STORY EXCERPT

“You know, this is a wedding,” a new voice said.

Derek squinted at the slender, red-haired man who had the guts to take the empty chair next to him. The guy looked young, like he was in his early twenties. Delicious was the word Derek would use, but he wasn’t good to anyone like this. God, but the stranger smelled great. Apples and a hint of cinnamon. Derek bet he’d be good to eat. Better than apple pie.

“So?” He even managed to growl out that one word. Good. Derek was still capable of human speech.

“You’re the grumpiest-looking wolf here,” the stranger said. “Are you trying to win a prize for most unsociable guy at a wedding? Weddings are supposed to be happy places.”

Derek snarled at him, a warning for him to stay away. The stranger only continued beaming at him, like an idiot. Derek studied him closer, then took another whiff. He could usually tell pack mates apart, but this newcomer smelled like an outsider. Derek narrowed his eyes.

“Who’s side you on? You’re not from the pack. Mick’s friend then?” he asked, suspicious. Mick had cut ties to the gang he’d been in before. They’d all been human, but this guy smelled like a shifter, a submissive one. Not a wolf, a kitty then.

“Yes, Mick’s. I’m Aaron by the way.” Aaron stuck out a hand.

“I’m Derek. A friend from where?” With some reluctance, he shook Aaron’s offered hand. His own hand looked so big and rough in comparison to Aaron’s. Their fingers touched, sending electricity up his arm. He pulled away quickly, as if burnt.

“School,” Aaron answered.

He relaxed a little. “I see. I didn’t think Mick stayed in touch with his high school friends after he dropped out.”

“The grooms aren’t here anymore, and I’m more interested in you.” Aaron gave him a wink.

Derek looked at him dispassionately, hid his desire under a mask of indifference. He learnt to do that in his army days. He gave nothing away to the enemy, except Aaron wasn’t an enemy, just a guy hitting on him. If he weren’t so fucked-up, Derek would’ve flirted back, except he was a walking disaster who couldn’t even take care of himself.

“Go bark some other tree, pussy cat.”

There. That would send this brave little soul running, although Derek was a little disappointed in himself. When he first joined the Goldcrest Pack, a couple of submissive werewolves had approached him, tried to throw themselves at him. In the end, they backed off after seeing the monster Derek harbored. Aaron didn’t seem to know any better, but he would soon.

Aaron only raised an eyebrow at those words. “But it’s you I want to climb.”

Bloody hell. Was Derek more drunk than he thought? Aaron stared unflinchingly into his gaze.

“No need to pretend with each other. You want me, too. Isn’t this what everyone does at weddings? Hook up?” Aaron asked him.

“What gave me away?” Derek asked drily. In his heart of hearts, he realized he was actually having fun. No one ever lingered long enough to continue a conversation with him. Aaron’s persistence, his cheerful attitude was beginning to grow on Derek.

Aaron leaned in close to his ear, like they were two lovers sharing a secret. “I don’t need to look under the table to know you’re sporting a hard-on for me.”

Derek grabbed Aaron’s wrist unthinkingly, and the cat blinked. Did Aaron really think he’d be able to run the show here?

“Be careful what you ask for, little cat,” he whispered back, breathing hard.

“I will,” Aaron promised.

Derek released Aaron’s wrist only to cup the other man’s chest. This wasn’t him. Derek didn’t kiss random strangers at weddings, but there was just something special about this feline shifter. Aaron intrigued him on so many levels and had immediately caught the interest of his wolf.

Different, his wolf whispered. Derek never bothered with relationships. One-night stands suited him just fine, then and now. It wouldn’t hurt to have some fun, would it? It’d just be for one night, except something told him Aaron was special. Tonight was going to be a hell of a wild ride.

“Are you going to kiss me?” Aaron asked him.

Demanding cat. Derek took Aaron’s mouth without apology, not caring if the kiss ended up rough, merciless. Aaron was so into it that he clutched at Derek’s right bicep and responded back passionately. Derek thrust his tongue down Aaron’s throat. Heat exploded between them. He no longer heard the cheesy love song playing in the background or the conversation going on around them.

The only thing that mattered was his mouth on Aaron’s and Aaron rubbing that tempting body of his against Derek’s. The kiss went on forever, but he didn’t care. His cock pressed up against the zipper of his slacks. When he pulled away, Aaron panted, stared up at him, and reminded him of a lost cat who finally realized he’d gotten tangled up in a mess he wasn’t sure how to handle.

“Let’s get out of here,” Derek suggested before Aaron changed his mind.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Why did you still bring me to your room after all the awful things you’ve heard about me from Mr. Hide?” he couldn’t help but ask. Aaron knew he should keep his trap shut, go with the flow.

“You sought me out for a reason, and besides, you’ve also seen a bad side of me.” Derek undid the buttons of his shirt, exposing his chest. He moaned when Derek bent his head down, licked his chest. Then the dominant werewolf started undoing the button of his pants, unzipping him and pulling his cock out.

“So we’re even then?” he asked.

“You’ve only seen a glimpse of the angry beast that shares my skin,” Derek said. The moment Derek curled his fingers over his shaft, he lost his train of thought again. For a big, imposing male, he thought Derek would simply throw him down and have his way with Aaron. He didn’t expect any foreplay, and yet Derek started to stroke his cock back and forth.

He sighed, groaned when Derek gave his leaking cockhead a pinch.

“Still not spooked?” Derek asked.

His head cleared a little. He forced himself to look the werewolf in the eye. “Why are you so intent on scaring me?”

“Because I’m not even sure if you’re real.”

At those words, Aaron snuck in a kiss. Derek kept his hand on Aaron’s prick, kept working him, while the other he used to clasp the back of his neck. Derek deepened the kiss, making him thrust his hips, his prick into Derek’s hand.

Derek pulled away. “Okay, you’re real.”

“That’s right,” he said. “And there’s one problem.”

“What?”

“Both of us are still wearing clothes.”

They peeled off each other’s clothes in a hurry. When Derek took off his boxers, Aaron took those few moments to admire the shape of Derek’s body. Muscle everywhere. Derek kept in serious shape. Those scars though, he wanted to ask about.

“I was a soldier,” Derek told him, beating him to the punch. “My body’s a mess. I just wanted you to know that.”

He approached the glorious specimen of a werewolf and rested his palm over the bullet wound on Derek’s pectoral.

“Oh yeah?” He lowered his mouth kiss the old injury. “I find scars interesting. Cats like to play, to explore.”

His inner tabby cat purred in agreement. He licked at another scar from tip to tip, the one below Derek’s ribs.

“I want you to lay down so I can lick you all over,” he said.

Derek closed his hand over his wrist. “Another time. I want to enjoy you now.”

Derek maneuvered him towards the bed, kissing him all the while, helping him forget about the rest of the world.

“This isn’t wrong, isn’t it? Wanting to lose ourselves in each other,” he said.

“No.” Derek gave his chest a push. He landed on the bed. Lying on his back like this with his legs parted gave Derek a full view of his balls, cock, and even a glimpse of his asshole. He began to close his thighs, but Derek gripped one knee and repeated that word. “No.”

He shuddered as Derek climbed over him and began planting kisses down the side of his neck, his upper body. Aaron clutched at the sheet. Derek left little bites as well, souvenirs to mark him. Claim him.

He groaned as Derek finally reached his cock and to his utter surprise, began to blow him. Aaron moaned loudly as Derek bobbed his head up and down. Dominant shifters didn’t do this normally. They usually demanded blowjobs, not gave them out freely. At least that was his experience with Mike.

His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he exploded in seconds, right after Derek pulled his mouth from Aaron’s prick.

“My turn.” Derek flipped him on his hands and knees with astonishing ease. Then again, Aaron shouldn’t be surprised. Derek had easily cornered Mr. Hide earlier after all. Didn’t he feel a little smug, a little good that Derek came to his defense? It was wrong of course, but what did it matter now?

He moved himself closer to the edge of the bed. Aaron lowered his chest and shoulders into the sheets, pushed his ass outward for Derek’s easy access. Feeling playful, he even wagged his ass at Derek.

Come get me, big wolf. That move earned Aaron what sounded like a growl of appreciation. Derek gave his ass a swat, which only turned him on.

He heard Derek fumbling for something, so he looked over his shoulder. Derek had lube in his hands, having taken it from his pants. Once more, Aaron appreciated the sheer size of the dominant werewolf, both body and cock. Oh yeah. Aaron licked his lips, thinking about Derek driving that thick, long, and meaty cock inside his tiny hole.

It had been so long for Aaron. He bet it had been the same for Derek. This was good. They could help each other out. Why did Aaron have the distinct feeling that his secret wedding crashes and regretful hook-ups were about to come to an end?

Not much of a loss, his cat whispered.

“You came to the wedding armed with that?” he asked.

“In case I get lucky. Chances had been zero before you.”

For some reason that made him happy. Derek got behind him. Moments later, he felt Derek pushing one slicked finger inside him, then two more. He moaned as Derek played with his ass, began making twisting motions.

“Don’t be a tease,” he murmured.

“Need to get you ready. Last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

“I trust you.”

“Even after you saw me lose control?” Shame coated Derek’s words. Aaron only wanted Derek to feel good. Derek had been a former soldier. PTSD? Maybe that explained why Derek’s wolf wasn’t fully in sync with the human part of him. They knew next to nothing about each other, but he had a feeling that would change.

“I know you’d never hurt me,” Aaron said.

“You’re too kind.”

Kind. An adjective no one ever used to describe Aaron. Cats were selfish by nature, and he’d already given everything to one man before only to get crushed. Aaron couldn’t and wouldn’t do that again, yet here he was.

“Fuck me already.”