STORY EXCERPT

“Well…I…I…” Kyle hated to have to explain that he’d been living a very sheltered life up until about a month ago. He’d never been to a restaurant or a shopping mall, hell, not even to a library. It was embarrassing, and for some reason he didn’t want Oliver to pity him. “This is just all new to me.”

“I get that.” Oliver nodded his head. “I was nervous when I started my freshman year here, too. A new place, meeting new people.” Oliver blew out a breath. “It was crazy, but at least I had Levi. So I wasn’t as homesick as some of the other students.”

“That must be nice.” Kyle fidgeted with his hands as he stuttered out his words. “To have someone you care about so close.”

“Yep, Levi is like an annoying little brother, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. He can be a downright pain in the ass, but you couldn’t find a more dependable and loyal friend. You’ll see.”

“Do you think we’re friends?” Kyle turned to see Levi standing at the counter talking with a pretty brunette. She stood close to him, rubbing her perky boobs over his arm, but Levi didn’t look offended by the act. If anything, he was eating it up. Kyle had to assume Levi was straight. He just had to pray Levi didn’t ask him to double date with her and her roommate or something crazy like that.

“Are you seriously asking me that?” Oliver took a drink from his soda than set it down. “Have you never had friends before?”

“Well…” Once again Kyle tried to find the words to explain his situation. He couldn’t just blurt out that his adoptive mom kept him prisoner, without Kyle even realizing it, in her home. Oh and yeah. He could shift into a wolf and that made making friends kind of hard. Or at least it was for Kyle. He found it difficult to trust other people. “I have friends now.” He considered the members of the Nehalem pack his friends.

“Now?” Oliver asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kyle looked down at his hands and decided it was best to let Oliver in on a small part of his life. Just enough to satisfy Oliver’s curiosity but not enough to have the man running for the door.

“I grew up with my adoptive mother. She was very overprotective of me and I didn’t get out much, I guess you could say.” Kyle took a deep breath. “When she passed away, I went to live with my brother and sister.” Kyle didn’t feel the need to say they weren’t actually brother and sister, but that wasn’t any of Oliver’s business. “So in this past month I’ve made some friends, but then I moved here and now I have to start all over again. If you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty shy.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” The left side of Oliver’s lip lifted and he grinned at Kyle.

Kyle could feel the heat rush up his neck to settle in his cheeks. He liked the way Oliver smiled at him and talked to him. The man was gorgeous and probably could have any man or woman in the restaurant right now, but he sat with Kyle. It didn’t necessarily mean anything. Oliver was just being nice but Kyle would take it.

“So do you have a lot of friends?” Kyle asked.

“Some, but not many.” Oliver leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why?” Kyle couldn’t help but ask. With Oliver’s good looks, Kyle had to imagine people flocked to him, bad personality or not.

Oliver shrugged. “I don’t need the stress of having to make sure someone else is happy or comfortable. Too much work.”

What Oliver said made sense, Kyle guessed, but was there more to it? Did Oliver push people away because of his handicap? Not that it bothered Kyle, but he knew all too well how people reacted to things they didn’t perceive as normal.

“Is it because of your leg?” Kyle raised a hand to cover his mouth. He couldn’t believe he just asked that. Kyle really needed to get a handle on not saying everything he was thinking. “I’m so sorry. You don’t have to answer that. I’m such an idiot,” he mumbled under his breath. If there had been any chance that Oliver wanted to be his friend, it was gone now.

“Man, you need to stop apologizing.” Oliver sat up in his chair. Kyle looked up to see Oliver biting on the side of his cheek as if he were thinking about something. “Sure, some people get weirded out by this.” He leaned over to tap on his metal leg through his jeans. “But I stopped caring what people thought of me a long time ago. I’m just a private person who doesn’t need a lot of people around to make me feel good about myself. Levi’s the greatest, and I don’t really see much need for more than one good friend I know I can rely on.”

Ouch! Kyle lifted a hand to rub at the area right in the center of his chest. “So does that mean we can’t be friends?” Once again his mouth opened without his control.

Oliver cocked his head to the side and eyed Kyle with a serious look that had him squirming in his chair. “Do you want me to be your friend, or do you have some weird amputee fetish?”

“What!” Kyle nearly fell out of his chair.

“I’m just messing with you.” Oliver started to laugh and reached over to smack the back of his hand into Kyle’s bicep. “If we are going to be friends, you seriously need to lighten up a bit.”

A grin curled Kyle’s upper lip at Oliver’s words. For some reason, it seemed very important that Oliver liked him and wanted to be his friend. “I’ll do my best to work on that.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Kyle flinched at the word kid but didn’t comment on it. He was silent for so long Oliver thought that maybe he was done talking.

“Can I ask you something?” Kyle’s eyes lowered to stare at Oliver’s lips and on instinct he licked his lips. A whoosh of air fanned across his face from the force of Kyle’s exhale.

“Sure.” Oliver’s throat felt itchy and dry. He was nervous and didn’t know why exactly.

It might be because you’re lying half naked in bed with the guy you so badly want to have sex with.His subconscious reminded him. He hated that little voice of reason.

“Earlier, when you said any guy would be lucky to be with me, did that include you?” Kyle’s eyes shined with hope and Oliver didn’t know what to say.

“You remembered that?” Kyle nodded his head in answer. Oliver had hoped that whatever drug knocked Kyle on his ass had also had the ability to make him forget.

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” Kyle tried to pull away from him.

Oliver grabbed onto Kyle’s wrist. “It’s not that I don’t want to answer. It’s that I shouldn’t.”

“Why?” Kyle shook his head, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I feel like ever since we’ve met you’ve been pushing me away.”

“What are you talking about?” Oliver sat up, letting Kyle turn away from him. “Kyle, we’re suitemates, and I think of us as friends. What more do you want?”

“More than that!” Kyle fisted his hands into his hair. “I like you like a lot and I feel like you avoid me.” He chuckled. “But what do I know. I’m just a stupid kid who doesn’t know anything.” Kyle practically sneered the words. “Just because I want you doesn’t mean you feel the same way.” Kyle flung back the blankets and started to get off the bed.

Oliver lunged for Kyle, landing on top of him. Kyle struggled but Oliver grabbed him by the wrist and pinned his arms above his head. Oliver wasn’t stupid. Kyle was stronger than he appeared to be. Wolf shifters were stronger than humans, and the only reason he was able to hold Kyle down like this was because Kyle allowed him to.

“I shouldn’t have called you a kid. I’m sorry for that.” Kyle arched his back almost toppling Oliver over. He shoved his knees between Kyle’s legs and pushed up on is thighs, causing Kyle’s legs to wrap around his hips. “And yes! I’ve been pushing you away.”

“Why?” Kyle snapped at him. His canines had lengthened, and his eyes started to glow.

Oliver could tell Kyle wasn’t aware he was losing control, so Oliver didn’t say anything. He couldn’t let Kyle know he was a hunter. Roderick had told them to keep that hidden from the young wolf shifter.

Because I was asked to keep an eye on you. Because even though you’re only a year younger than me, you’re more innocent than I ever was. Because you deserve better.

All those things swirled around Oliver’s head but he couldn’t force his throat to say the words. He stared down at Kyle seeing the barely-controlled wolf inside him. Oliver should be concerned and doing all he could to get Kyle back under control, but all he could think to do was fall forward and seal his mouth to Kyle’s.

Oliver pressed hard against the soft pliable flesh then shoved his tongue into Kyle’s mouth. He held back a wince as his tongue scraped along one of Kyle’s canines causing him to bleed. It didn’t hurt, only made him want Kyle that much more.

It took a moment for Kyle to acknowledge what was happening, but when he did, he became an active participant. He pulled his hands free from Oliver and grabbed at his shoulders, nails raking down his back.

Oliver wound his arms underneath Kyle’s back to anchor him in place and began to rock his hips into Kyle’s. Between the thin material of his boxers and the flimsy fabric of Kyle’s pants, their dicks couldn’t be contained. Hard length pressed against each other, but it wasn’t enough. Oliver reached between them and shoved the front of Kyle’s pants down, then freed his cock from his boxers.

“Oh my god,” Kyle cried out as Oliver ground his bare dick into his. Kyle’s head fell back on the pillows and Oliver kissed and sucked down the smooth, slender neck.

“Fuck, you taste so goddamn good.” Oliver sped up his hips and bit into Kyle’s shoulder, probably leaving a mark.

“Oliver.” Kyle panted into Oliver’s shoulder. “Please, I need to come.”

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Oliver lifted up his hips just enough to fist his and Kyle’s cocks together. He stroked up and down, running his palm over the leaking tips. “Come on, Kyle. Come for me.”

Kyle’s body began to shake and he rocked his hips into Oliver’s, making the bed squeak. The throaty, needy sounds coming from Kyle’s mouth caused Oliver’s balls to pull up tight.