STORY EXCERPT

“Don’t even think about lecturing me, Cross.” Wyatt moved around the chair until he stood in front of Cross, his features dark. “We’ve gotten into a lot of shit together. Do you think I’m gonna sit on my ass after what that man has done to not only your mate but Hound’s as well? For fuck’s sake, he tried to kill their parents and would have killed Jake if William hadn’t saved him. You’re not keeping me out of this.”

Bowman’s henchmen had also tried to kill Cross and Hound when they’d gone to gather some things for Jake. They’d tried to kill every single Remus when they did their drive-by shooting and had tried again when Jax, Cross, and Houston had rescued Brandon. It was becoming a reoccurring theme that he wanted to stop.

Cross didn’t take his brothers getting shot at lightly. Then again, they’d been dealing with hyenas for a very long time now. Too bad Cross and his brothers couldn’t just wipe the hyenas out and be done with their deceptive asses. Sugar Creek would be a much better place with them gone.

“Dude, I know you like the back of my hand,” Wyatt said. “When bad things happen, you’re bloodthirsty. You need someone with you to at least watch your back.”

What Wyatt was saying made sense. Cross had a tendency to become single-minded, forgetting everything around him when he sought revenge. “Deal. If I go after him, you’ll be there with me.”

“If?” The man scoffed as he jabbed a finger at Cross. “More like when. You better not fuck me on this.”

The side of Cross’s mouth twitched until he was smiling. “I won’t dick you out of my plans.”

“Good, ’cause I’ll beat your ass six ways from Sunday if you go after that hyena bastard alone.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, little brother.” Cross stroked his hand down the cat’s spine.

“Stop sounding like Jax,” Wyatt said. “I’m gonna leave you two alone. Let me know how he’s doing later.”

“I will.” Cross would forever be thankful for such an insane, loving, and loyal family. No matter what the situation or whether he asked for help or not, his brothers would be there for him. They would always have his back just like he would always have theirs.

With a deep sigh, Cross shelved his anger. He didn’t want his mate waking up to an angry bear. He needed Brandon to feel safe. The guy had been through enough already. Although Cross had no idea what had happened to Brandon while in Bowman’s hands, he could only imagine.

Wyatt closed the door. Cross was thankful for the privacy. “Hey, kitten. I need you to wake up for me. We haven’t met yet, not officially. I’m Cross, and I would really love to talk to you.”

Brandon wasn’t really a kitten, but Cross thought the endearment was cute. It suited the black cat. He was an adult but was so small that he was the size of a kitten.

Cross cursed when the cat squirmed and then leapt from his lap. His hold had been lax since he hadn’t expected his mate to jump. The cat had been lying there awake. He had to have been. Brandon was too alert now.

Cross shot from his chair as he watched Brandon race around the room and then scramble under the bed. Thankfully, Wyatt had closed the door, or Cross would’ve been chasing his mate down the hall.

He dropped to his hands and knees and glanced under the bed. Instead of his black cat, there was a naked human under there. A gloriously naked man with dark hair and bewitching, green eyes. He was lying flat on his stomach as his breathing came out in short, harsh bursts. Brandon scooted backward when he saw Cross.

“You’re safe, Brandon,” Cross said. “You don’t have to hide under there.”

“Where am I?” the man asked. “Who are you, and where are the guards?”

That told Cross that his mate had been under constant watch.

“We’re not at Bowman’s.” Cross reached under the bed for his mate, and before he could pull his hand back, Brandon’s tiny, sharp caws unsheathed. Cross shouted a curse when he snatched his hand away. There were four long cuts on the back of his hand.

“You stay away from me,” Brandon said with a squeak. “Bowman ordered all of you to keep your hands to yourselves.”

The guy was terrified, and for good reason. Brandon had been so out of it when Cross rescued him that the guy probably had no idea what the hell was going on. “Do you want me to go get Jake?”

Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “That tactic doesn’t work on me. I know he’s not here.”

As Cross lowered himself to his stomach, he slid his phone from his pocket and dialed Hound’s number. He could see that Brandon needed concrete proof that he was no longer at Bowman’s.

“How’s he doing?” Was the first thing Hound asked when he answered his phone.

“I need you to bring Jake to my bedroom. His brother is freaking out, and I think seeing Jake is the only thing that’ll calm him down.”

“On my way.” Hound hung up.

Cross shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Jake is coming, Brandon. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.”

“That was code,” Brandon said with wide eyes. “They’re bringing another shot.” The man scooted back even farther. Cross had a queen-sized bed. There wasn’t that much space under there. Brandon’s legs and bare butt were already hanging out the other side of the bed.

“No one is going to drug you.”

“Bullshit,” Brandon snapped. “I won’t let Bowman give me another shot.”

When the bedroom door opened, Brandon shifted and hauled ass.

“Don’t let him past you!” Cross shoved to his feet and saw Jake grab Brandon by the scruff as Brandon twisted and clawed to get free.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Why don’t you join me?” Cross asked. When Brandon looked at his mate, Cross was watching the movie. “I promise not to bite.”

That was just it. He wanted Cross to bite…and lick, suck, touch, slobber, and anything else the guy wanted to do to Brandon’s body. He sat there covertly pressing the palm of his hand into his aching boner, telling himself not to go.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get fucked. For the first time in Brandon’s life, he was intimidated by a man. At the clubs he frequented, Brandon was all brazen and mouthy, not a shy bone in his body. But this was his mate. He couldn’t have sex with Cross and then walk away, never to see the guy again. This was permanent—the only man Brandon would ever have sex with for the rest of his life.

His legs slid from under him. Brandon’s bottom lip was caught in his teeth as he stared at the television and then glanced over at Cross. His mate wasn’t looking at him. He just simply patted the spot next to him on the bed.

The guy knew the effect he had on Brandon. There was a slight smirk on Cross’s face, as if he knew Brandon would give in.

And he gave in.

Brandon sat on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped between his thighs. He stared up at the movie but had no idea what was even playing. His focus was on Cross.

Brandon yelped when Cross jackknifed, grabbed him around the waist, and pulled him back. He expected Cross to get down to business, but the guy placed Brandon’s back against his side and relaxed again. The guy didn’t make a single move to touch him.

Settling back, Brandon rested his head on Cross’s chest, their bodies forming a T. Brandon’s body was rigid, his ankles crossed as he stared at the wall on the opposite side of the room, wondering if Cross was going to do anything, or if they were actually going to watch the movie.

“Relax, kitten.” Cross placed his hand on Brandon’s chest. “I told you I’m not going to throw you down and mount you.”

Ugh, the things this guy said. Brandon’s cock became impossibly harder as he fidgeted. This was worse torture than being pumped full of drugs because Brandon wanted this. He wanted it with overwhelming desperation.

Brandon held his breath when Cross’s hand slid down his chest, easing dangerously close to his cock, but then his hand smoothed back up and settled over Brandon’s heart. Whether Cross was intentionally teasing him or not, Brandon was ready to claw the man’s eyes out for making him so hot and needy.

There was no freaking way Cross couldn’t smell the heavy arousal hanging in the air. The guy knew Brandon was turned on, yet he just lay there.

To hell with this. Brandon rolled over and unzipped Cross’s pants. His mate’s heated gaze shot to what Brandon was doing. Cross’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched Brandon pull his cock free. Damn, was the guy part horse? His shaft was thick and long, and Brandon had to open his mouth wide to take in the glistening head. The spark in Cross’s hazel eyes grew as Brandon worked the thick girth down his throat.

Cross hissed as his hips punched upward. Brandon gagged and pulled back as his eyes watered. He cleared his throat and tried again. This time Cross moved his hips in short bursts, stopping himself from thrusting his full length down Brandon’s throat.

Pleasurable grunts vibrated in Cross’s chest as his hands clamped down on Brandon’s head. His fingers strangled Brandon’s hair as Brandon licked up one side of the man’s cock and then sucked the head into his mouth.

Brandon pushed to his knees for a better grip, slipping his other hand into the man’s pants to play with his wrinkled sac. Cross released him and shoved his pants down his muscled thighs.

Having the man’s cock in his mouth was fantastic, but Brandon wanted more. He wanted to feel Cross pounding into his ass. As he licked and sucked, Brandon worked his shorts off and kicked them free. He pulled back and glanced up at Cross. “Fuck me.”

“Get on me,” Cross said with a husky pitch to his tone. “Ride me, kitten.”

“Lube?”

“Drawer.”

Brandon reached over and yanked the drawer open. He found the tube and grabbed it. Cross took it from him and then patted his stomach. Brandon took in shallow breaths as he slid a leg over Cross’s ripped abdomen. Was this really happening? Was Cross about to claim him? Everything seemed to be happening so fast, yet Brandon didn’t want to slow down. Not when he had such a gorgeous man lying under him.

“Lean forward.”

Brandon did as Cross demanded. He pressed his hands into the man’s chest, shoved his nose into Cross’s neck, and then spread his legs wide. His body jerked when wet fingers probed at his hole.

“Relax, kitten.” Cross pressed a kiss to the side of Brandon’s head. “We’ll go slow if you want.”

Did he want slow? Brandon was so wound up that he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he wanted Cross inside of him…like, ten minutes ago. When the man’s fingers breached him, Brandon hissed. Cross’s fingers weren’t small, and they stretched him wide as they drove inside of him.

His jaw fell open as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. If Cross’s fingers felt this mind blowing, Brandon wasn’t sure he’d survive the man’s dick.

“Okay, okay.” Brandon panted heavily, almost forgetting what he was about to say. “I’m ready. I swear I’m ready.” He pushed himself up until he could look into those hazel beauties. “Fuck me.”