STORY EXCERPT

“I know you’re tired of eating garbage, baby. But you have to eat,” someone said gently as I walked towards one of the few bars in Woodstock, Illinois. I froze and moved closer to the side of the building that looked deserted.

I’d been spending a little too much time at the bars, needing to drown my sorrows. I was happy for my friend Rip, and his sweet, gorgeous mate, Lys, that things had worked out. But the jealousy of wanting my own mate was eating me and then I would feel guilty because I should be a better friend than wanting to not see them fawn all over each other. It was a vicious loop of jealousy, guilt, depression, and a few other things.

“We should go back to those men,” a quiet voice replied. “They weren’t that mean when they raped me, Redley. It’s better than starving to death or getting heatstroke.”

“No! I won’t let them touch you again.”

I clutched my chest as I listened to this. What had these poor guys been through? Obviously hell.

“Maybe I could help?” I asked quietly as I moved around the two huge garbage receptacles. They both gasped and one pushed the other behind him as two sets of the biggest dark brown, almost black eyes stared at me in fear. I squatted down and sniffed the air. “I’m not going to hurt you guys. I’m a shifter too, okay? What type are you?”

“Don’t tell him,” the smaller one squeaked and clutched the one in front of him. “He’s wolf. He’ll eat us!”

“Not into eating people, but thanks,” I chuckled. “So you’re prey? That’s cool. There’s a penguin shifter who’s mated to our Alpha and lives with us. Lys is a great guy. Would you let me help you if I brought him here?”

The one in front eyed me suspiciously. “What happens if we come with you? You give us food, let us shower, before you bend us over something and take what we won’t offer?”

“No, never,” I whispered in horror. “I’d never hurt or rape someone. My job for the pack is to protect and make sure people follow our laws.”

“You’re a Beta?” the smaller one asked me with wide eyes, glancing over me appreciatively. “He could protect us, Redley, and he’s hot.”

“I give you my protection without any strings attached,” I swore as I placed my hand over my heart. “I’ll take you right to Lys and hopefully he won’t be as intimidating as I am to you.”

“He’s mated, right? You said he was with your Alpha, but as a mate? He can’t cheat then,” Redley hedged. I nodded and gave them my most gentle smile.

“They’re going to find us anyways, Redley. At least this guy is asking when the other guys just took us. Please? I want a real shower and he’s sexy. They’ve got to have water too if there’s a penguin in the house. I want to shift,” the little guy whimpered.

“Okay,” Redley whispered with a nod. “Please, just don’t hurt us.”

“Never.” I waited until he took my hand and then stood. He did as well and gasped in pain.

“Redley’s leg is broken from the escape,” the guy announced with a worried look. “It’s not healing.”

“Because you guys haven’t been eating properly,” I replied quietly as I lifted Redley into my arms. “You’re so thin.” They glanced at each other nervously and I realized that wasn’t very flattering to say. “But we’ll fix that right up. There’s lots of food in the house always with a bunch of wolves living there.”

“As long as they don’t eat us,” the guy whispered. He stood and I smiled as he wrapped his hands around my arm holding his friend.

“Everything will be just fine,” I promised as I headed back to my truck. I pressed the fob on my keys and opened the door, doing my best to not jar Redley, but it didn’t work and he moaned in pain before his eyes rolled up into his head. “Shit. I didn’t mean to.”

“He’s been doing that a lot,” his friend said nervously. “I think something’s really wrong. We couldn’t go to the hospital because then someone would ask questions we couldn’t answer.”

“We’ll figure this out and keep you safe.” He nodded as I closed the passenger’s door and walked around with me to the other side of the truck. I opened the door for him and he looked up at the truck.

“Did you have to get one so tall?” he asked as he stepped up on the running board. He didn’t grab the handle fast enough and started to fall back. I caught him but I hadn’t been paying attention to where my hands went and one was right on his firm little ass.

“Sorry about that,” I mumbled as I mentally gave my now-hard cock a stern talking-to. Even bruised, beaten, starving, and filthy, they were two of the most beautiful men I’d ever seen.

“Your hand is so big,” he whispered, his eyes flashing with lust. “I bet your hands could cover my whole butt. Are you strong too?”

I groaned and lifted him into the truck with ease. “Don’t tempt the wolf who thinks you’re hot and hasn’t had sex in so long I stopped counting months and months ago.”

“I’m tempting?” He smiled brightly at me as if I’d just given him the best present ever.

“You have to know you’re sexy as sin,” I chuckled as I got into the truck next to him.

“No one’s ever told me that besides Redley,” he muttered. “Just that I’m a good fuck, tight ass, and have easily marked skin.”

“But those were the bad men you’re running from?” I swallowed loudly when he nodded and looked at his friend. “I’m sorry you went through that. Things will be different now.”

ADULT EXCERPT

I growled as I grabbed the rest of the sandwich in his hands, having eaten mine already. His eyes did that wide, bugging-out thing again as I turned him on my lap and molded his body to mine. My wolf was taking over and I knew it. I felt my eyes go lupine, hands shifting into claws, and my teeth as well.

“Shit,” Rip hissed.

“Are you mad?” Kyd asked quietly, shivering on my lap.

“No, I’m making you mine,” I snarled before sinking my teeth into his neck. My wolf howled inside, thrilled we’d claimed this sweet, loving man.

“Jensen!” Kyd went wild in my arms, yanking off his towel and moving my hand to his dick, careful of my claws. I tugged his cock twice and he exploded. Moaning at the taste of him, and the way his body responded to me, I knew Kyd would become my drug of choice.

When he slumped against me, completely spent, I licked the wound so it stopped bleeding but left the marks. “Leave us so I can claim what’s mine.”

“Let them watch and see for themselves that I belong to you,” Kyd whispered with a pleading tone. My wolf loved the idea. I moved us to the floor and shredded my clothes getting them off. Kyd was on all fours and I pulled the cheeks of his ass apart and started licking his sweet, tiny hole. “Yes, Jensen. Oh gods, that’s awesome.”

“Mine!”

“Yes, I’m yours and Redley’s. We’re all yours.”

“Good,” I growled and focused enough to shift my hands back to human ones. Rip sighed and then a small tube of lube landed by my mate’s knee.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, old friend.” I could hear the concern in Rip’s tone but I didn’t address it. My wolf knew what was best for us and Kyd had already taken better care of me than any lover I’d ever had… And we hadn’t even had sex yet.

A few minutes later, Kyd was stretched out and making the prettiest sounds as he rode my fingers. I pulled them out and used the extra slick on my cock. “The bite will wear off in a few days, Kyd. You still have an out but if we do this now then that’s it. You’re mine even if Redley ends up not wanting me.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Redley said from the bed. I glanced over at him and saw his bright smile and the lust in his eyes. “I plan on begging you to make me as happy as Kyd obviously is the moment I’m better.”

“Good, no more reason not to take me now,” Kyd whimpered as he pushed his ass higher in the air. “I’m yours, Jensen.”

I didn’t ask again, unwilling to risk the gift that was in front of me. I pushed my dick into his tight, firm ass and we both moaned. Then I moved over him, dominating him even in my position as I molded my chest to his back.

“I’m going to love you so good, sweetie. You’ll never want for anything ever again and I’ll protect you always.”

“We just want you, Jensen. That’s all I want and to take care of you,” he whispered as he looked up at me over his shoulder. I saw the truth of his words in his eyes and started moving my hips. He cried out in pleasure and lowered his shoulders to the floor. It was a completely submitting posture to my wolf and we liked it.

I took him as gently as I could under the circumstances. I didn’t want to hurt him but my wolf wanted to fuck him so he’d feel me for days. But he was frail with the treatment he’d received before. I wouldn’t add to that.

“His cock is so fucking huge, Redley,” Kyd moaned and spread his legs farther. “I swear I feel him hitting my rib cage.”

“Sounds pleasant,” Redley teased.

“Gods, is it ever.” He yelped as I wrapped my arms around his chest and pulled us up to our knees, staring at the people watching.

“He is mine. He is my mate and I will kill anyone who threatens him or tries to take him away from me. And that includes meddling in our mating that starts trouble.” My hips started moving faster as he reached back and grabbed my ass. “We are pack as my mate is now and we die for our pack if need be.”

“Amen to that,” Danielle agreed. “I witness and recognize your mating, Jensen Bowen. May the gods bless it and it make you happy.” I gave her a nod of my appreciation as I reached down and stroked my mate’s long, hard cock.