STORY EXCERPT

“Can you actually believe Donovan sent Ned? I mean, I get why he did it, and I do like Ned, it’s just that—”

“He knows entirely too much about you and isn’t shy about sharing information?” Antonio suggested, suppressing a laugh. He didn’t think Rhys would appreciate it, and it was generally a bad idea to piss off an alpha, friend or no friend. Besides, he could sympathize. He’d met Ned before and knew the young Upholder wasn’t above teasing his friend. Rhys grumbled. “Something like that.” Antonio laughed into his phone. “What did Ned say?”

“It’s more like what he didn’t say,” Rhys answered dryly. “He thinks this is hilarious. He and Don seem to like each other.”

Don was Rhys’s mate. “I was Ned’s chief bodyguard for years. Do you have any idea what kind of stories he can tell Don?” Antonio winced in sympathy. He could guess. He wouldn’t relish the idea of his mate knowing all the sordid details from his past. He winced again when he realized that his cousins would relish sharing them purely for entertainment factor, much like Ned was now doing to Rhys.

“You can ask Ned to keep quiet,” he offered.

Rhys snorted. “And have Don wonder what am I hiding? Thanks, but no thanks. I could swear Donovan did this to me deliberately. You know Ned. He was happy to fill in Don with the most embarrassing stories he knew about me all the while keeping that innocent expression on his face.”

Ned looked cute and harmless. Antonio knew him well enough to know he was anything but. In his opinion, Ned was one of the more dangerous members of Silver Moon pack, and none of them were harmless.

Antonio smirked, thankful his friend couldn’t see and call him on it. There was one other thing he wanted to ask. “Poor baby,” he said in false sympathy. “Is he really taller than you?” he asked curiously.

There was a short pause from the other side of line before Rhys heaved a put upon sigh. “Why does everyone focus on that?” he asked in an aggravated tone. “I don’t have a problem with men who are taller than me.”

Antonio raised his eyebrows, even though he knew Rhys couldn’t see him.

“All right, all right,” Rhys admitted grudgingly. “Maybe I do have. Just a little.”

Antonio swallowed a laugh. As far as he knew, that was gross understatement. Rhys was barely five foot nine and very slim. Most alphas were well over six feet, big, imposing men. The fact annoyed Rhys to no end. Still grinning, Antonio leaned back on the wall of his living room.

“What was that?” Rhys asked suspiciously.

“Nothing. So is he?” he repeated. He could just imagine Rhys’s expression. There was a pause. Rhys huffed, obviously exasperated. “Yes.”

“How much?” Antonio couldn’t resist asking. Rhys mumbled something he couldn’t decipher in answer. He grinned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he commented innocently.

He must not have fooled Rhys because he cleared his throat and said pointedly, “Anyway, I had a reason for calling you.” Antonio sobered instantly. Rhys sounded serious. He peeled himself off of the wall and sidestepped his coffee table to look through the window. He pulled the curtain aside with the hand not holding the phone and absently checked on the traffic outside. It was Thursday, and that meant a big family dinner at his grandparents’ house. Presence was practically mandatory in DeLuca’s clan, which meant most of his numerous cousins would attend. It was the DeLucas who founded Two Pines pack, and they held the power in it for centuries. His grandfather used to be pack alpha. One of his uncles was the current alpha. They were both going to attend, which meant that Antonio couldn’t not show up, at least not without a very good reason. According to the lecture his cousin Cal got the last time, the good reason meant he was dead, soon to be dead, or soon to be mated. But the conversation intrigued him. Despite Rhys’s easy tone, he’d sensed from the beginning that his friend had a specific reason for this call, that he wasn’t calling just for the two of them to catch up.

“What was it?”

He and Rhys had met when the other shifter accompanied Silver Moon representative Ned to Two Pines territory. They took to each other immediately and kept in touch ever since. Antonio liked Rhys. He also knew that his pack members suspected they were more than friends, since Rhys wasn’t hiding his preferences. That wasn’t it. He and Rhys were just friends. He’d been worried when the rumors trickled by that there were problems in Little Ridge’s alpha challenge, since that was Rhys’s pack and Antonio knew Rhys had planned to participate. He’d tried calling Rhys, but there was no answer. Even Ned called him to check if he’d heard from Rhys. The Upholder’s inquiry unsettled Antonio. He was relieved when Rhys finally called today. His interest was piqued when the only thing Rhys was willing to say about Little Ridge was that he lost that challenge and instead was leading another pack, Blue Lake. Antonio knew better than to ask, especially when Rhys obviously didn’t want to talk, but he had to wonder how it came to that. As far as he knew, Rhys had never before even mentioned Blue Lake. It was rare, though not unheard of, for a pack alpha to come from outside of the pack. The Blue Lake was an old and influential pack. How did Rhys come to lead it?

ADULT EXCERPT

“You could have showered inside,” Antonio pointed out as he put the keys into the ignition and started the truck. Murray swallowed a groan. He could have, but he didn’t want to be caught jacking off at the gym. He’d been too worked up to resist. He was still too worked up. “I want a long shower,” he said in answer, grateful Antonio was busy looking out for other cars as he drove out of the lot to look at him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, doing his best to relax. He curled his hands into fists, resting them on his knees. He wasn’t going to touch Antonio. He wasn’t.

“We are home,” Antonio said getting out of the car before Murray even opened his eyes. He shook his head to clear it, climbing stiffly out of the seat. Antonio, already heading toward the door, paused to look at him.

“Are you sure you are all right?”

“Yes,” Murray bit out, moving past him to enter the house.

Puzzled, Antonio followed. “You are limping.” He reached over Murray’s shoulder to turn on the light and pushed Murray against the wall. “Was that kick so bad?” he asked, frowning. “I wasn’t aiming for your hip, but you moved and it ended up a lot stronger than I meant it to.”

“It wasn’t.” Murray tried to pass him on the way to the bedroom. Antonio caught his arm.

“Then what’s wrong?” He sounded concerned.

Murray sighed in exasperation. “Antonio,” Murray said slowly, “maybe you didn’t notice in the gym because there were too many conflicting scents. You ought to notice now. How do I smell?”

It took a moment for Antonio to get it. His green eyes widened. Murray caught a flicker of answering hunger that stoked his raging lust. Surrendering to his own needs, he gripped Antonio’s shoulder and hauled him closer. He crushed Antonio’s mouth with his, tongue lapping up greedily inside Antonio’s mouth. His cock pressed into Antonio’s belly, and he swallowed a moan. He couldn’t believe how close he was to coming. Antonio pushed his shirt out of the way, fingers digging into Murray’s sides as he answered Murray’s kiss with his own, equally ferocious. He let out a frustrated sigh and pulled back so he could get rid of Murray’s shirt. He bit into Murray’s shoulder, and Murray groaned as he saw Antonio’s tongue flicker out to soothe the small sting.

“So you liked that, did you?” Antonio asked, his voice husky. “You liked that we match each other in strength? You liked that I can take you down and hold you?”

A whirlwind of pleasure and need hit Murray. His cock hardened even more if it was possible. His skin pricked. Desire clawed at his belly.

“You got hot and hard. Is that what you want? To be held down? Want me to use your handcuffs, chain you to headboard and fuck your ass?”

Not even the flicker of fear and denial that went down his spine at the words “fuck you” stopped a rush of intense pleasure that went through Murray as Antonio rutted against him. He growled, bucking his hips, chasing his pleasure.

Antonio laughed, reaching between them to grab his hip and hold him still. His eyes were dark, pupils swallowing green irises. Murray growled in protest.

“Is that what you want, Murray?” he repeated, pressing close enough to envelop his dick in heat.

“I—” Murray let out a frustrated growl. “I-I can’t.” He heaved a sigh as the words left his mouth. Antonio gave him a knowing look. “Are you sure?”

His cock had leaked, the wet patch rubbing against his skin and feeding his arousal. Antonio nuzzled his throat, warm breath teasing Murray’s ear and the bruise on his skin Antonio’d sucked on earlier.

“I haven’t changed my opinion, Murray,” he whispered right into Murray’s ear. His hand dropped down from Murray’s arm between his legs. He squeezed Murray’s dick. “You want something, you have to give it to me first.”

Murray shivered as the suggestive words penetrated his brain. Antonio pulled back, sudden cold assaulting Murray’s senses. Without conscious thought he dropped down to his knees. Maybe he wasn’t ready to let Antonio fuck him, though he couldn’t deny a sparkle of interest that went through him when Antonio mentioned it. But there was something else he could do. He unfastened Antonio’s jeans and pulled his boxers down to his knees, just enough to reach and wrap his hand around Antonio’s cock. Antonio’s fingers covered his.

“What are you doing?” he asked. Murray glanced up at him. His cheeks were flushed and he was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Murray licked his lips deliberately. His voice was breathless when he answered.

“I was just going to…try something.” He opened his mouth and took Antonio’s cock in.