STORY EXCERPT

Santino stalked closer to the road, then heard it, the squeal of tires on gravel. He didn’t call his team yet, wanting to get a closer look at the situation. Usually, he’d let Hunter do the scouting. While he trusted the other senior warrior, this mission was too important to him. Between two trees, he finally spotted the open road.

Few vehicles seldom came this way, because any sensible person, human, paranormal, or Esper, knew not to enter the Devil Hills territory if they weren’t expecting a welcome. He finally spotted the white Toyota in the distance, a blue Road Ranger right behind it. Closing in on the two vehicles were two familiar unmarked white vans.

For some reason, the Discipline Squad always favored those. According to Deacon, Zack didn’t have any warriors with him. The two vans lowered their windows and two shooters, both aiming rifles, poked out. Fury swept over him. Zack had submissive shifters and children with him. How dare these fuckers open fire on them?

Santino didn’t hesitate. He threw back his head and let out a loud howl, warning his other team members to follow his lead. Knowing they got his back, Santino studied the scene again. Growing up, he’d been temperamental and reckless, but not anymore.

Seeing those shooters about to open fire on Zack and his party, he used his telekinesis to divert the bullets. Then he ran up ahead.

* * * *

“Shit, Zack. They have snipers,” Adam said, knuckles turning white on the wheel.

“Keep on driving. Damn it, where’s Santino and his team?” Zack demanded furiously, looking through the side mirror, heart in his throat seeing the shooters readying to fire. “Head down!”

He expected glass to shatter as both Adam and he ducked their heads. The car momentarily swerved to the left side of the road. The bullets made a thudding noise, but the glass didn’t shatter. What just happened?

Zack grabbed the wheel and dared raise his head, heart hammering. Were Milo and the others hit? Through the windows, he noticed the Road Ranger remained intact. What the hell just happened?

The snipers raised their guns against them. A monstrous piercing howl emerged from somewhere nearby. One of the human shooters yelled as the gun flew out of his hand, then the second. A bird of prey shrieked from somewhere nearby, echoed by a second.

“They have a telekinetic Esper with them,” he whispered, hands trembling. His cat hovered to the surface of his skin. Strange. Why did his inner animal seem so restless when it should be scared by now?

“Aren’t telekinetics supposed to be nearly extinct?” Adam asked. “Then again, I’m not surprised the most dangerous paranormal community in the country has one.”

One bullet managed to find its way to the Range Rover. His heart nearly stopped.

“Adam, stop the car.”

Adam looked ready to protest at his command but did as he asked. Zack began to open the door, but Adam gripped his arm.

“You’re too valuable, Zack,” Adam whispered, haunted look in his eyes.

“Milo and the others are in danger,” he said, flinging his hand away.

“Didn’t you hear that howl? They’re here. The wolves are here.”

Several other howls joined the one he heard earlier. Zack yanked the door open, images of the massacre replaying in his head. So many dead bodies on the ground, his packmates in either human or bobcat form. He’d wondered why the wolves, the dominant animal group in Silver Thunder, didn’t come to their aid. Zack hadn’t known back then that the humans took care of the Alphas first, then the wolves.

Mercifully, once his sneakers touched the asphalt, he didn’t falter. Zack ran for the Road Ranger. A bullet skid dangerously close to his feet. He jerked his head, breathing ragged. The shooter must have reached for another weapon, the gun pointed directly at him.

The shooter fired but something big and furry shoved his legs from under him. Zack fell face-first into the road, only to find the largest muscled werewolf he’d even laid eyes on using his body to shield him.

“Zack!” Adam yelled at him in alarm, about to approach him, but the werewolf’s snarl made him stay put.

Blinding aggressive energy rolled off this werewolf in waves, making him grow still. Zack never felt anything like it, not even from Henry, the Silver Thunder wolf Alpha.

Shapes poured out of the forests left of them. More werewolves. A screech sounded from near the trees, and he turned his head, seeing large red-tailed hawks, about three of them, closely watching them.

Zack knew the Devil Hills wolves had allied themselves closely with a group of hawk shifters and other paranormals, but it was still strange seeing them there. Silver Thunder had numerous groups living in the same land, but they always kept out of each other’s way. These hawk shifters seemed to be working with the werewolves.

Zack took gaze away from the large avian shifters and back to the wolves.

He watched, open-mouthed, as the six werewolves worked like a well-oiled unit. One slender female with tawny gold fur matched the speed of the first white van, sinking one claw into the van’s back tire. Another big male, not as huge as the one with the dark chocolate brown fur protecting him, went for the other van.

His werewolf protector then turned, and every muscle in Zack’s body froze up, seeing those eerie and outwardly silver-eyes. There was no mistaking who this was. Santino. Zack swallowed, but he knew how to deal with big, bad dominant shifters—-although he never quite encountered one who both scared and intrigued him this much.

ADULT EXCERPT

“What did the Beta say?” he asked in a dangerous tone.

“That everyone who dances with the Devil ends up being burned,” Zack said. “Guess what?”

“I’m not good with guesses. Say what you mean, little cat.”

“I don’t care. Santino, I’ve never felt like this, never wanted anyone so much, that it scares me a little.”

Santino took that as assent, and he wouldn’t ask again. He ran his thumb over Zack’s lower lip now, liking Zack’s tremble. Santino parted Zack’s lips, then zoned in for a kiss. Some assumed he only liked it rough, but it was the combination of seduction and plenty of bite in bed that made his ex-lovers give him that nickname.

He took his time, running his tongue across the seam of Zack’s mouth, muffling Zack’s moan as he slid his hand down the tempting length of Zack’s lean body. Santino gave Zack’s left nipple a squeeze, traced his fingers over Zack’s ribs, which housed a fierce and powerful heart that cared deeply.

Zack parted his lips and Santino slipped his tongue down Zack’s throat. Zack gripped his biceps as Santino finally curled his fingers over Zack’s rising cock. When he pulled his mouth away, Zack panted, pupils dilated.

“God, I didn’t know kisses can be like that,” Zack whispered, groaning when Santino gave Zack’s dick a few tugs and pulls. He swiped away the pre-cum at Zack’s tip and slowly edged Zack toward the bed, where he intended to ravish his little cat.

One gentle push and Zack’s ass landed on the edge of the bed.

“Scoot up,” he ordered, pleased Zack did as he asked.

Fuck, Zack’s creamy skin, still slicked with drying sweat from their run, looked tempting as hell. Seeing Zack’s prick at half-mast made him smile. He climbed into bed, making sure to keep his weight off Zack first, then he took Zack’s mouth again, the kiss all hunger and bite. Zack put his arms around his neck and responded with equal passion.

Santino’s own dick curved upward, the tip leaking pre-cum. Not yet, he told his wolf. He intended to help Zack forget about his grief for one evening, to make tonight all about Zack’s pleasure. Zack certainly deserved that. Santino left more kisses on the side of Zack’s mouth. He nipped and bit his way down Zack’s neck, paying attention to the spot where neck flowed to shoulder.

He licked at the spot, knowing that was where he’d put his personal brand, his mate mark. Santino wondered if Deacon, too, had known from first sight that Daryl was born to be his, the way he knew Zack had been made for him. Growing up, he’d been teased and taunted by the other children from the pack that someone like him and Sabine, created from a test tube, couldn’t possibly have a mate. Unnatural monsters.

Fate had led Zack to him for a reason. Patience, he told his wolf, and moved lower. He ran his hands down Zack’s gorgeous body, leaving little bites as his mouth explored, too.  When morning came, he wanted everyone in Devil Hills to know his little healer was off-limits. His.

“God, who knew a warrior like you had the patience to make me feel this good,” Zack murmured.

Santino paused from his task. “Since you can still talk, that means I’m not doing a good job.”

Santino worked Zack’s prick, alternating between fast and slow strokes. Just when Zack was on the verge of coming, he used his other hand to trace Zack’s puckered entrance. Soon, he’d claim Zack’s ass. One pinch to Zack’s tip did the trick. The healer came, groaning, emptying his balls and coating his hand with cum. Feeling satisfied, Santino licked Zack’s need clean off his fingers. Zack’s languid expression turned to surprise.

“Don’t get comfortable yet, little cat. Do you know what’s about to happen next?”

* * * * 

“You’re going to fuck me?” Zack managed to reply. Santino’s deep laugh turned his insides to jelly. God. A few minutes alone and Santino showed him that he could play his body like an instrument.

Every adult male shifter had certain needs, so Zack took care of that by finding a lover from one of the bobcat males in the pack once a month. Sex had been a necessity to him, but he’d never experienced anything like this. Santino stroked his body again, touched him the way a possessive yet skilled lover was only capable of. He purred for this werewolf, who seemed to know his body inside and out, even though they’d just met.

“Right answer,” Santino said, giving his dick a squeeze. The werewolf rolled off him, the motion graceful, more cat than wolf. Santino, he mused, had plenty of feline in him. Santino swore and Zack looked at him, eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?”

“Lube,” Santino grumbled.

Zack blushed, then said, “I have some in my pack, outside pocket.”

Santino raised his eyebrow but nonetheless found his backpack stuffed with his belongings beside the armchair next to the bed.

“I didn’t have time to sort my stuff, so I chucked everything in the bag,” he said, finding the need to explain.

Santino found the lube and returned to sit on the edge of the bed. “Tell me, little cat. How many other men have you been with?” Santino asked in that lethal voice of his.

“You can’t possibly be jealous. I bet you have plenty of lovers,” he blurted.

Santino stroked his rising prick. God, but his touch was maddening, addictive. He moaned as the werewolf lowered his head, lifted one leg, and blew at his prick and asshole. He blushed harder as Santino pressed his face to his prick and balls and used his tongue to trace his cockhead. Zack stilled, heart hammering. Dominant shifter males usually took, seldom paid attention to the needs of their submissive partners, so this took him by surprise.

Zack fisted the comforter as Santino continued exploring him. He’d seen Santino fully erect, and yet the werewolf hadn’t slid his dick into his hole. What control, he thought, no longer able to form coherent thoughts as Santino opened his mouth and began taking his dick down his throat.

Santino bobbed his head up and down, the sight of the muscular and powerful male going down on him amazing. He made protesting choking noises as Santino pulled away just as his climax began to build, leaving him on edge and wanting more.