STORY EXCERPT

I nodded and took a drink of the water he provided me just as the door to the meeting room opened. I almost choked on the liquid at the sight before me.

“I apologize for being late, Alpha, Alpha mate, Leader,” the man said formally as he bowed slightly, his jet-black, ear-length hair covering his face. When he stood up the deepest, most piercing blue eyes met mine before darting away. “The elder had some concerns about the newsletter and detained me, though I told him I had an engagement.”

“Gaven, it’s cool,” Rip chuckled. “He’s like that.” The Alpha focused on me then. “Leader Davis, this is Gaven Weylyn, one of my enforcers. I don’t believe you two have met.”

“No, no we haven’t.” I cleared my throat, trying to control my lust, but I think Lys caught onto it because he was looking at me funny.

“So what’s the distressing issue you need to discuss with us?” Jensen hedged, saving me and keeping the meeting focused… Even if I wanted to do nothing but focus on the man who joined us leaning against the wall now. “Is this about you taking over the covens in Wisconsin, Michigan, and all of Illinois in the past year?”

“No, but why am I not surprised you know about that?” I drawled, shaking my head. “I wasn’t hiding it but it’s not been officially announced yet either. That’s not distressing. Stressful but not distressing. And it wasn’t my choice. I’m told by me elder to add to my leadership for the benefit of my people, and I serve.”

“You don’t sound happy about that,” Lys said gently.

“No, it’s great,” I lied through my teeth, knowing Rip understood me well enough that I wouldn’t have wanted this but he’d let it go. I glanced at Gaven and saw a sadness in his eyes like he appreciated my predicament. Interesting.

“Well, congratulations for the promotion.” Rip nodded. Yep. That was politics. You didn’t call someone out when they were full of shit on this type of thing. “We’re here if there’s anything you need.” I smiled. I might have to take him up on that one day. Okay, now time to drop the bomb I came here for.

“I was approached by some bear shifters after I took over Wisconsin. Seems you kidnapped two of their den’s reptile boyfriends and killed the wolf ally they sent to negotiate their release and haven’t been willing to discuss it with them. They said you almost sent them in body bags when they’ve come here to talk. When they heard I was allies with you they begged me to help.” I thought it was all bullshit… Until I saw every man in the room go pale. “Mother fucker.”

“It’s not what you think,” Rip hedged as he shot a look to Jensen. “That’s not what really happened.”

“And you all look guilty because you’re innocent?” I growled. I was a lot of things. A fool wasn’t one of them. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on here but I was expecting to get the real story and fucking beat some bears because there was no way my allies could have done this. Now I’m going to have a huge mess, aren’t I?”

“I killed Neville,” Gaven whispered as he came towards me. “I killed the wolf but he wasn’t here to negotiate anything. He tried to kill pack members.”

“And the reptiles?” I hedged, glancing between them all. They could do with another wolf as they wanted. That wasn’t the bears’ or a vampire leader’s say. The fact that bear shifters were coming to a vampire about that screamed shady. I just wanted to know about the supposed kidnapping.

“I trust Leader Davis to be honorable, Jensen,” Rip assured his Beta. “UPAC knows. There’s nothing the bears can do to them now.”

“But he’s in charge of all the vampires in three states basically,” Jensen whispered, glancing between his Alpha and me. “He could take them.”

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on but I’m not the bad guy here,” I reminded them with an edge to my tone. “I came here to warn you as a friend to your pack.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying not to be offended. “Just answer me this. Did you kidnap some reptile shifters?”

“No. The bears abused them.” Jensen’s voice was so quiet I glanced at him, seeing his eyes full of so much worry that this massive, strong wolf looked almost ready to break. And then it hit me.

“They’re your mates. Aren’t they, Jensen?” I asked gently. “Did you find them and mate them?”

“They wanted me to claim them! They love me,” he growled.

“I wasn’t implying otherwise,” I assured him. “I’m just trying to figure out what I’m missing. I’m not here to take your mates, Jensen. I don’t know why you think I’d want two reptile shifters or what would make them—” My eyes went wide as I glanced between the two men.

“And now you know why the bears want them back,” Lys drawled.

“The poison that’s been on the black market,” I hedged, making sure we were talking about the same thing. “The bears were making it from your mates? Because there are a few different types of rare reptile shifters which produce something valuable I’ve seen over my many years. Given the pieces I have now, I’d say salamanders?”

“Yes,” Rip sighed. They filled me in on the full story then and I cringed. Oh shit. Yup, there was a nice headache forming at the base of my skull and my temples… And still I was having trouble not focusing on Gaven.

“And yet you said you shot Neville when someone else did it,” I said slowly as I stared at Gaven. “Why? Why would you do that when he was the son of an Alpha and all hell could have rained down on you?”

“It’s what you do for pack.” He shrugged those massive shoulders. “You take care of each other, protect each other, even lie for each other at times. Kyd didn’t go hunting Neville down for shits and giggles. He killed a monster defending his family and our pack. I wasn’t going to let him get in trouble because he wasn’t authorized to have a gun in the pack house that saved them. Kyd and Redley make one of my best friends deliriously happy. I couldn’t risk him losing that.”

It was one of the most honorable, selfless, and wonderful things I’d heard someone do for a while. The man was not only a god in looks and strength with that powerful body, but he had a heart of gold.

“I want you,” I blurted out. Everyone just turned to me slowly with wide eyes, but I saw lust in Gaven’s. It sunk in what I said and I chuckled, clearing my throat. “That wasn’t in quite the right context.”

“I didn’t know there was more than one context with that statement,” Lys giggled and then winced.

ADULT EXCERPT

I growled and narrowed my eyes at him. “Anything else you want to add to the list of complaints?”

“What?” he gasped.

“I’m too loose. You thought I was lying about letting someone take my ass. You thought I was thinking of someone else earlier. Now I distract too easily when you brought me a problem about your pack and I would think that’s a concern—”

“That’s really what you were thinking about?” He eyed me over as he started moving his fingers again, adding a fourth one as if needing to open me up quickly.

“Of course,” I growled, still debating to push him away. But oh gods, what he was doing to me felt good. “The family of the man in my bed needs help. How could I not worry about that? Add to it, Rip is my friend, the pack is my coven’s ally, we need Lys’s security, and we need to stick together as paranormals or we’re never going—”

“Shhh,” he whispered as he leaned over me, kissing me quiet. “You are amazing, Ren. There are so few men who would care about another kind, allies or not, as you do. Much less right away try to think of something to help. And I don’t know anyone who would think about it in the middle of sex. I’m sorry I doubted you. I find myself jumbled around you.”

“Great. Apparently I’m having that effect on everyone lately,” I drawled.

“Then let me specify better,” Gaven said darkly as he realized who he sounded like as he pulled his fingers out of me. “Let me make it clear who I am and not remind you of anyone else. Because you will be screaming my name and no one else’s the rest of this night. You will never forget what it’s like to have my cock in your ass, pounding in your body, and the pleasure I bring you.”

“You really are a jealous one,” I chuckled and then gasped as he thrust the head of his dick into me.

“Not normally,” he mumbled against my lips before nibbling on them. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m not normally a jealous man, but gods, Ren, you make me feel crazed with jealousy already.” He brought up his hand to join his other one and interlocked our fingers as I moved my knees up along the sides of his ribs. “Swear to me you won’t be with anyone else for as long as I’m here. You will be mine alone while we explore this.”

“If that is what you wish,” I hissed as he pushed more of himself into me. I felt a thrill go through me and not just from his cock.

“Pain?”

“No, slight burning but so much pleasure.” He nodded and kept kissing me as he rocked his hips.

“Yes, that’s what I want. I won’t share you, Ren. I will be enough to please you. You don’t need to seek out anyone else. Swear it to me.”

“I swear it,” I moaned as he bottomed out inside of me. “You owe me some more orgasms though.”

He smiled against my neck. “I do. I promised one for every finger. If I pay up do I get to know about the toys?”

“I’ll even show you the play room I have in the other room of my suite,” I purred as I squeezed his hands tighter. His dick filled me so full that I swear it was like we were one. I’d never felt this connection during sex. I wanted more though. My fangs practically vibrated with need. On instinct I rolled us, smiling when Gaven let out a startled yelp. “Would you like that?”

“Yes,” he growled as he moved his hands to my hips as I rode him. “What is in there?”

“A machine that fucks me with dildos for starters.” I fisted his hair and stared into his eyes as I bounced on his cock. “I want to taste you. Let me. Don’t deny me, Gaven. Give me this when I’ve given you so much of me already. You smell so good and I just want a sip.”

“I want to,” he hedged, and while I could see indecision in his eyes he’d said what I needed to hear. Plus, whether he realized it or not he tilted his neck, baring it to me and giving me access. I struck fast, sinking my fangs in him. “Ren!”

He roared in pleasure as he started thrusting up into me so hard I would have fallen off of him if not for his hold on my hips. It was a good thing because I lost rhythm after the first drop of his blood hit my taste buds. Gaven pulled me onto his cock as he pounded into me, filling me with his seed as I drank down raw power like I never had before. When I realized I’d taken more than the taste I said I would, I sat up and stared at him, watching his climax in awe.

Gaven grabbed my cock and stroked it as he moved me. “Come!” I did, screaming out his name as I covered him in my scent as he filled me with his. We rode the pleasure together and when we were spent I braced myself with my hands on his chest, gasping for air as I stared into his deep blue eyes.