STORY EXCERPT

Hawk climbed the rickety porch and knocked on the door. The frame seemed to rattle as his knuckles banged against the wood. Johnny hurried to catch up to them. This house was eerie, and he didn’t want to stand by the truck all alone.

“Okay, no one is home. We should take her with us.” Johnny headed for the steps.

“It’s been five seconds,” Hawk argued. “Give her parents a minute to answer the door.”

With a grunt of frustration, Johnny pivoted on his heel and faced the house. As he stood there freezing his butt off, he looked around. There were sheets hanging in the window, and a large gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. The wind gusted past him, and he imagined North lying in her bed shivering.

You just want to take her home. Stop making everything out to be so bad. Johnny couldn’t help it. He had a soft spot for any child who lived in less-than-desirable conditions. If it was up to him, he’d build a big mansion for all the kids in town and let them live there.

He’d actually talked to Maverick about that once, but the alpha had shot down his idea, saying it wasn’t practical. Whatever that meant.

Hawk knocked again.

Johnny hunched down and rubbed his hands up and down North’s arms. “Are you cold?”

She nodded as she clutched the granola bar harder in her red hands.

“This is ridiculous,” Johnny said. “She’s freezing. We should take her home, warm her up, and then bring her back after Christmas.” Christmas next year if Johnny had his way.

Hawk tried the doorknob, and the door swung open. Oh, that wasn’t good. Johnny was ready to grab North and run to the truck. He didn’t like how creepy this felt.

“Hello?” Hawk called out as he stepped inside.

The only reason Johnny followed was to get out of the biting wind. He grabbed North’s cold hand and went inside. The outside of the house might’ve been bad, but the inside seemed cozy.

He shut the door behind him and noticed something nailed to the bottom of the door to keep the draft out. Okay, so North’s living conditions weren’t that bad.

There was a worn, but comfortable-looking couch in the living room, along with a recliner and a coffee table, and an old tube television sitting on a stand. What struck Johnny as odd was the lack of family pictures on the wall. Everyone had family pictures on the wall, right? Also, the dining room table had only two chairs. Where was North’s chair? There was also a lack of toys scattered around.

Johnny’s heart thumped wildly when North clutched his hand tightly, her gaze darting around. What was she so afraid of?

“I don’t like this,” Hawk murmured. He scented the air as his canines descended. “Stay right there, pretty baby.”

Hawk didn’t have to tell him twice. Johnny pulled North closer to him as his mate walked into what Johnny assumed was the kitchen. If the bogeyman jumped out, he was so out of there, and he was taking North with him.

“We have to go,” North whispered to him. “They’ll come back.”

“Who?” Johnny looked from North to the kitchen door. “Who’re you afraid of?”

North pressed her lips together as they stood there and waited. His nerves were wound so tight he felt like the springs in his body were gonna break free at any second. Johnny didn’t hear Hawk say anything. He couldn’t even hear his mate move around.

Worse, the wind outside was getting stronger, rattling the house and making boards creaks. Tree limbs slapped against the roof, but in Johnny’s mind, it was one of Bobby’s robots coming to kill them with pink, sparkly laser beam eyes.

“H-Hawk?” Johnny took a step forward, but North shook her head, her waterfall of inky-black hair fanning around her shoulders.

“You can’t go in there,” she whispered.

“But Hawk might need my help.” He really, really didn’t want to go into the kitchen. Right about now he wished his friends were here. Keata would know what to do. Gabby would scare away the bad guys—if there were any—and Nero would sanitize the entire house, including any ghosts that might be haunting this place.

Wait. That was Halloween. Wrong holiday.

Okay, he would sanitize any eight-foot snowmen that might’ve come to life.

“Are we going in there?” North asked.

Johnny squeezed her hand tightly. Thankfully he had a lousy grip or he might have unintentionally hurt her. “You don’t have any pet snowmen, do you?”

She was the one who lived in a spooky house, yet she looked at him like Johnny was the one with a few loose marbles rolling around in his head. “Ralph didn’t come to life, silly.”

Johnny’s brows shot up. “So you do have a pet snowman?”

She stared intently at him for a long moment and then grinned. “No, I was just fooling you.”

“Okay, fine.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We’ll go in there together.”

North ripped her hand free and splayed them in front of herself, shaking them like she was slapping a table with her knuckles. “Are you crazy?” she asked in a loud whisper.

Now Johnny’s curiosity was piqued more than his fear. He had to see what was going on in the kitchen. He just had to.

Too bad Cecil wasn’t here. He would have barged right in, sleeves rolled back and demanding answers. Johnny wished he had a little bit of that bravery right now. He took another deep breath, squared his shoulders, and then marched toward the kitchen.

ADULT EXCERPT

The fiasco this evening had turned into a big-ass headache. Brady just wanted to forget about his father and Ronny. Just for tonight. He wanted to concentrate on his budding relationship with Harmon—his big, strapping, sexy bear shifter that he couldn’t get enough of.

“Harmon,” Brady whispered when his mate swept him up in a hug, looking at Brady like he wanted to feast on him.

“Right here, baby. Like I said, whatever you need.”

“You.” Brady tilted his head to the side when Harmon started nibbling on his neck. “I need you.”

Harmon’s arms were strong, yet he held Brady gently, as though afraid of hurting him. He picked Brady up, and Brady wrapped his legs around his thick waist. Their lips met, tongues stroking, as Harmon carried him to the bedroom.

Brady’s body thrummed in anticipation as Harmon dropped them both onto the bed, careful of his weight as his hands stroked Brady everywhere. They kissed until Brady needed air. He pulled back and cupped his mate’s face, gazing into eyes so blue they reminded Brady of a clear sky on a sunny day.

“I’ve never felt this way with anyone else.”

Harmon nipped his chin. “That’s what makes mating so special. An unbreakable bond.” He kissed each side of Brady’s cheeks. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, sweetheart.”

His words, the conviction behind them, made Brady dizzy. Harmon slid from the bed and undressed Brady. His clothes landed in a flurry on the floor. Oh god, the way Harmon looked down at him set Brady’s blood on fire.

Flipping to his hands and knees, Brady crawled across the bed, eyeing Harmon’s groin as he unfastened the man’s jeans. Harmon stood perfectly still as Brady fished his python out. His mate shoved his pants and boxers down to his knees. Brady smiled up at him before parting his lips and sucking Harmon’s cock into his mouth.

Harmon sucked in air between his teeth. One of his hands stroked Brady’s hair. “Feels so fucking good,” Harmon groaned.

Brady wanted to tell Harmon how good he tasted, but that would’ve required letting his clock go, and Brady wasn’t ready to do that. He moaned instead, knowing full well the effect the vibrations would cause.

“Oh shit.” Harmon strangled Brady’s hair then apologized, trying to smooth the strands.

This time Brady pulled back and chuckled. “I actually like my hair pulled. Don’t stop doing it.”

He swallowed Harmon’s cock again and was rewarded with a hard tug. To prove he wasn’t lying, Brady let out a long, loud moan.

As if spurred on by the sounds Brady made, Harmon tugged harder while he fucked Brady’s mouth in short bursts. Brady used the flat of his tongue, tasting every inch of Harmon’s shaft. God, he loved how a cock felt in his mouth, loved the musky scent, the fullness that stretched his jaw, and how the head kept hitting the back of his throat.

Harmon bent slightly, rubbing his hand down Brady’s back until he reached Brady’s hole. He tapped a finger against the tight ring of muscles, and Brady stuck his ass higher, desperate to feel any part of Harmon inside him.

He took Harmon’s cock all the way down until his nose touched pubic hairs. Harmon let out a guttural groan, fucking Brady’s mouth even faster. When Brady gripped Harmon’s balls, it was over. Harmon shook and shivered as he came down Brady’s throat.

Harmon took a few steps back and let out a few long breaths. He wiped his arm over his forehead, and Brady noticed that his mate was still hard.

“Your turn.” Harmon grabbed the lube from the nightstand. “Turn around so I can play with your hole.”

Brady didn’t have to be told twice. He spun so fast that his arms got tangled and he face-planted into the covers.

Harmon chuckled and smacked Brady’s ass. The sting made Brady’s cock even harder. He glanced over his shoulder and gave Harmon an approving smile.

“You like that?” Harmon looked cocky as fuck as he brought his hand up and smacked Brady again. A loud gasp and moan escaped Brady.

“I think you just found a kink I never knew I had,” Brady said. He felt himself blush as he looked away.

“And I plan on finding everything you like,” Harmon said. “Don’t you dare be embarrassed about anything we do together. Got that?”

“Yep.” But Brady was embarrassed and refused to look at Harmon.

He heard the cap of the lube pop open. Brady curled his fingers into the comforter and braced himself. Harmon slid what had to be two fingers inside Brady’s ass. The stretch burned too much for it to be a single digit. Harmon wasn’t playing around. He clearly wanted this part done with so he could bury his cock inside Brady.

“Ready for me?” Harmon asked a few moments later.

“More than ready.” He bit his bottom lip as Harmon entered him in one stroke. Brady shivered, sucking in a breath and letting it out slowly. He loved being filled by Harmon and would defy anyone who thought to keep them apart. In twenty-four hours, Brady had started to crave Harmon. It was insane, too. They’d just met yesterday, yet Brady felt as though they’d known each other a lifetime.

Harmon gripped Brady’s hips and pounded into his ass, switching between fast and hard and slow and gentle. He touched Brady everywhere, his fingers ghosting over Brady’s body.

“Need more,” Harmon murmured as he pulled all the way out of Brady’s ass.

Brady had no idea what that meant until Harmon picked him up and flipped him onto his back. “Ack!” Brady flailed. “Give a guy some warning!”

Harmon winked, a playful smile on his lips. He spread Brady’s legs and drove back inside. “I thought we were discovering new kinks.”

Brady slapped at him. “That doesn’t include quick tactical movements.”

“But I like flipping you around,” Harmon said. “You’re lightweight and compact. I bet I could twirl you above my head.”

“And we’re never gonna find out.” Still joined, they scooted farther onto the bed until Harmon was hovering over him. Oh yeah. This was so much better. Brady liked that he could look into Harmon’s eyes.