STORY EXCERPT

“No fights,” he muttered under his breath. His bear disagreed.

Archer forced himself to turn his back, was about to walk away from the scene. Incidents like this happened all the time. That submissive shifter probably owed those nasty fuckers money or something like that. Archer shouldn’t care about the guy’s sob story. People should learn to pull themselves out of their own messes, except he still hadn’t made a move towards the door.

One cold beer and he’d walk out, get on his bike, and finally get that six-pack he promised Asher. Thoughts of that golden-haired submissive shifter would haunt him all night long. Archer could’ve done the right thing, but he didn’t do squat, just like every useless person in the bar watching this little shit show unfold.

“You’re useless,” one of the bear shifters said. “Bones should’ve just sold you off instead of keeping you.”

Archer heard a thump of the floor. Against his misgivings, he looked back only to see the slender guy crumpling to the ground. A big shiner started to spread across the right side of his face. On closer examination, Archer spotted more bruises lining the guy’s arms. More peeked from the collar of his shirt.

“Get up. We’re far from done. You haven’t sucked Tommy and Gary’s dicks either,” the guy with the mohawk said with a sneer. Bones, Archer remembered one of the bears calling him.

Bones lashed one foot out, catching the submissive shifter in the guts. The slender man didn’t manage to avoid the kick in time. He groaned, curled into a pathetic ball on the dirty floor. Archer glimpsed his eyes, didn’t like what he saw one bit. Defeat and resignation. This submissive shifter seemed resigned to his fate, to the fact no one else would help him.

A couple sitting at the table next to the abusive trio looked their way. One growl from one of the bear shifters made them rise from their seats and move to a table further away. Bones finished his smoke and set his beer down.

No one was doing anything, Archer noticed. That didn’t help the anger slowly building inside of him. He counted slowly to ten in his head. Didn’t help. Bones was about to kick the submissive shifter again, but Archer was there, hauling the victim to his feet.

The blond stared up at him, mouth open, big hazel-brown eyes wide with shock. Archer was pleased to see some substance returning there. He positioned himself right in front of the submissive shifter. The message he sent out was clear. If Bones wanted his prize back, he needed to go through Archer.

“Whoever the fuck you are, leave or you’re in for a world of pain,” Bones said with a growl.

The bastard stood up, cracked his knuckles. Archer seized him up. He was still bigger, taller, but the other shifter had friends. The acidic scent he picked up earlier was getting worse. Something wasn’t completely right with these shifters. Then again most of the people Archer crossed paths with would argue the same about him. The aggressive energy coming off from the three dominant shifters only riled up his own bear.

Archer had faced off more than he could chew plenty of times. He’d been cornered, mauled, but came out the victor every single time. Sorry, bro. Looks like I have one hell of a mess to clean up.

“Give him back,” said one of the werebears.

“Let me think,” Archer drawled. “No.”

Behind him, he could feel the submissive shifter’s fingers digging into the back of his shirt, holding on to it tight. Like a lifeline. He’d soon learn that Archer was no one’s savior. Archer could barely even save himself.

He could sense the beast inside of him, stirring awake. Other shifters, even dominant ones, would be wary of the odds, but his bear relished the prospect of the fight, spilling blood and sinking their fangs into flesh and bone.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Bones demanded. “Gary, kill him, and Ted? Your punishment is going to be a lot worse the longer you hide behind that fucker.”

Ted. So that was the name of the submissive shifter Archer risked his neck for. Ted’s breathing turned harsh behind him. Archer wanted to risk a look at Ted, tell him he had this. That everything would be all right, except nothing ever would be.

One sniff of Ted and Archer had become hooked. He never intended to free Ted from these assholes. The dark side of him wanted to keep Ted forever. Finders keepers, losers weepers.

“You’re messing with the wrong crew, buddy,” Bones said. In a couple of seconds, Archer would wipe that grin off Bones’ face.

Clothing ripped. White fur appeared across Gary’s face and arms. White. A polar bear shifter. He didn’t wait for Gary to complete the transformation. He lunged for Gary’s throat, willing his arms to shift to claws along the way. Long, deadly ebony claws ripped through Gary’s skin. Blood spurted from Gary’s punctured throat, accompanied by the gagging noises Gary made.

Someone, a couple of someones, let out a scream in the background. He released Gary, let him slide to the floor.

Bones and his remaining lackey still had time to bring Gary to the nearest hospital before he bled out. On second thought, he might’ve only pissed them off. A gigantic polar bear tore out of Bones. Maybe the boss got tired of letting his minions take care of business. Good. It was him Archer wanted dead. The other two were just the consolation prize.

“Watch out!” Ted yelled behind him.

ADULT EXCERPT

“I still have my clothes on,” Ted whispered. He ought to start taking them off, but Archer had a way of disabling his ability to think. Part of him still marveled that this strong and terrifying male wanted him as much as Ted yearned for Archer.

Archer stopped his hand job to begin unbuttoning his shirt. When Archer let out a frustrated growl, Ted got back some of his brain cells and took over the job.

“This shirt is new,” he blurted, batting Archer’s hands away. “So is this tie.”

They weren’t expensive items, and while Archer assured him it was okay to go into the interview dressed casually, Ted had wanted to make a good impression. Archer grunted, stepped away so Ted could take off his tie, then his shirt. Archer pulled off his top and Ted licked his lips. He reached out, wanting to touch all those yummy muscles. Archer let Ted pet him, an intimate gesture Ted knew dominant shifters only allowed their chosen lovers.

Archer took his mouth against and Ted got lost in the kiss for a few seconds, until Archer pulled his hand away again. Ted took that opportunity to kneel in front of Archer. It struck him that this was exactly the position Archer found him two years ago. His heart hammered.

Archer must’ve remembered as well, because he said, “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to. Back then, I felt humiliated, degraded when Bones forced me to give him a blow job. This is different.” Ted reached for the zipper of Archer’s pants. He hooked his fingers into the belt loop of Archer’s jeans and slid them down Archer’s thighs, along with Archer’s boxers.

He eyed Archer’s thick and long prick in anticipation.

“Yeah?”

Ted nodded. “I want to do this. To hear you growl for me. Help me forget those bad memories and replace them with good ones.”

He meant every word. Before Archer found him in the Greenflower woods, Ted had often been accosted by nightmares of Bones’ abuse. Those nights had become few and far between because he no longer had to sleep in some flea-bitten motel room on his own. Bones and Brett were dead. So were the rest of the polar bear shifters. Nothing could touch or harm him now.

Archer curved his lips to a wicked smile that made his pulse race. “Then get to work, little bear.”

Archer speared his fingers into Ted’s hair, bringing Ted close, until his lips touched Archer’s cock. Ted extended his tongue, licked the crown of Archer’s cock, at the pre-cum there. His grizzly let out what sounded like a rumble of approval.

Ted dragged his tongue lower, moved it from Archer’s tip to root. Archer’s balls, he took into his mouth, sucked on them. He even used a little bit of teeth and his mate seemed to like that. A lot.

“Take me in your mouth,” Archer said, his order absolute.

Ted opened his jaws, hollowed out his cheeks, and took Archer’s prick down his throat. He gagged at the gigantic size at first, but soon adapted. Ted bobbed his head up and down, his own prick thickening with every sound of pleasure emerging from Archer’s lips.

“Fuck,” Archer murmured. Ted knew his mate was close. “Hold still.”

Ted kept his mouth open as Archer slid his shaft in and out. With a cry, Archer erupted, filling his mouth with his seed. Ted drank down every last bit of jizz, careful to not spill a drop. Archer pulled his softening prick away, but Ted knew they were only starting. Dominant shifters weren’t like human men. They recovered quickly. Good, because Ted had been wanting to feel Archer’s dick in him, claiming him for real for what seemed like forever.

“Up,” Archer said, grabbing one arm and pulling Ted to his feet.

Archer took his mouth, ran his hands down the line of his body. Then his grizzly pushed him towards the couch. Ted landed on the leather fabric, lying on his back. Archer kicked his pants away and rolled on top of him, placing his hands on either side of his head.

The hunger evident in Archer’s golden gaze only worsened his own.

“Kiss me,” Ted begged.

Archer plundered his mouth, placing kisses down his cheek, the side of his neck, his collarbones. His grizzly left tiny bite marks down his chest, his stomach and ribs. Come tomorrow, Ted would wake up, his body loitered with souvenirs of Archer’s lovemaking. The thought only sped up his heartbeat. Ted would like that. A lot. It would be like Archer’s affirmation of his ownership of him, of his heart and body.

Archer gave the tip of his cock a kiss, before closing his fingers over it. Archer worked his cock a few times, sliding his hand up and down his dick before Ted splintered.

He cried out as he climaxed, spilling his cum into Archer’s waiting hand. All that while, his grizzly watched him intently, seemingly wanting to see him come undone.

“Perfect,” Archer said.

Ted blushed. “You haven’t taken me yet.”

“I will.” Archer looked thoughtful, then the grizzly shifter growled out four words that sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine. “Get on the ground.”

The image of Archer taking him like an animal arose in his head. Ted scrambled to the ground as Archer released him. He got into position, his knees and palms touching the cool, polished wooden floors.

“Do it. Please. You have no idea how long I’ve waited,” he said. “I know you were being a gentleman. You were worried about my injuries, but I’m fine now.”

Archer ran his hand possessively down his spine, fingers finally reaching the curve of Ted’s ass. Ted parted his legs wider, exposing his asshole, his cock and balls to Archer. His dick was already starting to recover, hardening the longer Archer kept touching him.

“Today, I’ll show you I’m far from a gentleman. I’m a beast.” A growl accompanied those words.