STORY EXCERPT

“It doesn’t bug you?” Joey’s voice was small. He didn’t look up at Dean, but he did squeeze him a little tighter. “That I’m so clingy?”

Dean smiled. He ran his fingers through the soft brunet hair on Joey’s head. It was getting longer. He would need it cut, but Dean kind of liked it shaggy on his mate.

“You’re not clingy.”

If anything, Dean had been the clingy one. He was the alpha of their pairing, and after Joey had been shot…after Dean had gone the entire winter thinking he’d died…

He still didn’t quite forgive Max for lying to him about the funeral, but to be fair, Max had thought Dean would lose his mind and kill himself if he’d learned the body of his mate had been taken by the enemy.

Alphas normally didn’t live too long after the death of a mate, and Dean had come so close to just ending it so many times when Joey had been gone…

As it was, things were getting better. They were miles ahead of the place they’d started from. Joey had come back, his mind warped and memories tampered with. He’d thought Dean and the rest of the pack had abandoned him, left him behind to be tortured by those humans.

It had taken a couple of weeks before Joey was able to see the truth for what it was, but he was still skittish, especially after waking in a panic and accidentally trying to rip out Peter’s throat.

Dean let his fingers slide down the smooth skin of Joey’s back. Smooth with the exception of the two bullet scars that pockmarked him there. Dean avoided touching those. He didn’t like them and neither did Joey, and Joey was having a good day. He didn’t need any reminders.

Currently, they were back outside. It was spring, but almost summer warm outside. The winter had been harsh, record breaking, so it seemed Mother Nature was making up for that by giving them a nice, warm spring. The wildflowers were popping up, bees and hummingbirds flittered around, and the squirrels were fun to chase.

It was kind of a romantic setting, but neither of them had been thinking that when Dean had suggested the run.

Now that Joey was no longer human, he didn’t have asthma anymore. His wolf was pretty fast, too. The running and chasing and playing through the trees was great. It had been one of Dean’s favorite things to do with Joey, even back when he’d been human. Back when Dean really shouldn’t have been forcing Joey to run like that.

Now that Joey was a shifter, the running always ended in frantic, happy, smiling, panting sex. What else were they supposed to do with all that energy that had built up between them?

Dean let his fingers slide over Joey’s bare hip. Joey squirmed, pressing himself deeper into Dean’s chest.

“That tickles.”

“Does it?” Dean smiled, doing it again, enjoying the squirm, and the snort of breath against his chest.

“Seriously, it tickles,” Joey said. He didn’t sound annoyed, but Dean pulled his hand away anyway.

He was still figuring out the boundaries. They both were, he supposed. Joey had spent months of his life locked up in that room, tied up, things done to him when he hadn’t wanted them. Tickling wasn’t exactly a torture, but Dean didn’t want to throw things for a loop.

Besides, the half-hard erection he could feel pressing against his thigh was a good indication that Joey’s good mood hadn’t been diminished at all. Dean wanted to keep it like that.

Joey groaned. “I want you again, but I also want to chase that stupid squirrel.”

Dean snorted a laugh. “You mean the one that’s behind me?”

Joey nodded, lifting himself up just enough so he could look over Dean’s shoulder, and he growled. “The little bastard’s still there.”

“Aww, is he teasing you?”

“Imagine the fattest ass you’ve ever seen on a squirrel, puffing itself out and staring at us like we’re about to throw it some food, and you’ll know my pain.”

Dean burst out laughing. Dean had been attracted to chasing squirrels when he was still young and living in the compound. Sometimes he and the others would be let out by their human masters, in a fenced area, of course, and the few squirrels unlucky enough to go over the fence soon learned to not do that shit. Not unless they wanted to get grabbed and shaken so hard their tiny little necks snapped.

Joey was a werewolf now, but he was still new. He’d been turned only a couple of months ago, though he’d been brainwashed and tormented so much he’d thought it had been almost two years. Still, seeing squirrels, listening to them chatter, and putting up with their brave begging was new. Dean thought it was the most adorable thing on the planet that his mate wanted to chase and kill them.

Joey growled. “Hi, I’m a juicy, tender squirrel, what are you? Fuck. That stupid squirrel is still there!”

“You should go teach it a lesson,” Dean said.

The next growl sounded like it was for him. “I look like an idiot when I chase them.”

“No you don’t. It’s funny, but it’s cute.” Dean looked over his shoulder. It did look unbelievably fat and tender. It had to be surviving out of people’s garbage cans. Even he wanted to chase it.

Dean leaned close and whispered into his mate’s ear. “Let’s go get it.”

He watched as Joey’s eyes dilated heavily. Almost no color in those hazel eyes was left over as Joey’s nostrils flared.

“Come on,” Dean said. “We can change and chase it together.” Then they could go hunting for something bigger, and then fuck one more time in the woods. The day was still young, and Dean wanted to have some more fun with his lover.

Joey loved making new memories.

ADULT EXCERPT

Nothing romantic and sappy about the warmth of Dean’s tongue as it demanded access to Joey’s mouth. Access he moaned as he gave. There was definitely nothing romantic and sappy about the grip of his strong fingers on the bottom of Joey’s ass as Dean effortlessly held him in the air.

It was strange. Joey had been given a strength that was meant to be used to hurt Dean, but even with having a powerful beta wolf inside him, Joey was still thrilled by the strength and power Dean had over him. It wasn’t just a turn-on. It was the only way he could get off. It was part of what attracted Joey to Dean in the first place. He might have some strength now, more than an omega, but his personality was definitely that of a bottom. Joey moaned and shivered when he felt Dean press the tip of his finger against his hole.

It was dry. He hadn’t been able to open the lube before Joey had jumped at him, so Dean didn’t push it inside him. He got to his knees and settled Joey onto his back, pulling away and flicking the small red cap of the clear bottle open with his thumb, coating his fingers and returning them to Joey’s hole before he did that.

Joey groaned when he felt one finger enter him. “Not enough. I need more.”

He started to wiggle against that finger, wanting to feel Dean touching every part inside Joey that he could. He needed so much more than this.

Dean added a second finger. “This much?”

He had such a cocky, asshole smile on his face. He knew that wasn’t enough.

Joey glared and growled. “Dean.”

It was a warning, but Joey wasn’t interested in a fight. The only times when he was after a good wrestling match were when he wanted Dean to dominate him.

Joey was too horny for that right now. Maybe later.

Dean knew Joey didn’t need a lot of attention when it came to prep. Their sex life had been nothing short of fantastic ever since Joey realized he’d been brainwashed. It was as if the floodgates had burst, and instead of wanting to kill Dean, he’d wanted Dean to fuck him. A lot.

So, it made sense that he didn’t need Dean teasing him too much. Not that there was anything wrong with a good, long session of foreplay, but Jesus.

“Dean!” What was supposed to be an angry yell came out as a pathetic whine.

Dean chuckled at him. He chuckled at him!

“A little impatient?”

“I’m going to kill you.” The words left his mouth without a thought, and Joey tensed. Probably not the best thing to joke about, considering there was a time when he’d actually tried to kill Dean.

Dean didn’t seem to notice. He kept on smiling that same, alpha smile as he pulled his fingers away. Right when Joey was starting to get a feel for what the man was doing to him.

“I like it when you get pushy.”

“Yeah?”

Dean lifted Joey’s legs, and Joey helped him, adjusting himself so his knees were on Dean’s shoulders. The position was embarrassing, which was why he wanted Dean to hurry up and do what they both wanted him to do. The sooner they could get on with the sex, the sooner Joey could lose himself in the pleasure.

“Yeah, nothing better than a pushy bottom.”

Joey growled, and then he groaned when Dean thrust the head of his slick cock against Joey’s hole.

The size of Dean’s fingers had nothing on his erection, and there was always that light burning sensation, but no pain. Sometimes there was a sharp sensation of something unpleasant in the beginning, but not this time. Dean was really good at this, and Joey couldn’t remember why he’d ever have wanted to hurt this man.

Dean gritted his teeth, pushing his hips forward, sinking his cock deeper, until Joey was fully seated on him, and there was nowhere else for him to go.

Joey exhaled a deep, long breath. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until right at that moment. That happened a lot. Dean always managed to take his breath away.

In a good way, of course.

“Oh, baby,” Dean said.

Joey loved it when Dean called him that. He didn’t do it a whole lot. It only seemed to come out once in a while. Like a spice or a fine wine, it was best enjoyed sparsely. If Joey told Dean he liked being called that, then Dean would call him baby all the time, and it would lose its impact.

Joey liked it when Dean called him baby when he was groaning in pleasure. That was part of the charm.

Dean opened his eyes, stared down at him with his golden wolfhound orbs, and how cheesy was it that Joey was describing them like that? Whatever. It was the full moon and the smell of his mate’s skin and sweat was on top of him. He was feeling romantic.

Dean leaned down, nearly bending Joey in half as he kissed him. Joey moaned, welcoming it. He lifted his hands, putting them behind Dean’s neck, keeping him there for as long as he could while Dean started to move.

Lots of grunting and soft sighs in the air after that. No words. Sex didn’t often require them. It was too much of a physical thing. Words would have just messed up the wonderfully messy rhythm they’d found with each other.

It was hard to keep their mouths properly together when Dean picked up the pace, moving back and forth, up and down. Joey wasn’t entirely sure which it was since his equilibrium was slightly messed up at the moment.

The movements were so rough, so raw, the sharp sensation of Dean’s pelvis slapping at Joey’s ass made him hiss and cry out as the shock of the strike added to his pleasure.