Allergies

ALLERGIES

…Ray’s voice was a little breathless and his gaze was trained on Lou’s groin. Lou couldn’t resist. Cupping the back of Ray’s head, he brought the man’s mouth to his. Ray braced his hands on Lou’s thighs and sighed. Licking along the seam of Ray’s lips, Lou asked silently for entrance. Ray opened and Lou eased in his tongue, not wanting to overwhelm the other man. The tentative way Ray kissed him told Lou this pretty man wasn’t experienced. Unlike Lou who, in his younger days, would fuck anyone who was willing. The taste of coffee, sugar and cinnamon danced on his tongue as he stroked it along the roof of Ray’s mouth. Ray shivered and moaned, his hands opening and closing as if he didn’t know quite what to do with them. Lou grasped Ray’s left hand with his free hand and placed it on his hip. Scooting closer, he spread his legs and maneuvered Ray’s chair between his thighs. When Ray was in the right spot, Lou urged Ray to stand. Their height difference made their positions perfect. Lou slid his hand down Ray’s back to squeeze his ass. Nice, round and firm. Lou growled low, thinking how tight it would be around his cock. Ray jumped and started to pull away, lips swollen from their kiss. His dark chocolate eyes were glazed with desire and an intriguing bulge graced the front of his gray slacks. Lou’s

strength would have ensured he kept Ray in close contact, but he didn’t want to freak the man out. That would come all in good time if he chose to stick around. He caressed Ray’s jaw, trailing his rough fingers over the smooth skin. Closing his eyes, Ray took a deep breath and sneezed…

ALSO BY T. A. CHASE Nick Of Time Nowhere Diner: Finding Love

ALLERGIES BY T. A. CHASE

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

ALLERGIES AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2009 by T. A. Chase ISBN 978-1-60272-498-3 Cover Art © 2009 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thank you to all my readers for encouraging me every step of the way. It’s for you that I write my stories.

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CHAPTER 1 Ray Marvels stared in shocked silence as his screen went blank. “No,” he whispered, jiggling the mouse and praying that it brought back his stuff. Nothing. He reached for the phone and pushed the button for the IT department. “IT,” a male voice answered. “Hi, this is Ray from graphic design, fourth floor. I need someone to come take a look at my computer.” He hit the speaker button and dropped down under his desk, searching for the power cord. It was at that moment he realized his computer wasn’t running either. 1

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“Well, Ray from graphic design, what seems to be the problem?” “My monitor went black and my actual computer isn’t running anymore.” He checked all the cables connecting the monitor to the tower and the tower to the surge protector. Everything was where it should be and the surge bar was plugged into the wall. “You didn’t unplug anything by accident, did you?” The tech guy’s tone told Ray that was obviously what the problem must be. The man must have thought Ray was too stupid to figure it out. He crawled out from under the desk and glared at the phone. “I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t have called you if that were the case. I checked everything. It’s all where it should be and it’s all working.” He shoved his hand through his hair. As frustrating as his computer being on the fritz was, he could finish the project at home. “All right. Is it important to get it fixed today?” The man sounded annoyed. “Yes.” It wasn’t, but Ray knew if he told the guy that, no one would be around to look at it for a day or two, and there were things he needed to do on his work computer. The person on the phone sighed. “There’s an IT guy on the fourth floor right now. I’ll buzz him and let him know to stop by your office.” “Thank you,” Ray said to the dial tone. 2

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He rested his forehead on his desk for a second. He’d been a page or two away from finishing the layout of the new site, and it needed to be done by the next day. Pulling out the requisite work request forms, he started filling them out. An hour later, Ray was sketching some ideas for a new client when he sneezed. After sneezing a second time, he frowned. “Bless you.” A deep voice spoke from behind him. He spun around to see a man leaning against the entrance to his office. The man stood about five inches taller than Ray’s own six feet. Instead of the standard tech uniform of black pants and white shirt with a skinny tie, the stranger wore khaki cargo pants, a green T-shirt and black hooded sweatshirt with the sleeves shoved up to the elbow. Ray’s gaze focused on the tattoos gracing the man’s forearms. Light hazel eyes studied him just as intently. The man’s hair was hidden by the baseball cap he wore. Ray met the stranger’s gaze and was mildly surprised when the man winked. His cock twitched at the flirtatious smile he was given. “Ummm…are you the IT guy?” “Yes.” The man strolled into Ray’s office, invading the space with heat and an odd musky scent. Ray sneezed again. “Excuse me. Must be some dust in the air.” “I’m Lou Canis.” Lou held out a large hand to Ray. Ray shook hands, trying to ignore the rough palm rubbing 3

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against his. “Ray Marvels. I’m hoping you can figure out what went wrong. I don’t need it to finish the project I’m working on, but I have to start a big one for a new client and I’m going to need that computer. Of course, I could just work from home, but no one really believes you do when you call in and say you’re going to.” He snapped his mouth shut to stop from babbling like a dork. Why was it that gorgeous men made him lose control of his tongue, and not in a good way? Lou had barely spoken and he was flipping all of Ray’s switches. Ray loved a guy who was bigger than he was and who wasn’t afraid to express his rebellious side with tattoos. “Do you have any piercings?” Lou’s eyebrows shot up, and Ray’s face flushed with heat. Ducking his head, he stood, trying to ease past Lou, intent on escaping so he could go jump off the roof. Lou blocked his less than graceful exit. Long, thick fingers lifted Ray’s chin, raising his head until he looked Lou in the eye. A sexy grin tipped the edges of Lou’s thin lips. “Curious little man, aren’t you?” “Forget I asked. It’s none of my business and I really shouldn’t be bothering you while you have things to do. For all I know, you’re not into guys and you’re probably pissed at me for saying something like that.” Lou pressed a finger to Ray’s mouth, chuckling and shaking his head. “Oh, I’m into guys. To my mother’s everlasting despair and my father’s eternal confusion, I’ve been into guys for a very long time.” 4

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“Oh.” There wasn’t much Ray could say to that. Lou leaned forward, and Ray hoped he was going to kiss him. He rested his hands against Lou’s broad chest and sneezed again. He jerked away, horrified. Lou laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were allergic to me.” Ray grabbed some tissue from his desk and laughed weakly. “I don’t usually have this bad a reaction to my allergies.” He thumped his forehead with his palm. “This has been an embarrassing encounter all together. I’m sorry.” Shrugging, Lou moved around Ray to the desk. “It’s all right. Let me take a look at your computer and see if we can’t get you up and running again.” Ray gave a mental sigh and chocked it up to another chance lost. He wasn’t good-looking or out-going enough to attract the attention of men like Lou. He was a geek, more interested in his video games and drawing than going out to clubs or bars. Holding any kind of conversation was difficult for Ray because he wasn’t good at small talk. He reached over to pick up his sketchpad. “I’m going to work in one of the conference rooms. Come and find me if you need anything.” Leaving, he sneezed once more and headed toward an empty room, disappointment edging through him. No possibility of anything beyond work with Lou, but at least he’d be able to see the man sometimes, and untouchable eye candy was almost as good as having Lou spread out on his 5

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bed, begging him to lick him all over. Ray closed his eyes and tried to erase that image before he had to walk through the graphic design department with an erection. Don’t go there, Ray. Keep your attention on work, his practical mind told him. He could fantasize about Lou all he wanted when he got home. *

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Thirty minutes later, Lou stood in the conference room doorway, watching Ray sketch something on the pad of paper in front of him. Lou couldn’t help smiling at the cute picture Ray made with the tip of his tongue sticking out between plump lips as the dark-haired man concentrated. Lou’s cock stiffened when he imagined those lips wrapped around it and that tongue licking his skin. He must have moved or made some sort of noise because Ray looked over his shoulder at him and an adorable blush colored the younger man’s cheeks. Lou strolled to the table and rested a hip on the edge, putting his groin at the same level as Ray’s face. “What’s the verdict?” Ray shifted, seeming uncertain whether to move away or move closer. Easing forward slightly, Lou grimaced. “Well, I can fix it, I think, but it might take a couple of days.” “Good and bad news mixed together.” Ray’s voice was a little breathless and his gaze was trained on Lou’s groin. Lou couldn’t resist. Cupping the back of 6

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Ray’s head, he brought the man’s mouth to his. Ray braced his hands on Lou’s thighs and sighed. Licking along the seam of Ray’s lips, Lou asked silently for entrance. Ray opened and Lou eased in his tongue, not wanting to overwhelm the other man. The tentative way Ray kissed him told Lou this pretty man wasn’t experienced. Unlike Lou who, in his younger days, would fuck anyone who was willing. The taste of coffee, sugar and cinnamon danced on his tongue as he stroked it along the roof of Ray’s mouth. Ray shivered and moaned, his hands opening and closing as if he didn’t know quite what to do with them. Lou grasped Ray’s left hand with his free hand and placed it on his hip. Scooting closer, he spread his legs and maneuvered Ray’s chair between his thighs. When Ray was in the right spot, Lou urged Ray to stand. Their height difference made their positions perfect. Lou slid his hand down Ray’s back to squeeze his ass. Nice, round and firm. Lou growled low, thinking how tight it would be around his cock. Ray jumped and started to pull away, lips swollen from their kiss. His dark chocolate eyes were glazed with desire and an intriguing bulge graced the front of his gray slacks. Lou’s strength would have ensured he kept Ray in close contact, but he didn’t want to freak the man out. That would come all in good time if he chose to stick around. He caressed Ray’s jaw, trailing his rough fingers over the smooth skin. Closing his eyes, Ray took a deep breath and 7

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sneezed. “Excuse me. Sorry. We shouldn’t do this here.” Ray waved a vague hand toward the door, while trying to pull a tissue from his pocket. “Not that I didn’t like it or anything.” Lou leered at the stuttering designer and palmed Ray’s hard-on. “I can tell. Not easy to fake that.” Ray stepped back, tripping over the chair. Lou lunged from the table and caught his soon-to-be lover before Ray could bruise that tempting ass of his. “Sorry. I’m a bit of a klutz at times.” “No harm done. I shouldn’t have surprised you like that, I guess.” Lou held on, making sure Ray got his balance before letting go. “Are you not out here?” Ray shrugged, tugging nervously on his shirtsleeves. “It’s not that I’m not out. No one’s bothered to ask me. I’m not ashamed of being gay, just figure it’s no one’s business. If they don’t ask, I’m not volunteering. You know? I just assume employees kissing on company time might be frowned upon.” God, Ray’s babbling was so adorable, which was weird since Lou had never gone for the geeky, inexperienced type before this. Guess there really was truth in “opposites attract” because geeky and inexperienced were not words anyone would use to describe Lou. “Gotcha. I’ll try not to grope you.” He winked. “Oh, I don’t mind you groping me.” Ray ducked his head, grabbed his sketchbook and mumbled, “I think I’ll leave before I stick my foot any farther into my mouth.” Lou stood and moved, blocking Ray’s exit. “I’m going to 8

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take your computer home tonight and I should have it fixed by tomorrow for you. I’ll drop it off in the morning.” Sneeze. Sniffle. “Thanks.” Ray shook his head. “I better stop and get some allergy medicine. I’ve never had them hit so hard before.” “Would you be willing to have lunch with me tomorrow? I promise to control myself and not suck you off under the table.” Stunned, Ray stared at Lou, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Lou burst out laughing. “God, you should see your face.” Embarrassment and hurt chased each other over Ray’s face. “I’m glad to know I’m a joke to you.” Straightening, Lou sobered. He gripped Ray’s shoulders tight and drew the man closer to him. Leaning down, he nuzzled Ray’s cheek, trying to comfort him. “I’m sorry I’m such a jackass. I’d never make fun of you on purpose.” He licked the shell of Ray’s ear, causing the lean body under his hands to shiver. “I say shit without thinking. When you know me better, you’ll be able to stop me before I make myself look ignorant like that.” He stepped back and met Ray’s eyes with all seriousness. “I know you aren’t comfortable with public displays of affection here at work. I would never cross that line unless you gave me the okay. I won’t break your trust.” Ray stared at him, and Lou had the weirdest sensation Ray could see into his soul. He hoped not because there were still secrets buried deep in there he wasn’t ready to tell a man he’d 9

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just met. “Okay.” Ray shifted the sketchbook from one hand to the other and rested the free hand on Lou’s chest. Surprised, Lou had figured he’d have to work harder at convincing Ray for a date. “Okay? You’re not going to play hard to get?” “No. There’s no point since you know I want you. Why should I act like I don’t? There’s no way I can trust you if I don’t go out and get to know you.” Ray smiled shyly. “I’m not very good at playing games anyway. I tend to say whatever comes into my head, and that makes it easy for you to know what I’m thinking.” Lou wanted to throw his head back and howl. The beast inside wagged its tail in excitement. Rover was right. Taking the new job might be the best decision he’d ever made. “Thank you for not holding my crude, smart ass comments against me. I’ll try to curb them. I’m not used to talking to a gorgeous guy like you.” Lou flirted shamelessly. Ray giggled. “Now I know you’re kidding.” Another sneeze. “I better head out, so I can get home and work on this stuff there. I look forward to lunch tomorrow.” Ray waved as he left the conference room. Lou pumped his fist in the air. First day on the job and he got the cutest guy there to go out on a date with him. Oh, and he got a kiss as well. He frowned. That sneezing thing would have to go. He wondered if Ray was allergic to dogs, but that didn’t make sense. Lou had made sure his clothes were clean 10

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before he left home. Hard to explain how dog hair got on his clothes when he didn’t own a dog. Of course, then he’d want to explain the difference between dog hair and wolf hair, but no one was interested in that and he couldn’t risk exposing his wolf side. After stepping out of the room, he bent and picked up Ray’s computer. He’d take it home, fix it and be the man’s hero tomorrow. Tonight, though, he was going to go for a run and check out Ray’s place.

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CHAPTER 2 Ray closed the file with a sigh. His business done, he glanced out the den window. Twilight was starting to creep across his backyard, making his fingers itch. With his work done, he could indulge himself. He grabbed a sketchbook and some pencils before heading to the kitchen. He pulled a beer from the fridge, opened it and strolled outside. Living out in the country afforded Ray privacy and space. His backyard butted up against national forest acreage, and a huge, old oak tree stood at the edge of his yard. When he’d moved in, he’d put a bench under the wide branches because sketching outside at night helped Ray relax and unwind. He’d 12

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grown up in Chicago and, at times, missed the faster pace of the big city, but Ashton was large enough for him now. He settled on the bench and placed his beer on a stump he’d rolled over to the tree. Curling his legs under him, he flipped open the book to a blank page and started drawing. Tonight he let his subconscious decide his subject. He kept his gaze unfocused until he felt like he had gotten a good outline done. Tipping the page to catch the fading sunlight, he smiled. Light hazel eyes, thin lips and slashing cheekbones stared back at him. I should’ve known my mind and body would still be thinking about Lou. His imagination gave Lou dark hair. Of course, he’d been too distracted earlier by the man’s kisses to check out what color Lou’s hair was. Ray closed his eyes and shook his head. He’d been too busy making an idiot of himself was more like it. God, why did I babble on about not kissing on company time? He let the pad drop to his lap and rested his head on the back of the bench. Opening his eyes, he stared up into the branches of the tree. He knew why. The kiss he’d shared with Lou had shortcircuited every brain wave he had. It wasn’t the first kiss Ray had ever had, but it was the best so far. All he’d been able to think about at the time was crawling onto Lou’s lap and begging the man to fuck him senseless. Great way to make a potential date think he was a complete slut. Thank God for a well-timed sneeze or he would have done just that. He needed to exhibit some sort of control. 13

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What’s up with the sneezing, too? Ray had never had allergies hit him that hard and so quickly. He’d stopped by the pharmacy to get medicine, but as soon as he got home, he was fine. Lou had joked about Ray being allergic to him. Ray hoped that wasn’t true. Could a person be allergic to another person? He didn’t know, but he was willing to take all the medicine in the world if it let him get closer to Lou. What was it about the computer tech that sparked Ray’s libido? Lou was taller and wider than Ray. The way his arms had wrapped around Ray’s body and how he’d controlled everything about their kiss turned Ray on. He knew some of his friends back in Chicago would say his need to feel dominated showed weakness on his part, but it wasn’t that. Ray knew he wasn’t weak, but he wanted to feel safe. He wanted to feel special, protected, and if that made him a wimp or needy, then so be it. He laughed softly. All this worry might be premature. Considering his tendency to babble and make a complete fool of himself, Lou might just decide lunch was all there was going to be of their attraction, no matter how hot they might be for each other. “Stop it,” Ray muttered out loud. “No point in worrying it to death. Whatever happens, happens. You can’t be something you’re not.” As his voice faded, he noticed the silence. The usual night sounds of crickets and frogs had disappeared. Dark settled around him. The light from his back porch barely made it out to the tree. Goose bumps flared on his skin. Something was 14

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out there, and the night animals were hiding. Shivering, Ray turned to look at the edge of the forest. He froze. A shadow hovered at the break point between Ray’s yard and the forest behind it. He could feel it staring at him. Wracking his brain, Ray couldn’t remember if there were supposed to be bears in the national forests. The creature took a step out of the true darkness of the trees, and Ray shot a glance over his shoulder toward the door of his house. He bit his lip to keep from whimpering. Shit. One would think watching all those stupid shows on Animal Planet would prepare him for such an encounter, but his mind was blank. Should he run or should he stand his ground? The decision was taken away from Ray as the creature paced closer. “Holy fuck,” he swore under his breath as a large black wolf inched closer to him. Don’t stare the animal in the eye. Even though he remembered that gem of wisdom, Ray wasn’t about to challenge the wolf. It stalked over to him, but it didn’t seem angry or violent. In fact, its tail was swishing back and forth in a very friendly, dog-like way. The wolf stopped in front of Ray, lowered its front forelimbs to the ground and left its hind end up in the air. It was the classic come-and-play-with-me pose Ray had seen his friends’ dogs take. He leaned down slowly, groping for a stick. His hand closed around one and he threw it as far as he could into the woods. “Good wolf. Go get the stick. Go on. Get the stick,” he 15

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muttered. The canine looked after the stick, settled back on its haunches and gave Ray what he could only describe as a “get real” look. A slightly hysterical giggle emerged from Ray’s mouth. “Don’t play fetch, huh?” He managed not to scream as the wolf paced over to him and rested its chin on his leg. Reaching out with a shaking hand, he stroked one of the pointed ears. The creature wiggled like Ray’s touch felt good. Ray relaxed slightly. At the moment, it looked like the creature wasn’t interested in eating him. He didn’t think the canid would stay long, so he’d just work on keeping it happy. Maybe that way it wouldn’t decide to take a bite out of him. Light hazel eyes stared at him through half closed lids. Ray was reminded of Lou’s gaze as the other man had watched him in the conference room. They had the same steady interest, like both the wolf and Lou found Ray to be the most intriguing man in the world. He chuckled. “Sorry to disappoint you, boy. I’m not very interesting at all. Just average, plain Ray.” A rather human disbelieving snort came from the wolf, and Ray shook his head. The being with his head on Ray’s knee was a wild wolf, not some special creature with human intelligence. He loved werewolf movies, but he knew they didn’t really exist. The shadows deepened as Ray kept petting the wolf, finding it unusually soothing. All his worries about tomorrow 16

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drifted away on the pine-scented warm night. *

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Lou whined and barely managed to keep his back leg from thumping the ground as Ray scratched his ear. There. Right there. God, he loved the way Ray smelled. The acidic tang of fear emanating from the human disappeared as the younger man continued to pet him. Ray’s scent was musky, with a hint of mint and the earthy mix of hops and barley from the beer. True night fell, and Ray shivered. Lou could tell the temperature had dropped, but with his thick coat, he didn’t feel the chill. Reluctantly, he eased away. He didn’t want Ray getting sick. “Time to go, huh?” Ray stood and stretched. Lou couldn’t resist the small strip of pale skin revealed when Ray’s T-shirt rode up. He licked and the taste of Ray exploded in his mouth. Salt from sweat and the rather odd taste of pine that must be from Ray’s soap. A wicked thought popped in his brain and he did what any good dog would do. He buried his nose in Ray’s crotch. “Hey, what the hell?” Ray tried to push him away. A deep sniff and all of Lou’s natural instincts to mate rose in him. Through the cloying fragrance of Ray’s laundry soap, Lou smelled Ray, hot, male and with the faint scent of arousal. Lou wanted to lick and rub, but he knew Ray wouldn’t be into that kind of sex. “Stop that.” 17

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He let Ray move away from him. “What is it with dogs? Why do you have to do that all the time?” Ray groused as he gathered up the pencils, beer and paper before heading inside. Lou edged back into the forest. He lay down, keeping an eye on the windows of the house. All the lights went off downstairs and one came on upstairs. The curtains were drawn, so he only got a vague impression of Ray as the man got ready for bed. The light went out, and Lou lowered his head to his paws. He would nap and wait. He could feel the passing of time through the pull of the moon and turn of the earth. At roughly three o’clock, he shifted. The change from wolf to human was painful, but he’d done it enough over the years for it to be no more irritating than stubbing his toe. His power surged through him and he controlled it. It was time to try a trick a cute little incubus had taught him years ago. As many decades as Lou had lived, it still amazed him that a majority of humans didn’t recognize the creatures living among them. Beings out of nightmares and daydreams inhabited earth, and it took special people to accept them. He was starting to hope Ray was one of those who could. The incubus had told him that any creature with magic, like a shifter or a vampire, could do what the demon did. He taught Lou how to slide into a human’s dreams. He was going to invade Ray’s dreams and see what made the man tick. Lou realized it was cheating, but why be a shifter if he couldn’t take advantage of his talents? He reached into the tree 18

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he stood under to grab the backpack he’d stashed there with a change of clothes. It was too bad he couldn’t do the dream surfing while he was a wolf, but his animal mind wouldn’t let him do anything unnatural. To a wolf, the thought of slipping into a human’s mind didn’t even appear on its radar. He left the woods to sit on the bench. Closing his eyes, he inhaled, filling his lungs deep with the lingering scent of Ray. Exhaling, he cleared his mind. The restraints on his mind and spirit loosened. He slid away, searching for the thread that would take him to Ray’s dream world. Ah, there it is. Grabbing a hold of it, he tugged and felt the weird tilting sensation that the incubus said meant he was fitting his presence into the dream. Lou opened his eyes and grinned. Seems Ray was reliving what happened in the conference room. Lou’s hand was buried in Ray’s hair at the nape of his neck. His other arm encircled Ray’s waist, bringing the smaller man even closer. Lou nibbled on Ray’s bottom lip and thrust his tongue in as Ray gasped. He stroked Ray’s tongue with his own, eliciting a full body shudder, and Ray arched his back and rubbed their groins together. The incubus had explained to Lou that he could influence and change the course of the dream if he wanted to. The one with the magic could take the dream in a different direction. Lou growled softly. Oh, the experience was going to be a 19

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fantasy Ray would want to remember. No sneezing. No worrying about interruptions. Lou was going to get a chance to find out what Ray’s ass felt like sheathing his cock. He slid his hand down to cup Ray’s ass and massaged those firm cheeks. Without breaking their kiss, Lou managed to get his other hand between them and began unbuttoning Ray’s shirt. “I…” Ray pulled back, gaze shooting to the closed conference door. “No one will walk in. The door’s locked.” Lou licked a line from the pulse pounding at the base of Ray’s throat to the sensitive spot behind the man’s ear. “Besides, haven’t you always wanted to fuck at work? Think of the possibility of someone walking by the room and hearing you call out my name as I ream your ass.” Ray’s eyes crossed and his breathing sped up. A surge of pride ripped through Lou. He seemed to have nailed one of Ray’s ultimate fantasies. Diving back into the dream, he planned on nailing the man’s ass next. Ducking his head, Ray blushed and nodded. “Then don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. No one will really know what we’re doing.” Ray relaxed, and Lou growled, nipping at the vein in Ray’s neck. He teased a piece of flesh where the neck and shoulder met, knowing Ray could cover it if he made a mark there. He 20

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pushed the edges of Ray’s shirt apart, giving him a glimpse of a pale chest and stomach. Ray wasn’t muscular or defined like Lou was, but he wasn’t soft. Lou scraped a nail over the hard nub of Ray’s nipple, and Ray shivered. Forcing his other hand to leave Ray’s ass, he brought it up to pinch Ray’s left nipple, while he bent to flick the right one with his tongue. Ray jerked and his hands gripped Lou’s head, knocking off his baseball cap. Lou let Ray tell him what he wanted. “Please,” Ray sighed, pressing Lou’s face closer to his chest. Lou rumbled, sucking the nipple into his mouth and bathing it with his tongue. “Oh, God.” Ray’s head dropped back, and Lou was forced to grab Ray’s ass to keep the man from tipping over. He traded off, paying equal attention to both hard nubs and feeling his cock throb in time to the noises Ray was making. Their erections rubbed against each other and Lou became annoyed with the feel of fabric instead of skin. With a flex of muscles, he turned them and laid Ray on the table, his hips resting right at the edge. In almost the same motion, Lou unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped Ray’s pants. He hooked his fingers in the waistband and pulled them down, along with Ray’s underwear. Ray’s cock sprang free, and Lou’s mouth watered. He wanted a taste of that thick piece of meat. He leaned forward, leaving a wet trail with his tongue from behind Ray’s balls to 21

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the tip of his prick. “Shit,” Ray shouted and lifted his hips off the table. “No.” Lou pinned Ray to the table and swallowed him down to the root. Licking, nibbling and sucking. Lou did all those things to drive his lover crazy. He freed one of his hands to slide between Ray’s legs and fondle the man’s balls. He tugged and squeezed, taking Ray to the exploding point before backing off. He wanted to hear Ray beg. Head thrashing from side to side, Ray fisted his hands into Lou’s shirt and cried out, “Please. Now, Lou. Please fuck me.” Lou took one of Ray’s hands and wrapped it around the man’s cock. “Stroke yourself. I’m going to get you ready.” Kneeling, Lou spread Ray’s legs farther apart and brought the man’s ass closer to him. He teased Ray’s hole with his finger and tongue. Piercing Ray’s tight opening with both at the same time, he felt Ray almost levitate off the table. Lou didn’t take his time. He got Ray stretched good and fast. There was no way he’d be able to last much longer and he wanted to come in Ray’s ass. Standing, he opened his jeans and pulled out his dick. He spit in his palm and slicked his cock before positioning the flared head at Ray’s hole. “I’ll do it better next time, love. I can’t last much longer now.” Ray curled up and gave him a quick kiss on the chin. “Just fuck me, Lou. I don’t care about next time.” 22

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He snarled and slammed into Ray. Ray’s scream rang out and the scent of Ray’s pleasure filled the air. Lou glanced down and saw pearly strings of cum squirt out of Ray’s cock, covering the man’s stomach, chest and hand. The rhythmic spasms of Ray’s inner channel took Lou right over with Ray and he howled, spilling his seed into Ray’s body. He thrust a few more times, letting the last bits of cum empty into his lover. Falling forward, he braced his hands on either side of Ray’s head and stared down at the smaller man. Ray’s passion-stunned gaze met his and widened. Fear and some other strange emotion danced in Ray’s eyes. “What are you?” Lou gasped. Opening his eyes, he found himself back on the bench. Ray’s question had torn him out of the dream. What had Ray seen in Lou’s gaze that made him ask? Usually Lou had such control over his wolf that no one except another lycan would know he was different. Maybe the fact he had to give up a little control to enter the dream world affected his ability to hide his beast. A light flipped on in the room Lou assumed was Ray’s. Lou dashed from under the oak tree to the safety of the forest. The curtains were flung open, and Lou saw Ray standing there, staring out toward the forest. Did the man realize Lou was watching him? Was he disturbed by the dream? The curtains returned to their closed position, and Lou decided it was time to go home. He needed to get some sleep 23

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before work. Plus he needed to think about what had just happened. As awesome as the incubus’ trick was, it might not have been the best thing for Lou to do. Maybe getting to know Ray the old-fashioned human way would be best. Taking Ray out on dates and having make-out sessions on their couches. Slowly working up to fucking, instead of invading the man’s dream and risking Ray seeing more of Lou than he was ready to reveal.

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CHAPTER 3 Ray yawned as he trudged into the office building the next morning. He hadn’t slept well at all. His cheeks warmed and he knew he was blushing. The graphic x-rated dream he’d had might have had something to do with his restless night. He’d never had a wet dream quite like the one last night. Jerking awake at three-thirty in the morning, covered in his own cum and his ass aching like he’d really been fucked disturbed him slightly. He chuckled into his coffee as he stepped on the elevator. Who was he kidding? That had been the hottest dream he’d ever had and one he hoped could be turned into a reality. Ray thought about it for a second. Okay, maybe not all the 25

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aspects of the dream. He didn’t want Lou to fuck him in the conference room. His face would be beet red every time he had to go in there for meetings at the memory of being screwed on the table, plus he’d have a permanent erection. Even if it was only a dream, the memory of Lou’s cock in his ass made Ray squirm and smile. “Someone’s in a good mood.” Warm breath surrounded Ray’s ear as Lou’s growled words caused Ray to jump, spilling his coffee on Lou’s shoes. “Shit. I’m sorry.” Ray started to kneel, wanting to wipe off the mess. Lou caught him under the arm with one hand and kept him upright. His light hazel eyes studied Ray with a knowing gleam. It was like Lou could read Ray’s mind and knew all about the dream he’d had the night before. He let Lou ease them to the back of the elevator, insuring they stood as close together as possible without Ray being completely wrapped in Lou’s arms. Lou’s hand rested on Ray’s hip and every once in a while his groin would rub against Ray’s ass. Ray bit his bottom lip to keep from whimpering. “As much as I’d love to see you on your knees in front of me, here wouldn’t be the best place for it.” Lou licked Ray’s earlobe. “Um-m-m…” Lou’s low laugh settled in Ray’s groin and his cock stiffened. This couldn’t be happening at work, Ray thought. He didn’t want to walk to his office with a hard-on. Of course, 26

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no one paid any attention to him, so maybe no one would notice. He closed his eyes, ignoring Lou’s heat at his back and took a deep breath. He sneezed. “Excuse me,” he mumbled. While fumbling in his pocket, he handed Lou his coffee cup without thinking. Lou took it and drank from it. The man wrinkled his nose. “How much sugar do you put in this?” Ray pulled out a pill bottle and shook out two tablets. “Six sugars and three creamers. Why?” Lou handed the coffee back with a grimace. “Why not just eat coffee-flavored candy? That shit’s sweet.” “I need the caffeine in the morning.” He popped the pills and swallowed them with a sip of coffee. He tried to shift away from Lou. Ray needed to get control of the attraction he felt for the computer technician or he’d be on his knees, begging the man to fuck him in the elevator. Not very professional. Lou followed him, not letting him break contact. “You seemed to be happy. Get some in your dreams last night?” Lou’s gaze twinkled as Lou winked at him. He almost spit out the liquid he’d just drunk. How had Lou known about the dream? Shaking his head, Ray realized Lou was simply teasing. The man didn’t know Ray had dreamt of them having sex. “Kind of restless. The weirdest thing happened to me, though. I had a wolf visit me last night.” 27

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Lou’s eyebrows shot up. “A wolf? I didn’t think there were any in this area.” “I live out on the edge of the national forest. I haven’t heard anything about the government re-introducing wolves to the region, but you never know. Maybe they traveled here on their own. He was big and black with silver-tipped fur. His eyes reminded me of yours.” Ray snapped his mouth shut. Babbling again. Lou tilted his head, and Ray was reminded of the wolf. He laughed at himself. Silly notion. He noticed Lou wasn’t wearing a ball cap and he couldn’t restrain himself. Reaching out, he ran his hand over Lou’s short-cropped hair. It was black and the spiky strands were tipped in silver. That must have been what made him think of the wolf. Lou closed his eyes and an expression of bliss crossed the man’s face as Ray stroked his hand over Lou’s head. Ray jerked his hand away as the elevator doors opened. Glancing around, he hoped no one had noticed what they were doing. Lou nudged him out of the car and down the hall. Ray felt like he was being herded. “I remind you of the wolf? Maybe I’m a werewolf,” Lou teased, as they stepped into Ray’s office. Ray laughed uneasily. Something danced in the back of his mind, saying there was something about the dream last night he should be thinking about, but it disappeared as soon as Lou brushed their lips together. Ray sneezed and pulled away, grabbing a tissue from the box on his desk. “Sorry.” 28

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“Quit apologizing. Those allergy pills you took must not have kicked in yet. Hope they were the non-drowsy kind.” He smiled. “Yeah. I don’t want to get in trouble for falling asleep at my desk.” “Good thinking. Hey, I got your computer fixed last night. The fix ended up not being quite as elaborate as I thought it would be.” Lou pointed to his computer, which the man held. “You didn’t lose anything either.” “What happened to it?” “It’s sort of technical. Do you want me to explain?” “No. I’m not electronically inclined or computer savvy. I’d be lost within a minute of you telling me what you did to fix it.” Ray tossed his briefcase on his desk and sat, twirling the chair around to face Lou, which put him right at groin level. He focused on the bulge in Lou’s jeans and unknowingly licked his lips. Lou groaned. “Don’t tease me, baby. I’m on the edge as it is.” “Tease you?” He frowned. “I wasn’t teasing.” “Licking your lips and staring at me like I was your favorite flavor of ice cream without planning on doing anything about it is teasing.” Lou shut the door behind him and took a step forward. Ray met Lou’s eyes and a shiver of concern rippled down his spine for a second. The possessive heat flaring in Lou’s hazel eyes was the same look he’d seen in them in his dream, though there had also been a wildness in them very much like 29

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the wolf. His uncertainty must have shown because Lou stopped moving. “I’m joking, Ray. You can tease me all you want.” Lou cradled Ray’s face, caressing his bottom lip with a gentle touch. Could he do something outrageous in public? Was he willing to step out of his comfort zone and take a walk on the wild side? He’d never trusted a man enough to take a chance like that, but there was caring and confidence in Lou’s voice. Ray had a feeling Lou wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Ray grasped Lou’s hips in his hands and tugged the man forward until his groin was inches away from Ray’s mouth. He looked up at Lou and grinned before leaning forward to place an open-mouthed kiss on Lou’s fabric-covered cock. “Fuck, Ray,” Lou gasped. “I certainly hope that’s what will happen eventually,” he murmured, fumbling with the zipper on Lou’s jeans. “At the moment, I’m done teasing.” *

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Staring down at Ray, Lou tried to keep his surprise hidden. He’d never expected the younger man to be confident enough to make this sort of move at work. He reined in his control and ran his fingers through Ray’s dark curls, tugging on them to bring Ray’s gaze up to meet his. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I was teasing.” He didn’t want Ray feeling like he had to give Lou a blowjob. 30

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Ray’s brown eyes sparkled with lust and excitement. “I know, but I’m not teasing. You locked the door, right?” He nodded. What else could he say? Ray seemed eager to do it, and Lou wasn’t about to pass up a chance to have those plump lips wrapped around his cock. Ray nuzzled against his erection, causing Lou’s inner wolf to jump to its feet and howl. He moaned softly. “I don’t have a condom with me.” He thought he’d give one last token protest. Ray shrugged. “I want to taste you and I’m willing to risk it for that.” Lou couldn’t think of any other reason to try to talk Ray out of it. He grinned down at Ray and finished unzipping his pants. “Who am I to deny you what you want?” Ray slid his hand into the opening and surrounded Lou’s prick with a firm grip. Lou wanted to move, but he figured he’d let Ray run the show this time. He just hoped those allergy pills had kicked in. He really didn’t want Ray sneezing while the man had his cock in his mouth. Teeth that close to his favorite body part made him nervous. A murmur of appreciation left Ray’s lips when he revealed Lou. Lou’s head fell back and his eyes closed as Ray’s moist mouth enveloped him. A whimper tore from his throat. As much as the wolf wanted to take over and fuck Ray’s mouth until he came, Lou kept control. He wasn’t sure how much of his length Ray could take and gagging his new lover wasn’t a good idea if he wanted another blowjob any time soon. Either Ray had a lot of experience or was a natural. He 31

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swallowed Lou down to the base of his cock, burying his nose in the curls surrounding it. Lou grunted as the head of his prick bumped the back of Ray’s throat. “Fuck,” he swore. It had been years since anyone had taken in his entire length. Not that he was long or anything, but he was thick and a lot of guys complained about him making their jaws ache. No complaining from Ray. In fact, it sounded like Ray was enjoying himself by the moans and hums coming from him. Ray worked Lou’s cock, licking it like it was his favorite Popsicle. Lou jerked when Ray cradled his balls in one hand, rolling them and squeezing, playing with them. Ray’s other hand pumped Lou’s shaft in rhythm with Ray bobbing his head up and down. Lou threaded his hands into Ray’s curls and held his lover’s head firmly. Ray pulled back slightly, pressing the tip of his tongue into the slit on the top of Lou’s dick. The little twinge of pain broke Lou’s control. He growled, trying to warn Ray, but Ray relaxed, letting Lou take over, and Lou started fucking Ray’s mouth like he’d wanted from the beginning. The scent of sex and sweat filled the air. Lou panted as his climax built. Ray removed his hand from Lou’s shaft and braced it on Lou’s thigh, allowing Lou to use his mouth. “God, Ray, you’re incredible. Your mouth should be a national treasure,” Lou mumbled, letting the words tumble out. A blush colored Ray’s cheeks, but the younger man didn’t 32

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try to move away. He simply applied more suction, and Lou’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Shit. Ray, I’m gonna come. Any minute now.” Lou’s climax pooled at the base of his spine and drew his balls tight to his body. His movements lost their grace and he trembled. Ray slipped his hand from Lou’s balls and eased it farther back, forcing Lou to widen his stance. Tilting his hips to give Ray access to his ass slid Lou’s cock deeper into Ray’s mouth and caused Ray to gag. Lou tried to pull back. He didn’t want to choke Ray. Ray shook his head and swallowed, massaging Lou’s prick with his throat muscles. At the same time, Ray breeched Lou’s hole with his middle finger. Lights exploded before Lou’s eyes as the burn in his ass shot through his entire body to ignite his climax. He barely managed to keep from howling out loud when cum burst from his shaft, flooding Ray’s mouth and throat. He rocked between Ray’s mouth and finger until the last drop of spunk drained from him. Ray licked him clean while he supported himself with braced hands on the back of Ray’s chair. With a soft kiss to the flared head of Lou’s cock, Ray tucked Lou back in and zipped him up. Lou stared at the debauched image Ray presented as the man leaned back in his chair. Ray’s lips were swollen and they glistened. His pale cheeks were flushed and his dark curls were in disarray, like the man had just climbed out of bed. Lou bent, kissing Ray hard and demanding entrance. Ray 33

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opened, and Lou swept his tongue in, enjoying their mingled flavors. Stepping away, he glanced at Ray’s groin. “Do you need help?” Ray ducked his head and blushed. “No. I came when you did.” Lou’s cock twitched. The idea that Ray got off giving Lou head excited him. He brushed his thumb over Ray’s chin, lifting Ray’s face and smiling when their eyes met. “You have no idea how hot you are.” Ray’s smile wasn’t as big as Lou’s, but happiness shone in it. Ray wrinkled his nose. “The only bad thing is I have to sit around in sticky pants the rest of the day.” Lou chuckled. “Give me your house keys and I’ll run over to your house, grab you a clean pair and be back before anyone will miss me.” Ray studied him for a second and then nodded. “Okay.” He took the keys and the directions Ray had written down for him, even though he could find Ray’s house in the dark. Giving Ray another quick kiss, he headed for the office door. “I’ll be back and then we’ll see if I can’t have you for lunch.” He winked and left, smiling at the shocked laughter coming from Ray’s office.

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CHAPTER 4 “Ray.” Ray straightened, lifting his head off his desk and whirling around. His boss stood in the doorway. “Yes, sir.” “Do you have the Kryler website done?” Bending over, he searched through his bag for one of his flash drives. “Yes, sir. It’s finished. I worked on it at home. One of the IT guys fixed my office computer, so I should be able to get back to work on the update to the Simpson site today.” “Good work. We’ll need those updates a.s.a.p. You must’ve stayed up late getting it done since you looked beat.” 35

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His boss took the flash drive and started to leave. “Oh, do you know where Canis is?” Ray blushed and ducked his head. He was glad he wore his shirt untucked, so his boss couldn’t see the damp spots on his pants. “No, Mr. Willow. He should be stopping by to hook my computer back up for me.” “Strange.” Mr. Willow frowned. “I swore I saw him walk into your office a while ago.” If Ray blushed any more, people would mistake him for a beet. No way was he going to tell his boss Lou had left to pick up a clean pair of pants for him. He didn’t think Willow would find that explanation funny. Mr. Willow shrugged. “Oh, well, I’ll find him later.” Ray waited until his boss left the room before banging his head against his desk. “What the hell were you thinking?” he grumbled, resting his chin on his folded arms. “Giving Lou a blow job in your office during working hours was stupid.” Yes, it sure wasn’t the brightest thing Ray had ever done in his life, but he smirked. It definitely was the most fun he’d ever had at work. He glanced at his watch. Lou would be back in ten minutes. Ray wasn’t going to be able to concentrate until his pants were less sticky, plus Lou hadn’t gotten around to hooking up his computer. Closing his eyes, he thought about his dream. His cock twitched, starting to get interested again. 36

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Sneeze. He reached for a tissue as he turned toward the door, expecting to see Lou. “You made better time than I thought…” His mouth went dry at the sight greeting him. An enormous man leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over a massive chest. He wore a dark blue T-shirt with Wolf Pack emblazoned on it. Faded blue jeans clung to every inch of his incredibly long legs and black cowboy boots completed the look. Shooting his gaze back to the man’s face, Ray found himself staring at an older version of Lou. He had the same light hazel eyes, except there was a hint of sadness in the stranger’s. Long black hair with silver at the tips was pulled back into a braid. Ray wiped his chin, checking for drool, and sneezed again. The cold eyes narrowed and the man said, “You getting sick?” Ray shook his head. “No. Allergies.” He tossed the tissue in the wastebasket. “Can I help you with something?” The man strolled over, offering Ray a callused hand. “I’m Rover Canis, Lou’s older brother. I need to talk to him about something important, but he’s not answering his phone. Guy down the hall said he saw Lou with you earlier.” “Brother, huh? I’d have known you were related to Lou. The two of you look alike—big, sexy and amazingly hot.” He never thought he’d be grateful for a sneeze his entire life, but this one stopped him from running off at the mouth any worse than he just had. 37

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Rover rested a hip against Ray’s desk and studied him. Ray leaned away when the large man bent down and sniffed him. “You my little brother’s lover?” He blinked at Rover’s blunt question. “N-n-n-o-o,” he stammered. Skepticism shone in Rover’s eyes. “I don’t believe you because you smell like sex and Lou, plus you’re pretty enough to flip all of his switches.” “Umm…” He didn’t know what to say. His nose was running and his eyes were watering. Pretty he wasn’t. His allergy medicine must have worn off. “Don’t sweat it, honey. Lou’s a good guy and he’ll take care of you.” Rover looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. “Fuck. I have to get going. Tell Lupine I need him to stop by and check my computer. It’s running like a dog.” Rover’s chuckle sounded more like a bark. “Lupine?” Rover turned back as he stopped just inside the door. “Yeah. Our last name is Canis. Rover and Lupine. When you meet the rest of the pack, you’ll find out what an evil sense of humor our bitch of a mother has.” Rover nodded at him and left, but Ray barely noticed the other man was gone. He was stuck on “when you meet the pack.” Meeting a guy’s family was a huge step and spoke of commitment and love. Sucking Lou off didn’t mean Ray was ready to spend his life with Lou. It just meant Ray was a slut. 38

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“Ray, I got your clothes.” Lou entered Ray’s office, carrying a duffle bag. “I’m not ready to meet your family. I’m not ready for any kind of commitment. I mean we just met. A couple of kisses and a blow job doesn’t make a solid foundation for life partners.” Ray wrung his hands, panic setting in. Stunned bewilderment crossed Lou’s face. “Okay. We’ll just fuck. No commitment ceremonies. No rings and no meeting the parents.” Lou spoke to Ray like he was trying to soothe a crazy person. Ray inhaled deeply and sneezed. All the marbles he was losing slid back into place and Ray groaned. “I’m an idiot. Your brother stopped by and he knew we’d done stuff. Said I smelled like you. He made a comment about meeting the rest of the pack and seeing what an evil bitch your mother was. I panicked. What kind of mother names two of her children Rover and Lupine?” His rambling was cut short by Lou’s lips crashing down on his. *

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Lou took his time, nibbling on Ray’s bottom lip. He licked along the inside of Ray’s mouth and caused him to shiver. Ray wrapped his arms around him, like an octopus clinging to his prey. Reaching around Ray’s back, Lou cradled Ray’s ass in his hands and lifted slightly, letting Ray’s groin rub against his. 39

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The phone rang before they could get deeper into the kiss. Ray broke away with a wild look on his face. Lou let him go answer the phone. “Hello?” Ray looked at him, and Lou leered. Ray’s cheeks went a pretty shade of pink. “Yes, he is, Mr. Willow. I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.” Hanging up the phone, Ray grabbed the bag off the floor. Lou rested a hip against Ray’s desk and smiled. “You met Rover, huh?” He watched Ray open the duffle bag and pull out the clothes he’d packed. Without being told, he went over to the door and shut it, locking it as well. He leaned back on it and raised an eyebrow when Ray frowned at him. “Mr. Willow wants to talk to you,” Ray informed him. “I heard. Anyway, tell me what set you off like that.” He held up his hand. “I know Rover can be a little intimidating at times, but he wouldn’t hurt you.” Ray turned his back on Lou and stripped. Lou closed his eyes to the sight of Ray’s pale ass bent over as the man tugged his pants off. He fought the urge to reach out and stroke a finger down Ray’s crease. That would probably freak Ray out at the moment. “I didn’t think he would, but he’s huge.” “Yeah, it’s because he pushed all of us out of the way at feeding time,” Lou mumbled, peeking through his eyelashes to check if Ray was dressed or not. 40

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His cock twitched and stood up to beg. A pair of cotton boxers now covered Ray’s stellar ass and the man was pulling on his pants. “How many siblings do you have?” Ray zipped up and turned back. “Six. It’s a standard litter in our family.” Lou knelt by Ray’s desk and started plugging in the cords for Ray’s computer. “Litter?” Fuck. He banged his head on the underside of Ray’s desk. He needed to start paying more attention to what he was saying than to Ray’s body or he was going to spill more information than he wanted. “A family joke.” He covered his ass. Ray sat in his chair and pushed it away out of Lou’s way. “Like calling your mother a bitch?” “Oh, no, she is one,” he murmured, distracted by the twisted cords and trying to get them untangled. “Is she mean?” Ray flipped open a sketchbook, picked up a pencil and starting drawing. “Mom’s evil. She runs all of our lives and her nose gets out of joint if we don’t call her every day. She’s made sure we’ll never forget her after she dies because of the cruel names she gave us all.” He finished hooking the computer up and rocked back on his heels to glance over at Ray. Ray was bent over the book, pencil flying and scratching across the paper. Lou pulled a knee up to rest his arms on. Watching Ray draw fascinated 41

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him. Lou wondered what it would be like to have all that intensity focused on him. He vowed to experience that soon. “Do you get along with your family?” Ray sounded puzzled. “Sure, we do. We have dinner together every week and once a month we spend the weekend together. You’ve never experienced anything like one of those weekends. We go crazy.” He shifted slightly and sighed. “What did Rover want?” “He said his computer is running like a dog and he needed you to stop by to check it out.” Ray frowned. “For some reason, he acted like that was funny.” Lou rolled his eyes. Of course, Rover found the statement “running like a dog” funny. The man had a terrible sense of humor. “I’ll call him later and stop by his bar.” He pushed to his feet and walking past Ray, trailed a hand over his shoulder. “Rover has a bar?” “You did see my brother, right? What else do you think he’d be doing? He owns The Wolf Pack on the other side of town from your house.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “Rover and Spike are partners in the bar. Spot, Lassie, and Bandit work the floor and the bar. Patches is a cop.” Hearing a snicker, he looked up and caught Ray covering his mouth with a hand. “Go ahead. Laugh. I told you, my mother is an evil bitch. Luckily, not a lot of people get the joke. I mean come on, a girl named Lassie Canis. You’d swear my mom hated us. 42

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Patches has it the worst. She’s a detective in the police department. I’m sure her partner has had to bust a lot of heads because my parents have a sick sense of humor.” Ray burst into guffaws, doubling over and holding his gut. God, he was cute when he laughed. A smile was a good expression for Ray to wear. “I thought your brother was joking when he said something about your siblings’ names, but I guess you’re right. Your mother is an evil woman.” Ray wiped the tears from his cheeks and drew in a breath, sneezing as he did so. “I love my mom dearly, but she takes too much joy in making our lives miserable.” He leaned over and brushed a quick kiss over Ray’s mouth. “I better go and check out what Willow wants. I’ll come and get you at noon for lunch.” “I look forward to it. Thanks for the pants.” Grabbing his hand, Ray pulled him back for another kiss. “Maybe we should go out for lunch.” His imagination ran wild and he knew exactly where they were going because he couldn’t wait to taste Ray. *

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“You ready to go?” Ray looked up and smiled. Lou stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the frame above him and the other tucked in his front pocket. The stance stretched Lou’s body out perfectly, raising the blue shirt he wore enough to bare a strip of Lou’s flat stomach. He shut down his computer, stood and joined Lou at the 43

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door. Not caring who saw, he stroked his fingers over Lou’s hard abs, teasing the other man’s belly button. Ray nuzzled under Lou’s chin, licking along Lou’s jugular. “Feeling frisky, huh?” Lou dropped his head to the side, giving Ray access to more skin. “It feels like a lifetime since this morning,” Ray murmured before sucking on the sensitive spot behind Lou’s ear. “Fuck.” Lou wrapped his arm around Ray’s waist, pulling him closer for a second. Someone coughed down the hall, and Ray sneezed. Lou stepped back, allowing Ray to shut the door. They headed down to the elevators. “Where are we going?” Ray hoped it would be someplace private where he and Lou could get to know each other on a more personal level. He wanted to relive the part of his dream where he got fucked by Lou, but not in the conference room. He sneezed as they stepped into the elevator. People crowded in with them and he pressed tight to Lou. His ass pressed against Lou’s groin, and Lou growled low. “Why don’t you sneeze when we’re fooling around? Does the blood leaving your head take your allergies away for the time being?” Lou whispered in his ear. Ray shrugged. At the moment, he wasn’t concerned about why he only sneezed when they weren’t making out. He cared about getting away from the office and getting Lou naked enough for Ray to have some fun. Without looking back at Lou, he rocked his hips, rubbing 44

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Lou’s jean-clad erection against his crease. Lou nipped the back of his neck, and Ray shivered. “You’re playing with fire, baby. If you aren’t careful, there won’t be foreplay when I get you alone. You keep teasing me and I’ll take that ass as soon as I can bend you over.” Ray bit back a moan. “The place where we’re going to lunch isn’t too far away, is it?” “No. It’s a very private park, where you and I can spend some quality time together.” God, he wanted to be there right that second. Ray managed to keep from pushing people out of the way when the doors opened on the first floor. Lou rested his hand on the small of Ray’s back and ushered him out of the building. “My truck’s over here.” Ray let Lou lead the way. He found his attention focusing on Lou’s tight ass flexing in front of him with each step his lover took. Lou stopped next to a black Chevy Silverado and unlocked the doors. Ray climbed in with some help from Lou, though he figured it was an excuse for Lou to grope him because he didn’t really need any help. He managed to get his seat belt buckled without too much trouble from his shaking hands. Lou shut the door, raced around to the driver’s side and jumped in. The truck roared to life, and Lou swore under his breath when he had to wait for people to get out of the way before he could pull out of the parking lot. “Where are we going? Is it really private? Will we be able to have sex there?” Ray slapped a hand over his mouth. His 45

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face was on fire as he blushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Lou grabbed Ray’s hand and shoved it between his legs. Ray cradled Lou’s cock, stroking it through the man’s jeans. He shot a glance at Lou, a wicked thought dancing through his head. He searched out the zipper and worked the metal down to make an opening so he could fit his hand into Lou’s pants. Lou sucked in his stomach to make a little more room for Ray. Ray pulled Lou’s prick out and pumped, causing Lou to tighten his grip on the steering wheel. “This might not be the best idea, but I can’t bring myself to stop you,” Lou forced out, his teeth clenched as he stared straight ahead. Ray didn’t reply. He was too caught up in learning the feel of Lou’s shaft in his hand. His strokes were gentle and soft as he memorized the heft and heat of Lou’s flesh. On the upward stroke, he swiped his palm across the wet head of Lou’s cock and used the pre-cum to ease the friction. He pressed the heel of his other hand against his own hardon. He didn’t want to come in his pants for the second time that day, but if he jacked off Lou, he just might not be able to control his own release. “Harder, baby. Faster,” Lou begged, his hips rocking up to thrust his shaft through Ray’s hand. Ray obeyed, fisting Lou’s cock with a firm grip and sliding up and down as fast as he could without knocking his knuckles against the steering wheel. “Shit. Your hand feels so good, Ray.” Lou shot a glance 46

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over at him and snarled, “Don’t come. I want to drink you down.” He whimpered and nodded, taking a deep breath to try to get control over his own climax. God, the thought of Lou’s mouth on his cock almost threw him over the edge, but he held on by a thread. Lou whipped the truck into what Ray assumed was a parking lot since he wasn’t looking at anything except the hard rod in his hand. The truck slammed to a stop, and Lou angled the steering wheel out of the way. Somehow, around Ray’s hand, Lou got his belt unbuckled and pants unbuttoned, giving Ray even more flesh to play with. He moved his hand down to fondle Lou’s balls, squeezing them until Lou grunted. He scraped his fingernail over the soft patch of skin right behind them. Lou jerked and grabbed his hand, wrapping it back around his cock to show Ray how he liked being jerked off, the grip tight and stroke fast. He settled in a strong rhythm with Lou. “Come on, Lou. I want to smell you.” Like the cab of the truck didn’t already smell of sex and sweat, but Ray wanted the unique scent that was Lou’s alone. Lou howled, and moist heat spilled over Ray’s hand. He kept milking Lou’s dick, wanting every drop of cum he could get from the man. The last drop squirted from Lou and Ray’s lover wilted back against the seat. When Lou’s passion-glazed eyes met his, Ray lifted his cum-covered hand to his mouth and licked it clean. Lou moaned, “When I can move, I’m going to swallow 47

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you down and suck you until you scream. And then we’ll get to the fucking.” Ray shivered at the wild look in Lou’s eyes, like the man was devouring him with his gaze. He couldn’t wait until Lou filled him. *

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Lou inhaled, the scent of his own cum filling his nose, and he growled, the wolf inside him wanting out. He wrestled the beast down, pinning it back. He didn’t want to scare Ray by showing his lover what lurked inside, though he had a feeling Ray must have seen something in their shared dream. When the strength returned to his muscles, he climbed out of the truck and stalked around it to the passenger side. He yanked open the door and threaded his fingers through the curls at the nape of Ray’s neck, urging the smaller man to lean forward. Their lips met and the kiss wasn’t gentle. Lou took Ray’s mouth like a starving wolf attacking fresh meat. He bit and sucked on Ray’s bottom lip, tasting not only Ray’s unique flavor, but the saltiness of his own seed. He took advantage of Ray’s surprised gasp and thrust his tongue into the moist heat of Ray’s mouth, imitating the more intimate act he wanted to perform. Ray’s hands fisted in Lou’s shirt and pulled him closer. A whimper of frustration emerged from Ray’s throat when the seatbelt stopped them from melding together. Trailing wet kisses down Ray’s throat, Lou fumbled with 48

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the latch on the belt and managed to pop it. The release of his constraint caused Ray to leap out of the truck, wrapping around Lou like an octopus around his prey. Lou staggered for a second before he caught his balance and cupped Ray’s ass with both hands. Ray arched back, presenting his throat for Lou’s not-so-tender attention. Lou thrilled to the trust Ray placed in him not to drop him. He could easily hold Ray up, but he decided it was safer for both of them to move to the bed of the truck. He kept his mouth off Ray’s pale skin long enough to get the tailgate on his truck down and set Ray on it. Ray protested, “Don’t go.” Lou chuckled. “If you think I’m leaving now, you’re crazy. Strip. I have to grab some stuff from the cab.” Ray fumbled with his buttons and zipper so fast one would think his clothes were on fire. Lou paused to admire the baring of all that pale smooth skin before he remembered what he was getting out of the cab. Racing to the front of the truck, he jerked open the glove box to find a condom and a small, battered tube of slick. Damn, I should’ve been a Boy Scout. Always prepared was a motto he firmly believed in. He slammed the glove box shut and started to head back to Ray when he saw the blanket behind the seat. Lou grabbed it, not wanting to bruise Ray by nailing him on the unyielding steel of his truck bed. The only bruises he wanted to see on the man were ones he put there during sex. Skidding around the side of the truck, he stopped and his jaw dropped. Every other part of his body stood up and took 49

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notice of how Ray looked stretched out and naked, framed by all that black metal. He almost whined at the sight of Ray stroking his own prick. The way Ray put his entire body into the movement nearly drove Lou out of his mind. His inner wolf clawed at his restraints and barked. It scented a warm and willing partner and it wanted to mount Ray right then without any foreplay. Closing his eyes, Lou breathed deeply. If he went too fast, he’d hurt Ray and that wasn’t an option. “Lou?” Ray’s voice held a hint of uncertainty. “It’s all right, honey. I don’t want to hurt you and I’m feeling a little out of control.” He opened his eyes to see Ray staring at him with concern in his gaze. Ray sat up and reached for him. He took the man’s hand and let Ray steady him as he climbed into the bed. They faced each other for moments. Ray cradled Lou’s face in his hand and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. “It’s okay. You wouldn’t hurt me,” Ray whispered. Again, such trust from this man made Lou shake with emotion. He got the blanket spread, even with trembling hands. He waved to the makeshift love nest. Without saying anything, Ray settled in the middle on his hands and knees. Lou moaned at the lust-inducing picture in front of him. Ray’s tight ass presented perfectly for Lou to reach out and bite. He nipped one cheek, and Ray gasped. Chuckling, he bit the other one, marking Ray with matching imprints. He popped the top off the lube and squirted some on his fingers. Skimming his fingers down Ray’s crease, he rubbed them 50

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over the puckered rosette of Ray’s opening. Ray sighed and pushed back, trying to get Lou’s fingers to breech him. Lou eased one finger in, just an inch or so, before pulling it out and sliding in two. Ray’s body bowed, dropping his forehead to rest on the back of his folded arms. His thighs spread, giving Lou better access to the most private part of his body, and Lou had to stop or he’d come again. He didn’t want that until he could come inside of Ray’s body. Moving away, he worked fast, getting naked as quickly as possible. He dropped the condom package, swearing under his breath as he picked it up and got it torn open. Rolling the rubber on his engorged cock was sheer torture. Positioning himself between Ray’s legs, he used one hand to steady the blunt head of his prick at Ray’s exposed hole. He fought the urge to slam home and claim Ray at that exact moment. Gripping Ray’s hip with his other hand, he encouraged the younger man to rock back onto his cock. Together, their rhythm steady and slow, they managed to impale Ray on Lou’s shaft without causing too much pain. Lou gritted his teeth when he was buried balls deep in Ray’s ass. God, how he wanted to thrust and flood Ray’s inner passage with his seed. That would come, he told his beast silently. When Ray understood what it meant to be the partner of a lycan. He pried his hand off Ray’s hip and slid around to wrap his hand around Ray’s throbbing dick. The first stroke made Ray cry out softly and thrust forward into Lou’s hand, dragging his 51

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ass off Lou’s erection. Ray shoved his ass back, causing Lou’s balls to slap his thighs. That was the sign Lou was looking for. Bending forward to cover Ray from behind, he nuzzled the vulnerable neck bared for him. A quick lick and Ray’s inner channel contracted around him. Each stroke of cock and hand drove them closer to the edge. Lou’s balls drew tight to his body and he knew his climax was near. “Coming,” he grunted in warning to Ray. “Yes.” Ray’s voice rose in a shout as Lou milked Ray’s climax from him, squeezing and pumping each drop of liquid. Lou’s climax exploded through him and he lost control of his wolf. Leaning forward, Lou set his teeth into Ray’s warm flesh and held the writhing Ray in place while he reamed his ass and filled the condom. Ray froze until Lou stopped jerking. Lou forced his teeth apart and licked the abused flesh, soothing the sting with his own saliva. Thank God, he didn’t break the skin. Ray wasn’t ready for him to taste him that way. Ray’s arms gave out and they collapsed into a heap of sweaty arms and legs. Lou pulled out, eliciting a shudder from both of them. He took care of the condom and used the corner of the blanket to clean them up. Unfolding it even more, he tucked the fabric around them, covering Ray’s naked flesh. He wasn’t willing to let anyone happen by and see his lover in all his glorious just-fucked beauty. “We should head back,” Ray commented sleepily. 52

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Lou set the alarm on his watch and snuggled close to Ray, spooning the man tight to him. “We have time for a nap, sweetheart. I’ll make sure we get back to work on time.” Ray murmured something, but Lou didn’t understand the words. He grinned and licked the mark on Ray’s neck again. He’d worn Ray out and that was the sign of a great lover as far as Lou was concerned. He stretched, his inner wolf content for the time being to rest and cuddle the human it claimed as its own.

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CHAPTER 5 “Hey, Ray, working late tonight?” Ray blinked and turned to see one of his co-workers sticking his head around the doorframe. He shook his head. “No. Just lost track of time.” Shifting his chair, he winced slightly. “You work too hard, man. You need to get out and have some fun.” The man waved a hand at him before heading to the elevator. A sly grin crossed Ray’s face. The ache in his ass proved he knew how to go out and have fun. His fun just didn’t include going to a loud bar and drinking. One-on-one was more his style. 54

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He shut down his computer and grabbed his duffle bag. There was a crowd around the elevator, so he took the stairs. He hadn’t heard from Lou since lunch, but he figured the man was busy and couldn’t spend all of his time entertaining Ray. He was hoping they could get together on the weekend. Maybe then Lou could spend all night making Ray scream. Ray chuckled, swinging the duffle bag in front of his groin. No need to let everyone see his excitement. He signed out and hustled outside toward his car. “Ray. Wait.” Turning, he saw Lou sprinting across the parking lot. Ray unlocked his car, tossed his bag inside and turned as Lou barreled into him. “Umph…” His back hit the car and Lou’s mouth slammed down onto his lips. He gripped Lou’s arms to keep his balance, ignoring the catcalls and whistles from his fellow workers. Lou pulled away when Ray’s vision started to blur at the edges. “Shit. Sorry about kissing you, but the only thing I could think about all afternoon was your mouth.” Lou’s smile was unapologetic. “It’s all right. I don’t mind. I hoped I’d be able to see you before I went home.” He smoothed his hand over Lou’s chest. “I have a better idea. Why don’t I follow you home, drop off your car and you can go with me to Rover’s place?” Sneeze. His eyes started watering. Lou handed him a handkerchief. He sneezed again and nodded. 55

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“I’d like that. Will your whole family be there?” A shiver of apprehension chased over him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to meet Lou’s family. Rover had been a little overwhelming and he’d only talked to the man for a few minutes. What would all of Lou’s siblings be like together? “Mom and Dad are out of town on family business. Spike’s off playing lone wolf for a few weeks. Her last relationship ended badly, so she’s licking her wounds in some cave. Patches is on duty, though she might stop by for supper. You’ll only have to deal with five of us.” Ray frowned. As an only child, he never got the whole sibling dynamic. “Your mom named a girl Spike?” “Well, when you meet Spike, you’ll understand.” Lou caressed his cheek. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t want to go. Maybe we could have dinner with Patches and Darren, my brother-in-law. They’re the most normal of the pack.” “Why do you call your family a pack?” Ray asked, interested, but also buying some time while he thought about Lou’s offer. Lou shrugged. “I guess because that’s what it feels like we are. More crazy and dysfunctional than most families.” Lou leaned in and whispered, “They’re all twins.” “Twins?” He tried to stop the full-body shiver caused by Lou’s warm breath on his ear. “Yep. Rover and Spike. Bandit and Lassie. Spot and Patches. All twins. I’m the odd one out, besides being the youngest. No twin.” 56

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Sneeze. “Really?” Sneeze. God, could he do more than simply ask questions? He stuffed Lou’s handkerchief in his pocket and decided. “I’ll go to the bar with you.” “Great.” Lou bounced like an eager puppy. “I’ll follow you to your house.” Sneeze. “I’ll have to run in and change.” “And grab some allergy medicine, I think.” Lou winked at him. “That, too.” He gave Lou a quick kiss and climbed in the car. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into his driveway, shut off the car and went inside. He left the door open for Lou while he ran upstairs to change. “Ray, where are you?” Lou’s voice echoed through the house. Ray laughed as he leaned out his bedroom door. “I’m upstairs. I’ll be down in a minute.” “Okay. I called Rover. He knows we’re coming.” Ray finished tying his shoes, stopped by the bathroom for some allergy pills, and headed back downstairs. As he came down, Lou met him at the bottom. Standing on the last step made him the same height as Lou. He sighed as Lou embraced him and their lips met. He opened, giving Lou what he demanded, entrance to his 57

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mouth. Encircling Lou’s shoulders, he pressed as close as he could with clothes on. Lou nibbled along Ray’s bottom lip, and Ray moaned. The sting of pain was soothed by a lick from Lou before the man dove deep into Ray’s mouth, stroking his tongue over Ray’s. Lou slid his hands down Ray’s back to pat Ray’s ass, squeezing the firm cheeks and lifting him to fit their groins together. They rocked in tandem, Lou’s strength turning Ray on even more. He wanted Lou to push him against the wall and take him, hard and fast. He groaned as Lou pulled away, chest heaving. “Damn. We keep this up and we’ll never show at the bar.” He grinned, rubbing his erection against Lou’s. “I’m in favor of that.” “So am I, but I’ll never hear the end of it from the rest if we don’t show.” Lou sighed, letting Ray slip down and holding him while Ray found his balance. “Just keep that thought. We’ll finish later when I bring you home.” Ray grimaced, adjusting his cock in his too-tight pants. “That isn’t going to make it easier for me to meet the rest of your family. I’ll be thinking about later and I’ll be walking around with a hard-on all night.” “Don’t worry about it. Rover’s already told all of them about you, so it’s not like they’ll be surprised or offended. Trust me; it’s hard to embarrass this group.” Lou nuzzled his neck, licking a line from where his neck and shoulder met to the spot behind his ear. “I like the idea you’re going to be hard for me while we’re at the bar. It’ll keep the rest of the guys 58

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there away from you.” Ray was thrilled at the possessiveness in Lou’s voice. He’d never thought he’d find a boyfriend who would be that interested in him. He snuggled close for a second. “No sharing, huh?” he teased. Lou’s chest vibrated with a low rumble as Ray found himself squashed up against Lou’s body and his mouth ravaged. By the time Lou finished claiming him, his lips were swollen and his lungs were almost empty of air. Lou set him back on his feet and gripped his arms tight. “You’re mine, Ray. I won’t share with anyone. If that’s what you’re looking for, we’ll call it quits now.” Ray stared at the flare of anger and wildness in Lou’s gaze. This time, the shiver crawling down Ray’s spine wasn’t lust, but fear. There was a hint of animalistic rage in the depths of Lou’s hazel eyes, giving them a red tint. “I was teasing, Lou. I don’t play games like that.” He tried to ease away from Lou, whose tense body quivered like the man was fighting something inside trying to get out. Lou shook himself and took a deep breath. He let go of Ray and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Shit, Ray, I’m sorry. I know you were teasing. Must’ve struck a nerve I didn’t even know existed. I’m not usually this possessive or anything. Must be your hot body that gets me all tied up in knots.” Whatever Lou had struggled with was gone. The tension lifted, and Ray heaved a mental sigh of relief. He cradled Lou’s cheek and brushed a quick kiss over the man’s mouth. 59

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“I don’t want to share you either. Get that straight. The only messing around we do will be with each other.” He stepped away, picking up his keys and wallet from the hallway table. “Since we seem to have declared ourselves, I guess it’s time to meet your pack.” Ray smiled at Lou’s suddenly nervous look. “I’ll kill them if they frighten you away,” Lou muttered as he walked past Ray and out of the house. “Don’t worry. I think the sex trumps anything your siblings might do.” Ray pinched Lou’s ass and giggled at Lou’s squeak. He could tell the night was going to be fun, even if he was scared to death to meet Lou’s family. *

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Lou drove to Rover’s bar, casting occasional glances over at Ray. He tried to figure out what the hell had happened in Ray’s house. When he heard Ray talk about sharing, he thought his wolf was going to break free and mount Ray on the stairs, claiming him in the most primal way possible. Lou didn’t have anything against rough sex. It had its place in a relationship, but this time with Ray, it would have shown his lover a side of Lou he wasn’t yet ready to see. Lou didn’t want to scare Ray off. He wanted the foundations of their relationship to be solid before he admitted to being a werewolf. Ray reached over and squeezed his knee. “Are you nervous about introducing me to your family?” 60

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Shaking his head, Lou laughed. “No. I’m afraid when you meet this bunch, you’ll run screaming and never want to have anything to do with me again.” “I don’t see that happening.” Ray ran his fingers along the in-seam of Lou’s jeans to the crease where his thigh and hip met. “Ah, you say that now, but my family’s been known to bring war heroes to tears. Bikers have been scared to death by members of my family.” That wasn’t a lie. Some biker had come across Bandit while he was shifting and the man died of a heart attack. Lou remembered the ribbing Bandit had gotten from the rest of them about it. Poor guy had had shifting issues ever since. He chuckled. “So you’re the youngest?” Lou spread his legs a little to give Ray more room to touch. “Yeah. Rover and Spike are thirty-six. Bandit and Lassie are thirty-four. Patches and Spot are thirty-two. Then there’s me at thirty.” His mom was regular as clockwork, popping out the pups every two years until Lou. When he was born without a twin, his parents had decided it was time to stop having children. “Does it feel weird? Not having a twin of your own?” His lover was observant. “At times, it was lonely. To a certain extent, I can figure out what everyone in the pack is thinking, but the twins have a mental connection that goes beyond me. My parents tried to 61

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make me feel less of an oddball. They’d take me places without the others.” He shrugged. “Mom always said there was a reason why I was born without a twin. We just haven’t figured it out yet.” “Twins run in your family?” Ray pressed the palm of his hand to the growing bulge in Lou’s jeans. Lou moaned and rocked his pelvis up against Ray’s fingers. “Oh, hell, yeah.” He wasn’t sure if he was commenting on Ray’s question or Ray’s touch. “Is Patches the only one married?” Ray applied more pressure, causing Lou’s zipper to bite into his shaft. The hint of pain made Lou growl. “Ummm…” What the hell was the question? Oh, right, Patches. “She sure is. Met Darren in the police academy and it was love at first sight, though she didn’t let him know. Darren had to chase her down. They got married two years ago and already have a set of twins, Lucy and Linus.” “Any other serious possibilities for the others?” He closed his eyes briefly as Ray teased him by playing with his zipper. “I wouldn’t do that, love. I don’t want to drive us off the road.” He winked at Ray and his lover laughed. “Good idea. Safety first, but I know what I’m going to do to you when we get home.” Lou clutched the steering wheel to keep from throwing the truck in park and begging Ray to suck him. He went back to the conversation. “Not really. The rest of them like to play the 62

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field, see what’s out there. We still have time, you know. There’s no rush to get married and have a bunch of pups.” Ray chuckled. “Your dog references are so weird.” Lou wanted to bang his head against the wheel. He really needed to watch that. Ray had no idea that’s what the babies were, though most didn’t learn how to shift into their canine form until they were ten. “Sorry. I guess it comes from having Canis as a last name, plus my parents’ odd sense of humor.” “Don’t apologize. I think it’s kind of cute.” He grimaced as they pulled into the parking lot at The Wolf Pack. No one wanted to hear they were cute. He helped Ray out of the truck and went to the door of the bar. Before he opened it, he turned to Ray. “Brace yourself. You might get rushed when we walk in.” “Rushed?” Ray gave him a questioning glance. “Just wait and see.” He pulled open the door and gestured for Ray to proceed him. The moment Ray entered the room, all talking stopped and the music seemed to soften. Every eye in the room landed on Ray. Lou smirked. He knew a lot of the silence came from the fact the WP wasn’t really the place Ray would fit in. It was a rough biker bar, and Ray was more the martini bar type. Part of the quiet was because of how stunningly gorgeous and sexy Ray was. He could see several men and women eyeing Ray with lust in their gazes. Encircling Ray’s waist, he tugged the man close to him and grinned, warning all of them away. Ray leaned against 63

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him and bumped their hips together. “Are you doing your macho claiming thing?” Ray whispered. He nodded and his face warmed. God, it had been years since he felt so possessive of a guy he dated. He saw Rover step out from behind the bar and head their way. “Get ready,” he warned Ray. Bandit, Lassie, and Spot ran up to them, wedging their way between Ray and Lou. He let go, watching them surround Ray like a pack of dogs greeting a newcomer. All three were talking a mile a minute, touching and subtly smelling him. Ray’s eyes were wide, but there wasn’t any fear in them. Yet, anyway. Lou decided to let the others chat with Ray for a few more minutes before he stepped in. If he was going to date Ray, Ray had to be comfortable with the others because there wasn’t any way Lou could give up his family. Rover came to stand next to him. His oldest brother kept an eye on the rest of their siblings, plus everything else going on in the bar. Rover was an Alpha male down to the marrow in his bones. With Mom and Dad away so much on pack business and Spike nursing a broken heart, Rover took watching over the pack seriously. “He hasn’t run screaming yet,” Rover commented as they watched Lassie tug Ray over to the bar. “He hasn’t met Mom. That’ll be the real test.” He and Rover shared a smile. “Or Spike for that matter. If he makes it through meeting those two, I’d say you have a keeper.” 64

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Lou thought he had a keeper now. He watched as Ray touched Spot on the shoulder when the man bumped into him. Lou had been a little worried about how Ray would react. His family didn’t understand the meaning of personal space. When they were younger, before they all moved out of the house, they would sleep in one big pile. It had taken Lou months to be able to sleep on his own. Bandit leaned in and licked Ray’s cheek. Ray stiffened and shot a worried look at Lou. Rover laughed as Lou growled. “Let’s go rescue your man before Bandit decides he wants to do more than lick him.” Lou stalked up and pushed his brother away from Ray. He sat on a stool, pulling Ray into the vee of his legs. Ray relaxed into him as Lou pointed at Bandit. “You and I have to talk.” Bandit’s black eyes sparkled, even as he shrugged. “What? I just wanted a taste. You’re lucky I didn’t decide to lick some other part of his body.” Lou yanked him tight to his chest and snarled at Bandit. “Mine.” “God, what a caveman. Stop acting like our ancestors.” Lassie rolled her brown eyes and flipped her long hair over her shoulder. She tapped Ray on the hand. “I hope you know what you’re getting into.” “I didn’t think he would be quite this Alpha,” Ray joked, pushing his ass against Lou’s groin. “Alpha? Oh, Lou isn’t nearly as Alpha as Rover is. Watching Rover with a lover is like watching a bull walrus protecting his harem of lady walruses from other males.” Spot 65

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leaned in, his light blue eyes darting over to Rover. “Lots of noise and showing of muscles. Very intimidating.” Rover reached over the bar and slapped Spot on the head. “Shut up, jackass. Don’t give Ray the wrong impression of us. We do know how to act civilized.” Ray laughed, and Lou wondered what his lover thought about his siblings so far.

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CHAPTER 6 Relaxing into Lou’s embrace, Ray watched the dynamics among the siblings. Spot slipped behind the bar to help Rover pour drinks. Lassie and Bandit wove in and out of the tables, taking orders and delivering refreshments. They swirled away and returned to tease Lou about his possessive grip on Ray. “Come on, Lou. You are going to let Ray dance with me, aren’t you?” Bandit winked at Ray, his eyes twinkling. If Lou had been a dog, his hackles would have risen as he snarled at his brother. Ray stroked Lou’s hand resting on his hip. Lou settled back, and Bandit tilted his head like an inquisitive canine. If Ray stuck with the dog comparisons, he would say Bandit reminded him of a curious Jack Russell 67

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terrier. Bandit’s hair was white with a splash of brown on one side. Lassie looked like a collie, with her pointy nose and chin. Her hair was long and golden blonde. “Why would Ray want to dance with you, Bandit? You’re clumsier than a donkey on roller skates.” Spot set a martini on the bar in front of Ray. “At least let him get a good opinion of us. Lassie, take Ray for a spin around the dance floor.” “Oh, I don’t think so. I’m not much of a dancer,” he protested, even as Lassie dragged him out on the dance floor. He looked back to see Rover holding Lou’s arm and he shook his head. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but it was obvious Lou’s brothers wanted to talk to him without Ray around. Spot caught his gaze and smiled. With his strangely light blue eyes and mottled gray-black hair, Spot resembled nothing less than a happy-go-lucky Blue Heeler. Ray chuckled to himself. “They want to talk about me, don’t they?” he commented to Lassie as they spun around the floor. She nodded. “They’re bigger gossips than any woman I know. Don’t worry. Lou’s the best at holding out against family pressure.” He dodged a rambunctious biker flopping around like a headless chicken. Feeling someone’s eyes on him, he looked up to see Rover staring at him with narrowed eyes. He smiled hesitantly at Lou’s older brother. Rover nodded and swept the crowd with his dark gaze. If Lou’s other siblings were friendly members of the pack, Rover was the Rottweiler. The oldest Canis guarded the others 68

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with protective instinct, and Ray had the feeling Rover was now including him in the family as well. “What’s Spike like?” He was intrigued by what Lou had said about his oldest sister. Lassie laughed. “I’m not saying a word. Anything I tell you just might make you run as far away from us as possible. Spike can be like a rabid wolf, especially now, since she’s recovering from a horrible relationship.” “Lou mentioned she was off licking her wounds.” He boogied a few steps away to avoid a stumbling man dressed in leathers. Gracefully stepping out of the way, Lassie pushed the man off the floor into an empty booth where he landed, staring up at the ceiling. Ray chuckled. “She is. Of course, we knew the bastard was all wrong for her, but she wouldn’t listen to us. Not even Mother’s warnings could shine around the blinders Spike put on about the loser.” Lassie’s upper lip curled in a snarl. “Trust me, the jerk knows not to show his face around here or he’d find himself running for his life with the pack behind him.” Something in the serious anger in her voice caused a shiver to run down Ray’s spine. He got the feeling no one wanted to cross this family. Sneeze. He turned to see Lou approaching and grinned as Lou scooped him up in a tight hug. Ray pressed a quick kiss on Lou’s lips. Lou set him down, threaded his fingers through Ray’s hair and took his mouth like he was storming a 69

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medieval castle. Teeth, tongue and lips drove all thoughts out of Ray’s head, except to get closer to Lou. He whimpered in frustration at the barrier their clothes made. “Okay, that’s enough, you two. There are innocent people here.” Rover tugged them apart with a wink at Ray. Lou reached out to bat Rover’s hand from Ray’s shoulder. Rover’s warning growl was almost too low for Ray to hear, but he felt it rumble through Rover’s body. Sneeze. Rover glanced over his shoulder at Ray and frowned. “Sorry.” He shrugged. “I seem to be allergic to Lou or maybe it’s the entire family.” Sneeze. Sneeze. His eyes started watering and Bandit rushed over with a napkin. “Thank you,” he mumbled, embarrassed. He hid his face in the napkin and tried to worm off the dance floor toward the bar. “It’s all right, honey.” Lassie patted his arm. “Maybe it’s their fabric softener.” A thoughtful look crossed her face. “Hey, you two, who’s been doing your laundry since Mother’s been gone?” Lou looked insulted. “Lassie, I am perfectly capable of doing my own laundry.” “Really? When did you learn? Yesterday? Last I knew you were dropping your stuff off for Mother to do.” Lassie dodged the punch Lou swung at her. 70

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“Stop it,” Rover barked. “Get Ray a glass of water, Spot. I’m taking Lou in the office so he can look at the computer.” “Right, boss.” Spot snapped a salute toward Rover’s retreating back. The cheeky grin he flashed Ray made him chortle. “You only have the nerve to do that while Ray’s here. You know Rover won’t beat your ass until after Ray leaves and, hopefully by then, he’ll forget you were lippy to him.” Bandit rested his hip against the stool next to Ray. Sneeze. Blinking, Ray looked at Spot. “Is that true?” Spot nodded. “Of course. Rover’s a bit of an ass, but he doesn’t want to scare you away since Lou likes you so much. He’ll wait until after the bar closes and then chase my ass all over the place. He won’t catch me. I’m quick on my feet.” Another wink. Bandit stepped closer and heat rolled off Lou’s older brother. Ray glanced down to see the telltale bulge in Bandit’s jeans. Meeting Bandit’s dark eyes, he saw lust flare in them. He sneezed three times in a row. Eyes narrowed, Bandit moved back and waved to Lassie. “Go stand by Ray for a minute.” Lassie looked puzzled, but she did what her twin asked. Ray breathed in her flowery perfume and nothing happened. No tickle in his throat or urge to sneeze. Bandit moved closer on the other side, and Ray sneezed. “Interesting.” Bandit brushed a kiss over Ray’s cheek and wandered back toward Rover’s office. “Cover my sections, 71

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Lassie,” he called before disappearing through the door. “Great. It’s not like I don’t have a bunch of tables of my own to take care of,” she grumbled. “I’ll help you out. I used to wait tables in college.” Ray was happy to have something to do. He didn’t think he could stand much more inspection from Lou’s family. “You’re awesome, Ray.” Lassie grabbed an apron and an order pad from Spot. “I’ll walk around with you at first and introduce you to the customers.” Ray tied the apron around his waist and his tension washed away. Things were going well so far, but he really wasn’t looking forward to meeting Spike and Lou’s mother if they were scarier than Rover. He greeted his first customer with a smile. *

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“Hey, runt, what’s with your guy sneezing every time one of us gets near him?” Lou looked up to see Bandit strolling into Rover’s office. Rover bristled a little at Bandit invading his space without knocking. Lou shook his head. Rover was taking the whole territory thing too seriously. Spike had better come back soon, since only she and their mother could put the wolf in his place. The time was fast approaching for Rover to leave and claim his own territory because he wouldn’t be able to accept anyone else being in charge. “I don’t know. He only reacts when I’m in human form and only when we’re not messing around.” He grunted as he 72

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loosened a screw on Rover’s computer case. “I don’t think it’s the wolf because I went to visit him one night and he didn’t sneeze once.” Bandit flopped down on the couch, put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “I did a little experiment while you were in here.” He whirled on his brother with a snarl. “If you touched him, I’ll…” “Stop it. Right now,” Rover barked. After glaring at Bandit for a second to get his point across, Lou turned back to the computer. “First of all, Bandit knows better than to touch Ray now that you’ve claimed him. Second of all, you’re doing Ray a disservice by thinking he’d even allow Bandit to do anything to him.” Rover rested his hip on the edge of the desk. “What sort of experiment, Bandit?” “Your boy out there only sneezes when he’s close to us.” Bandit gestured vaguely at the three of them. “I know that. Maybe it’s something about us being lycan without it being the actual wolf form he’s allergic to.” Rover sounded thoughtful. Bandit shook his head. “No, I mean us as in you, Lou and me. Ray only sneezes when he’s near one of us. He doesn’t react to Spot or Lassie.” Lou turned back to his brother. “If you’re smart enough to figure that out, why do you think he sneezes? It can’t be because we use the same fabric softener.” “Nope.” Bandit grinned at him. “It’s because the three of 73

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us find Ray attractive.” Lou was on his feet and moving before he even thought about it. Rover grabbed his arm, jerking him to a stop inches from Bandit. Lou pulled away from Rover and stood, meeting his oldest brother’s eyes. The urge to drop his gaze and bare his throat was strong, but he wouldn’t submit. Not over Ray. Ray was his and he wouldn’t give him up or share him with any of the family. He’d fight to keep Ray his. “Bandit, stop teasing him. Say what you have to say.” Rover pointed to the computer on the floor. “Get back to working on that thing, Lou. No one is going to take Ray away from you, no matter how attractive we find him.” Bandit whined, apologizing to Lou for teasing him. Lou inhaled deeply, settling his nerves. His human side knew Rover and Bandit wouldn’t touch Ray, but his wolf wasn’t willing to take the risk. It wanted to fight his brothers for the right to mate with Ray. He went back to the computer, and Rover placed himself between them, in case Bandit provoked Lou again. “Spill it, pup,” Rover commanded Bandit. “Okay, here’s what I think. Ray reacts to the pheromones we give off because our human sides are very attracted to him. Once the two of you get busy, you give off more and more of your wolf scent or chemicals or whatever. I don’t know the technical shit for it. Lassie and Spot aren’t lusting after him, so they don’t put off the same scents.” Lou shot Rover an incredulous look. “Do you believe him?” 74

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“I’m not sure. Bandit’s not a scientist or anything, and I’ve never thought he was smart enough to figure out something like this.” Rover chuckled as Bandit flipped him the finger. “But he might have something here. You should go talk to Doc Keel.” “That old witch doctor? What can he do for me?” Lou put the computer back together and turned it on. “Keel might be old, but he’s seen just about everything you can think of and he might come up with a better solution than drugging Ray up on allergy medicine every day.” Winking at Lou, Bandit rolled off the couch and stood. “The doctor can’t hurt, runt, and he’s discreet. He won’t spill your secret to your pretty human. Now I better go out and wait on tables or my boss will fire my ass.” “Thanks. I appreciate your theory.” Lou smiled. “Your computer’s running better, Rover. You have to stop surfing porn on this computer. If Spike finds out, she’ll kill you, and besides, all the spyware junk they have attached to the porn slows the computer down.” “I’ll try and remember that.” Rover slapped him on the shoulder. “Go rescue your human and get out of here before Bandit does more than lick him.” “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Lou yelled back at Rover as he practically raced from the office. He stopped at the end of the hallway, searching the crowded bar for Ray. He found him delivering a plate of wings and two mugs of beer to a table. Both of the male customers leered at Ray and one even had the nerve to pat Ray 75

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on the ass when he turned to head back to the bar. Lou bit back the need he felt to go over and rip the man’s arm from his body. Stalking through the people, he reached the bar at the same time as Ray. He gripped Ray’s shoulder and whirled the man around, crushing their mouths together. Ray didn’t tense or fight. He wrapped his arms around Lou’s neck, pressing closer to him. Lou massaged Ray’s ass, rubbing his erection against Ray’s. Ray groaned and pulled away, chest heaving. Lou panted, his wolf howling inside, wanting more of Ray. “I want to taste you,” he whispered in Ray’s ear. Ray shuddered and fumbled with the ties of his apron. Lou helped him strip it off. He flung it at Spot and dragged Ray from the bar. He knew his siblings were laughing at him, but he didn’t care. He needed Ray in his mouth. Thank the gods he’d parked his truck in a very dark corner of the lot. He led Ray to the driver’s side where the vehicle blocked the view of anyone entering or leaving the bar. Pushing Ray back against the truck, he sank to his knees. Ray ran his hands through Lou’s hair, while Lou managed to get his lover’s jeans undone and open. He moaned and licked his lips when Ray’s cock sprang free from the confines of the denim. He leaned forward and flicked the wet tip of Ray’s shaft with his tongue. “Fuck,” Ray whimpered. A thud echoed through the night air. Lou looked up to see Ray resting his head against the window of the truck, his eyes 76

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closed and mouth slightly open. Ray’s flavor danced in Lou’s mouth and he wanted more. He wanted everything Ray had to give him. Lou didn’t plan on it taking long to get what he wanted either. Taking a deep breath, he sucked Ray all the way in, burying his nose in the curls at the base of Ray’s prick. “God,” Ray shouted, going up on his toes. Lou hummed, knowing the vibrations would drive Ray crazy. He swallowed around the hard flesh in his mouth, applying pressure and some teeth to tease. Ray’s hold on his head tightened, and Lou tapped Ray’s hip to let the man know he could move. With a sigh, Ray started fucking Lou’s mouth. Hard and deep. Lou relaxed his muscles and let each stroke hit the back of his throat. He worked one of his hands in the back of Ray’s jeans to trail down over his lover’s puckered opening. Each touch caused Ray to jerk and his rhythm to speed up. The amount of pre-cum dripping from Ray’s slit told Lou that Ray was close. “Please.” Ray tilted his hips just a little, signaling what he wanted from Lou. Lou waited until Ray thrust as far as he could into Lou’s mouth before he breeched Ray’s ass with his finger. “Lou,” Ray screamed, his hips rocking between Lou’s mouth and finger. Lou drank down the flood of bitter saltiness spurting from Ray’s cock. He swallowed and licked until Ray slumped back, relaxed and barely able to stand. When Ray’s prick was clean 77

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and Ray started squirming, Lou pulled off and stood. He gave Ray a quick kiss and straightened the younger man’s clothes. “Let’s go home. I want snuggle in bed with you.” “Is that all you want to do?” Ray leered at him while squeezing Lou’s cock. Groaning, he pushed his cock into Ray’s palm. “No. There’ll be other things as well as snuggling going on in your bed tonight.” A door slammed shut and they jumped. He swatted Ray on the ass to encourage him to get in the truck. “I want to fuck you, but not in the parking lot of my family’s bar. I don’t need Bandit sneaking around trying to get a peek at your ass.” Ray chuckled and ran around the truck to the passenger side. As Lou climbed behind the wheel, he had the feeling Ray thought Lou was joking about Bandit. He wondered if he should mention the time Rover had caught Bandit in the Dumpster, spying on Rover and some one-night stand in the alley behind the bar. On second thought, it probably would make Ray uncomfortable at the thought of Bandit watching them have sex. Of course, his wolf wouldn’t stand for anyone getting a glimpse at Ray in the ecstasy of sex. That was too beautiful a sight for Lou to allow anyone else to see.

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CHAPTER 7 Ray wrinkled his nose. Sneeze. Sitting up in his bed, he looked over to his left. Holy shit! That wasn’t a dream. His ass was sore and he glanced down at his chest with grin. Dark marks trailed over his skin. Sliding out of bed without disturbing Lou, he headed for the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and did his business before going back to his room for clothes. He thought about the food he had. Did he have enough to feed Lou? He dug out a couple pairs of sweats, tossing one at the foot of the bed for Lou when his lover woke up. He was pulling a T-shirt out of the dresser when “Werewolves of London” 79

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blared from Lou’s jeans. Lou snorted, rolled out from under the blankets and crawled over to the pile of clothes. Ray leaned against the dresser as he watched Lou tug the phone out. “What,” Lou barked into the phone. Ray chuckled at the sudden, horrified look on Lou’s face. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry. You woke me up. You know I’m not a morning person.” Lou scrubbed a hand over his face as he rested his back against the side of the bed and sat on the floor. Sneeze. Lou glanced up at him and grimaced. “Oh, Bandit told you about Ray. That’s great.” Lou gritted his teeth. “I’ll have some words for him.” Ray shook his head. He wasn’t sure what problems Lou had with Bandit, but he knew Lou didn’t like the fact Bandit had licked him. “I’m glad you’re home, Spike. Yes, Ray and I will meet you and the rest for dinner tonight.” Ray tensed and sneezed. Wandering downstairs, he opened the fridge and stared into it. He wasn’t seeing any of the food. He was thinking about meeting Spike. His hands started to shake. Would Spike like him? He had the strangest feeling Spike was the most important person he had to impress. The rest of Lou’s family already seemed to like him, but they would go as Spike went. Sneeze. Ray jumped as Lou wrapped his arms around his waist and 80

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pulled him tight to his naked chest. “You’re letting all the cool air out, honey. Are you expecting something to appear if you stare hard enough?” Shutting the door, Ray laughed shakily. “No. I was thinking.” Lou turned him around and pinned him to the front of the refrigerator. Ray stared up into his lover’s hazel eyes, seeing warmth, lust and a stronger emotion he didn’t want to name quite yet. They might have declared their relationship monogamous, but nothing else had been said and he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Lou leaned forward, pressing their lips together. Ray allowed Lou entrance, and Lou took his mouth with fierce determination. Lou thrust his tongue in, stroking and teasing Ray. He encircled Lou’s waist, digging his fingers into the muscles rippling along Lou’s back. The contrast between the heat of Lou’s body and the cool metal of the refrigerator on Ray’s skin made him shiver. He rocked against Lou, whimpering as his erection grazed Lou’s. Lou stepped away. “I think we should eat first before heading back to bed. I don’t like getting up early unless it’s a workday.” Ray looked over Lou’s shoulder at the clock on the wall. “It’s nine o’clock, Lou. That’s not early,” he teased. “It is for me, especially how late you kept me up last night.” Lou winked. His cheeks flushed. “Stop. Fine, we’ll eat breakfast and head back to bed for a nap.” 81

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Lou caught him as he tried to slip away. Nuzzling his neck, Lou licked a line from his shoulder to behind his ear. “Napping isn’t all we’ll be doing.” Ray pushed Lou away and gave him a glare. “If you keep that up, I won’t be feeding you.” Lou’s stomach chose to rumble at that moment and both men laughed. “I’ll help. Just point me at the frying pan and stove.” Lou bustled around while Ray pulled food out of the fridge. “Tell me what you were thinking about so hard when I came downstairs.” “About meeting Spike.” Ray didn’t see any point in not admitting to the fact the thought of meeting Spike scared him. “I’m sorry, babe. If I had a choice, I’d wait for a while longer before introducing you to her, but Rover spilled the beans, and we’ve been summoned.” Lou pinched Ray’s ass. “Don’t worry. Spike will love you, and I’ll have to fight her to keep her from carrying you off.” Ray dodged the next pinch and stopped to study Lou. “Would you?” “Would I what?” Lou stirred the eggs. “Would you fight for me?” Lou turned to meet his eyes. A determined expression crossed Lou’s face. “If I had to fight every member of my family, I would. You’re mine, Ray Marvels. Even if you sneeze every time I come near you. I won’t share you or let anyone else have you. Not even Spike.” 82

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The fierceness of Lou’s words convinced Ray his lover cared more about him than the opinions of his family. “I don’t really want you to fight anyone.” Ray brushed his hand over Lou’s shoulder. Lou shrugged. “I know, honey, but fighting is just something my family does. I can’t remember a family gettogether without someone ending up with a bloody nose or a split lip.” “Even the girls?” He couldn’t imagine Lassie fighting, though he got the feeling she could be tough if she wanted to be. “Oh, they’re the worse, always picking and teasing. My mom doesn’t care if we hit them. She figures if they cause the fight, they should see it through. Bruises, broken bones and all.” Lou slid the eggs onto two plates, along with sausages and bacon, while Ray finished buttering the toast. They sat down at the table in Ray’s dining room. He sneezed and Lou laughed. Before Ray could take a bite, Lou reached over and gripped Ray’s hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them scare or hurt you. They just want to sniff you out. Make sure you’re good enough for the runt.” Lou brought Ray’s hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on Ray’s knuckles. “What if they don’t think I am?” “Then I won’t be seeing much of my family any more. What we have, Ray, is more important to me than my family’s wishes.” Lou leaned closer and whispered, “I think they’re 83

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going to think I’m not good enough for you.” Ray laughed and pulled his hand free to pick up his fork. Inhaling deeply, he sneezed. Lou handed him a tissue, and Ray decided he wasn’t going to worry about Spike or any of the others. Lou’s opinion was the only one that mattered to him and the rest could just deal with it. *

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Lou stopped himself from checking to make sure his shirttail was tucked in for the fifth time since they’d climbed out of his truck. He shot a glance over at Ray, wondering what his lover thought about the family home. It was a sprawling, three-story monstrosity jutting in every possible direction and built on the more than fifty acres Lou’s family owned on the edge of the national forest. It gave them the freedom to shift and run whenever they felt like it. One of Lou’s ancestors came over from Russia and settled the land before other white men ever put a foot on North American soil. The Native Americans had legends about their family. He reached up to run his hand through his hair. Ray laughed and grabbed it, holding tight as they walked up the steps. “I should be the one all twitchy and nervous,” Ray teased and sneezed. “They’ll love you.” Lou leaned over and kissed Ray’s cheek. “Then why are you freaking out on me?” Ray lifted an eyebrow at him. 84

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He flushed and shrugged. “I guess I’m afraid my crazy family will frighten you away, and if that happens, I’ll be pissed.” Ray stopped him from opening the door. He looked down at Ray as the shorter man touched his cheek and met his gaze with serious dark brown eyes. “Nothing—and I do mean nothing—your family does will scare me away. I’m tough and I can deal with whatever they throw at me.” Ray rubbed his thumb over Lou’s bottom lip. The determination in Ray’s voice made Lou smile. He sucked on Ray’s thumb, bringing a shine of desire to the other man’s eyes. “You’re tough, but you haven’t met Spike yet.” “Are you trying to scare your boyfriend before he even gets a chance to form his own opinion of me?” They jumped apart with guilty looks. Shit. It was like being caught making out on the front porch by his mother. He’d been so into Ray, he hadn’t heard the door open. Turning, he grinned at his oldest sister. “Spike, old girl, you’ve finally decided to join the normal world again.” He wrapped his arms around his sister and lifted her, whirling around as she growled at him. “Put me down, you idiot.” Her words were harsh, but her black eyes sparkled. “Old girl, huh? I wouldn’t be pissing me off if I were you. I could tell Ray all sorts of embarrassing stories about you from when you were growing up.” “I’m your favorite sibling. You wouldn’t do that to me,” he protested. 85

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Spike gave him an incredulous look. “I wouldn’t? Since when? You know I live to embarrass you and your brothers in front of your dates.” He punched her arm and grinned. It was true. He and his brothers lived in fear of ticking Spike off and having her drag out the photo albums. He looked over at Ray, who stood a few feet away watching them. Holding out his hand, he gave his lover a wink. “Ray, this is the infamous Spike. She practically raised me when I was born. My mom was very sick after giving birth to me, so Spike had to step in and take over.” Ray gave Spike a shy smile and held out his free hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” “And none of it good, I’m sure.” Spike ignored Ray’s hand and pulled him in for a hug. Ray’s eyes widened, and Lou shook his head. The only reason Spike hugged Ray was to sniff him. “Stop squeezing the stuffing out of him, Spike. Let them get inside before you start pestering Ray.” Rover came to the door. Spike led the way inside. Lou, Ray and Rover followed her back to the kitchen. Lassie was chopping vegetables at the counter. She waved her knife at them. “Lou, go out with Rover and keep the other two from burning the steaks. I need Ray in here to help me since I’m a person short at the moment.” Spike directed the traffic in the room like a drill sergeant. “Patches catch a case?” He didn’t want to leave Ray to Spike’s tender mercy. 86

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“Actually, it was Darren this time, but they’ll be here as soon as they can.” His oldest sister gestured for them to leave, while taking hold of Ray’s arm and tugging him toward the stove. Lou snatched a carrot from Lassie’s pile, and she gave him a wink. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect him from Spike, even though she hasn’t been nearly as grumpy today as she has been lately. Maybe running as a wolf helped her,” Lassie whispered, keeping an eye out for her oldest sister. “Thanks. If it looks like Ray’s going to run, come and get me,” he murmured in Lassie’s ear. She nodded and nudged him toward the back door. “Hey, Ray, how do you want your steak cooked?” “Medium.” Everyone in the room shuddered, and Ray looked puzzled. “I like my steak slightly pink in the middle,” Ray explained. Lou knew Ray didn’t realize the shudder was because medium was too well done for Lou’s family. They didn’t really cook their steaks. The act of grilling was an excuse for the guys to stand around, drink beer, discuss sports or the best hunting spots. He trailed out behind Rover, accepting the beer Spot handed to him and nodding to Bandit. “Someone didn’t make it home last night, I see.” Bandit nudged him with a shoulder, leering. “Aren’t you observant?” Lou didn’t see the point in 87

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denying it. “It’s my keen eyesight and wolf senses, plus you smell of sex and Ray.” Bandit leaned in to sniff him playfully. He pushed his brother away. “Stop it, you jerk.” “Hmmm…I think I’ll wander into the kitchen and see what Ray’s doing. Maybe convince him to go on a tour of the house with me.” Bandit’s blue eyes gleamed. Lunging, Lou almost got his hands around Bandit’s neck before Rover grabbed him around the waist and pulled him away. Spot wrapped his arm around Bandit’s head, covering his mouth with his hand. “I’ve had enough of this shit, Bandit. One more crack like that and I’ll let Lou beat your ass,” Rover barked. Bandit dipped his head, whining softly. Rover let go of Lou and poked a finger in his chest. “Don’t do it. Spike will have a cow if you two get in a fight tonight.” Lou breathed deeply, calming down. Bandit didn’t really mean what he threatened. His brother loved to tease him and of all his siblings, Bandit was the one who could push all of his buttons at once. He glared at Bandit. “Remember, brother dear, payback’s a bitch, and Spike would torture you.” Bandit rolled his eyes, picked another beer out of the cooler and flopped down in one of the chairs on the deck. “Have you given any thought to my theory yet?” “I haven’t had time. I’ve been too busy getting to know Ray better.” All of his brothers burst out laughing, spraying beer 88

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everywhere. Lou smirked and took a swig of his own drink. “Are you sharing your love life with your brothers, Lou?” Spike strolled outside, her dark eyes gleaming in the twilight. “That isn’t very nice of you. I didn’t think you kissed and told.” “I don’t, but I kiss and hint.” Lou swung an arm around Spike’s shoulder and tucked her close to him. She chuckled and smacked his stomach. He was struck by how tiny his oldest sister was. Spike stood five-three, barely reaching the middle of Lou’s chest. She was the best example he knew of personality making a person bigger. Spike looked like she was a quiet, well-mannered lady, but when it came to her pack, she was a pit bull, determined to keep them safe at all costs. Lou had seen her take on lycan three times her size for daring to pick on Lassie or Patches. Spike would help the boys out if they asked, but she’d learned not to poke her nose into their business in general. Even though she was next in line to be pack Alpha didn’t mean the guys wanted their asses saved by a female all the time. “Where’s my boyfriend, Spike?” He couldn’t help but be a little worried when Ray failed to appear with Spike. “He’s not running down the road screaming for help if that’s what you’re asking, and I didn’t stuff him in a closet somewhere either.” She met his concerned gaze. “Don’t worry. He’s helping Patches with the twins. Darren couldn’t get away.” Lou relaxed. Patches’ twins were adorable monsters. If 89

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anything would endear his family to Ray, it would be those two. He kept his arm around Spike. “How you doing?” he asked quietly. She shrugged. “I’m fine.” Of course, she was. Spike wouldn’t tell anyone how she was really doing, not even Rover. To show emotion for herself was to show weakness in Spike’s mind. “I’ll let it go for now because I don’t want to start a fight. I’d like for us to act civilized tonight. Don’t want Ray to get a bad impression about this wild group.” “I like him, Lou.” A surge of happiness rippled through him at Spike’s seal of approval. Ray had passed the test. Spike’s opinion was the one Mom listened to when it came to the siblings’ significant others. “I’m glad.” “But…” Spike gave him a serious glance. She pulled the Alpha sister card, putting a hint of authority in her voice Lou had to obey without question, or at least she thought he had to obey without questioning her. “Yes?” He kept his face expressionless. “I suggest you wait a while before telling him about your wolf and about the rest of us.” She waved a hand to encompass all of his brothers. “Ray’s a good man. My instincts tell me that he really cares about you deeply and he just might be the one for your life, but loving a man and loving a lycan are two different things. Some people can’t accept the wolf side. I’m speaking from experience here, 90

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Lupine.” The pain in her eyes made him growl and want to search out the man who had hurt her. The only thing stopping him was that Rover had already beat the shit out of him and he had disappeared. “I know, Spike, and I don’t plan on spilling the beans tonight or anything like that. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll know when it’s the right time to tell him and I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised by his reaction.” “Uncle Lou! Uncle Lou!” Two streaks burst from the kitchen door and ran, screaming, to him. Patches’ twins wrapped their arms around his knees and squeezed him tight. He patted their heads, looking at Ray standing in the doorway. Ray blew him a kiss and winked before turning back into the kitchen. Ray’s gesture eased something inside Lou. He couldn’t help but feel that everything was going to be okay. Even when it came time to tell Ray that the man he loved could shift into a wolf.

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CHAPTER 8 “Umpf…” Ray landed on the ground, Patches’ twins piling on top of him with shrieks of delight. He wrestled with them, making sure not to be too rough. The rest of the family sat on the deck and watched. Their amused smiles told him they found the fact the twins pinned him so easily funny. He shouted and squirmed as Lucy, Patches’ daughter, figured out how ticklish his sides were. He rolled and twisted, shouting with laughter as little fingers dug into his sides. Sneeze. Thud. Stars exploded behind Ray’s eyelids as Linus’s head slammed into Ray’s chin. The metallic taste of blood filled his 92

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mouth from his teeth biting into his tongue. “That’s enough, guys. Uncle Lou wants his boyfriend to remain whole and not end up in the hospital.” Ray sneezed again as he blinked up into Rover’s dark eyes. Reaching out, he took Rover’s hand and gasped as the man pulled him to his feet without any seeming effort. His head spinning, Ray’s knees started to buckle. Strong arms wrapped around his waist and he rested his forehead against the hard chest in front of him. Sneeze. Wide hands cradled the back of his head and stroked down his back. “We’re really going to have to figure out why you keep sneezing around me.” Ray looked into Lou’s twinkling eyes. He couldn’t help but grin, even while he blushed. “I don’t know what it is about you. Maybe Lassie’s right about your fabric softener.” Lou chuckled. “It could be.” “I think you should take Ray home. He’s passed inspection, and I don’t want to risk the chance of the twins breaking something vital.” Spike stepped into Ray’s line of vision. He moved away and touched his chin. Lou’s oldest sister joined him, pushing his hand away and studying his face. He searched her features, trying to find what it was about her that scared her siblings. Sure, she was probably very protective of the younger members of her family, but they 93

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acted like she would drag them out behind the woodshed and beat them if they angered her. Ray didn’t see that. Spike was a beautiful woman who would keep her beauty as she got older. There was confidence in the way she moved and strength in her voice. The corners of her mouth held a hint of sadness, but he guessed it had to do with her recent breakup. Yet the longer he stared at her, the darker her eyes became and he saw a flash of something deep within them that made him take a step back. Spike made an odd, rumbling noise low in her throat, and Lou answered before leading Ray toward the front of the house. “It was nice meeting you all,” he called as Lou dragged him away. “Stop by the bar anytime, Ray. You’ll be welcome there.” Rover dropped an arm around Spike’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’ll make sure to save a spot at the bar for you.” Bandit waved and winked. Sneezing, Ray smiled and nodded. “I like your family.” Lou didn’t say anything until they were in the truck and pulling out of the driveway. Ray wondered if he had done something to make Lou angry. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine. Just thinking.” Lou reached across the seat and clasped Ray’s hand. “My family likes you as well. Some more than others,” Lou muttered. Ray laughed. “Bandit doesn’t mean anything by it, Lou. You should know that. I think he’s just a born flirt.” 94

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“He was born to be a pain in my ass.” Lou shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to him pushing every button I have. I’ll control myself, but he better not lick you again.” Tugging his hand free, Ray moved as close as he could get to Lou and stroked his hand over his lover’s thigh. “I wouldn’t let him. There’s only one Canis brother I want licking me.” “If you’re not careful, you’re going to find yourself naked in the back of my truck, and I’ll show you how well I can use my tongue,” Lou said. Goose bumps covered Ray’s skin at Lou’s sexy growl. Arousal swamped him and his cock swelled. He shifted, wanting to touch himself, but gave in to the urge to see if Lou would follow through on his threat. He leaned forward and palmed the large bulge at Lou’s groin. Ray squeezed Lou’s cock with one hand and wiggled his free hand under Lou’s shirt, skimming up over firm muscles to pinch one hard nipple. “Fuck.” The curse was low and it vibrated in Lou’s chest. Ray removed his hands in a hurry to brace them against the dashboard as Lou whipped the truck onto a dirt road and slammed it into park. “Out. In back. Naked now.” Lou barked out the orders like a guard dog making warning noises. Ray’s hand trembled as he fumbled with his seat belt. By the time he managed to free himself and get out of the truck, Lou stood at the back with the tailgate down and his shirt off. “Shit. Blanket.” Lou started to stalk back to the cab. He 95

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pointed at Ray. “Naked.” Ray bit his lip to stop his moan from bursting out. Guess he’d poked the primitive Alpha dwelling inside Lou and he was going to find out just how dominating Lou could be. His erection slapped his stomach as he pushed down his pants and underwear. Cool air washed over his heated flesh as he stood naked and waiting for Lou to come back with the blanket. Lou’s heated gaze touched Ray’s body, and Ray swore he could feel each spot those burning eyes hit. Lou spread the blanket out and gestured for Ray to climb in. He crawled up on the tailgate and made his way farther into the bed of the truck. Lou caressed his ass with one large hand before delivering a hard smack. “Oh,” Ray gasped, arching his back and pushing back against the sting. “On your back, babe.” Ray rolled over to his back and stretched his hands above his head, showing off the sheen of sweat on his skin. Lou snarled slightly and knelt beside him on the blanket. Before Ray could drop his hands, Lou captured them in his hand. “What are you doing?” Ray tugged against Lou’s firm grip. “Insuring you don’t touch me. I want to taste you all over, and we won’t get past your lips if I let you get your hands on me.” Ray almost swallowed his tongue as Lou wrapped rope around his wrists and anchored the length to a hook at the 96

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front of the truck bed. Ray tested the tightness. If he really tried, he could probably get free, but gentle yanking wouldn’t undo the rope. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll need to wear long sleeves to cover your wrists at work on Monday.” Lou leered at him. Flushing, Ray wondered if he should protest or if he was perverted because the thought of being at Lou’s mercy caused him to come right then and there—without Lou even touching him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, closing his eyes in embarrassment. “Oh, love.” The rough rasp of Lou’s tongue licking Ray’s skin clean of cum drew a quivering breath from Ray. He opened his eyes to see the expressions of pride and lust war for prominence on Lou’s face. Lou’s glowing hazel eyes met his, and Ray flushed again, but this time with desire. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to last long enough to taste every inch of you. Knowing you want me so much that you’ll come just from the thought of being at my mercy…” Lou stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “It makes me crazy enough to lose control, Ray.” As Lou opened his eyes, Ray saw the wildness he’d seen before begin to swirl in Lou’s gaze. Lou leaned forward to nip at Ray’s nipple and Ray thought he saw a hint of fang. Shaking his head, he told himself it was the overwhelming desire flooding his brain making him think crazy things like that. 97

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He met Lou’s eyes bravely, not caring that he was tied and helpless before this man. He wanted Lou to take him, to dominate and mark him. “Fuck me, Lou. Tonight, here and now, take me like you really want to.” Whatever chains were holding Lou back snapped and the wolf-like howl Lou uttered settled inside Ray like a missing piece of him had finally been returned. Lou straddled Ray, knees on either side of his hips and hands braced to the right and left of Ray’s head. “You’re mine and tonight you’ll learn what that means.” Ray swallowed and nodded, knowing there was no going back from this. *

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Lou rocked back on his heels, resting his ass on Ray’s thighs. He clenched his hands into fists and breathed, trying to calm the wolf inside. It wanted out to play, but no matter what Ray said, Lou knew he wasn’t ready to see Lou’s inner beast. Once his pulse settled slightly, he moved down to Ray’s feet and trailed the tip of one finger over the bottom of Ray’s foot. “Stop.” Ray jerked his foot away with a chuckle. Lou grinned up at his lover. “Ticklish? That could be fun.” Ray’s glare should have been tough, but Lou couldn’t take him seriously tied and stretched naked in the back of his truck. He grasped one of Ray’s feet in his hand and lifted it to his mouth. He nibbled on the big toe before licking a long line 98

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from the toe, over his arch to Ray’s ankle. “I thought you were joking,” Ray gasped, twisting like he wasn’t sure if he should pull away or stay still. “About licking every inch of you?” Ray nodded, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he looked at Lou. “Oh, I wasn’t joking. By the time you come a second time, I’ll know what you taste like everywhere.” He sucked up a mark on Ray’s left calf. Ray’s dark eyes rolled and he tugged on the rope anchoring him to the truck. Lou saw a red mark on Ray’s wrists, showing how the rope irritated his skin. He reached up and caressed Ray close to the restraint. “Maybe I should untie you. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he murmured, absently running the fingers of his other hand up and down Ray’s leg. “No.” Ray shook his head. “It won’t matter. After the weekend, they won’t be so red, and I can wear long sleeve shirts at work until the marks disappear.” Lou’s cock throbbed at the thought of Ray wearing marks he gave him. His wolf snapped at him to get on with it and he decided not to worry anymore. Ray would let him know if he was uncomfortable. He turned his attention back to Ray’s body. He licked and nibbled every inch of Ray’s skin, finding out what made Ray squirm or laugh. The sensitive spot behind the knees drew gasps. Sucking on Ray’s inner thigh caused Ray to spread his legs wider, giving Lou more access and a better view of Ray’s 99

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hard-on. A flick of his tongue against the wet head of Ray’s cock gained him a shout. “Please, Lou.” Ray arched his hips, begging in voice and body for Lou to take him in his mouth. Shaking his head, Lou placed an open-mouthed kiss on Ray’s prick before moving to the crease of Ray’s hip and biting him. “Shit.” Ray’s entire body jerked as Lou played with that little bit of flesh. Lou let his canines lengthen and scraped them over it to draw blood up close to the surface. He wouldn’t break the skin and taste Ray’s blood. Not yet, though Lou knew if his wolf had its way, it would be drinking Ray’s blood tonight. His beast wanted to have that soul deep blood connection. Inching away, a surge of possessiveness tore through him when he saw the dark bruise marring Ray’s pale gold skin. He ran his hands down Ray’s sides, his attention caught by Ray’s nipples sticking up like they were demanding his touch. He reached out and pinched both of them, twisting slightly. Ray hunched his shoulders as far as the rope would let him. Again, he couldn’t decide whether to move away or push closer. Using teeth, nails, tongue and lips, Lou did his best to drive Ray as close to the edge as he could without pushing Ray over. Lou didn’t want his lover to come until Lou was buried deep inside him. “Lou, fuck me. Please. I’m gonna come.” Ray’s cries filled the night air, and Lou knew if any of his 100

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family were out hunting, they would hear Ray pleading with him. The primitive part of Lou loved that idea. The other lycan would know he could please his mate, could bring him pleasure. He growled, lowering the entire weight of his body onto Ray’s. Lou took Ray’s mouth like he had been without it for days. His passion and need drove him so hard, he didn’t realize he’d split Ray’s lip until the metallic flavor of blood mixed with the unique taste of Ray. Licking his lips, he pulled back and his beast thrilled at the sight of the dark liquid beading at the cut. He lapped it up in silent apology. Ray planted his feet on the truck bed and pushed their groins together. Their moans mingled in the air as Lou pressed back. “Now, Lou. Fuck me now.” Hearing those words coming from Ray’s bloodied lips drove all thought of continuing to tease his lover out of Lou’s head. He reared back, spit into his hand and slicked his prick. He got his fingers wet and slid two inside Ray without pause. “Oh.” Ray spread wide. Lou couldn’t wait any longer. He placed Ray’s legs over his arms and positioned the head of his cock at Ray’s opening. “I’m sorry. This might hurt.” Ray’s head thrashed and his eyes glittered at Lou. “I don’t care. Just do it.” He slid in, and Ray screamed. Closing his eyes, he fought every instinct ordering him to move. He gritted his teeth and managed to open his eyes to look at Ray. 101

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Chest heaving, Ray’s eyes were closed, and Lou knew Ray was absorbing the pain, waiting for it to ease so he could relax. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was probably mere seconds, Ray’s inner passage squeezed tight around Lou’s prick and he knew it was okay. “Move,” Ray commanded, tilting his hips the best he could. Lou moved, thrusting deep and hard each time. Pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in, making sure to hit Ray’s gland with each stroke. Sweat dripped from his chin, mixing with the pre-cum leaking from Ray’s cock. They rocked together, no mercy in either of them. Ray massaged Lou’s prick hard, demanding every inch of him. Eyes narrowed, Lou watched Ray. He saw Ray’s skin flush and knew his lover was close. He wanted to pump Ray’s seed from him, but he couldn’t pry one of his hands from Ray’s hips to do it. “Come,” he barked. “Lou.” Ray’s scream rang throughout the night as strings of pearly liquid spurted from Ray’s dick, without either of them touching him. Ray threw his head back, exposing his throat to Lou and, swamped by his own orgasm, Lou lunged forward. He buried his fangs in the muscle connecting Ray’s neck and shoulder. Ray gave a startled cry and another weaker spurt of cum joined the rest on his stomach. Lou pumped twice before freezing and spilling his own 102

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spunk into Ray’s ass. The wolf broke free and he could feel his change coming over him. He had just enough thought left to pull out of Ray, reach out and untie his lover before the change was complete. He sat in the truck bed, muscles quivering and fear, such a strange emotion for his wolf to be feeling, welled in him. What would Ray say? Would the man run screaming into the night or would he stay and let Lou explain? Waiting for the moment Ray realized there was a large black wolf lying next to him was the hardest thing Lou ever did. A soft snore greeted his ears and he studied Ray. His lover was curled up on his side, one hand tucked under his chin and the other resting on Lou’s back. Lou’s chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. It seemed like his secret was safe for now. He’d managed to exhaust Ray and hopefully Ray was so caught up in his own climax that he never noticed what was going on with Lou. Lou would have told Ray the truth if he had to, but he admitted to himself he was happy not having to worry about revealing the family secret so soon. Moving slowly, he tugged and pulled the blanket up around Ray before settling down next to Ray again. Not having thumbs sucked when one was trying not to wake someone up. He whined as Ray snuggled close to him. Closing his own eyes, he let his human hope Ray was the one who wouldn’t run away from the wolf. So far, only Patches had been lucky enough to find a man who loved all of her, even the beast inside. 103

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CHAPTER 9 Ray snuffled, burying his nose deep in the warm pillow he was wrapped around. He barely registered the fact that the pillow moved before his face was assaulted by something wet and warm. Wrinkling his nose, he tried to move away. A soft growl reached his ears, and he stopped. Without opening his eyes, he flexed his fingers. It wasn’t smooth sheets under them. It felt more like fur. His brain woke up, cataloging everything around him. He seemed to be covered by a blanket and lying on some hard surface. Stretching his legs, he winced. Memories of Lou tying his wrists together and anchoring them to the truck bed dashed through his mind. He 104

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remembered being licked and fucked until he came so hard, he passed out. Where’s Lou? His pillow rumbled again, and Ray sat up, forcing his eyes opened. “Fuck,” he yelled, staring into the eyes of a wolf. The wolf whined and flattened its ears. Ray shot back, not thinking about how you weren’t supposed to make any sudden movements around wild animals. He scrambled out of the truck bed, tripping and landing on his knees when his feet tangled in the blanket. “Come on. Come on,” he mumbled as he climbed to his feet and raced to the cab of the truck. He jerked open the door and dove inside. Once the door was shut, he took a breath, peeking over the seat to see the wolf calmly jump from the truck and trot toward the woods. Shit. Where’s Lou? Ray rolled down the window. “Lou,” he shouted. The bushes the wolf had disappeared into rustled, but nothing else moved. “Lou, where the fuck are you?” The driver’s side door opened. Ray screamed and sneezed, whirling around to see Lou looking at him curiously. “What’s wrong?” Ray slumped into the seat and pressed his hand against his pounding chest. He ran his gaze over Lou’s naked body, appreciating the muscles and smooth skin. Then he leaned over and punched him in the arm. “Ow. What was that for?” Lou rubbed the spot and 105

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frowned at him. “Don’t ever leave me alone in these woods again.” Ray fluttered a hand toward the back of the truck. “I woke up and there was a wolf curled up beside me.” “Really?” Lou didn’t look surprised or worried. He gestured for Ray to get out of the truck. “We should get dressed and head back to your place.” Sneeze. Ray opened his door and checked around, staring at the trees suspiciously. When nothing moved, he slipped out and hurried to where his clothes were piled on the tailgate. “We should hurry in case it decides to come back.” Bending over, he managed to get his jeans on without falling over. He slid his shirt over his chest, the bruises on his wrists catching his eye. “Don’t worry. I think your yelling probably scared it off.” Lou encircled one of Ray’s wrists with his hand and pulled Ray close. The sting of the abused flesh shot straight to Ray’s cock and he moaned as it twitched back to life. Their breath mingled when Lou touched Ray’s lips with his own. “Did you have a nice nap?” Lou asked, with a rather smug tone in his voice. Ray nodded, letting his head drop back to give Lou access to his throat. “I’ve never been fucked unconscious before.” “Hmmm…I’m better than I thought.” Lou licked a line from the base of Ray’s throat to the sensitive spot behind his ear and sucked up a mark there. Ray gripped Lou’s shoulders convulsively when his legs threatened 106

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to buckle. “We…we…should,” he stuttered, finding it hard to think as Lou fondled his ass. “Should what, babe?” He shivered when Lou scraped his teeth along his jaw. Ray forgot what he thought they should do. Wrapping his arms around Lou’s neck, he pressed closer to his lover. A soft chuckle made Lou’s body shake. “Lou,” Ray groaned, arching into Lou’s warm body. Rustling came from one of the bushes and a bone-chilling howl rose in the air. Ray froze and started trembling. Lou stepped away, and Ray swore he heard Lou mutter, “I’m going to kill him.” “Let’s get back inside and head to your place.” Lou gathered up the blanket and slammed the tailgate shut. Ray forced himself to move, fighting the urge to check over his shoulder at the trees. Was the wolf still out there, watching and waiting for them to be distracted before he attacked? Climbing in, he sighed with relief when Lou started the truck and they pulled back onto the road. Ray glanced back and gasped. A large grey shape materialized from the shadows, staring after them. “I didn’t know there were wolves in the area,” he commented when the silence got a little too thick. Lou shifted in his seat, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the steering wheel. “There’s a small pack in the national forest and they wander, but we try to keep it quiet. 107

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We don’t want people panicking.” Ray blushed and ducked his head. “Like me.” Reaching out, Lou rested a hand on Ray’s knee. “You had a good excuse. It’s one thing to be sitting in your backyard and have a wolf approach you. It’s totally different to wake up next to one. I don’t think it would’ve harmed you, though.” “Now that my heart isn’t trying to break out of my chest, I know you’re right. It could’ve done any number of things to me while I slept, but all it did was snuggle up to me.” He frowned. “How did it manage to get under the blanket?” An odd expression crossed Lou’s face. “Not sure. Wolves are smart, though.” “Where did you go?” Ray relaxed, letting the excitement of the past several minutes ease out of him. “Had to take a piss and wandered around a little. I needed to stretch my legs as well.” Lou grinned. Ray had the strangest feeling there was a double meaning to that statement. He remembered what Lou wasn’t wearing when he appeared at the truck. “Do you often wander around the woods naked?” “Sure. One of the advantages to living surrounded by national forest. Lots of privacy.” Nodding, Ray knew it was true. It was one of the things he liked most about where he lived and worked. There was a small village feel to Ashton because it was built inside the national forest. “You know, that wolf looked an awful lot like the one that came to my place a couple of days ago.” 108

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Lou’s eyebrows shot up. “Wolves do tend to have large territories. Maybe he was just out patrolling it.” “Maybe.” He rested his head against the seat and clasped Lou’s hand with his. “You spending the night?” “Unless you’re too tired?” Lou’s wink made him blush, but he tightened his grip on Lou’s hand. “Even if I was, I’d still want you to sleep with me.” His lover shot a quick glance at him. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m not going anywhere. Wolves couldn’t drag me away from you.” Again, Ray got the feeling there was a deeper meaning to that sentence, but he was too relaxed and happy to care about it. He let the quiet settle over them as they drove through the night. *

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When they arrived at Ray’s house, they got ready for bed in companionable silence. Lou waited until Ray’s breathing evened out before he slipped from the bed and pulled his phone from his jeans. Naked, he padded downstairs and out into Ray’s backyard. He sat on the bench where Ray had been when Lou first visited him as a wolf. Punching in Rover’s number, he slouched and rested his head on the back of the bench. He stared through the branches of the tree at the night sky. “Shouldn’t you be curled up next to that pretty young 109

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thing?” Rover’s gruff voice came over the phone line. “Probably, but the last time I was curled up next to him, I was a wolf, and he freaked.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. His brother grunted. “Did he see you shift?” “No.” He really didn’t want to get into what was going on when he shifted. “Ray was sleeping, and I lost control. I meant to change back before he woke up, but I fell asleep.” “He woke up to a wolf that hadn’t been there when he went to sleep. What did you expect him to do, Lou?” He shrugged, knowing Rover couldn’t see him. “I don’t know. I’ve approached him as a wolf before and he wasn’t scared.” Rover chuckled. “I’m sure he wasn’t. He was awake and all his brain cells were firing. Never expect rational thoughts or actions from someone who just woke up. Most people need a couple minutes to settle back into themselves.” Leaning forward, Lou rested his elbows on his knees and studied the ground beneath his feet. “You’re right. I didn’t plan to shift around him until much later. I got carried away and the beast wanted out. I think I was hoping he wouldn’t panic like Spike’s guy did.” “Yeah, well, Spike’s guy is an asshole and he better hope I never see his face again.” Rover paused. When he spoke again, his voice was lower and a little hesitant. “Listen, runt, I know Spike told you not to rush into spilling everything to Ray.” “Do you blame her?” 110

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“Not one bit, but I don’t think you should wait too long. You care for Ray. Maybe you even love him.” Was it that obvious to his family how much he cared for Ray? He’d never been the kind of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve. Yet in a short time, Ray had managed to worm his way deep into Lou’s heart. “You might be right,” he muttered. “Of course, I’m right. I know you, Lou. Hell, I practically raised you.” “Not true. Spike did all the hard stuff. You just came along when I wanted to play.” “That’s helping raise you,” Rover interjected. “Anyway, what I’m saying is you love Ray. You’re already invested in this relationship. Tell him all your secrets now before you get so tangled in him that it’ll kill you if he doesn’t accept your wolf.” Lou slid off the bench to lie flat on the ground. He shivered as his naked skin met the dew-slicked grass. Lou hadn’t been lying when he told Ray he liked to wander the woods naked. On nights when he didn’t let the wolf out, he would still walk the paths of the forest, smelling the growth and decay of nature. “I won’t die if Ray drops me because of the animal. None of our kind dies from a broken heart.” He snorted at the thought of a lycan pining away for their love. “Stop it. Just because our pack doesn’t believe in soul mates doesn’t mean that others who do are wrong. We do tend to mate for life, stupid,” Rover stated. 111

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Rolling over, Lou set his chin on the back of his hand and looked back at Ray’s house. “I know we do. I’m just saying that when our hearts are broken, we run off, lick our wounds and come back to find someone else to love.” “Until we find that right someone, Lou, after which it’s extremely hard to find someone else to replace them. It’s almost like they take a small piece of your soul with them and you’re never complete again.” He frowned at the hint of tired acceptance in Rover’s voice. “You sound like you’re talking from experience.” “I am.” Rover’s clipped words told Lou he wasn’t going to learn anything else from his older brother. “All I’m saying, Lou, is don’t waste your time and Ray’s without letting Ray know the truth. It’ll be better for you both.” “What if he can’t handle the truth?” He winced. Now he sounded like that Jack Nicholson character from that movie. “You be happy for the fun you had together and all the great sex, but you move on.” His brother was right, but Lou wasn’t sure if he was ready to spill his guts to Ray. Oh, he trusted Ray with his life, but trusting him with this secret was different. It didn’t affect just him. It affected Lou’s entire family and he wasn’t a hundred percent sure he was ready to give Ray that much power over him. “I’ll think about it. I don’t have to make a decision right at this moment.” 112

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Rover made a soft rumble like he agreed. “Do you think Ray will miss you if you left for a little while?” “I’ll leave a note, telling him I couldn’t sleep and went for a run. He’ll have to get used to it anyway.” “Okay. I’ll meet you at the clearing, and we’ll hunt. It’ll help you settle down a little. You haven’t let your wolf out to hunt lately.” “Oh, speaking of letting the wolf out. You tell Bandit that he’d better be careful. Next time I see him anywhere near Ray, I’ll beat his ass bloody.” Lou stood and trotted back inside Ray’s house. “What did he do?” Rover sounded exasperated. Bandit was a bit of a trial. His brother was intelligent and curious, which led to some interesting experiences for all of them. In addition, he always had to push the boundaries the others put into place. That testing caused him to get his ass into fights with his siblings and others. “I don’t know how much he saw, but he was there when we left the dirt road, howling and rustling the bushes. He frightened Ray and interrupted what could’ve been another go-around for us. I don’t appreciate his tricks.” He found a piece of paper and a pen in one of the kitchen drawers. He scribbled a note to Ray and placed it on the fridge. “Hmmm…it’s different when the shoe’s on the other foot, isn’t it? I seem to remember you encouraging Bandit’s antics when Lassie was dating that accountant.” Rover’s amusement was clear in his tone. 113

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“I know. I know. Still tell him that I want him to stop.” “I will. I’ll meet you at the clearing in ten minutes.” “Okay. ’Bye.” He hung up the phone and set it on the counter. After pushing open the back door, he stepped outside and shifted. He trotted toward the trees at the edge of Ray’s back yard. Glancing back, he thought he saw a shadow standing at the window of Ray’s room, but when he blinked, the darker spot was gone and he shrugged it off as his imagination. His blood raced and he let the beast take over. One thought could take precedence in his brain at the moment. He’d worry about Ray later. It was time to hunt.

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CHAPTER 10 Ray eased away from the curtain, trying to wrap his mind around what he thought he saw. The direction his brain headed in said it was just a coincidence that Lou disappeared into Ray’s house and a few minutes later, a wolf trotted out from under the patio awning. “No way,” he muttered. The logical part of his mind wouldn’t accept any other answer. “You’ll go downstairs and Lou will be in the kitchen, making a midnight snack.” Dragging his feet, he went downstairs and stared at the empty kitchen. No Lou. Ray listened for any noise telling him Lou was anywhere in the house. Nothing. The fluttering of a paper caught his eye. He pulled the note 115

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off the fridge. “Couldn’t sleep. Went for a run,” he read out loud. He crumbled the note in his hand and sat on one of the bar stools, looking intently at the countertop, like the answer would be etched in the granite. Lou could have left by the front door and gone running along the road. The wolf might have been nosing around the garage where Ray put the garbage cans, looking for an easy meal. Ray shook his head. He’d only heard one door shut, right before the wolf appeared. He’d watched Lou come back inside from the yard and then the wolf went to the boundary line. It even glanced back like it knew he was spying on it. His hands trembled. What did he do? Werewolves weren’t real. They were the figments of ignorant minds and superstitions. The legends were fodder for romance novels and horror movies. It was physically impossible for a human to turn into a wolf, plus there wasn’t a full moon and didn’t there need to be one? He stumbled to his office and turned on his computer. Ray didn’t know how long Lou would be gone, but he’d see if he could find sensible answers to his questions. A thought struck him. If Lou was a werewolf, did that mean his entire family was? Was that why they made all those dog analogies? When his search engine popped up, he typed in werewolf and found thousands of results. Settling in his chair, he clicked on the first one and started reading. The door slamming jerked Ray out of his intense study of 116

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the site he was on. A quick glance at the clock and he realized it had been an hour-and-a-half since he’d watched the wolf leave his house. Straightening, he turned off his computer but stayed seated, unsure for a moment whether he should go meet Lou or wait for Lou to come to him. Sneeze. The choice was taken from him. Lou leaned in the doorway, smiling at him. In the low lamplight, Lou’s skin gleamed with sweat and his chest heaved like he really had been running. “Did I wake you when I left?” Lou’s voice was a low rumble. Ray managed to shake his head. “No. I woke up and you were gone, so I thought I’d do some work.” Lou tilted his head, and Ray was reminded of the wolf he’d encountered the other night. He dropped his gaze to the floor, biting his lip. His nose twitched, the need to sneeze growing stronger as Lou padded closer. He tried to avert his eyes when Lou crouched down in front of him and rested a hand on his thigh. “What’s wrong?” Sneeze. He reached for the tissue on his desk, using the need to wipe his nose as a stalling tactic. “Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.” There was no way he was ready to be having a conversation about werewolves. If he said something, Lou would laugh and tell him he had a wild imagination. 117

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“Don’t lie, Ray. You’re not very good at it.” Lou brushed Ray’s hair back off his forehead and smiled. “Talk to me.” “Are you a werewolf?” Shit, so much for not blurting it out like an idiot. He laughed. “Of course you aren’t. Werewolves aren’t real. It’s just that I saw a wolf out in the backyard and you weren’t around. I’m still half-asleep. Just my crazy imagination running wild.” Lou rocked back on his heels, an unsure expression on his face. Fear welled in Ray. He wasn’t certain if he was worried he was right or if it was fear Lou would laugh at him and leave. “Fuck,” Lou swore, climbing to his feet to pace the length of Ray’s office. Lou seemed unconcerned about his nakedness, but Ray couldn’t take his eyes off Lou’s tight ass or semi-erect cock, depending on which direction his lover was walking. Lou’s silence didn’t bode well to Ray’s way of thinking. He sneezed again, drying his eyes, which had started watering and itching. Stopping, Lou turned to look at him and sighed. “I didn’t want to have this conversation so soon. I was hoping to make you fall so madly in love with me, you’d overlook any little oddities I might have.” “I wouldn’t call being a werewolf a little oddity,” Ray commented, his pulse racing. “Alphabetizing the canned goods in the pantry is a little oddity. An extra toe on your foot is an oddity. Turning into a werewolf is a fucking huge deal. No one can turn into a wolf. It just isn’t possible. The legends 118

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aren’t true.” Ray was babbling—he knew it—but couldn’t stop himself. He fought the urge to plug his ears with his fingers like a fiveyear-old who didn’t want to hear what was being said to him. “If there are werewolves, then vampires must be real as well. Were dragons real?” He stopped and thought for a second. “I guess dragons could’ve been real. They’re just giant lizards, nothing particularly magical about them,” he mumbled. “Stop.” Lou’s command halted Ray’s whirling brain in its tracks. He looked up to meet Lou’s gaze. For a moment, his lover studied him with a weird expression on his face. It was a mixture of sadness and hopefulness, like Lou knew Ray wouldn’t accept what he was going to tell him, but couldn’t help hoping Ray would love him anyway. Ray wanted to exclaim that no matter what the truth was, he’d still welcome Lou with open arms. He couldn’t do it. He wasn’t willing to make promises he didn’t think he could keep. “Watch.” Lou’s order made Ray shiver. There was no hesitation in that word. Lou had made up his mind, and Ray wanted to close his eyes. He didn’t want to see whatever Lou showed him, but Lou’s voice compelled him to pay attention. A silver light emanated from under Lou’s skin, illuminating his lover in an eerie glow. Lou’s eyes turned red, flashing sparks. He gasped and almost went to Lou when Lou 119

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dropped to his knees, but Lou shook his head, warning him away. Hair sprouted along Lou’s spine and limbs. Faint popping noises filled the air as Lou’s bones realigned themselves. Ray flinched, imagining the pain Lou must be feeling as his body shifted into another form. When Lou’s face began to elongate and change, Ray turned away. He couldn’t watch the animal take over his lover. He yelped as a wet nose touched his knee. Turning back, he saw a familiar black wolf sitting at his feet. He reached out with a trembling hand and touched the wolf’s head. “It was you,” he whispered. The wolf nodded. The hint of human intelligence Ray had convinced himself he’d imagined blazed in the animal’s eyes. Suddenly, his brain kicked in and he shot to his feet, staring at Lou. “It’s not possible. I’m dreaming this. People don’t turn into wolves. That’s just make-believe.” More silver light and Lou knelt before him, human once again. “Ray?” Lou reached out to him. Ray stepped back, shaking his head. “I can’t do this. I need time to think. This isn’t right. Werewolves are monsters.” Pain flared in Lou’s eyes, and Ray felt terrible for inflicting it, but he couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t think. Nothing was making sense. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he glanced away from the man he’d fallen in love with. “I need you to leave now, Lou.” Lou whimpered. “Ray, let’s talk about this. I’m sorry if my 120

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wolf scares you.” Ray kept shaking his head. “I need to think about all of this, Lou. I can’t think while you’re here. I care for you. I mean I could easily love you, but this…” He waved his hand at Lou. “I’m not sure how to handle this.” “Please, Ray.” “Just go, Lou. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we can talk about all of this then.” Ray made his way back up to his bed, climbed in and pulled the covers over his head. He heard the front door slam and Lou’s truck start. Closing his eyes, he saw the pain in Lou’s eyes and his heart ached. He loved Lou, but he needed to reconcile the wolf with the man, and that would take more than a few minutes. It just might take his entire life. *

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“I should’ve laughed off his questions.” Lou threw his hands in the air and whirled around, pacing the length of Rover’s living room. “Instead, I change and freak him out.” Rover sat in a large recliner, beer bottle dangling from his hand over the side of the chair. His dark eyes studied Lou as he moved. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lou kept right on talking. “I know you told me I should tell him sooner rather than later, Rover, but I could’ve waited a few more days. I mean really…did I think he’d throw himself on the floor and scratch my ear or something?” 121

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“I—” “He told me to call him tomorrow. He made me leave. I saw the fear in his eyes. I’ve never had anyone look at me like that. I don’t know if I can handle it if he doesn’t want anything more to do with me.” He stopped, bracing his hands on the windowsill and staring out into the night. He banged his forehead against the glass. “Idiot. That’s what I am,” he mumbled. “Oh, stop whining.” He glanced behind him at Bandit sprawled on their couch. His brother’s bright blue eyes gleamed at him with fond exasperation. “I have every right to whine,” he snarled at his brother. “My boyfriend is alone, trying to decide whether he dreamed what he saw tonight or if he should dump my ass for being a freak.” “Oh, come on. Ray asked you to leave and told you he’d call tomorrow. He didn’t scream or go calling animal control.” Bandit shrugged. “I think he took it rather calmly.” “You weren’t there. You didn’t see the horror in his eyes.” Lou gestured in the general direction of Ray’s house. “You’re right. I didn’t see any of that, but I do have an idea of what a person scared to death looks like. I’ve gone through having a human scream like I was about to murder him.” Bandit’s eyes held the upsetting memories of that night in them. “I know what it’s like to be looked at like I was a freak. I don’t believe Ray would look at you like that.” “How do you know?” Lou wanted to believe Bandit, but 122

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he didn’t see how his brother could be so sure Ray wouldn’t turn away from him. “Fuck.” Bandit dropped his head on the arm of the couch and glared up at the ceiling. “I don’t know that. I was trying to be encouraging, so you’d stop whining.” Rover grabbed Lou’s shirt as he shot passed on his way to kill Bandit, jerking him to a stop and pushing him to another chair on the opposite side of the room. Bandit didn’t move from the couch. “You’re an ass,” Rover told Bandit. “This is supposed to be a news flash?” Bandit sat up and snagged Rover’s beer, finishing it off before handing it back. Rover smacked Bandit on the back of the head. “Go get me another beer and try to find some compassion while you’re in the kitchen.” Bandit stalked from the room, rubbing his head and grumbling. Lou and Rover watched him leave before looking at each other and smiling. “Why is he like that?” Rover shrugged. “I think he has a hard time letting us know he cares for us.” Lou snorted. “He’s doing a good job making me think he doesn’t like me.” “Oh, come on, you know he does this with everyone…well, almost everyone. He’s not about to pull this shit with Spike.” Rover leaned against the fireplace mantel and frowned down at the ashes. Bandit wandered back in, handed out bottles and settled 123

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back on the couch. Lou drank half of his beer before he glanced at his brothers. “What do I do?” He looked at Rover, who shook his head, and then over at Bandit. Bandit looked down at the floor and sighed. “I know what you want me to say. You want me to tell you to run over to Ray’s house, drag him out of bed and convince him that you’re not a freak or a monster.” Lou chuckled. “How’d you guess?” “It’s what I’d want my brothers to tell me.” Bandit grinned. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to tell me that?” He sighed and rested his head back against his chair, closing his eyes. “You need to let Ray sleep on this whole thing. Wait for him to call you.” Bandit held up his hand to stop Lou’s protest. “I know it’ll be hard. You’ll be sitting by your phone all day, praying he’ll call.” A heavy hand dropped on Lou’s shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Rover standing beside him. Rover gave him a lopsided grin. “Listen to him, Lou. For the first time, he’s actually making sense.” He shot Bandit a glance. “What do I do if he doesn’t call?” Bandit scrubbed his hand over his face. “You call him the next day and ask if you can talk.” “What if he doesn’t want to talk to me or see me again?” “Then you let him go. I know it’ll hurt and you’ll feel like your heart is breaking in two.” Bandit grimaced. “You’ll get over it in time. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there.” 124

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Silence fell as Lou and Bandit stared at each other. Bandit had only been back in the pack for six months. His brother had disappeared two years ago and no one but Lassie knew where he had gone. Lou often wondered what had happened to Bandit while he was gone. His brother had always been a smart ass, yet he knew Bandit was right. He’d wait until Ray called him. It might kill him, but he’d do it because he understood Ray needed to work the lycan issues out on his own. Lou had always known about the beast living inside him. Ray had only known about the animal for two hours. It would take more time than that for the man he loved to adjust to the fact Lou could turn fuzzy at any moment. “Shit.” Lou put his bottle down and stood. “I hate when you’re right.” “I know.” Bandit stood as well. “Quit all this mushy shit. Let’s go for another run. It’ll take your mind off your boy.” Rover slapped him on the shoulder and led the way outside. Lou stripped and shifted. Throwing his head back, he howled his loneliness and fear into the night sky. Rover and Bandit joined in. With their wolf song filling the air, Lou realized it would be all right. His brothers were with him and in a few hours, he would have Ray in his arms again.

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CHAPTER 11 Ray reached out, touching the sheets next to him. The minute his hand felt the empty spot, his sleepy brain reminded him what had happened last night. Rolling on his back, he stared up at the ceiling and thought about the shock Lou had given him. Lou’s a werewolf. He shook his head. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would think Lou was crazy. Yet he couldn’t doubt that it was real. He’d seen the wolf three times. He’d even touched the animal. He climbed out of bed, catching a quick glance at the clock. Twelve o’clock. Time to get his ass out of bed and think about things. He headed to his bathroom, turning on the 126

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shower before looking at himself in the mirror. “You have a choice,” he muttered to his reflection. “You can completely freak out and lose the best guy you’ve had in years.” The steam from the water condensed on the mirror, and he swiped a hand through it to reveal his image again. “Or you can take a shower, get dressed and call Lou. Get him over here and have him explain things to you. It’s not like he’s any different from the way he was before. It’s like finding out someone’s a Republican when you thought he was a Democrat. You might think he’s crazy, but you still love him.” He shook his head. Maybe that wasn’t the best analogy. Stepping under the hot water, he let his head hang down while he braced his hands against the cool tile. The tension in his muscles eased and he exhaled. Knee-jerk reactions were never his way. No matter the argument or discussion, he always had to hear both sides before he made up his own mind. Ray washed quickly and dried off just as fast. Hurrying to his room, he grabbed clean underwear, jeans and a shirt. He pulled them on and ran downstairs to find his phone ringing. “Where the hell did I put it?” he muttered, digging through coat pockets and the crap he’d thrown on the kitchen counters. Frustration was setting in when he found it hidden under papers in his study. He answered it before it stopped ringing. “Hello?” “Ray?” “Yes.” He didn’t recognize the voice. 127

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“My name is Darren Hunter. I’m Patches’ husband.” Why was Lou’s brother-in-law calling him? “How are you? I met your wife and children last night. Your children are great.” “They’re wonderful little monsters. I love them.” Darren paused for a second before continuing, “I was wondering if you’d like to talk about what Lou told you last night.” “Did he ask you to call me?” Sitting down, he rested his chin on his hand and stared out the window at the forest. “No. Patches did, but it doesn’t really matter who asked me. I’m human and maybe you need to talk to someone who is in the same situation you are.” God, wasn’t that the truth? Talking to another human who loved a werewolf would be great. It might help clear up some questions. “I’d love to talk to you about this.” “Meet me at the café across from the police station in ten minutes. I can take my lunch and we can talk then.” “Okay, I’ll be there.” Ray hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket, picking up his keys before heading out. Ten minutes later, he sat at a table outside, sipping his café au lait and watching people walk by. A tall, light brownhaired man strolled up to him and held out a hand. “Are you Ray?” Standing, he shook the man’s hand and smiled. “You must be Darren.” “Yes.” Darren took a seat and flagged down one of the waitresses. “I’ll take the usual.” The girl nodded and headed inside. Ray studied Darren, 128

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though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. What did a human married to a werewolf look like? “You look like you thought I’d be deformed or something,” Darren joked. “Sorry.” Blushing, Ray took a sip. “I’m slightly freaked out and not sure how to deal with it all. I mean it’s not every day my lover tells me he’s a werewolf.” “Lycan.” “What?” Darren smiled his thanks to the waitress and waited until she left before answering Ray’s question. “They call themselves lycans, not werewolves. They change completely from one form to the other. There’s no half-man/half-wolf being.” Ray blinked, trying to wrap his mind around that image. That was something he never wanted to see. “How did you react when Patches told you about being a lycan?” Darren burst out laughing, drawing the attention of the other patrons sitting outside. When he caught his breath, he grinned at Ray. “I told her she was fucking crazy and if her whole family believed that, then all of them needed to be put in an asylum.” Ray’s mouth dropped open and he stared at the man. “You’re kidding? How did that go over?” “Not well. I got a visit from Bandit and Rover. They warned me that hurting Patches wasn’t an option or I’d be hurt myself.” Darren shrugged. “When those two have a talk with you, you listen.” 129

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He understood that. “But lycan aren’t real. They don’t exist.” Darren raised an eyebrow at him. “They don’t? Then explain to me how Lou managed to change from human to wolf in your study last night.” Staring down at the table, he traced a circle on the scarred table. “I know, but even with the evidence before my eyes, I’m still not completely convinced what I saw was real.” The smile Darren gave him held sympathy. “I was the same way. All the things we heard about werewolves being monsters or starring in romance novels. I guess we should be happy we got the romance kind and not the horror movie kind.” He shoved his hand through his hair and nodded. “You’re right. They aren’t monsters and thank God for that.” Checking his watch, Darren finished his coffee and stood. “I hope I helped a little. My lunch is over and I have to get back to the office.” Ray stood as well, tossing money on the table and following Darren to the sidewalk. “Thanks for talking to me. I have a little more thinking to do.” “I don’t blame you, but maybe calling Lou and talking to him will help clear things up for you.” They shook hands again and went their separate ways. Ray drove home and decided to take Darren’s advice. Flopping into the desk chair, he dialed Lou’s number and waited. God, he hoped Lou would be somewhere near his phone and willing to talk. 130

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“Ray?” The eagerness in Lou’s voice made Ray think of a puppy wagging its tail for attention from its favorite person. He smacked his head on the desk. Somehow, that didn’t seem like the best image to have. “Ray?” Lou asked hesitantly. “Yeah. I was wondering if you had time to come over this afternoon and we could talk.” “When do you want me there? I could bring lunch over.” He chuckled. “Come around two o’clock.” Lou sighed. “Thanks, babe. I’m sorry if I freaked you out.” “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but we’ll talk when you get here.” Ray’s heart thrilled at Lou’s endearment. “I’ll see you then.” “Okay. ’Bye.” “Bye, Lou.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the desk. He had one hour to waste before Lou got there. Strolling into the kitchen, he started the coffee maker and filled the dishwasher. Cleaning the house seemed like the best way to waste time. His doorbell rang promptly at two and he opened the door, smiling at the picture Lou made, juggling white take-out bags and a bouquet of flowers. Sneeze. “Shit, I hope you’re not allergic to flowers as well.” Lou frowned. Ray reached out for the flowers. “No. It’s you I’m allergic to, remember?” 131

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Lou paused and leaned in. When Ray didn’t stop him, he pressed a kiss to Ray’s lips. Ray slid his free hand into the curls at the back of Lou’s head, cradling it and letting his lover know things were going to be okay. “Let’s eat, and you can tell me about your tendency to go fuzzy.” Ray led the way to the kitchen, where he dished out the steaks and salads Lou had brought with him. Lou carried their plates to the patio, while Ray opened a bottle of wine and grabbed glasses. Ray sipped his wine, letting Lou have a few bites before he started the conversation. “I’m going to assume you’ve always been able to change into a wolf.” Lou nodded. “At least since I hit puberty. Before that, we’ll change only if we’re under a great deal of stress or fear. When we’re kids, we don’t have the control needed to change.” “All those dog references are inside jokes for your family, huh? Again, I’m assuming your entire family can shift.” He took a bite of his steak. “Everyone except Darren and my dad.” Ray frowned. “You’re half-breeds?” Sneeze. Tilting his head slightly, Lou looked thoughtful. “Technically, we aren’t. Patches’ twins are, so they won’t shift. My dad can’t shift into wolf shape, but he is lycan. Mom got kicked out of her blood pack for marrying a non-shifter. 132

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It’s one of those weird genetic mutations that happens once in a while.” “Darren said he freaked out when Patches told him.” “Yeah. It took him a lot longer to get used to it. Rover and Bandit went over and talked to him.” “He told me. I’m surprised that didn’t scare him.” Ray frowned. “When you changed, it wigged me out because I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t think you’d hurt me or anything like that. It’s weird, though, to see a legend take shape in my living room.” Lou shrugged. “I guess so. Though I’m not a werewolf. I’m a Preter.” “What’s the difference?” Ray tried to remember what he’d read on the internet. “When I shift, I become completely a wolf. There’s no half-wolf/half-man creature, or at least I’ve never heard of one.” Lou stood, moving to the chair closest to Ray. “I control when I change, though around the full moon, I usually go to my parents’ house and hang out in wolf form with my family. I don’t become rabid and foam at the mouth when the moon’s full.” Ray grinned. “That’s good to know. What is a Preter?” Lou stared off into the forest for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. “A Preter is any creature that isn’t human—lycan, vampire, demon, or incubus. All those creatures you’ve read about in legends and myths. We call ourselves Preters.” “You’re serious? There are vampires and incubi in the 133

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world? Are there other shifters?” Lou finished his steak and leaned back in his chair. “Sure. There are all sorts of shifters out there.” Ray couldn’t resist. He touched Lou’s knee and laid his head on Lou’s shoulder. Lou encircled his waist, tugging Ray out of his chair and settling him on his lap. Ray wrapped his arms around Lou’s neck, nuzzling the spot behind Lou’s ear. Lou shivered, and Ray smirked. His lover’s cock felt like a rock under his ass. He wiggled and Lou moaned. “I think we need to go inside and get reacquainted. We can talk some more later, but that won’t change how I feel about you. You were a wolf before I knew your secret. I’ll just have to make sure to have doggie treats for you when you change.” He gasped as Lou stood, carrying him, without effort, inside and placing him on the counter. He spread his thighs, letting Lou press close to him. A shudder wracked him when Lou nipped the muscle at the top of his shoulder. “You are my treat, honey.” *

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Lou wanted to howl with happiness. For the moment, Ray accepted him and his wolf. He wasn’t naïve enough to think everything would be sunshine and rainbows from now on. The next full moon would be an interesting time for both of them. Something hit his chest and he looked down to see Ray’s fist resting there. He glanced up, and Ray smiled. “You went away there for a second.” Ray opened his fist and trailed his hand down Lou’s stomach to the waist of his jeans. “If you 134

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want to let your mind wander, that’s great, but get naked. I want to let my hands wander.” He stepped away from the counter, his hands flicking open the button of his jeans. Nodding toward Ray, he said, “You need to get naked as well, honey. Wandering hands might be catching.” Ray jumped off the counter and started stripping. They reached for each other at the same time, coming together with an audible thud. Lou buried his hands in Ray’s hair, tilting his lover’s head and attacking his lips. “Oh,” Ray whimpered. Swiping his tongue inside Ray’s mouth, Lou tasted grape from the wine and the unique flavor that was Ray. He caressed the soft inside of Ray’s lips, and Ray shivered. Lou moved his hands down to cradle Ray’s ass, pulling them tighter together. He moaned as their cocks slid over each other, leaking heads leaving wet trails on their stomachs. Bending a little, he picked Ray up again and carried him to the kitchen table without breaking their kiss. Lou rested Ray’s ass on the edge of the table, balancing his lover there while he reached for a chair and tugged it close. Sitting in it, he draped Ray’s legs over his shoulders, forcing Ray to brace himself on his hands. “Lou?” Ray’s voice sounded hesitant. “Hush, love. I’m just getting my treat.” He scooted the chair close enough to the table and Ray that he could lean forward without straining anything. He licked a line from the base to the crown of Ray’s prick. Ray’s head fell 135

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back and his hips lifted off the table, trying to follow Lou’s tongue. Gripping Ray’s hips, Lou pinned him to the table and took just the head in his mouth. He pressed the point of his tongue into Ray’s slit. “God,” Ray moaned, undulating beneath Lou’s hands. Lou savored the salty bitterness dancing on his tongue and craved more. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his throat muscles and swallowed Ray down to the root. Ray’s cry was wordless. When Lou took his hands off Ray’s hips, Ray surged, thrusting in and out of Lou’s mouth. Lou hummed and applied more suction with each stroke. He slid one hand up to fondle Ray’s balls. He squeezed and rolled them in his palm. He sucked in two fingers from his other hand alongside Ray’s cock, getting them good and wet. Removing them, he placed them at the entrance of Ray’s ass and allowed Ray to impale himself on them. Breeching the ring of muscles was difficult at first, but then Ray relaxed and his body seemed to welcome Lou’s fingers without hesitation. Lou’s assault on Ray’s body was all encompassing with mouth, hand and fingers. He knew he was driving Ray closer and closer to the edge with every move. Ray’s smooth rhythm slowly started to fall apart until Lou overwhelmed him with sensation. “Lou.” His name and a tap on his shoulder warned him that Ray was going to come. Nodding, Lou worked Ray even harder and faster, wanting to taste everything Ray had to give him. 136

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“Fuck,” Ray cried out. Hot liquid flooded Lou’s mouth. He swallowed the salty bitterness with eagerness and encouraged Ray to spend every drop he had. Lou waited until Ray’s body went limp, hands turned palm up on the table and chest heaving. Lou kept licking and sucking, making sure Ray’s cock stayed hard. Ray sighed and ran his hand through Lou’s hair. “I want you to make love to me now, Lou.” He pulled off Ray with a pop and leered at his lover. “I’d be more than happy to, though I think this time it’ll be more like fucking than making love. I don’t think I’ll last long once I’m inside you, but we have all afternoon to make love.” A blush painted Ray’s cheeks. “I can handle that. I just want your cock in my ass.” Lou licked his hand and slicked up his cock. Positioning the flared head at Ray’s puckered hole, he stared down at Ray. “I’m clean. Lycans can’t get human diseases.” Ray bit his lip and nodded. Lou knew the huge step they were taking. Even with the immunity that being lycan gave Lou, going without protection was something he had never done with any man. Declaring their relationship as exclusive meant Ray would be the only one he shared a bed with from now on. Their relationship was forever, or until Ray decided being with a lycan was more work than he’d bargained for. Lou shook his head. He wasn’t going to worry about that. His beast wouldn’t allow it to happen. He placed Ray’s legs over his arms and gripped Ray’s hips, easing his cock into Ray’s tight channel. Ray’s gaze 137

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stayed on his face, watching every expression. A snarl pulled up the corners of his mouth when he buried himself as deep as he could inside Ray. He froze, trying to be considerate and let Ray adjust to his invasion. Ray tilted his hips slightly, to let Lou know it was okay to move. “Touch yourself,” he growled as he pulled out and slammed back in. Ray fisted his cock and started pumping to the rhythm Lou established. Their bodies recognized each other, and Lou’s love for Ray built into possessive passion. He thrust harder and harder. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the kitchen, along with the scent of sex and sweat. The table screeched across the floor until it hit the counter. Its stopping gave Lou something to brace against and really start reaming Ray’s ass. “Lou…ah.” Ray’s muscles clamped down on Lou’s prick like a vise and ropey strings of cum squirted from Ray’s cock, coating Ray’s stomach. Watching his lover come drove Lou into his own climax. His dick swelled and the need to claim Ray filled Lou. He leaned forward on the final stroke and bit Ray on the chest right over his heart. “Love,” Ray gasped. Lou’s cum drenched Ray’s passage until Lou didn’t have another drop in him. He thought he was never going to stop coming as Ray’s aftershocks continued to massage his cock. 138

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His knees buckled and he sank to the floor, a melted puddle of male satisfaction. Ray oozed off the table into his embrace and they cuddled on the cool tile until their heartbeats slowed. He smoothed his hand up and down Ray’s spine, outlining each vertebrate and teasing the soft skin at the base of Ray’s back. He spread little kisses along Ray’s hairline, licking the salty sweat off Ray’s face. Ray mumbled something, but his face was buried in Lou’s chest and Lou couldn’t make out the words. “What did you say, honey?” Lou eased Ray away from him. “We should go clean up and take a nap.” Looking down, he saw Ray’s cum on his stomach and rubbed it in with his hand. He wanted to smell like Ray, but he knew once it dried, it’d be itchy. “You’re right. Let’s go.” Standing, he offered a hand to Ray and pulled the shorter man to his feet. They made their way upstairs, stopping to kiss and touch as they did so. He wiped them both down quickly and let Ray lead him to his bedroom. He curled around Ray, settling his arm over Ray’s waist and entwining their fingers together. Ray sighed and within seconds, Ray’s breathing slowed. Lou closed his eyes. A nap sounded good and when they woke up, they’d get on with the lovemaking.

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CHAPTER 12 Sneeze. Sneeze. Sneeze. Ray caught himself before he fell out of bed. Lou wrapped an arm around him and braced him as he continued to sneeze. “Shit, honey. Just a second.” Lou propped him up against the pillows and headed to the bathroom. Ray couldn’t see what his lover was doing beyond that because his eyes started running like faucets. They itched like crazy as well. His allergies had kicked into hyper-drive. “Hey.” Lou took his hand and stuffed a fistful of tissues in it. Blowing his nose with some and wiping his eyes with 140

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others, he managed to see Lou standing next to the bed with a glass of water and a pill. “I got an allergy pill for you.” Ray reached for them, hoping the medicine would work quickly. He choked the pill down between sneezes and after handing the glass back to Lou, he fell back on the pillows. He tried to catch his breath. His stomach muscles ached from all the sneezing. “Am I really allergic to you?” He managed to gasp in between fits. Lou sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him in sympathy. “It looks like it.” “But—” Sneeze. “I don’t react this way—” Sneeze. “To you as a wolf.” “That’s what has me confused. Usually, when humans are allergic to us, it’s because they’re allergic to dogs and we fall into that category. I’ve never heard of a human being allergic to our human side.” Lou frowned. Sneeze. Sniffle. “Man, we’ve got to figure something out. I’m not giving you up and I’m not sure I can function doped up on allergy medicine all day.” Ray laid his head back and shut his eyes. Exhaustion swamped him. God, he’d never been this tired and it wasn’t from being fucked all night. 141

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Lou sighed. “Bandit has a theory.” Reluctance tinged Lou’s words. “Do you sound doubtful because you think his theory’s crazy?” Sneeze. “Or are you doubtful Bandit could have any idea that might actually make sense?” Chuckling, Lou leaned over and kissed Ray’s cheek. “Oh, I give Bandit lots of credit for having ideas. Most of them don’t work, but every once in a while, he gets a good one. I’m not saying this theory is a good one. It’s the only one that makes sense at the moment and it can’t hurt to check it out.” Ray’s eyes stopped itching. “How do we go about finding out why I can’t seem to stop sneezing while I’m with you? As much I like your wolf, I don’t want to live with it.” “Good. I think that’s illegal anyway.” Lou stood. “Can you get dressed by yourself?” Easing to the side of the bed, Ray pushed himself to his feet and waited a second for the world to stop spinning. Lou’s warm hand grasped his arm, helping him stay balanced. “I’m fine.” He made his way to the dresser, tugging out underwear, socks and a T-shirt. He found a pair of clean jeans in the pile of laundry he hadn’t gotten around to putting away. While he dressed, Lou picked up the bedside phone, and Ray listened to Lou’s conversation. “Rover, I need you to send Bandit over to Ray’s right away.” Pause. “No real emergency. I need to talk to him about Ray’s sneezing.” 142

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Lou wandered over to the window, staring outside. Ray was glad he lived in the country and didn’t have any neighbors or they’d be getting an eyeful of the naked man in his bedroom. “Ray woke up in a sneezing fit. I’m afraid he’ll hurt himself and we can’t go on like this.” Another pause and a silly grin crossed Lou’s face. “Yeah, bro. He accepts my wolf. We can discuss that later. While Bandit’s on his way over here, can you call the old witch doctor? I want to take Ray to see him.” Witch doctor? Ray hesitated in the middle of buttoning his jeans. Shouldn’t he be going to a regular allergy specialist or something like that? Didn’t witch doctors shrink heads and stuff? He didn’t want his head shrunk or to be turned into a zombie. Lou stiffened in the window. “Shit. Don’t worry about trying to find Bandit. The jackass perv is here and has probably been since I got here earlier. Just call the doctor for me.” After shutting his phone, Lou tossed it toward Ray’s bed before jerking open the window and leaning out. “Bandit, get your furry ass inside. I need to talk to you and then I’m going to beat you senseless, you voyeuristic s.o.b.” Lou slammed the window closed. Ray’s scattered thoughts about the witch doctor leapt to the fact Bandit was in his backyard. He grabbed Lou as his lover stalked by him. Lou’s hazel eyes traced over his body, heating his blood, but Ray managed to keep from getting distracted. “Bandit watched us?” His voice cracked. 143

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“More than likely. The bastard just can’t help being annoying and a pain in my ass. You’d think he never grew up or something.” Lou must have seen the unease on Ray’s face. He stroked Ray’s cheek and winked. “Don’t worry. He’ll be jealous, but he won’t say anything to you. I’ll make sure of that.” Ray took a deep breath and promptly sneezed. He straightened his shoulders. He could do this. Act normal. It’s no big deal that your boyfriend’s older brother watched the two of you fuck in your kitchen. He tried to convince himself. He followed Lou downstairs to the kitchen. Bandit rested a naked hip against the counter, a grin on his face. Lou strolled across the room, drew back a fist and punched his brother in the face. Bandit didn’t dodge or move to get away from the hit. He took it like the lycan he was. “Fuck,” both men shouted afterward. Lou cradled his hand with his other and glared at Bandit. For his part, Bandit touched his bleeding nose and laughed. “Do you both feel better?” Ray stomped to the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen peas for Lou to put on his knuckles. He gestured for Bandit to sit at the table. “Tilt your head back,” he suggested, running some paper towels under the faucet in the sink before removing Bandit’s hand from his nose. “I assume you’ll both heal just fine without going to the hospital.” Sneeze. “See, I told you it’s not just you he’s allergic to. You notice it because he’s with you more than Rover or me.” 144

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Bandit’s words sounded funny since his nose was swelling. “What’re you talking about?” Ray sneezed while picking up Lou’s clothes from where they’d been tossed last night. “Lou, Rover and I are gay. We all find you attractive, and I think you react to the scent or whatever we give off in our human form. It’s not an experiment we’ll try, but I bet if you and I or you and Rover were to have sex, you wouldn’t sneeze. You’re not allergic to just the wolf in us.” Lou growled low and Ray threw him a quelling glance ruined by a sneeze. “This witch doctor might be able to solve this problem?” “Dr. Keel’s been around a long time and has seen probably everything there is to see. If anyone can figure it out, he can.” Bandit stood and went to rinse the blood out of the towel. Ray stood next to Lou, thinking. He smiled as Lou wrapped an arm around his waist. Lou seemed to need the reassurance of touching Ray. He wasn’t about to argue with that. “Then let’s go see him.” Ray still wasn’t a hundred percent sure going to a witch doctor would take care of his allergies, but if Lou and his brother thought it would help, he was willing to try. “Rover’s tracking him down for us. As soon as I get the call, we’ll head out.” Lou nuzzled against Ray’s ribs. Chuckling, Ray pulled away. Sneeze. “Good. You two need to get dressed and I’ll make us something to eat,” Ray said. 145

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Bandit winked at him behind Lou’s back as Lou grabbed his clothes and headed upstairs to take a shower. Ray shook his head and shooed Bandit out of the kitchen. He needed a few moments by himself. At least, it would give him a rest from sneezing. *

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Lou glanced around as they climbed out of his truck at the end of the dirt road. He caught the glimpse of a faint trail to the right leading farther back in the woods. He shook his head. “Does Dr. Keel have to be a typical stereotype?” he asked Bandit as his brother joined him. Bandit grinned. “He needs a lot of room for his zombies to roam. You know how hard it is to keep them corralled in one spot.” Ray froze. “He has zombies?” “Don’t worry. They’re pets for the most part. We won’t let them nibble on you, no matter how edible you are.” Bandit leered at Ray. Lou rolled his eyes. “Bandit, quit teasing him. Keel doesn’t have zombies.” At Bandit’s skeptical look, he amended, “That we know of.” Sneeze. Ray moved to stand next to him. Lou hid his grin as Ray slid his hand into his. Leaning over, he nuzzled Ray’s cheek and rubbed his own against Ray, marking Ray with his scent. Sneeze. He jerked away just in time not to be hit by Ray’s chin. 146

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“Let’s go. Rover said Spike had to pull Alpha wolf out to get Keel to agree to see a non-Preter.” Bandit stalked off. “What’s wrong with Bandit?” Ray whispered to Lou as they followed his brother into the forest. Lou shrugged, but he had the feeling it had more to do with envy than anything else. As they were growing up, their mother had told them all there was one special person out there for them. Not necessarily a soul mate, per se. It would be a person who would fit into their lives like the last piece of a puzzle. She’d told them it might not be obvious at first, but as they spent more time with that person, they would understand what she meant. As kids and teenagers, they all believed her. Then they grew up and realized that maybe she’d just been telling fairy tales. Unfortunately, Rover, Spike and Bandit learned the hard way that not everyone you fell in love with would love you back. Lassie, Spot and Patches still believed in that one love. Of course, Patches didn’t count since she found Darren. Lou caught Ray as the smaller man tripped over a tree branch on the trail. Holding him close for a second and breathing in Ray’s warm scent, Lou decided his mother might have been telling the truth. He set Ray back on his feet and kissed him, licking along the seam of Ray’s lips and begging for entrance. Ray wrapped his arms around Lou’s neck and opened for him. Lou’s wolf loved the way Ray surrendered to him. He slid his hands down and brought their groins closer together. A low growl emerged from his throat at the feel of Ray’s hard 147

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cock rubbing against his. “For Christ’s sake, can’t you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes?” Bandit’s teasing had a brittle tone to it. Taking his time, Lou nipped Ray’s bottom lip once more before pulling away from him. He stared down at Ray’s passion-flushed face and lust-glazed eyes. That was a look he loved to see on his man. “Sorry.” His empty apology made Bandit snarl slightly, but Lou couldn’t find the energy to care. He wasn’t going to apologize for having someone and enjoying him. “It’s only a little farther up this trail. I smell wolf.” Bandit froze, his top lip curled. Lou sniffed and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. There were strange lycans here. His pack didn’t claim this area of the forest as theirs, but they liked to know when strangers were around. “Before we leave, we need to talk to Keel about the lycans.” He gestured for Bandit to lead the way, keeping Ray between them. “Yeah. Spike and Mom aren’t going to be happy about not being told they’re here.” Bandit strolled on ahead, for all intents and purposes looking like a man enjoying a walk in the woods. Only Lou could see the way his brother scented the air and listened to every sound being made. “I don’t want you to be afraid, but if something happens, I 148

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want you to run back to my truck and leave.” He handed the keys to Ray. “Go to the bar and tell Spike what happened.” Ray paled. “Is something going to happen?” “It’s just a precaution, honey.” He shook his head. “Strange lycans haven’t always moved in with good intentions.” He could see the questions swirling around Ray’s head, but his love simply nodded and took the keys. They reached the edge of the clearing where the doctor’s cabin was. As Lou and Ray stepped onto grass, two white wolves bounded from behind the cabin, snarling and growling. Bandit’s change was instantaneous. Lou pushed Ray behind him. Bandit stood his ground as the other lycans charged him. Right before the battle was engaged, a voice barked out, “No!” The lycans stopped so suddenly one tripped over his own feet and landed in a heap at Bandit’s feet. Bandit didn’t flinch, making Lou glad Bandit was with him and not Spike or Rover. Neither of his older siblings would have let such a lack of respect go unpunished. Pulling Ray into his arms, Lou looked up to see an elderly man standing on the front porch of Keel’s cabin. His chest and stomach were covered in bandages, but Lou’s sensitive nose picked up the strong copper smell of blood. The old stranger was injured. “Change and get up here, both of you.” The orders were snapped out like the man knew he wouldn’t be disobeyed. The white lycans ducked their heads and changed into 149

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pale-skinned, blond-haired men. They slunk back to where the older man stood. If they’d still had tails, they would be tucked between their legs. As soon as the threat moved away from them, Bandit shifted back himself. Ray tugged on Lou’s shirt. He tilted his head, but didn’t take his eyes off the strangers. “Where do your clothes go?” Lou’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced down at Ray, who was staring at all three naked men with interest. Lou couldn’t help it. He chuckled. Bandit and the other lycans gave him various inquiring looks. Shaking his head, he urged Ray to walk up next to Bandit. “I’ll tell you later.” “Okay.” Sneeze. Sneeze. Sneeze. The three strangers stepped back as Ray burst into one of his sneezing attacks. Lou kept his arm around Ray’s waist to keep Ray from falling over. When Ray stopped for the moment, Dr. Keel appeared from inside the cabin. “So this is the non-Preter Spike pulled Alpha rank on me for.” Keel squinted his rheumy blue eyes at Ray. “Come in.” Lou started to help Ray up the steps, but Keel stopped him. “I’ll check him out alone first and then I’ll call you in when I’m done.” Ray’s fearful expression almost made Lou disobey the witch doctor’s order. He stroked his fingers over Ray’s cheek. 150

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“It’ll be all right. We’ll be out here. Yell if you need me.” He met Keel’s eyes with a steady gaze. “He’s mine.” Keel’s laugh was creaky and old like the man himself. “I won’t hurt him, lycan. Leave.” The doctor led Ray inside the cabin, leaving Lou, Bandit and the others staring at each other. The older man slumped and the two strangers ran to his sides, supporting him long enough to get him to one of the chairs on the porch. Bandit waited until the man was seated before he opened discussions. “Who are you and why didn’t you send word to my pack that you’re here?” Lou settled to the right of and behind Bandit. As the older of them, Bandit was the de facto leader. One of the pale men growled low in his throat at Bandit’s tone. A sharp bark from Bandit told the challenger who was stronger. The other blond seemed nervous and stayed close to the older man. “I’m sorry about that. This is the first day I’ve been able to sit up and talk. I was planning on sending Roman here to your mother with a petition to stay here until I heal.” The injured man gestured to the still growling shifter. “I’m Max. These are my sons, Roman and Allen.” Lou kept his mouth shut. Roman and Allen didn’t look anything like Max, but it wasn’t any of his business why that was. “How did you get injured?” Bandit relaxed slightly, which eased the tension and Roman’s growling died down. “We were attacked about ten miles from here by a hunting 151

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party of non-Preters. We weren’t in wolf form, but somehow they knew what we are. My sons have gone through some harsh events in recent times and were not up to a fight, so we ran. I was injured.” A tingle of unease ran down Lou’s spine. He’d never heard of non-Preters hunting lycans. At least, not in recent times. Bandit’s head tilted as he stared at Max, but he didn’t seem to be seeing the other man. “Did you get a good look at the man leading the party?” “Tall. Dark hair streaked with silver. Dark eyes.” Allen leaned over and whispered something to Max. “Right. He had a nasty scar running from his brow to his chin.” Both Bandit and Lou stiffened, their growls mingling. “We need everyone here right now,” Lou snarled. “On it.” Bandit closed his eyes. Max’s smile was grim. “Why do I get the feeling you know that man?” “We do and our knowledge of him is not pleasant.” Keel opened the door and waved to Lou. “Come in now. Have to check you out.” Lou shivered. He hated going to the doctor’s like any dog would hate the vets, but he’d do it for Ray. Bandit nodded as he looked at him. “Go get your allergy problem taken care of, so we’ll be able to focus all of our attention on this other problem.”

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CHAPTER 13 Ray sat on the chair Keel pointed to. There was no way he was going to wander around the cabin. There were shriveled things hanging in the corners, and he didn’t want to know if they were heads or not. The whole place smelled musty and damp. He wrinkled his nose. Did Lou and his family seriously believe Keel could help Ray with his allergies? The doctor seemed more like a quack than a real doctor. Sneeze. He wasn’t sure what the doctor thought. All the old man did was sit and stare at him for a few seconds before touching his hand and mumbling something. Keel stood, leaned in and sniffed Ray’s hair. Muttering to himself, the doctor wandered 153

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over to a makeshift cabinet, rummaging around before he headed over to the cabin door and called for Lou. Sneeze. Sneeze. Sneeze. Turning, Ray saw Lou step into the cabin with an angry look on his face. Something must have happened while Dr. Strangelove was poking at Ray. Lou came to stand by him, resting a hand on Ray’s shoulder. “What’s the verdict, Doc?” Keel glared at Lou. “What’s your hurry, Canis? I’m not a miracle worker. It’s not like a lightning bolt is going to come out of the blue and strike me with inspiration.” Sneeze. Sneeze. Sniffle. Ray covered Lou’s hand with his and squeezed. “Everything all right?” “Not really.” Lou’s words came in a low growl. “You are not having a conclave on my property, Canis. I’m neutral territory for all the packs and other Preters in the area.” Keel stabbed Ray with a needle. “Ow. What the hell? I didn’t do anything to you.” Ray tried to jerk his arm away from the doctor, but Keel held it tight. Keel drew a vial of blood and pressed a bandage to the wound. “I need to check your blood. See what’s there.” Looking up at Lou, Ray raised an eyebrow, and Lou 154

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shrugged. Ray turned back to see Keel wander off again, this time opening the door to another room. He got a glimpse of bright white walls and a microscope before Keel shut the door. The thought of the crazy old witch doctor having a stateof-the-art lab in his rundown dirty cabin unnerved Ray a little. Maybe Keel wasn’t the quack Ray thought he was. “What’s going on? What’s a conclave?” Sighing, Lou helped Ray up and took his spot on the chair before pulling Ray down on his lap. Lou wrapped his arms around Ray’s waist, burying his face in the crook of Ray’s neck. “Those lycans outside were attacked by a hunting party of non-Preters.” “I didn’t know you could hunt wolves around here.” Ray frowned. “They weren’t hunting wolves. They were hunting lycans. Bandit and I recognized the description of their leader. He’s someone we know quite well. Spike is going to pitch a royal fit when she finds out.” Lou rubbed his nose over the back of Ray’s neck. “And a conclave is a meeting of all the Preters in the area.” Ray shivered. “Why?” He tried to stay focused on the conversation instead of how warm Lou was and how much he wanted to lick every inch of the man. Lou wasn’t as intent on their discussion as Ray thought. Ray bit back a moan when Lou trailed his tongue over the curve of Ray’s ear and nibbled on his lobe. 155

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“The asshole used to be a boyfriend of Spike’s. We all thought he was the one for her, but when she told him about her lycan heritage, he tried to kill her.” Stiffening, Ray pushed back a little, trusting Lou to hold onto him. He stared at Lou in shock. “He tried killing her? And you let him live?” “Not on purpose.” Lou snarled. “Rover got to him before the rest of us and he thought he’d killed him. I guess Rover was wrong, which isn’t going to make him happy either.” “That’s seriously fucked up.” Ray thought for a moment. “How often do you all tell the people you’re dating about your wolf side? Are there a bunch of unattached humans out there who know all about lycans?” Lou shook his head. “No. We don’t reveal ourselves quickly. Like I said, Spike thought he was the one for her, but it didn’t work out. I think he was a Preter hunter before he met Spike, and knew about her wolf side all the time. He was just waiting for her to trust him enough to spill her secret. He probably has a notebook or photo album where he puts pictures of the Preters he kills. At least that’s what we hope he is.” “Why would you hope he’s a hunter? It seems to me you’d be upset about that.” “There are worse things he could be. We’ve dealt with hunters before. They’re just looking for trophies. It’s the fanatics you have to worry about. Those who believe all Preters must be wiped from the world.” Fear raced down Ray’s spine. “You’re not going to hunt 156

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him, are you?” “It’ll depend on what the conclave decides. He’s already attacked Max and his sons. War has been declared, but we have to wait until Mom gets back and a decision has been made before we can actually move on them.” Lou gripped Ray’s hips and urged him to straddle his thighs. Ray didn’t even think about the fact Keel was in the other room and there were people on the porch. All that filled his mind was the feel of Lou’s erection rubbing against his own and the pressure building in his balls. He placed his hands on Lou’s shoulders and started rocking, pressing forward and retreating with each thrust. Lou leaned forward slightly to nip at Ray’s chin. Their lips met with fierce need, and he opened for Lou, letting his lover take as much as he wanted. Ray arched as Lou slid his hands down Ray’s back and grabbed his butt, kneading his body with strong fingers. Their tongues stroked and dueled. Ray teased Lou’s into his mouth and sucked on it, making Lou groan. A cough from outside broke them apart. Well, that and lack of air that caused Ray’s head to spin. Of course, that could just have been the kiss and the lust swirling inside him. “We need to stop, honey, or I’ll be taking you here in Keel’s cabin. I don’t think the doctor would be happy about that.” Lou winked. “And I’m not ready to give Bandit another show.” Ray blushed, ducking his head and tucking it under Lou’s chin with a sigh. Lou rocked them as their heart beats calmed 157

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and their arousal eased. Lou gave him a quick kiss. “We’ll pick up right here later.” Sneeze. “Bandit’s theory might be right.” Keel stepped from the other room, and Ray jumped. The doctor ignored the fact Lou and Ray were wrapped around each other like a snarled ball of yarn. Sneeze. “He wasn’t sneezing a few minutes ago while you were kissing.” “Did you come up with a solution, Doc?” Lou smoothed Ray’s shirt along his back. Keel nodded and held out a plant. “Wolf’s bane.” Lou tensed, and Ray wondered what wolf’s bane was. *

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“Wolf’s bane is poisonous,” Lou reminded Keel. The witch doctor gave him an annoyed look. “I know that, lycan. Who’s the doctor here?” Lou tugged Ray closer and glared at Keel. “Why would you suggest using it if you knew that?” Keel sighed, pinching the bridge of his crooked nose. “Save me from possessive lycan. I don’t want to kill your mate, Canis. Trust me. I have no need for your pack to swear out a vendetta on me.” Ray shifted, moving so he faced Keel. “What’s wolf’s bane and how can it help me?” Sneeze. 158

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Keel shook his head. “It’s a plant that once was used for medicinal reasons. It is poisonous if too much is given or used improperly. Like I told your protective boyfriend, I don’t plan on killing you with it.” “Why is it called wolf’s bane?” Lou lifted his chin as Keel approached and held the flower in front of Lou’s face. “See the yellow shadow the flower casts?” Keel nodded toward Lou’s chin. “Yes.” Keel moved away. “In the old days, people used wolf’s bane to tell if someone was a werewolf or not. It does seem to work, doesn’t it?” Lou grew impatient. He wanted to be outside, discussing the threat of the non-Preters to his pack, but he also wanted Ray’s allergies to be fixed. “Get to the point,” he growled. “After Spike called and did her Alpha routine with me, I did some research. There seem to have been a few isolated cases like yours where the lycan’s mate is allergic to their human side. Through a lot of trial and error, other doctors have come up with a formula to help deal with the problem.” Keel picked up a bottle from the counter and held it out. “I made some tablets up while I waited for you to get here. It’s a combination of nettle and wolf’s bane. Not enough to kill you, but enough to settle your body’s reaction down to whatever you’re allergic to in Canis. This specific combination works best to keep the allergy from getting out of control. No one is 159

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sure why. They’re still running tests on that.” Ray took the bottle and rattled the pills around in it. “How many do I take?” “Two in the morning for a week and then one after that. You have to build up a level in your system before it’ll start working permanently. There’s no cure for your allergy, but this way we can keep it under control.” Keel waved at the front door. “Now get out of here. When you run out, let me know and I’ll make some more up for you. Oh, there’s no drowsiness or addiction attached to these.” Lou was skeptical. “Do you want to try this, honey? We could find another doctor for a second opinion.” Chuckling, Ray stood. “Exactly how would I go about that? ‘Excuse me, doctor, but I seem to be allergic to the human side of my werewolf boyfriend?’ I don’t think that would go over well.” “True.” He climbed to his feet and held out his hand to Keel. “Thanks, Doc. I’m sure you weren’t happy at Spike pulling rank on you, but I do appreciate it.” The doctor shook his hand. “Don’t have a choice if I want to keep practicing in this area, Canis. Your pack claims the land around me.” “Thank you, Doctor Keel.” Ray headed out the door. A snarl and a thud sounded. Lou raced outside when he heard Ray shout. Skidding to a stop, anger swelled in him at the sight of Ray pinned to the ground by Roman. The pale man snarled down at Ray, who stared at Roman with fear in his eyes, but Lou noticed Ray stayed relaxed like he knew any 160

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tension or aggression on his part would draw Roman’s attack. Without thinking, Lou changed and slammed into Roman’s side, driving the man off Ray with a howl. He stood on Roman’s chest and growled at him. Ray was his, and no one could touch him without suffering the consequences. He heard a yelp behind him, but ignored it, knowing Bandit had his back. Lou shifted back. “You will never touch him again.” Roman growled low in his throat, challenging Lou. His blue eyes never left Lou’s in an open sign of defiance. That was one thing Lou would never tolerate, not here in his territory and not about Ray. Letting his wolf take him again, he reached down and gripped Roman’s throat with his teeth. He put enough pressure there to hurt, but not break the skin. At least not yet. Roman would yield to him or he would fight to prove he was stronger than the pale man. Roman struggled, fighting to dislodge Lou’s mouth and body, but he couldn’t. Lou focused on placing all of his weight and strength on forcing Roman to submit to him, or at least acknowledge his claim on Ray. Finally, Roman stopped, his thin chest heaving as he fought for breath. “I yield.” Lou nipped Roman’s chin hard enough to leave a mark and stepped away, shifting back to his human form. Turning, he saw Ray sitting in one of the chairs on the porch, Max tending to the scratches on Ray’s shoulders. An angry growl rumbled in Lou’s chest. If he had known Roman had hurt Ray, the outcome of their dominance struggle might have ended a little 161

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bloodier. “I’m fine, Lou.” Ray met his gaze and Lou knew his love was telling the truth. Tension eased out of him. Looking around, he saw Bandit holding Allen close to him. The expression on Bandit’s face made Lou pause for a second. He’d never seen that look on his brother’s face before. “Let me go,” Allen panted, struggling to be free of Bandit’s embrace. Bandit let him go, and the man ran over to his twin, dropping to his knees beside Roman. “I didn’t break the skin,” Lou commented. Roman shot him a disgruntled look. “Thanks.” He shrugged. “Listen, you attacked what was mine and you hurt him. You’re lucky I don’t tear your throat out right now.” Allen didn’t say anything, just touched Roman’s throat with his fingers. Bandit’s eyes never left Allen’s back. “He’s one of them.” Roman pushed himself to his feet, shaking off Allen’s hands and glaring at Ray. “One of them?” Ray asked before smiling at Max. “Thank you for the help.” Lou went to him and sat on the arm of the chair, placing his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “He is a non-Preter, but he isn’t one of the ones who hunt you. Ray is my mate. He knows what I am and accepts me for it. He’d never hurt me, or you for that matter, unless you forced him.” Ray laughed. “The only one I’d have any inclination to 162

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hurt would be Bandit.” Lou’s brother chuckled. “I have that affect on people.” “I’m sorry, Ray and Lou. My sons have not had very good experiences with non-Preters, so they’ve learned not to trust them.” Max sat in the chair next to them, his lined face pale with pain. Allen sat at his feet, and Roman stood behind him, facing Bandit and Ray. “It’s all right. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it looks like you’ve had some hard times. I’d be suspicious as well,” said Ray. Lou smiled down at Ray. His love had such a giving nature. Bandit grunted, and Lou glanced over to see his brother’s eyes go hazy. “What’s wrong with Bandit?” Ray poked Lou’s thigh. “He’s talking to Lassie. Each pair of twins can connect mentally and, to a weaker extent, the pack can talk that way. I’m not very good at it. Probably because I don’t have a twin to practice with.” Ray’s intrigued expression made Lou think he might be getting more questions from Ray when they were alone. Bandit nodded and stood. “Lassie said the pack will meet us at the bar. Mom and Dad just got back and she wants to hear about the attack.” Bandit turned to Max. “Would you and your sons be willing to join us?” Max slowly stood with help from Roman and Allen. “Good manners and pack protocol say I must introduce myself 163

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and my sons to the Alpha of your pack. I’m afraid we’ll be staying in the area for a while until I heal and I would like to get your mother’s blessing.” Lou helped Ray up and he shivered as Ray’s warm hand trailed over his naked skin. A teasing glint made Ray’s eyes shine. He leaned down to press his lips against Ray’s ear. “Don’t tease, love. I can’t do anything about it until after the pack meeting.” Ray trembled, and Lou peeked to see the bulge in Ray’s jeans grow. Chuckling, he licked a line along Ray’s throat and Ray’s whimper caused his own cock to twitch. “Stop it, you two. Mom will kill me if we’re late, and I don’t think letting you two fuck before we get there will be a good enough excuse for her.” Bandit shook his head. He gestured for Max, Roman and Allen to follow him. “Come with me. Please,” he added. Ray blushed, and Lou grimaced. “He’s right. Mom’s not that understanding when she thinks her pack is under attack.” Ray climbed down the steps and headed down the trail in front of Lou. Watching that firm ass flex made Lou’s fingers itch. He couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching Ray’s butt. Ray turned to glare at him. Winking, he blew Ray a kiss. “Lou, keep your hands to yourself or I’ll make Ray walk up here with me.” Bandit’s order came from the front of the group. With a shrug, Lou clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ll be good.” 164

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“Sure. Just remember, if we’re late, I’m going to blame you and have Lassie kick your ass.” The three men in the middle listened to their exchange with varying degrees of surprise. Lou had the feeling Roman and Allen had never heard or seen lycans treat each other like Bandit and he were. He knew his pack was unusual in that there were no power struggles amongst them. They all knew their place in the hierarchy and, for the most part, they were happy where they were. Mom had the last say in any decision, but they all got to voice their opinions before a vote was taken. In most packs, the Alpha made the decision and the rest of the pack went along with it whether it was right or not. “We’re supposed to drop Ray off at his house.” Before Lou could protest, Bandit continued, “Mom said this doesn’t concern him. Darren won’t be there either, so it’s not like she’s excluding Ray.” Ray didn’t argue, and Lou knew it was the right thing to do. At the moment, Ray hadn’t been fully accepted into the pack. That would have to wait until Mom could meet Ray and talk to him. Doing that at what was, to all extents and purposes, a war meeting wasn’t right. He caught up to Ray and wrapped an arm around Ray’s waist. “I’ll come over after the meeting.” Ray nodded. “Okay. Just be careful.” “It’s only a meeting, honey. No fighting unless Bandit opens his mouth and I have to strangle him.” He raised his voice to insure his brother heard him. “Very funny, jackass. Get in and let’s go.” Bandit flipped 165

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him the finger and stopped in front of Lou’s truck. Ray handed him the keys. They all piled into the vehicle, and Lou drove to Ray’s house first, letting him out with a kiss and another promise to stop by after the meeting. He drove away and smiled at the sight of Ray waving from his front door. He finally had someone waiting for him to come home, and it was a good feeling.

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CHAPTER 14 The night sounds quieted and, inch by inch, darkness swallowed Ray’s backyard. He stood, staring out his bedroom window. Something moved in the shadows, and he eased to the edge of the frame, watching and barely breathing. Was he imagining things or was there really something/someone out there? The silence grew louder, and Ray glanced at his cell phone. Calling Lou sounded like a great idea, but he didn’t want to get Lou’s mom mad at him for interrupting their meeting. He also didn’t want Lou’s mom thinking he couldn’t handle being left alone, but his nerves told him something moved in the darkness. A brief flash of light from someone turning into his 167

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driveway illuminated the tree line. A man stood there and it wasn’t anyone Ray recognized. He raced downstairs and checked out his front window. Lou was climbing from his truck. Flinging open the door, Ray headed to his boyfriend as fast as he could and threw himself at Lou. “Quite a welcome, honey.” Lou grinned and kissed his cheek. Sneeze. Ray pressed his lips to Lou’s ear and said, “There’s a man watching the back of the house. I saw him when you pulled in.” Tension tightened Lou’s body and anger wiped out the grin from his face. “Get in the house and lock the doors. Rover’s on his way, but he’s coming through the forest.” Ray kissed Lou hard and quick before trotting to the house. He shut the door, flipped the lock and looked out the window to see Lou shift. The black wolf trotted around the side of Ray’s house. Fear grew, but Ray had to believe Lou could handle whatever was out there. If he couldn’t, Ray trusted Lou to make the decision to wait for help if he was out-numbered. He prayed Rover got here soon. Making his way to the back of the house, he peeked out the kitchen windows. Lou was sniffing around the edge of Ray’s yard, and Ray could tell from his movements Lou was furious. The stranger had disappeared. Lou sat back on his haunches and howled. An answering howl echoed from the forest. 168

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Ray opened the door as Lou jogged over. He stepped back, and Lou shifted in the kitchen. Lou clenched his hands and glared at the trees. “I did see him,” Ray stated, not wanting Lou to think he was crazy. “I know, sweetheart.” Lou encircled Ray’s waist and pulled their bodies together. “I could smell him, but there’s something different about him. He’s not lycan, but he’s not human either. I’ll have Rover track him when he gets here. How long do you think he was out there?” Ray shrugged, resting his head on Lou’s shoulder. “Not sure. I didn’t notice anything when I first got home. It wasn’t until I went upstairs and opened my bedroom window that I noticed the night was really quiet. I mean, usually there are frogs, crickets and even birds calling, but it was dead silent out there.” Lou’s chest rumbled as he growled. “I should’ve taken you with me. No matter what Mom said.” “Even I know you can’t disobey your Alpha, Lou, and I’m not even lycan. Her reasoning was sound. You don’t need to be distracted by me.” He nuzzled behind Lou’s ear. “It leaves you vulnerable. At least Darren can protect himself and the twins if necessary. You don’t have any training.” Lou sighed. “I guess next weekend we’ll go out to my parents’ house and I’ll teach you some things you need to know to protect yourself or buy time for me to get there to rescue you.” Sneeze. 169

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Ray nodded. He wasn’t sure if anything Lou taught him would help, but he’d try and give Lou a little peace of mind. “What did you all decide?” “For the moment, we’re sitting tight. Mom’s going to call a conclave and see if any of the others have had any contact with the hunters. Rover’s going to help me keep an eye on you. Spot and Patches are guarding Darren and the twins. Bandit’s staying with Roman, Allen and Max. Spike is under orders not to try and find the hunters. She’s so angry, she’d charge in there without any back-up and get herself killed.” Tilting his head, Lou nodded as the back door opened and Rover stepped in. Ray glanced quickly at Rover and blushed. Shit. All the Canis men were gorgeous and none of them had a problem wandering around naked. Not that Ray was complaining, but it was hard to keep his concentration on important things when all he wanted to do was throw Lou to the floor and lick every inch of his golden skin. “There was a stranger watching Ray’s house. He left when I showed up,” Lou informed Rover. “What did he look like?” Ray wrinkled his nose in thought and shook his head. “I don’t know. He was in the shadows and I only caught a quick glimpse of him when Lou’s headlights shone on him.” Rover smiled grimly. “Don’t worry. I’ll see if I can track him.” “Be careful and call if you need help. I’ll keep the windows open.” Lou clapped his brother on the shoulder. Ray gave Rover a quick hug. “Please be careful. I don’t 170

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know if he meant me any harm or not.” Rover ran a hand over Ray’s hair and made an odd sound in his throat. “I just want to see where he went. We’re not taking chances. Any weird experience or encounter you might have, you tell one of us, Ray. You’re special to Lou, and that makes you special to all of us.” “Does finding out my lover is a werewolf count as a weird experience?” he teased. Lou and Rover laughed. Lou wrapped his arms around Ray again, tugging his back against his chest. “It is weird, but we mean weirder or ones that make you uncomfortable. We’re not sure if the hunters know about you yet and we’re not willing to let them use you as bait for the rest of us.” Lou nibbled along Ray’s ear. “I’ll kill anyone who touches you,” Lou growled softly. “That’s my signal to head out. I’ll let you know what I find out.” Rover left. Ray turned, placed one hand on the back of Lou’s head and the other on his lover’s hip. He urged Lou to lower his head and he brought their mouths together. There wasn’t anything either of them could do at the moment, and Ray wanted to lose himself in the scent and touch of Lou. He wanted to forget for a little while that there might be danger lurking in the shadows outside of his house. *

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Lou gathered Ray’s warm body close and plundered his lover’s mouth, stroking his tongue in and out like he wanted to 171

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do to Ray’s ass. He broke the kiss off when his lungs screamed for air. Ray stared up at him with glazed eyes, his swollen lips curving into a sexy smile. “We should go upstairs and get horizontal,” Ray suggested. Agreeing with that thought, Lou bent and threw Ray over his shoulder. Ray chuckled, reaching down to pinch Lou’s ass. Lou stumbled and slapped Ray’s butt. “Be careful, honey. I don’t want to dump you on your head.” He took the stairs quickly and went to the bedroom. Tossing Ray on to the bed, he followed and straddled Ray’s waist. Ray ran his hands over Lou’s chest, trapping Lou’s nipples between his fingers and twisting slightly. Lou arched his back to relieve a little of the pain. “You never explained where your clothes go when you shift,” Ray reminded him. Glancing down, Lou quirked an eyebrow. “Do you really want me to tell you right now?” Ray blushed and shook his head. “Not really. I was just thinking aloud.” “Good.” Lou started pulling Ray’s pajama pants off, revealing Ray’s erection to Lou’s hungry eyes. “I’m more concerned with this at the moment.” He trailed one of his fingers along the length of Ray’s shaft, pressing into the slit and drawing a hiss from Ray. After stripping the pants from Ray, he threw them over his shoulder, not caring where they landed. He wedged his body between 172

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Ray’s thighs, easing one over his own shoulder. Breathing deeply, he savored the musky scent of Ray’s skin along with his lover’s unique smell. Lou licked the throbbing vein on the underside of Ray’s cock. “Oh,” Ray moaned, lifting off the bed. Lou gripped Ray’s waist, keeping him pinned to the blankets. He sucked on one of Ray’s balls, bathing the soft skin with tongue and teasing with a hint of teeth. Ray wrapped his hands around his thighs, pulling them back to grant Lou better access. Humming, Lou moved to give Ray’s other testicle the same treatment before focusing on Ray’s prick. He took just the head into his mouth, sucking lightly and pressing the tip of his tongue to the bundle of nerves under the crown. “Fuck,” Ray cried out, trying to shove more of his cock into Lou’s mouth. Lou wasn’t ready to take all of it yet. He pulled off with a pop and proceeded to enjoy the taste and heat of Ray’s skin, salty with sweat. He swiped a finger through the pre-cum leaking from Ray’s slit, reached up and coated Ray’s lips before surging up to feast on his lover’s mouth. He fisted Ray’s cock and pumped while they kissed. A hard bite to Ray’s bottom lip, then Lou moved back down to swallow Ray all the way, burying his nose in the curls at the base of Ray’s shaft. “Uh…” Ray bowed off the bed, eyes rolling in his head. Lou’s own cock throbbed and ached as it swelled. He pushed into the blankets under him, trying to ease the need. 173

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Pumping with one hand, he skated a finger on his other hand over Ray’s hole, rubbing the muscles and letting Ray know he was there. Swallowing around Ray’s prick, he massaged the shaft with his throat and hand, driving Ray closer to the edge. He wanted to feed on Ray’s essence and seed. Ray’s thrusts lost their rhythm, and Lou knew Ray was going to come soon. “Please.” Ray’s plea drifted down to Lou and he nodded slightly. Breeching Ray’s ass with his finger, Lou managed to nail Ray’s gland with the first thrust. Lou had no idea what Ray shouted as the man came, flooding his mouth with cum. He let Ray rock between his mouth and fingers, stretching Ray, while draining the man of every drop he could. He eased off on the pressure from his mouth and licked Ray clean as Ray softened. Inching back, he looked up the lean length of Ray’s body to see Ray staring down at him with half-open eyes. “Where’s the lube, love? I don’t want to do any more without it.” Ray waved a limp hand over toward the nightstand. Lou chuckled, placed a quick kiss on the head of Ray’s cock and crawled over to grab the tube out of the drawer. Leaning back on his heels, he popped the top and squeezed some out on his fingers. He set the tube down on Ray’s stomach and pushed three of his fingers inside Ray. “So full.” Ray groaned, letting his head fall back and tempting Lou to bite Ray’s throat. 174

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No mark. Need mark. Mine. Mine. Lou’s wolf howled in his mind. He closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to calm down. He couldn’t let the beast take over yet. He needed to make sure Ray was relaxed enough to take him before slipping control on the wolf. “Ready?” He picked the tube up again. Ray met his gaze and nodded. “Make love to me, Lou. Take me.” His wolf snapped and growled in his mind. Lou managed to pour some lube onto his palm before he threw the tube over his shoulder. He lubed up his prick before positioning the head at Ray’s entrance. Holding Ray’s gaze, he pushed in until he was buried balls deep in Ray’s ass. He braced his arms on either side of Ray’s head and let their foreheads touch as he froze, struggling against the hard, fast mating his wolf demanded. Ray brushed a kiss over his lips and reached up, resting his hands against the headboard. His beast whined as Ray dropped his head back, baring his throat in submission. “Make me yours.” Fuck. The wolf broke all the restraints and took Lou over. He wrapped his arms around Ray’s shoulders, his fingers digging into Ray’s upper back hard enough to leave bruises. “Put your legs around me.” The order ground out of his throat. Ray’s legs encircled his waist and his heels dug into his ass. Ray tilted his hips and Lou pulled out a little before slamming back in. 175

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Their lovemaking was raw, savage and fast. Sweat dripped from his chin to run down Ray’s chest. Grunts and low cries filled the air along with the scent of sex. Pressure built at the small of Lou’s back and his balls drew up tight to his body. His climax was coming and his wolf wanted one thing before it let Lou explode. Lou nuzzled Ray’s neck, finding the right spot where the neck and shoulder merged. As his climax overwhelmed him, he bit down and broke the skin, the metallic taste of Ray’s blood swirling in his mouth. Ray cried out, his cum spilling out in spurts between them. Lou bathed Ray’s inner passage with his own seed, coming so hard light sparked in his vision. His strength gave out as the last of his cum was massaged from his cock. He collapsed on top of Ray, who embraced him, murmuring things Lou didn’t have the energy to make sense of at the moment. Silence reigned for a few minutes until Lou’s breathing calmed and their bodies stopped shaking with tremors. They both sighed when Lou’s soft cock slid from Ray’s body as Lou sat up, then climbed out of bed. After padding to the bathroom, he wet a cloth and cleaned himself off. He rinsed out the cloth and went back to wash Ray. He touched Ray gently, checking the pale skin for any really bad bruises. He knew he’d been rough this time. Everything looked all right, except for the bite mark on Ray’s shoulder. Lou leaned down and licked the wound. His saliva would keep it from getting infected. He tossed the cloth into the sink 176

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and rejoined Ray in bed, snuggling close to him and wrapping his arms around Ray’s waist. “Does this mean we’re mates?” Ray trailed his hand over Lou’s arms. Shaking his head, Lou nuzzled the nape of Ray’s neck. “No. We were mates before that. Marking you like that is a possession thing. More for the wolf than for me. Any other lycan who sees it will know you’re taken and it should mean they’ll leave you alone.” “It’s not tradition for a werewolf to bite his mate? Sort of like sealing the deal?” “Not for my pack anyway. Biting you satisfies the wolf. It doesn’t mean anything more than that to me.” He sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to me. It means you accept the wolf as well as the man.” Ray cuddled closer. “The pills Dr. Keel gave me seem to be working. I haven’t sneezed once since you came inside.” “Well, looks like we’ve got the allergies taken care of.” He laid his hand on Ray’s chest over his heart. “Sleep, honey.” Rover would be back soon and Lou needed to talk to him. Now with Ray’s allergies out of the way, it was time to focus on the threat to the pack. Lou closed his eyes, letting Ray’s warmth and soft breathing soothe him. Ray relaxed against him, their breathing syncing up and their hearts beating in time with each other. Ray slept, and Lou watched him. He would do anything to protect this man who had accepted the beast within Lou without fear, and that’s what being mates meant. Not the biting or claiming. Mates 177

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accepted each other with all their differences. They loved each other and lived as one soul. Placing a gentle caress along Ray’s neck, Lou said a silent thank you to the gods for letting him answer Ray’s service call earlier that week and giving him a chance to find the man of his dreams. *

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Lou looked up from his coffee as Rover strolled into the kitchen from outside. “There’s coffee.” Nodding toward the pot, he waited until his brother poured himself a mug before he asked, “Did you find him?” Rover shook his head. “I tracked him for about half a mile, but then his scent disappeared. You were right. I’ve never smelled his scent before. Makes me wonder exactly what he is, if he’s not human or lycan.” He finished his coffee and set the mug in the sink. Bracing his hands on the edge of the counter, he stared out the window. “Will we be able to protect them all?” Rover didn’t bother asking who Lou was worried about. He clapped his hand to Lou’s shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll do our damnedest. That’s all we can do, Lou. Well, that and pray to the gods that they’ll give us help and answers soon.” His brother turned him and shoved him toward the front of the house. “Get back upstairs and hold your mate close. I’ll keep an eye open down here. I’ve got your back, brother, and 178

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together we’ll keep them all safe. Remember, Mom wants to meet him tomorrow night.” No “thank yous” were said and none were needed. When you were a pack, you did what had to be done because the loss of one member could start to unravel the entire support structure. Lou went upstairs, climbed under the blankets and spooned behind Ray, encircling the man’s waist with his arm and resting his hand on Ray’s chest. The steady thump of Ray’s heart reassured Lou that, for tonight at least, they were all safe.

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CHAPTER 15 Fidgeting as he stood on the porch, Ray fought the urge to turn around and head back home. He really didn’t need to meet Lou’s mother, did he? The rest of the pack had accepted him, so that meant he was in, right? Lou grabbed his hand and tugged him close. Nuzzling his cheek, Lou whispered, “Don’t worry. She’ll love you.” “What if she doesn’t? I mean I don’t want to drive a wedge between you and your mother. Even if she is your Alpha, she’s your mom first and her opinion is important.” God, he was babbling again. Lou turned his head and kissed Ray. He relaxed into Lou’s warmth, encircling his waist with his arms and pressing as close as he could get while they 180

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were still dressed. A discreet cough behind them caused him to jump away from Lou. His face burned as he turned to see a petite, darkhaired woman standing there. She was an older version of Spike. “Mrs. Canis, thank you for inviting me over for dinner.” He held out his hand. “Please, call me Savannah, Ray.” She ignored his hand and gave him a hug. Lou had explained the hug wasn’t just because his mom liked him, but so she could smell him without being obvious about it. “Thank you, Savannah,” he gasped as her embrace forced the air from his lungs. “Why did you knock on the door, Lupine? This will always be your house.” She gestured for them to come in. “I was following protocol of introducing my mate to my Alpha, Mom.” Ray hid his smile as Lou cringed at his mom using his full name. Walking into Lou’s family home, Ray glanced around, interested in learning what a normal lycan family lived like. “Uncle Lou. Uncle Ray.” Lucy and Linus raced from the back of the house. One leapt in Ray’s arms, and the other hit Lou around the knees. Ray hugged Linus, laughing as the little boy babbled about what they’d been doing. “You’ve won over the twins, Ray, and they’re hard nuts to crack.” Savannah’s loving gaze rested on her grandchildren. 181

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“The rest of the pack is in the kitchen with your father, Lupine. Take the twins and go help them. I want to talk to Ray alone for a moment.” Worry shot through Ray, but Lou gave him an encouraging kiss before rounding up the twins and herding them back toward the kitchen. “Come sit with me, Ray.” Savannah took his elbow and escorted him into the living room where they sat on a scarred black leather couch. He ran a finger over a long scratch in the fabric, and Savannah chuckled. Glancing at her, he saw her studying the rent. “A foolish choice for a family of lycan, I know, but at the time, it was just Richard and me. I didn’t really think I’d be having children.” “You didn’t think you’d have children? Were you told you couldn’t?” After he asked, he realized how rude the questions were. “Sorry, I doubt you want to answer those.” Savannah patted his hand. “Don’t worry. It wasn’t health issues or anything like that. Richard is lycan, but he has no wolf side, and because he can’t change forms, he’s looked down upon in our society.” “It shouldn’t matter he doesn’t have a wolf form. All that matters is that he’s lycan.” Ray’s indignant statement made Savannah smile. “Well, yes, I happened to agree with you, which is why I married Richard and left my old pack to move here. Lycans tend not to do well on their own. There was no one to help me 182

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if someone wanted to challenge my right to the territory.” Ray frowned. “But aren’t wolves pack-oriented?” “Yes, and so are lycan. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring pups into a situation like that. It wouldn’t be fair, but then I got pregnant with Spike and Rover. I didn’t have a choice.” Why tell him this? He didn’t mind hearing about Lou’s family, but why did Savannah think he needed to know her past. “You’re wondering why I’m telling you this.” She seemed to be reading his thoughts. “I wanted you to know I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to protect my pack.” Her dark gaze focused on Ray, and he nodded. He had no doubt she meant every word. “It seems a human who had won my daughter’s trust is using the information he gained from her to hurt other lycans. I won’t allow that to happen again.” She glanced toward the back of the house, where laughter could be heard. “Lupine is my baby and the joy of my heart. If you’re using him or don’t love him enough to accept his wolf, then I want you to leave right now.” “You’re kidding?” He jumped to his feet. “Using Lou in what way? Oh, yeah, I’m just dating him to ensure if I have any IT problems at work, he’ll fix my stuff first because I’m his boyfriend.” Savannah growled low in her throat, giving Ray the impression she didn’t like his tone of voice. He didn’t care. “I didn’t even know species like lycans, vampires or demons existed until Lou changed in front of me. Now, I’m 183

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finding myself embroiled in some sort of war between you and humans.” He paced for a few steps before whirling and pointing at her. “Whether you accept me into your pack or not makes no difference to me. I’m Lou’s partner and I’ll stand beside him, no matter what happens.” Ray met Savannah’s gaze head-on, knowing direct eye contact was the stupidest thing he could do with an Alpha wolf. He had to challenge Savannah to let her know he wouldn’t back down from her, not over Lou. “Are you done giving Ray the ‘big bad wolf’ act, honey?” A tall, blond man strolled into the living room followed by the rest of the family. Lou walked over and slipped his arm around Ray’s waist, giving him a quick kiss. “Yes, Richard, I believe I am and I must say your boyfriend passed with flying colors, Lupine.” “You were testing me?” Lou chuckled. “She did the same thing with Darren. Poor guy was shaking in his boots.” “Fuck you, Lupine.” Darren flipped Lou the finger, while everyone else laughed. “He survived, as did Ray. Understand, my boy, I meant every word I said. The Canis pack is small at only nine lycans. In many ways, you, Darren and the twins weaken us because you add nothing to our pack.” “Wait a minute,” Lou and Patches protested. Savannah held up her hand. “They bring nothing another lycan would recognize, so we must protect you without 184

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gaining more warriors.” “We can train them, Mom. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, even without those humans hunting us,” Bandit suggested. “Plus Max is asking for sanctuary for him, Roman and Allen. We could add them to the pack as well.” Savannah eyed her third oldest child. “I’m considering their petition.” “Do I really need training?” Darren sounded annoyed. “Yes. You’ll need more extensive training than you’ve gotten from the police. Fighting lycans and other Preters is not the same thing as fighting regular humans. Besides, those are my grandchildren you’ll be protecting, and I want you at the top of your game if you ever have to protect them.” Savannah stood and they all gathered around her in pairs. She met each of their gazes with a serious expression. “Remember, we’re a family. We expanded by one today and maybe more soon, but there must be no dissention among us. We are only as strong as our pack makes us and without each other, we are vulnerable to attacks.” She took Richard’s hand on one side and Spike’s hand on the other. Soon they were all joined and, for the first time in a long time, Ray was part of a family, or pack, who loved and accepted him. “No matter what weaknesses Ray and Darren bring to us, they also make us stronger by loving us for who we are and not fearing our differences. May the rest of our children find the same acceptance.” Ray settled into Lou’s embrace and it felt like home. He 185

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thanked Fate for a screwed computer and a strange allergy, bringing into his life the one man—or wolf—he could love for the rest of his life.

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T. A. CHASE

T. A. Chase lives a life without boundaries. Being fascinated by life and how different we all are, he writes about the things that make us unique. He finds beauty in all kinds of love and enjoys sharing those insights. He lives in the Midwest with his partner of twelve years. When he isn’t writing, he’s watching movies, reading and living life to the fullest.

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