STORY EXCERPT

He left the gas station with his two sandwiches and water, immediately tearing into the packaging of the first.

They were egg salad, not his favorite, but he didn’t care as he took one bite, and then another, moaning to have something just on his tongue when he suddenly stopped moving, dropping his sandwich on the ground when he saw it.

A wolf. A big one, so a shifter, stalked toward him.

Its eyes were bright red, the sun glinting over red-brown fur.

Taylor swallowed his two bites of sandwich hard, and then he took off running.

The wolf gave chase.

Taylor didn’t make it very far.

He was barely on the other side of the parking lot when he felt the grip of powerful teeth clamping down on the hood of his shirt, yanking him backward clean off his feet for a brief second before he was slammed back down.

“N-no, no!” he shouted, then cried when a heavy paw pressed down onto his chest, keeping him in place, stopping him from getting away.

No, no this couldn’t be it. He couldn’t be caught. He’d been doing so well. He was being so careful, and now one slipup was going to send him back to the center.

“P-please,” he cried, not even caring that he was crying because he was too heartbroken to feel embarrassed for being pathetic. “I’m sorry, please.”

The wolf stared down at him, its huge black nose sniffing at him.

Taylor couldn’t move. He struggled to breathe. He could barely see the wolf anymore because his vision was a giant wet blur as the wolf sniffed at him.

He was wearing a black pack, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out this was a bounty hunter.

“I’m sorry,” he cried again, his nose immediately stuffed up because of his stupid crying.

He was going back. He was going back, and he was going to get beat up so bad for leaving.

His mate didn’t like it when he tried running.

This guy was doing a lot of sniffing.

The wolf spent such a long time doing it that it was actually enough to make Taylor calm down a little, take a few breaths and let his eyes dry up.

His body trembled as the wolf snorted and suddenly pulled back, looking down at Taylor with wide, red eyes.

That heavy paw came off Taylor’s chest.

He kept lying there. He couldn’t bring himself to get up and run when his bones felt like jelly.

The shifter changed back into a man.

A decent-looking man.

Too bad he had to be a bounty hunter.

But the guy kept looking at him.

Then his hands came forward.

Taylor flinched away from them, but those strong, calloused hands touched his neck and jaw anyway.

Like he was looking for something.

Oh, right.

“I put the wallet in a mailbox. I don’t have it anymore, I swear,” he said. “Please…please let me go.”

It was useless begging for help or sympathy from the bounty hunters.

Sometimes they liked taking a little something for themselves when they captured any omegas.

This guy wasn’t any different.

“What’s your name?” the male asked in a gruff, deep voice.

He was going to find out eventually. It might make it easier if Taylor just complied right now and got. It over with.

“Taylor Parker,” he said, feeling detached now.

He was still scared, but it felt more in the back of his mind.

This was happening. He might as well get it all over with.

He’d run away and took his chances, and now he was going back.

“Taylor,” said the shifter, who closed his eyes, leaned back and sighed.

Taylor chanced a glance downward. He still couldn’t smell anything because of how plugged his nose was, but the sight of the male’s hard dick didn’t shock him.

He couldn’t smell the man’s lust, but it was obvious.

Yeah, this was one of those guys who was going to take what he wanted.

“Please don’t hurt me,” Taylor said.

The male jerked back, staring at Taylor as if he’d just punched him in the face.

What? Like he’d said something that far-fetched?

“I…I won’t hurt you.”

That’s what they all said.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Fuck,” the alpha moaned, pulling back from the kiss just long enough to take a breath. “Fuck it,” he said, sitting up and shoving himself out of his shirt.

Taylor was in no mood to wait for him. He enjoyed the show first, moaning while his alpha undressed. Taylor pinched one of his nipples while stroking his cock and spreading his thighs. “Hurry.”

He felt himself slicking. Some omega males could do that, and he never thought he’d be one of them. Nothing ever got to him enough to make him get a little slick on his own.

This did it. Part of him felt as if he should be embarrassed, but the other side of his brain couldn’t be bothered with it because he just wanted this alpha to take care of it for him.

The alpha’s hands were warm and calloused as they stroked up and down Taylor’s sides and hips. He briefly stroked Taylor’s cock, but it didn’t last long before he was reaching for his clothes again.

“No,” Taylor moaned, terrified the alpha was going to leave him high and dry. “Please.”

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” said the alpha, opening a small bottle.

Lube.

“I don’t need it.”

“You’re getting it anyway,” the alpha growled.

It was probably the first time in years where an alpha actually growled at him, and Taylor felt no fear from it.

Normally, when an alpha growled, especially when naked and in bed, it was a definite warning to keep his mouth shut.

This was different. This feeling of good, good, good was still there. It wrapped around him more securely than that nice-smelling blanket the alpha had given him.

He wanted to roll around in this feeling forever.

“Lift your hips,” the male growled.

“Yes, Alpha,” Taylor groaned, doing as he was told.

The first slide of fingers inside him felt wonderful. It wasn’t as satisfying as having the man’s cock there, but it was something, and for the moment, Taylor was happy to take it.

He groaned, thrusting his ass onto those fingers even as the alpha thrust them back and forth.

“Easy, easy,” said the alpha.

As if he thought Taylor could slow down.

“I need it,” Taylor moaned. He took his dick in hand again, stroking himself hard and fast until his body clenched, and he shouted through another orgasm.

“Holy fuck,” the alpha gasped, kissing him hard and licking sweetly into his mouth while those fingers drew out Taylor’s pleasure.

More and more and more.

He was still hard. Still pent up, and without understanding it, Taylor realized he was going to stay that way until he was claimed.

“Hurry,” he begged.

His cock was still hard, but it didn’t feel good to touch himself anymore. His prick was too sensitive, and he just wanted to be claimed.

“Please.”

The male looked at him, those red eyes still showing so much promise for what was still to come.

“Fuck,” the alpha gasped. “Fuck, fuck, fine.” He pulled his fingers free, reaching for the bottle again.

Taylor couldn’t believe the guy was bothering with making his cock slick when Taylor was pretty sure there was more than enough to ease the way already.

Another part of him was just glad the man wasn’t bypassing it.

That he cared enough to do this at all.

Then the guy hooked his arms beneath Taylor’s spread knees, bending him damn near in half as he got nice and close and personal.

“I need you,” Taylor said.

“I’ve got you.”

The alpha had him all right.

Taylor felt the head of the man’s thick cock suddenly pressing against his hole, and then he was pushing inside, stretching Taylor to his limits because he was so damn big.

Taylor loved it. He let his head fall back and his mouth open in a deep shout.

“That’s…that’s what I want,” Taylor moaned, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s broad neck and shoulders, holding on for the ride.