STORY EXCERPT

Silver wanted to gather Mikey up and carry him into his home. Something told him—maybe the grinding teeth and flashing, light green eyes—that the little independent, feisty man wouldn’t appreciate those actions at the moment.

Confusion had Silver hesitating. In his world, his word was the law. If words didn’t suffice, Silver had no problem using his will and physical strength to get his point across. Mikey didn’t respond in a normal manner to Silver’s ire. He never wanted his mate to be afraid of him, but a little caution or submission wouldn’t hurt. Instead, the man tended to run or get up in his face and make demands. That Mikey’s actions sent a tingle of desire straight to his cock confused the hell out of him. He didn’t appreciate being confused.

Silver watched Mikey stand there, watching him, watch him. A small sigh escaped past the man’s plump lips and his shoulders drooped. Turning, Mikey started walking down the driveway.

“I now see the flaws of humans who possess the mark,” Silver called out. “They have no stamina to follow through on their life’s path. No wonder it’s been decades since male soulmates have come together.”

Mikey swung around. Outrage sparkled in those magnificent light green eyes. Silver kept his face emotionless, not letting on that his plan to reel Mikey in was working.

“What are you talking about?” Mikey demanded.

“The words of your sires urged you to find true happiness,” Silver explained. “They warned of great danger, but explained the rewards would outweigh any difficulties. Not once, have you been in any danger from me, yet you run without trying to see if our union is of two souls becoming one. I knew humans were physically weaker than shifters. I never dreamed they lacked the willpower to fight for what could be.”

Patches of red flagged Mikey’s cheeks. Inside, satisfaction filled Silver. The net of his trap was closing.

“I have plenty of stamina and willpower,” Mikey yelled.

“Prove it,” Silver countered.

Mikey’s shoes slapped the concrete with each angry step the man took toward Silver. He didn’t stop when he reached him, and Silver had to brace himself when Mikey crawled up his body until they were face to face.

Silver put his arms around Mikey and held him close. Hell, as far as Silver was concerned, he would die a happy man if Mikey’s feet never touched the ground again and he stayed plastered body against body, forever.

Mikey grabbed Silver’s ears and tugged. “It takes two to tangle, giant man. Do I need to remind you of the bounty you bears have put on some of my family’s heads? And, don’t you ever threaten me again. Your big bad attitude may impress others, but it does nothing for me.”

Ignoring the sputtering man’s continued outrage, Silver moved toward the house, refusing to let his eyes water from Mikey’s tugging fingers. He never stopped moving until the front door closed behind them.

“Welcome to our home,” Silver announced.

He carried Mikey out of the black and white marble tiled foyer and up the grand sweeping staircase to the second floor. Mikey leaned to the side, eyes wide, and head turning in different directions.

“Jeez, this place is a frecken mansion,” Mikey muttered. “Who decided to paint all the woodwork white? How in the world do you keep this place clean?”

Silver continued down the hall to the first door on the right. With a flick of his wrist, he had the knob turned and seconds later kicked the door closed with his foot.

Not willing to let go of the still yapping man for a moment, Silver changed his mind about tossing Mikey onto the bed. Crossing the room, Silver laid Mikey on the thick dark blue silky-soft comforter and followed him down.

“This is the biggest bed I’ve ever seen,” Mikey exclaimed, tipping his head back and looking up at the massive, wooden headboard, whose intricate carvings of Northwoods animals hiding amongst ancient oak trees wove their way up to the ceiling.

Silver took advantage of the exposed creamy skin of Mikey’s throat and licked a sweet tasting path from the little guy’s collarbone to his chin. He decided before the night was done, he would taste every inch of this man’s body.

Mikey grabbed onto Silver’s ears and tugged until he looked down into striking light green eyes.

“We are in the middle of an argument about you threatening me and saying I don’t have stamina,” Mikey informed him.

“No, we’re not,” Silver said.

Silver shook his head, displacing Mikey’s fingers. Swooping down, he captured Mikey’s lips. Silver’s bear roared. Mate.

So far, since meeting Mikey, Silver had managed to keep a tight rein on his powerful bear. Instincts as old as time, urged him to mark and mate the smaller man. The bear wanted him to shove his cock and teeth deep into Mikey. Only Silver’s iron will had stopped him from acting on his true nature and no doubt terrorizing his mate. Silver found being civilized sucked.

Hands wrapped around his neck and the tip of Mikey’s tongue pressed in between Silver’s lips. Silver opened his mouth and their tongues tangled. The joining of flesh sent desire and the need to possess thundering through his system. Silver wanted. Now.

ADULT EXCERPT

Mikey traced the bright yellow and orange rays circling the sun on his thigh. His purple crescent moon birthmark outlined one side of the sun’s curved outer edge. Standing, Mikey turned and grabbed Silver’s hand. There it was. The exact image of Mikey’s sun-moon mark. He also noted that the cuts from Cecelia’s knife had healed into pink lines. Mikey assumed the fast healing had to do with Silver’s shifter abilities.

Smiling up at Silver, he announced, “We are true ones.”

Silver’s thick eyebrows lowered into a frown. “Did you have any doubts?”

Heat warmed Mikey’s cheeks and he stepped back. “Well, um, no, not really. It’s just that, well…” The tiles of the shower floor became real interesting.

A large finger lifted Mikey’s chin until he was forced to look way up into his true one’s face.

“What’s the matter, my mouse?” Silver asked.

Mikey found the strength in Silver’s black eyes to speak the words that tore at his heart.

“I’m not pregnant,” he whispered and tears clouded his vision. “Keaton became pregnant when he mated with Cameron. We must have screwed up somewhere or maybe something is wrong with me.” Mikey had a sudden thought. “I know. That woman fed you drugs to keep you sterile until she could get her claws into you.”

Great belly laughs erupted from Silver and hands lifted Mikey until he was face to face with the crazy man. He hadn’t been sure that the big stern alpha knew how to laugh. Now it sort of freaked him out.

Not knowing what to do, he patted Silver’s shoulders. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this together. I’m sure I’ll get pregnant sometime.”

Still chuckling, Silver hugged Mikey closer. “My sweet mouse, what gave you the idea that you weren’t pregnant?”

Mikey blinked. And then blinked again. He slid his arms around Silver’s thick neck and hugged tight, needing the closeness to spill his guts.

Turning his head, he whispered in Silver’s ear, “I don’t feel anything.”

Silver shifted and the shower of water streaming over their heads turned off. “Our son called to me before he was conceived. He came to be when our souls united.”

“How can you be sure?” Concentrating, Mikey searched deep inside. Nope, nothing. “Why can’t I feel him?”

“Cameron told me that Keaton’s morning sickness hit him right away.” Silver went on to advise, “Maybe you should enjoy a settled stomach while you can.”

“I suppose.” Mikey wasn’t sure he agreed with Silver. He wondered if he peed on one of those special sticks from a pregnancy kit if two lines would appear.

“I find your lack of trust troubling, my mouse,” Silver declared.

The hand Mikey rested on the back of Silver’s neck grew warm. An image of a group of people nodding and turning in the direction Silver point in, flitted through his mind. Another image appeared. Many of the same group of people were staring at Silver with total devotion shining in their eyes.

Keaton warned Mikey that mates could sometimes read each other’s thoughts. Mikey could work with this.

He lifted one eyebrow and aimed a hard look at Silver. “We are mates and we will learn to trust each other. Don’t think for one moment I will treat or blindly follow you as if you were my king.”

“I am alpha of the family,” Silver declared and moved out of the shower.

“Put me down,” Mikey ordered.

When he regained his footing, Mikey jammed his hands on his hips and glared at Silver. “I am the alpha’s mate and I will give you children. Top that, bud.”

Silver’s mouth fell open. When he managed to close his lips together, Silver’s eyes sharpened with a predatory look. The flaccid cock between his legs twitched and began to grow wider and longer.

Holy shit, Mikey had stirred up the animal.

“Um, Silver.” Mikey glanced around, wondering if he should find a place to hide.

“Run, my mouse, run,” Silver ordered.

Mikey took off and left the bathroom at top speed. He leaped over Cecelia’s body and headed out the of the bedroom at a sprint. Turning right, Mikey ran as fast as he could down the long hall.

Silver’s laughter followed close behind him and the spirit of the game welled up. A giggle burst from his lips. This was fun.

The hallway curved to the left and up ahead ended. Before Mikey could slow down, a ton of man slammed into him taking him down to the thick white carpeting. What the hell was with all this white?

Before Mikey hit the floor, Silver twisted and he landed on his mate’s big body. The next moment Silver had changed their positions and Mikey laid on his back with his lover between his thighs. Their eyes met. The want, need, and passion shining in Silver’s eyes matched Mikey’s emotions.

Silver reached down and lifted Mikey’s legs until they rested against his chest. Mikey looked down to find Silver’s huge cock hard and pointing at him. A bead of pre-cum well up from the eye. Silver’s fingers closed around the stalk and Mikey watched them guide the cockhead to his hole.