STORY EXCERPT

Wind roared in his ears, no, it took him a second to place the sound—the howl of a motorcycle engine. He turned, seeing headlights shining on him. Clark flapped his colorful blue and purple streaked wings, hoping the rider would catch sight of him and stop. Fat chance of that happening, it seemed. Clark made out the outline of a man and flew toward safety. At the last moment, the rider swerved to the side, cursing under his breath.

Clark landed safely on the side of the road, only to see the driver lose control of his bike. The motorcycle veered toward the nearest tree, but the rider threw one leg off the bike and landed with uncanny grace and agility on all fours on the ground. With his supernatural vision, Clark could make out the muscled outline of the stranger.

The man sniffed, turned his head left and right, then focused on Clark, eyes glowing a bright, eerie gold. Sudden fear gripped Clark. This stranger was a predatory shifter, judging by the annoyed snarl that came out from his throat.

“Where did you come from, little bird?” Even the guy’s voice was more animal than human.

Every muscle in Clark’s body froze up in shock. If he pretended to be a normal bird, would the guy leave him alone? He doubted that though, because hummingbirds weren’t common. The man stood, dusting off the dirt on his jeans. Clark still couldn’t move, even as the man came close. Finally, the stranger stopped a couple of paces from him, towering over Clark like a titan.

Clark stared, unsure of what to do next. A nervous chirp slipped from him. The guy chuckled, and the sound didn’t seem angry at least, but almost amused. It never occurred to him that the man could be strikingly handsome, too. Every inch of the stranger seemed covered in muscle and ink. The man had dark black hair clipped almost military short, blazing gold-green eyes, and a tempting cruel mouth that curved into a knowing smile.

“What’s wrong? Intimidated?” The stranger let out a tired sigh before continuing, “I know you’re a shifter. I’m not going to bite, I promise, but you owe me an apology for my bike.”

Intimated? Yeah right. Clark wasn’t about to let some cocky predatory shifter push him around. Despite the precarious situation he was in, he shifted back to human. A second later, he realized what a foolish decision that turned out to be.

The man raked his eyes up and down Clark’s body, not failing to hide his interest. Clark blushed, hands covering his dick. For some reason, despite the cool night, his skin heated up under those sexy eyes. His dick twitched and his inner bird, terrified only moments ago, was now curious.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” The dark-haired handsome stranger drawled.

Clark let out a breath. He ran out of a forced marriage and was having the worst day of his life. Clark wasn’t in the mood to play games with some asshole. “I’m sorry about your bike, but you should have watched where you were going.”

“I should say the same for you. What were you doing, hovering in the middle of the road like that? Wait, are you harboring negative or suicidal thoughts, perhaps?” The stranger dropped the grin and grew more intense. The guy actually sounded genuinely concerned.

“I don’t want to kill myself,” Clark snapped.

“Just making sure. I deal with people with problems on a daily basis, so it’s kind of an occupational hazard.”

More questions buzzed in Clark’s head, like what was this stranger’s job, and if the guy was single. Wait, no. Clark’s thoughts shouldn’t go that way. One fact remained clear. He was stranded, lost, and had no way of paying for this shifter’s bike.

At his silence, the shifter crossed his arms and Clark couldn’t help but notice how the guy’s triceps and biceps bulged. Despite the chilly weather, Mr. Arrogant chose to wear a thin white shirt, which only highlighted the hard planes of muscle on his torso. “So, how are you going to pay for the damages?”

“Are you joking? Haven’t we already talked about this?”

“Nope. Stop deflecting the question.” Mr. Arrogant seemed like the kind of man who was used to giving out orders.

There was no way out of this and Clark couldn’t keep having this conversation naked. He slumped his shoulders, shivered as a cold blast of wind hit his body. The shifter frowned, peeled off his shirt, and offered it to Clark. Clark looked at the guy in disbelief, not bothering to hide his distrust.

“Take it. We jaguars burn hot,” the guy explained.

Jaguar? Well, that explained the stranger’s feline grace earlier on.

Instinct told him cats and birds didn’t go well together and this man wasn’t just any domesticated cat. He could sense a kind of wildness and savagery from this cat, but his inner hummingbird didn’t harbor any intentions of running. How odd. Clark reluctantly accepted the shirt and put it on. It was twice his size and fell onto his knees, but still, the fabric warmed his skin. Without a shirt on, the stranger even looked more impressive up close. Black ink curled around toned and tanned muscle. Clark suddenly wanted to reach out and touch, feel the strength buried underneath skin.

God. What was wrong with him? Clark usually wasn’t attracted to strangers he just met, especially powerful shifters who ate little birds like him for breakfast.

ADULT EXCERPT

Lex frustrated the hell out of him. One moment, the jaguar shifter was hot, the next, eager to complicate matters. Clark understood a little. Lex was a complex man, a survivor who somehow managed to keep on living after his mate died. He’d seen for himself in his own community how when one avian shifter died, the other soon followed. Mating tied two shifter’s souls and life-forces together.

Now, he had a pissed-off and aroused jaguar on his hands. How else could he show Lex that the past didn’t matter?

Clark soon lost his train of thought as Lex gave his dick a squeeze through the fabric of the denim. He moaned, knew it wouldn’t be long before he lost himself entirely to this man.

“Take me,” he whispered, a silent plea in his voice.

Lex heard it. The jaguar shifter took his mouth again, all tongue and teeth. They fumbled for each others’ clothes. Yet again, Clark marveled at this new and improved him, who wasn’t afraid to take risks. Tangling with an Alpha on the verge of losing control might scare some shitless, but not Clark. He’d already seen the good parts of Lex. Despite Lex’s claims, Clark trusted the jaguar shifter with his whole heart.

They left a trail of clothes to the bed. It wasn’t a far walk. Lex lived in a studio apartment. Finally, Clark felt the brush of the bed frame against his legs, gasped when Lex gave him a shove so he landed on his back on the edge of the bed. His heart beat a staccato rhythm. Never had any man been able to light his entire body like this.

“Fuck, little bird. What a sight you make. You’re perfect, naked and exposed on my bed. A feast.”

Lex blanketed his body over Clark’s, the feel of the jaguar shifter’s hard muscles was amazing. He moaned when Lex silenced him with another mind numbing kiss. Heat unfurled in his belly and went right to his dick. Lex moved on, leaving a path of kisses down his cheek, his throat.

Time seemed to freeze when Lex set the edge of his teeth on the side of his neck. The spot didn’t escape Clark. That was the place dominant shifters placed their mate mark. Every fiber of his being screamed at Lex to do it, to make the decision for both of them, even though Clark knew the dangers.

Lex looked pained, but continued leaving kisses down his collarbones. The jaguar shifter took his left nipple into his mouth and sucked. He cried out, twirling fingers into Lex’s hair, but Lex didn’t seem to mind. Lex curled fingers around his shaft, beginning to stroke him. He was at half-mast now, so he knew he wouldn’t last long at the tender mercies of this big cat, who seemed capable of playing his body like an instrument.

He melted under Lex’s talented mouth and hands. Clark never wanted the night to end.

“Please,” he uttered, unsure of what exactly he wanted.

Lex bit down, leaving his mark on his nipple, but Lex wasn’t done. Lex bit and nipped, leaving tiny bite marks all over his body. He felt conquered, wanted, and owned. A rush went through his system. Never had anyone loved him this hard, wanted him so much. His entire existence was defined by his ability to give another avian shifter children. Clark didn’t expect passion in that sort of modern slavery.

He groaned as Lex pumped his dick faster, only to leave him hanging. Lex trailed his fingers lower, past his balls to circle his puckered entrance. Eyes wide, blushing, he whispered, “Why are you touching me there?”

“Can’t I? You’re mine for the night, little bird. This little hole, this dick, all of you belong to me.”

He shuddered at the words, wanting so much to belong to this powerful shifter, for Lex to do whatever he wanted to Clark’s body, because until that moment, Clark never knew surrender could be so sweet, so tempting.

“You’re going to be the death of me, cat,” he whispered.

Lex pushed a finger into his asshole, making him squirm. Lex’s eyebrows shot up. His blush grew deeper.

“We breeders are kind of like Omega wolves. We’re self-lubricating,” he confessed.

Lex swore. A good sign or bad? “Fuck, but that’s so hot.”

Relieved, he relaxed but Lex added a second finger, making him ache for something bigger.

“Fuck me, please.”

“Soon, little bird.” Lex began to make twisting motions with his fingers, widening him for Lex’s access.

“Let me hear that word again.”

He knew exactly what Lex wanted. “Please.”

The word came out of him easily this time, knowing full well Lex was going to make him fly.

“Look at you, so needy and wearing my marks.” Lex grinned, showing teeth. “You’re perfect.”

Then make me yours forever.

Clark didn’t dare say the words out loud, because that would end this wonderful moment.

“Please, Lex. I need you in me.”

Lex lifted his legs over his broad shoulders, giving his leaking cockhead a flick. He moaned, clawing at the sheets, needing something to hold onto. Clark begged Lex once more, relieved to feel Lex’s tip at his hole.