his  alpha.  Declan  McIntire
placed his hand on the back of Kade’s neck and kept it there. The move told Kade that the alpha was
questioning  his  actions,  namely  not  coming  to  him  as  soon  as  he  found  out  that  his  mate  was  an
uninitiated human.
He  immediately  dropped  to  one  knee  and  bowed  his  head.  “His  name  is  Tom  Bristol, Alpha.  He’s
human, and he’s in the closet. As soon as I felt certain he was receptive to me, I planned to tell you.”
Declan  lifted  his  hand,  giving  Kade  permission  to  rise.  “Very  good.  Keep  me  posted  on  yer
progress.”
“Yes, Alpha,” he replied quickly.
Once Declan moved off, Kade let out a relieved breath and rose. Looking around the clearing, Kade
saw  that  over  half  the  pack  had  come  to  watch.  Even  some  extended  members  were  in  attendance.
Kade  cocked  his  head  as  he  spotted  Casey  Streusel,  an  albino  bunny  shifter,  and  his  vampire  mate
Caspian. Several men Kade hadn’t met were with them, and he wondered if they, too, were vampires.
Declan move to the middle of the clearing and cleared his throat, asking for attention. “This gatherin’
is  for  the  right  to  be  an  enforcer  in  me  pack.  If  ye  want  that  right,  standforward  now  and  be
recognized.”
Kade stepped forward, along with five other men. He glanced over his competition and determined
his odds were pretty good. He didn’t know a lot about Manon, as he was fairly new to the pack, but
the  other  wolves  he’d  at  least  seen  wrestle  while  in  wolf  form. A  couple  of  them  Kade  had  even
tussled with himself.
“Here’s how it works,” Declan stated, his Irish lilted voice echoing through the clearing, and Kade
refocused his attention on his alpha. “This is a double elimination tournament. The two wolves who
finish  on  top  will  fight  for  enforcer  rank,  if  they  wish.  Fights  are  to  submission.  No  permanent
injuries,  please,  gentlemen,”  he  said  with  a  smile.  “Go  ahead  and  shift.  The  first  fight  is  between
Phillip Abernathy and KyleRainier.”
Doing as instructed, Kade moved to the edge of the circle, stripped down, and shifted. His shift took
about  fifteen  seconds,  pretty  quick  in  the  shifter  world.  Then  he  sat  down  and  waited,  watching
analytically as the other wolves fought.
* * * *

Tom felt like a fool, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He’d spent the entire morning and early

afternoon with Kade, and still he wanted to see him again. To do that, Tom had decided to take the
man pizza and beer on the pretense of him and Theresa needing refreshment after moving furniture.

He wasn’t one hundred percent certain where he’d find them, but he remembered Kade telling him

that he lived over his garage. And he knew where Theresa lived from picking her up the night he’d
met Kade. He’d swing by both places and see if they were there. Irrational, maybe, since Theresa
lived in Colin City and Kade lived in Stone Ridge, but so was going to the store to work on marketing
ideas and then obsessing over his lover.

So, pizza on his passenger seat and case of beer on his floorboard, Tom drove by Theresa’s

townhouse. He struck out at the woman’s home. No one was there, so he climbed back into his car
and made the forty five minute trip to Stone Ridge.

It was easy enough to find Kade’s car and bike repair shop, seeing as there were only a couple

side streets with businesses in the small town. Just as he turned onto the street, he spotted an old beat

up Dodge truck. There wasn’t a couch in the bed, but Kade was driving it.

Tom honked, trying to get the man ’s attention, but the guy must have really been focused, because

he didn’t respond. Turning his vehicle around in a driveway, Tom decided to follow him to Theresa’s
and catch up with him there.

To Tom’s surprise, Kade didn’t turn in the direction of ColinCity and his foster sister’s. Instead,

he headed west out of town, toward the national forest. Curiosity got the better of him, and Tom
followed the man. When the truck turned onto a service road, he debated the wisdom of continuing.
Since Kade wasn’t helping Theresa move a couch, it was obvious the man had lied to him.

Righteous indignation filled Tom, and he turned his car onto the rutted, dirt and gravel track. He

wanted to know what was going on. The indignation turned to anger when he saw Kade’s truck had
been parked next to many other vehicles in a small clearing off the side of the road about three
hundred yards into the woods. As he stopped his car and looked around, that anger melted into
concern. What if Kade is in to something illegal?

Figuring he ’d best find out now before he got in too deep with the man, he exited his car and

looked around. Where would Kade have gone? Tom walked around the clearing, looking for tracks.
He’d been hiking enough years to recognize several game trails, and wondered if Kade had headed
down one of them?
“Hello there.”

Tom spun at the voice from his left. “Hi,” he answered warily, watching the dark haired man step

from the trees.

“Are you lost? It’s dangerous to be in these woods at night,” the guy said.

Tom  found  it  a  bit  odd  that  the  guy  was  dressed  completely  in  black  and  his  unease  grew.  Then  he
remembered  he  still  wore  a  button  down  shirt  and  slacks  from  working  at  the  store,  and  his  pulse
settled. Maybe  not  so  odd.“I  followed  my  friend,  but  seem  to  have  lost  him  inthe  woods,”  he
admitted.
“Oh, you were invited by one of them? Which one?” the guy asked, cocking his head. Interest lit his
brown eyes.
In for a penny, in for a pound, right? “Kade McGraw.”
The guy nodded as if he knew him and smiled at Tom. “Cool. Let me show you where they’re fighting
at.  Come  on.”  The  man  motioned  for  him  to  follow  and  headed  down  the  game  trail.  “My  name’s
Raven. What’s yours?”
“Tom,”  he  answered  automatically  as  he  followed  the  man,  only  giving  his  first  name  since  that’s
what  his  guide  had  done.  He  felt  for  any  man  whose  mother  named  him  Raven.  Imagine  the  jokes
growing up!
“So, is Kade your mate? It’s unusual for a human to be at these things if you’re not mated to one of
them,” Raven said conversationally.
Okay…Tom had no clue what Raven meant. Mate? Human?
“Huh?” He couldn’t stop the question, even though it made him sound like an ignorant idiot.
Raven  stopped  and  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  him.  “Kade  didn’t  tell  you  what’s  going  on?”  he
asked.  Evidently  the  answer  was  written  all  over  Tom’s  face,  because  the  dark  haired  man  started
grinning in a way that Tom wasn’t sure he liked. “Oh, you’re in for a treat! Come on. We wouldn’t
want to miss anything.”
With  that,  Raven  grabbed  Tom’s  wrist  and  led  him  off  the  trail.  Tom  didn’t  have  any  choice  but  to
follow him.This guy’s grip is strong!
Twenty  minutes  later,  Raven  stopped  and  listened.  Tom  didn’t  hear  anything,  but  he  nodded

cautiously  when  Raven  held  a  finger  to  his  lips.  Waving  a  hand  for  Tom  to  follow,  Raven  crept
forward. It took another ten minutes before Tom actually saw movement ahead and realized they were
coming to a clearing.
Once more, Raven signaled for silence. After Tom nodded again, Raven shifted a tree branch out of
the way and pointed toward the men. Tom immediately spotted Kade. He was kneeling on the ground
while another man, a huge African American even broader in the shoulders than Kade, rested his hand
on  his  neck  and  spoke  quietly  to  him.  Tom  couldn’t  make  out  the  words,  but  whatever  Kade’s
murmured response was must have been okay, because the guy released his hold and Kade rose.
Then  the  other  man  strode  to  the  middle  of  the  clearing  and  spoke.  This  time  Tom  had  no  problem
hearing the words.
“Here’s  how  it  works,”  the  man  stated  with  a  noticeable  Irish  accent,  drawing  the  attention  of  the
twenty or so people milling around. “This is a double elimination tournament. The two wolves who
finish  on  top  will  fight  for  enforcer  rank,  if  they  wish.  Fights  are  to  submission.  No  permanent
injuries,  please,  gentlemen,”  he  said  with  a  smile.  “Go  ahead  and  shift.  The  first  fight  is  between
Phillip Abernathy and Kyle Rainier.”
Tom’s brows shot up.  Wolves? Was Kade involved with dog fighting? He almost rose from where he
crouched, but then Raven’s hand landed on his shoulder, forcing him to keep still.
The guy leaned close and whispered, “Just wait for it. You won’t want to miss this.”
Glancing over his shoulder at Raven, Tom frowned. “Do you know all these people?”
Raven shook his head. “Not personally, but I’ve been watching them for months. Just watch.”
Okay, that’s just creepy.  Tom wondered how he could get away from this guy, who was obviously
stalking one of these men. But then his gaze snapped back to Kade when his lover moved off to the
side  and  began  to  strip  right  there  in  front  of  everyone.  His  jaw  dropped  as  the  biker  revealed  his
magnificent body to anyone who cared to see, sending a surge of jealousy ripping through Tom. Once
again, he started to rise, and Raven held him in place.
He almost snapped at the guy to let him go, but then words died in his throat. Kade’s body began to
change. Between one moment and the next, his lover, his human lover was gone, and in his place sat a
massive brown wolf. “Holy shit,” he hissed.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Raven whispered. “They walk amongst us and most humans never even know.”
“Wh—What are they?” What is my lover? He glanced up at the rising moon, but it wasn’t full. “Are
they werewolves?” he asked anyway.
“They  prefer  to  be  called  shape  shifters.  They  claim  to  be  perfectly  cognizant  in  that  form,  but  I
wasn’t  real  sure.  The  only  time  I’ve  ever  faced  them  in  animal  form  is  when  I  was  fighting  them,”
Raven  stated  blandly.  “From  what  I’m  seeing  though,  they  really  do  think  and  reason  when  they’re
animals.”  The  smile  on  Raven’s  lips  was  anything  but  reassuring.  In  fact,  it  reminded  Tom  of  a
scientist analyzing a particularly interesting bug under a microscope. “Simply amazing.”
Still, the guy seemed to have answers. “How do you know about them?”
It took a minute for Raven to answer, as the man’s gaze was fixed on a pair of fighting wolves. The
animals circled each other warily before coming together in a flurry of growls, teeth, and claws. “I
told you. I’ve been watching them. That’s my job.”
“Your  job?  What  do  you  mean?”  He  asked  the  words,  but  couldn’t  keep  from  raptly  watching  the
fight. One of the wolves managed to get hold of the other’s leg, flip his opponent over, and grip the
other’s  neck.  The  downed  wolf  instantly  submitted,  going  limp  under  him.  To  Tom’s  surprise,  the
winner  didn’t  tear  the  other’s  throat  out,  but  instead  released  him.  Kyle  was  named  victor,  and  the
next fight began.

“I  work  for  a  group  of  scientists  who  would  like  to  harness  some  of  these  guy’s  abilities,”  Raven
stated  calmly.  “They’ve  given  me  and  a  few  other  guys  increased  strength  and  speed  through
experiments they’ve done on them and us. They really are quite remarkable creatures.”
Unease worked through Tom. “Why are you telling me this?” Surely there were rules about involving
civilians, right? Tom shouldn’t have this knowledge, should he?
“Just watch the fight. I want to see who wins.”
Raven  waved  his  question  away,  making  Tom  even  more  uneasy.  “I  think  it’d  be  best  if  I  go,”  he
muttered.
“Naw,  stick  around. You  wouldn’t  want  to  miss  your  boyfriend  fighting.”  Tom’s  eyes  widened  in
surprise.  How  did  this  guy  know?  “See,  he’s  next.  He’s  facing  Franklin,  that  big  tawny  wolf.  Let’s
see how he does.”
“What makes you think he’s my boyfriend?” Tom whispered, racking his brain for some way the guy
could  know.  If  he  was  watching  these  guys,  these  shifters,  had  he  seen  him  and  Kade  in  the  woods
today? Just the idea had embarrassed heat suffusing his cheeks.
Raven  chuckled  low  in  his  throat,  the  sound  easily  drowned  out  by  the  growls  and  grunts  of  the
fighting wolves. “You smell of him.”
“What?” Tom had showered before going to the store. How could he still smell like, well, sex? He
blushed again.
The  other  man  spared  him  an  amused  look.  “Relax.  Normal  humans  wouldn’t  be  able  to  tell,  but
shifters would. Extra sensitive sense of smell is another gift the scientists gave me,” Raven told him.
“Oh.”
They  lapsed  into  silence,  watching  the  animals  fight.  It  was  like  watching  deadly,  choreographed
dancing.  The  animals  were  graceful,  powerful,  and  swift,  barely  causing  injury  to  the  other  as  one
wolf  managed  to  subdue  the  other.  Tom  had  to  admit,  it  really  did  seem  to  appear  like  the  animals
were fighting with human brains, especially when Tom saw Kade perform a roll that appeared more
like a wrestling maneuver than anything a wolf would do in the wild.
To his surprise, and pride if he were to admit it to himself, Kade won. He earned the title of second
enforcer, whatever that was, with a guy named Manon titled third enforcer.
With the fighting done, the wolves changed shape again, turning back into humans. Tom grew nervous.
“I should go,” he whispered, once more trying to rise. To his relief, Raven pulled his hand away and
let him.
“No, you can’t go now,” Raven said, dashing Tom’s hopes for a quick escape.
“Why?” he whispered.
“Because I’m going to use you as bait,” Raven replied far too cheerily.
Tom took a step away from the man, whose eyes took on a decidedly psychotic quality. “Bait?” He
tried to control his breathing, but his voice came out a squeak.
Raven’s grin turned nasty. “Yup. You’re fucking Kade, and shifters are possessive. He’ll come after
you.” He grabbed Tom’s arm and steered him toward the shifters. “Come on. Let’s go let him know.”
Tom let out a startled squawk as Raven shoved him through the trees. The noise drew the attention of
every one of the men.
“Tom,” Kade’s deep voice was laced with concern. “What are you doing here?”
Working through his options quickly, Tom knew his only chance was to get Kade over here to help
him. God, did that mean he trusted the shifter more than the human? Shit! Better the devil you know.“I
—I needed to talk to you. I—What the hell is going on?” He put as much confusion and disbelief into
his voice as he thought he could get away with.

Raven stepped out behind him, and he felt the man’s presence like a brand. “Excellent acting, Tom,”
the guy murmured so only he could hear. Raising his voice, Raven stated snidely, “I told you to keep
watching, didn’t I? Isn’t it obvious, Tom? These men aren’t human. They’re abominations. They all
deserve to die.”
“Tom, baby,” Kade crooned softly, “I need you to come here. Let me explain.” He held out a hand,
beckoning Tom to come to him.
Tom really wished he could, but Raven shook his head ever so slightly and twitched the hand nearest
him. Oh, fuck! He has a gun! He let out an unmanly squeak and backed toward Raven when the man
crooked a finger at him. “I—I don’t understand what’s going on.” Damn it! How dense could the man
be? Kade had to come to him!
Unfortunately,  Kade  didn’t.  Instead,  the  big  guy  who’d  been  calling  the  shots  stepped  forward  and
growled. “We are not abominations,” he said. The words were gruff, but even, as if trying to control
his reaction tothe accusations. “That’s a bigoted attitude of someone who doesn’t know what they’re
talking about.”
Tom felt the gun press into him. Probably Raven’s way of warning him to remain silent. He swayed
away from it before catching himself.
“I’m not here to discuss that with you,” Raven said, his tone negligent. Next, Tom felt Raven’s hand
on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. “My name is Raven, and I’m looking for Miach. Our friends don’t
like him here.”
Well,  shit. Somehow,  he’d  managed  to  stumble  into  a  feud  between  these  shifters  and  Raven’s
scientists.  He  swallowed  as  a  wave  of  fear  and  panic  washed  over  him.  Tom  had  no  idea  how  he
could  get  away.  Raven  wasn’t  kidding  about  increased  strength,  and  the  grip  on  his  shoulder  was
almost painful.
Kade growled and stepped toward him, giving Tom a measure of hope for a split second. But then the
African American, who Tom pegged as some kind of leader, held up a hand and his lover paused.
“Ye can’t think we’re gonna let ye out of here with Tom, Raven,” the leader said coldly. “Tom has
nothin’ to do with this.”
From the corner of his eye, Tom saw Raven shrug. “I don’t plan to harm Tom.” Okay, that has to be a
total  lie.  The  guy  never  would  have  told  me  all  those  things  if  he  hadn’t  planned  on  killing  me!
This  was  all  too  much,  and  Tom  could  feel  his  brain  shutting  down  under  the  stress.  He  barely
comprehended  Raven’s  continued  speech.  “Have  Miach  meet  me  on  Lake  Renue.  I’m  staying  on  a
houseboat  at  the  west  end  of  the  lake.  I’ll  hang  a  green  flag  on  both  sides.  Tell  him  to  come  in  a
canoe, and he better be alone,” Raven ordered.
Once more the gun was pressed to his side, this time hard enough to urge him sideways. “Come along,
Tom,” Raven said.
Yup, too much. Tom felt his eyes roll up into the back of his head at the same time his knees buckled.
As darkness descended, Tom prayed he’d wake up in his bed Sunday morning and discover this was
all a bizarre dream.

Chapter Ten

ade watched in horror as Tom’s body crumpled to the needle-strewn forest floor. Seconds later,

all hell broke loose. A small wolf burst from the trees and latched onto Raven’s arm. While the guy
was distracted, Kade rushed forward and swept his mate into his arms and carried him away from the
commotion.

When gunshots echoed through the trees, Kade paused and glanced back. The wolf that he now

recognized as Sam Bailey was unconscious and tossed over Raven’s shoulder. Raven pressed a gun
to the shifter’s head, his gaze sending warning of his lethal intent to the shifters gathered around them,
some in human form, others in wolf form, as he backed through the trees.

He spotted a massive snake coiled nearby. The creature’s flat-eyed gaze was pinned on the

retreating couple. Red marks on the animal’s body showed where it’d been shot more than once.

No one wanted to put Sam’s life in jeopardy, and the stalemate continued until Raven reached a

car and shoved Sam inside. “Ten o’clock tomorrow morning,” Raven called. “Follow my instructions
or the wolf dies.” Then the guy settled into the driver’s seat and the vehicle peeled out, racing down
the service road.

A feeling of failure invaded Kade’s heart. As an enforcer, even a brand new one, it was his job to

protect the members of his pack. Instead, all he’d been able to think about was saving his mate.

Declan was by his side instantly. “I’m assuming this is yer mate? Tom Bristol?” At Kade’s

immediate nod, Declan grunted. “Ye did the right thing. An unwitting human should not be caught in
the cross-fires of our war.”

Before he could think up a response, the massive snake appeared and shifted into a clearly irate

man. The guy started toward Kade, and a low growl escaped him, his wolf deciding the bleeding man
could be a threat to his mate.

“Take Tom away from here. Ye and Manon’s first duty as new enforcers is to explain things to

Tom and make certain he won’t be a threat to our kind,” Declan stated.
“Oui, Alpha,” Manon responded.

Kade had no clue when the other shifter had joined them. He realized he needed to figure out how

to split his attention when his mate was around. Hopefully, once he’d been able to claim Tom, he
could manage that. He watched Declan and a massive, tattooed guy decked in leathers, who must have
come on one of the motorcycles he’d seen parked in the clearing, intercept the snake shifter.

Following his alpha’s orders, Kade strode through the forest to where they’d parked. Manon

followed silently, watchfully. He recognized Tom’s car, and dug into hismate’s pockets. He handed
the keys to the Cajun.

“That one’s his car. Can you follow us? I’m in the truck,” he added, pointing.

Manon nodded. “Where are you going, mon ami? Your garage?”
Kade  shook  his  head.  “I  think  it’d  be  best  to  have  this  conversation  in  surroundings  comfortable  to
Tom. I want to head to Colin City, to his apartment.”
To his relief, Manon didn’t argue. “As you say.” The guy strode away.
For  a  second,  Kade  wondered  about  the  shifter.  He  must  have  been  highly  spoken  of  by  his  former
pack alpha to have been offered a chance as an enforcer by Declan so quickly.
Focusing on his task, he settled Tom’s unconscious form onto the bench seat and jogged around the
front. Kade pulled an extra pair of sweats from behind the seat, yanked them on, and climbed inside
the  truck.  He  lifted  his  mate’s  head  onto  his  lap,  brushing  his  fingers  through  the  silky  strands  of

Tom’s  auburn  hair  for  several  seconds,  just  staring  at  his  unconscious  mate. As  he  drove  to  Colin
City, Kade wondered how Tom would react when he woke. The man had acted fearful, confused, and
looked  like  he’d  been  ready  to  run.  He  didn’t  really  want  to  have  to  chase  his  mate  down,  but  he
would, Kade decided firmly. Tom was his, and somehow, he’d make the human understand that.
His goal firmly in mind, Kade parked in the garage’s visitor section, then directed Manon to Tom’s
parking space. It wasn’t until they were safely in Tom’s apartment, the man in question laid across his
bed with a blanket draped over him, and the shifters settled down to wait in the living room, beers in
hand, that Manon spoke.
“What you plan to say?”
Kade  swallowed  the  mouthful  of  beer  he’d  just  taken  and  leaned  forward,  elbows  on  his  knees.
“Gonna play it by ear,” he admitted.
“He is your mate, oui?”
He  nodded.  “Yeah.  I  was  wooing  him  slowly,  him  being  in  the  closet  and  all,”  he  said  with  a
grimace. “Didn’t want to make him face too many hurdles at the same time, ya know?”
Manon gave him a sympathetic smile, his dark eyes watching him serenely. The man eased back in the
easy chair and stretched. “I gave you a run for your money, no?”
Kade appreciated the subject change. He grinned, lifting his beer in salute. “You did at that. You been
in the military or something?”
The  other  shifter  shook  his  head,  his  dark  hair  falling  over  his  face.  He  brushed  it  back  carelessly.
“No, but I learned martial arts from my maman. She could kick my ass til the day she died.”
Spotting  the  shadow  that  passed  over  the  man’s  eyes,  Kade  paused,  the  question  on  the  tip  of  his
tongue.
Manon saw his hesitation and lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “She died saving three cubs during the
hurricane. I stayed for a while, helped with clean up, made certain the pack was safe, but I couldn’t
stay. Too many memories.”
Kade nodded, understanding. “I felt the same about the military,” he admitted.
Manon gave him a toothy grin. “Mother die in arms?” he teased.
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No. Lover.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, mon ami.”
Heshrugged.  “He  was  human.  Didn’t  know  about  shifters.  He  wasn’t  my  mate,  so  it  wouldn’t  have
lasted forever, ya know? But I still cared about him. Having to hide how badly I was affected by his
death  was  really  the  deciding  factor.”  Staring  at  his  beer  for  a  second,  he  smiled.  “And  now  I’ve
found my mate.”
“Oui,  you  think  Tom’ll  be  a  tough  one  to  convince?”  the  Cajun  asked,  cocking  his  head  in  a  very
canine move.
“Convince me of what?”
The sound of Tom’s wary voice had Kade leaping to his feet. He just managed to keep himself from
running to the man standing in the hallway. Instead, he forced himself to still and asked, “How are you
feeling?”
“Okay,” Tom replied slowly. “A little confused about how I got here.”
Kade  nodded.  “That’s  understandable.  I  drove  you  here.  Do  you  remember  what  happened?”  he
asked, wondering how much he’d need to explain to Tom. In all actuality, Kade had no idea how long
Tom  had  been  hiding  in  the  woods  with  Raven.  How  had  the  man  gotten  there?  How  much  had  he
seen? How much had Ravensaid to him? It didn’t take Kade long to get his answer.
“I saw everything. The whole fight. Raven explained a lot.”

* * * *

Tom wasn’t certain what Kade had wanted to hear when he’d asked his question, but evidently

that wasn’t it. His lover’s eyes narrowed and his expression took on a wary look. “Raven explained
shifters to you?”

Kade’s question sounded like it had been ripped from his throat. Then Tom remembered all the

things Raven had said while facing Kade and his friends, that wolves were abominations, that he was
there to take Miach, whoever that was, away from them. Okay, maybe mentioning the guy wasn’t
Tom’s smartest move, but he’d just woken up from a dead faint. A little slack would be nice.

Ignoring Kade’s question, he crossed to the kitchen and snagged a beer of his own. He was about

to pop the top when he decided after everything he’d been through, getting shit-faced sounded so much
better. He put the beer away and rooted out a bottle of Scotch from the back of his cupboard. Tom
was even kind enough to grab three highball glasses.

He returned to the living room and the waiting shifters and plopped onto the couch. “Look, I get

that Raven is your enemy,” he said, pouring two fingers into a glass and downing it, relishing the burn
as it slid down his throat. He refilled his glass, then splashed some into the other two glasses and
waved a hand at them, telling the men without words to help themselves.

Kade remained where he was on the other side of the couch. The other shifter, whom he couldn’t

remember the name of, leaned forward and picked up the offered drink. After a sip, he grinned. “Your
mate has good taste, no?”

Ah, the Cajun. Manon. Tom set the bottle on the coffee table and settled into his seat. “Okay,

here’s how it is. Raven explained that you’re shifters, that you can turn into animals at will, and that
you’re still cognizant while in animal form.” Kade’s brows lifted, obviously surprised.

Tom took another sip of the S cotch. “How’d he do so far?”

“Surprisingly well,” Kade grumbled.
He couldn’t stop the smile at seeing how disgruntled his lover was becoming. Shit, his lover wasn’t
human.  Tom  wanted  to  think  about  how  he  felt  about  that,  but  with  the  man  in  the  living  room  near
him, all he seemed to be able to focus on was the fact that the guy was only wearing sweats, loose
sweats, and no shirt. Kade’s tattoos drew his attention, and he licked his lips, remembering how they
felt  under  his  hands,  his  tongue. And  the  bars  in  Kade’s  nipples  called  to  him,  making  his  fingers
twitch.
Downing the rest of his drink, Tom forced himself to go on. “I watched you fight. I know you’re not
just crazed beasts when you turn into an animal.” He ran a hand through his short hair, trying to decide
how  he  really  felt  about  all  this.  “I  don’t  think  you’re  abominations.  Damn  it,  no  one  should  be
experimented  on,”  he  snarled.  He  leaped  to  his  feet  and  began  to  pace,  finally  snapping,  “I  don’t
know what to think! Why the hell does everyone keep calling me your mate?”
“You know I would never hurt you?” Kade murmured, rising from the sofa.
Tomcouldn’t help his tension as Kade approached, never having expressed desire for another man in
front of another, but at least he managed not to shy away from Kade when he settled his big hands on
Tom’s shoulders.
“The  mate  of  a  shifter  is  another  name  for  their  soul  mate,  their  other  half,  the  one  who  completes
them,” Kade murmured softly, his green eyes darkened with sincerity. Tom started to open his mouth
to  question  what  the  hell  that  meant  for  him,  but  Kade  shook  his  head  quickly  and  continued.  “A
shifter  gets  only  one,  decreed  by  Fate,  and  they  aren’t  always  blessed  to  find  that  person,”  he
admitted. “But if they do, they will do everything in their power to ensure their happiness.” Kade’s
hands slid up to cup Tom’s jaw. “You are that person for me, Tom.  You are my mate. My everything,

sweetheart.”
Tom couldn’t hide his frown. “That’s why you pursued me? You didn’t have a choice?” Well, wasn’t
that a crushing blow to his ego? “Fate decreed it, so you had to?”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Manon shaking his head. “What is it with humans, mon ami? They
never understand how important this is.” The broad shouldered man crossed his arms over his chest
and rolled his eyes.
Tom glared at the other man, well at least as best he could with Kade still cupping his head. “Well,
excuse me for asking for clarification!”
“Tom, please focus,” Kade said. Glancing over his shoulder, Kade added, “When you find your mate,
you can tell him about mates any way you want, but for now, let me handle this.”
“S’excuser,” Manon replied contritely, holding up a hand.
Kade refocused on Tom. “Yes, my instant attraction to you was Fate’s doing. No, not all mates end up
happy  together,  although  the  possibility  is  there.  The  two  people  still  have  to  work  at  it,  they  still
need to learn to compromise, to accept their other half’s flaws and limitations.” Kade dropped a hand
to  Tom’s  hip  and  pulled  him  closer.  “You’re  a  kind,  sexy  man,  Tom. Anyone  would  be  honored  to
receive  your  attentions.”  He  pressed  a  soft  kiss  to  Tom’s  lips,  and  Tom  found  himself  opening
immediately, helplessly surrendering to Kade’s mastery. If this was what it’d be like to be mated to
the man, he could see few drawbacks.
Kade eased the kiss to an end, giving his lips one more lick before lifting his head. “There are many
things I need to explain. Will you give me a chance?”
Tom nodded. “Yeah,” he whispered, his head still muddied with lust.
“Thank you,” Kade said, sounding like he really meant it. After tugging Tom down onto the couch next
to  him,  the  big  biker  pulled  him  close  and  kissed  his  neck.  “Seeing  you  near  Raven  had  my  heart
thumping wildly, baby. I never want to feel that way again,” he whispered against his skin.
The warm breath across his skin sent a shiver down his spine, and Tom said the only thing he could
think of. “I’m sorry. I saw you leaving your garage and thought I’d follow you to Theresa’s, but you
didn’t go that way. I got  curious.”  He  met  Kade’s  eyes  as  he  straightened  and  grimaced.  “How  did
you get me away from Raven?”
Kade frowned and dropped his gaze. “One of my packmates attacked Raven from behind.”
Confusion filled him. “Why would he do that for me?”
“You’re my mate,” Kade replied simply.
Tom scowled. “What does that have to do with anything? What’s it to him?”
Suddenly, Kade smiled. “Ah, I see your confusion. You being my mate means you’re extended family.
It’s one of the reasons Jared gave you the loan.”
“The store…wait. What? Jared knows about you guys?” Tom’s eyes rounded. “Is he a shifter, too?”
“No,”  Kade  replied,  still  smiling.  “Jared’s  mate  is  Carson.  The  big  Native American.  Carson  is  a
shifter.”
“Oh,” he murmured. “Yeah, I did wonder how they got together.” It made perfect sense now.
Kade  shook  his  head.  “Oh,  no.  I’ll  admit,  they  had  a  rough  start,  but  they’re  completely  devoted  to
each other.”
Tom waved a hand. “Okay. I get that. So, the big African American is your leader?”
Nodding,  Kade  replied.  “Right.  His  name  is  Declan  McIntire.  He’s  the  pack  alpha.  He’ll  swing  by
eventually.”  Tom  wasn’t  certain  he  looked  forward  to  that  meeting,  but  he  kept  his  mouth  shut.
Somehow,  Kade  must  have  picked  up  on  his  nervousness.  He  rubbed  Tom’s  arm  and  kissed  his
temple. “Don’t worry. He’ll welcome you as long as you keep our secrets.”

Tom drew back, his brows shooting up. “Oh, that’s reassuring.”
“Relax,” Kade crooned.
Tom  let  out  a  sigh  and  nodded.  “Okay,  so  he’s  your  alpha.  Do  you  have  a  beta?  Or  an  omega?  Or
something like that?”
“We do have a pack beta. His name is Shane Alvaro. No omega, at least not in Declan’s pack. Our
alpha refuses to let shifters in his pack treat one member like shit just because he’s submissive.”
Tom frowned, uncertain how to take that information. He could feel his brain starting to shut down, so
tried to figure out what he needed to know right away. “Two more questions. What were you fighting
for? And  what  does  it  mean,  other  than  that  we  can’t  seem  to  stop  touching  each  other,  that  we’re
mates?”
Kade chuckled. “Excellent questions. First, there are pack enforcers. Carson is the head enforcer, and
for a long time he was the only one. Recently, Declan decided his pack was large enough to have a
couple  more,  so  he  asked  a  number  of  his  more  dominant  wolves  if  they’d  be  interested  in  the
position. The fight you witnessed tonight was to earn the right to be one of the two new enforcers.”
Tom  could  hear  the  pride  in  Kade’s  voice  and  smiled.  “So,  you  won  the  right  to  be  an  enforcer?”
Kade  nodded.  Tom  pointedat  Manon.  “And  he’s  the  other  one?  I  saw  you  both  shift  back  after  the
fight,” he admitted, fighting a blush as he remembered the two men’s nakedness.
Manon  chuckled,  which  earned  him  a  growl  from  Kade.  Manon  shook  his  head.  “I’ve  no  cause  to
poach, mon ami. Your mate obviously cares for you.”
“And the mate thing?” Tom murmured, redirecting Kade’s attention to himself.
Kade cleared his throat. “Well, my wolf and I really want to claim you,” he admitted, and to Tom’s
surprise,  he  noticed  a  slight  flush  working  its  way  up  the  sexy  man’s  neck.  “I  do  that  during  sex,”
Kade  whispered,  his  jaw  clenching  and  unclenching.  “When  that  happens,  the  saliva  from  my
claiming bite will mix with your human biology and extend your lifespan to match mine. My wolf and
I willwant to keep you near.” Kade finally met Tom’s gaze. “I want you to move in with me. If we
need to find a place halfway between Stone Ridge and Colin City, I’d be open to that.”
Tom’s  jaw  dropped.  Somehow,  he’d  known  he’d  get  a  serious  info  drop  from  one  of  those  two
questions. He swallowed. One thing caught his attention. “You want to bite me? I, uh, would I become
a shifter, too?”
Kade shook his head quickly. “No. You have to be born a shifter. A human can’t be turned into one.”
A  throat  clearing  caught  both  their  attention,  and  they  looked  toward  Manon.  The  shifter  grimaced.
“Not entirely true, mon ami. Take Lyle for example.”
Tom lifted his brows when Kade shook his head. “That was a special case.”
“What was?” Tom couldn’t help asking.
Kade  eased  back  onthe  couch.  “Lyle  is  a  detective  who  was  captured  and  experimented  on  by  the
scientists Raven spoke of, without Lyle’s permission. He almost died, but was saved by the mate of a
panther shifter. The human was changed into a monitor lizard shifter,” Kade admitted.
“Wow,” Tom whispered, uncertain how else to respond to that.
“I  wouldn’t  let  that  happen  to  you,”  Kade  immediately  snarled.  “We  have  people  with  inside
information  now.  People  who  can  help  us  free  anyone  kidnapped.”  Kade  stiffened,  realizing  what
he’d insinuated. “Not that I’d ever allow you to be taken by them!”
Tom lifted a hand, stalling any more reassurances. “Hey, easy. It’s okay,” he whispered.
Kade’s expression brightened. “Then you’ll let me claim you?”
Tom’s face flamed, and he cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah.” He glanced furtively at Manon, not certain
he wanted to be having this conversation in front of another. “Yeah, I guess,” he added upon seeing

Chapter Eleven

ade licked his lips, his mind running rampant with all the things he wanted to do to Tom now that

the truth was out there and he’d been accepted. But he could see Tom’s nerves surfacing in the way he
twisted his fingers in his lap, and his gaze looked at Kade and then danced away again.

Lifting a hand, Kade cupped Tom’s jaw. “I want you, but I can wait if you’re not ready,” he

murmured.
Tom shook his head, and Kade forced himself to accept the human’s decision. He eased back on the
couch, hoping he had enough control to just hold the man. “No,” Tom said softly, touching Kade’s lips
gently.  “I  don’t  want  to  wait.  I  know  we  haven’t  known  each  other  long,  and  maybe  I’m  accepting
everything  too  easily,  but  with  you,  I  finally  feel  like  I  can  be  myself.”  Tom  rose  to  his  knees  and
straddled Kade’s lap.
His hands immediately went to Tom’s ass as he watched the man work through what else he wanted
to say. Kade flexed his fingers, enjoying the way the firm globes fit in his palms. His cock twitched in
his sweats, and he struggled against the low growl that wanted out of his chest at the feel of Tom’s
firm shaft pressing against his own.
“I  like  it.  A  lot,”  Tom  whispered  breathily.  His  mate  rocked  against  him,  rubbing  their  erections
together  more  firmly. A  blush  worked  up  Tom’s  neck,  and  Kade  desperately  wanted  to  rip  off  the
man’s  shirt  and  see  how  far  down  the  redness  went.  “I’ve  never—never  done  this  before,”  Tom
admitted. “Will it hurt?”
Kade’s  heart  swelled.  Just  the  idea  that  he  would  be  the  only  one  to  touch  his  mate  like  this  had  a
shiver of anticipation working through him. Unwilling to lie to Tom, he stated, “The first time can be
painful, but I’ll prepare you as much as possible to keep that to a minimum.”
“Okay,” Tom replied.
The  trust  in  his  voice  went  straight  to  Kade’s  heart,  making  it  swell  with  affection  and  love.  For  a
second, he buried his face against Tom’s neck and just relished that notion. It’d been so long since he
felt love for anyone other than his family.
After  letting  out  a  slow  breath,  he  placed  gentle  sucking  kisses  against  Tom’s  neck.  He  massaged
Tom’s ass and pressed his fingers into the man’s cleft where the cloth of Tom’s slacks covered his
hole.  Once  the  man  melted  against  him,  moaning  his  pleasure  at  the  soft  touches  and  kisses,  Kade
heaved them both off the couch.
Tom let out a squeak of surprise and wrapped his legs tightly around Kade’s hips. Kade moved one
hand  from  Tom’s  ass  to  wrap  it  tightly  around  his  waist.  He  had  no  intention  of  dropping  his  mate
anywhere but on a bed. “Which room, babe?” he asked, moving toward the hallway.
“Second on the left,” Tom murmured.
Kade almost stumbled when his human drew his earlobe into his mouth and sucked strongly. Tom’s
hands clutched at his shoulders and he tried to rock his hips against him as Kade walked. From the
aroused scent coming from Tom, Kade knew he wasn’t the only one desperate for their coupling.
“Tom,” he growled in warning, and he quickened his pace. He slammed the door shut with the heel of
his  foot.  He  dropped  the  man  on  the  bed,  pleased  by  the  way  Tom’s  eyes  snapped  open  to  pin  him
with a heated, lust-filled look.
Kade wasted no time slipping Tom’s shoes and socks from him. When he reached for the enclosure
on  Tom’s  slacks,  his  blood  heated  further  when  he  saw  Tom  undoing  the  top  couple  buttons  of  his
shirt. He wriggled his hips, helping Kade pull his slacks and underwear down his legs even as he slid

the shirt over his head.
Once  his  mate  was  gloriously  naked,  sprawled  across  the  bed,  Kade  paused  and  stared  at  the  man.
The pale skin of Tom’s sexy runner’s build called to Kade. He wanted to mark it with love bites, so
even humans would know this man was taken.
Tom moved restlessly on the comforter, and Kade swallowed hard as he palmed his cock through his
sweats  and  squeezed.  He  knew  he  needed  to  get  hold  of  himself  so  he  didn’t  go  too  fast  with  his
lover. He needed to take care of him, not maul him. Those thoughts had him sobering enough to feel he
was ready to strip his sweats and crawl onto the bed.
His  mate  watched  him  as  Kade  leaned  over  and  opened  the  nightstand  drawer.  He  grunted  with
pleasure upon seeing the tube of lube. Then he spotted an unopened box of condoms. Kade held it up
and grinned, the question in his expression.
Tom blushed. “It’d been a while before I dated Patricia and I couldn’t seem to bring myself to…” his
words faded and he shrugged one bare shoulder.
Not  liking  how  uncomfortable  he’d  managed  to  make  his  mate,  Kade  tossed  the  box  back  in  the
drawer and said, “Shifters can’t get or pass on diseases, my mate. You’ll never have to worry about
condoms again.”
Tom’s eyes widened in surprise, but a shy smile curved his lips. “Okay,” he whispered.
He tossed the lube onto the bed and crawled over the man. Kade settled his larger frame over Tom’s
and pressed a soft kiss to the man’s lips. “It’s been a while for me, too,” he whispered, “And I want
to make this good for you. Just let me take care of everything. Okay?”
His  breath  catching  in  his  throat,  Tom  buried  his  hands  in  Kade’s  hair.  He  used  the  hold  to  bring
Kade’s  head  down  for  another  kiss,  and  Kade  didn’t  fight  him.  Tom  swept  his  tongue  into  Kade’s
mouth, and Kade sucked on it gently. Tom’s moan had some of his control slipping, and Kade let his
hands roam over the firm flesh of the man beneath him.
Tom  spread  his  legs  wider,  and  Kade  settled  into  the  vee  of  his  body,  allowing  their  cocks  to  rub
together. His mate gasped, his smaller body bucking up against him. Kade let out a grunt of his own
and reached for the lube. There wasno way he’d be able to hold on much longer. He needed inside his
mate, and soon.
Shifting  slightly,  he  continued  to  kiss  Tom,  taking  control  and  sweeping  his  tongue  deeply  into  the
man’s mouth. Reaching a hand between them, Kade rubbed the tender skin behind Tom’s balls.
Tom mewled and Kade swallowed the man’s needy sounds, feeding Tom some of his own. He broke
the kiss for a second to murmur, “Just relax,” before diving back in. He rubbed a lubed finger over
Tom’s taint, not pressing, just touching. He felt Tom stiffen slightly, then hands clutched his shoulders
as he tilted his pelvis and tried to relax.
Kade pressed one finger into Tom’s hole, just to the knuckle. He stilled, letting Tom get used to the
feeling.  When  the  tight  ring  of  muscle  relaxed  a  bit,  Kade  slid  his  finger  in  farther,  held  still  for
several heartbeats, then pulled it out.
He continued to work his mate slowly open with his finger as he started kissing his way along Tom’s
neck, over his shoulders, and down his chest. Tom’s body bowed under him when Kade latched onto
his nipple. He used the distraction to add a second finger. Tom grunted at the added pressure. Kade
crooked his fingers and searched for the spongy gland buried in Tom’s channel.
When Tom arched off the bed, shouting his pleasure, Kade knew he’d found it. Then Tom shuddered,
the  hands  gripping  his  shoulders,  squeezing  hard,  and  warm  cream  splattered  against  Kade’s  chin.
Lifting his head, Kade stared down at his mate in surprise. He rubbed Tom’s gland again, encouraging
more pleasure to flood his mate’s body, heightening the man’s orgasm.

Before Tom’s ragged pants could even out, Kade licked up the cum cooling on Tom’s chest, loving
his man’s salty taste. He stroked his tongue over his softening shaft and delved his tongue into the slit,
probing for more creamy goodness. Tom moaned, writhing under him, and Kade settled his palm over
his stomach to hold him still.
He  pulled  the  man’s  dick  into  his  mouth,  sucking  gently  on  the  sensitive  skin,  pleased  when  Tom
began to firm back up.Kade worked a third finger into Tom’s channel, his own cock leaking pre-cum.
Fighting  his  desire  to  rut  against  the  bed,  knowing  he  was  too  close  to  losing  it,  Kade  stared  up  at
Tom through his lashes.
“Please,” Tom whispered. “I need—”
“I know what you need,” Kade murmured after letting Tom’s dick slide from his mouth. He pulled his
fingers gently from Tom’s ass, and Tom groaned and shifted restlessly. Grabbing the lube, he slicked
up his cock as he crooned reassurances to his mate.
“Now. Take me now,” Tom pleaded.
Kade lined up his dick to Tom’s entrance and smiled down at him. “Bossy little thing, aren’t you,” he
teased, making Tom huff in annoyance. Kade used the distraction and pressed forward, popping the
crown of his dick past the loosened guardian muscles.
Tom tensed beneath him and his channel clenched down on him. He grunted from the intense pressure,
fighting his urge to thrust into the hot, tightgrip. “Just breathe, sweetheart,” he whispered, resting his
forehead against Tom’s. “You need to relax, Tom,” he urged. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Nodding against him, Tom let out a breath. “Feels odd,” he said.
“It’ll get better,” Kade promised. To his relief, Tom’s anus relaxed, and Kade pushed forward. He
didn’t stop until he was buried balls deep, his testicles resting against his mate’s crack. It took every
ounce of self-control he had left, but Kade froze in place and waited, waited for his mate’s signal that
it was okay to move.
It didn’t take long, for which Kade was incredibly grateful. He felt Tom shift beneath him, grunting in
what sounded suspiciously like frustration. Kade pressed a kiss to Tom’s lips, then stared intently at
him as he slowly slid his shaft halfway out of the man before gliding back in.
Tom’s  eyes  rounded,  his  mouth  ohed  in  pleasure  as  Kade  rubbed  across  the  man’s  prostate.  Kade
smiled, loving the look of bliss seeping into his mate’s features. He decided to make it his mission in
life to see that particular look as often as possible. Kade pulled back and thrust again.
It didn’t take long for his own need to take control of his movements. His cock throbbed within the
hold of Tom’s body. His spine tingled, heralding his coming orgasm. Kade felt his teeth ache with the
need to sink them into Tom’s neck. When his balls pulled tight to his body, he growled gruffly. “May I
claim you, my mate?”
Tom’s  eyes  widened.  “Yesss,”  he  hissed  right  before  tilting  his  head,  revealing  his  neck
submissively.
Instantly, Kade struck. He sank his teeth into the fleshy part of Tom’s shoulder, sucking the sweet life
force of his mate into his mouth, swallowing it down, binding them together for eternity.
His  mate  shouted  his  name.  Tom’s  cock  exploded  between  them,  coating  their  stomachs  and  chests
with  his  pearly  essence.  Kade  felt  Tom’s  inner  muscles  clamp  down  on  his  cock,  and  it  was  too
much,  and  not  enough,  and  then  his  orgasm  overwhelmed  him.  His  body  shuddered  as  his  dick
erupted, soaking his mate’s channel with his seed, making Tom his in a primal way that pleased Kade
even more than the bite on his neck did.
Pulling  his  teeth  from  Tom’s  shoulder,  Kade  roared  his  pleasure.  He  dropped  forward,  just
remembering to catch himself before crushing his mate. Once he managed to get his breathing under

control,  Kade  licked  away  the  blood  still  oozing  from  Tom’s  shoulder.  His  saliva  would  help  the
wound heal more quickly, and in a few days, the mark would be a scar proclaiming to every shifter
that Tom was taken.
As gently as he could, Kade eased his softening shaft from Tom’s channel. Tom moaned softly, but it
wasn’t  an  unpleasant  sound.  Dropping  next  to  him,  Kade  pressed  a  kiss  to  Tom’s  temple.  “Gods,
you’re amazing,” he murmured.
Tom snickered. “Glad you feel that way. You’re kind of stuck with me.”
Kade grinned and cracked an eyelid open to look at his smirking mate. “Nothing pleases me more than
knowing that.” He grew serious before stating, “You know I love you, right?”
Tom’s eyes widened. “You do?”
“Oh, yeah. Very much.”
A smile curved Tom’s lips. “So, when do we start house hunting?”
Kade levered up onto one elbow and stared down at his mate. “You’re serious? You want to move in
together?”
Tom nodded and lifted a hand to cup Kade’s jaw. “That’s what people do when they love each other,
isn’t it? When they’re partners?”
He couldn’t see it on the man’s face, but Kade could scent Tom’s uncertainty. He wanted to put that to
rest. “Yeah, that’s what partners do.” Then the man’s other statement caught his attention. “You love
me, too?” God, could he sound any more like a fucking girl?
Tom  rubbed  his  thumb  over  Kade’s  bottom  lip,  and  he  immediately  sucked  it  into  his  mouth.  Tom
smiled. “Yeah. I love you. Fell hard and fast for my tattooed biker,” he whispered.
“Good,” Kade grunted. He pecked a kiss to Tom’s lips, then rolled from the bed. “I’ll get something
to clean us up.” He winked. “Then we can nap while we wait for dinner.”

Chapter Twelve

om rolled over, reaching for the warm body on the other side of the bed, but he came up empty.

Prying open one eyelid, Tom glanced around the room. The sheets were cool to the touch, telling him
Kade had been gone for a while. He shoved himself to a sitting position, his back against the
headboard, and rubbed a hand over his face. A glance out the window showed the sun was already
high in the sky. He’d slept through the night and then some. “Damn, I must have been tired,” he
grumbled, his voice still tight from sleep. Or traumatized, but he didn’t want to think about that.

Before he could convince himself to climb from bed in search of coffee, the bedroom door swung

open. Kade strode into the room, his big body all masculine power and sensuality. It still amazed him
that Kade wanted him. Who gave a shit what he said about Fate deciding mates. Tom would take his
good fortune.

And good fortune it was, for Kade held up a mug and quirked an eyebrow. “You ready for

coffee?”
Tom held out a hand and wiggled his fingers. “Gimme,” he ordered.
Kade laughed and handed him the cup. Then he sat down next to him and kissed Tom’s forehead. Tom
ignored him in favor of taking his first sip. The bitter liquid flowed across his tongue, laced with just
the  right  amount  of  smoothsweetness.  “Mmm,”  he  moaned  at  the  taste.  “How  did  you  know  one
spoonful of sugar and a dash of cream?” he asked curiously after finishing half the mug.
The  other  man  shrugged.  “I  could  tell  from  your  taste  yesterday  morning,”  Kade  admitted.  “When  I
kissedyou before we went hiking.”
“Wow! Really?” Tom couldn’t hide his amazement. That was some trick!
Nodding, Kade answered, “A shifter has pretty good taste buds. Our other senses are heightened as
well. We’re stronger than humans, quicker, heal faster.”
“Huh,” he muttered. He took in the tight t-shirt covering Kade’s chest, wondering where he’d gotten
it. He didn’t recognize the band name on the front, so knew it wasn’t one of his. None of his would fit
Kade anyway. His gaze riveted to something else. “What about your piercings?” he asked.
Kade frowned. “What about them?”
Tom  licked  his  lips,  remembering  what  it  felt  like  to  tug  the  steel  bars  into  his  mouth  and  suck  on
them.  He  shook  his  head,  trying  to  clear  it.  “What  happens  to  your  piercings  when  you  turninto  a
wolf?”
A grin split Kade’s wide mouth, and it was obvious the guy enjoyed the affect he was having on Tom.
“They’re still there.”
“Can I see?” The request was out before Tom could think better of it. Did he really want a massive
wolf in his bedroom? From the look of pleased surprise on Kade’s face, Tom knew it was too late to
take the words back.
“Really?” Kade asked, probably more out of politeness since he was already drawing the hem of his
shirt over his head. Tom nodded, not trusting his voice as tattooed skin was revealed before his eyes.
Then the man’s jeans were shoved down his legs, but he didn’t have time to ogle long, because the
man’s shape began to change.
First  he  dropped  to  his  knees,  then  his  legs  slimmed,  bones  cracked,  tendons  popped,  and  joints
realigned. Fur sprouted from smooth bronzed skin. Less than a minute later, a large brown wolf stood
in the middle of his bedroom.
“Wow,” he whispered. Tom gulped, struggling to control his natural instinct to flee the massive beast

in front of him. “You’re, uh, you’re not going to hurt me, right? You really are aware when you’re a
wolf, right, Kade?”
Thewolf’s head dropped and he sniffed loudly. Then he dropped his haunches to the floor, his tongue
rolled from his mouth, and his tail thumped on the floor. For all intense and purposes, Kade looked
like a dog asking for attention.
Swallowing hard, Tom set down his coffee cup and eased to his knees on the floor. Kade stood and
moved  toward  him  slowly,  as  if  sensing  Tom’s  trepidation.  Finally,  Kade  stopped  a  couple  feet  in
front of him and waited. Tom reached out a hand and touched him, surprised to find the animal’s fur
softer than he thought it’d be.
He scratched the wolf’s ruff, then rubbed his head. Feeling brazen, and a large measure of curiosity,
Tom screwed up his courage and moved his hand to Kade’s chest. His brows shot up when he felt the
metal bar embedded in the skin under Kade’s fur. Kade growled, although there was no heat in it.
Tom still withdrew his hand. Holding them both up in surrender, he grinned. “Couldn’t resist.”
Seconds later, a naked Kade, back in human form, knelt before him. The man frowned, but amusement
danced behind his green eyes. “Very funny,” he grumbled, making Tom laugh. “Get over here,” Kade
snapped. The big man grabbed Tom’s wrists and yanked him against Kade’s naked chest.
The  kiss  was  hungry,  possessive,  feral  as  Kade  thrust  his  tongue  into  Tom’s  mouth.  Pressed  flat
against his lover, Tom could think of nothing more wonderful than the feel of his waking shaft rubbing
against Kade’s.
Kade reached between them and gripped them both in a tight hold. “This isn’t going to take long,” he
growled in warning.
Tom mentally agreed. What came out of his mouth was a moan of pleasure. His hips snapped forward
and back, pushing his cock through Kade’s fist, rubbing against the other man’s dick. Kade rotated his
hand,  squeezing  their  heads,  and  flicked  his  thumbnail  into  the  slit  of  Tom’s  cock  head,  all  in  a
manner of a few seconds. It was too much. His balls pulled tight and his body jerked. His cock shot
stream  after  stream  of  seed  as  he  moaned  into  Kade’s  kiss.  Seconds  later,  Kade  followed  him  into
bliss.
When Tom finally regained awareness, his head had dropped to Kade’s shoulder. Their bodies were
pressed together, skin slicked with semen. He grunted as he pushed away from the bigger man. “Holy
shit what a way to wake up. I’m ready to go back to bed now,” he admitted.
Kade shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. Declan and a few
others are going to be here soon. We need to hop in the shower.”
Tom groaned, but that was the only protest he made as he followed Kade into the bathroom.

At least they brought food. Tom sat on the couch, his body tucked close to Kade’s as they

munched cinnamon rolls and drank coffee. The wolf shifters were talking about Raven. With help
from some non-wolf shifters, they’d managed to subdue Raven and were now holding him while they
figured out what to do with the man.

Tom wasn’t certain he wanted to know what happened to the guy.

He glanced around at the men filling his living room. He already knew Carson, Jared, and Manon,
andhe’d been introduced to Declan McIntire, the man’s mate, Lark, as well as the beta Shane Alvaro.
It amazed him that the wolf shifter alpha was actually gay, and his people had no problem following
him. It was a testament to the mountain of a man’s strength and integrity.
Tom had just risen to get the carafe of coffee so he could refill his mug when the buzzer for his door
sounded. He turned and looked at Kade. “Are you expecting anyone else?”
Kade shook his head. “No, sweetheart.”

It still amazed him that Kade was so open with his endearments, not at all concerned with what others
might think that he was gay. Tom hoped he could get used to it, adopt it even. That thought brought a
smile to his lips and he opened the door. The smile froze. “Dad. What are youdoing here?”
“We  need  to  talk  about  your  marketing  ideas  before  the  Monday  ten  o’clock  meeting,”  his  father,
Harvey Bristol stated.
He cocked his head. They’d never done that before. “We do?”
“Yes,” Harvey said, entering without an invitation. “I don’t like the display for—”
His  father’s  voice  stopped  when  he  saw  the  room  crowded  with  men.  Tom  closed  the  door  and
stepped around his father. “Father, these are my friends.” He went around the room rattling off names.
When he got to Kade, he paused. His lover’s eyes held understanding warmth, as if telling him it was
okay if Tom didn’t want to reveal their status yet.
Tom didn’t want to take the coward’s way out. He held up a hand and motioned toward Kade. “This
is  my  boyfriend,  Kade  McGraw,”  he  said,  taking  the  plunge.  “Everyone,  this  is  my  father,  Harvey
Bristol.”
For  a  second,  his  father  just  stood  there,  but  then  he  leveled  a  hard  look  toward  Tom.  “What’s  the
meaning of this? You’re not gay,” he snarled.
Kade  rose,  but  Tom  lifted  a  hand,  silently  telling  his  lover  that  he  could  handle  this.  To  his  relief,
Kade stopped, although he didn’t sit back down. “I am gay, Father. It’s who I am, and there’s nothing
you can do to change it.”
He watched the older man’s face turn a mottled shade of red, his gaze sweeping around the group of
men. It was only then that he noticed Lark was curled up on Declan’s lap. He curled his lip in a sneer
and returned his focus on Tom. “No son of mine is gay,” he snapped. “You go this route, and you’re
done at the store. You’re fired!”
Tom’s spine stiffened. “You can’t fire me for sexual orientation. It’s against the law!”
“I’ll find another reason. Don’t you worry,” Harvey promised, loathing in his tone as he eyed his only
son. There was nearly a minute of silence, where Harvey obviously thought Tom was going to change
his mind and renounce his earlier statement. Tom fought back a shiver as he watched his career tank
in front of his eyes, but he had no intention of denying the love he felt for Kade. Not for anyone, least
of all his father, who was supposed to love and support him no matter what.
“Fine,” Harvey finally snapped. “Clear out your desk first thing in the morning.”
Harvey  was  halfway  to  the  door  when  Jared  spoke  up.  “You  fire  your  son,  and  I  foreclose  on  the
loan.”
Tom’s father spun, his face once more going red. “What! You can’t do that! We don’t owe anything
for three months.”
Jared’s  lip  twisted  into  a  smirk.  “Did  you  forget  the  little  clause  about  me  approving  management?
You fire your son, I can guarantee I won’t approve of any other marketing director you hire,” he stated
languidly before taking a sip of coffee from his mug.
Damn, I’d completely forgotten about that.
“Why would you do that?” Tom asked, confused. Jared was lined up to make quite a bit of money on
this deal.
The  lithe  brunet  rolled  his  eyes.  “I’m  not  in  the  least  bit  altruistic,  Tom.  I  saw  your  financials.  It
wasn’t  until  after  you  were  promoted  to  marketing  director  six  months  ago  that  your  store  started
bringing in a profit again. If you leave, I pull out.” Jared shrugged, then focused cold hazel eyes on
Harvey. “It’s as simple as that.”
Harvey looked from Jared to Tom and back to Jared. His face went from red to purple. Not a good

look,  and  Tom  feared  his  father  was  gearing  up  for  another  heart  attack.  “You  manipulative,
controlling bastard,” he snarled.
Jared raised his coffee mug. “Guilty.”
Tom’s brows shot up. Harvey sneered one more time, then stomped his way out of Tom’s apartment,
slamming the door behind him. Kade was at Tom’s side instantly, pulling him against him.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Maybe he’ll come around,” Kade crooned, trying to sound hopeful.
After pressing a soft kiss to Kade’s lips, Tom smiled sadly. “He won’t, but it doesn’t matter. I knew
he’d react like this. It was a long time in coming,” he admitted.
“If  he  continues  to  give  ye  trouble,  ye  let  me  know,”  Declan  said,  drawing  attention.  “Though
technically not me territory, I’m not without friends in Colin City.” Declan gave him an understanding
smile. “I keep me own safe.”
“He’ll insult and maybe encourage others to do so, but he won’t be violent,” Tom said, certain of his
words. “It’s really not in him,” he added with a shrug. His father really was a follower. His ideas of
homosexuality  had  been  drilled  into  him  by  Tom’s  grandfather  for  decades.  It  wasn’t  going  to
disappear just because Harvey’s father had passed several years ago.
“Well, if that changes, ye have me number,” Declan still insisted.
Tom nodded, knowing when to give in. “Yes, Alpha.”
The concession seemed to please the man, and after a few minutes, the conversation returned to the
one that had been interrupted. Raven. Tom headed to the kitchen for the carafe of coffee. He stood at
the counter, staring at nothing, and smiled. Seconds later, strong, tattooed arms wrapped around him
from behind. Tom felt a press of firm lips against his neck and he tilted his head, offering more room.
He couldn’t ever remember feeling more free, and damn if it didn’t feel wonderful!

About the Author

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

started  writing  fantasy  when  she  was  eight,  and  after  stumbling  onto  her  first  erotic  romance  at  age
nineteen,  she  realized  her  true  calling.  She  now  focuses  on  writing  erotic  romance,  normally  of  the
paranormal variety, with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her
laptop and a cup of tea or glass of wine, creating her next enjoys exploring the mountains wheeler, or
motorcycle.  Her  favorite  exercise  is  jumping  lessons  with  her  Arabian  gelding  Apache  or  her
Thoroughbred mare Repo. And she can’t get enough of sexy highlanders with their kilts and swords.
Right now, she and her muse are working with dedication on her Wolves of Stone Ridge series and
Kontra’s Menagerie series.
adventure. Charlie on horseback, horseback,
She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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