STORY EXCERPT

Damon sat on a hard plastic chair, waiting for Rory to finish his exam. He stared at the top of Rory’s head as the young man looked down at the booklet and Scantron form in front of him, filling in the little bubbles. Damon’s knees bounced as nervous energy ran through his system. He knew how important this moment was in Rory’s life, and he was afraid that if Rory didn’t pass, his sweet little wolf would become depressed. Or worse, he’d believe that he was stupid, and Damon knew that wasn’t true.

With each minute that ticked by, Damon felt his blood pressure rising. He pushed his hands through his thick black hair and tugged at the strands.

It felt like forever, but Rory finally looked up. His eyes landed on Damon and he smiled. All the stress Damon had been feeling suddenly evaporated, like a balloon deflating. Rory didn’t look scared or worried. Instead, the man winked before picking up his booklet and Scantron, and walking toward the line.

Damon stood up. He strode toward his mate and joined him in line. Standing by his side, Damon offered his silent support as the lady beckoned Rory forward. He stepped up to the counter and handed her the papers and pencil.

“How are you feeling? Confident?” She smiled.

“Yes, ma’am,” Rory replied.

“You have to correctly answer eighty percent of the questions in order to pass.” She took out a red pen and lined up Rory’s test with the master copy.

Damon grabbed ahold of his mate’s hand. He gripped Rory’s trembling fingers, hoping to calm and comfort. His mate may seem confident, but Damon could still smell the bitter taste of fear seeping out of the man’s pores.

“You’re going to pass,” Damon promised, even though he really didn’t know if that was true.

Rory looked up at him. “Even if I don’t, I’m glad that you believe in me.”

Lifting his mate’s hand, Damon kissed the back of Rory’s hand. “I’ll always believe in you. You can do anything. Don’t ever let anyone or anything hold you back.”

“Thanks.”

Damon nodded before turning his attention back toward the woman. He watched intently as she went line by line, her red pen slashing through the wrong answers. With every red line, Damon found himself holding his breath.

He counted the numbers and realized pretty quickly that Rory could only miss seven and still pass the test. So far, there were six red lines. Please let him pass. Please let him pass. Please let him pass. Damon chanted those four words over and over again.

When she reached the end of the test, the woman looked up and smiled. “Congratulations. You passed.”

Rory let out a shout of joy. He dropped Damon’s hand and wrapped his arms around Damon’s neck. Jumping up and down, he cheered, and Damon couldn’t help but rejoice with his mate.

“I passed!”

“You’re so smart. I’m proud of you, Rory.”

Rory kissed his cheek before dropping his arms and turning back toward the woman.

“We need to take your picture for your new driver’s license, and then I’ll print you out a temporary license. You’ll receive the permanent one in the mail in a few weeks.”

“Okay.”

Rory was practically buzzing with excitement as he went and stood in front of the blue backdrop. With his shoulders straight and his head held high, Rory smiled. Staring at his mate, Damon found it hard to breathe. His chest tightened and Damon knew without a doubt that he was falling in love. It wasn’t surprising, though. Rory was so easy to love.

He’s so beautiful. And he’s all mine. My mate.

ADULT EXCERPT

Damon turned Rory around. Putting a finger under his chin, he raised Rory’s face up until their eyes clashed. “Do you trust me?”

Rory blew out a heavy sigh. “You know I do.”

Damon’s lips twitched. “Then believe me when I say that everything is going to be okay. Adam came here thinking he needed to rescue you from someone that was hurting his baby brother. He was thinking of you, even if I don’t necessarily agree with his methods.” Damon lifted his other hand and rubbed his jaw. The black and blue marks on Damon’s face stood out, a stark reminder of what Adam had done. “You proved to him that you don’t need his protection. You’re smart. You’re beautiful. And you shifted for the first time.” Damon’s grin turned into a full-blown smile. “I’m so proud of you.”

Damon leaned forward and kissed Rory’s lips.

It was just a gentle brush, but Rory found himself leaning forward, pressing his body into Damon’s.

* * * *

Damon couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

He wrapped his arms around Rory and lifted him off his feet, carrying him inside his private room. Damon closed the door with his foot. He didn’t bother with the lock, knowing that nobody would be bothering him and Rory. He strode toward the leather chair and put Rory down. He turned his mate around so that he was facing the chair.

Damon lifted the T-shirt that covered Rory’s body and pulled the material off, tossing it to the ground. Once Rory was completely exposed, Damon spread Rory’s ass cheeks and dove in. He licked at his ass, giving Rory a tongue bath, rimming his hole before pushing his tongue inside. Wild moans and groans spilled from Rory’s mouth as Damon continued his assault, fucking his mate with his tongue. When he scraped his sharp teeth over the sensitive flesh of Rory’s hole, the man howled in pleasure.

“Oh, god…” Rory moaned as he moved his hip, fucking the air in front of him. “Need you. P-please. Give me your cock.”

Damon didn’t need to be asked twice.

Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a single-use lube packet and tore it open with his teeth. Since finding his mate, Damon made sure to always be prepared. He unbuttoned his pants, dropping the heavy material to the floor. He squeezed out the lubricant onto his fingers before sliding a slick finger inside Rory’s ass, trying to stretch him as quickly as he could. With his other hand, he ran it up the length of Rory’s back, caressing the soft skin.

Rory gripped the chair, tightening his hold until his knuckles turned white. His sweet little wolf tilted his ass, silently begging for more, and Damon didn’t disappoint.

Damon added a second finger, scissoring them before adding a third digit. He twisted his wrist and pressed his fingers against Rory’s prostate. Rory groaned. He widened his stance, spreading his knees as wide as he could on the chair.

Damon wrapped his hand around Rory’s neck, turning his head. Leaning over his mate’s back, Damon connected their lips. Damon swiped his tongue against Rory’s lips and the man instantly opened wide. Their tongues slowly swirled and danced together and he groaned.

Removing his fingers, Damon lined up his cock with Rory’s hole and slowly sank into his mate’s body. They both moaned, bodies shuddering. Once he was buried deep, Damon started moving slow. He started a gentle rhythm.

“You feel so good, baby.” Damon breathed against his mate’s lips.

“I love you.” Rory’s amber-colored eyes stared straight through his soul.

Damon’s heart filled, singing Rory’s name with each beat. “I love you, too.”

Damon started to move faster then. Leaning back, he gripped his mate’s hips, holding him steady as he fucked the man harder. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed off the walls.

Rory tiled his head to the side, exposing the pale column of skin. “Bite me.”

Damon’s teeth sharpened, lengthening. He bit into Rory’s flesh, marking his mate once more. Rory howled, crying out Damon’s name as he moved frantically, pushing his ass back, meeting each thrust.