STORY EXCERPT

Duke was relieved none of his brothers were at the diner when they got there. He’d actually counted on it. He wanted more time with Matthew before introducing him to them. He recognized a few members of the pack there who were looking over at them curiously, but he ignored them.

He had, however, forgotten about one family member.

“Hey, Duke,” Jeremy greeted him after he’d sat down with his mate. “What can I get you two?”

Duke wasn’t really sure what to say. He looked over at Matthew, who was looking at him expectantly.

“Jeremy, this is Matthew.” He introduced them. “Jeremy here is my younger brother Bailey’s mate.”

“Ah,” Matthew said with a smile and stretched out his hand to greet Jeremy. “Nice to meet you.”

Jeremy, however, had frozen and looked at Duke in shock.

“You okay?” Duke frowned.

The waiter shook himself, before leaning down to whisper to Duke, “He’s not pack…but you used the M-word.”

Jeremy had only known about shifters for a couple of weeks, but, after he found out the truth about the shapeshifters and about being Bailey’s mate, the alpha brothers had made sure he knew who most of the pack members were, at least the ones he risked running into at the diner.

“It’s okay,” Duke told him. “Matthew here is a shifter and actually…he’s… Matthew is my mate.”

Duke figured it was better to just get it out there, rather than stalling. Besides, if he told Jeremy, then he’d probably tell Bailey the second he got a chance, and Bailey would definitely tattle to their other brothers, Cody and Harley. So telling him might just save Duke the trouble of doing so himself.

Jeremy’s mouth dropped open at the announcement, and it took a second before he snapped out of it. “Oh my God, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Matthew chuckled, with a slight blush on his face.

Those reddened cheeks stirred something in Duke. A glimpse of Matthew throwing his head back in ecstasy as his body burned with need…

“Duke?” Jeremy said, dragging him out of his daydream.

“What?” Duke said, trying not to sound annoyed.

“Your meal,” Jeremy said. “Matthew’s already ordered.”

“He did?” Duke straightened in his seat and looked over at his mate. He hadn’t thought he’d completely spaced out.

Matthew had a smirk on his face that told Duke he probably knew exactly where his thoughts had been.

“Steak and fries,” Duke told him. “And coffee, black. Thanks.”

“Got it,” Jeremy said and shot them both a beaming smile as he left to give their order to the chef.

“I was almost jealous for a second there,” Matthew told him with a raised brow. “Cute waiter, greeting you by name.”

“I haven’t had anyone in my life for quite some time,” Duke assured him.

“He’s pretty new to the whole supernatural world, isn’t he?” Matthew observed.

“Jeremy came to town less than a month ago and met Bailey on one of his first days of work here,” Duke confirmed. “About a week later, he moved into the house.”

“You live together?” Matthew frowned. A hint of jealousy flaring up in his eyes.

Duke couldn’t help enjoying the slight show of possessiveness.

“We all do,” Duke told him. “Me, Cody, Bailey, and Jeremy live in the main house, while Harley lives out in the guest house. It’s where we grew up, and it’s beneficial to be in the same place whenever there’s pack business to attend to.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” The professor nodded.

“So do you need help moving out of your apartment, or do you live in that office of yours?” Duke asked him.

His mate looked a little uncomfortable, but waited with his answer as Jeremy came back with Duke’s coffee and placed a cookies-and-cream milkshake in front of him.

“I know shifters like to move fast,” Matthew said and took a sip of his milkshake. “I’d prefer it if we eased into the whole moving-in-together part, especially since you’re not exactly living alone.”

“Understandable, and I suppose I can try to be patient.” Duke nodded. It didn’t really sit well with him, but just because Matthew wasn’t quite ready to move into the house didn’t mean Duke couldn’t spend time with his mate at his place.

Something occurred to him though, and he studied his mate’s face. His mate was feline, but he still hadn’t told him what kind.

“What are you exactly?” Duke asked. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve never actually met a cat shifter before.”

Matthew gave him a crooked smile. “I’m not offended. I highly doubt you’d be able to guess on your own. I’m fairly rare by any standard.”

That doubled Duke’s curiosity.

Jeremy chose that moment to bring them their food. Steak for him and chicken salad for Matthew.

“Well?” Duke asked impatiently as soon as Jeremy went to tend to other tables.

Matthew smiled at his impatience. “Do you know what a Pallas cat is?”

Duke frowned. Admittedly, he knew little about cats to begin with, but he definitely hadn’t heard of a Pallas cat before.

“I tell you what,” Matthew smirked. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

Duke’s wolf definitely perked up at that thought. Shifting would mean undressing, and Duke definitely wanted to see that, but shifting also meant playing with his mate. Their animals could get to know each other, and Duke could finally find out what Matthew’s Pallas cat looked like.

ADULT EXCERPT

They’d parked in a clearing accessible by road. It was private property to the pack, but it was seldom used during the weekdays, so they wouldn’t be discovered.

He knew the original plan had been to show each other their animals, but Duke couldn’t hold back any longer, not after Matthew’s teasing at the diner. Duke threw off his shirt before grabbing his mate and pressing Matthew up against the side of the vehicle with his body. They kissed passionately and ravenously.

Matthew hungrily explored his chest as they grinded together.

His mate’s hands on his body felt amazing, and Duke growled into their kiss as he ripped open Matthew’s shirt, making several buttons pop off in the process. Matthew’s muffled protest was quickly forgotten as Duke ground his hips to his mate’s, making them both moan into their shared kiss.

Matthew grabbed hold of his pants, but Duke batted his hands away.

His mate growled, and Duke broke the kiss with a grin. “Patience.”

“Screw that,” Matthew argued as he grabbed for Duke’s waistband again.

Duke batted his hands away again, but this time he started kissing his way down his lover’s chest. As he moved his way down, he unfastened Matthew’s belt and pulled down Matthew’s slacks.

He let his tongue delve into Matthew’s belly button before he went down on his knees and pulled down his mate’s black boxers in the same move.

Matthew’s stiff cock looked delicious as it waved at him. Duke licked his lips in preparation for what he had planned. He could hear his mate breathing heavily as he waited for Duke to make his move.

Duke glanced up at his mate’s face and studied Matthew’s expression as he licked the cock in front of him, from root to tip. He moved back down and sucked in one of Matthew’s balls before licking his way up the shaft again and focusing on his mate’s tip.

Matthew moaned and bit his lip. Duke had to steady his mate by the hips as he pushed forward toward Duke’s waiting mouth. His mate was definitely eager.

Duke felt powerful like this, taking control of Matthew’s pleasure, and slowly, very slowly, he sucked in his mate’s hard dick.

He let his tongue press against the hot skin of Matthew’s prick as he managed to take him down to the root.

Matthew was slightly more endowed than any of Duke’s prior sexual partners, but he didn’t have to struggle too much to adjust. Not when he saw the look of pure lust on his mate’s face.

Duke withdrew so just the tip was inside his mouth and sucked hard, enjoying the taste of his mate’s pre-cum.

At that point though, Matthew showed just how little patience he had left. If Duke hadn’t deep throated before, he would have been in trouble when Matthew grabbed Duke by the hair, holding his head still as he started thrusting hard and fast.

“Fuck,” Matthew groaned. “It’s like being sucked into a volcano.”

His mate’s enthusiasm was definitely contagious, but Duke wanted to be the one in control and using both hands, he pushed Matthew’s hips back toward the car. When the grip his mate had on his hair refused to let up, Duke decided to punish his mate and let his fangs erupt around Matthew’s cock.

“Fuck!” Matthew gasped and immediately let go of Duke’s head with a twitch.

A single drop of blood broke from his mate’s skin and filled Duke’s mouth. He couldn’t do anything but moan at the taste. It was spicy somehow, and it called to his wolf like the moon.

Taking his time, Duke very carefully let his fangs scrape against Matthew’s length as he pulled back. Letting his fangs recede, he shot forward and took his mate deep again. He could feel Matthew’s body trembling from trying to hold back.

Duke was struggling too.

Still keeping a tight grip on Matthew with one hand, he reached down with his other to open the button on his jeans and lowering the zipper. Reaching inside his boxers, he took a firm grip around his own straining cock.

Duke growled at the touch, and Matthew let out a high-pitched moan.

It appeared his mate quite enjoyed the vibrations of a werewolf rumble, so Duke repeated it as he bobbed his head on his now squirming mate.

“Duke,” Matthew begged.

He loved hearing his mate plead for release, and he started sucking his mate’s cock harder, tasting more and more drops of Matthew’s flavorful pre-cum. He started stroking himself faster, too. With his other hand, he started fondling Matthew’s balls and let a finger press hard against the skin just behind his mate’s cock.

He didn’t have any lubrication for his own stimulation so the friction burned, but being a werewolf, he knew he’d heal. Besides, he didn’t want his mate coming alone.

“Oh God.” Matthew tensed and made a growl-like sound as he grabbed hold of Duke’s hair again, holding him close as he came hard.

Duke managed to relax his throat and swallow down his mate’s release without gagging.

Those lewd sounds his mate made mixed with the taste of Matthew’s climax, spurring on Duke’s own release. With a deep rumble, he came all over his hand. It almost felt as he was struck by lightning. He could only imagine how hard it would strike him when he got to actually claim his mate.

It had been Matthew who’d pushed him over the edge. The sounds, the taste…the fact that this man belonged to him.

Matthew, the ridiculously sexy professor, was his, just as Duke belonged to him. They simply belonged together.