STORY EXCERPT

“You talked to my father?”

Paris nodded. Jace knew all about Paris’s doubts, about his wishes and guilt. The other wolf’s presence had helped him brace the horrible time when Reed had been sick, almost killed in Paris’s stead. From the moment they’d first met, Paris had felt attracted to Jace, and while he’d never had the courage to pursue it beyond the tentative relationship they had, everything inside him screamed they were meant for each other.

“I did,” he replied. “He refuses to let me go.”

Jace took his hand and pulled him to the vacant living room. Once they sat down, Jace gazed deeply into Paris’s eyes. “Maybe he’s right, Paris. I mean…going all the way to Japan? We have so many people there already, and it’s been all for naught.”

Paris’s hackles rose. He’d thought that Jace understood, but apparently not. He pulled his hands out of Jace’s and glowered at the other wolf. “I just want to help. How can I stay here and pretend everything’s fine when I nearly killed my father’s mate?”

“You didn’t do anything, sweetheart,” Jace said. “That was all your mother. She’s insane, and you’re not to blame for her mental issues.”

Paris shook his head angrily. “I should have seen it. Out of everyone here, I knew her best. I just…” He broke off, not knowing how to explain the conflicting emotions he still had about his mother. Even if she had never shown him true affection, he’d always loved her. It was why he had defended her in the first place when his adoptive father had attacked her. He’d gone so far as to knock the man out to help her, not knowing what his choice would end up causing. But what else could he have done in those circumstances? It wasn’t like he could just let his mother die. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” he told Jace at last. “What I should have done.”

“You acted in the best way you could, given what you knew at the time.” Jace tried to soothe him. “How could you have possibly known things would turn out the way they did? Besides, you shouldn’t dwell on what could have been. Reed is fine now, and I’m sure our forces will eventually catch the warlock and your mother.”

But would they? There was one question that kept tormenting Paris ever since his mother had escaped Soren while being transported to Elder Wade’s lands. What would the warlock want with Aria in the first place? All evidence showed that Tyrell hated shifters.

Therein lay the gist of the issue. A small part of Paris still feared for his mother, still hoped that she could be redeemed. Even after she had nearly killed him, he didn’t want her to die. Oh, he could never forgive her for what she’d done, but that didn’t change the fact that consorting with the warlock could easily get her killed.

“Jace, I need to go after her,” he said. “I don’t really understand it myself, but I have a feeling I will be needed.” Knowing he was being unfair, he gave Jace a pleading look. “Help me. You can do it. You can help me sneak out of the States and into Japan.”

He came closer to Jace, half because he didn’t want anyone to overhear them and half because he simply craved Jace’s touch. “I’m not an idiot. I realize the risks. But I can protect myself just fine. I’m not a helpless pup.”

“Sweetheart…” Jace took a deep breath, and Paris’s nostrils flared as he scented the werewolf’s arousal. The other man’s proximity roused Paris’s own beast, and he had the yearning to simply climb into Jace’s lap and rub against the other wolf’s cock. But then, Jace spoke again, and his words were like a bucket of ice water over Paris’s excitement. “We can’t do this,” Jace said. “I can’t do this. It’s not safe.”

Paris moved away from Jace, recognizing the rebuff for what it was. Fine. No matter. Paris had always been on his own. He’d just have to make his way out of this without anyone’s help. He should have known that not even his mate would truly grasp what Paris was trying to say. In the end, they all thought he was nothing but a child, which must be the reason why Jace had made no move to touch him in the first place.

“Fine,” he snapped at Jace. “I get it. I’m an idiot who doesn’t understand what’s right in front of his nose. And on that note, I’m just going to play with my action figures now. If you’ll excuse me.”

He shot to his feet, ignoring Jace’s attempts to stop him. Perhaps he was being a selfish brat, but there was just so much going on. He’d had hopes that he would find a home, but pack members could be very unfair when hurt. In their eyes, Reed was one of their own, and their concern had manifested in trying to separate Paris’s father from his mate, but also in a general dismissive attitude toward Paris. He had told no one, not even his mate, about that, and he was glad he hadn’t. In the end, they’d probably think he was whining when he had been the one saved from all the pain.

ADULT EXCERPT

He pushed Paris onto the grass once again and lowered his body over that of the smaller man. Even if a part of him realized this was hardly the best time for a mating, his wolf would hear nothing of it. For once, Jace obeyed his beast. It was what both he and his mate wanted. Why deny it? Refusing their connection would just hurt Paris instead of protecting him.

Still, Jace was acutely aware that Paris didn’t have a lot of experience. From what Paris had told him and the things Jace’s father had found out, Jace had concluded that, in many ways, Paris had been excluded from all aspects of life in a pack. Sexuality was most likely new to him, and the innocent, if wanton, responses to what Jace had done so far confirmed Jace’s original guess.

As such, Jace knew he had to take it slow. He had been lucky enough to live around people who’d found their other halves, but Paris hadn’t. For that reason and many others, he wanted to worship Paris, to show the smaller wolf how beautiful making love could be and what a mating truly signified.

Paris reached for him, obviously demanding to resume their earlier frantic touches. Instead, Jace pinned Paris’s hands above his head and brushed butterfly-light kisses over Paris’s eyelids. “Relax, sweetheart. Let me show you just how much you mean to me.”

His mate seemed somewhat confused and anxious, but nevertheless, he surrendered to Jace’s ministrations. Jace licked down Paris’s Adam’s apple, lingering in the hollow of Paris’s neck when his mate gasped in surprise. It seemed he had found a sensitive spot. How delightful. Jace looked forward to tasting Paris all over and finding all the other erogenous areas of Paris’s body.

He spent the next couple of minutes doing just that, sucking on Paris’s neck, then, when that ceased to be enough, progressing down Paris’s chest. He was instantly drawn to Paris’s pert little nipples. The tight buds peaked as if demanding Jace’s attention. Jace couldn’t have resisted if he wanted to. He sucked one of the bits of flesh into his mouth, grinning to himself when his mate arched beautifully against him. Oh, yeah. Things just seemed to be getting better and better, and Paris’s innocent sensuality was drawing Jace out of his mind.

Even so, Jace stuck to his resolve, caressing Paris’s sides gently, holding his mate down when Paris would have roughly thrust against him. With a great deal of reluctance, he released the tiny bud from his mouth and decided to go for its twin. As he sucked and bit on the nubbin, he marveled at just how responsive his lover was. Jace knew he could very easily get addicted to Paris’s sweet cries, to the way he clung to Jace and writhed, wordlessly asking for more, but at the same time, attempting to pull away. It was, in a way, endearing, but it also fueled Jace’s lust. The predator inside him demanded his mate’s submission, and the way Paris gladly gave it already strained his control.

When he was satisfied that he had Paris well and truly incoherent, Jace abandoned his mate’s nipples and licked down Paris’s smooth chest to his belly button. He thrust his tongue inside the tiny hole, his cock throbbing as Paris actually started to whimper. The need escalated more and more inside him, but still, he bypassed Paris’s cock, knowing that if he went there, he had no chance of stopping himself from taking Paris, from fucking that sweet ass.

Jace traced the line of Paris’s hip with his tongue then progressed farther over his mate’s legs. He found another sensitive spot behind Paris’s knee no less. Discovering the smaller wolf’s body like this was a joy in and of itself. Distantly, Jace noted that Paris tasted sweet all over. He could only imagine the incredible flavor Paris’s seed would have.

Unable to hold back, Jace returned to Paris’s prick and lowered his mouth over the thick shaft. Even here, Paris was beautiful, pearlescent drops of pre-cum seeping out of his slender, rosy cock like crystalline tears. Jace swept his tongue over the glans, moaning as his mate’s taste exploded in his mouth. It was just as good as he had expected, no, even better.

Faced with such a delicious treat, Jace abandoned all thought of slow lovemaking. He took his mate’s cock deep into his mouth, devouring his prize, reveling in the amazing feel of Paris’s length on his tongue. He no longer held Paris in place, instead caressing Paris’s hip in a silent urge that it was okay to let go, to lose control.

Paris did just that.