STORY EXCERPT

Drew stopped the car and offered Paulie a comforting smile. He’d have preferred his son to remain focused on his annoyance with their closest relatives. “I’m going out to see. You stay inside, Paulie.”

Surreptitiously, he retrieved the baseball bat he always kept with him when he went out driving. One never knew when he might run into maniacs, and Drew would do anything to protect his son.

Gripping the bat, Drew left his car and headed toward the shape he’d seen. The blackness of the night surrounded him, the only light coming from his headlights and barely reaching his position. Nothing moved, and Drew held his breath, anxiety coursing through him.

As he approached, he identified the figure as an animal of sorts. It seemed too big to be a dog, but Drew could not in good conscience just leave it there to be torn apart by other beasts. He knelt into the grass and reached out, blindly feeling toward the animal. His hand fell onto soft, wet fur, and Drew gasped as a shock of something like electricity passed through his hand.

He almost retracted his hand, the odd sensation confusing him. Judging by the feel of the fur and its tentative size, Drew thought the animal might be a wolf, a male one. He should just abandon it here. Taking it close to Paulie was out of the question.

Instead, he found himself pulling the animal from the bank and into the light. It was difficult, since its bulk weighed heavily on Drew, but somehow, he managed. The wolf growled lowly, but other than that, it didn’t stir.

When the light fell on the animal, Drew realized why it didn’t move. Bullet holes pierced its flesh in at least two visible spots. Drew felt for injuries around its rib cage and legs.

The wolf let out a low whine, and Drew winced. Whoever attacked this wolf—clearly a human hand—had done quite a number on it. Drew couldn’t tell the true extent of the damage just by such a superficial exam, but clearly, the animal boasted several broken ribs, at least.

In this state, the beast wouldn’t be dangerous, not even to a newborn, but Drew couldn’t very well carry it in his car. For one, it would never fit, and Drew had Paulie to think about. He considered calling the vet, but the two of them didn’t get along. Poaching was not unheard of in these parts, but to Drew’s knowledge, wolves didn’t represent a member of the area’s fauna. As such, the veterinarian would probably suggest killing the animal. For whatever reason, Drew couldn’t accept that.

Paulie cracked the car door open and peeked outside. “What is it, Dad?”

“I told you to stay inside,” Drew said in a chastising tone. “Don’t make me ground you.”

Paulie huffed and closed the car door. Once his son was back to safety, Drew retrieved his cell phone. Thankfully, they were close enough to the town to have reception. He dialed the one number he could think of. Deputy Daniel Lawson might be sleeping at this hour, but Drew’s friend Dan would jump to the rescue, as he always did.

A sleepy voice answered his call. “Lawson here,” the man said.

“Hi, Dan, it’s Drew.”

“Oh, hey, man. What’s up?” The sound of sheets rustling came over the connection. “I thought you were in Denver.”

“Don’t remind me,” Drew replied. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. He’d have preferred to skip the customary Denver visit altogether, but Chad and Judith always claimed they were too busy or too old to make the journey to Tennington and needed to see Paulie anyway. As much as Drew disliked them, they were his son’s grandparents, and they could cause him trouble again if he didn’t oblige. The mere memory of the custody battle that ensued after Paula’s death made Drew sick to the stomach.

Dan’s voice shook him out of his musings. “Hey, Drew, you there? Everything all right?”

“Yes, I mean no.” He took a deep breath, hating this sudden outburst of feeling. “I found a wolf in the woods. It’s injured, badly. Gunshots, broken bones, you name it. There may be internal injuries as well, but I won’t know until I look him over better.”

Dan cursed. “Poachers again? But a wolf, Drew? Since when do wolves show up in Tennington?”

“No clue,” Drew answered. “Maybe it escaped a circus or something along that line. Anyway, I need your truck to carry him.”

“Sure, man, coming your way as we speak. On the road toward the Interstate?”

Drew nodded. “Yup. Twenty miles from Tennington, near the river bank.”

After thanking his friend, Drew closed the connection and put his cell phone back in his pocket. He threw one more gaze toward the car to make sure Paulie wasn’t going to rebel in his typical teenage fashion, and then knelt next to the wolf.

As he caressed the wet fur of the animal, he whispered, “Who did this to you, boy? Just hang in there. Help is on the way.”

ADULT EXCERPT

They were beautiful together, Valerius’s two mates. Valerius wanted them both so badly it hurt. His entire body begged for their touch, and Valerius couldn’t recall why he’d ever wanted to hold back.

So what if Drew was human? So what if having a third mate didn’t fit with the nature of the spirit wolf? In the end, it didn’t matter. They were bonded, and together, they could get over anything.

As Drew and Trent broke their kiss, Valerius pulled them both toward his bedroom. He never brought people here, not because he particularly cherished his house, but due to his acute need for privacy. Whenever he’d needed to scratch an itch, he just went out and found a willing one-night stand. But this would be different. This would be his first time with his mates, and he wanted to make it perfect.

He pushed them both onto the large four-poster bed and went to his wardrobe. The hedonist in him led him to always have the necessary supplies at hand, a fact for which Valerius felt very thankful now. As he retrieved a tube of lube from his stash, he briefly considered taking some anal beads or perhaps a cock ring, but decided against it. This time, just the three of them would be enough.

He made his way back to the bed and froze when his eyes fell upon the amazing sight of Trent’s hands roaming over Drew’s nude body. Apparently, Trent wasted no time in getting their mate naked, and Drew didn’t disappoint either, getting rid of Trent’s clothing with swift, efficient motions. Valerius felt awed by the beauty of the two men.

Trent gripped Drew’s hard shaft in a large fist and jacked it slowly, all the while throwing a gaze Valerius’s way. “Come on. We’re waiting.”

Drew moaned and spread his legs wide. He crooked his finger at Valerius and beckoned him forward. “Come, Val. Fuck me.”

No one had ever called Valerius like that in his life, but strangely, he found he liked it. He grinned at his two mates. “I’d love to.”

In a flash, Valerius made his way to his mates. Trent flipped Drew on all fours, exposing the perfect twin globes of Drew’s ass. Eagerly, Valerius parted Drew’s cheeks, and desire swamped him at the first sight of his lover’s little hole. His cock throbbed with need, the desire to claim Drew’s body escalating to unbearable proportions.

Swiftly, he tore his own clothing off and uncapped the lubricant tube. He poured a generous amount on his fingers and spread it on Drew’s hole. Drew gasped when Valerius inserted a finger inside his passage, and Valerius echoed the sentiment entirely. The hot tightness that engulfed his digit almost made him lose every last remnant of his control. He took a deep breath and focused on preparing his mate. The last thing he wanted was to make this experience painful for Drew. He added another finger, scissoring them inside Drew. He expertly found his mate’s gland and rubbed it, unsurprised, but still aroused when Drew let out a moan of pleasure.

A groan drew Valerius’s attention to his second mate. Trent’s gaze washed over him, burning him, and Valerius suddenly had an image of the three of them, connected in the most intimate way three men could be. He wanted to fuck Drew while Trent pounded him in turn.

His thoughts must have shown on his face as Trent leaned over Drew and shared a quick kiss with their mate. “So beautiful,” he murmured as he caressed the side of Drew’s face. “We’ll be together in a minute.”

Drew nodded, and Trent crawled across the bed until he reached Valerius. Valerius retreated his fingers from Drew’s body and met Trent halfway. Their lips crushed against each other, and Valerius realized Trent still tasted like Drew, their combined flavors so intoxicating it drove Valerius wild. “I want you so bad,” Trent said as they broke apart.

Wordlessly, Valerius nodded. He shifted on the bed, allowing Trent the space to maneuver behind him. He caressed Drew’s flanks, taking in the softness of the other man’s skin. “Ready?”

“Yes, please. Oh, God, yes,” Drew frantically replied.

Satisfied at his mate’s enthusiasm, Valerius positioned himself at Drew’s hole and slowly pushed inside. Drew tensed beneath him, and Valerius froze. “You all right?”

“I’m fine,” Drew answered, but his voice sounded a bit strained. “Sorry. It’s just been a while. Go on.”

Valerius obeyed, but he kept his motions slow. When he at last embedded himself fully inside Drew, Valerius stilled. It must’ve been the hardest thing he’d done in his life, but he needed to allow his mate to get used to his girth. Valerius’s pause made Trent shoot into action. Fingers prodded at Valerius’s hole, spreading lubricant around his opening. “Just do it,” he said. “I like it rough.”

In spite of his words, Trent still took an inordinate amount of time preparing him, inserting one finger, then a second inside him. Valerius couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to move, to fuck and be fucked. Drew clung to the sheets desperately and gasped. “Please… Fuck me. Val, Trent, fuck me.”