STORY EXCERPT

How on earth did the guy live through this?

“Yo, DeSilva,” Rizzo called to him. “Check to see if you can find the guy’s wallet. EMTs said he doesn’t have one on him.”

Durante Rizzo had started at BVFD at the same time Rayne had. The two had come in after the fiasco with Sampson when the guy had lost it over some love interest and had tried to kill Bear and some others from the fire station. He and Rizzo had become fast friends and had hung out a lot after work.

Climbing into the back of the car, Rayne searched what he could of the front seat. He was careful of not only the abundance of glass everywhere, but all the sharp metal around him.

Rayne spotted the small square leather on the floor by the brake pedal. Wedging himself between the seats, he reached for the wallet. It wasn’t easy considering he was in his turnout gear, the bulkiness hindering his efforts. Shoving his feet into the floor, he launched himself forward, snagging the thing before he caught a scent that sent him reeling. Rayne pushed his face close to the driver’s seat, inhaling past the smell of fluids that had leaked and the smell of burnt rubber from the truck trying to stop too fast.

Sniffing along the cloth, Rayne’s heart began to pound in his chest. The moisture left his mouth. His skin broke out in a sweat. Rayne shoved from the car, wallet in hand as he raced toward the ambulance that was just about to take off.

“Where the hell are you going?” Chief Callahan shouted at him, but Rayne ignored the bear shifter as he swung the back door open and climbed into the ambulance. The paramedic in the back gazed up at him with wide eyes. He knew the guy. Denver Macias. The EMTs either hung out at the hospital or at the fire house. Rayne had gotten to know quite a few people since moving to Brac Village.

“You riding, DeSilva?” Macias asked as he started an IV.

“Let’s get this truck moving.” He settled next to the paramedic, staring down into a face he had been searching for his entire life. Rayne was almost too afraid to touch the man as he reached out, ghosting his fingers over the guy’s hand. What had Chief Callahan called him…Parker?

His grip on the wallet tightened and then Rayne opened it, pulling the driver’s license free. Parker Southard. As he stared at the small picture on the card, Rayne noticed the prettiest green eyes he’d ever seen. Parker’s blondish-brown hair looked a little long and unkempt, but the messiness added to his handsomeness.

“How’s he doing?” Rayne asked Macias as he pushed a strand of hair from Parker’s face. He needed to touch, needed the contact, needed his mate to wake up and say he was okay. Something in his broad chest expanded, leaving him no room to breathe, crushing him from inside.

“His vitals are steady, but as far as internal, I’m not sure the extent of his injuries.”

Rayne sat back as Macias continued to work on Parker. His hands balled into fists, refusing to let his imagination take flight and think the worst. The ride seemed to go on forever before they pulled into Brac Village Medical Center. Rayne was the first to jump out, Macias second. The driver, Dane Calvert, came around back to help Macias pull the stretcher clear and wheel it inside.

The sliding glass doors opened. Whoosh.

Rayne spotted Dr. Carmichael and made a beeline for him. He knew who the wolf physician was from reputation and from his work within the village. He and Dr. Sheehan were to the two main physicians who treated the paranormal around here and in other packs. Dr. Sheehan was human, but had an extensive knowledge about the shifters and other species. Dr. Carmichael was a wolf shifter, portly, and spent a large amount of his time traveling over the past few years, gaining knowledge from species that were rare and in need of help.

Kind of like a missionary, so to speak.

“Dr. Carmichael.” Rayne approached the man, his eyes never leaving the stretcher until the paramedics rolled it past a set of double doors. He lowered his voice, scenting humans close by. “They just brought in my mate. Can you please go in there and tell me what’s going on with him?”

The man nodded, resting his hand on Rayne’s arm. “Is he human or other?”

“Human.” That was the scent Rayne had picked up and that was what terrified him the most. If Parker were nonhuman, he would have an advantage in healing.

“I’ll go see what’s happening with him.” Rayne nodded his thanks as he gripped the wallet so tight that his knuckles were turning white. It was the only connection he had with Parker at the moment but he used it as a lifeline to his mate.

Reno and Rizzo came through the sliding glass doors, both looking around until their eyes landed on Rayne. “What’s going on?” Reno asked.

Rayne understood the man’s bafflement. Since when did a firefighter go chasing an ambulance with a car crash victim inside? Never. Not that they didn’t check up on the people they rescued, but jumping into the back of an ambulance like a madman was unheard of.

“Mate,” Rayne said under his breath, feeling edgy as his eyes strayed to the automatic doors the doctor had gone through. His pulse raced as his stomach began to flutter. Rayne’s eyes bounced around the emergency waiting room. He glanced up at the clock to see that it was late, gazed at the nurse behind the desk, and then back at the doors once more. What if—No, he wasn’t going to let his mind go there.

ADULT EXCERPT

Parker chewed his lower lip, the hand in the cast balling into a tight fist. “I think I’m in love with your mouth.”

“Sugar, you haven’t seen the full impact of what this mouth can do.” Rayne licked Parker’s leg from ankle to behind the knee before biting down gently. Parker inhaled deeply, his erection jerking as a fine line of pre-cum dripped free from the head.

Leaning up, Rayne used his tongue to lick the clear liquid before going back to Parker’s leg.

“T–Tease.”

Rayne chuckled. “Stop trying to rush things.”

“How do you expect me to just sit here when those hot lips of yours are torturing me?”

Standing, Rayne undressed before helping Parker onto his back, pulling him all the way up until his mate’s head was resting on the fluffy dark pillow. “Better?”

“I’ll let you know.” Parker spread his legs, his eyes teasing.

Rayne settled on his stomach, between Parker’s legs before going back to tasting, nipping, and playing. Parker whimpered in protest at Rayne taking his sweet time, but he wasn’t going to be rushed. Parker’s hand skimmed over Rayne’s hair as he licked his way up until the wrinkled sac was at eye level. Rayne flicked his tongue out, lightly bathing the skin, feeling Parker jerk underneath him like he’d just been electrocuted. His lungs filled with the musky scent, making Rayne’s mouth water as a deep need began to build inside of him.

Parker tilted his hips and spread his legs further, opening himself up to Rayne even further. His fingers continued to massage, to explore his mate’s body as his tongue did the same. Rayne had mercy on Parker, licking a long line up the man’s erection before taking the flared head into his mouth.

“Oh…I know…I know I love your mouth now.” Parker squirmed, his hips rocking back and forth until Rayne pressed his hands into the man’s sides, stilling him. That didn’t stop Parker from trying to shove his cock all the way down Rayne’s throat. Relaxing his esophagus, Rayne took him all the way down until his nose touched curly hairs before pulling back.

The room filled with the sultry sounds of Parker’s pleasure. The man wasn’t a quiet lover in the least. His shouts echoed in Rayne’s ears while he took the man all the way into his mouth repeatedly. He could feel how close his mate was to coming. Rayne pulled back, placing a kiss on each side of Parker’s inner thighs.

Parker lay there panting, his eyes focused on the ceiling as he licked his lips, his lashes fluttering down as he pulled in a deep breath. Rayne tapped Parker on his hip. “Where’s the lube?”

Without opening his eyes, Parker reached under his pillow, snagged the bottle, and then handed it over. “Don’t judge me.”

The statement was given so offhandedly that Rayne’s chest vibrated with a light laughter. “I would be worried if you didn’t have any.”

Lubing his fingers, Rayne took Parker’s cock back into his mouth while inserting his index finger millimeter by millimeter. He sucked slowly, leisurely, not in a way that would have Parker shooting off. His goal now was to keep Parker in a simmering fire as he stretched his mate. He could see the guy had a quick trigger.

Parker moved around, his entrance sliding up and down Rayne’s finger, taking the digit with ease. Rayne inserted a second finger, and then a third, hearing his mate give a gentle hiss. He backed off, taking his time, his mouth moving a hair faster as he tried to take Parker’s mind off the burn.

Rayne’s body was tight, every bone and muscle in him trying to urge him to claim the man. It was killing him not to let his canines free and give in to what his wolf wanted most. Glancing up, Rayne watched the heat in Parker’s eyes. They had turned dark, almost glowing. When Parker saw that Rayne was watching him, his eyelids lowered, becoming heavy with sexuality.

Unable to stand it any longer, Rayne moved his hand away, grabbing for the bottle of lube. He reared back, lathering his cock, watching as his mate’s chest began to rise and fall a little faster.

He wasn’t sure if it was from the anticipation, or if Parker was afraid Rayne would claim him regardless of his earlier protest. “Relax, pup. We’re just having sex, nothing more.” The tension seemed to drain from Parker at Rayne’s promise. He dropped to one arm, stretching over his mate, careful of his casted arm. He lodged his cock at the lubed entrance before he gave one hard thrust, burying his steel-hard erection to the hilt as Parker screamed. Rayne’s body arched, tight, tense as he fought for control, fought for breath.

“Son of a bitch!” He growled fiercely, fighting the animalistic side that was buried right under the skin. Rayne didn’t move, didn’t dare to as he slammed his eyes closed, concentrating, beating back his wolf. His teeth were grinding together, his body coated in a fine layer of sweat.

In the blink of an eye, Parker had his legs wrapped around Rayne’s waist and was pulling him closer, riding his cock as best he could with the use of one arm. He snagged his hand behind Rayne’s neck, eyes narrowing. “Move, damn it!”

Planting a hand on either side of Parker’s head, Rayne bared his teeth at the harsh command. This only seemed to turn Parker on, spurring him to yank Rayne down for a hard, biting kiss. Rayne thrust inside the depths of Parker’s body, growling out his pleasure on every stroke.

Rayne rocked his hips, his mate so tight and hot around his cock that he was barely holding on to his control. The muscles gripped him like a slick, velvety fist, Parker bowing his back, taking Rayne’s cock deeper. Sweet mercy, the guy was so breathtaking that Rayne almost forgot that he wasn’t supposed to bite. He snarled, his body moving powerfully, driving his shaft into the mind-numbing heat.

“Oh, hell.” Parker tossed beneath him, his lips parting as he held onto Rayne. “Don’t stop. God, this feels so damn good.”

Rayne nipped Parker’s smoothly shaven chin before his eyes rose, taking in the dazed look on the man’s face. “I don’t plan on stopping, sweetheart. Not anytime soon.”