STORY EXCERPT

Dean spaced out, and he realized with a touch of shame that Adam had still been talking that whole time.

“It’s just that… things have been quiet lately. It’s been months since Jason and Michael came. We haven’t really heard a peep out of anyone since then.”

“Except for the occasional werewolf attack in town,” Dean said, not liking that he had to remind Adam of something so gruesome.

“No one was killed.”

Dean glanced back at his mate just to see Adam cringing at what he just said.

“I… Didn’t mean it like that. I just mean… Whatever it is that Alastair and the others are doing, they’re being very quiet about it. I don’t think you need to start a war just yet.”

Dean’s heart clenched. This was it. Something else he was failing to provide. His mate wanted peace. Adam wanted a normal life. he liked taking care of the horses when they came. He even insisted that he didn’t mind occasionally shoveling shit out in the barn.

But that normal life…taking care of the house, the animals, and cuddling at night in Dean’s arms…he wasn’t going to get that because he’d been saddled with Dean, and Dean could only provide him with snippets of what a real, proper life should look like.

It was enough to make him feel guilty.

He didn’t provide well enough. His little business venture here was a failure. There were too many mouths to feed now, too many people and not enough space, and now members of his own pack were resorting to trash collecting, or working for Uber when they were supposed to be finding their king, stopping Alastair from terrorizing the humans with those wild wolves, rescuing said wolves, and living quietly.

“Adam…” Dean didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to make what he wanted heard over all the noise of just…everything that was around him.

He was supposed to be the commander of the pack. He was supposed to be the one everyone came to when there was a problem.

And here he was, barely keeping his head above the water, and struggling with keeping his business working. Even with all that help, he wasn’t good enough.

Adam looked at him hopefully, waiting for whatever he was about to say.

The problem was that Dean didn’t exactly have anything profound.

He was only irritated. At himself, the situation as a whole, and his bank balance.

He and Adam had been mated for a year now, and he couldn’t even take the risk of taking his own mate out to a nice dinner someplace. Both because he couldn’t afford it, and because it would be too damn dangerous.

Dean sighed. “I need to go.”

Adam’s expression changed, shock and a little hurt as Dean gathered up his papers and left their room.

He couldn’t be here, facing his mate’s disappointment in him while he was trying to work.

Unfortunately, Adam followed him out, his tone a little sulky as he spoke up.

“I was thinking of applying for that part-time position at the dollar store.”

Dean stopped short halfway down the stairs, a panic he never thought he would feel rising inside him. “What?”

He glanced back at Adam, who stood on the top of the stairs, shrugging, as if he hadn’t just ripped Dean’s heart out.

“I thought it would be something to do, and maybe help out a little around here—”

“Absolutely not.”

Again with that wide-eyed hurt on Adam’s face, but that lasted only a second before something stubborn and heated took over. “Okay. You wanna tell me why you think you get to decide that?”

ADULT EXCERPT

“I like watching you struggle to get naked for me.”

Dean kind of did. He loved that Adam was so eager for him, that he would grunt and groan as he fought to get naked.

There was nothing better than having a mate who fought hard to have sex with him. Who kissed and sucked on the side of his throat as he kicked himself out of his pants, and sighed with pleasure as he was finally able to press his bare body against Dean’s.

Like it was a relief.

And it was exquisite. The feel of Adam holding him like that, his mouth pressing kisses to Dean’s neck, collarbone, and chest was by far the best feeling ever.

He would never get used to it. Even after a year, he couldn’t believe he was so lucky as to have Adam in his life.

“My mate,” Dean muttered, returning the favor, kissing and stroking the man beneath him, all the while trying to keep his weight off him since Dean was significantly bigger. Taller, with broader shoulders and a whole lot more muscle mass, Adam wasn’t exactly scrawny, but there was a noticeable size difference that Dean had to be careful of.

Adam had once accused Dean of squashing him after a round of sex, and Dean had been ridiculously hurt over that, and worried for his mate.

When Adam pushed against Dean’s chest, Dean allowed himself to be turned over, to sit and have Adam straddle him.

His mate grinned, hands cupping Dean’s face.

“You’re the best mate ever,” Adam said, kissing his mouth softly in the darkness of their room. “I want you to know that. You provide for me and Dylan great, and I love you so much for everything you do. For trying so hard all the time.”

What the fuck?

Was Adam trying to make him get weepy or something?

Despite the sappiness of it, a piece of him, deep down inside, was thrilled to hear his mate say things like that to him. He absolutely loved it, and Dean was a little embarrassed by the heat he felt rising in his face.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Adam grinned again, pressing another kiss to his mouth.

This one felt deeper, and Dean was into it as Adam’s hands held tightly to the back of Dean’s neck, his lips working Dean’s open so Adam could slide his tongue inside.

So he was feeling a little extra frisky tonight.

More than fine with Dean. He could handle that. Dean let his hands slide down to Adam’s waist. He held his mate there for just a moment before his fingers moved down again to the perfect swelling of Adam’s ass.

Adam had complained to him once that he thought he was gaining some weight.

Dean worried about the money sometimes, but his finances were impeccable compared to what Adam had been living on before, and Dean knew his mate had been missing meals at times to make sure Dylan would have something to grab from the fridge whenever he was hungry.

It was one of Adam’s secrets, one of the things he’d told to Dean when they were lying together at night.

And something Adam never wanted Dylan to know.

Dean hated it, but he was pretty sure Dylan already knew, and just didn’t want Adam to wallow in that guilt.

Both brothers protecting each other in their own way.

Then Adam became Dean’s mate, and not only did he not miss meals, but portions got larger, thanks to being amongst a bunch of werewolves who ate so much.

Adam worried about getting a little softer, but for Dean, there was just more of him to stroke and to kiss.

He pushed his fingers into Adam’s crease, finding his hole, teasing it just slightly, and listening with delight to the sound of Adam’s small gasp for breath.

“You want my dick inside you?” Dean asked, his voice low, loving how Adam shivered in his arms. Loving the way his mate responded when he talked like that.

Adam nodded. “Yeah. I wanna…I wanna ride you. But slow, and nice, keeping the lights off.”

His voice was breathy, and Dean could tell he was a little embarrassed to ask, so he didn’t tease his mate about it as he nodded his approval, reaching for where they kept their lube.

Slow and sweet, having Adam take care of him, sounded fucking great.

He knew Adam wouldn’t let him prepare him too much, not when he was in this kind of mood, so Dean needed to care for him as much as his mate would allow. Adam sighed sweetly when Dean’s fingers were inside him, but Adam slicked Dean’s cock a little faster than Dean meant for him to, getting into position and sinking down onto him.

Dean would prefer to take more time with the preparations, but it seemed Adam was a little more impatient than Dean anticipated.

“Easy, easy,” Dean said, though he grit his teeth against the pleasure that threatened to take over and consume him. “Don’t hurt yourself, baby.”