STORY EXCERPT

Shane turned and watched the dirty-blond walk out. Now he was left with Biker Dude, Whiskey Eyes, and Mr. Danger.

He wished he were anywhere but here. “Um, can I go now?”

Whiskey Eyes smirked. Biker Dude chuckled as if Shane’s request was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Mr. Danger just kept staring at Shane, making him extremely uncomfortable.

If Shane wanted to be intimidated, he would have visited his father. But this guy? He was more frightening than Shane’s dad could ever be. Mr. Danger had dark hair that was cut stylishly short, a goatee, and the craziest, sexiest hazel eyes Shane had ever seen. They were so light that they almost didn’t look real.

But it was Mr. Danger’s aura that scared Shane. He looked as though he would end your life and then go out to dinner. As if eating a plate of spaghetti over a dead body wouldn’t bother him in the least.

“Why don’t you get him out of here?” Biker Dude said. “We’ll handle these other guys.”

“You letting him walk, Maverick?” Whiskey Eyes asked.

So Biker Dude’s name was Maverick.

Maverick shrugged. “Call it a hunch.”

Hope blossomed inside Shane. If he was taken away, that meant he wasn’t going to be killed, right?

When Mr. Danger walked out, Shane hurried to follow. Not that he wanted to, but he also didn’t want to stay behind and end up like Reaper. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen to the other men sitting on the floor, but if they’d been a part of selling people, then they deserved whatever punishment was coming their way.

“Where are we going?” Shane asked as he moved more quickly to keep pace with Mr. Danger. The stranger’s legs were long, and Shane had a hard time keeping up with him.

The guy didn’t say a word. He walked down the stairs and headed outside. When Shane emerged, he had to shield his eyes from the sun. It turned out to be a bright and humid day, but Shane suspected his sweat was from more than the heat.

He’d been sweating his fate. Now Shane looked around, wondering if he could run fast enough to get away. Just because the other guys had let him go didn’t mean he was safe.

As if reading his mind, Mr. Danger turned and scowled, and damn if that wasn’t a scary look. “Try to run and you won’t like the consequences.”

The guy would be a lot cuter if he actually smiled.

“Just tell me if you’re going to kill me,” Shane said. “I have a right to know if I’m about to take a dirt nap.”

The stranger turned back around and started walking again, so Shane stupidly followed. He was too afraid not to since Mr. Danger had threatened him. Mr. Personality was taller, with a lean cut to his body. He could probably outrun Shane without breaking a sweat.

“If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you inside.”

“Are you taking me to the cops?” Shane wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. He didn’t want to go to prison for something Damien had done. There had been plenty of times when he thought he would because his brother knew how to get into some shady shit.

And since Shane was always dumb enough to track Damien down to try and stop him, he always put himself in what he suspected were illegal situations.

It was a miracle that Shane wasn’t behind bars already. He was constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mr. Danger turned and snarled. “Look, stop asking so many damn questions.”

“How would you feel if you were in my shoes?” Shane argued. “Once again Damien has pulled me into trouble, and now I’m being led away. I have no idea who you are, where we’re going, or what you’re going to do to me.”

“Alejandro,” the guy said as if he really didn’t want to give Shane his name. “My name is Alejandro Diego.”

“I’m Shane Blackburn.” He had to stop himself from sticking out his hand. He was pretty sure Alejandro would rather smack it than shake it.

“Yeah, you already said that upstairs.” Alejandro turned and started walking again, muttering to himself.

Shane couldn’t make out what Alejandro was saying, but he was dead certain the guy wasn’t reciting recipes or wishing for the day to cool off.

They made it to the main road. “Where’s your car?”

“You don’t have one?” Shane patted his pocket for his keys as sweat trickled down from his hair. What he wouldn’t give for air conditioning right now.

“God, will you stop with the questions?” Alejandro placed his hands on his hips, looking completely put out. “Just tell me where you parked.”

“You don’t have to be a dick,” Shane snapped. He couldn’t help it. He was already stressed out, and Alejandro’s surly attitude wasn’t helping. “I parked on the other side of the building.”

With a frustrated look, Alejandro turned and headed that way. Shane sighed. He wasn’t sure where Alejandro was taking him, but already the guy was wearing on his nerves.

At this point he didn’t care if Alejandro was human or other. He just wanted to be done with this.

When they rounded the corner, Alejandro stopped and stared at Shane’s car. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“What?” Shane looked around for trouble, but they were the only people outside.

Alejandro waved at the car. “It’s a goddamn pink Mini Cooper. I’m not driving that damn thing.”

“No one asked you to,” Shane retorted. “No one gets to drive my car, not even a scary henchman who could snap my neck in seconds flat.”

Alejandro started talking heatedly in what Shane suspected was Spanish. Finally, after about a good minute or two, Alejandro held out his hand. “Give me the keys.”

“No.” Shane crossed his arms. “I told you no one is driving her.”

“Look.” Alejandro moved closer, narrowing his eyes. “This has been a wreck of a day, and I just want to get out of here. Give me the fucking keys or—”

“I won’t like the consequences?” Shane walked to the driver’s door. “You can be the passenger. Just tell me where you want me to drop you off.”

Alejandro was on him in seconds, pinning Shane against the hood of his car. His face was so close that Shane could smell the guy’s minty breath. They stared at each other for a long moment, and Shane wasn’t sure if Alejandro was going to kiss him or kill him.

Shane swallowed roughly as Alejandro’s hand skimmed over Shane’s jeans. The movement was slow, almost teasing, as Alejandro reached into Shane’s pocket and pulled the keys out.

When Alejandro pulled away, Shane was left breathless.

ADULT EXCERPT

Alejandro worked the tape off Shane’s wrist and pulled the glove free. He turned Shane’s hand over, closely examining the gauze. “It doesn’t look wet.”

“I still don’t see why I have to wear this.” Shane shook his hand. “I’m gonna take it off.”

“No.” Alejandro shook his head. “They said to keep it covered for a few days, and that’s what you’re going to do.”

Shane hid his smirk. “And if I take it off before then? What are you going to do to me, Alejandro? Are you going to spank my bottom?”

Alejandro’s nostrils flared as his gaze once again lowered to Shane’s cock. “You are playing with fire, mi amor.”

Shane finally dropped the pretense. He moved closer, crowding into Alejandro’s personal space. “What if I want to play with fire? What if I want you to kiss me and touch me and do wicked things to my body?”

“Are you asking me to claim you?” Alejandro moved until Shane was pinned against the wall, the doors to his left. “Do you even know what that means, my little human?”

“Elijah told me the gist,” Shane confessed. “About happiness and protecting me.”

“The little wolf talks too much,” Alejandro said with a slight growl. “But did he tell you how I would claim you, how I would bond you to me for all eternity?”

Shane had set out to seduce Alejandro, not get a reality check. No, Elijah hadn’t told him that part, and now Shane wanted to hunt Elijah down and give him a piece of his mind for not giving him the full download.

Shane knew he was mated to Alejandro, knew he would want for nothing, which still blew his mind, but what astonished him the most was the aging thing. Shane couldn’t imagine living for hundreds of years.

“You’re killing the mood.” Shane narrowed his eyes. “Why can’t we just have sex without all the other stuff?”

“Because I want you fully aware of what you’re getting yourself into, mi amor. Once we bond, there is no going back. You’ll belong to me, and I’m a very jealous and protective lover.”

Even so, Shane had given Elijah’s words a lot of thought, and would it be so bad to belong to Alejandro? Would it be so bad to finally settle down and have an entire pack of wolves as family?

That would be a lot better than the family Shane had grown up with. At least he wouldn’t be chasing behind Alejandro to stop him from doing foolish things.

“Are you still with me?” Alejandro kissed Shane along his jaw, making Shane moan.

“Yes,” Shane said. “I’m with you.”

Screw everything else. Shane would worry about it later.

“Good.” Alejandro walked backward, leading Shane to his bed.

Now that he knew they were about to have sex, Shane became self-conscious about his nudity. Alejandro was built like a god while Shane was built like a surfboard.

Alejandro slid his Henley shirt over his head and then tossed it aside. Next he kicked his shoes off and removed his pants, all the while watching Shane watch him. He pulled his socks and underwear off, letting the material drop from his hand.

Shane moved to stand between Alejandro’s legs.

Alejandro caressed Shane’s sides, looking up at him as Shane’s heart raced and his mouth went dry. A groan wrenched from between Shane’s lips as Alejandro stood, crowding his space.

“This is your last chance to back out of this.”

Alejandro cupped the back of Shane’s neck and pulled him close, their bodies aligning before his head descended and he took Shane’s lips in a toe-curling kiss. Shane groaned, sliding his arms around Alejandro’s waist, tucking himself into the man’s body as Alejandro inserted a knee between Shane’s legs.

“Not changing my mind,” Shane said as he tilted his head, giving Alejandro room to kiss his jaw and neck.

“Then let the bonding begin.”

Shane became lost in Alejandro’s touch, his lips, and his muscled body as Alejandro kept kissing his skin, igniting a storm inside him. When Alejandro gripped Shane’s ass, Shane’s stomach clenched and an arc of need shot through him.

He had to touch Alejandro, had to have him in his hand. Alejandro groaned into Shane’s mouth, a hungry, desperate sound as Shane wrapped his fingers around Alejandro’s cock. His length was hard, thick, and long. Shane stroked his length and clung to Alejandro to keep his balance.

“You drive me insane,” Alejandro growled against Shane’s skin.

The sound sent shivers over Shane’s body as he squeezed Alejandro’s dick.

“You make me want to hate you, but all I want is to belong to you.” Shane stiffened when the words slipped so easily from his lips. Had he really just said that? Oh, fuck. He didn’t care if Alejandro was making him lose his mind. He needed to watch what he said. Where in the hell had those thoughts come from?

“You’re about to belong to me, mi amor.” Alejandro had the deep, seductive voice down pat. He made Shane’s cock shiver with excitement.

But Shane didn’t want to rush into sex. He pushed Alejandro, making him take a few steps back. Shane didn’t even bother to tell him why when one of Alejandro’s brows arched.

Instead, Shane lowered himself to his knees. For weeks Alejandro had teased Shane by walking out of the bathroom with nothing more than a towel on, torturing Shane with that amazing body, and now Shane wanted a taste of him.

Alejandro grabbed the base and levered it toward Shane’s lips. “Take as much as you want.”

Shane wanted it all. Blowing out a few short breaths, Shane parted his lips and took the head into his mouth, moaning when Alejandro’s pre-cum exploded across his taste buds.