STORY EXCERPT

They are cute together, no?” Ilya smirked at his mate, kissing him hungrily as they stopped to let Miguel catch up. The young ocelot shifter had breathing problems, a side effect of Venom, and sometimes felt faint.

“They’re falling for one another,” Keane agreed, loving Ilya’s taste. “As we fell.”

Ilya nipped his lip then sucked on it erotically. Keane’s breath caught in his throat, loving the sexy side to his mate. Ilya had been a virgin, frightened and skittish of commitment, but he’d thrown himself into the mating game like a trooper.

“You are adorable when you’re flustered,” Ilya said smugly. “When I began to respond to your advances, you were putty in my hands.” They kissed, chuckling over the memories of their courtship.

“Sorry I’m so unfit,” Miguel panted as he trotted up, Curtis in tow. “This is embarrassing. I can barely walk a mile without needing a rest.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Keane said easily, masking his concern about Miguel’s flushed countenance. Too flushed, given the relatively slow pace they’d been keeping. Miguel was a feline shifter and should be able to keep up with no problems. “Did you, er, get the all-clear from the doctor?”

Miguel eyed him miserably, ducking his head. “No. I was so desperate to come along, I avoided him. But he did say I was doing well.”

Keane exchanged a glance with Reece. “What happened on your last appointment?”

“Tell us, Miguel. We can’t help if you aren’t honest,” Reece added.

“Leave him alone,” Curtis said gruffly. “Miguel was dosed with Venom several times. Nobody knows the long-term effects. I’ve seen its aftershocks firsthand. Weakness, panic attacks, raised blood pressure. Miguel is fine.”

Keane shot Curtis a hard look. “Curtis, this mission is crucial. We can’t afford to blow it by having someone who isn’t equipped for it. We’ve barely gone twenty miles today.”

Curtis scowled, curving his arm around Miguel’s shoulders, drawing him closer. “Miguel isn’t a machine, and this isn’t a sprint. Cut him some slack. He’s got more motivation than anyone here to stop these bastards. Don’t underestimate him. He’s dealt with far worse than any of us. And he’s still standing, heading back into the fire, not running from it.”

“If you think I’m a liability, I’ll go back,” Miguel said in a small voice, staring at his muddy boots. “I don’t want anyone hurt because I’m holding you back. I’m sure you don’t need me to complete this mission.”

Ilya stepped forward, cuffing Keane upside the head. “Miguel, you are not a liability. We are a team, engaged in a long-term goal. Our aim is to shut down Sanchez’s operation. However long it takes.” He glared at his mate. “My husband is forgetting how much my brother and I endured in Siberia. And how long that mission took. Years. I understand the urgency of stopping Venom, but you have risked much to bring its dealers to our attention. We owe it to you to let you see this through.”

Keane sighed, rolling his eyes, then fixed a disgruntled look on his face. “Ilya, you’ve seen the results of this drug in Mexico. It’s lethal and works over a long period of time. Slow poison. There’s a chance that Miguel’s permanently damaged, even that the drug is still working. I’m worried, okay? He looks ill. This isn’t about the mission, but his health.”

Curtis growled. “Keane, that’s my mate you’re talking about. He’ll be fine. This heat is enough to weaken anyone. We could all use a break. Why don’t you send up a drone until Miguel catches his breath? Track Esther’s group that way. They can’t get far on foot, not the way those poor mules looked. They were emaciated. Twenty miles is a fair stretch, even for those who are fully fit, don’t you think?”

Miguel placed a hand on Curtis’s bicep, squeezing lightly. “Don’t argue. Please. I’m not worth it. I’m sorry to cause so much trouble. It would be better if I’d died, wouldn’t it?”

Keane was mortified. “Miguel, I’m sorry. I’m being an ass.” He winced, hearing Ilya’s snort of agreement and Reece’s chuckle. “Nobody wishes you were dead. I just don’t want you hurting anymore.”

“Or slowing down the mission,” Miguel said, quirking his mouth ruefully.

Keane shrugged wryly. “That, too. But Ilya’s right. We’re in this for the long haul. This is just the start, and it’s pure chance we found Esther and the mules. We’re the point team, mapping out enemy territory. I’m forgetting that part. I’m worried that we won’t be enough. This drug is dangerous. And with what’s happening north of the border, with the upcoming elections in the U.S., anything that can be used to show shifters in a bad light is another nail in our coffin. If Venom becomes more widespread, with shifters attacking humans under its influences, it’s curtains for us.” 

He took a deep breath, studying their surroundings, then stared up at the sky, partially obscured by the thick vegetation. “Curtis is right. We can’t follow them down river right now, and if we try to confront them, we’ll show our hand too soon, but I can send up the drone. Get a lay of the land. We’ll play this slow and steady.”

“I can stay?”

Keane hugged Miguel tightly, felt the trembling fatigue that racked Miguel’s frame. “You can stay. I’m sorry,” he repeated sincerely. “I know this is a tough ask for you. The jungle. The traffickers. Pantheras cartel is a deadly force down here. I’m just sorry we didn’t get here sooner.”

Miguel hugged him back, smiling. “You’re here now. That’s what matters. Nobody listened before. You did. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Curtis panted, noting Miguel’s fixation with his dick. “What…did you…have in mind?”

“You have to lie on your back, darling,” Miguel said. “Can you manage that?”

Curtis stared then slowly curled around, flopping over, his hands still attached to the chain, cuffed, and his legs secured at the ankle by a similar restraint, also linked to the thick chain that wrapped around a tree, the chain pulled taut to prevent him moving around too much.

Peeling Curtis’s zipper down, Miguel unhooked the top fastener of Curtis’s pants and fished for Curtis’s fat cock. Curtis groaned at the tender touch, choking back another sob when even this gentleness hurt.

“It’s good that you didn’t shift, baby,” Miguel whispered. “I was shifted when they drugged me. My primal instincts kicked in, and I couldn’t control them. Being in human form, you seem able to keep a tighter rein on your animal. You’re so strong.” He stroked Curtis’s dick, so soft, so gently that Curtis actually felt tears overflow. “You’re like silk over steel. So warm. You smell amazing.”

He leaned down, his intent obvious. Curtis tried to move away, frightened that Miguel might ingest the poison in a most intimate way if he did what Curtis thought he was going to do. A toxic blow job wouldn’t do much to cement their budding relationship.

“It’s okay. I won’t swallow.” Miguel winked then slurped two inches between his lips, sucking delicately.

Curtis threw his head back, his attention diverted totally from the screaming in his veins to the warm heat around his cock. God, but that felt…amazing. He wasn’t sure he was in any condition to shoot his load, but Miguel’s seductive mouth proved him wrong—several times. One orgasm came after another, with Miguel popping off each time. Perhaps Venom Mk II had high doses of Viagra or something. He’d never kept a hard-on for this long. Fuuuck!

He was barely aware when Miguel curled up on top of him, facing Curtis, his sleek crevice cradling Curtis’s aching dick.

“That’s it, baby, take what you need,” Miguel whispered. “I prepared—a lot. You won’t hurt me. Take me. Claim me. Make me yours.”

Miguel lifted up, straddling Curtis’s hips, sliding onto Curtis’s still-engorged cock and encasing it in the slick cocoon of his silken chute. Curtis’s eyes locked on Miguel’s sultry brown ones, watching the darts of gold around the pupils dilate, dazzling him. Miguel moaned softly, leaning forward to kiss Curtis tenderly.

“Let me know if this hurts you. I’ll be gentle.”

Curtis choked back a laugh. Hurt? This was killing him. He was strung up like a Christmas goose, his insides on fire, and Miguel was making love to him with velvety kisses and the snug, silky caress of his ass milking Curtis’s cock. Hurt? If he died today, it was worth the ride. Fuuuck.

Miguel stroked Curtis’s face, butterfly light, his tongue seeking entry. Opening, Curtis invited him in, groaning with need, his hips pumping slowly against Miguel’s sleek butt. The world dropped away, the pair trembling together on a precipice of bliss and loving touches. Curtis vowed if he survived the poisoned drug, he would show Miguel pleasure every day of their lives. He had an urge to take Miguel somewhere warm, where they could frolic in a gentle surf and make love on golden beaches, away from harm.

Right now, all Curtis could think of was the delights of Miguel’s cute tush wrapped around his cock and came hard, filling Miguel with the first load of the day. Miguel’s fangs bit into his shoulder, and he yelped in surprise.

“Easy, tiger,” Miguel murmured, easing back. “Just a little saliva to cement our bond. I just claimed you, darling. So now you can’t die. You have to stay with me. Fight the drug. Don’t let it win. Keane’s bringing the antidote. Should be here soon. They broke Avery.”

Curtis tried to focus, but the drug in his system was overcoming him, slowly and surely. Despite Miguel’s efforts, he knew he was losing the fight. Venom Mk II was lethal, and even his shifter DNA was struggling to kill the toxin fast enough. He started to fade out as his heart slowed, exhaustion easing over him like a shroud.

He was vaguely aware of Miguel crying, of the slickness of Miguel still attached to his cock, then noticed that Miguel was dripping his own blood into the mating wound. Would that help? He couldn’t…Curtis slipped deeper into the well of darkness, holding Miguel close, praying he was strong enough to live.