STORY EXCERPT

“There’s an antidote here somewhere. My friend got it and he’s completely back to normal.” August glanced toward the lab. “I can get you a dose if you want.”

Before August realized he was talking to the beast like he did his friends, he opened the door and walked inside the lab. Hell, he didn’t know what he was looking for, and he wasn’t entirely sure the beast could understand him. With whatever garbage the scientists pumped into him, it was interesting enough that the wolf could still shift. Or maybe they wanted him that way.

August grabbed his cell phone and dialed Joey. He picked up on the third ring. “Hey. I need to know where the antidote is. Can you find out for me?”

“If there is any left, you mean?” Joey clicked away on his computer. “The lab. Level three. There’s a small cooler in the room. Combination is thirty-five, thirty-four, twenty-two. The liquid looks frozen. It’s pink in color. Should be marked A two six three two.”

“Thanks,” August replied and hung up.

He continued inside the darkened building and found his way to Level 3. The lab was the smallest in the entire unit that he had seen and probably contained the most profound research as it was the most secure. If the antidote was in there, then at least they didn’t destroy some of the wolves’ lives. He couldn’t imagine being stuck as a wolf or a human for the next ten years.

He walked in the cold room and punched in the combination code that Joey had given him. The door popped open and he looked inside. Several vials of a frozen-like substance marked A-2632 sat before him. At least the wolves had an option if they wanted it. He grabbed one vial and then looked around the room for a needle. He was far from being a scientist, but hopefully it wasn’t all that difficult to administer.

He grabbed a plastic syringe and needle. Boxes of gauze and some medical ointment sat on a nearby shelf and he took some of that as well before heading back the way he came. The wolf stopped growling at him, eyeing the materials in his arms. He supposed the guy was curious, but he didn’t pay any attention to it. The antidote worked on Alex, so it should work on this poor bastard too.

“This is the antidote. It will allow you to shift back into a human.” August pulled the top of the needle and stuck it in the vial of pink serum. He didn’t think the fluid inside was thin enough, but every bit of it filled the needle. Afterward, he stabbed the syringe into the wolf’s back.

The beast howled as August injected him. He supposed the wolf had been subjected to all kinds of chemical torture, but if the antidote made him normal again, that was most definitely August’s goal. The last thing he needed on his hands was another pissed-off wolf seeking vengeance. Right now, the shifters were a united front. They didn’t need any division.

Whatever was in the serum knocked the wolf to its side. August pursed his lips at the nearly lifeless body and cleared his throat.

“Hey, human?” August called to the man still chained to the post. He walked around the building and the man stared back at him. “Do you know anything about the antidote?”

He glanced over at his chained wrist. “Depends. Are you going to set me free?”

August raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to run off?”

The human swallowed hard and glanced away in what seemed to be a telltale sign that he would. August didn’t fucking want to spend time chasing a human down to get the answers he wanted. Nobody had time for that.

Huffing a breath, he said, “Help me with him and I’ll help you get to safety. What’s your name?”

The man wore a lab coat, so he was either a scientist or someone that Parker trusted to work with his precious serum. Either way, it didn’t matter. He had more knowledge about the shit than August and that was all he really needed.

“Jeffery.” The human stared at him curiously. “Did you take the serum?”

“No.” August glanced over at the wolf who still lay on the ground bloody and lifeless. “Now do we have a deal? You help me with him and I’ll protect you.”

“That includes protection from him, right? You’re forgetting I got to see the monster before he got trapped. Then I got to see him grow more furious and he wasn’t too happy about it with me, even though I told him we’re both in the same predicament.”

“Yes, I’ll offer you protection from him too.” August didn’t know if that was possible, but he could at least give the guy some sense of security for his help. “How did your arm get shackled to the post?”

Jeffery looked at his binds. “Well, it’s a funny story really. I told deputy mayor, Gregory Hines, that I would destroy all my work and he wouldn’t have one fucking clue as to how to get the city out of this mess.” Jeffery shook his head bitterly. “Long story short, he had his goon squad chain me to the post.”

August assumed the shortenED story had several important details left out, but he let it go. He walked over to the chain and yanked it from the post, setting Jeffery free. The human stared at him a moment before rubbing his raw wrist.

“We have a deal, right? No shady business. You help me, I help you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

The human nodded. “We have a deal.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“You okay?” August asked him, running a hand along his back. It was still marked from the bullet holes. While he’d heal, he’d probably have scarring. The thought of what he went through with Jeffery just pissed him off all over again.

“Is it supposed to hurt when you breathe?” Kory pushed up from his place on the bed. “Everything in my body fucking hurts.”

August leaned in and pressed a kiss to his bicep. “I’m sorry.”

Kory’s grumpy mood changed almost instantly as he glanced around the room. Realizing where he was, he met August’s eyes again. “Why’d you come get me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” August laid back and propped his head up with one arm. “Rumor has it that I’m bonding with you.”

Kory gave him a grin. “It was a good blow job, but even I will admit it wasn’t that good.”

August reached for him because he could. He wanted to be wrapped up in Kory. To be completely surrounded by him. Kory took the hint. Moving closer, he leaned down so that his lips pressed against August’s. The slide of his tongue against his lover’s sent shivers down his spine. The raw sexual energy they’d been skirting around pumped in full force inside him. August cupped Kory’s cheeks and held him closer, taking his time to taste his lover. God, when did kissing become so damn good?

Kory pulled back, ending the kiss. He stared into August’s eyes for a moment. His expression was unreadable. August didn’t know what went through his mind, but he wanted to. He wanted to know everything about him.

“I thought you didn’t do relationships.”

August licked his lips. “I think I have a weakness for tempting alpha wolves that need my help.”

“I needed your help?” Kory arched an eyebrow.

“Twice.”

“I’ve helped you too.”

“Once.” August slipped his hands around Kory’s waist. “You owe me.”

Kory blew out a breath and glanced down at August’s body. “I suppose I do. Any clues as to what you need help with?”

“I can think of something.” August cupped Kory’s ass and pulled him forward so that their cocks rubbed together. August nipped at Kory’s lower lip as he reached around to cup his lover’s cock.

A hiss left Kory’s lips as August touched him. “You’re testing my control.”

“You don’t need control. Not right now.” August licked at the pounding pulse in his neck as he stroked Kory’s cock. “Fuck me like you want.”

He growled at August’s response and took his mouth in a rough kiss. Yes, this was what he had been waiting for. August closed his eyes and let his lover take over. He’d been in control in past relationships and giving over that control to someone he trusted felt right. Good. Better than good. Perfect. Kory nipped and sucked at August’s lips until they were swollen from his kisses.

August stroked his cock, loving the feel of it in his hand. Everything about Kory was big and bold and wonderful. Every pull of Kory’s mouth on August’s neck went straight to his own dick. Kory moved down August’s body, planting kisses along his hard chest and abs. He tossed the blanket behind them and spread August’s legs wider.

“It’s going to hurt that tiny hole to take my cock.” Kory’s finger brushed along August’s hole. “You’ve never been penetrated, have you?”

August licked his lips. “No.”

Kory kissed the inside of August’s hairy thigh. “There’s other things we can do.”

“Maybe.” August gripped the hand holding his hip. A flood of emotion overwhelmed him as he thought about the intensity of the past few days. They’d only known each other a short while and it was absurd to think that he was bonding with this man, but he couldn’t exactly ignore the feelings he had either, no matter how hard he tried. “But I want you. I just…I want you.”

When Kory smiled, his entire face lit up the entire room. “Look at you getting all sappy.”

He had no idea. August tried to push out the image of Jeffery’s shooting Kory from his mind, but he couldn’t. He’d never felt such an array of emotions swirling inside him. Too much had happened in such a short period of time. He couldn’t dwell on it since they still had problems going on, but he could enjoy Kory for a little bit.

And that’s exactly what he intended to do.

Kory’s tongue circled the tip of August’s dick. “Your sappiness has nothing to do with me getting shot, does it?”

He pushed up over him so that August was forced to meet his gaze. August didn’t say anything, doing his best to encourage Kory to touch him again.

“I’m okay,” Kory’s mouth titled slightly at the corners. “Really, I am.”

“I don’t want to talk about that now.”

Kory stared at him for what felt like forever. He didn’t really reveal anything with his expression. He could have been waiting for August to tell him about the weather for all he knew. “Roll over.”

August shuffled, moving to his stomach while Kory gripped his hips, holding his ass in the air. He slipped his finger between August’s ass cheeks, finding the puckered hole and circling it. Kory moved so that his warm breath fanned August’s cheek. Then the scrape of his teeth came next.

“You sure you want this? You want me?”

“Yes.” August glanced over his shoulder at Kory. “It’s not even a question.”