Oliver and Angus

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Shifting Perspectives Book One: Oliver and Angus by Nerine Petros Dedication: I can write a book, but that doesn’t mean you’ll ever get to read it. For that to happen, three people need to be thanked. First is Cameron Dane, thanks for the inspiration and the support. Second is Kate, my editor, for not strangling me via e-mail and for answering every single question, no matter how mundane. Third, to my angel, who kept the kids out of my hair long enough for me to put fingers to keypad in the first place. Chapter One Oliver, and don't dare call him Olli, strolled through the center of town, returning to work after an afternoon at the hairdresser. Oliver thought to himself it was a good thing his mother owned the place, because otherwise monthly maintenance could have become quite expensive. Not many males would have been caught leaving that place at any time of day, but Oliver took pride in his appearance. Being the token gay man in the small, outback town wasn't easy. It was his looks alone that allowed him to survive without becoming fodder for the masses. Well, his looks and maybe his ability to tear to shreds even the smartest man or woman in town for just daring to look at him sideways, let alone actually managing a comment. You didn't get to be gay at his age and live in a remote, rural community without being a tough old codger -- at least on the inside, because there was no way anyone Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 2

would have said the buttery-soft skin still gracing Oliver's features at the age of twenty-seven was tough or old. Add in a touch of light caramel skin tone without the need for a suntan, thanks to his mother's Greek heritage, and you had one hell of a little package. Oliver's size and appearance had worked in his favor on more than one occasion; people often underestimated the smaller man. Unfortunately, it also made for a lonely existence, women envious of his looks and men scared of them, especially after he made his orientation well known. Oh, no one was mean, but all of the farmers were now very careful about not appearing to be too nice. Apart from Jacey. Thank God for Jacey. But there was no way Jacey would be anything but his close friend. It would have been nice to be wanted, but looking at the way things were now, the chances were slim. Lost in his own thoughts, Oliver didn't remember any of the walk back to the butchery he owned and loved. It was win-win situation as far as Oliver was concerned -the farmers kept him stocked with first-rate meat straight off the farm, and Oliver in turn kept them stocked in the freshest, highest quality cuts you could find within a two days' drive. It also provided Oliver with plenty of delicious eye candy. Men with a light sheen of sweat over their skin, a little dusty and sun-kissed, flushed from hours of hard work in the sun, rolling with muscles only developed through hard work.

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Oliver might never have remembered the walk back to

the butcher shop, but he would always remember

walking through the front shop door. Jacey, his shop

assistant, was falling all over himself trying to catch the

seemingly uninterested attention of a heart-stoppingly

attractive man standing in front of the counter.

Jacey's behavior was particularly odd because he was

normally so grounded and down to earth. Regardless of

how fine this man was, there were also some pretty fine

farmers round these parts, and Jacey had never shown

the slightest fluster around any of them. Nor any other

male. As far as Oliver knew, Jacey was straight as they

came.

Just when a stutter started to present itself, Oliver

strolled forward into the man's line of sight, although he

couldn't shake the feeling this man had always known he

was there, even before Oliver walked through the door.

Oliver never discounted his feelings; they'd kept him

alive so far, and given who and what he hung out with,

that was saying something.

Holding his hand out in front of him in the universal

sign of friendship, Oliver strode forward.

"Nice to meet you, the name's Oliver. I'm the butcher.

This here is Jacey, but we all call him Jack. It helps him

deal with being named after his birth nurse."

"Call me Jack and you're dead where you stand," came

the trained, automatic response from Jacey as the

stranger raised his own hand and shook Oliver's briefly.

Aaah, it was good to know some things were reliable at

least, but Jacey still looked a little shell shocked.

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"It's good to meet you, I'm Fynn. My family and I are new to the area. I've come to town on a scouting mission, and I guess meat is usually the first port of call for any hungry Waangoo." The man responded in a wonderfully deep Australian accent, the type that could only be earned by being born and bred right here. Oliver knew some Aboriginal dialect, but the word "Waangoo" eluded him. Oh, well, there were more important things to worry about if he had a shot at staying ahead of the gossip. "So, if you're new in town, does that mean you and yours have moved in down on the old Doolan lot?" Oliver asked. Anything else meant that new land was being developed, and that hadn't happened out this way since before his mama's papa was born. "Yeah, we're starting to fix it up. We have a little over a quarter finished. It's enough for me and my three brothers to be comfortable," Fynn responded. Hoowee, Oliver bet that had made old Beryl at the local real estate office real happy-like. Beryl had been trying to move that property since the time of the dinosaurs. Rumor had it old man Doolan had been a mean so and so; no one had wanted to even think of taking it on after he passed when Oliver's mama was a little girl. It had long since fallen into disrepair after being the local party hangout for the high schoolers for years, as well as that mythical haunted house for just as long for the grade schoolers. Oliver hadn't heard any rumors around town, which meant either it had all happened very quickly, or the rest Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 5

of the town was dead from the shock. Usually people were trying to get out of this place, not looking to settle in. He was sure it wouldn't be long before the gossips were beating a path to his door, though. Speak of the devil, Oliver thought, as Patrice walked in from the post office across the way. It may have been a little unkind to think of her that way, but Patrice was the biggest gossip in town, and at only twenty-four, that was quite a feat. Starting to speak before she was even inside the shop, Patrice started with "Oh, my goodness! Lordy Lord, have you heard, Olli? Beryl was just in, and I swear, going on and on about the new blood in town, and how they look dangerous, and have you heard..." Patrice finally looked up, and stopped short at the sight of Fynn standing in the middle of Oliver's shop. "Hi, Patty, how you doin'? Have you met one of our newest residents?" Oliver asked with unholy glee. "This here is Fynn." Precious Patrice had been on his back about one thing or the other since she had "found the Lord" in the ninth grade. Oliver had no problem with organized religion; he had his own thoughts on how Jesus would have picked his chosen ones was all. In his own mind, if the Bible was to be believed, Jesus had love and acceptance for all. The other thing Oliver couldn't get his mind around was if God was his creator, why would He have created him with attraction to other males ingrained in his DNA if it was supposedly so wrong?

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Well, that was a puzzle for another day, because he still had the precious Patrice to deal with, currently glaring holes through the middle of his forehead with her laserbeam eyes for daring to call her Patty. Plus, he was still feeling spiteful for her "Olli," so he let the torture continue. "Yeah, Fynn here has moved into the old Doolan place and is fixing it up," Oliver finished. No need to mention those three other brothers Fynn had been talking about. Patrice sure didn't need help in drumming up church members, and could Oliver really help it if he held even just the slightest amount of hope that at least one of the four brothers might fall into his fraternity of the rainbow flag? Oliver's words caused Patrice to pause, and she spent the next thirty seconds taking a good look at just who had happened to move into their town. Cowboy boots gave way to long, lean, firm legs encased in dusty, workroughened jeans. The best kind of jeans, the ones that had been worn so much they now knew a body's shape. A chesty Bonds t-shirt finished the ensemble, and with his Stetson in his hands, Fynn completed the picture of a farm-boy pin-up. The change that came over Patrice was astonishing to see. Gone were the anger, the laser-beam stare, and the frown lines, and in moved the simpering southern belle, which was such an oxymoron to see in the Aussie bush that Oliver almost bent over double in laughter. He held himself back just in time to see the look on Fynn's face form into what could almost be termed mistrust. Funny how it had taken Oliver almost half his life to realize Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 7

what precious Patty was about, but Fynn had her measure in less than thirty seconds. "The pleasure is all mine," claimed Patrice with a flutter, holding out her hand for Fynn. "I'm sure it has been, ma'am," replied Fynn in polite tones, and ignoring her hand, continued, "but I have some business I need to attend to with Jacey, so if you could please excuse us?" Fynn then proceeded to grab Jacey's hand and head to the back of the shop, leaving Oliver with a very confused Patty. Oliver had felt the heat between the two men, but still couldn't help wondering how long it would be before Jacey woke from his trance to realize a man was holding his hand -- and whether Fynn would return with a black eye. "Well, I, I just don't know about that," Patrice murmured, shock on her face. "You can't fault his manners," Oliver responded. "He's a farmer, his hat was off inside, and he refrained from shaking your hand on account of the dirt." Oliver couldn't say why he was giving this woman's pride an out, but immediately after, he was again desperately trying to hold back his laughter. "Yes, yes, of course, that's what it was," Patrice replied, completely ignoring the fact that Fynn had grabbed hold of Jacey's hand without hesitation. Oliver knew that, in her mind, it didn't count. After all, Jacey was male. "I need to get back to work." Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 8

Her words trailed off, and, apparently deep in thought, Patrice turned around and left the store, the door banging shut with a tinkle of the bell behind her. Oliver could see her through his front window, walking back to the post office. He returned to his own post behind the counter to begin wrapping up for the day. No way was he putting his hair net back on, though, not after the work his mother had just done! Jacey returned to the front of the store a few moments later, again with a shell-shocked look on his face. That was quickly becoming the norm, Oliver thought, and for the next five months, he would go on wondering what had happened in the back room of the shop on that particular afternoon. Fynn also walked into the room with a very satisfied expression on his face and completely ignored Jacey. "Hey, Oliver, we eat a lot of meat, and part of my job is dealing with our day to day requirements food-wise, so you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on. I'd like to place a standing weekly order, if I could?" Fynn requested. "I have no problem with that, as long as I have the stock," Oliver responded. Fynn grinned, revealing a full mouth of perfect, even white teeth, made even starker white by the dark, dark tan nothing but hard work out in the elements could create. "Thanks, mate. Makes my job even easier if I don't have to call once a week with the order for you. I know the boys would live on steaks if they could, but Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 9

since I'm the cook out at our place, if you could just do us up a whole cow in the standard cuts, and I'll collect each week. Money is no worries, I'll pay for the first cow now, and each week when I collect, I'll pay for the next cow in advance. Sound all right?" "Yeah, sounds fine, mate." That was the only response Oliver's brain could come up with on the fly. He finished the transaction for this week's cow and watched Fynn walk out the door to the beat-up utility vehicle parked out front, only then realizing that he'd never noticed it on his way in. The only other thing Oliver could think of was just who was supposed to tell the current shifter pack that another shifter pack had moved in? Because although Oliver wasn't a shifter himself, growing up around them, there was no way he could miss not only the consumption of an entire cow on a weekly basis, but also Fynn's loose, smooth, rolling gait.

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Chapter Two Two days later, and having gotten no further in contemplating the dilemma, Oliver got a call from his mother letting him know about a town meeting that night. "What's it about?" Oliver dared to ask. "Never you mind, but it's pack business, so make sure you're there," was the response before Oliver heard the phone's dial tone. Oliver sighed. Two guesses what this meeting was for, and he would only bet money on one of them -- the latest addition to our lovely town, he thought. *** Later that evening, after shutting up shop, Oliver plopped his gen-u-ine R.M. Williams hat on his head and made his way slowly toward the only place close to being big enough to hold an all-attendance meeting, which were the only types he got invited to. Oliver just had a feeling something was going to happen tonight. Add this feeling to the thought of the cramped Community Hall, along with the heat of the day, and he reached nauseated pretty quickly. No sense rushing a body with the barometer reaching eighty-seven percent humidity that morning, and with the temperature having soared above forty degrees Celsius earlier in the day. He could have moved at a snail's pace and still broken a sweat in the shade.

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The Community Hall, which had seen better days, would be a killer, because although it had airconditioning and although the community was small, no more than one hundred and fifty people, once everyone was all jammed in there, they were going to cook like sausages on a barbecue. Arriving at the hall, Oliver walked in and waved at his mother and sister, both standing at the front of the hall with his sister's husband, Alex, the pack Alpha. Oliver quickly found a seat, positioning himself toward the back of the room and close to the door. Oliver could see the Alpha's facial expression from here and knew Alex was unhappy at Oliver's choice of seating. No doubt Alex had been hoping for one big, happy support group. Well, that's exactly what Oliver had been hoping for when he came out to his family a couple of years earlier, and hadn't the Alpha stomped shit all over that dream? What else could Oliver do but return the favor? Thankfully, Alex had no time to make an issue as a group of five men strode into the hall. Oliver guessed these were the guests of honor, as he didn't recognize any of them but Fynn. They were led by the biggest man Oliver had ever seen. This same man walked straight up to Alex and shook his hand, bowing his head with a small greeting, but never losing eye contact. Alpha. A red flag was raised in Oliver's brain at this and also at his body's reaction. Oliver could not pull his gaze away from this new Alpha. Nor had Oliver any hope of controlling the erection that had sprung up at his first glimpse of that killer (literally) body. The new Alpha was what cowboy dreams were made of, right down to the leather chaps showcasing heavily muscled thighs and Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 12

outlining a rather impressive appendage in between. Oliver saw the unknown Alpha's body shift, an almost imperceptible stiffening missed even by the equal at his side. Oliver again tried to look away as the new Alpha turned his body slightly to scrutinize the gathered group. "I'm a dead man, I'm a dead man, I'm a dead man..." was the chorus Oliver quietly chanted beneath his breath as those eyes swung past, returned, and settled briefly on Oliver's. Oliver and the new Alpha locked gazes for less than a minute, but it shook Oliver, and he was glad when the new Alpha broke his gaze to start proceedings, because it meant Oliver could release the breath he had been holding. Alex strode to center stage and stood behind the podium, looking poised. Oliver's brother-in-law was a pompous ass, but he could sure pull it off when he needed to. "My fellow pack mates," Alex began, and Oliver stifled his chuckles at the close emulation of many a Ronald Reagan speech opener, "we are gathered together today on a matter of grave importance. We have come to vote on the giving of sanctuary for an individual pack living separately from ours, but still within our territory. This is not a regular occurrence, but as your Alpha, I have met with Angus, the new pack's Alpha, a number of times over the last week. Although this is still up for vote, I will let you know I have placed my blessing upon this, with which my wolf has no issue for two reasons. First, they are dingo shifters and pose no threat to us wolves, and second, this will truly be sanctuary, as they have had to leave not only their home territories on Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 13

Fraser Island due to government intervention, but have also been excommunicated from their home pack for being homosexual in orientation." Okay, it was unanimous after a vote of one from Oliver. His brother-in-law really was a stuffed shirt, and was it Oliver's imagination, or had every head in the hall jerked in his direction toward the end? Oliver wasn't sure; he only knew his head was slow to catch up with what was happening around him. "I would like a show of hands for those in support of sanctuary for the dingo pack," the Alpha finished. Of course, after that speech, no one dared say no. Once the Alpha put his blessing on something, the vote really just became about record keeping anyway. But Oliver didn't vote. He never did on principle, but this evening he couldn't have even if he had wanted to. He was still in shock as what his Alpha had spouted on about finally sank in -- a whole pack of gay shifters? Be still his virgin heart! *** As the crowd broke up and got organized for supper, Fynn approached Oliver. "You didn't vote?" Fynn asked in a puzzled tone. "Yeah, never do," was Oliver's reply as he started to head toward the door, hoping to avoid... "Why?" Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 14

Damn! Too late. "Because I'm not pack. I can pretend all I like, but my vote isn't really counted," Oliver explained and quietly walked out. *** Angus walked up beside Fynn, his pack Beta, and looked down at Fynn with an inquiring expression on his face. Angus did not need to say anything; Fynn knew what he wanted. When Fynn had come home from his first trip to the butcher's, Angus had held him against the wall and demanded to know where Fynn had been and who he had seen. It was either Oliver or Jacey, and thank God it was Oliver, was all Fynn could think. The hard edge to the expression currently on Angus' face was telling. "That was Oliver. He's the butcher." "Oliver."Angus rolled the name around on his tongue. "You will get him out to our place." "Yes, Alpha," Fynn replied, and that was that. *** Oliver slept well that night for the first time in two weeks, not even the slightest bit aware that his future had been decided for him that evening with just a shared, heated glance. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 15

Chapter Three A few weeks later, Oliver got a call from Fynn, asking if Oliver would mind if Fynn picked up their order the next day. Needing to get out of the butcher shop, Oliver motioned to Jacey and quickly checked that he was fine with it, then offered to just take a trip and drop the order out to Fynn himself. Besides that, Oliver was dying of curiosity, not only about the house and how it had turned out, but also about Fynn's brothers, because none of the others had been seen in town. No one else had had reason to head out that way, so no one had any idea what they had done with the house since moving in. Won't precious Patty be beside herself with jealousy, was Oliver's final thought as he closed the van doors and walked to the driver's side. *** "Thanks for bringing that out for us," Fynn said. "That's all right. It was nice to have a walk around the property and see how it's all come together for you," Oliver responded from inside the back of the van as he helped carry the meat inside. "I'm sorry I couldn't get out there this week. Fergus is waiting for a part for the ute, and Kyran and Aden are using the other two vehicles." "It's no worries," Oliver assured him, meaning it.

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They walked into the kitchen together, and Oliver again admired it as he had done earlier on his tour. It was beautiful; the brothers had done a good job. Oliver could hear a rumble in the study as he walked past this time, and wondered who was home. In the kitchen, Oliver placed the last of the order on the bench for Fynn and moved to the door to head back out, starting to make his goodbyes. "Not leaving us so soon, are you?" a deep voice asked. Oliver turned and immediately lost himself in the most intense pair of eyes he had ever seen, entranced by the amber color. "Uh... umn... nahar..." was all Oliver could stammer. This was obviously the source of the rumble from the study, and of course, Oliver, standing in front of the one man he would have liked to actually impress, managed to become tongue-tied. "'Course he's not, you just didn't give me time to tell him he was here for dinner whether he liked it or not," Oliver heard Fynn respond as if from far away. He had yet to disconnect his gaze from Angus. "Good," Fynn's Alpha answered. "I am Angus, and while Fynn is cooking and we are waiting for the others, I will show you around." He should have known, Oliver thought later, that when he hadn't been able to tell Angus he had had already seen the property, Oliver was in big, big trouble. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 17

As they were walking the property, Oliver could hear Angus talking about current plans, future improvements, and other things of the like, but all Oliver could concentrate on was the broad, solid shoulders and firm, molded buttocks of the handsome-as-sin man walking in front of him. To distract himself, Oliver thought he had better pretend he had been paying attention, and sought a question that wouldn't show just how much he had missed. "Do you miss it? Fraser Island, I mean. Do you regret having to move here?" Oliver blurted out before he could censor his mouth. Angus turned to face him as the Alpha thought over a response. "This is our barrabooka now. K'gara used to be our hunting grounds, but the native Dingos there are endangered now. The government is working to help, and that includes tagging. Could you imagine the life of a tagged shifter? No, a move out here was necessary, and we are resilient, we will adapt. We will exchange golden sands for bronze earth." Before Oliver could blink, Angus moved so fast that Oliver was pushed face first against a gum tree, Angus speaking softly into his ear. "Besides, what type of man would I be if I could not be happy that such a move has brought you into my life? My name means 'One Choice,' my little boorri, and as my mate, you are that choice." As soon as they touched, Oliver could feel the heat of Angus. He could hear Angus talking still, but what Angus was saying, Oliver had no idea. It didn't help that Angus was so bloody huge; he stood at least a head and Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 18

a half above Oliver. Oliver felt like he was literally surrounded in mind-blowing body heat. Add that to the already warm morning at eight a.m., and the sweat Oliver could smell that had worked itself onto Angus' skin, and ting, ting, ting, it was Aroused Male 101. Angus pushed his hips forward into Oliver's lower back, and there was no escaping the fact that if Oliver was merely aroused, Angus was burning with desire. There was nowhere for Oliver to move; he could only stand there and feel. Feel Angus working Oliver's neck with lips, teeth, and tongue, feel Angus' hips working as he followed nature and her mating rhythm, feel Angus' hands slide from Oliver's hips, over his sides, and up his arms to cover Oliver's hands clutching at the tree trunk. Oliver instinctively tried to move his head to hide the back of his neck, but Angus was having none of it. Angus' lips came up, and Angus' chin sensually slid onto his shoulder. Angus' head swung around until lips met Oliver's ear. Hands moved down and opened Oliver's trousers, freeing his erection to the throbbing heat rising from the scrubbed grass on the ground beneath them. With Angus' hand working his straining erection, Oliver could do nothing but let his head roll forward and go with the flow. Who would really want to walk away from this? Angus removed his hand from Oliver's shaft, bringing it up to Oliver's mouth. "Lick the palm," was the rough instruction softly growled in Oliver's ear. "Cover it in your spit." Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 19

Oliver did what he was told, only to have the hand return to his shaft and start a long, slow glide down and then up with a slight twist at the top, then back down, repeated over and over again. Oliver was pretty sure his head was going to blow off at any moment, it felt so good, but Angus wasn't finished with him yet. Angus moved the other hand around to the lower curve of Oliver's bottom and gently started stroking. When Oliver had calmed, he felt Angus move up to gently stroke the cleft between his arse cheeks. Oliver's breathing kicked up another notch, and his hips started moving of their own accord. Angus held him steady by moving both hands to his hips and stopping all motion. By this stage, Oliver was incoherent. Being a virgin had no bearing now. Oliver had done the research, he knew it would hurt the first time, but he wasn't thinking about it right then. "Oh, God, please don't stop, please, please," Oliver begged, "Feels so good, been so long..." "Ah, never fear, my little boorri, you will never be left wanting again if this is what you desire." Angus spoke directly into Oliver's ear, sending warm puffs of breath over the lobe and inner whorls. Oliver started shivering; that just sounded like the best damn idea he had ever heard. "Yeah, yeah... Angus, please," was all he could get out, hoping Angus could even understand that much. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 20

Some of what Oliver was trying to get across must have gotten through, because that hand came up to his mouth again, and damn if he didn't spit right on it in his haste to get going again. He could feel and hear a deep rumble behind him, but was too far gone to care if Angus might be laughing at his actions. Besides, right then Angus' hand returned to his shaft, and all other thoughts left the building. Oliver felt Angus move his other hand over Oliver's hand on the tree trunk again, then Angus' hips moved back. Oliver instinctively allowed him to slide Oliver's hand down the trunk so Oliver was more comfortable. Afterward, Oliver thought quietly to himself how glad he was that no one had been close enough to hear them. Angus took his hands away, and Oliver moaned in protest, only to shout a moment later as Angus used both hands to separate the cheeks of Oliver's bottom. He felt Angus' extended, rougher, shifter tongue take a hot, slow lick up the crease, before moving into longer, sweeping licks and tiny, nibbling bites in and around the ribbed treasure hole, slowly driving Oliver out of his mind. All of a sudden, the urgency level rose. Angus moved from nibbles and licks to swirl around the entrance and thrust in with just the tip of his tongue. "Unghg," was Oliver's garbled response to this move. Angus chuckled, which sent a shiver coursing through Oliver that settled just underneath his balls. Angus brought one hand underneath and rubbed the thumb Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 21

gently back and forth over the sensitive strip of skin behind Oliver's balls. "I love the view from this angle, the perfectly molded globes of your arse, your hole clenching and fluttering around my tongue," Angus rumbled, making Oliver quiver. Oliver had no idea how long this went on, but at last Angus upped the ante again by thrusting his tongue and fucking Oliver with that long, tensile muscle. The roughness of his tongue sent shivers cascading over Oliver's body once more. Angus moved his thumb up, and Oliver felt the pad press against him, only to jump as it popped in while Angus continued to fuck the hole with his tongue. Another finger followed Angus' thumb, and as his tongue would pull out, his finger and thumb would thrust in, almost making Oliver come. Angus pulled his tongue back, making space to add another two fingers. All of a sudden, the fingers were gone, and Oliver wailed into the morning air. "Patience, my little boorri, I am here," Oliver heard Angus whisper through his lust-fogged brain. Oliver felt the hot head of him pushing, and then burning pain as Angus entered. Oh my God, Oliver thought, he's killing me! Splitting me in two! It wasn't supposed to hurt like this, the web research he had done hadn't anything about that!

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"Breathe, little one, I need you to breathe through the pain, and understand as a shifter I am bigger than others you have had before." "Never had anyone... before," Oliver managed to puff out when he'd worked out what Angus had said. "I am truly honored, little one, I had no idea," Angus responded, leaning over and beginning to nibble on the back of Oliver's neck, helping to distract him while Oliver's hole adjusted to his breadth. Oliver turned his head for a long, hot kiss and managed to relax enough for Angus to push in, all the way in, right up until Oliver felt Angus' hairs tickling his arse. This helped, and as the pain eased, Oliver pushed back into him, letting him know without words that Oliver was ready. Angus started pulling out, only to push in again almost immediately, and oh, it felt so good now, the angle at which Oliver was standing making each thrust hit his prostate almost dead on. He broke the kiss so he could pant for breath. "Close," Oliver whispered, and Angus sped up in response, reaching around with one hand to pinch a nipple with a little twist. That was all it took. Angus bent forward and sank his teeth into the base of Oliver's neck, marking Oliver for his own. With a howl, Oliver went over once more before collapsing from pure pleasure in Angus' arms.

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Chapter Four Oliver came to in an unfamiliar room, and as pieces of the morning came back to him, could only lie there shaking his head in wonder at the turn of events. He stood up from the monster-size bed and walked over to the window, belatedly realizing he was naked. The dusk outside the window revealed how much of this day he had slept through. Oliver heard a noise and turned around to find Fynn standing in the doorway, a look of incredulity and helpless lust on his face. All of a sudden, a loud growl rent the air. Fynn stiffened and immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, shuffling quickly backward out the door. A moment later, Angus filled the doorway and instantly moved over to pull Oliver into his arms, dominating with his kiss. There was no other word for it. It was hot, wet, and intense as Angus searched out every section of Oliver's mouth. When Oliver could again breathe, he looked up at Angus, wondering how Angus had known he was even awake, or someone else was in the room. "You are my mate; we share a mate bond. We can't read each other's thoughts, but we will be able to communicate with our minds. I will also be able to share your emotions, but only those you feel strongly." Angus, at his most arrogant, explained the situation before Oliver even asked the question. "When we mated earlier, I marked you both through my both my scent and the bite on your neck. This first bite will leave a permanent mark." Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 24

That explained why Oliver's neck was throbbing. Oliver took a moment to gather his thoughts, and opened his mouth to let fly. Before Oliver could go any further, there was a commotion downstairs. Angus grabbed his hand and moved him to the bathroom door, telling him to dress and meet Angus downstairs. This did not sit all that well with Oliver. But Angus was already out the door, and Oliver was curious, so he followed orders for the moment. Walking down the staircase, Oliver walked directly into a comfortable room with large, open doorways letting in the early evening sunlight and the slight breeze that came with it. Before he could start to relax, though, a whirlwind flew at him and knocked his head sideways. A stinging started in the left side of his face. "How could you?" the attacking shrew demanded in a high-pitched voice, making Oliver wince. Five minutes later, after Angus flipped his lid and almost beat Oliver's sister to a pulp, Oliver had managed to calm Angus down somewhat by asking for a drink. Everyone sat down in relative calm to discuss the situation at hand. Well, Angus brooded at the window, Fergus paced, and Oliver sat directly opposite his sister at one end of the table, with the remaining pack members sitting between. "Well?" his sister, Andie, again demanded, never known for her patience.

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Then again, mated to an Alpha as stubborn as hers was, Andie needed the extra benefits. "It's not like I had any control over it, and anyway, how did you find out about it so fast?" was Oliver's quicksilver response, since he wasn't one to back down, either. His sister looked away guiltily. "Well?" said Oliver. "How did you know so fast?" "We, that is, the Alpha and I," Andie began falteringly, "felt your pack connection snap, and kind of came to conclusions of our own." Pack connection? What pack connection? Oliver's confusion was complete. He looked to his sister to clarify her statement. She sighed deeply before dropping her gaze once more to the table top and continuing. "Every member of the pack is connected to their Alpha in some way. This connection enables the Alpha of each pack to know that their members are healthy, strong, and safe at all times. Emotions and, sometimes, if a connection is strong enough, individual locations can be felt along these connections, so the Alpha is able to manage his pack more effectively. When your connection disappeared, the only way it could have occurred was either through death or by the establishment of a newer and far stronger connection that overrode the original." Oliver sat dumbfounded, unable to take it all in straightaway. As the product of a human/shifter pair, he Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 26

and his sister had had a fifty-fifty chance of being human or shifter. His sister was shifter, Oliver was human. It had never occurred to him that things such as this, which his sister had obviously taken for granted, would ever be available or even an option for him, because he was human. No one had ever told him any differently, obviously happy with the status quo. Shaken to the core, Oliver said, "You couldn't have thought to mention this to me before today? It may have changed a few things, you know?" Oliver heard a low and constant growling coming from the window behind him and turned to view the expression on Angus' face, taken aback by the fierce scowl. "I will not say I agree with how you have been treated in the past, but I will not interrupt unless you ask it of me." Angus' words rolled through Oliver's head before his attention was again claimed by his sister. "We didn't want you to feel left out because you can't feel the connection on your end. We wanted to protect you," Andie proclaimed. "Well, that was all well and bloody good for all of you, but I never knew I could be claimed, and look at me now! First time I have sex, and I have to go and get myself bloody claimed! I need to take some time for myself, I need to have time to think this all over and work it out in my head away from all of you!" Oliver finished emphatically, too upset to worry about revealing his virgin status to everyone. He began to rise from the table just as a chorus of protests rose from all members of the pack within the room. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 27

"You're not getting it, guys!" Oliver said, heading for the door but seeing Fynn step in his way, "I come out here single, to drop off a cow of all things, and am now walking out of here one half of a mated pair with someone I have known for less than twenty-four hours! And this is all after growing up believing as the human child that I would never bond. It is all just a little much at the moment." Angus had been looking out the window while Oliver spoke. "Let them go," he said quietly. Fynn looked up, obviously not expecting that response from his Alpha. The rest of the pack immediately started protesting again, although the only word Oliver could understand was "hurting." Angus held up a single hand, halting all speech. "Let Oliver and his sister leave. Oliver will return to us in time, won't you, Oliver?" Angus asked Oliver directly, claiming his gaze and not letting him flinch away. "Of course I will!" Oliver stated. "I'm still the only butcher in town." Oliver could see the frown on Angus' face produced by that remark. Since Oliver and Andie were no fools, they took the opportunity presented and got out of there quick smart. ***

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Less than three hours later, Oliver heard the screen door squeak open and looked up to see his sister silhouetted against the doorway. "That wasn't so bad," she started. But she had to have heard Oliver's feeble snort with her exceptional shifter hearing, and sat beside him, continuing, "It could have been a lot worse. Being the Alpha's brother-in-law does have its perks. You know you always have a home here if you want it." When none of that last sentence raised any response from Oliver, she leaned a little closer. He turned his head and look at her dead on at that moment. "I don't think that is going to be an option," was all he could get out before he had to drop his head back into his hands as the agony continued. Oliver knew from the horrified gasp he heard that his sister had been able to see how sick he felt. "Get in the car," she said, heading toward the screen door again, "I'll grab the car keys. We're getting you back to that dog ASAP. I assume you're in this state because of him."

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Chapter Five As they pulled up at the Waangoo spread, Oliver jumped out of the vehicle before it had even come to complete standstill. His overnight bag was in one hand as he raced up to the porch, just as Angus opened the door. His sister, whom Oliver considered a classy bitch in any circumstance, rolled down the window and bellowed, "You look after him properly this time, you filthy mutt, or I WILL be back to finish you off!" Then she rolled her window up and took off in a cloud of red dust. Shaking his head at her antics, Oliver walked up the steps, demanding, "You knew, didn't you?" without missing a beat. "I hoped," Angus corrected, "but it doesn't work the same way for all shifters, especially those mated to humans. Does your sister feel pain separated from her Alpha?" Stopping his ascent about halfway up the porch steps, Oliver looked his lover of less than a day directly in the eye. "No," Oliver admitted, "but that means nothing. Her mate would never leave her in pain; hell, he would never allow her to start feeling pain in the first place! You knew this would happen, you hoped this would happen, and yet you still chose to let me leave this afternoon and not say anything!" By the last word, Oliver was once again yelling. With a mighty roar of his own, Angus leaped forward out of the Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 30

doorway and landed directly in front of Oliver, quicker than human eyes could track. Oliver found himself thrown over a shoulder in a fireman's hold, being hauled up the staircase inside the house to the bedroom. When he realized everyone in the house could see him in such an undignified position, Oliver started fighting, squirming and beating at Angus' back to try and get free. Angus raised his other hand and brought it down smartly on the fleshy curve of Oliver's behind, giving Oliver enough of a shock to keep him stunned and allowing Angus to make it to their bedroom with no more trouble. What had totally shocked Oliver was not only the fact that Angus had spanked him, spanked him for crying out loud as if he were five years old, but that Oliver seemed to have enjoyed it in more than a disciplinary way. Angus dropped Oliver to his feet inside the bedroom and pushed him against the closed door. In a very low, very controlled voice, Angus spelled it out for Oliver. "For your information, I had to allow you to leave this afternoon. But you had fifteen more minutes in the time I had allotted you before I was coming after you, pride be damned. And if I had had to collect you, there would have been punishment involved for allowing yourself to remain hurting. I am Alpha, and to me, you are my mate; you hold my heart and soul in your keeping, and your health and safety supersedes all else. Do not be forgetting so soon how our mate bond enables me to feel exactly what you have been dealing with. Do you wish to continue with this argument?"

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Slightly shocked, not only by Angus' outburst, because that was the most Oliver had ever heard come out of his mouth at once, but also at the words within the outburst, all Oliver could do was shake his head in the negative. There seemed to be little else he was capable of at that point. Angus picked Oliver up and used his body to hold Oliver against the wall. His hands came up to frame Oliver's face, and his mouth descended, devouring Oliver's mouth whole in one of his all-consuming kisses. Moaning, Oliver wrapped both legs around his waist, clung to his shoulders, and held on for the ride. Angus' hands moved down Oliver's sides to cup a cheek of his bottom in each hand, before roughly grabbing Oliver's cut-offs and wrenching outward. Oliver heard the seam split, and then felt large, hot hands return to cup the now-naked cheeks again. Angus let loose with a deep, chest-rumbling growl as his fingers grazed the outer edges of a plug. Oliver had slipped it in at Andie's place in an effort to ease the ache before giving up and heading home. And that was it: Oliver knew he would never want to be anywhere else, or with anyone else. Angus was home for him. For some reason, the thought turned Oliver on. Or it could have been the fingers that Angus was now using to pump the plug in and out. As he did, Oliver could feel himself leaking out the top onto his own abdomen, making the head of his shaft slide smoothly as Oliver humped Angus in time with the plug's movements.

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After one more agitated growl, Oliver found himself flying through the air. Before he could think enough concerned, he had already landed on his back in the middle of the bed. Angus very quickly landed on top of him. Oliver could feel the plug moving inside with every move they made, increasing the sensations felt with each twist and thrust. Clothes quickly became unnecessary and were removed, whether by being torn or taken off. It was a good thing Oliver had packed a bag; he was going be out of clothes by the end of the week at this rate. Oliver was at the point of no return and could feel Angus against his thigh, heavy, hot, and hard. Kissing Angus, Oliver slid his hand down his torso and around his thigh to remove the butt plug. Then he felt a sharp slap on the hand, and heard a growled "mine" in a very deep, gravelly voice as Angus pulled away from him. Opening his eyes in shock, Oliver looked up not into the slumbering, deep gold eyes he was used to, but into glittering, intense amber instead. Oh, good golly, Miss Molly. Angus' dingo had come out to play, and Oliver's arousal level spiked into orbit. Obviously seeing Oliver's reaction, and probably smelling it too by that stage, Angus quickly flipped Oliver over, head down, arse up, and to a symphony of mewling cries, moans, and whimpering sighs, proceeded to fuck Oliver with the butt plug while stroking his perineum with a long, rough tongue. "Please, please, please, please, please, oh good God, just please, anything, what do you want? Please!" was the Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 33

litany flowing from Oliver's mouth as the torture continued. Just as suddenly as he had started, Angus pulled away, removing the plug as he did so. But Oliver was not left to beg. Oh, no. As soon as the plug came out, Angus went in, all the way in, on the first go. Oliver arched his back, tipped his head even farther back, and howled as the pleasure/pain of this first thrust echoed through his entire body. Starting up a steady, deep rhythm, Angus withdrew and thrust again, deep inside, filling Oliver completely. Oliver fell forward in rapture and let the intense stimulation wash over him, very quickly putting him on the edge. Angus held both his hips securely in large, hot hands, keeping Oliver in place for the driving, pounding thrusts. Angus leaned forward, draping over Oliver's back and layering him in intense heat, adding another sensation to the mix. This was the last straw for Oliver's body, which broke into climax under the pressure, his body squeezing. With one final thrust, Angus groaned, and Oliver felt heat fill him as Angus sank sharp teeth into the flesh joining his neck to shoulder, throwing Oliver into a second climax with a shout before he sank into oblivion. *** Later, after coming to for the second time, Oliver plucked up his courage and asked Angus about the separation thing. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 34

"Dingo shifters have an extra mutation in their DNA," Angus said. "This means that partners of these shifters that are mate marked cannot be apart from each other for more than a couple of hours without both of them experiencing extreme discomfort -- vomiting, headaches, stomach cramps, blurred vision, sweats, chills. I have even heard of one case where the young lad went into convulsions. This bond used to be necessary because dingos are solitary, roaming animals, and shifters used to be the same. This is no longer the case these days; we band together now in packs for convenience and safety, among other things. But our DNA may take a few more generations to catch up," Angus finished heavily. "Maybe your DNA just knows you're all arrogant enough that your mates continue to need that connection?" Oliver asked. "You little imp, after all of that, you'd still try to leave me?" he asked incredulously. "Well, it has only been two days," came Oliver's reply. "You'll have to spend the next twenty years convincing me that here is where I should be." "Oh, my little boorri, gladly, for longer than that. You are home now, you are mine, my only mate, my one choice." After that, they were busy for a few days, not leaving the bedroom for much. Oliver discovered Fynn was a really good cook and did great room service.

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Angus and Oliver could not agree on the butcher shop. They had been debating, in between bouts of rather hot, consuming, sex, whether Oliver should continue with it or not. Sex was Angus' version of distraction, because Oliver continued to lose consciousness each and every time. Oliver was all for returning to work. He loved his little shop. Angus insisted that they were rich; Oliver had no need to work. He was needed at the house to help the pack and keep Angus happy, and besides that, what would happen with the separation? Oliver called him an arrogant puppy quite a bit in those first few days, but as with everything (apart from dingo DNA), they found a compromise. It took a couple of months, but finally Oliver's new butcher shop was complete, the pack having built it for him close to the front of the block and near the road. That way, Oliver could still have his shop, he would not need to be separated from Angus for any length of time, and Angus could fulfill all of those protective urges and check on Oliver whenever he felt the need -- which Oliver hoped was often, because there was a huge cold storage room with a lock on the door they still needed to christen. No one in town or its surrounds seemed to mind the change in location. Either that or they were just too scared to raise the issue, and since that worked in Oliver's favor, no way was he going to help them by raising it himself. Jacey, however, was another story.

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Oliver tried talking to him about it, but Jacey wanted nothing to do with that, and stormed out the door at any mention of his "mood." Oliver quickly decided to leave well enough alone and put up with it, or he just might lose himself not only a good friend, but a fantastic butcher's assistant as well.

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Chapter Six A few weeks later, it came to a head when Fynn called Jacey out at the breakfast table about Jacey's antics the night before. Everyone else in the pack were very early risers and had already been up for hours, so it had been just Oliver and Aden sitting together at the breakfast table, each absorbed in their own reading material: Oliver in the latest Butcher's Voice that had arrived last week but had been sitting waiting, and Aden in a Gardening Australia magazine that had arrived yesterday, but was two months old. Whoever might have wondered about a shifting dingo being interested in gardening had yet to meet Aden, who could manage to grow something from nothing without even trying. In fact, all of the pack's grains and vegetables came from Aden's hard work. Both men looked up, Oliver with his mouth open and a spoonful of Weet-Bix trailing milk halfway to his mouth, as Jacey stumbled in and claimed the seat closest to Aden's end of the table. He looked very much the worse for wear. Oliver wrinkled his nose at the smell, glad Jacey was sitting closer to Aden than him, but then rethinking that opinion, because if he could smell Jacey from here, how bad was it for Aden, being a shifter and being closer? But Aden gave no outward indication if the smell was getting to him.

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"What is that smell?"Oliver asked. "And are those yesterday's clothes you're still in?" "Yes, and the smell is probably a mix of sawdust, cow poo, cheap perfume, cigarettes, and however many beers they threw on me," came the answer out of Jacey's hands, which was where his head was resting. "So where did you sleep?"Oliver wanted to know. "In my car, out in the car park for the butchery. Didn't want to be late to work, you know," Jacey said. Oliver took one long breath and expelled it slowly, thinking that his closest friend really was a dick of the highest order at times. "Are you telling me that you went out for a night on the town, did something that made people want to throw beer all over you, then drove your car out to our place, which is at least forty-five minutes away from the closest bar, and slept in your car the rest of the night?" "Geez, man, lower your voice a bit, it's no biggie." "No biggie? No biggie? You were drunk! Behind the wheel of a car! Where did you go?" "The Pig and Whistle, you know the one, always full of those curves, and I don't mean the architecture," Jacey slurred out. "What?" This from Aden, who had finally decided to open his mouth. Oliver was beyond words anyway.

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"Yeah, I needed to relax, so I drove out to the Pig and Whistle and had a really good time. I think I did, anyway, can't rightly remember most of the second half of the night. But I do remember riding the 'bull' and getting it down, that was where the beer shower came in." Jacey really should have stopped when ahead, because by this point, Aden had developed a tic in his cheek. Even though he had only been there a short time, Oliver knew that was not a good sign. He decided to step in and try to get Jacey to see reason. "Okay, so you rode the bull and you stayed on for a time, congrats for that, but what made you get in the car and drive in your condition?" Oliver would regret ever asking that question for the answer he then received. "Oh, I had to drop Cristal off at her place; a gentleman always takes his date home, even if he only gets said date at the bar," Jacey informed them knowledgably. "Ah, and how is the wonderful Cristal?" Oliver asked, already knowing the lady in question by reputation. "My memory's vague, but she gives good head." Aden said not one word, just slammed the magazine closed, breathed deep once, stood up from the table, and walked out. "What's his beef?" Jacey came out with smarmily. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 40

"I have no idea, Jacey. I mean, really, what could his problem be with how you spent yesterday evening and last..." Before Oliver could continue, he heard a door slam and pounding footsteps announcing an arrival, just before Fynn came striding around the corner at a rapid clip and set infuriated eyes on Jacey. "You did what with whom last night?" he growled between lips so thin and tight Oliver could barely see the slash they made on Fynn's face. Jacey, looking shocked, pumped out a very articulate "Huh?" He continued to look at Fynn as if dumbfounded. "I said," Fynn repeated, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly -- seemed people were doing a lot of that this morning. "You did what with whom last night?" "How is any of that your business?" "I'm making it my business as of right now. When you are irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel of a car drunk, EVERYTHING about you has just become my business!" Fynn exploded. "I've taken possession of the keys to your car. You are not going anywhere without permission from now on. Aden tells me you got a nice little present from the lovely Cristal last night in the form of a blowjob. Was it good for you? The last blowjob you'll ever get from a woman, did it do it for you?"

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"What the fuck? I said she did good head, I never said she did me. Get your facts straight! And what's that about, the last blowjob a woman will ever give me? And give me my fucking keys back! Where do you get up the nerve to go poking around in...?" Jacey's voice trailed off as he followed Fynn out the back door, still arguing fiercely. Aden returned to stand just inside the entry to the kitchen, apparently waiting for something. Suddenly, they both heard a startled shriek, a splash, and then a scream. "I am going to KILL you for this, just you wait! I'd be sleeping with one eye open if I were you. And let's not forget who helps your Alpha's mate prepare the meat you cook! I might just add something personal to the mix that'll only affect the chef..." Jacey went on, again fading out as he took his tirade elsewhere. Oliver and Aden looked at each other and shared small smiles, both of them more than familiar with Fynn's method of cooling down an argument with the help of the water trough, before they cleaned up and headed out for the day. *** They didn't see Jacey for the rest of that day. Oliver raised the issue with Angus later that night. "Angus, I'm worried about Jacey. I have no idea what is going on, and I can't seem to get through to him. He's acting like a girl at the moment, with his moods up and Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 42

down all the time. Then throw Fynn and his mate Aden into the mix, and the whole thing becomes one volatile cocktail!" "Ah, baby, I would not worry about it too much. Those three are fighting for what they think they can't have," Angus said cryptically. "What are you saying? Wait a minute, what are you not saying?" Oliver demanded to know. "That is the point, isn't it?" Angus asked, "It's what everyone isn't saying that counts in all of this." Oliver thought back to the morning, to the fight that had broken out at breakfast, to when a normally tense meal had broken out into an inferno of emotion. "Oh, my God, you're right!" Oliver exclaimed. "I thought Jacey was straight. He's fighting his attraction to Fynn and Aden." "Got it in one, sweetheart, and I wish him the best of luck!" Angus said. "Fynn told me this afternoon that he is sick of waiting for Jacey to catch up. He and Aden never expected that the emptiness they both felt meant they needed a three-way mating. If Jacey doesn't act soon, they are going to do something drastic." "Oh, no, what are they thinking of?" Oliver asked, his brain going a million miles an hour. "Can we hold them off somehow, or help them all out?" Both of them stopped for a moment, trying to think of a way to help pack mates and long-time friends before Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 43

everyone lost their heads, or other parts of their anatomy, over this. "I've got it!" squealed Oliver. "So have I," growled Angus right back, grinding his jean-clad erection into Oliver's hip. "I've never heard quite that pitch come out of your mouth yet, baby, and I want to hear it again, for me this time." Oliver thumped Angus on the shoulder. "Get your mind in the game, buddy," he reprimanded playfully. Angus was quick to make a downward sweep of his arm and to nibble on his mate mark. "Where do you think my mind is at, other than in our game?" "No, no, no, we need to be thinking of Jacey, Fynn, and Aden right now..." Oliver tried, to no avail, to bring his wayward mate back on course, but it was not to be. Oh, well, there was always tomorrow night to talk about a grand opening party for the butcher shop. The End

Word Meanings: Boorri: Fire Burrabil: Light Barrabooka: Hunting Ground Waangoo: Dingo Balaka: Content K'gari: Fraser Island, meaning paradise. Shifting Perspectives: Book 1: Oliver & Angus - 44

Shifting Perspectives Copyright © 2010 by Nerine Petros All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680 Cover illustration copyright Alessia Brio Used with permission ISBN: 978-1-61040-063-3 Printed in the United States of America. Torquere Press, Inc.: High Ball electronic edition / September 2010 Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680

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