STORY EXCERPT

Blake was in his bedroom chewing his lip while trying to decide what to wear when he heard the downstairs door open. Frowning, he glanced toward the stairs landing in front of his bedroom then looked down his body doubtfully. Having just come out of the bathroom, he was wearing only his briefs and socks. Shrugging it off laconically he went to see who it was. Pausing at the bedroom door he called out “Who is it?”

“Blake?” the visitor called back, sounding somewhat confused. Blake snorted. Michael was probably wondering why he wasn’t downstairs.

“Upstairs!” Blake yelled back, before returning to the closet and pulling out first thing he could, which turned out to be pair of tight black jeans. He inspected them briefly deciding they would do. He put them on then snapped the black leather belt in place. He was buckling it when Michael walked into the room.

“Hey!” he said, glancing at Blake’s still-damp hair, the towel discarded on the bed. He sniffed the air. “You showered.”

“Yes.” Blake was still fussing with the belt.

“I thought we were supposed to go to Cade’s and kick back enjoying some beer.” Michael looked at him questioningly.

“We were,” Blake conceded.

“You want to go out?” Michael sounded curious. Blake snorted and turned to face him, putting his hands on his hips.

“No, I don’t, I just have no choice. Cory and his pals want to go out. Per elders’ decree, Luc and I are going with them, and you get to hang with our pals and relax.” He pointed an admonishing finger at Michael. “I can tell you right away it’s totally unfair,” he groused. Michael, he noted with some irritation, looked unruffled. He pursed his lips.

“I didn’t know that,” Michael mused. “That they were going out tonight, that is.”

“Why should you?” Blake answered impatiently. “It’s not your problem.”

“Still.” Michael watched him. “You should look at this from the positive side, Blake.”

Blake, still busy searching for the shirt he could wear, looked at him incredulously.

“What is the positive side in me following bunch of twenty-year-olds to a club so they can strut around, hiss, and bare their teeth at bunch of equally challenged twenty-year-olds from another pride?”

Michael lost his smile, his eyes going dark and serious. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Enlighten me,” Blake said sarcastically.

Michael heaved a put-upon sigh. “Blake, I know you are not stupid. You know things are changing. Before, only families used to stay together. Now we have a pride.”

“Which is based on family connections,” Blake reminded him. Michael dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Agitated, he started to pace the room.

“Most of us, yes, do have family ties. But not all.”

Blake had to acknowledge this.

“There is no other choice, not if we want to hide successfully from humans. We have doctors, and we have people in law enforcement. It’s all so we can hide. Humans are not ready to learn of existence of shifters. We can’t ignore Golden Grass, they are too close and too big.”

“We managed up until now.” Michael grimaced.

“It’s not the same,” he continued. “Only recently the prides became so big that our territories border each other. We, you and I, didn’t have that problem. We could avoid Golden Grass until we were old enough to tell our inner cat to shut up and play nicely with others. You have two cats who fight with each other to establish which one of them is stronger? We’ll live. What we have here is half a dozen Black Shadow and half dozen of Golden Grass. If they get  into the fight, it will be a shitstorm of epic proportions. Not to mention if their families got involved. We can’t afford it. They have to be contained.”

“You don’t have to tell that to me,” Blake drawled, watching Michael pace the room. Startled, Michael whirled to face him. He gave Blake an apologetic half smile. “Sorry, sometimes I get carried away.”

“Elders still giving you problems?” Blake inquired, genuinely interested. He knew elders and Michael didn’t always see the things in the same way.

Michael rolled his shoulders in exasperation. “They didn’t want to get involved. They don’t want to have anything with Golden Grass. I was pushing for the cubs to spend time together before we got in this mess. They didn’t want to bother,” he finished contemptuously.

“They grew up viewing Golden Grass as outsiders. They are not used to this.”

“They have no business leading the pride if they can’t change,” Michael stated in hard tone.

Blake raised an eyebrow. Michael barked a laugh. “All right, I want to lead the pride. You know that.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“You have no idea how much I want you,” Luc whispered, his eyes looking wild. Blake gave him feral smile. “I think I do.” No one was going to interrupt this time. Blake sucked on Luc’s plump lower lip then shimmied down Luc’s body. Luc groaned in protest, but Blake ignored him. Luc’s shirt was rucked up, revealing a strip of skin. He pushed it further away then bent his head to lick and suck on Luc’s nipples. Luc yelped, his fingers carding in Blake’s hair. He moved down, leaving a wet trail on Luc’s inflamed skin. He heard Luc gasp as he reached his waist. He glanced up, smirking at the hungry look on Luc’s face. He rubbed his cheek against the bulge in Luc’s pants. Luc hips buckled, savage pleasure shooting through Blake.

Luc tugged him up and kissed his swollen lips. “Don’t tease,” he warned, breathless.

“That’s hell of an assumption to make,” Blake murmured against his skin. Luc arched under him.

“What?”

“That I don’t intend to follow through.”

Luc froze under him then laughed. “Jesus, Blake.”

Blake nipped at his collarbone then growled in frustration, Luc’s shirt barring him access to all that delectable skin. He sat up, still straddling Luc. Blake looked down at Luc and let out an annoyed sigh. As long as Luc was under him, getting rid of his clothes was going to be a problem. Reluctantly, he slid off Luc. Luc grabbed his wrist. “What?” he started, frustration evident in every line of his body.

Blake leaned for a quick kiss. He didn’t dare do more, unsure if he would be able to stop.

“Upstairs,” he said. “There is a bed.” He tugged at Luc impatiently. “Come on.”

Realization settled on Luc’s face. Not letting go of Blake’s hand, he stood up and nudged him toward the stairs. “Come on then.”

They climbed two steps at once, with Blake acutely aware of Luc’s presence at his back. As soon as they were in the bedroom, Luc slammed him against the wall, ravaging his mouth. Blake opened his mouth, eagerly sucking on Luc’s tongue. The scent of aroused male hit him like a storm, sweeping all other thoughts away. Using Luc’s distraction he burrowed a hand between their bodies and unbuttoned his jeans. Luc let out a small sound but didn’t try to help. Blake gently pressed his hip, shifting him until he could reach inside Luc’s jeans and palm his cock. He shivered as warm skin rested against his palm. Luc was hard and leaking, and Blake’s own dick twitched in sympathy. He gave it experimental tug only to have Luc break the kiss and bury his head in Blake’s shoulder.

“Right,” he said, obviously still catching his breath. “Bed.” He didn’t make a move, staying right where he was, so Blake with one last pat to his cock, pushed him away. Luc stumbled back. His eyes fastened on Blake. He was flushed. It was unusual and hot as hell seeing Luc devoid of his usual grace. Blake was reminded he was the one who had done it to him.

First things first, though. Blake tugged his shirt over his head and dropped it to the side, then advanced on Luc. Luc blinked, backing toward the bed. He sat down heavily and automatically reached to pull his shirt over his head. Blake bent to take his sneakers then his jeans off. He stood, impatiently stripping what remained of his clothes. He knelt on the bed and reached for the drawer in the nightstand. Desire running rampant under his skin, he was clumsy. He cursed when he couldn’t find the bottle of lube immediately. Luc ran his hands over his back, sliding around to his hips. Blake shivered. Luc mouthed his collarbone, leaving a faint red mark on his skin. Cool air running over the bruise made him twitch. His cock jumped when Luc’s fingers ghosted over the skin.

“Don’t,” Blake warned.

“Why not?”

“You keep doing that and I’m going to come.” He couldn’t believe he had said it, but there was no denying impossible heat in his groin. He looked down at his cock, flushed and damp, rising between his legs.

“Ah.”

He finally managed to retrieve the bottle, uncapping it and dribbling the lube over his fingers. He reached down behind himself hissing as he breached himself with his fingers. He wondered if Luc was watching then groaned at the mental image. He heard a rustle behind himself. He twisted his head to look. Luc had pulled back from him, settling on his side on the bed, bracing himself with one elbow, and yes he was watching. Blake shuddered, pushing his fingers deeper.

“Blake.” Luc’s fingers circled his wrist. He withdrew his hand carefully, allowing Luc to push him down on the bed.

“Wait.” He reached for lube once more, wrapping both hands around Luc’s cock. It was long and slightly curved, rising from a patch of golden hair. It shifted in Blake’s hand like it resented teasing. Blake lingered. Luc growled and pushed his hands away.

“That was unfair.”