STORY EXCERPT

Ethan glanced at his watch for the thousandth time, willing the hands to move just a little faster.

“Quit watching the clock,” John, his boss, drawled sardonically. “It’ll be closing time soon enough. Those boys won’t forget they have a date with their mate.” The tall snow leopard shifter grinned when Ethan sent him a dry glance, then flipped him off. “Now, now,” John said, not bothered in the slightest. “If you insult me like that, I may just have to put you down for some last minute overtime.”

Ethan pouted, then heard a familiar snarl from the level above, and grinned when he saw Charm peering over the balcony rail that led to Spirit Ink, a tattoo parlor that was housed inside John’s Café Anglais.

“You’d better not make Ethan work overtime,” Charm gritted out, glaring at John, who smirked right back. “We’ve been waiting for date night for weeks. This is the one night Cody won’t be able to interfere—in a crowded cinema, he won’t get the chance.”

John grinned widely, then chuckled out loud. “Cody can most certainly interfere, my friend,” he retorted, shaking his head. “I have it on good authority that the man has cut short his little business trip to Washington and is even now on his way home, just so he can mess with you four fuckers.”

Three more heads peered over the balcony alongside Charm, growling furiously. Slug, Lash, and Rage scowled furiously at the news.

“I tell you what,” John continued casually, studying his nails in a display of nonchalance. Everyone stared at him cautiously. John in casual mode usually meant trouble. “If you want me to head him off and distract him for the evening, you just have to do one thing for me.”

“What?” Slug asked gruffly, his powerful arms folded across his chest.

Cocking an eyebrow, John paused for a moment, then delivered his bombshell. “Alfie needs some people to volunteer for his football team,” he said, smirking. “I think you four delinquents would be perfect for the task. What do you think?”

The wolverines all let out belly laughs at the suggestion, practically falling over in hysteria at John’s suggestion. Ethan eyed them all with a smile, happy to see their amusement.

Just over eighteen months ago, the town had announced its intention to host its very first carnival, and the start of its Shifter Games trials. A sports complex was halfway to completion, complete with a stadium that had one side designated for football and the other had a running track and athletic facilities. A swimming pool, velodrome, and indoor ski slope had also been built, as well as outdoor areas set aside for equestrian and cross-country running events, archery, shooting, and anything else Alfie could think of.

Alfie had taken on the task of being the games’ coordinator, and he was pretty good at cajoling everyone into at least trying out for the games. The Shifter Games was now nine months away, with the complex in good shape to be finished on time and a large hotel complex, near Two Spirit Ranch just off the highway, had been extended to accommodate the hundreds of athletes and their entourage who had already signed up. With so many shifters from across the country who were experienced in construction helping build the massive sports village, plus with the extra donations from many rich shifter benefactors across the world, the games were looking as though it would be a huge event, and it was advertised on every news channel.

The wolverines had done a pretty good job of avoiding Alfie’s requests so far, despite living at the bed and breakfast with Alfie and his mates. Apparently, from what Mason had told everyone, Slug had done a verbal smack down on Alfie for continuing to ask, and Alfie had backed off…until now.

“That fucking leopard,” Lash gasped out, by now curled up on the floor, still laughing. “He’s so fucking sneaky, using John to do his dirty work. A fucking football team?”

John simply smirked, waiting for quiet. “If you four boneheads want me to run interference for you tonight, those are the terms. I happen to agree with Alfie on this. You’d be fantastic at football. You’re fierce, fearless, and take no shit…and you’re fast when you need to be.” John paused for a moment, his expression turning more thoughtful. “It’s time to give a little something back to this town, celebrate what we’ve achieved so far, don’t you think? You’re smart, funny, and you have a beautiful, sexy mate waiting in the wings, so I’d say you’ve more than turned things around for yourselves. You’re no longer outcasts, but are part of this community. Quit trying to isolate yourselves from everything that happens here. The town’s forgiven you for what you did…now forgive yourselves.”

Ethan looked at four matching expressions of awed amazement on his mates’ faces. John’s delivery was totally serious for once, and completely sincere. These were the times when Ethan remembered just what a kickass boss John was. Usually laid back or teasing the hell out of everyone, when John got serious…people listened.

“I think you’re right,” Ethan said to John, smiling shyly at his mates, who looked a little embarrassed at all the attention. “My mates were forgiven a while back. I, personally, can’t wait to see them all in tight pants, running like hell, chasing a little oval ball.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“I need you,” Ethan whimpered, writhing under the onslaught of his lovers’ tender care.

“What do you need, honey?” Slug asked, lifting his head from Ethan’s balls where he’d been laving the wrinkled sack with his tongue.

Ethan lifted his legs, presenting his hole in lieu of an answer. Slug’s eyes darkened as lust swept in and Ethan held his breath. The four wolverine shifters exchanged some unspoken communication, and then Slug nodded, looking almost reverently at Ethan. Slug’s eyes glittered a little, and Ethan was awed to see the hint of tears and such tenderness. He felt his heart melting just a little more, along with the last of his reservations about his four bad ass wolverines.

Ethan felt naughty and reached between his legs, finding his loosened hole with two slender fingers. He began fucking himself, moaning as he pleasured himself, eyeing the matching expressions of lust and excitement on his lovers’ faces. Slug moved into position between Ethan’s spread legs, stroking the long lines of Ethan’s sensitive flesh along his inner thighs. Slug added one of his fingers to the party, and Ethan moaned more loudly as excitement zipped through him. When Slug pushed a second finger inside, Ethan threw his head back against the pillows, lost in his pleasure.

Slug removed his fingers and placed his cock against Ethan’s quivering opening. “Leave yours there,” he commanded, and Ethan shuddered as he felt Slug slide in, the length of his cock now anointed with lube, slick and so hot as it entered Ethan, throbbing against Ethan’s fingers. Ethan felt the burn, and a pinch of pain as Slug’s large member pierced him, forcing his inner walls to widen inexorably.

Slug leaned forward, kissing Ethan with barely restrained passion. Ethan grabbed for Slug’s ass with both hands, moaning as Slug drove deeper still until the gentle slap of his balls against Ethan’s ass signaled he was fully inserted. Ethan wrapped his legs around Slug’s waist. His heels dug into the sexy shifter’s taut cheeks as Ethan ground against his lover. Slug’s kiss deepened and he ate at Ethan’s mouth,  voraciously as he began to move. He slid in and out of Ethan’s hole, fucking his mate gently with slow, sure strokes.

Ethan whimpered at the feel of his hole stretched wide, Slug’s cock thick and long as it traveled in and out. He felt his head turned to the side and was soon kissing Lash, whose succulent mouth tasted divine.

“We all wanted to be your first,” Lash murmured, tweaking Ethan’s distended nipples gently. “Slug has the most self-control.” He sucked Ethan’s tongue into his mouth, and Ethan felt his eyes roll up into his head at the erotic act. “If we took you first, we might hurt you without meaning to.”

Ethan couldn’t answer, his mouth surrounded by Lash’s dominant kiss, his ass impaled by Slug’s thick cock. He felt Charm and Rage join in the sex play, and soon his nipples were being sucked on, sharp teeth nipping at his tender flesh and then soothed by tender licks.

Slug began ramping up the passion, his strokes increasing in tempo as he knelt upright, holding Ethan’s legs apart as he fucked Ethan vigorously. Rage fisted Ethan’s bouncing cock, rubbing the tip with his thumb until Ethan cried out at the added stimulation to his already sensitized manhood. With a grunt, Slug jerked, his movements erratic, and then he came hard, spewing into Ethan’s snug chute. Before he’d finished spurting, he sank his fangs into Ethan’s thigh, lifting it high as he bit deep. The penetration had Ethan wailing as the first bond clicked into place. He actually felt it happen, the connection tangible.

Lash moved in next as Slug fell to the side, panting heavily. Lash’s cock was as long as Slug’s but not quite as thick and slid easily into Ethan’s well-lubed hole. Lash groaned in pleasure as his cock hit home, pausing for a moment to savor the moment. Ethan’s body was slick with sweat, his long brown hair tangled against the pillows. He stared down his body and watched as Lash began to move with Rage still pumping his fist along Ethan’s manhood.

Lash began slowly, as Slug had done, but soon was lost in passion, his hips moving like pistons as he fucked Ethan’s hungry chute. His balls smacked Ethan’s ass, the sound punctuating the grunts and groans as the lovers mated. Rage got to his knees, and bent his head, slurping at Ethan’s cock now, before inhaling it, sucking hard. Slug began to nibble Ethan’s chest, nipping teasingly at his nipples. Rage and Charm, meanwhile, fought for Ethan’s kisses, eventually engaging in an erotic three-way. Seconds later, with a cry of triumph, Lash released his load into Ethan’s ass, which triggered Ethan’s third orgasm of the night.

Ethan let out a piercing cry, collapsed onto the bed, and whimpered when Lash struck with his fangs, leaning forward and claiming Ethan’s neck before either man had finished spurting. Ethan felt the second bond click into place, his sense of wellbeing increasing twofold. He felt as though he had been adrift for ages and was now finally anchored to his safe haven. He closed his eyes, sighed dreamily…and fell fast asleep.