《Bad Moon on the Rise (Dark Hollow Wolf Pack #7)》


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    Chapter One


    ¡°Do you have any idea what time it is?¡± Lt. James Tucker growled into the phone, his voice harsh with sleep. Surely it had only been a few minutes since he¡¯d finally made it to bed. He tried to get his eyes to focus on the clock next to his bed, but he couldn¡¯t quite manage.Advertisement


    A surprised silence on the other end was replaced with a little chuckle. ¡°Actually, I do know what time it is. It¡¯s two forty-five. Rise and shine, sweetheart.¡±


    Tucker slumped back on the bed, closing his eyes again. ¡°Bryson. I¡¯ll get you for this, I swear to God.¡±


    ¡°Promises, promises, big boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now. I¡¯m hoping this is just a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°If it is, it¡¯s fucking nightmare.¡± Bryson¡¯s tone turned somber. ¡°The son of a bitch got another one, Tucker, and it¡¯s bad.¡±


    Tucker rubbed a hand over his face and sat up wearily on the side of the bed, trying to get his brain working. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The Nightstick on Front Beach. The alley that runs beside it.¡±


    ¡°Hell, I just left there about an hour or so ago.¡± Tucker sat up in bed, groaning, running a hand across his face. ¡°Shit. I¡¯ll be there as quick as I can.¡±


    ¡°Tuck?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°This is a bad one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so you said.¡± Tucker sighed again, feeling like an asshole for not asking right away. ¡°Who was it, Bryson?¡±


    ¡°A patrol officer, name of David Adams. I didn¡¯t know him all that well personally, but he¡¯s been on the force about two years. His wife just had a baby.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± There was a tense silence on the phone as Tucker shook his head trying to clear the last vestiges of sleep. ¡°Be there in a few.¡±


    ¡°I think the killer¡¯s escalating, Tuck. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen quite so much blood. He ripped the guy apart.¡±


    Shit, another fucking murder. This one sounded even worse than the last, if Bryson was that torn up.


    ¡°Okay, Bryson.¡± He kept his voice low and calm. He and Bryson had been partners for a couple of years, and his partner usually kept it together in all but the particularly gruesome homicides. He¡¯d rarely heard such unsteadiness in his normally laid-back voice. The third savage murder in their town in ten days, and they were still no closer to finding the killer. The first murder had been right outside the police station, in the parking deck late at night. A patrolman on his way home was severely beaten and killed not a hundred yards from the station. The second murder was actually quite near Tucker¡¯s apartment, in a little park where he liked to jog, a young guy out for an early morning run. He was beaten so badly as to be unrecognizable, and had to be identified by dental records. Now another police officer had become a victim. Because of similar teeth marks found on the bodies, they knew that the murderer was the same¡ªsome kind of serial killer, though they hadn¡¯t released that information to the public yet. He seemed to be targeting white males in their mid-twenties.


    How in the hell could this keep happening in their town? Beach towns were no stranger to incidents involving police, and Panama City Beach had more than their share of fights and drunk and disorderlies, usually stemming from too much alcohol and too much partying by the young crowds that flocked to the area during spring breaks and summer vacations. Murders, however, were not that common¡ªespecially these brutal attacks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anybody near the crime scene and don¡¯t move the body till I get there. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Tucker hung up and headed for the shower. He sighed and stepped inside the shower stall, turning on the hot water, and standing under the spray to shake the grogginess from his head. Bryson said it was two forty-five. That meant he¡¯d only made it to bed a couple of hours earlier. He stood under the warm stream of water, letting his mind wander back to everything that had happened earlier that evening.


    Tucker had worked late and got to the Nightstick well past his usual time, way after ten. The bar was near his apartment, and though it was nominally a gay bar, it actually had a neighborhood feel in the early evenings and attracted a pretty mixed crowd, including a lot of tourists. It was situated right on the beach and had a great deck with a tiki bar that attracted the college crowd. Even some cops were attracted by the name and the easy atmosphere of the place, so they often stopped by in the late afternoons or early evenings for a drink after their shift.


    But the bar took on a different feel this late in the evening, with most of the tourists gone. It was packed when he got there, and the lighting murky. The dimness in the club this time of night suited Tucker fine. He was gay and out to his closest friends, but he still liked to keep his sexual orientation as private as possible. Why invite trouble? Most of his co-workers were cool, but there were still a few homophobes on the force, so he chose to keep his private life just that¡ª private.


    Smoke hung in the air, and men were spread out all over the room in booths or up against the walls. Immediately the familiar smell assailed his nostrils¡ªcigarette smoke, men¡¯s cologne and spunk, a heady mixture. A few were dancing on what passed for a dance floor, but was more of a peanut-shell-strewn patch of hardwood in the middle of the club. He made his way across this floor to the bar, feeling eyes on his ass as he twisted between the men groping each other as they swayed to the bluesy music.


    He settled himself on a stool, ordered a beer, and turned back toward the room, checking it out. He got a few nods and smiles as his gaze swept over the crowd, and then his attention was caught and held by the vision making his way toward him from across the floor. The guy was big¡ªat least six feet three or so and totally hot in a way that made his mouth go dry and his cock sit up and take notice. He had dark hair, cut very short, and his tight T-shirt and those jeans hugging his butt left no doubt about the fact he was in great shape. He walked right up to Tucker and slid onto the stool next to him. A waft of something like a hint of spicy cologne, a clean male scent, and something else delicious he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on, hit Tucker hard as he turned toward the guy, leaning in a bit.


    ¡°Hi. Can I buy you a drink?¡± Tucker asked, his voice sounding jittery and breathless even to his own ears.


    The man lifted big brown eyes to Tucker and smiled, revealing even, white teeth. Holding up a glass, he said,¡°No, thanks. I have one.¡±


    Tucker looked down at the beer in the guy¡¯s hand and felt himself blush. No shit, Sherlock. Get a grip and don¡¯t blow this. He looked back at the handsome profile turned slightly away from him. The man had high cheekbones, a straight nose, and sinfully luscious lips. He was larger and more muscular than Tucker liked his guys¡ªhe usually preferred the cute little twink types, since Tuckerwasn¡¯t a big guy himself, but he¡¯d definitely make an exception in this case. The man was fucking gorgeous.


    Tucker smiled back at him. ¡°Are you meeting someone special?¡±


    The man turned toward him and looked him up and down before he smiled. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±


    Tucker felt his face flame. What the hell was going on with him? He never acted like this. This guy had him blushing like a virgin. Tucker fidgeted for a few seconds, pulling at the label on his beer with a fingernail before turning back to the man and making himself act more casual and relaxed. What the hell¡ªhe was acting like a fucking teenager. ¡°Mind if I keep you company while you wait?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said warmly, turning toward him,his gaze moving over Tucker¡¯s face again.


    ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Gavin,¡± he said. ¡°And yours?¡±


    ¡°My name is James Tucker, but everyone just calls me Tucker. If I can¡¯t buy you a drink, would you like to dance while you wait on your friend?¡± He surprised himself with the offer. Even though it was pretty late, there still might be a chance of someone he knew coming in, but he wanted this man in his arms, and he really didn¡¯t care, at that moment, who saw him or didn¡¯t see him.


    Gavin¡¯s eyes moved over him slowly, and he nodded. ¡°Sure,¡± he said, standing up beside Tucker. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Tucker eased off the barstool, took his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. Gavin was maybe four or five inches taller than Tucker¡¯s five-ten¡ªokay, five-nine and a half¡ªand probably outweighed him by a good thirty pounds or so. Normally, this would have bothered Tucker, but not tonight. Not with this man. Tucker put his arms around Gavin¡¯s waist and pulled him close, reveling in the feel of his hard body against his. Tucker slid one hand to his sweet ass and moved in closer, so that Gavin¡¯s rather impressive package hit Tucker somewhere just above his groin.


    Before he could start to sway to the music, Tucker was a little surprised to feel Gavin pull his head down onto his shoulder, and move his hands up to rest possessivelyacross Tucker¡¯s back. He tensed at first, but then relaxed and decided to go with it, nuzzling his nose in close. His arms seemed to loop themselves around Gavin¡¯s neck by their own volition. He started to pull them down, but Gavin¡¯s breath was fanningagainst Tucker¡¯s temple and he felt himself just relaxing into it. Tucker¡¯s cock grew harder than it had been in way too long.


    They moved slowly together to the music, and Tucker allowed his hand to roam over Gavin¡¯s ass, caressing and squeezing his butt cheeks. Gavin made a soft sound that traveled directly to Tucker¡¯s cock. Then he moved his lips to Tucker¡¯s ear and whispered, causing a shiver to ripple down Tucker¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the back room.¡±


    The bar had a curtained room in back that catered to those who wanted a quick, anonymous fuck or a blow. This normally wouldn¡¯t have appealed to Tucker, but suddenly, he wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°The back room? You want that? But what about your friend? The one you¡¯re meeting?¡±


    ¡°I want you, Tucker.¡± Gavin pulled his head back and cast that brown-eyed gaze directly into his face.


    With a groan, Tucker grabbed his hand again and led him toward the curtained room. They stepped inside and were instantly in the dark, only a faint glow from a black light over a tiny bar and the sliver of light coming under the curtain illuminating the space. Others had made it there before them, and Tucker gave himself a moment to let his eyes adjust before finding a relatively quiet corner to pull Gavin into. Even though he was so big, Gavin seemed quiet. Feeling protective, Tucker positioned himself with his back to the room, standing in front of Gavin.

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    His eyes began to adjust even more to the dimness in the room, and he looked down as he felt Gavin¡¯s hands on his belt, unbuckling it and then sliding his jeans and underwear down over his hips to his knees. Tucker¡¯s thick, eager cock bounced out, and Gavin fluidly sank to his knees in front of him. Tucker sucked in a tight breath. This had to be a dream. He¡¯d wake up in a minute and be back at the bar alone.Advertisement


    ¡°Is this all right, Tucker? Is this how you want me?¡± Gavin asked sweetly, looking up at him from under his long, thick lashes.


    ¡°Uh, yes of course, baby,¡± Tucker replied, surprised at how out of breath he was becoming. He needed to get a grip on his emotions and fast. Gavin was saying and doing all the right things¡ªthe things Tucker liked. Why then was he feelinglike he wasn¡¯t in charge of any of this? Tucker was always in charge, and that was how he liked it.


    Tucker rested his hands on Gavin¡¯s short, soft hair and heard himself give out a guttural moan as soft lips fastened around his cock and took him in, deep-throating him like he was only a few inches instead of a respectable eight. The man was talented, he had to hand him that. His lips kept up a steady pressure as his velvet tongue slid up and down Tucker¡¯s shaft, sometimes stopping at the head to nibble or slip down into his slit. God, if this kept up, he was going to embarrass himself by coming in less than a minute.


    Gavin looked up into Tucker¡¯s eyes, breathing through his nose. Then he tucked his head and did a little nod, and just like that, Tucker felt the firm helmet on the head of his cock pop fully down the man¡¯s slippery throat. Tucker heard himself emit a guttural moan. The muscles of his cock spasmed, and he squeezed his fists, praying not to blow before he could really focus on what the hell was happening. His balls tightened, and he felt a tingling at the base of his spine. Tucker was breathing rapidly and trying to hang on as Gavin pulled off a little and licked slowly up his shaft, swirling his tongue over the head.


    He gasped for breath as Gavin began to run his hands down his thighs and between his legs, still licking greedily at his cock. His hands moved up to fondle his balls, and Tucker found himself shifting his legs to open them wider and give him access. Gavin pulled off to look up at him and slowly and deliberately wet his fingers. A soft touch on his hole made Tucker widen his eyes and clench around the burn from the finger that had slipped up inside him.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t do that,¡± he murmured, uneasily.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Gavin said softly, and slid the finger up higher asTucker¡¯s ass clenched around it. Before he could say another word, Gavin swallowed his cock again, deep-throating him, and humming around his cock until Tucker felt his knees start to sag. Another finger slid deep inside to join the first and they reached up higher to rub across a spot inside him that made him buck his hips and cry out even through the burn.


    In one smooth move, Gavin rose to his feet, flipped him around to face the wall, and used his foot to spreadTucker¡¯s legs out as far as they would go, constrained as they were by his pants. His face was against the wall. His cock was pressed against the wall too, and the cold roughness of the cinder blocks on his sensitive skin, especially after Gavin¡¯s hot mouth, made him shiver. Gavin¡¯s fingers were still deep inside him.


    ¡°Feel good, baby?¡± Gavin asked, as Tucker groaned loudly, embarrassed to be in this position, embarrassed to be so needy, so out of control.


    ¡°God yes¡­I mean, no¡­II don¡¯t do this,¡± he managed to say, panting for breath.


    ¡°Sure you do, sweetheart. Just look at you¡ªso beautiful. Sweet boy.¡±


    He moved the wicked fingers deep inside him again, and the burn was too much, but the other hand was caressing his ass, making his knees shake, and Gavin seriously thought he might lose his mind. He became a little panicked and practically tried to climb the wall in front of him, but Gavin put a hand under his stomach to move him back into place, and then hold him there. ¡°Shhh, baby. Relax and let it happen. I¡¯ve got you.¡± He pulled at his hips to move him out from the wall a bit and bent him over.


    Tucker tried to straighten up again, but Gavin leaned across his back to whisper in his ear, sweet crooning words that didn¡¯t make much sense, but soothed him and made him feel something fluttery in the pit of his stomach. His whole body felt hot and shivery. He heard himself make a little whimpering sound that he¡¯d never heard himself make before. It embarrassed him, and he tried to cut it off quickly before Gavin heard it. He felt Gavin stroke his back, moving the fingers of one hand down to cup his ass-cheeks. Then he heard a little rustling, tearing sound and tried to move his head around. He recognized that sound as a condom wrapper being opened.


    ¡°N-no, Gavin. Idon¡¯t¡­¡± Gavin crooked the fingers inside him again, sweeping over his prostate and lights exploded inside his head. He¡¯d done this to other men before, but had no idea how it actually felt¡ªlike an explosion inside his groin. ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± he cried out, trying to lurch forward to hump the air in front of him, desperate for friction on his cock. ¡°P-please!¡±


    Gavin¡¯s hands patiently pulled him right back where he wanted him. The fingers pulled out and he felt his formerly mostly untouched asshole clenching and unclenching in need. A few seconds passed and something cold and wet was being dribbled down the crevice between his ass cheeks. Lube? Where the hell had he gotten lube? Almost before he could form the thought clearly, the sinful fingers were back, slicking the lubricant deep inside him. Squirming, he tried to turn his head to voice a half-hearted protest, and then he felt the hot poker of Gavin¡¯s cock against his ass. Suddenly whatever he wanted to say didn¡¯t seem important anymore.


    ¡°What? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Loving you, baby. Giving you what you want. You do want it, don¡¯t you?¡± The wicked whisper sighed softly in his ear.


    He felt a hot pressure at his entrance, and he heard Gavin¡¯s voice again. ¡°Tell me if you want this, baby.¡± He rubbed his cock slowly through his crease. ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­Oh fuck!¡±


    Tucker heard a little chuckle behind his ear. ¡°Exactly what I had in mind, sweetheart.¡±


    Tucker took a deep breath. He felt overwhelmed and completely out of his depth. He¡¯d never bottomed before¡ªnot ever. But this man felt so incredible. He felt his searing heat rubbing slowly up and down his crease. He took a deep, shaky breath. ¡°Yes, yes, okay. I want it.¡± With you.


    ¡°Are you sure, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. God, please¡­¡±


    A warm kiss dropped on the side of his neck in praise, and Gavin crooned to him again for a moment, before gently nudging his cock inside Tucker¡¯s hole. Easing it into him, Gavin slipped past the first tight ring of muscles, and then as he felt the by-now-familiar burn, he hissed in a sharp breath. Gavin held still, his hands soothing his back, massaging his ass. . Slowly he moved in deeper until something hot and hard¡ªhis balls, maybe, but Tucker wasn¡¯t sure¡ªsnuggled up against Tucker¡¯s ass. Tucker moaned with pleasure, and Gavin ran his hands up under his shirt and over his nipples. ¡°Feel good, sweetheart?¡±


    Still feeling shy and embarrassed, Tucker nodded his head. Gavin moved his lips down the side of his neck, nibbling and licking. Tucker shuddered in his arms, impaled and helpless. Gavin¡¯s fingers were under his shirt, pulling and teasing his nipples, and each time he twisted the nubs, the feelings made his cock, which had softened a little when Gavin entered him, stand back to attention. Gradually the feeling of being stuffed and stretched began to recede, and Gavin moved his hand down to wrap aroundTucker¡¯s shaft, moving slowly up and down.


    ¡°Feeling better, baby?¡±


    Tucker nodded, too overcome to speak, and Gavin bent him over a little and began to thrust his cock in and out in time with the slow strokes his hand was making on Tucker¡¯s shaft. The feeling was almost overwhelming, and to his horror, Tucker felt hot tears filling his eyes. They weren¡¯t tears of pain¡ªafter the initial burn, the feeling in his tight passage was almost indescribably good. Rather, he was almost overcome with a myriad of emotions, some bad and some so good. If the sex had been hard and rough, it wouldn¡¯t have been so much like claiming, like ownership. There was no longer any pretense he wasn¡¯t exactly where he wanted to be. No way to gloss over the fact that he was being thoroughly controlled and fucked, and he was enjoying every second of it. Every time Gavin¡¯s cock grazed over his prostate, he felt a jolt of ecstasy.


    ¡°What do you want, Tucker?¡± The slow, seductive voice whispered again in his ear. One hand moved up to stroke his throat, seductive, soothing.


    ¡°I-I want¡­¡± Tucker¡¯s breath was coming so hard, he was almost panting. ¡°I want¡ªmore. Harder, please. I need¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh, baby. I knowwhat you need, and I¡¯ll give it to you. Let me take care of you.¡±


    Tucker nodded and slumped over farther, pushing his ass wantonly back for more. The gentle thrusts became harder, faster, until Gavin was slamming into him, almost lifting him off his feet with each thrust. Tucker put one hand against the wall and the other strayed down to his cock as he tried to stroke himself. Instantly, the big hand already there threw his off, and Gavin¡¯s voice growled in his ear. ¡°That¡¯s mine, now, baby.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°N-no¡­I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Tucker felt a hard slap on his ass, and he cried out. Another slap followed and another. Fuck, he was being spanked! Anddamn if it didn¡¯t feel pretty good.


    ¡°Say it, honey. Tell me you¡¯re mine!¡± Gavin¡¯s voice seemed to have dropped deeper than it sounded before. His hand on Tucker¡¯s cock increased its movements until he thought he would blow any second. The thrusts in his ass were hard and hot.


    ¡°Y-yours,¡± he managed to gasp out and heard a self-satisfied grunt in his ear.


    ¡°Damn right¡­¡± Another hard thrust and pull on his cock and it was over for Tucker. His load shot against the wall so hard it spattered back on his stomach and chest. Gavin¡¯s thrusts became erratic and then he was straining against him, the hot cum searing Tucker¡¯s ass as it filled the condom.

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    In the short silence that followed, all Tucker could hear were Gavin¡¯s panting breaths. Then with another quick nuzzle at his neck, he pulled out and Tucker straightened up, holding onto the slick wall for support. He could hear rustling sounds, presumably Gavin disposing of the condom, and then the sound of a zipper.Advertisement


    Gavin put hishands on Tucker¡¯s shoulders, pulled him up and turned him so his back was against the wall, moving both hands up to frame his face. Leaning in, he kissed Tucker, licking first at his lips until his mouth fell open and then sweeping his magical tongue inside. He moved a hand down to gently squeeze his softened dick.


    ¡°Thank you, sweetheart,¡± he said against his lips. He reached forTucker¡¯s pants, still around his ankles and pulled them up, tucking him back inside and fastening them. Gavin looked up and caressed Tucker¡¯s face with one hand, then stepped away into the darkness.


    ¡°What?¡± Almost in a daze, Tucker realized Gavin was gone, and he straightened up, reaching for him. ¡°What? No, wait!¡±


    The room was dark, but Tucker could just make out a large form moving quickly toward the curtains and slipping out to the bar beyond. He raced over to the curtains, but tripped over somebody¡¯s feet, and cursing, he stumbled into a wall before righting himself and hurrying back to the main area of the bar. Gavin was nowhere to be seen. Not a trace.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He felt bereft and abandoned. Before he could even get the man¡¯s number, he¡¯d slipped away, right out of his hands. All he had was his name¡ªGavin. Not even a last name.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He dropped down on a bar stool and ordered another beer for the road, considering he hadn¡¯t even had a chance to taste the first one. He was sticky and wet inside his pants, his shirt stuck to his chest. Feeling used and definitely shaken up in mind and spirit, he sat at the bar and tried to think what to do next. His body felt slightly wasted, but his brain was already busy planning what he might be able to do to find Gavin the next morning when he got to work.


    A slight shiver traveled down his spine as he remembered the feel of that talented cock in his ass. What did it mean about him that he¡¯d enjoyed being fucked and controlled so much?


    Nothing. It meant nothing. It was just a one-time thing, an anonymous fuck with a stranger. It didn¡¯t mean anything about who he really was. He had to get that out of his mind. No, it was good in a way. Being fucked like that and losing all control¡ªit would help him be a better lover in the future, more considerate with his partners. This was just a one-off that would never be repeated.


    Coming back to the present with a jolt, Tucker finished his shower and stepped out, quickly drying off. He needed to forget what happened earlier. He¡¯d probably never see the beautiful Gavin again¡ªfunny how a sharp pang shot right through him at the idea. Padding back to the bedroom, he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt, clipping his badge to his jeans pocket. He found his shoes and his keys and took off, driving through the soft, sultry night to whatever was waiting for him at the crime scene. On the way he pulled into an all-night drive-through to get a cup of coffee and a biscuit to eat. Something told him that once he got to the scene, he probably wouldn¡¯t have much appetite left.


    Chapter Two


    Tucker walked to the end of the alleyway and lit up a cigarette with shaky hands. He never got used to seeing something like this. Bryson hadn¡¯t been kidding. This one was as fucking bad as anything he¡¯d ever seen, and he¡¯d seen a lot sincehe¡¯d become a cop. The young officer, or what was left of him, had been systematically and carefully beaten to death with malice.


    The coroner placed the time of death around the time Tucker was inside the club having his ass reamed by the talented Gavin. He felt a momentary twinge of guilt, even though his rational mind realized he was off duty, and there was no way he could have known what was happening outside the club. Still, the idea of the killer operating so close by while he enjoyed his evening inside made him very uncomfortable. Not to mention pissed off.


    The things that had been done to the young officer made the bile rise up in his throat. He¡¯d already had to send two patrolmen home after they caught a glimpse of the carnage left behind by that monster, so he needed to hold it together. He still had work to do before he could fall apart.


    Bryson came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you okay? You looked a little green back there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make it.¡± He took another drag of his cigarette and glanced over his shoulder. ¡°They ready to move the body yet?¡±


    ¡°Almost. The coroner¡¯s boys are finishing with their pictures.¡±


    ¡°The sick mother-fucker. What the hell did he use on him? A baseball bat?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but the coroner may be able to tell us. More teeth marks too. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll probably match the ones on the other bodies.¡±


    ¡°This son of a bitch has to be as crazy as hell. Do you think he lured him out here, or was it just a crime of opportunity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say the latter. People inside the bar said Officer Adams didn¡¯t make it a habit to stop by here. As a matter of fact, it may have been his first time. Some of his buddies were stopping after their shift and invited him for a beer on his way home. Theygot off at nine o¡¯clock,¡± Tucker said, consulting his notebook. ¡°And they invited Adams here for a celebratory beer. You know, the new baby.¡± Bryson¡¯s mouth tightened at the irony. ¡°He had the beer and then left at around ten thirty, or ten forty-five. The coroner can pin the time of death down for us a little more.¡±


    ¡°Did anybody see him follow someone outside? Or did someone follow him? Any description?¡± Tucker ran his hand tiredly through his hair.


    ¡°No. No one claims to have seen anything odd. Adams had one beer and left, saying he needed to go home. All his friends swore he was alone when he left the bar.¡±


    ¡°Why did it take so long to find the body?¡±


    ¡°The killer dragged Adams¡¯s body behind some garbage cans in the alley. It wasn¡¯t until the bar closed and they were emptying garbage that they found him.¡±


    ¡°Shit, this fucker¡¯s luck can¡¯t hold forever. Ask for the tapes from the security cameras. We¡¯ll review them and see if anybody stands out.¡±


    The coroner¡¯s assistants had loaded up the remains of the young man on a stretcher and were taking him down to their waiting van. As the van backed up to the alley, the crowd of people standing behind the yellow tape parted slightly, and Tucker found himself staring into the big chocolate-brown eyes ofthe man who¡¯d been with him earlier in the back room of the bar. It was Gavin, not thirty-five feet away. He was wearing a sweatshirt with a hood pulled up over his head and a pair of skin tight jeans. Tuckerwas so shocked at first he couldn¡¯t move. Bryson followed his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that guy before,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± Tucker whipped his gaze around and pinned Bryson with an intense stare. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°That guy you¡¯re looking at¡ªthe big, good-looking one with the hoodie. I noticed him at the last crime scene.It was the next afternoon when I¡¯d gone for some follow-up. He stood around for a while behind the crime scene tape.He kind of stands out, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Tucker gave him an intense stare and whirled around again to face the man. He took a step toward him and Gavin backed up, sliding away into the crowd. Tucker threw his cigarette to the ground and took off after him, running as fast as he could.


    Gavin dodged between the onlookers standing on the sidewalk outside the club. Tucker had seen him and was running down the alleyway after him, so Gavin had to get away. Tucker would be too full of questions¡ªones he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer to the handsome detective¡¯s satisfaction. If there hadn¡¯t been so many people on the sidewalk, many of whom were gawking at him as he pushed his way through the crowd, he might have been able to shift and move with supernatural quickness, but here, with all these witnesses, itsimply wasn¡¯t possible. He could still turn on some of the speed if he had to, but he didn¡¯t want to alert any more suspicion than he had already. Damn it, he shouldn¡¯t have come back, but when he¡¯d been told a policeman had been killed in the alley outside the club, his heart had almost stopped. He¡¯d had to comeback and make sure it wasn¡¯t Tucker.


    He dashed to the street, hoping to cross it and lose Tucker in the crowd behind him. He ventured a quick glance over his shoulder and saw that Tucker was alarmingly close, his whole attention focused directly on him. The expression on Tucker¡¯s face was grim and determined. It unnerved Gavin a little, and he put on an extra burst of speed, moving so fast he was out of the street and into a nearby alley before Tucker would be able to see where he¡¯d gone. Sure enough, a quick glance back once he reached the shadows showed him Tucker, standing in the middle of the roadway looking stunned and confused. Tucker cast quick glances around him trying to figure out where his quarry had disappeared to, and then jumped in surprise as a blaring noise from behind him startled him, making him freeze as a huge bright light hurtled toward him.


    Fear took hold of Gavin ¡¯s heart and squeezed it like a fist. Moving faster than he even knew he could, he slammed into Tucker, throwing him out of the way. The sight of the truck bearing down on Tucker scared Gavin so badly he hadn¡¯t been able to hold onto Tucker, and he hit the pavement hard, his head bouncing off the concrete and his body rolling out of control. When he came to a stop he was lying on his back, his eyes closed and his body limp. Gavin¡¯s heart was pounding, but he ran over to where Tucker lay crumpled on the street and hovered over him, afraid to move him. Tucker opened his beautiful eyes and tried to raise his head but fell back, not quite losing consciousness, but very close to it.


    ¡°Tucker! Tucker, can you hear me?¡± He fluttered his eyelids and smiled, reaching up to touch him. ¡°Hey, Gavin,¡± he said softly, reaching up weakly. ¡°Couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    Gavin grabbed his hand and held on. ¡°Hey,yourself, and I¡¯m right here, baby. Are you all right? Damn, that scared the shit out of me. Can you sit up?¡±

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    With one hand at the back of his neck and the other grasping his forearm, Gavin pulled him to a sitting position. Tucker looked around him in confusion, and Gavin became aware that a small crowd was gathering. ¡°Gavin, what¡­¡±Advertisement


    Gavin pulled Tucker¡¯s face up to his chest protectively. ¡°Nothing to see here, folks. Clear the road, please. He¡¯s okay.¡±


    Gavin stood up and pulled Tucker to his feet, looping Tucker¡¯s arm around his neck and helping him to the curb as the small crowd slowly dispersed. Sitting him down, Gavin put his hands up to Tucker¡¯s head, feeling carefully around the large knot on the back of his head. ¡°Damn, you took a hard fall. Sorry I had to tackle you, baby, but that garbage truck was about to flatten you. Do you feel dizzy? Have a headache?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. Well, maybe a littledizzy,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Right. C¡¯mon. Call your partner and tell him to come for you.¡±


    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll just¡­¡±


    Gavin took Tucker¡¯s phone from the case attached to his belt and held it out to him. ¡°Call him,¡± Gavin said, in a tone that didn¡¯t allow for argument.


    Still half in a daze Tucker took the phone, looking up at Gavin in confusion.


    ¡°Tell your partner you almost got hit by a truck, and you¡¯re on¡­¡± he looked around to find a street sign. ¡°You¡¯re on Gulf Breeze Drive.¡±


    Nodding, Tucker punched in a number and put the phone to his ear. ¡°Bryson? This is Tuck. Um, look, I¡¯ve kind of had an accident. Yeah, I know. I sort of almost got hit by a truck. I¡¯m on Gulf Breeze¡ªcan you swing by here and pick me up? I¡¯m not sure if I can walk back there. No, I don¡¯t need an ambulance. No, it was a misunderstanding. Yeah, I know the guy¡ªit¡¯s fine. Look, I¡¯ll explain later, okay? I-uh-hit my head. SoI¡¯ll see you in a minute, okay? Okay, I will. Thanks.¡±


    He turned to Gavin and held out the phone to him, looking up at him trustingly and apparently still dazed enough not to realize it was his own phone. Gavin just stared at him, transfixed by his beautiful face. He took the phone from him and tucked it back in its case on Tucker¡¯s side before dropping a kiss on Tucker¡¯s sweet lips.


    He stood up beside Tucker and ruffled his hair. ¡°Stay here until he comes for you.¡± Without another word, he backed away a few steps and then headed for the shadows across the street again, fading into them, but staying close enough to watch Tucker until the headlights appeared down the street.


    He stayed long enough to watch Tucker¡¯s partner rush over to him, kneel beside him, and run his hands over his arms and legs, checking for damage. Watching the man put his hands on his mate was excruciating, and it was all he could do to stay hidden in the shadows. He stayed there until he saw Tucker¡¯s partner helping him into the front seat and driving off with him before he turned away.


    Gavin walked quickly back toward the club and found his car. His heart still racing at the close call with the truck, he inhaled deeply, stillable to catch a hint of Tucker¡¯s scent on his hands. Tucker¡¯s scent was irresistible, a mixture of something sweet and musky, with a hint of the tobacco he¡¯d been smoking earlier. Gavin slammed his hands down on the steering wheel, feeling frustrated and angry. He needed to claim his mate, and he didn¡¯t know how much longer he could wait. He had recognized Tucker as his bloodmate the momenthe¡¯d walked into the club earlier in the evening and seen him sitting at the bar. The scent that radiated off him was a bonus confirmation he didn¡¯t really need. He would have known him anywhere.


    Gavin had felt the pull of a strong attraction to the man before this, but up until that point, he¡¯d never been in the same room with him. Still,in the end, the surveillance pictures he¡¯d been shown of Tucker were what had finally decided Gavin on coming down to Panama City in the first place, not simply trusting the others to bring Tucker back safely. He¡¯d been attracted to his beautiful face right from the start.


    Tucker could have been badly hurt by that truck, even killed, and the idea caused a shudder to skate down Gavin¡¯s spine. As his mate it was Gavin¡¯s job to take care of Tucker, damn it, and he¡¯d come too close to losing him. He¡¯d waited so long to meet his mate, and had just about given up all hope he ever would. It wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d expected to find on this trip, and with everything that was going on, it was a complication he seriously didn¡¯t need.


    Gavin was the alpha of the Tennessee branch of the Dark Hollow Wolf Pack. Their pack made its home high in the Appalachian Mountains, near the Smoky Mountains National Park. Somewhat isolated by their location high in the mountains, their lodge smack in the middle of a three-hundred-acre compound, they had been bothered little by the outside world, unlike the North Carolina branch of the pack, who had been at war with a quasi-military group called the Hunters for years.


    In recent times, the Hunters¡¯ sole mission had been to exterminate the wolves throughout the southern United States. Some of Gavin¡¯s soldiers had been on a kind of semi-permanent loan to the North Carolina pack to help with that threat. However, the larger North Carolina pack had finally put an end to the Hunters only a few months before, and the pack was beginning to settle down to enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet.


    Then, approximately a month before, something unthinkable had begun happening to the natural pets of the clan. Something or someone was turning the usually docile pets into vicious killers.


    The natural pets were the offspring of the wolves and their human mates. At puberty, some of these children became wolf-shifters, while others never shifted at all, staying more humanlike. They had no need to drink wolf blood like the human pets except during mating and, since the alphas had loosened the restrictions on pets in recent times, they took jobs either in the clan hierarchy or in the public sector, always maintaining their close connection to the wolf pack. Theydidn¡¯t initiate bloodmatches themselves, though many had established such a match with the wolves of the large clan. Natural pets were actually considered by many wolves to be more desirable as mates than humans, since they didn¡¯t have problems adjusting to the lifestyle as human pets sometimes did and weren¡¯t so dependent on wolf blood.


    Then, just a few months before, and seemingly for no reason, some of the natural pets had begun disappearing. Exhaustive searches turned up no trace of them, but when the pets resurfaced, sometimes weeks later, they had become brutal killers, seemingly insane with their bloodlust. Their bodies remained the same, though enhanced, larger, and more muscular. They moved almost as quickly as the wolves, and they had the supernatural strength of a wolf. In their bestial nature, they resembled the feral pets that humans sometimes turned into when they had done without the blood of their wolves for too long, but theirbodies didn¡¯t shift. Even without the shift, they were much infinitely more fierce and savage.


    The first of the pets to disappear was a male from the North Carolina branch, a man named Paul Kingfisher, who was living in Sylva, a little town in the foothills, and had a thriving little practice as a tax attorney. On the morning he disappeared, he told his wife he had a meeting with an important new client. At the time, she had been busy getting the children off to school and hadn¡¯t questioned him further. He had finished his breakfast, dropped a kiss on her cheek and took off out the door with a little wave. She had no idea that it was the last time she¡¯d ever see him alive.


    When he hadn¡¯t come home that night, his wife, also a pet from the North Carolina branch, contacted the alpha of the pack, Marco. Though the pack had searched long and hard for the man, no trace could be found of him. Two weeks later, there was an vicious attack on the teenaged children of the missing pet while their mother was at work. They were beaten and torn to pieces in their own home. The outraged, grief-stricken wolves tracked the murderer down relentlessly and finally cornered him on a remote mountainside. Though he¡¯d fought them fiercely, the pack overpowered him, and when he was dead, they were horrified as they realized it was the missing man, Paul Kingfisher. He had killed his own children.


    His wife had literally gone mad with grief, and she was still being treated in a private facility, her care being managed by Dr. Cornsilk, another natural pet and well established ally of the pack.


    The doctor and Dr. Jeremy Tate, his colleague and the chief of staff of the hospital on the other side of the mountains in Brevard, North Carolina, had done the autopsy on the remains of the pet personally, searching for any clues as to what happened, but found little other than some small hypodermic punctures in his arms. The only thing that showed up in the blood chemistry work-ups was a high level of testosterone and somatotropin, or human growth hormone, along with high concentrations of steroids. Someone must have injected him with the substances, but who? And to what purpose? Dr. Tate, a human whose only sister was mated with a wolf in the pack, had offered the full services of his hospital¡¯s laboratories, but so far, nothing more had been discovered. Nothing else significant showed up, and they were left with a puzzling and tragic mystery.


    Since then, three other pets had gone missing, and two of them had made subsequent horrific attacks on the public. When the wolves hunted them down, they, like the first pet, had fought viciously, and been killed. Though autopsies had been performed, with similar findings, the wolves were no closer to solving the mystery and great unease and unrest had seized the entire pack.


    The latest pets to go missing were a young mannamed Tommy, from Gavin¡¯s own branch. He had been on loan to the North Carolina branch when he¡¯d gone missing, along with his fianc¨¦e, another pet from the North Carolina pack. Tommy had been living in the Mountainwood lodge while they were still assimilating the captured Hunters into the pack. He¡¯d been helping with construction and had found his mate there among the pets of the pack, a young female pet named Melinda. The young couple had a strong love match, and had both gone missing after a trip down the mountain to do some shopping for their impending mating ceremony. No trace of Melinda had been found. Tommy, however, had surfaced in a killing spree that left a trail of dead in his wake. For reasons they had yet to fathom, he evaded capture and left the area, traveling southward, and ending up on the Gulf coast of Florida. The wolves had tracked him there, and hoping to capture him alive, Gavin had joined the hunt.

 Page 5

    By now Tommy had killed three more people, including two police officers, in Panama City Beach. For the past ten days, he had stayed in this one area, not moving on, and no one knew exactly why he was focusing his attacks there, in particular. They only knew that he had to be stopped.Advertisement


    Tucker walked into the Nightstick for the first time in several days. It had been three days since the latest murder, and there were still no leads on the killer. Just as frustrating was the fact he hadn¡¯t been able to find anything on Gavin. He seemed to have disappeared again, and Tucker couldn¡¯t even locate anyone who had even seen the man, other than Bryson. He was still kicking himself for not getting his last name, or where he was staying. He assumed he was a tourist, and had simply left town. The idea of never seeing him again was oddly painful, considering their brief acquaintance, but Tucker tried to shake it off and not think about it. One of the hazards of living in a tourist town was meeting someone only to find out he would be gone again in a few days. Most of the time, Tucker found that to be a convenience, and not a problem.


    Still, after ordering a beer, he scanned the dimly lit interior. The typical crowd was in the room, some talking and laughing animatedly at the few tables scattered around the dance floor, and others crowding the bar, trying to get the waiter¡¯s attention. No sign of Gavin, or anyone else that looked interesting, either. Tucker noticed one man leaning against a wall, holding a glass, but not drinking it. He was dark-haired and average-sized, his clothes upscale and a little formal for the beach crowd that normally packed this place. He was handsome in a preppy kind of way. He was staring at Tucker and raised his glass to him slightly when he saw him looking back. Tucker nodded at him, but turned back toward the bar, not in the mood to start something tonight. Besides, something about the guy gave him a distinct chill.


    Loud voices behind him near the door caused him to turn back around, and he gave a start of surprise to see Gavin coming in the club with two other men. He had his arm slung around the shoulders of one of them and all three were laughing at somethinghe¡¯d said. All three men were remarkably handsome, though to Tucker, Gavin stood out from the rest. Gavin straightened imperceptibly when he glanced up and saw Tucker, but didn¡¯t remove his arm. The three of them went over to an empty table and sat down. Gavin whispered something, and all three of them looked over at him, but Gavin didn¡¯t so much as even nod in greeting.


    Embarrassed to be caught staring at them, and stung by Gavin¡¯s apparent indifference, Tucker turned around and took another sip of his beer, hating the butterflies that were going crazy inside his stomach. He¡¯d finish his beer and get out of there, he thought. It wasn¡¯t his idea of a good time to watch Gavin with the two other guys, both of whom were almost as big and good-looking as Gavin was. Draining his beer, he started to push up from the bar when he felt a hand on his arm. Half-hoping, half-dreading it would be Gavin, he turned instead to find a guy he knew named Chase sliding onto the stool next to him. He and Chase had dated a few times, but there was nothing serious between them. They were more friends than anything else, and Tucker was glad to see him. It made him feel a little less of an idiot to have someone to talk to right then, and helped take his mind off the table behind him.


    ¡°How have you been, Tuck ? Haven¡¯t seen you around the club in Ft. Walton lately,¡± Chase said softly, running his hand up Tucker¡¯s sleeve. Chase was more of what Tucker had always thought to be his ¡°type.¡± A real cutie, he was shorter than Tucker, slim, with an adorable little face that always seemed to be blushing. Chase and Tucker had met at a bar named Dirty Joe¡¯s, a bar in the nearby town of Ft. Walton that attracted a mildly BDSM crowd on the weekends.


    Tucker actually preferred to go out of town when he was looking for a hook-up. Even though Panama City attracted a steady influx of tourists, it was still a small town in many respects. Even though Ft. Walton was over an hour¡¯s drive away, Tucker never wanted to chance running into someone he knew from work or, God forbid,someone he¡¯d once arrested. The night with Gavin had been a serious aberration, and look how that had turned out.


    Chase was pretty, but he was more into the S&M lifestyle than Tucker would ever be, and he really wanted a full-time partner. With Tucker, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. He had no desire to settle down with anyone yet, but Chase was cute and sexy and fit the bill in the meantime.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t been over to Ft. Walton in almost a month. Things here are keeping me pretty busy.¡± Tucker let his fingers graze Chase¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re looking good tonight.¡±


    Chase preened a little and leaned into his hand, turning his head toward Tucker¡¯s palm to drop a soft kiss in it. ¡°Want to dance, Tuck?¡± he asked seductively and Tucker smiled at him. He glanced around the club, finding no one he knew except for, of course, Gavin. Still, it was fairly early, and he might have refused if Gavin hadn¡¯t still had his arm around one of the guys at his table. Fuck him. Let him see I have other options too.


    ¡°Sure I do, honey. Let¡¯s go.¡± He slid off the stool and took Chase by the hand, leading him out on the small dance floor. Firmly refusing to let his mind wander back to the last time he was on this floor and what had happened after that, he pulled Chase into his arms and started swaying gently with him to the Maroon 5 song, One More Night, playing on the juke box.


    Chase tucked his head into Tucker¡¯s neck and pressed his groin tightly against him, grinding sensuously. Looping one arm around his neck, Chase¡¯s other hand began to play around Tucker¡¯s belt buckle and the top button on his jeans. Tucker put his hand over Chase¡¯s, but Chase laughed softly and stuck his tongue inside Tucker¡¯s ear, causing a shiver to run down Tucker¡¯s back. He dropped his hand and let Chase dip down inside his pants, his fingers skimming over the head of Tucker¡¯s cock. Why the fuck not? Two could play Gavin¡¯s game.


    A big hand seized Tucker¡¯s neck from behind and pulled him roughly back into a solid chest, as another hard hand snaked around his waist to hold him in place. Chase stumbled back in confusion and looked up at the man holding Tucker tightly to him.


    ¡°Run along, honey,¡± Gavin said. ¡°Find someone else to play with tonight. This one¡¯s mine.¡±


    Chase nodded and backed away, glancing in concern at Tucker, but obviously not wanting to cross the big angry man who had just taken control of his dance partner.


    Outraged, Tucker tried to wrench himself out of Gavin¡¯s arms, but he couldn¡¯t move. The hand on his neck had slipped to his throat, and as it tightened, Tucker heard a low voice growling in his ear. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to do this here. We¡¯re going in the back room.¡± The hands around his throat and waist fell away, and he felt a sharp push in his back. ¡°March.¡±


    In an agony of embarrassment, Tucker glanced over at Chase, who was standing nearby with his mouth open, staring at them. Tucker had always played a somewhat dominant role in the club at Ft. Walton, and now he was being manhandled and ordered around like a child. Another strong push on Tucker¡¯s back got him moving, and he walked stiffly to the curtain that led to the back room, his face flaming. He got just inside when his anger overcame him completely and he jabbed his elbow sharply into Gavin¡¯s stomach. Gavin expelled his breath in a satisfyingly painful sounding little oof before grabbing Tucker and slamming him back into the wall by the door. Gavin took Tucker¡¯s balls in a punishing grip.


    ¡°Damn you, Tucker,¡± he growled in his ear. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing? Are you crazy? If you think I¡¯m going to let you manhandle me, you¡¯ve got another think com¡­¡±


    Gavin¡¯s other hand clapped over his mouth, banging Tucker¡¯s head back into the wall so hard he actually saw little stars like in all the clich¨¦s. ¡°Shut up,¡± he growled in his ear. ¡°Just shut the hell up until I calm down.¡±


    Tucker tried to break his hold unsuccessfully, and finally nodded, giving in¡ªfor now. Gavin leaned his forehead into his. He still held one hand over Tucker¡¯s mouth while the other one clutched Tucker¡¯s balls, but Gavin¡¯s breathing began to slow down a little. Tucker held perfectly still, and slowly Gavineased his grip on Tucker¡¯s balls, though he didn¡¯t remove his hand.


    ¡°What is he to you?¡± Gavin¡¯s voice was still gravelly, but seemed calmer.


    ¡°Idon¡¯t see how it¡¯s any of your goddamned¡­¡± Another hard squeeze of his balls made Tucker hiss in a breath sharply. ¡°Okay, okay. Jesus! N-nothing, really. He¡¯s just a friend.¡±


    ¡°You usually let friends feel you up on the dance floor?¡±


    ¡°H-he wasn¡¯t¡ªokay, maybe he was fooling around a little, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t share, Tucker. I told you the first time I was with you that you were mine. Did I stutter?¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how what I do can be any of your business. How the hell can I be yours, when I don¡¯t even know who you are! Youcome in here tonight with two other men, don¡¯t even speak to me, and then expect me to¡­¡±


    The hand clamped back down over his mouth again. ¡°Damn it! Tell me you understand.¡±


    After a long, tense few seconds, filled with lots of long breaths expelled from Tucker¡¯s nose, he finally gave one quick nod of his head.


    Gavindropped his hands to Tucker¡¯s pants, still partially undone, and zipped them down all the way. Pulling them down past his knees with a rough motion, he turned Tucker around and slammed him back against the wall. Tucker¡¯s rigid cock hit the wall and he winced. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me!¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said tersely, ¡°but I¡¯ll tear your ass up if I see you like that again. You understand?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a hearing problem? I said I did.¡±


    A sharp slap on Tucker¡¯s backside followed his remark. ¡°You really want to be a smartass right now, Tucker?¡± Gavin smoothed a hand over the place he¡¯d slapped, gentling the sting, while sucking the skin on the back of Tucker¡¯s neck. ¡°Bend over.¡±

 Page 6

    Tucker hesitated, still furious, but fucking turned on. Why the hell did this macho bullshit of Gavin¡¯s arouse him like this? When he finally bent stiffly at the waist, Gavin jammed a finger into him and Tucker gasped at the bright slash of pain. ¡°Goddammit!¡± Tucker gritted out. ¡°Why the fuck are you doing this?¡±Advertisement


    ¡°So you can feel me inside you the next few days. Help you to remember who you belong to, since you seem to be having trouble.¡±


    He thrust his finger again, and Tucker whimpered, though his damn cock stayed hard as a rock. Tucker felt another soft kiss on his neck and then Gavin was pulling his finger out. Despite the burn, Tucker almost cried out at the loss. He twisted his head around to look at him, but Gavin was pushing him back down, kissing and licking at his rim, murmuring something soft and sweet sounding. Gavin thrust his tongue deep inside him and Tucker felt his knees completely give away. He would have fallen to the floor if Gavin hadn¡¯t been holding him with an arm around his waist.


    Gavin straightened, pulling Tucker back up against his chest while he moved his hand around to trail slowly down his stomach. Tucker¡¯s cock was swollen and throbbing by now, standing straight out, pearly drops of pre-cum sliding down it. Gavin held him up while he moved the skin overTucker¡¯s shaft up and down harder and faster. He began to lick the nape of Tucker¡¯s neck and murmuredsomething over and over that Tucker couldn¡¯t quite understand. He could feel the pressure building at the base of his spine, and then Tucker was sending a fountain of cum overGavin¡¯s hand to splash against the wall. He lowered his head to catch his breath.


    After a few minutes, Gavin let him go, reaching down to pull his pants back up over his hips and tuck his shirt inside. He turned Tucker around and leaned him against the wall, while he fastened his jeans and generally tidied him up. ¡°Now go back inside and sit down, or go home. But don¡¯t dance with anyone else, and stop messing around, you hear me? I won¡¯t be responsible next time, Tucker, I swear to God.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m scared of you?¡± Tucker said in a belligerent tone. ¡°I¡¯ll dance with whomever I please. Especially while you¡¯re sitting over there with your boyfriends.¡±


    Gavin flushed darkly and Tucker thought he was going to try more of his me-Tarzan-youJane tactics on him, but instead he took a deep breath and swept a hard forefinger softly down his cheek. ¡°Please, Tucker,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t stand to see you with anyone else. It kills me. Those guys are not¡­honey, please listen to me. I have work I have to do, but if you¡¯ll come back here at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow night,I¡¯ll explain everything then, I promise. Please, Tucker.¡±


    Well, since he said please like three times¡­ Tucker nodded.


    Gavin bent down and took his lips in a kiss that was both demanding and sweet and damn near perfect. He held the kiss for a long time and then held the curtains back for Tucker to go through and out to the main area of the bar. Gavin came out right behind him, moving past Tucker, and going back to his table. When he sat down and looked back up to catch Tucker¡¯s gaze, Tucker felt a flush of strong emotion wash over him, and he decided to go for the exit, his face burningas the others at Gavin¡¯s table stared at him too.


    Damn him! How could he embarrass him that way in front of his friends and in front of Chase? And why the hell was his cock half-hard again just thinking about it? He started toward his car when he saw Chase standing in the parking lot, backed up against his car by a tall blond who apparently had wasted no time after Tucker had been hauled away. Unwilling to explain or talk about it, Tucker just wanted to avoid Chase and drifted out to the bar¡¯s large deck overlooking the beach. He thought maybe he could sit out on the deck in the cool breeze, order a beer and wait for Chase to move along, but the deck was packed with tourists on this Friday night. So, on an impulse, Tucker walked out on the beach, leaving the lights and the noise of the Nightstick behind him.


    The soft breeze cooled his cheeksas he made his way down to the water¡¯s edge. He could hear the gentle break of the waves, and on an impulse, he slipped off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants legs and strolled down the beach, away from the music and voices behind him.


    The tide tugged gently at his feet, warm as bath water, comforting as the tender darkness around him. He stood for a moment, some fifty yards along the sand, looking out toward the waters of the Gulf, its lazy tide moving in a slow waltz back and forth with the shore. What the hell was happening to him? Why did he allow Gavin to handle him the way he did, and most importantly of all, why did he respond to it with such excitement? Why did it seem to fill some hole inside him he never even knew he had?


    He jammed his hands in his pockets and scrunched his toes down into the sand. He didn¡¯t even know Gavin¡¯s last name, or where he was from¡ªhe knew nothing about him really, yet when Gavin told him he belonged to him, his stupid cock enthusiastically agreed. He should have punched the man¡¯s lights out. He should have told Gavin to go to hell when he ordered him to go home and leave other men alone. What he shouldn¡¯t have done was tuck his tail between his legs and take off like a damned kicked puppy. Gavin told him to be back the next night at eight o¡¯clock. He wondered what Gavin would do if hedidn¡¯t show. Kicking at a shell near his toe, he shrugged in irritation, knowing it was a moot point. He¡¯d be there, and they both knew it.


    ¡°All alone, officer?¡± A deep voice came out of the darkness behind him. It sounded rusty and cracked, like its owner rarely used it. Tucker turned to see a tall, muscular figure standing about fifteen feet away. A little irritated at being disturbed, he shrugged and gave the newcomer a polite, disinterested smile, before a little warning bell dinged inside his head. Had he been followed from the club? How did this guy know he was an officer?


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± he asked, a bit of a challenge in his voice. He removed his hands from his pockets and turned fully around to face him, instantly on the alert. Just a day before, a good cop had been murdered outside this club. A prickling sensation started up on the back of Tucker¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I know you,¡± came the low answer. ¡°Or at least I know what you are.¡±


    Tucker cast a quick glance around him. The beach was deserted this late, and he doubted that anyone at the club could even hear him over the music and the noise if he shouted. A sudden cold breeze swept down the beach and Tucker shivered. ¡°What I am? Who are you? Why did you follow me here?¡±


    Only silence met his question, but the man was somehow closer to him, though Tucker hadn¡¯t actually seen him move. Tucker sidestepped, intending to move closer to the lights and sounds coming from the club. Again, in a movement so rapid Tucker could barely fathom it, the man was in front of him, still six or seven feet away, but now blocking his way back toward the club. Another step brought the man even closer and again Tucker retreated back toward the darkness away from the club. Was he being herded? As that thought exploded into his consciousness, he felt a momentary panic, images of the bodies of the murder victims flashing in his mind.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Tucker repeated, as he took another step backward. A warm, moist breeze off the Gulf brushed his hair from his forehead. Voices and music still drifted on this same breeze down the beach toward him, a song by Bon Jovi. Far out in the water, little lights twinkled, signaling fishing boats out for their nightly catch. Everything was too normal, too sane for this to be happening. The prickling on the back of his neck, though, assured him that it was.


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± the voice replied, as the man seemed to glide to within four feet of Tucker. Suddenly Tucker smelled him, his scent almost overpowering this close. It was an animal-like smell, gamey and unpleasant, like a wet dog.


    Tucker planted his feet in the sand, squaring off, getting ready, resisting the urge to turn and run. He didn¡¯t know who or what this fucker was, or even what the hell was happening to him, but he¡¯d be ready when it came at him. He might even get in a little payback for the men who¡¯d been killed by this son of a bitch. A little smile played at his lips. ¡°Well, bring it, asshole. I haven¡¯t got all night.¡±


    For just a second, the man in front of him cocked his head to the side, perhaps a bit nonplussed at Tucker¡¯s comments, like he was trying to figure out why Tucker was flapping a red flag under his nose. In that half-second of hesitation, two things happened at once, so fast Tucker could never say afterward exactly what it was he saw. A huge mass of fur and teeth slammed into the figure in front of him. The two figures fell to the ground in a roiling, snarling, thrashing ball of confusion. But even before the images could register on Tucker¡¯s brain, what felt like a huge maw settled on the back of his jeans, and ripped him backward with such force his neck snapped back and he fell to the sand, rolling some ten feet away and landing on his back, looking up at the stars.


    Stunned by the impact, his head pounding and swirling, Tucker only half-registered sounds of the fierce battle still going on up the beach. He was vaguely aware that some large animal was standing in a crouch between himself and the desperate struggle on the sand. He tried to raise his head, but a sharp pain crashed into his neck and head, and he fell backward, trying to breathe through it. It continued to build, though, and a wave of blackness washed up and over him, leaving him floundering in the dark as he sank down into unconsciousness.


    Chapter Three


    ¡°Tucker ? Tucker, wake up!¡± Cradling Tucker¡¯s head in his arms, Gavin gently shook him, his heart still pounding almost out of his chest. The bastard had been so close to Tucker¡ªso ready to rip out his throat. In seconds, they would have been too late to save him.


    The idea of losing Tucker made another icicle of fear spear down his spine, and he gathered Tucker even closer in his arms. Todd, one of his gammas, had pulled Tucker away from the fight so he wouldn¡¯t be harmed as Gavin himself tore the creature limb from limb, his desire to kill the thing fueled even further by his fear and rage. Since they had already been in their wolf forms, and had been instinctively since the moment they saw Tommy so close to Tucker by the water, his gamma, Todd, had perhaps used a bit too much force as he pulled Tucker out of the way. It was hard to control their strength around humans, sometimes, especially while they were shifted. Gavin had already carefully checked Tucker for broken bones, and he seemed to be all right, just stunned from the hard landing on the sand.

 Page 7

    ¡°Tucker?¡± he repeated, relief rushing over him as he saw his thick eyelashes fluttering. ¡°Tucker, baby, can you speak to me?¡±Advertisement


    Tucker opened his eyes and a slow smile curved his pretty lips. ¡°What the hell, Gavin? Why am I always waking up to find you looking down at me? What happened?¡± He tried to raise his head and fell back with a wince of pain. ¡°Damn, what the fuck grabbed me like that? Where¡­¡± As if he suddenly remembered the creature who had come so close to killing him, he shifted in Gavin¡¯s arms and his eyes scanned the beach wildly all around.


    ¡°Relax. Calm down, baby. He¡¯s dead. We killed him, and you¡¯re going to be fine, just as soon as I get you home.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about, you killed him? Killed who? Who¡ªwhat was that? Did you call the police?¡± Tucker tried again to get up, but Gavin put a strong hand on his chest, holding him in place.


    ¡°Relax, baby. I¡¯m handling this. I¡¯ll tell you everything, but right now you need to trust me. First, I¡¯m taking you out of here.¡±


    ¡°B-but I don¡¯t understand. Oh God, are you naked?¡± Still trying to rise, his gaze was sweeping over Gavin, his eyebrows almost to his hairline. ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    Without answering, Gavin stood up, picked Tucker up in his arms as if he were a child, and strode up the beach with him in his arms. Yes, he was definitely naked, having just shifted back to his human form. The clothes he¡¯d been wearing had been hopelessly ripped to shreds when he¡¯d shifted, and Gavin was hopinghe could reach the car they¡¯d parked down by the beach earlier before anyone saw him. If they did, they¡¯d probably figure he was out skinny dipping and hopefully let it go at that. The beach was deserted at this time of night, though, and they were able to move very fast, so fast that Gavin saw Tucker close his eyes, perhaps thinking he had to be hallucinating again. It was all beginning to be too much for Tucker. His eyelids closed, and his breathing deepened. He had passed out again.


    Good, let him be out for a while, and let some of the shock wear off. Gavin was still shaking at how close Tommy had come, and kicking himself for not realizing Tucker could be a target. Tucker¡¯s scent was strange¡ªnot quite human¡ªand it must have drawn Tommy in like a beacon. If he¡¯d been only seconds later in getting to him on the beach, it would have been too late.


    Gavin had been sitting in the club, an uneasy feeling stealing over him, ever since he saw Tucker leave for the parking lot. Already he regretted his rough treatment of Tucker when he saw him dancing with the pretty little blond. He had no right to treat him that way, though his wolf definitely disagreed. He¡¯d lost his temper when he saw the smaller man with his hands in Tucker¡¯s pants, and he¡¯d acted like a damn animal, allowing his wolf to come too close to the surface. He¡¯d glimpsed Tucker¡¯s face as he rushed from the club, and cursed himself softly under his breath. He¡¯d be damn lucky if Tucker ever spoke to him again.


    He¡¯d needed to find him and apologize, try to make things up to him somehow. He never should have let Tucker go to his car alone. Though itstill wasn¡¯t late, with plenty of people out and about, the creature that Tommy had become had killed the last policeman earlier in the evening, just outside in the alley. That thought had him rising quickly to follow Tucker outside, and his two companions, strong trackers and gammas of the pack, came with him.


    Once outside, he¡¯d scanned the lot and saw Tucker¡¯s car still parked nearby, but no sign of Tucker. Frowning a little, he picked up the scent of sex close by, and he saw the blond man leaning against the fender of a pickup farther down the lot. Kneeling at his feet was a dark-haired man. It was too dark to see clearly, even though a few dim lights hung on the side of the building, barely illuminating the lot. Filled with rage at the thought the dark-haired man could be Tucker, Gavin was on the couple in an instant, and waves of relief and embarrassment washed over him when the man who was kneeling looked up, startled, and Gavin saw it wasn¡¯t Tucker after all.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he called out and backed away rapidly, striding toward the deck, hoping he¡¯d find Tucker there, sitting at one of the tables. When a quick check of the area didn¡¯t reveal Tucker, he sent one of his gammas to the alleyway, and headed with the other one out toward the beach. Surely Tucker wouldn¡¯t have been stupid enough to leave the safety of the crowd and isolate himself on the beach. But as the thought crossed his mind, he saw two figures on the sand, down by the water. They were some thirty yards away. A tall, bulky figure dressed in dark clothing loomed opposite a shorter figure Gavin knew to be Tucker.


    He knew immediately it was the creaturethey¡¯d been seeking. He could smell him for one thing. The pet smellwas strong, coming from both Tommy and Tucker, but Tucker¡¯s sweet smell was overlaid with one that was corrupted and sick. The bastard was standing not six feet from his mate, and Gavin was terrified that he would never have time to stop him from ripping out Tucker¡¯s throat. An almost paralyzing fear overtook him, and he only had time to kick off his shoes before he leaped forward, his clothes ripping to shreds as he shifted in mid-leap.


    He¡¯d never moved so fast, and as he got closer, he heard Tucker actually taunting Tommy to come at him. Damn him. Tucker had earned himself a spanking for that one, but first he had to get to him. Working as a team, they surged toward the creature, Gavin signaling in his mind to his gamma tomove Tucker out of harm¡¯s way. It was over quickly after that, Gavin¡¯s fury and fear at almost losing his mate making him savage and out of control. He¡¯d meant to try to capture Tommy and try to interrogate him, but he¡¯d ripped him to shreds in minutes, then turned and rushed to find his mate. His wolf was raging, and it took him four or five minutes to calm down and stop crouching over Tucker¡¯s body, growling and showing his teeth at his gammas as they shifted back to their human forms and came to help. Finally, he was able to calm down enough to shift back and take Tucker in his arms.


    His regret at killing Tommy was immediate, sharp and gut-wrenching. He remembered Tommy as a little boy, the son of one of his guards. Gavinsimply hadn¡¯t been able to control his wolf when he saw his mate at such risk of imminent death, and had killed Tommy almost instinctively. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d have been able to bring Tommy back to his home, but he had so wanted to try. Tommy had killed humans, though, and even if they had managed to cure him somehow, he might not have been able to survive the crushing guilt and remorse he would have felt. Wolves had co-existed with humans for centuries, and though they had to maintain a secret existence from most of them, they had never disliked humans, or felt any antipathy toward them. Indeed, they often developed a protectiveness and deep regard for them and humans had often been bloodmates for them over the centuries. With so much infusion of human blood, the Werekin were all part human anyway.


    Reaching the car, Gavin pulled on a pair of sweat pants from the back seat, and climbed in next to his mate, relieved at finally having him safely next to him behind locked doors. His gammas would find their own way home after disposing of the remains on the beach. Gavin put a hand on Tucker¡¯s warm thigh and let it rest there. He remembered his idea of putting Tucker across his knees when he heard him taunting Tommy, and it brought a smile now to his lips. His little mate was fierce. If he ever tried such a thing, he¡¯d be afraid to ever close his eyes around him.


    He saw Tucker open his eyes and gaze around him in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± Gavin told him. ¡°You¡¯re in my car. Just rest for a few minutes. Can I get you something to drink? A drink of water?¡±


    ¡°What? No¡­Gavin, take me back to the beach. I have to call¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. I¡¯ve already handled that. I told you I¡¯d take care of everything, so just relax. When we get to the hotel, I¡¯ll explain everything, okay? We¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡±


    Though he looked like he wanted to protest, Tucker let his head fall back against the seat and closed his eyes. He was still badly shaken. Ten minutes later, Gavin was unlocking his hotel room door and taking Tucker inside, a strong arm wrapped around his waist to support him. He threw his keys on the dresser and led Tucker toward a small sofa by the window. ¡°Have a seat, baby.¡±


    Tucker sat down hesitantly, glancing over at Gavin. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have come. I really need to call someone¡ªcall Bryson. He¡¯ll be worried and¡­¡± He gestured vaguely at the darkened window. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡±


    ¡°You just got here, baby. Have a seat and rest for few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe for a few minutes, and then I¡¯ll have to ask you to take me to the station.¡± Tucker¡¯s tone, though still friendly, had become firm and a little stern, even though his eyes were still crossed and spacey. Gavin smiled a bit to himself as he sat down. His mate was bossy. Cute. Very cute. Or was it? He¡¯d been a little amused by Tucker¡¯s attitude, but now he could see he may have a real problem on his hands.


    His mate actually believed he was in charge. Gavin¡¯s alpha wolf reared its head inside him and growled softly, wanting to exert its dominance. Tucker was his pet and his mate, and he would have to get used to the idea. His wolf wanted very badly to show him exactly who the most dominant one in the room was, but he restrained himself. Tucker had already been through too much tonight. He folded his hands in his lap and watched Tucker carefully. Having his mate so close and so vulnerable was tempting. Too damn tempting, and he needed to get control over himself.


    Gavin gestured toward the small hotel refrigerator. ¡°Can I get you a beer?¡±


    ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t really drink that much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t anyway, after hitting your head. I have juice¡ªor water.¡±


    ¡°No thank you, I¡¯m fine. Talk to me, Gavin, please. Tell me what happened. What was that? Did I just imagine¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t imagine anything, honey. That creature really was about to kill you. I got to you just in time.¡±


    ¡°Creature? Wait a minute, what do you mean you got there in time? You? But¡­no, that can¡¯t be right. There were some kind of animals. They were huge and came out of nowhere. One grabbed me from behind with its teeth and threw me down the beach.¡±

 Page 8

    ¡°Yes, all that happened. It wasn¡¯t just your imagination. But I think you¡¯ve had too many shocks for one night. I¡¯m taking you to bed, and I¡¯ll explain things in the morning.¡±Advertisement


    Tucker gave him a sharp, resentful look and jumped up from the sofa. ¡°No! We¡¯ll talk now.¡±


    Gavin grabbed his wrist and pulled him close to his body, staring down into his eyes. The silence between them stretched out, almost tangible. Gavinstudied his mate¡¯s face. He really was quite beautiful. His hair was golden brown and cut short, with just a little curl trying to start at his neckline. Gavin thought he must not like the curl and kept it short. He¡¯d try to convince him to grow it out a little when he got him home. His eyes were a clear blue, and his eyelashes were lush. His lips were sinfully full and a little pouty. Very kissable, Gavin thought. He¡¯d like to suck him off again. Or fuck him. Maybe both.


    Tucker cleared his throat and leaned away from him as far as he could. ¡°Gavin¡­if that¡¯s what your name is¡­there¡¯s something going on with you, and I have to know what it is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gavin asked, startled and a little amused. He pulled his mate close, ignoring his little struggles and made him settle in his arms. Tucker was too smart. Gavin hated being evasive with him, but it really wasn¡¯t time yet to let Tucker know what was happening to him. He¡¯d come so close to losing him.


    ¡°You know exactly what I mean! What was that thing that attacked me? After you¡­after we¡­you practically ordered me to go home, and then, then I see you on the beach, like you were following me. I don¡¯t understand any of this. Who were those men you were with?¡± He glanced up and gave Gavin a resentful little glance, his sweet lips pushing out in a pout. Oh yeah, sweetheart. You¡¯re all mine. You just haven¡¯t realized it yet.


    ¡°I did follow you, baby, because I got a bad feeling. Good thing too, or I¡¯d never have been in time.¡±


    Tucker shuddered, but shook his head doggedly. ¡°But how did you know? How did you know I was on the beach? And what were you doing there? How did you¡­¡± He buried his face in his hands. ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m so confused.¡±


    Uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking, Gavin let Tucker go and turned toward the window to gaze out at the darkened beach. ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk about it right now. We¡¯ll talk about it in the morning. Right now, you need to rest. You¡¯ve had a big shock.¡± Gavin turned to walk over to the refrigerator for another beer, but Tucker leaned forward and pulled on his arm.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Gavin grinned down at him. Damn, he was cute. Especially when he went all law enforcement on him.


    ¡°Just to get another beer, baby.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tucker said, relaxing a little, but not dropping his hand. ¡°I have more questions for you, Gavin, and damn it, I need some answers!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Enough beer for the night. Let¡¯s go to bed, and I¡¯ll give you all the answers you need.¡± Gavin put his arm around Tucker¡¯s waist and drew him toward the bed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious, Gavin. We need to talk.¡± Tucker looked like he was beginning to get a little angry. His eyes darted around the room, maybe looking for a way out. He tried to pull back a little.


    ¡°We will, baby. I¡¯m too exhausted to do this tonight, so you¡¯re staying until morning. Please.¡± Maybe that was the magic word to get Tucker to cooperate just a little. It had seemed to work last night in the club. ¡°Please, baby. We¡¯ll talk then. I promise, sweetheart.¡±


    The word still retained a little of its power, because though Tucker stiffened, he finally sighed and nodded his head. ¡°All right. I don¡¯t want to fight with you either. Since it¡¯s so late, I guess I could stay till morning. I¡¯m feeling a little odd. Maybe I can sleep there on the couch.¡±


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± Gavin said with a smile, still drawing him toward the bed. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep with me. Let¡¯s get some rest, darlin¡¯. We¡¯ve both had too much excitement for one night. I¡¯ll explain everything in the morning. I promise. Things will look better then.¡±


    In a matter of minutes, he¡¯d pulled Tucker to the bed and quickly divested him of his clothes. He put a hand on Tucker¡¯s chest and gently pushed him back on the bed. Tucker sank down, obviously still a little disoriented and dazed by the turn of events, or he¡¯d never have let Gavin handle him that way without a struggle. Climbing in next to him, Gavin wrapped his arms around him and heard Tucker sigh in soft contentment.


    Tucker fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, but Gavin lay awake a long time, unable to relax with his mate¡¯s strong, delicious scent surrounding him. He tried hard to will himself to go to sleep, but his mind kept racing.


    Gavin and the other members of his pack had tracked Tommy to the southern tip of Alabama and then lost the trail, reluctantly returning home. A couple of days later, they¡¯d read of the horrific murders in Panama City, Florida. When they first suspected Tommy was in Florida, Gavin had immediately flown down two of his best men to begin searching for him. Pretending to be tourists who¡¯d had their hotel room burgled, the gammas had gone to the police station when they arrived and spoken to the lead detective on the case, a Lt. Tucker, recognizing his scent right away as that of a natural pet and a member of their pack. They had immediately notified their alpha.


    Richard, Gavin¡¯s beta, was shocked and excited.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who needs to go to Florida¡ªthis man is almost certainly my son!¡± Richard had said when Gavintold him he¡¯d decided to travel down to Panama City. He¡¯d slammed his hand down on the desk between them, his handsome features pulled down in an angry frown.


    Twenty-five years before, Richard had finally found his blood mate after years of searching. She was a beautiful young woman who lived in the nearby town of Sylva, North Carolina, a small town close to the border of Tennessee, about halfway between the North Carolina pack and Gavin¡¯s own pack.


    Richard met his mate, Angela, in a shopping mall. She had come to the Pigeon Forge area near the park to shop the outlet malls close by. Richard had been there too, shopping for some new boots, and they fell in love at first sight.


    This was not at all unusual for wolves, who had one bloodmate, chosen for them by fate, and they recognized this mate by their scent, which was usually totally irresistible to them. The surprising thing was that Angela seemed to feel the same way, and had quickly agreed to become his wife and his mate after only a week. She said later that she fell in love with him at first sight and would have married him the same day if she hadn¡¯t been afraid he¡¯d think she was totally shameless.


    She became pregnant right away, and when their child was born after not quite a year together, they were supremely happy. Then on a cold December afternoon, her car slid off an icy mountain road, and she was killed instantly. Their infant son was safe in his car carrier, with barely a scratch on him.


    Richard was inconsolable for months. Wolves only have one bloodmate, and had been known to pine away and even die themselves after losing their mates. Richard struggled badly, but in the end he¡¯d pulled himself out of his deep depression for the sake of his son. Angela¡¯s mother had offered to care for the baby until he felt more able to do so, and when Richard finally called to let her know he¡¯d be by to pick the baby up the next day, she¡¯d seemed fine, if a little distracted. When he arrived, however, the house was empty, and no one seemed to know where they had gone. He searched for them everywhere, but they had vanished seemingly without a trace. Richard had spent the next twenty-some years searching for his son.


    Knowing how upset his normally calm second-in-command must be to lose control and yell at him that way, his sharp tone coming very close to insubordination, Gavindidn¡¯t immediately answer. Instead, he¡¯d leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. ¡°Richard, I know how you must feel, but you can¡¯t be sure he¡¯s your son.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Gavin, my wife¡¯s maiden name was Tucker. And James was her father¡¯s name!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you may havelocated your son after all these years, and I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am for you. But I need to be in on this capture. We need to find out who has been kidnapping our pets, and I want to take Tommy alive. I mean to talk to him and see if he can give me some answers.¡± He leaned forward, willing his beta to understand. ¡°I promise you I¡¯ll bring this man home to you, Richard, if he¡¯s your son. You have my word. In the meantime, I need you here to run things while I¡¯m gone. Can you please do that for me?¡±


    Richard had jammed his hands in his pockets, dropping his gaze. ¡°You know I will. But what if he won¡¯t come, Gavin? He¡¯s a grown man now, and he¡¯s listed as a detective on the case. He might just refuse to believe any of this. Maybe his grandparents have made him hate me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take one thing at a time. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say he doesn¡¯t even know you exist. The gammas we sent to talk to himsaid he didn¡¯t seem to notice anything odd or different about them, so that makes me think he¡¯s a pet, and definitely not a wolf. A wolf would have caught their scent.¡±


    ¡°Thank God he¡¯s a pet,¡± Richard said. ¡°Can you imagine how frightened he would have been at puberty if he¡¯d suddenly shifted?¡± Richard¡¯s lips thinned to a white line. ¡°Damn them for taking him from me! They had no right!¡±


    Gavincame around the desk to put his hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°At least you may have finally located him after all these years. We need to get him here so you can explain things to him, and then let him make his own decision. With any luck, he¡¯ll decide to stay with us.¡±


    Gavin and his personal guards had left the next day to travel to Florida to track Tommy down, hoping to find him before he killed again. As soon as they arrived, he¡¯d gone to the last crime scene, hoping to pick up a scent or maybe get a glimpse of Tucker.Though he¡¯d found a detective working there, he hadn¡¯t looked like the pictures of Tucker. Tommy¡¯s scent was faintly there, but overlaid with too many others to be of any use. When the detective on the scene started to take an interest in Gavin, he¡¯d moved reluctantly away.

 Page 9

    It had been easy enough to locate Tucker¡¯s apartment and assign some of the gammas to follow him. It had been his turn to watch Tucker the night he went to the club, and it had been too much of temptation to resist following him inside. Something about the young man attracted him almost irresistibly. Gavinhad been oddly restless as he¡¯d watched Tucker go about his workday earlier, and he felt an overpowering need to get closer to him. For some reason, the idea really seemed to compel him. Then, from the instant he¡¯d been inside the same room that first night, he¡¯d realized exactly who Tuckerwas, and why he¡¯d found him so irresistible and seductivefrom the moment he¡¯d seen his picture on the surveillance film. Incredibly, Tucker was his bloodmate. The vagaries of the bloodmatch were too well-known for Gavin to be truly surprised, but it had still been a bit of a shock. Gavin was simply unable to resist approaching and speaking to him.Advertisement


    Just before he got close to Tucker, he sniffed a hint of Tommy in the room and instantly went on alert. His eyes swept the area and found nothing out of the ordinary, yet his scent was still strong in the air. Thinking that he must have just missed the killer, he quickly sent a text to his gammas, alerting them Tommy may be nearby and giving them the address. He looked around uneasily, hating the idea that the killer had been in the same room as his mate.


    Then as he slid onto the stool besideTucker, he¡¯d been so taken with him, so entranced by his beauty, he¡¯d almost forgotten about the smell inside the club, just for a few minutes, and taken his pleasure with his mate. His lapse had allowed Tommy to lure the poor young human out behind the club and slaughter him. His innocent blood was on Gavin¡¯s hands, because he¡¯d failed to keep the human policeman safe. They¡¯d lost Tommy that night, his trail trampled on and overlaid by all the humans who had flocked to the scene once the body was found. It took more days of digging and investigation to track Tommy back to the Nightstick, trying to figure out just what was attracting him to come back to the club again.


    Thank God they¡¯d figured it out and he¡¯d been able to save Tucker, though he sharply regretted not taking Tommy alive and questioning himas he¡¯d originally planned. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would have known who was behind his transformation, but he might have been able to offer some clues. Now he was dead and they were packaging his body to send home to his parents. At least he could do that much for them.


    Gavin still had no ideawhy he¡¯d practically forced Tucker to spend the night. It was dangerous to be so intimate with him. His wolf was raging inside him to claim his mate, but he wouldn¡¯t take him without his consent. The idea of letting him out of his sight after coming so close to losing him just wasn¡¯t an option, though.


    Tucker was breathing softly through his open mouth, his long eyelashes shadowing his cheeks. He was wearing tight jersey boxers that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Gavin wondered how in the hell he was going to resist claiming him as his mate immediately. He¡¯d come damn close to it earlier in the evening, getting carried away by his jealousy. It had taken every bit of his strength to force down his wolf and not give Tucker the mating bite then.


    His mate was certainly gorgeous. No other word for him. He had a solid torso and deeply cut muscles rippling down his chest and abs. Not an ounce of fat on him. His skin was smooth and tanned, and he had an enticing blond treasure trail leading from his navel down to below the band of his briefs. Though Tucker¡¯s hair was brown with blond highlights, what little body hair he had was blond. Gavin wanted to follow that little golden trail very badly, but made himself turn over on his back, his hands by his side.


    Tucker sighed in his sleep and turned too, angling his body toward Gavin. He scooted over next to him and wrapped one arm around his waist, hooking a knee over his thigh. Gavin breathed out a heavy sigh beforepulling Tucker over closer to him, tucking Tucker¡¯s head into the space between his neck and his shoulder, breathing in his delicious scent. Fuck, this was torture.


    When Tucker made a soft little mewling sound and started to pull back, Gavin tightened his arm, holding him exactly where he was. Gavin instantly became so hard he thought might come at the slightest movement ofhis mate¡¯s body. He seemed to be settled though, so gradually, Gavin relaxed,letting his mind roam back to the first time he¡¯d seen Tucker¡¯s picture.


    It had been held out in front of him by Richard, Tucker¡¯s father. Richard had the appearance of being in his early thirties, though he was much older. Wolf shifters aged almost like humans until they reached the age of about thirty, and then the aging process slowed way down. Wolves and other Werekinlived very long lives, though they weren¡¯t immortal. Usually, even their human mateslived just as long, strengthened by the wolf¡¯s blood they had to drink. Still vigorously good-looking though probably around seventy or seventy-five years old, Richard was trustworthy and solid. He didn¡¯t deserve the bad breaks he¡¯d had in his life.


    Tucker made another sweet little sound in his sleep, and Gavin leaned over to kiss his forehead. He wondered what his mate would think when he learned who he really was¡ªwhen he learned about his new home. Their lodge was a big one, off park land but still very close. It was beautiful country, mountainous and green. Gavincouldn¡¯t imagine wanting to live anywhere else, butTucker¡¯s relatives hadn¡¯t given him any choice in the matter when they¡¯d stolen him away from his home.


    Restlessly, Gavin tried to get comfortable and go to sleep. His mate¡¯s musky scent was still calling to him and his wolf was restless inside him, wanting to claim Tucker. Gavin was, by this time, almost too tired to go to sleep. After a while he managed, though, sinking down into a restless sleep and not waking until almost dawn, when he felt soft fingertips trailing up and down his chest.


    Gavin¡¯s eyes flew open and he was gazing into those beautiful eyes. He could feel Tucker¡¯s hands roaming possessively over his body. Gavin cleared his throat, hardly trusting himself to speak. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Tucker said and kissed him, devouring his mouth. He eased on top of Gavin, pinning him down.


    Gavin kissed him back, his breath coming hard and his cock growing rigid with lust. Gavin slid his hands down Tucker¡¯s body and around his back, cupping his ass, massaging the muscles. Tucker pulled back, breathing raggedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess I shouldn¡¯t have started this. Gavin, we need to talk.¡±


    Before Tucker could continue his protests, Gavin flipped them, rolling over on top of him and putting his knee between Tucker¡¯s thighs, pushing them apart. ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk, darlin¡¯.¡± He bent down and nipped at his mouth. ¡°I have a lot I need to say to you.¡±


    Tucker lay back with his big blue eyes staring up at Gavin, a wary expression on his face. Gavin eased off him a bit, getting up to his knees to pull down Tucker¡¯s briefs, while still keeping the sheets bunched in front of him. He slept naked, wanting to feel every inch of his mate¡¯s firm body against him all night long. So far, Tucker had never gotten a good look at him, all their previous encounters having taken place in the dark of the back room at the bar. He needed to hide himself from his mate a bit longer, until he could claim him properly.


    Like all the wolves, Gavin had a gland called the bulbus glandis, a kind of ring of flesh that sat right at the base of his penis. When he was fully aroused it became engorged with blood, like his penis, and was at this moment roughly the size of a small baseball. It was this gland that secreted fluids during mating sex, and then swelled up even more inside his mate, trapping them together, sometimes for an hour or more. During that time, the mate experienced multiple orgasms so intense they often made the mate lose consciousness. The wolves rarely inserted the gland except during mating or times when they were in need of intense bonding.


    Tucker raised his legs obediently as Gavin pulled off the last of the clothing between them and tossed it to the foot of the bed. Gavinlooked back down at him and couldn¡¯t resist going in for another kiss on his lips, his throat and down to his nipples. Keeping the sheet around him, hee pressed his cock against Tucker¡¯s through the thin fabric, rubbing them together and eliciting a soft moan of pleasure from his mate.


    Gavinrubbed his thumbs against Tucker¡¯s nipples, working them gently with his fingertips, then lowered his head down to suck them while Tucker arched his back. Gavin reached over to the drawer on the bedside table and found a condom and the tube of lube. Condoms weren¡¯t necessary for wolves, who were pretty much immune to human diseases, but he knew it would alarm and concern his petif he didn¡¯t wear one, so he would put one on until he could explain things to him. He slid over to the side of the bed, angling his body away from Tucker as he rolled on the condom and squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his fingers and cock. He¡¯d bought the supplies at a drug store once they¡¯d arrived in Florida. Even before he¡¯d actually met Tucker, he¡¯d been strongly drawn to him, already hoping for a chance at an intimate encounter. He moved back to his matequickly, keeping his hand down over his gland so Tucker couldn¡¯t see it. He hoped it would look like he was just keeping his hand at the base of his cock. Anyway, the room was still dim, the only strong light coming from the bathroom, so he was pretty sure Tucker wouldn¡¯t notice anything too odd. When he got back in position, he lifted Tucker¡¯s leg onto his shoulder, spreading the lube over his tight, puckered hole. He then kept one hand busy stroking Tucker¡¯s cock while he slipped one finger up inside him, just the tip, teasing it in and out in a gentle motion.


    ¡°Gavin,¡± Tucker said softly, not looking up at him, but keeping his eyes fixed on the wall next to the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t usually do this. I don¡¯t usually bottom for anyone. I-I always top, you know?¡±


    Gavin almost smiled, but caught himself just in time. The look on his mate¡¯s face was so sweet and sincere. He was telling the truth, and for a moment, Gavin was concerned. He thought he knew what would best satisfy his mate, but he wanted this to be good for him in every way. Tucker was a pet¡ªhis pet¡ªand the son of a wolf and his human mate. All pets were submissive to the wolves. It was just in their nature. They might be bratty and fight it a little. They might tease and pout and vigorously assert their independence from time to time, but underneath it all, they were controlled and taken care of by the wolves, and they liked it that way. No wolf would ever force his beloved pet to do anything sexuallyhe didn¡¯t really want to do. It would be unthinkable to hurt a pet, and most especially a mate.

 Page 10

    Not that pets weren¡¯t disciplined from time to time, but even that was a power exchange, with each partner receiving what he needed from it. The pets actually had enormous power over their wolves, and the wolves were well aware of it. Even the humans who were bloodmates were naturally submissive. The bloodmatch wouldn¡¯t have chosen them otherwise. It was the way the bloodmatch worked, and there had rarely been a mistake. Of course there had been a few aberrations along the way. He¡¯d heard rumors, especially from the other packs, and he wondered briefly if his own mate might not be one.Advertisement


    The ¡°aberration¡± in question looked up at him, his eyelashes fluttering with the sensations he was feeling. God, he was so beautiful. Gavin groaned, pushing his finger in deeper, adding another one and working them in and out. Pressing up he searched for the little bundle of nerves and found the spot, watching the sweet face in front of him come apart.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to stop, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tucker seemed confused at the question. ¡°No¡­don¡¯t stop¡­more¡­harder¡­I-I need more¡­¡±


    Gavin groaned and slid his cock carefully into him, trying to go slow and easy. He might still be a little sore after the weekend before. He checked Tucker¡¯s erection. He was still hard as hell and leaking pre-cum. Gavin slowly increased his thrusts. He didn¡¯t know if he could resist claiming Tucker much longer¡ªhe had to make this fast, or he would give him the mating bite, which would mean they¡¯d be in bed all day. Sliding his hand down the length of Tucker¡¯s cock, he put his thumb over the slit and dipped inside gently, causing him to arch his back, cry out and come hard, at the same time Gavin thrust deeply inside him again and again. Tucker spurted all over Gavin¡¯s chest and his own stomach, the hot cum gluing their bodies together. Gavin moved deep and hard inside him, unable to hold back as he pumped Tucker¡¯s cock through his orgasm.


    Tucker reached up and grabbed Gavin¡¯s shoulders, holding on with a tight grip as Gavin rode him, going in as far as the gland would let him, his balls slapping against Tucker¡¯s sweet ass. With a cry Gavin came, arching up over Tucker and then collapsing on top of him, kissing his face and his neck, licking and nipping at him in his passion. For at least five minutes, he lay on top of Tucker, catching his breath and trying to calm down. He¡¯d never climaxed so hard in his life. It had been mind-blowing, excruciating, fucking wonderful. If every time with his pet was like this, he wouldn¡¯t survive.


    He pulled out finally and rolled to the side of the bed before walking into the bathroom to clean up. He wrapped a towel around his waist, wet a warm cloth and brought it back to the bed to clean up his lover tenderly. Tucker watched his every move with those amazing eyes. Gavin fell back down beside him, and kissed him once more before leaning on his elbow and gazing down at him.


    ¡°Much as I¡¯d like to keep you in my bed all day, we¡¯ve got a little problem, you and me. I need to tell you some things, and I have a feeling you¡¯re not going to like them too much.¡±


    Chapter Four


    Tucker looked up at him. He was almost afraid of what Gavin had to tell him. He decided he¡¯d ask his own questions first.


    ¡°Gavin, you have to tell me what the hell happened last night. Was I hallucinating? Did you put something in my drink? Tell me, please! Ihave to know!¡±


    Gavin sat up too, shifting his gaze to the window. ¡°You weren¡¯t hallucinating, Tucker. The killer was after you last night¡ªthe same one who killed the others. This time he came after you.¡±


    Tucker put one knuckle under his chin and turned Gavin¡¯s face back toward him. He knew Gavin was telling him the truth, and it was scaring him some. Why did the murderer come after him? Was it just because he was a cop like two of the other victims? Why were they here in Gavin¡¯s hotel room instead of at the police station? Something was terribly wrong about all of this. ¡°Gavin, please,¡± he said softly. ¡°What exactly happened to the murderer? I-I have some crazy images in my head, but I had to be tripping on drugs or something. Someone slipped me something, or¡­Gavin, why didn¡¯t we stay on the beach to wait for the police?


    ¡°I¡­uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Gavin. Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Gavin flushed and looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, and you weren¡¯t drugged. What you saw was real.¡±


    At Tucker¡¯s raised eyebrow, Gavin made a sound of impatience and started to get up. Tucker put a hand on his chest. ¡°Gavin?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you any more after all, Tucker. This was a bad idea. I probably need to take you up to the mountains with me. This can¡¯t be said down here¡ªit sounds too farfetched, but it¡¯s all true, and I need you to believe me. Maybe if I can get you back home, you can see.¡± He pushed against Tucker¡¯s hand, and Tucker was a little surprised at how strong he was. In a sudden move, Tucker swung a leg over him and straddled his body, looking down at him. Gavin looked up in surprise.


    ¡°See what? And what do you mean a bad idea? Am I a bad idea, Gavin?¡±


    ¡°No, baby, not you; of course not. It¡¯s just¡­look, I can¡¯t talk about any of this. You¡¯re very stubborn, Tucker, but I can be stubborn too.¡± He put his hands on Tucker¡¯s waist and picked him up as if he were a child, placing him carefully on the bed beside him and getting to his feet, almost in one rapid move. He pulled on the sweats and a T-shirt and turned to face Tucker. How could he be so strong? Tucker wasn¡¯t big, but hell, he wasn¡¯t that little. A sudden memory of being carried off the beach in Gavin¡¯s arms the night before came back to him. He didn¡¯t remember Gavin even being out of breath. Gavin smiled down at the lookon Tucker¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not guilty of anything, Tucker. And yes, I know you have a lot to sort out right now, but I think this is a bad idea. We have to go home.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, go home? You¡¯re not going anywhere until I figure this out.¡± Tucker scrambled up to stand facing him, clenching his fists at his side. Gavin looked down at him with a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Do you want to fight me, Tucker? I won¡¯t fight you. I can¡¯t hurt you.¡± He put a hand out to cup Tucker¡¯s face tenderly, but Tucker shrugged him off.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to, if you think you¡¯re getting me out of here without giving me some answers. I mean it, Gavin!¡±


    It did occur to Tucker just how ridiculous this might seem if there had been an onlooker. Two naked men squaring off to each other in hotel room¡ªwell, one was naked and squaring off, the other was dressed and just gazing back serenely. Damn it, how could Gavin be so casual about this, and how did Tucker always seem to be naked while Gavin was dressed?


    For a tense moment neither of them moved, and then Gavin sighed and sat back down on the side of the bed. ¡°All right, pet. Ask your questions. I won¡¯t fight you.¡±


    Tucker stood fidgeting for a moment, wanting to lighten the mood and make up for the argument, somehow. He rubbed his hand over his face and heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Look, I saw some coffee on the counter. Can I fix you some? We can drink it,and we¡¯ll talk¡ªthat¡¯s all. I¡¯m sorry I sounded like such a jerk. I don¡¯t want to fight either.¡± Tucker held a hand out to him. ¡°Please, Gavin?¡±


    With a little sigh, Gavin accepted his hand and allowed himself to be pulled into the sitting area. There was a small coffee maker in the room and Tucker bustled around for a few minutes with water and coffee packets, darting glances at Gavin from time to time to make sure he was still sitting calmly, giving himself time to get it together.


    ¡°I-uh¡­I didn¡¯t mean to get so pushy with you.¡±


    Gavin nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. While the coffee was brewing, Tucker leaned against the dresser, searching for a neutral topic, but coming up empty. He noticed Gavin¡¯s eyes on him and realized he was still completely naked. He gave Gavin a slow grin. ¡°Guess I need to put some clothes on.¡±


    ¡°Not on my account. I like looking at you.¡±


    Tucker felt the heat of a slow blush sliding up his body. A little flustered, he shrugged and busied himself with putting out the plastic cups, sugar and creamer. When he got close to the sofa, Gavin reached for him and pulled him over into the circle of his arms.


    Tucker gazed down at him in surprise. Used to playing the more dominant role in the bedroom, this turnaround wasn¡¯t something he was comfortable with. Gavin pulled him close and kissed his stomach below his navel. His fingers trailed along the little concave spot just above his thigh. ¡°You don¡¯t like compliments, do you, pet? Idon¡¯t mean to embarrass you, but it¡¯s true. You have an amazing body.¡±


    Tucker snorted, feeling a slow hot flush coming up his body.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true.¡± Gavin¡¯s fingers moved around the back and gripped his ass. ¡°And this little ass¡ªso round and tight. Really gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough about my ass!¡± Gavin dropped his hands, and sat back, but not before Tucker saw a flash of hurt in his eyes. Shit! Tucker made himself stand still and not bend over to hug him, even though he was itching to. ¡°Uh¡­about that pet thing you¡¯re calling me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes? Does it bother you?¡±


    Tucker shrugged. ¡°It sounds like something in S&M. I¡¯m not a sub. Not your pet. Look, sometimes two kind of dominant guys get together, I get that, and one of them has to be the bottom, I suppose, but that¡¯s not really my deal¡ªyou know, long term and all.¡±


    Gavin narrowed his eyes, regarding him seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be anything one way or the other to let me take care of you and make you feel good. But okay. If you say so.¡± He shrugged and dropped his arms, turning back to his coffee. ¡°This smells good,¡± he said, taking a sip.


    Not letting him change the subject seemed important right then. Gavin ignored the comment about the coffee. ¡°Well, I do say so,and I don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me,¡± Tucker said, not letting it go. When Gavin continued to drink his coffee, Tucker shrugged, beginning to feel foolish standing there naked, serving Gavin coffee while all the time protesting he wasn¡¯t a sub.

 Page 11

    ¡°Let me go get my clothes.¡± Tucker went over to the bed to find them on the floor and put them on, an irrational fear overcoming him that if he took his eyes off Gavin, he wouldn¡¯t be there when he got back. He didn¡¯t really want to fight with him, but he needed to make clear what he wanted before they went any further, though even the idea of not seeing him again made his stomach clench. Lighten up, damn it. Let him call you whatever he wants to. Why are you being such an ass?Advertisement


    When he turned around, Gavin was still sitting quietly on the small sofa, sipping his coffee. He looked up as Tucker returned and swept him with another warm gaze that made Tucker¡¯s heart beat a little faster. He eased himself into chair across from Gavin and took a sip of his own coffee before launching into his questions.


    ¡°Why did you go to the club last night? Do you go there very often?¡± The questions were a bit of a test. Feeling a little like a jerk for trying to trap him, he asked anyway, leaning forward a little anxiously for his answer. The club, Nightstick, was one Tucker visited with some regularity. He¡¯d never seen Gavin there before, and he definitely would have noticed.


    ¡°No,¡± Gavin said smoothly, his eyes flickering over his face. ¡°The night I met you was my first time, but you knew that, didn¡¯t you, Tucker?¡± He set his coffee cup down on the small table in front of him. ¡°I went there because I was tracking the killer that night, and he¡¯d been there recently. Right in the room where I first saw you, Tucker.¡±


    Tucker inhaled a quick breath. Narrowing his eyes, he focused all his attention on the calm, handsome face across from him. ¡°You knew who the killer was? Even before you say you killed him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His name was Tommy.¡±


    ¡°What? So you knew what he looked like? Where he lived? You said you tracked him there. Gavin, this was¡ªis¡ªa murder investigation. You can¡¯t withhold information on an active case!¡± Tucker¡¯s questions were rapid fire, and his tone had slipped into interrogation.


    ¡°Yes, I knew him since he was just a small child. But Ididn¡¯t track him there, exactly. I just uh¡­sort of discovered that he was there once I got inside. I noticed his strong smell in the room.¡±


    ¡°His smell? What the hell, Gavin? Stop talking nonsense! Did you know who the killer is or not?¡±


    Gavin slammed down his hand. ¡°Damn it! Yes, I knew who he was, Tucker. He was the son of a friend of mine. He was a good kid, too, and didn¡¯t deserve what happened to him. He¡¯d been turned into a monster, a killer with supernatural strength. We tracked him here and after we discovered he had settled here to make this place a killing field. He wouldn¡¯t have stopped¡ªhe never would have stopped. The murders would only have gotten worse, and more violent. Whatever sanity he may once have had completely burned away by whatever they shot into him. He wasn¡¯t the boy I knew anymore, Tucker. He tried his best to kill me on that beach.¡± As Tucker stared at him in shock, Gavin reached for his cup again and drained his coffee, then stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tucker, but I need to take you back home with me. Back to Tennessee. I can take you to your place to pack a quick bag, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to leave most everything else behind.¡±


    Tucker caught hold of his hand and pulled him back down beside him again. He searched Gavin¡¯s face carefully for any sign that he was teasing or joking. Finding none, fear gripped him. He must be delusional. Could this beautiful, sexy man be psychotic? He was so surprised he couldn¡¯t speak for a moment, just hold tightly to his sleeve. When he managed to speak, his voice came out shaky and thin. ¡°Um, okay honey. Whatever you say¡ªjust calm down, okay?¡±


    Gavin sighed and regarded him with sadness. ¡°I¡¯m not excited. I¡¯ve frightened you, baby, and I didn¡¯t mean to. I was trying to avoid talking with you about all this until I¡¯d taken care of Tommy and come back for you. Then I could have taken my time and explained everything to you without this distraction. His coming after you last night pretty much decided everything, though.¡± He tilted his head as if thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Though with you, Tucker, I might always have had problems making you understand. No, you¡¯re analytical, like your father and pretty stubborn on top of it, I think.¡±


    ¡°Like my father? What the fuck do you know about my father? What the hell are you talking about?¡± Tucker pushed hard on Gavin¡¯s arm, trying to move him away from him, so he could think. Gavin was saying too much crazy shit, and it was messing with his own mind now. Tucker had never even known his father. His mother died when he was a baby, and so far as he knew, his father had hauled ass, not sticking around to care for him. His grandparents had raised him, and he¡¯d never had any interest in finding out more about the bastard who¡¯d abandoned him. Gavin was saying things that made no sense. That had to be all it was, but it was oddly specific and fucking weird to mention Tucker¡¯s father. What was going on here?


    Gavin leaned in toward Tucker. Tucker had an insane impulse to dodge away or try to run, but was trying desperately to stifle it. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from jumping to his feet and taking a step backward though, and he kept backing up as Gavin came closer until he hit the wall. He gazed up at his handsome lover, praying he would start to smile and this would all be some kind of crazy joke. ¡°Gavin, stop this, please. Tell me the truth. Did you take something? Some drug? I didn¡¯t see you take anything, but¡­ He looked up at Gavin and tilted his head. ¡°That must be it. You slipped me something last night to make me hallucinate. That whole thing on the beach was some kind of weird acid trip, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, Tucker. There weren¡¯t any drugs and I¡¯m not crazy. Maybe I should just tell you everything now, butyou¡¯re not going to like it much. It¡¯s going to be hard for you, but you have to try to trust me. I¡¯ve got you,and I won¡¯t let anything hurt you.¡± Gavin stood in front of him and put both hands on the wall on either side of him, boxing him in. He peered down into his face and smiled. ¡°Though I suppose right now you¡¯re mostly scared of me. I think I have no choice but to claim you as my mate and then tell you everything.¡±


    Tucker tried hard not to tremble as he stood indecisively in front of Gavin, looking down at the hands blocking him in. He needed to get a grip. What the fuck was he talking about? Claim him as his mate? What the fuck? He knew he probably should be more frightened. Gavin was talking crazy, and Tuckerdidn¡¯t exactly know how to deal with it. He could easily break away from Gavin¡¯s arms if he wanted to¡ªprobably¡ªbut if he was sick or on some kind of drug, he didn¡¯t want to hurt him. Maybe if he just played along¡­


    He glanced up at Gavin. ¡°Okay, honey. You can do whatever you need to do. Why don¡¯t we go over here and sit down for a few minutes?¡±


    Gavin looked down at him, beautiful and bright and a little stern. ¡°You need to listen to me, Tucker. Really listen to what I have to tell you,and don¡¯t be scared of me. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯ll try to make it all clear.¡± His voice was deep, soothing, and almost hypnotic. ¡°Just remember that you¡¯re my mate and trust me¡ªcan you do that?¡±


    Even as he tried to figure out what to do to contain the situation, one idea after another racing through his brain, he knew he was still willing to play along. He held Gavin¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Okay. Whatever you say. What do you want to tell me? Just be calm, honey.¡±


    Gavin smiled. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly calm, Tucker. I need to tell you who I really am, and who you really are, but first I need you to suspend that rigid logic and control of yours for just a few minutes.¡± He stared down at him for a long moment, as if gauging his responses. Taking a deep breath, he leaned in, forcing Tucker to allow him even deeper into his personal space, so he felt a little off-balance. Gavin¡¯s body was touching Tucker¡¯s from his knees to his chest.


    ¡°Please, Gavin¡­¡± Tucker said.


    ¡°Please what, baby?¡±


    ¡°Please stop this,and let¡¯s just drink some more coffee and calm down.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling youI¡¯m perfectly calm, Tucker. I¡¯m just trying to decide how best to do this. I¡¯ve never had to explain who I am before. I don¡¯t know how much you saw last night, or how much you dismissed as just a dream. I could just show you¡ªI don¡¯t want to scare you to death though.¡± Gavin frowned, obviously thinking hard of what to do next. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back and sit down and I¡¯ll tell you some things, and you have to promise to just listen and not get upset. Okay?¡±


    Tucker decided that when he moved, he¡¯d try to make it to the door. Just get outside and then call for help. He needed to get Gavin to a hospital¡ªsomewhere he could get him some medical attention. He tensed his body to run, and then Gavin smiled down at him, running a finger down the side of his face. ¡°Okay, baby?¡±


    Tucker found himself nodding and taking the hand held out to him. He followed Gavin over to the sofa and sat down tensely on the edge of the seat.


    ¡°How much do you remember about your parents, Tucker?¡± Gavin asked softly.


    ¡°My parents?¡± Tucker said blankly, his face registering surprise. ¡°Why do you keep talking about my parents? What do you know about them? Why are you asking¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just answer the question, baby.¡± Gavin broke in. ¡°Tell me what you know about them.¡±


    Tucker wrinkled his forehead. ¡°M-my mother was killed in a car accident years ago. I don¡¯t remember her at all, really. I was very young. My grandparents raised me.¡±


    ¡°What about your dad?¡±


    ¡°My dad?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªthe bastardwasn¡¯t in the picture. I never knew him, so I never had much interest in the asshole. Never knew the difference, and I don¡¯t give a damn now. My grandparents said he didn¡¯t want me, so they took me in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tucker, but that was a lie. He wanted you very much. As a matter of fact, he¡¯s been searching for you for years.¡±

 Page 12

    ¡°What? Searching for me? I don¡¯t understand. My grandparents would never¡­how would you¡­what the hell is this shit?¡± Tucker¡¯s face was red and he tried to stand up, but Gavin pulled him back down and held him there with his hands on his forearms.Advertisement


    ¡°Get off me, Gavin!This isn¡¯t funny!¡±


    ¡°No, Tucker, it¡¯s not. Your mother¡¯s name was Angela Tucker. She met your father in Tennessee, where she was living at the time with her parents. Your father¡¯s name is Richard, and when your mother died, he was inconsolable for a while. Your grandparents offered to keep you for him, since he was going through such a hard time. A couple of months later, when he went to get you, they¡¯d moved away, taking you with them. He was devastated, and has been looking for you all these years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just¡­what the hell are you trying to¡­damn it, you¡¯re crazy! Why would my grandparents even do such a thing?¡± Tucker jumped to his feet, this time evading Gavin¡¯s hands and surging backwards toward the door.


    Gavin rose to his feet and walked slowly toward him, his voice still low and reasonable. ¡°They were frightened, honey. Richard said that just a few weeks before the accident she¡¯d told them who he really was. What he was. And they were still trying to process all of that when she passed away. It was probably all just too much for them to deal with.¡±


    Tucker backed up, shaking his head. ¡°What the hell are you saying? You don¡¯t even make sense. What he was¡ªwhat does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you, baby.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this shit is! Idon¡¯t know how you found out my mother¡¯s name and that we came here from Tennessee, but obviously, you¡¯ve done your homework and had me investigated. I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to pull, or why, but it won¡¯t work. No! Stay away from me!¡± Tucker shouted as Gavin came closer. He quickly twisted around and hurled himself out the door, with Gavin right behind him.


    Tucker surged outside directly into a family getting off the elevator onto the open walkway outside the hotel room. Amid the startled squeals of the mother and the chaos of several children juggling beach towels, floats and oversized beach bags, Tucker managed to slip through them on the crowded walkway and into the elevator, frantically punching buttons while Gavin tried to navigate around them to get to him.


    As soon as he reached the bottom floor, Tucker sprinted toward the hotel lobby, looking over his shoulder as he heard Gavin barreling down the stairway after him. He pulled open the door, got inside and ran over to the hotel¡¯s front desk, where a large crowd of college students was in the middle of checking out. In his rush to get to safety, he knocked the bags out of a young girl¡¯s hand, and by the time he¡¯d steadied her, shouting to an astonished hotel clerk to call the police, he turned to find that Gavin had completely disappeared.


    Damn! Gavin hit the steering wheel with his hand, and glared at the rearview mirror again, half expecting to see cop cars behind him any second now, as he navigated the noonday traffic on the strip. Once he¡¯d allowed Tucker to escape, he¡¯d gotten to his car immediately and called one of his men in the adjoining room to his, informing them of what had happened¡ªa modified version of events, anyway. He¡¯d instructed him to go into his room through the connecting door and clean up all evidence that he¡¯d been there before clearing out himself, along with the rest of the group and then to meet him at a pre-arranged emergency meeting point some ten miles down the coastline. It wouldn¡¯t take long for the police to figure out his entire group had registered at the same time, and were working together. Now they had to ditch their rental cars and find new ones, as well as another place to stay. And all because he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off Tucker. Damn it!


    He¡¯d fucked this up royally, and he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to proceed from this point. He never should have tried to approach his mate beforehe¡¯d got him back to Tennessee. Damn bloodmatch. It almost always complicated things, never making anything easy. Once he¡¯d caught his mate¡¯s scent, he¡¯d been like a stupid animal in heat.


    Picking up his cell phone, he made the call he¡¯d been dreading . ¡°Richard? It¡¯s Gavin. Look, I think I¡¯ve fucked things up with Tucker.¡±


    ¡°You mean James? What¡¯s happened to him?¡± Richard¡¯s voice sounded alarmed, and Gavin could picture him running his hands through his short, dark hair, making it stand on end.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s happened to him, calm down. Tucker¡¯s fine. That¡¯s what he calls himself, by the way, not James.¡±


    ¡°Gavin, tell me! What¡¯s gone wrong?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gavin said, taking a deep breath. ¡°You see, I kind of¡ªI took him back to my room and¡ªdamn it, Richard, there¡¯s no easy way to say this. Tucker is my bloodmate.¡±


    There was a sudden intake of breath and then a long silence on the other end of the line. ¡°Your bloodmate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know any other way to tell you other than to just blurt it out. I didn¡¯t know¡ªI mean, I knew I was attracted to him, but then when I was in the same room with him, I¡­¡± ¡°Have you-have you mated with him yet?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, not exactly. I mean, I¡¯ve uh¡­you know, been with him, yes. Damn, this is so hard talking to you like this about your son. But no, I haven¡¯t given him the mating bite or anything else. I want him to agree to it¡ªnot feel like hedidn¡¯t have any choice in this thing.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Another tense little silence fell between them, before Richard began to chuckle softly.


    ¡°Richard?¡± Gavin said unbelievingly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gavin, it¡¯s all just a little much, even for the bloodmatch. Somebody up there has a very wicked sense of humor when it comes to bloodmatches, I¡¯ve always said, and this goes a long way to prove it.¡±


    ¡°Richard, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to be sorry about, Gavin!I was just surprised, that¡¯s all. Naturally, it¡¯s an honor for the alpha to choose my son, and the fact that it¡¯s you just makes it all the sweeter. But you said you¡¯d messed things up with him? How did you do that exactly?¡±


    ¡°I had him in my room, and I¡ªdamn, this is difficult! I started to tell him who he really was, Richard. Who we all are, and of course he didn¡¯t believe me. Thought I was crazy and started trying to calm me down. I could see he was only one step away from having me put in a straitjacket and committing me for observation, so to stop him, I tried to explain everything. He got scared and got away from me, and out of the room. He made it downstairs to call for help. I had to get the hell out of there in a hurry before the cops came.¡±


    ¡°He got away from you, huh?¡± Richard said with a proud tone. ¡°Sounds like he might really be something.¡±


    ¡°God, he is, Richard. He¡¯s smart as hell, and beautiful! Brave too. You should have seen him last night when Tommy came after him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Richard shouted in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, God, I¡¯m fucking this all up. I tried to send him home last night, but he went to the beach instead, and I guess Tommy was somewhere around close and caught his scent. It attracted him, I guess. I thought I got a trace of Tommy¡¯s when we went in the club, but Tucker was there, and his scent kind of overwhelms everything else, you know? Anyway, Tommy went after him, and I barely got to him in time. He¡¯s okay though¡ªdon¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine. We got to him before anything happened, and Tommy is-is dead.¡±


    There was a short silence and then Richard said softly, ¡°Seems like you¡¯re having quite an adventure with my son.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Tommy, Richard. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll break it to his parents, though I know they¡¯ve sort of expected this outcome. I wanted to try to take him alive, but when I saw him ready to attack Tucker¡ªto rip him apart¡­My wolf just took over.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Gavin, and don¡¯t worry about telling Tommy¡¯s parents. I¡¯ll talk to them. It¡¯s the least I can do after you saved my son.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so beautiful. I mean, I know you saw his pictures, but you have no idea. He has these incredible eyes, and¡­¡± Gavinbroke off as he heard Richard¡¯s delighted laugh. ¡°Sorry, guess I got a little carried away.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Richard said softly. ¡°He sounds a lot like his mother.¡± Another little silence and then Richard cleared his throat. ¡°You need to get him back, Gavin. Make him listen to you next time and then bring him back home where he belongs.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, easier said than done. I told you, he¡¯s smart. He figured out that I¡¯d been investigating him, so I doubt if he¡¯ll even go back to his apartment for a while. If I show up at the station or ask him to meet me somewhere, he¡¯ll have me arrested in a heartbeat. Or even worse, taken to a hospital. You know I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Find a way, Gavin. I know how persistent you can be. Besides, if he¡¯s your bloodmate, you really don¡¯t have a choice, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, damn it. No choice at all. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find him. And when I do, I¡¯m going to show him exactly who I am, sohe won¡¯t have any choice but to believe me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure your parents won¡¯t mind me staying here like this, Bryson ? I feel a little weird about it.¡± Tucker looked around him at the very luxurious condo Bryson had just brought him to. The entry opened into a large living room with a huge floor-to-ceiling window offering a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico. Tucker had spent three nights at a hotel since the night with Gavin, and it was too expensive to stay any longer. He¡¯d decided to go home and take his chances, but Bryson pitched a fit when he heard and instead came up with another place for him to stay.


    ¡°They don¡¯t mind in the least,¡± Bryson assured him . ¡°Since they moved back to Ohio to take care of my grandparents, they only use this condo when they come home to visit. Which won¡¯t be for at least another month or two, so relax and use it for as long as you like. I told them you¡¯d be here for a few days, and they were fine with it.¡±

 Page 13

    ¡°I still think I should have gone home . Maybe Gavin would have come there, and I could have talked him into going to the hospital.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°Yeah, and maybe not. Maybe he would have come with the rest of his cult members or whatever they are and tried to get you again. Look, Tuck, I¡¯m still not convinced he doesn¡¯t have something to do with the murders. All that crazy talk, the attack on the beach and him trying to tell you that you were some long-lost kin from Tennessee. We found no trace of blood on the beach, by the way, and no witnesses to anything.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly kin,¡± Tucker said, smiling. ¡°Just that he knew my real father and who I ¡®really was¡¯ like I was some long-lost royalty or something. I don¡¯t know, Bryson, you had to be there and listen to him. He was really kind of convincing. And he¡¯s not a murderer. I know that much. I¡¯m glad they didn¡¯t find any evidence of anything. It had to be some kind of shared hallucination. Maybe we were both slipped some drug in the club.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, sure, if you¡¯re thinking with your little head instead of the one on your shoulders! Tuck, you don¡¯t know anything about this guy, except that he tried to hold you prisoner in that room of his and said he wanted to take you with him out of state. Look, we¡¯re still running down the rental car records, and the names his little cult group registered with, but until we find something, I¡¯d feel a lot better if you didn¡¯t go back to your apartment. Just stay here and buy whatever you need to get you through a couple of days until we run them down, okay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably a long way away from here by now,¡± Tucker said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll stay here for a few more days, since both you and the chief insist I stay away from my place, but only for a few more days. I¡¯m not going to let some guy I just met dictate how I live my life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later at the station then. Be careful and call me if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Tucker said with a grin, ducking away as Bryson turned to shove him good- naturedly.


    With a wave, he was out the door, and Tucker spent the next few minutes in the bedroom of the luxurious condo, hanging up the few shirts and pants he brought with him in the massive walk-in closet. A knock at the door caught him on the way to the refrigerator to find something to eat.


    ¡°What did you forget to warn me about now?¡± he said, a grin already turning up the corners of his mouth. He swung the door wide and then froze in shock at the sight of Gavin standing in the doorway, his big frame tense, hands fisted at his side.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t slam the door in my face, Tucker. I promise I¡¯m not here to hurt you in any way. I just want the chance to explain things to you.¡±


    Tucker¡¯s cheeks were burning, and he knew the stupid blush he always got when he was excited or angry must be staining them right now. He also knew he¡¯d be crazy to let Gavin inside the apartment, but the look of hurt and worry in his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes was making Tucker¡¯s knees shake. He held onto the door knob for support and frowned at Gavin, deliberately making his features as stern as he could.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you hurting me, Gavin, and how the hell did you find me here? Are you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything, if you¡¯ll give me the chance. I know I¡¯ve acted a little odd, but I swear to you I can clear everything up if you¡¯ll give me an opportunity. I want you to understand what¡¯s going on. Please, sweetheart.¡±


    When Tucker still hesitated, frowning at him, Gavin held out a hand to him. ¡°If you won¡¯t do it for me, then do it because I have information about your father. Your mother would have wanted you to know about your heritage and about who you really are.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to bring up this bullshit again? I¡¯m not interested in my father! You didn¡¯t know my mother, so don¡¯t even pretend that you did.¡± Tucker gave Gavin a contemptuous glare, and tightened his hand on the door, ready to slam it in his face, when Gavin¡¯s hand moved to Tucker¡¯s chest. His fingers rested lightly there, and Tucker looked down at them, opening his mouth to tell him to take his fucking hands off him. Instead helooked directly into Gavin¡¯s pleading gaze.


    ¡°Please Tucker. I¡¯m begging you. Just give me a chance.¡±


    Tucker sagged and ran a hand over his face. What he ought to do was pull him inside and once he had him there, try to get him cuffed until he could have him picked up. He was probably in some kind of cult. Or he ran the thing, and was scamming innocent people. Or at the very least, he was deeply disturbed and needed to go to a hospital.


    ¡°Please, Tucker.¡± Gavin said the words again softly, ¡°Let me try to explain.¡±


    Making a sudden decision, Tucker huffed out a long breath before grabbing Gavin around the back of the neck and dragging him into his arms. Gavin was too tall to lean him back over his arm and ravish him like his cock was insisting he do, so Tucker settled for pulling him into the apartment and slamming him back against the wall. Gavin came willingly, a little groan escaping his lips as Tucker thrust his tongue inside his mouth, sweeping over the inside possessively and pulling away only to nip at his bottom lip. ¡°Damn it, this time I¡¯m going to fuck you. If you want to stay, then get your ass in that bedroom, take off your clothes and lie down across the bed. Now!¡±


    Gavin¡¯s eyes went dark and then he grinned at him. ¡°Yes, sir, Lt. Tucker. Anything you say.¡± He raised one eyebrow inquiringly and Tucker pointed to the bedroom door. As Tucker walked behind him, he admired Gavin¡¯s ass in the tight jeans he was wearing, and unable to resist, he smacked his bottom as he walked through the bedroom door. Gavin turned in surprise and Tucker gave him a little shove.


    ¡°Move it, Gavin. It¡¯s time to show you a few things.¡±


    Gavin gave him an unreadable look, but walked into the bedroom and stood by the bed, taking off his clothes. Holding Tucker¡¯s gaze he toed off his shoes, pulled his T-shirt over his head, then shoved his jeans and underwear down to the floor and stepped out of them, keeping his hands over his cock.


    Tucker looked at him with surprise. ¡°Modest, baby?¡±


    Gavin flushed and dropped his eyes, half-turning toward the bed. ¡°Do you want to fuck me or not?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth and lie down¡ªface down.¡± Tucker grabbed his shoulder and flipped him all the way around, pushing him in the small of his back toward the bed. He fell across the bed, his legs hanging off the side. He bounced on the bed before rising on one hand to look in surprise over his shoulder at Tucker, but Tucker pushed him back down. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t tell you to move! Now stay there.¡±


    Tucker undid the button fly on his pants with hands that were trembling with desire. He didn¡¯t want Gavin to see how much he wanted this, how much he needed it. He shoved his pants and underwear down and stepped out of them, went to his bag, still on the floor and pulled out a small tube of lube he¡¯d put in almost as an afterthought. He drizzled the cool, slippery lube down between Gavin¡¯s ass cheeks, stopping for a moment to admire the round, muscular perfection. He massaged the lube into the crease and enjoyed the needy little sounds coming from Gavin¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Like that, do you?¡± Tucker dipped his finger between the crease and found the pink, little hole he was looking for. He eased a well-lubed finger inside. ¡°How about this? Does that feel good?¡±


    Gavin stiffened, but nodded, keeping his face turned down toward the mattress. Tucker smacked his bottom again. ¡°I don¡¯t do rhetorical questions. Does that feel good?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, yes!¡± Gavin yelled, and Tucker smiled at the hoarseness in his voice. He added another finger and pumped in and out, twisting every few strokes and ignoring the squirming Gavin was doing. Putting one hand down on the small of his back to keep him still, he searched with his fingers until he found what he was looking for, rubbing his fingers over the spot roughly. Gavin cried out and put both hands down on the bed to try to get up. Tucker pushed him down hard. Stopping long enough to smooth a condom on his own rigid shaft, he stepped up to the edge of the bed behind Gavin, nudging his legs farther apart. He lay down on top of him, his cock on his crease, teasing him.


    ¡°Ready, baby?¡± Tucker asked, nipping at Gavin¡¯s shoulder a little.


    In answer, Gavin gave a tense groan. ¡°Go ahead if you¡¯re going to do this!¡± His voice sounded ragged and thin.


    Tucker hesitated, but the idea of Gavin spread out beneath him and ready for him was too much.


    ¡°Ask me. Ask me to fuck you, big guy.¡±


    Gavin was quiet for a long moment before he saidsoftly, ¡°Tucker, will you fuck me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, baby. Thought you¡¯d never ask.¡±


    Tucker spread him with his fingers and slid inside him, the velvety tightness gripping his cock and squeezing it until he gasped and pulled out a little. ¡°Let me in. Push out,baby! I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    Everything stopped for a long moment, as Tucker tried to catch his breath and slow things down. Gavin was breathing rapidly, his hips trembling with the effort to stay still and both hands gripping the sheet beneath him like a lifeline. A wave of tenderness washed over Tucker. He stretched out over Gavin¡¯s back, and put his hands over his arms, moving his hands gently up and down, massaging and soothing him until he loosened his grip on the sheets. He dropped little kisses all across his back, and moved his hands to stroke his sides. Gradually, Gavin began to relax.


    Tucker hadn¡¯t moved his cock, poised just inside his entrance, allowing him to get used to the feeling of fullness. ¡°Let me make this good for you, sweetheart. Try to relax. Get up on your knees.¡±


    Keeping his head down, Gavin slowly got up to his knees, Tucker moving with him, the tip of his cock still just inside his entrance. Tucker reached beneath his body and took hold of Gavin¡¯s softened cock, gently stroking it as it filled out in his hand. His hand moved downward and came across a strange knot of flesh at the base of his cock. He stopped stroking for a moment, and Gavin tried again to pull away. It occurred to Tucker suddenly that he must have some kind of deformity, and that was why he always kept his hand down covering his cock. A fresh wave of tenderness and concern swept over him. ¡°Let me touch you, baby. It¡¯s okay. Let me love you. I only want to make you feel good.¡±

 Page 14

    Slowly, Gavin pulled his hand away, and Tucker continued stroking him. When he was hard again, Tucker began moving gently in and out of his tight little hole. Matching his movements to that of his hand, he set up a slow gentle rhythm, and was able to push deeply inside Gavin as his muscles relaxed. Tucker was surprised at the depth of emotion he felt for this man, and pressed his cheek to Gavin¡¯s back. ¡°So fucking good, Gavin,¡± he said softly, and Gavin expressed his agreement with a groan that sounded like it was torn from him and a push of his butt against Tucker¡¯s groin.Advertisement


    Tucker began to move faster, unable to resist thrusting harder against him, and Gavin reached behind him to put his hand on Tucker¡¯s hip. ¡°More,¡± he said softly, and Tucker moaned, thrusting in and out as his hand curled around Gavin¡¯s cock. With a guttural cry, Gavin came, spilling over Tucker¡¯s hand. Tucker intended to milk him dry, but his own orgasm sneaked up on him, almost taking him by surprise, and hesurged hard into Gavin¡¯s ass, squeezing his cock at the same time until both of them were yelling out their pleasure.


    Gavin fell down on the bed and Tucker went with him, still deep inside him, and not really wanting to move. Gavin rolled on his side so Tucker was spooning him, and they both lay still, trying to catch their breath. Finally, after a few minutes, Tucker pulled his softened cock out reluctantly and stood up, hating to leave Gavin¡¯s warmth. He went to the bathroom and cleaned up, then brought a warm cloth back to gently clean Gavin, who lay still with his eyes closed as Tucker cared for him. For the first time, he got a really good look at what Gavin had been trying so hard to hide. It was some kind of deformity at the base of his penis, a kind of round knot of flesh almost the size of a small baseball, the skin the same color as his cock. His cock was beautiful though, straight and thick and¡­uncut. Tucker had never been with anyone uncut before, so already Gavin¡¯s cock was a little exotic and different. Strangely, the cock with its extra ring of flesh wasn¡¯t unattractive to Tucker in the least. As a matter of fact, he found it erotic and sexy as hell, as with everything about this man. When Tucker threw the cloth down and lay next to him again, Gavin rolled to his back and opened his eyes, his gaze searching Tucker¡¯s face.


    Tucker saw that Gavin was watching him with an expression of half-hopefulness, halflonging. ¡°Will you give me a chance, Tucker? I know you¡¯re angry, but I really want to explain¡­things to you.¡±


    Tucker rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. ¡°Okay. Let me get something to eat though before we start this. I¡¯m starving, and I didn¡¯t have breakfast. I saw some frozen pizza in the freezer. C¡¯mon.¡± He stood up and extended a hand to Gavin, who grasped it warmly and stood up, rubbing his cock against Tucker¡¯s. Tucker looked down in amazement to see he was already hard again. ¡°Damn, I thought I took care of you.¡± He put his hand over the knot of flesh on Gavin¡¯s penis and saw him shudder and take a deep breath, as if the flesh there were hyper- sensitive. ¡°What¡¯s this, baby?¡±


    Gavin flushed. ¡°It¡¯s part of what I need to explain to you. Itit¡¯s part of who I am, Tucker.¡±


    Tucker stepped back, narrowing his eyes, but only nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure if he really wanted to hear all this or not. He reached for his pants and pulled them on, aware that Gavin was dressing himself too. Good. He needed all the barriers between them he could get if he was going to figure all this out. Now it seemed like every time they were in a room together, they ended up fucking like rabbits and nothing ever got explained. He intended to change all that right damn now.


    Moving out to the kitchen, he found the pizza and put it in the oven, got out a couple of beers and turned to find Gavin watching him quietly as he sat at the bar. Tucker let his eyes roam over him again. He was so damn big, not to mention gorgeous. His hair looked silky soft and the sun streaming in the patio door picked out reddish highlights streaking through it. Those big, pouty lips were pulled together in a little frown, as he dropped his gaze to the countertop, obviously worried about something. Tucker sat the beer down in front of him and then nervously leaned against the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tucker said, taking a big swig of his beer. ¡°Go ahead and tell me before you burst.¡±


    Gavin looked up in surprise and grinned. ¡°Is it that obvious? I¡¯m sorry, Tucker, but I don¡¯t even know where to begin. I¡¯ve never had to tell this to anybody before. I have a feeling that no matter what I say, you¡¯re going to have me locked up in a padded cell.¡±


    ¡°You can start with that thing on your cock. Not that I don¡¯t find your cock impressive, mind you, but just what is that around the base of it? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s some kind of implant from that cult you¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°Cult?¡± Gavin cocked his head and smiled. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly a cult, Tucker. More like a family or a clan. Um, actually we call it a pack.¡±


    ¡°A pack?¡± He rolled his eyes expressively. ¡°Oh God, like with wolves?¡± His tone was tired and sarcastic-sounding even to his own ears, but rather than act offended, Gavin nodded his approval.


    ¡°Yes, exactly. Tucker, we¡¯re members of the Dark Hollow Pack, and there are probably two hundred and fifty or so of us all over the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee to North Carolina.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tucker said slowly. ¡°So what is it that you do? Do you have meetings or some shit, dressed up like animals? Is this some kind of crazy religion?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡­¡± He took a deep breath and looked directly into Tucker¡¯s eyes, as if he were willing him to understand. ¡°Tucker, the things you¡¯ve always believed about the world, about everything¡­it¡¯s going to change, honey.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Gavin stood up and came around the bar to stand in the middle of the living room floor. He began to take off his clothes again, and Tucker held out a hand, shaking his head. ¡°Wait a minute, Gavin. As much as I enjoy seeing you naked, we¡¯re never going to get anywhere until we stop fucking, and you just tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just tell you, baby,¡± Gavin said, pushing his jeans down to the floor and stepping out of them. ¡°I have to show you.¡±


    Tucker straightened up and took a step toward him. ¡°Wait a minute, what are you¡­¡±


    A strange popping and cracking sound came from Gavin¡¯s body, and before Tucker¡¯s shocked gaze, his body seemed to elongate and shift, bony protuberances morphing his form into an animal shape. Gavin fell down on all fours as thick, brown hair sprang up over his body. His face melted and pushed out, reforming itself into that of a huge wolf¡¯s. Tucker heard a hoarse scream come from his throat as he stumbled back against the sink. In stunned horror, he watched as the beast¡¯s head turned toward him, and he saw big chocolate brown eyes gazing at him. He heard a strange beating in his ears and he knew he was about to pass out. He tried to take a step forward, intending perhaps to run, to get away from this impossibility, but the floor came up to meet him and the darkness swallowed him whole.


    Chapter Five


    Gavin held Tucker ¡¯s head in his lap as he sat beside him on the sofa. After Tucker passed out, Gavin had quickly shifted back and gathered him in his arms, carefully checking to make sure he had only fainted and not had a heart attack or stroke or anything. Tucker was stirring already, and Gavin tightened his grip on him, knowing he would struggle to get away when he woke up. His mate was bristly andwould no doubt be enraged when he woke up, because he¡¯d been so scared. Tucker was smart and tough and full of surprises, like the little surprise he¡¯d given Gavin when he first arrived, but this was a little much.


    If anyone had told him the first thing Tucker would do when he saw him again was bend him over a bed and fuck him raw, he never would have believed it, but that¡¯s exactly what happened. He¡¯d gone along with it at first just to try to appease his anger, expecting it to be something he endured for Tucker¡¯s sake. Instead it had been hot and mind-blowing and absolutely wonderful. He wanted to experience it again, but first he had to make Tucker understand he wasn¡¯t some kind of monster. He¡¯d seen the look on his face just before he passed out, and he knew he¡¯d have a lot of explaining to do just to get him to stay in the same room with him for a while.


    Tucker opened his eyes all at once, not gradually in the least, and looked up at Gavin in total shock. Immediately he strained against his hold, trying to get away. ¡°Let me go! Damn it, let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Tucker, be still,¡± Gavin said firmly . ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go until you calm down and listen to me.¡± He gave him a tight squeeze and a little shake. ¡°Now stop it.¡±


    Tucker lay back in his arms, breathing hard and looking up at him. ¡°What-what are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a shape shifter, Tucker. A werewolf.¡± He shook his head firmly as Tucker¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°Not like in the stupid movies, baby. I¡¯m not a monster. I won¡¯t hurt you¡ª I¡¯m not going to hurt anybody. I promise!¡±


    ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± Tucker¡¯s question came out as a hoarse whisper, and his whole body was trembling. Gavin rubbed his hands over his arms, as Tucker had done with him earlier when they¡¯d been making love, trying to soothe him.


    ¡°Sweetheart, please calm down. I didn¡¯t know any other way other than just to show you, and I knew it would shock you, but it¡¯s still just me, Gavin. All of us, my entire pack are shape shifters. Your father, too, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! My mother¡ªdid he¡ªdid you¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Are you going to ask me if we hurt her in some way?¡± An outraged, indignant expression flitted across his face. ¡°I told you, Tucker, we don¡¯t hurt humans! Especially our mates.¡±


    ¡°H-humans?¡±


    ¡°Tucker, you saw me shift. You know I¡¯m not human. Neither are you, honey, not entirely. Your father is one of us.¡±


    Tucker closed his eyes and groaned. ¡°Oh, sweet baby Jesus.¡±

 Page 15

    Gavin smiled a little and dropped a kiss on his lips, causing his eyes to spring back open. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Now I can¡¯t kiss you? Better get used to it, because I don¡¯t plan to stop anytime soon.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°Shit. Let me up, Gavin. Just let me sit next to you on the sofa. I won¡¯t try to run.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get very far if you did. If you somehow managed to get past me, two of my men are in the hall.¡±


    At Tucker¡¯s panicked expression, he shook his head again. ¡°Just as a precaution in case you tried to run, honey. They know better than to ever harm a hair on your head. Not that they would hurt you in any case.¡±


    Gavin sat Tucker beside him, keeping a hand on his thigh, not so much to guard him, but because he couldn¡¯t stop touching him. He had to mate with Tucker soon¡ªreally mate with him¡ªor this thing was going to kill him for sure. ¡°Are you ready for me to go on, honey?¡±


    ¡°Hell, there¡¯s more?¡±


    Gavin smiled a little. ¡°Well, yes. Your mother was human, of course, and your father, my beta, is like me. You know, a member of our pack. He really wants to meet you, baby. I told him I¡¯d get you to come home with me to visit him.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    ¡°Tucker, from the first moment I saw you, I knew that you were my mate. My bloodmatch. Wolves only get one bloodmatch, and it¡¯s for life, baby. You¡¯re it for me, forever, and I want to take you for my mate.¡±


    Tucker looked up at him in confusion, shaking his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say. Your mate? This is all too fucking weird.¡±


    Tucker leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. Gavin sat beside him quietly, trying to let him absorb some of it, not wanting to push him too far. ¡°Uh,baby,¡± Gavin said after a moment. ¡°There¡¯s smoke coming out of the oven.¡±


    Tucker¡¯s head jerked up. ¡°What? Oh shit, the pizza!¡± He jumped to his feet and ran over to the oven, jerking it open and grabbing a towel to pull out the pan and dump it in the sink. He turned back to the stove to turn off the oven, then slumped against the counter, glaring at Gavin. ¡°Damn it! Am I going to turn into some kind of creature? Is that what you¡¯re telling me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gavin said firmly, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re a non-shifting member of the pack.¡± He shifted his gaze downward and cleared his throat. ¡°We-uh¡­we call the non-shifters our pets, along with the human mates. You see, at puberty, each pack member either turns into a wolf, shifting at the full moon sometime around his twelfth birthday, or he or she stays¡­more human.¡±


    ¡°So how am I different from all other¡­humans?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll live a lot longer for one thing. Maybe two hundred years. And you won¡¯t age much at all after your thirtieth birthday or so. I mean, you will eventually, but it will take a long, long time.¡±


    ¡°So is the fact that you¡¯re a -a wolfman¡­is that why you have that thing on your dick?¡±


    Gavin smiled. ¡°The bulbus glandis. Yes, it¡¯s a gland that¡¯s used when we mate, mostly for the first time. It secretes a hormone, I guess you¡¯d call it, that helps create the bond between mates. I¡¯ll use it on you when we mate for the first time.¡±


    Tucker narrowed his eyes, noticing that Gavin had said when and not if, but choosing not to make an issue of it for now. He huffed out a long breath. ¡°So explain this pet thing to me again.¡±


    Gavin took a deep breath, as if he knew this would be a sticking point for Tucker. ¡°It¡¯s just a name, honey, to differentiate non-shifters from the wolves. Pets are usually not as aggressive as the wolves. I guess you would say most of them are submissive to the wolves.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not anything we make them do¡ªit¡¯s just their nature, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. Some of the pets have very strong personalities. Take the North Carolina alpha¡¯s pet, for example. He¡¯s become damn near legendary in a really short time for some of his battles with his mate. He was a human, like your mother, before he became a member of the pack. Of course, ultimately, the wolves are their masters, but¡­¡±


    Tucker made a little choking sound and pushed away from the counter, his eyes dark with fury. ¡°And you think I¡¯m one of these-these pets! Not on your life! Forget it! Look, if you tell these people they¡¯re submissive from the time they¡¯re little kids, then of course, they believe it! Nurture over nature, you know?¡±


    Gavin stood up, looking nervous and came toward him. ¡°What are you talking about? Just give yourself a little time to get used to the idea, baby. I¡¯m sorry, but you are a pet.¡± He held up a hand as Tucker started sputtering again. ¡°At least in name, if nothing else. Non-shifter, remember? If you¡¯d been a wolf, you¡¯d have shifted way before now. Besides, you¡¯re my mate. Mates are always pets.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! Like I said, nature versus nurture. Surely you¡¯ve heard of that debate. It¡¯s one of the oldest in psychology. You know, whether your genes or the way you¡¯re brought up adds the most to your development. Some people think everything is determined by your experience. Including me! You¡¯re not making me into one of those little drones! I mean it!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you mean, ¡®okay¡¯? Don¡¯t try to humor me! I¡¯m not going anywhere with you and that¡¯s that!¡±


    Moving so fast Tucker couldn¡¯t even see him, Gavin was suddenly in front of him, grasping his forearms. ¡°Calm down. You¡¯ve had a lot of shocks this morning, and this is the least of them. I think you¡¯re just seizing on this issue because the other idea¡ªthat I¡¯m not a human being¡ªis something you can¡¯t wrap your mind around right now. I never said the bloodmatch was perfect. Hell, two wolves got the match over in one of the other packs. Anything is possible, but we can work it out as we go. I¡¯ve already shown you I¡¯m willing to be flexible, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯ll do anything for you, honey, except one thing.¡±


    Tucker raised his eyes to Gavin and waited, his stomach doing flip-flops.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go, Tucker. You belong to me, and you are coming with me. Make no mistake about that.¡±


    Tucker tried to wrench away from Gavin¡¯s grip, but his hands were wrapped around Tucker¡¯s arms like iron bands. It occurred to him just how much Gavin had given in to his needs earlier when he allowed Tucker to fuck him. His strength must be four times greater than that of a human¡¯s.


    ¡°I don¡¯t belongto anybody!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯re mine, whether you want to admit it or not. Damn it, I¡¯m yours too, don¡¯t you see? I can¡¯t make it without you.¡±


    Glaring up at him, Tucker hated the little thrill in his stomach when Gavin said things like that to him. Damn him!


    ¡°You can fuss and squirm and make all the noise you want to, but you¡¯re still coming back to Tennessee with me. At least for a visit. Pleasedon¡¯t fight me, baby. I need a chance for you to see that I can make you happy if you¡¯ll let me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably what that wolf you told me about says to his mate. But he keeps fighting him, you said.¡±


    ¡°Nicky and Marco are very much in love, from what everyone says.¡±


    ¡°Then how come the mate battles him so much? Maybe he¡¯s intimidated by the wolf.¡±


    Gavin shook his head sadly. ¡°What is it you¡¯re so afraid of, sweetheart? Are you intimidated by me? Do you think I¡¯ll force you to do something you don¡¯t want to do? Or are you afraid you¡¯ll like following my orders too much?¡±


    Tucker glared at him. ¡°Fuck you. I hate you. And stop calling me baby.¡±


    Gavin pushed his groin gently into Tucker¡¯s, and when Tucker almost unwillingly pushed back into him, he put his lips next to Tucker¡¯s ear. ¡°You are my baby, my sweetheart, my lover. AndI¡¯m yours. You own me. You don¡¯t hate me. Not at all.¡± He leaned toward him, but Tucker leaned back, turning his head and biting his bottom lip. Gavin didn¡¯t force him, but stayed where he was, breathing gently against Tucker¡¯s skin, until with a sigh, Tucker turned to face him, letting his lips barely touch Gavin¡¯s. Gavin pressed his lips softly into Tucker¡¯s and licked his lower lip with the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°All right,¡± Tucker said in a whisper, his shoulders slumping. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. But only for a visit.¡±


    Tucker was sitting at the kitchen counter, finishing his lunch. ¡°Okay, so what exactly happens now?¡± The pizza was a lost cause, but he¡¯d still been starving, so Gavin fixed a stack of sandwiches for them, making Tucker sit down at the counter while he bustled around the unfamiliar kitchen. So much had happened, so many shocks had occurred in such a short time, Tucker still was afraid to think about it too much. He¡¯d pinched himself till he was almost black and blue and this thing wasn¡¯t going away and he wasn¡¯t waking up. The only other explanation, as utterly crazy as it seemed, was that it was absolutely true.


    ¡°So this -uh-Tommy thing on the beach that night. That was all real? I had convinced myself it was a hallucination or some kind of hypnosis.¡±


    Gavin nodded grimly. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not, honey. He was very real, and he came way too close to hurting you, though it wasn¡¯t his fault. If he¡¯d been in his right mind, he never would have hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°But how did this happen to him? Why did Tommy suddenly go crazy? More importantly, if I accept that these things¡ªthese werewolves¡ªreally do exist outside of horror movies, and I guess I have to believe my own eyes when it comes down to it, then how come no one knows of your existence?¡±


    ¡°To answer the last part of your question first, we do a good job of hiding, I guess. There are humans who know about us. A few. Until recently, there was a group of humans who called themselves the Hunters, led by a fanatic named Elias Winters. They were dedicated to hunting us all down and killing us. We¡¯ve dealt with them now, but there will probably be more enemies in the future. It¡¯s a fact of life we have to deal with, but we only want to be left alone to live in peace. We feel no antipathy toward humans at all. As to what happened to Tommy, that¡¯s something we¡¯re still trying to figure out. His fianc¨¦eis still missing, and there¡¯s been no trace of her. Who or what is doing all this is a mystery and one we have to solve quickly. That¡¯s another reason I need to get you home to Tennessee. Away from the pack, you¡¯re totally vulnerable to whatever this is. At least if I have you at home, I can try to protect you.¡±

 Page 16

    ¡°But how can I just go off with you, Gavin? What about my job and my apartment and my car? What do I do about all of those?¡±Advertisement


    ¡°This will be the hardest thing for you to comprehend, darling, but you must simply disappear. Leave everything behind. There can be no explanations, none that your friends and work colleagues would ever accept. Your grandparents have passed away, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a few years ago, but I have some close friends who wouldn¡¯t let this go so easy, including my partner.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Gavin made a sharp disgruntled sound that made Tucker smile and shake his head.


    ¡°Bryson and I have been partners for over two years. He¡¯s a good friend too, but whatever you¡¯re thinking¡ªjust no. He¡¯s straight, married and has a kid on the way. We were never involved.¡±


    Gavin shrugged, blushing a little. ¡°Sorry, but where you¡¯re concerned I¡¯m a little jealous.¡±


    Tucker cupped the side of his face in his hand. ¡°No need to be. I¡¯m not ready to just disappear like you¡¯re talking about. I have a job and a life. I¡¯m only going for a visit, remember?¡±


    ¡°An extended visit.¡± He held up a hand at the mutinous expression on Tucker¡¯s face. ¡°At least until we get this situation under control, and we can figure out who or what is doing this. Until then you could be in danger. Besides, Tucker, I still have hopes you¡¯ll want to stay with me.¡±


    Deciding to ignore the last part of what Gavin said, Tucker took a long sip of his cola. ¡°Danger? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Gavin, and that¡¯s been true about half the time we¡¯ve known each other.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be deliberately dense, Tucker. I¡¯ve already told you about the natural pets being targets for this, as near as we can figure. Just because you don¡¯t want to admit who you are doesn¡¯t make it any less true. Think about it. Why did he come to Florida? And all the men who were attacked were young, white males, about your size and build. One was killed at the police station, where you work, one in the park where you sometimes jog and the last one in a club you frequent.¡±


    Tucker almost choked on the sandwich he was eating. ¡°What? You think he was after me?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe. I don¡¯t know, but it seems like too much to be a coincidence. Until we find out who is hurting our pets, you¡¯re all in danger. Maybe even especially you, since we¡¯re not sure if he was targeting you in particular. We¡¯re not sure if this was random or not.¡±


    Tucker stood up and sighed before putting a determined expression on his face. ¡°Okay, I guess I can¡¯t very well run from this anymore. What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Go get dressed. Wear something comfortable, jeans, a jacket, running shoes. Take whatever personal effects can fit in your pockets. Leave behind anything that can help them trace you. We need to travel fast and light.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s never going to work,¡± Tucker said, shaking his head. ¡°If I simply disappear, Bryson will never stop looking for me. I¡¯m his partner and we¡¯re pretty tight. I told him about you wanting to take me to Tennessee, and that¡¯s the first place he¡¯ll look.¡±


    Gavin shrugged. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ll have to call him and tell him you¡¯re leaving with me. You¡¯ll have to be convincing and make sure he believes this is your own decision, and you¡¯re not being coerced in any way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tall order. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll believe me.¡±


    ¡°Call him after we¡¯ve left town and then you have to make him believe you, sweetheart. Do whatever you have to do.¡±


    Tucker nodded distractedly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try, but he¡¯s going to be furious. He wants to talk to you about the whole keeping me a prisoner in your room thing.¡±


    ¡°Tell him it was a lover¡¯s quarrel, and if that¡¯s not good enough for him, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoa, settle down. He¡¯s a little protective of me too, you know.¡±


    ¡°He has no right to be. You¡¯re mine, Tucker.¡± Tucker rolled his eyes and shook his head at Gavin¡¯s aggressive tone. To distract him he held his lips up for a kiss. Right away, Gavin leaned down and took control of his mouth, sweeping his tongue inside and thoroughly tasting him. He moved his body so that he was grinding against Tucker¡¯s groin, making little groaning noises that Tucker thought he could become addicted to pretty easily.


    Tucker pulled away breathlessly to go to the bedroom and get dressed. Gavin looked after him, his eyes filled with barely concealed lust. ¡°Want me to go with you and help you decide what to bring?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any help. Besides, what makes you think I want you pawing through my stuff anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen your, uh, stuff, baby. And pawed through most of it. You didn¡¯t seem to mind at the time.¡±


    A smile twitched around Tucker¡¯s lips, but he continued into the bedroom, choosing not to dignify the remark with a reply. He came back in a few minutes, outfitted in jeans, T-shirt and hoodie. He pulled a baseball cap down low over his eyes and put on his sunglasses. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Gavin smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m not putting you in witness protection, you know. We¡¯re just driving to Tennessee.¡±


    Tucker felt his cheeks get warm. ¡°I wanted to be ready for anything. And then if somebody was watching me¡­well, this might throw them off the track.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s eyes swept over him familiarly. ¡°Maybe. Though personally, I¡¯d know that ass anywhere.¡±


    Tucker fidgeted in the back seat of the big SUV, trying to get comfortable. Immediately, Gavin reached for him and pulled him over into his arms so that he could stretch his legs out on the seat beside them. That would have been fine if it hadn¡¯t put him practically lying in Gavin¡¯s lap, and while the position was comfortable, it was also more than a little embarrassing. He glanced up at the two large men in the front seat¡ªgammas, Gavin had called them¡ªand he felt his cheeks flame. Gavin noticed, as he seemed to notice every move Tucker made, and he ducked his head to whisper in Tucker¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Relax, baby . Theyknow we¡¯re mates. Todd¡­¡± he nodded toward the driver, ¡°¡­is newly mated himself, and can¡¯t wait to get home. Christian is still looking for his mate, so if anything, he¡¯s envious.¡±


    Tucker wasn¡¯t convinced, and Gavin chuckled in his ear . ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the fact that we¡¯re both men, don¡¯t be. Wolves don¡¯t have the same prejudices humans do¡ªit would be prettydumb if we did when we have little say in the person we¡¯ll be mated to. The bloodmatch chooses for us.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not that you find me attractiv e then. Your blood compels you to want to be with me.¡± ¡°No, baby. I find you incredibly attractive. You may have noticed I can¡¯t keep my hands off you. But yeah, the blood signals to us when we meet our mate. Then once I touched you, and caught your scent, I was totally enthralled. I¡¯ll love you for the rest of our lives, and nothing will ever change that. The bloodmatch is forever, baby, even death can¡¯t end it. Your father, for example, still grieves terribly for your mother and always will.¡±


    ¡°It seems cruel to tie him to someone who¡¯s been dead and gone for over twenty years.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s not tied exactly. It¡¯s in the realm of possibility for him to have a love match, and some¡ªa few¡ªwolves have managed to love again. It¡¯s rare, though, because our devotion to our mates is so intense. It¡¯s one reason why we¡¯re a little overprotective and jealous of our mates, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve witnessed some of that¡ªthe other night at the Nightstick with Chase.¡± Tucker arched a look up at Gavin, and he actually blushed.


    ¡°I-uhI¡¯m sorry about that, baby. I guess I get a little carried away when it comes to you.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    Gavin turned his face toward the window and was quiet for a long moment. ¡°Of course, you shouldn¡¯t have let him put his hands on you that way. From now on, no wolf, except your father, of course, will ever lay hands on you again, unless your safety is in doubt. No human males, either, unless they¡¯re already mated.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Tucker leaned further away from Gavin, glaring at him. ¡°And just who makes these rules, Gavin? Oh and by the way, I haven¡¯t agreed to this mating thing yet, just to keep the record straight. I¡¯m only going to Tennessee with you to meet my father.¡±


    Gavin shot him a dark look and turned his face toward the window again, without saying another word. His lips thinned to a grim line, though, and Tucker could almost see the thoughts tumbling around in his head. Tucker thought about trying to tease him out of his bad mood, but decided to let him stew over it for a while. He hadn¡¯t decided yet about staying with Gavin, though the idea of leaving him made his stomach clench like a closed fist. Tucker closed his eyes and tried to relax, letting his head fall back against Gavin¡¯s arm.


    The SUV¡¯s slowing had Tucker¡¯s eyes opening and he straightened in the seat as they took an exit ramp. He glanced over at Gavin who nodded toward a gas station. ¡°We need to stop for gas and something to eat. This might be a good time to call your partner too.¡±


    Tucker nodded, not looking forward to the conversation with Bryson. He¡¯d already had his ass chewed out pretty thoroughly by the chief when he called from the condo before they left, not that he¡¯d expected any other response, really. He was, after all, one of the leads in the murder investigation, and once the chief was satisfied Tucker hadn¡¯t been coerced, he¡¯d been, quite rightly, furious.


    ¡°Two weeks! You want to take two fucking weeks off to go to Tennessee to meet your longlost father? In the middle of the most important case of your career? Why not just make it a month? Hell, take the whole summer, Tucker. As a matter of fact, take the rest of your life!¡± The slamming of the phone in his ear had ended the excruciating conversation, and Tucker groaned as he took the phone from his ear.

 Page 17

    ¡°Didn¡¯t go well?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, it went great. Totally fine. If you like train wrecks! I think it¡¯s safe to say I¡¯m pretty much fired.¡±Advertisement


    Gavin stared down at his feet, but Tucker knew he didn¡¯t consider that to be much of a hardship. If he had his way, Tucker would never go back to Florida to reclaim his former life. Hell, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to, really. Of course, the murder investigation had already been solved if he could believe the evidence of his own eyes, always considering the fact that he hadn¡¯t had a complete psychotic break, but the chief didn¡¯t know that, and he couldn¡¯t very well give him the information.


    The SUV pulled into the lot of a gas station that had a fast food restaurant attached. Gavin turned to Tucker. ¡°Todd and I are going inside to get us something to eat while Christian fills the tank. What do you want, honey?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Tucker said, realizing he was being sulky but was completely unable to stop himself. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry right now. I¡¯m just going to make my call.¡±


    Gavin hesitated, his lips tightening a little. ¡°Okay, but stay close by where Christian can see you.¡± He turned and went into the store, along with one of the gammas. Gavin had said Todd was going with him. To Tucker both gammas were almost interchangeable, big and tanned, with regular, handsome features, usually unsmiling and stern when they happened to look at him.


    Tucker glared atGavin¡¯s back for a moment before getting out of the back seat and walking to the side of the building to find some bit of privacy for his call. He didn¡¯t particularly give a shit if Christian could still see him or not. He was sick and tired of Gavin treating him like some not-very-bright child. Leaning against the building, hefound Bryson¡¯s name in his contacts and listened to the ring for a few seconds before Bryson picked up.


    Bryson¡¯s first words to him let him know exactly where Bryson stood on Tucker¡¯s decision to go with Gavin. ¡°You stupid asshole.¡±


    ¡°Well, nice to hear your voice too, Bryson.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Tuck?¡±


    Bryson¡¯s voice was low and urgent. Tucker figured he was still at work. He sighed heavily into the phone. ¡°Look, man, I know this is hard for you to understand¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not hard to understand, Tucker. It¡¯s fucking impossible! It may not be too late if you come back now and throw yourself on the chief¡¯s mercy¡ªclaim temporary insanity or something. Tucker, don¡¯t throw away your career like this!¡±


    Tucker shuffled his feet uncomfortably and glanced back toward the SUV, where Christian was pumping gas and leaning against the back of the vehicle, staring at him. Tucker gave him the dirtiest look he could muster and turned his back on him again. ¡°Bryson, just listen to me for a minute. One minute! This is something I have to do, and I am coming back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too late, Tucker. The chief is furious¡ªI¡¯ve never seen him so pissed off. He¡¯s going to assign me a new partner, and he told me to clean out your desk.¡±


    Tucker¡¯s stomach clenched. He knew the chief was angry, but this was moving fast even for him. ¡°Do what you have to do, man. Just put everything in a box and leave it in my apartment, will you? I left a key for you in your parents¡¯ condo. I¡¯ll be in touch soon, I promise.¡±


    A tense silence fell and Tucker could picture him at his desk, rubbing his hands over his face like he always did when he was upset. ¡°What about the case, Tuck? Don¡¯t you care about what¡¯s been happening in the least?¡±


    A loud voice behind him calling his name made him turn to see Gavin gesturing at him, signaling him to wrap it up. Deliberately, he turned his back again and spoke urgently in the phone. ¡°I have to go. But Bryson, please listen to me. I can¡¯t really explain, but there won¡¯t be any more murders. It¡¯s over. The killer is dead.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean the killer¡¯s dead? Do you know who the killer is? Are you in some kind of danger? Tucker, talk to me!¡±


    ¡°No, no, nothing like that.¡± A big hand fell on Tucker¡¯s shoulder, and he turned to see Gavin standing beside him. ¡°Look, I gotta go. I¡¯ll explain everything when I see you, okay?¡±


    The phone was plucked out of his hand while he was still talking and he watched in surprise as Gavin calmly ended the call and tucked the phone in his own pocket.


    ¡°What the fuck? Give me my damn phone, Gavin!¡±


    ¡°You said all you needed to say, and you were about to say too much.¡± He pushed Tucker¡¯s hand down as he reached for the pocket with the phone. ¡°Tucker, leave it alone. I¡¯ll give it back to you later. For now, I think it best that I keep it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you do, huh? Well fuck that. Give me my phone or I¡¯ll knock you on your ass and take it.¡±


    Gavin stared down at him calmly. ¡°We both know that¡¯s not going to happen, baby. Get in the car. We need to get back on the road.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that and fuck you! I¡¯ve changed my mind, and I¡¯m not going anywhere with you. I¡¯m not getting back in that car, so you can just¡­¡±


    Tucker¡¯s mouth fell open as Gavin swept him up in his arms and began walking with him back toward the SUV, which quickly backed up toward them. He held Tucker¡¯s arms clamped down by his sides so tightly there was no getting away. His face flaming, he saw a few people looking at them curiously, and he opened his mouth to yell when Gavin shut him up by placing his warm lips over his mouth and pressing down firmly, startling him and muffling any sound that tried to come out. The door to the SUV opened beside them and Gavin tossed him inside, the dark glass on the vehicle hiding Tucker¡¯s efforts to escape by crawling out the other side. Gavin hauled him back and held him tight to his side as the SUV made its sedate and unhurried exit from the parking lot.


    The two men in the front seat never so much as turned their heads as a brief but vicious struggle in the back seat ensued, with Tucker doing his best to bring his knee up to plant it in Gavin¡¯s groin. He was able to deliver a couple of savage kicks, but Gavin overpowered him so quickly, it was over almost before it got started and Tucker wound up lying acrossGavin¡¯s lap, his hands held behind him in a tight grip, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Gavin, by contrast, wasn¡¯t even winded. He bent over to put his mouth to Tucker¡¯s ear. ¡°Calm down, Tucker, please. We still have a long way to go, and I¡¯m not fighting you all the way home. Why are you acting like this?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Tucker yelled. ¡°You promised me you wouldn¡¯t force me to do anything I didn¡¯t want to do. Was that just one more of your bullshit lies?¡±


    Tucker couldn¡¯t see Gavin¡¯s face from his position face down on his lap, but there was a sudden silence and then slowly Gavin released Tucker¡¯s hands. Tucker scrambled off his lap and sat silent for several miles, backed up against the door, still trying to catch his breath. He jumped a little when Gavin spoke up quietly beside him, ¡°Christian, pull off at the next exit.¡±


    Christian nodded, his eyes dark and cold in the rear view mirror as he gazed at Tucker, but he dutifully took the next exit off the interstate and pulled off on the side of the road, stopping the car. Tight-lipped, Gavin got out of the car and motioned for Tucker to follow him, then walked to the back of the vehicle and leaned against it, crossing his legs and staring down at the roadway for a few seconds. ¡°You¡¯re right, Tucker. I overreacted, and I shouldn¡¯t have taken your phone.¡± He pulled it from his pocket and handed it over. Tucker snatched it ungraciously from his hand and waited to see what he would say next. He was beginning to feel sick at his stomach, afraid he¡¯d made a terrible mistake in coming with Gavin so rashly.


    Gavin looked up at him, his eyes clouded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll take you anywhere you want to go, baby. If that¡¯s back home, then that¡¯s where I¡¯ll take you. But Ihope you¡¯ll decide to come to Tennessee with me. I love you, Tucker, and I only want to keep you safe. I know I¡¯ve gone about this all wrong right from the start, but it¡¯s my job to look out for you. Every time I try to take care of you, you push me away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m a grown man, Gavin, and I can take care of myself. I can make my own damn decisions. Don¡¯t try to make this about me.¡±


    Gavin regarded him for a moment before he nodded his head. ¡°All right, Tucker. Then make a decision. Do I take you back or do you continue on with me to Tennessee?¡±


    Tucker stuck both hands in his pockets, and stared off down the road. He wanted to stay with Gavin, no use denying it, but he wouldn¡¯t stand for being treated like this. He needed to make that clear once and for all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to see my father, but I won¡¯t make any promises other than that. You say you love me, but I think it¡¯s impossible for you to know something like that so soon. You just met me! Ifeel like you¡¯re pressuring me and rushing me into something I¡¯m not ready for, and it has to stop.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°All right, just like that?¡± He glanced over at Gavin, suspicious that he¡¯d given in so easily.


    He shrugged. ¡°If you feel like I¡¯m pressuring you, then I¡¯ll back off. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to be with you.¡± His eyes met Tucker¡¯s solemnly and gave him a tiny smile.


    When he looked at Tucker like that, Tucker could feel his heart do a little flip in his chest. He shook his head. He was in this far¡ªmight as well see this through. ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go. But stop treating me like I¡¯m a child.¡± He pointed his finger in Gavin¡¯s face. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for it any longer.¡± He turned to walk back to the car when he felt Gavin¡¯s hand on his arm and lifted his face to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, though, about one thing. I do love you. So much. And I knew it from the first moment I saw you. You mean everything to me.¡± He dropped his hand and stepped past Tucker to hold the door for him. Tucker walked slowly back to the car, his fingers falling to tanglebriefly with Gavin¡¯s before he lowered himself into the seat.

 Page 18

    Chapter SixAdvertisement


    Tucker stretched and tried to get comfortable. They¡¯d been driving for hours and his legs and back were beginning to get stiff. The wolves certainly seemed tireless, only stopping for gas and food or to switch drivers. By the time they began climbing into the mountains, it was well after midnight.


    Tucker glanced over at Gavin, and found him wide awake, staring straight ahead and seemingly lost in thought. He must have noticed Tucker¡¯s regard, as he so often did, and turned toward him with a smile. ¡°Nice nap?¡±


    Tucker shrugged, feeling irritable rather than rested from his fitful sleep. ¡°How much longer till we get there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Another twenty minutes, maybe.¡±


    Tucker straightened up, trying to peer through the windshield to see the road ahead, and succeeding only in falling against Gavin as the SUV took the curves in the road much too fast, in Tucker¡¯s opinion. Gavin immediately scooted over and pulled him into his arms, tucking him against his side. Tucker relaxed into him. He was becoming more and more comfortable with Gavin¡¯s touch. He even found that he liked the possessive way he held him, though he didn¡¯t want to admit it or examine those feelings too closely.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty late,¡± Gavin said softly. ¡°Or I should say early. It¡¯s almost one in the morning. I texted your father earlier and told him not to wait up. I think maybe we¡¯ll go to bed as soon as we arrive, and then I can introduce you to everyone in the morning. Sound okay?¡±


    Tucker nodded, feeling rumpled, grungy and worn out both from the long ride and the overload of stress and emotions of the past few days. He¡¯d like to get some sleep and a shower, and not necessarily in that order before meeting this long-lost father Gavin kept telling him about. He was feeling a little uneasy about meeting this whole packof Gavin¡¯s too, not really knowing what to expect. From what he could understand, the whole group lived together in some huge lodge, almost like a hotel. The idea made him uneasy, thoughts of religious cults and compounds running through his head, with their crazy, despotic leaders like David Koresh and Jim Jones, though there had as yet been no hint of religion in anything Gavin had said.


    Another few miles had them turning off the main highway and onto some kind of graveled road that seemed to lead off into the forest. The trees closed around the SUV protectively as it hurtled along in the dark, traveling for what must have been a couple of miles back into the mountain. Finally, Tucker could make out some lights ahead and they pulled up to a huge log structure, three stories high, from what he could see. Christian, the current driver, pulled right up to the front door by means of a semi-circular driveway before stopping. Gavin got out right away and went to the back to pull out his and Tucker¡¯s suitcases. He motioned for Tucker to follow him and went through the big double doors into the lodge.


    The overall impression of arriving at a hotel remained as they entered what looked like a big lobby, with sofas and chairs scattered around the right side of the room. The only thing missing was the counter where a desk clerk would normally sit. On the left side of the room were tables and chairs, set up like a dining area. Right in the middle was a big staircase leading to the upper floors. At this time of night, the entire area was deserted, though soft lights were burning in several of the lamps.


    ¡°Follow me, Tucker,¡± Gavin said, leading the way up the staircase to the second floor landing. He turned to the right and led him down the hall to the second door down and opened it, reaching in to flip on a light switch and standing aside to let Tucker precede him. Tucker stepped into a large living room and kitchen area. He could see a room leading off that which presumably led to a bedroom. Again, the impression was that of a luxurious hotel suite, with a lot of dark leather and gleaming appliances in the tiny kitchen.


    Gavin walked past him to the bedroom and Tucker trailed along behind. Gavin set down the suitcases and turned to him. ¡°Shower first or bed?¡±


    Tucker smiled. ¡°Bed. I¡¯m dead on my feet.¡± He walked over to the huge king-sized bed and sat down.


    Gavin shifted his feet uncomfortably. ¡°Would you rather I sleep on the sofa?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, idiot. Let¡¯s just get some sleep and talk in the morning. I¡¯m wasted.¡± Tucker stripped down to his underwear as he spoke, and pulled back the covers, smiling over at Gavin, who looked immensely relieved. In minutes, they were in bed with Tucker spooning Gavin, who had left a light on in the bathroom, in case Tucker woke up and became disoriented in the strange room. Despite the soft light, Tucker found himself tumbling down into a deep sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.


    He awoke hours later to the sound of a shower running and the smell of coffee, which was almost equally enticing. He sat up in bed just as the bathroom door opened and Gavin emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist and drops of water still glistening on his chest. Tucker leaned back against the headboard to enjoy the view, not wanting to examine the fluttery feelings in his chest too closely as Gavin smiled at him.


    ¡°Morning, sweetheart. I made coffee, but I thought we could go downstairs and join your father for breakfast, if that¡¯s okay. He¡¯s dying to meet you.¡±


    Feeling sudden little fingers of apprehension up and down his spine, Tucker nevertheless nodded. ¡°Sounds good. Let me grab a quick shower.¡± Bounding out of bed, he crossed to the bathroom, passing by Gavin and giving him a little squeeze on the ass. He looked back over his shoulder as he shucked out of his underwear and laughed to see Gavin staring after him, openmouthed. He stood under the strong shower spray for at least ten minutes, making sure all the grogginess and stiffness from the long journey the night before was gone before toweling off and using Gavin¡¯s electric razor. Gavin had set outTucker¡¯s toothbrush too, so after brushing his teethand splashing on some of Gavin¡¯s aftershave, he walked back to the bedroom to pull some clothes from his suitcase. He hadn¡¯t brought much with him, having packed mostly shorts when he left for Bryson¡¯s parents¡¯ condo, but finally settled on the only clean pair of tight, dark- washed jeans he had left in his suitcase, a pale blue American Eagle T-shirt that matched his eyes, and his white running shoes.


    Gavin¡¯s eyes roamed over him approvingly as he stepped into the living room. He was also dressed in jeans, topped with a casual button-up white shirt. Tucker thought he looked downright edible and went to his side right away for a kiss. Gavin, who leaned against the kitchen counter sipping his coffee, groaned and put an arm around Tucker¡¯s waist, deepening the kiss. Starting out every morning like this could be a definite perk of staying here.


    ¡°Damn, baby, maybe I should take you back to bed. Your father¡¯s waited this long. A few more minutes won¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Tucker smiled, but stepped around him, reaching for the empty mug on the counter behind him and pouring himself a cup of coffee. ¡°Maybe later. I think I¡¯m a little nervous right now.¡±


    ¡°About meeting your dad? Aw, honey, you shouldn¡¯t be¡ªhe¡¯s so excited about this.¡±


    ¡°I know. I am too, but you know, he may not like me, or wish I¡¯d turned out differently or something.¡±


    Gavin stepped closer and kissed his cheek. ¡°Impossible,¡± he said softly, making Tucker blush a little, even as he felt a soft, squishy feeling in his chest. Damn, Gavin was becoming important to him, and he still wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good idea or not. He was leaning heavily toward not a good idea, actually.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a little prejudiced, being so crazy about me and all,¡± Tucker said lightly, noticing the slight blush that stained Gavin¡¯s cheeks as he nodded.


    ¡°No doubt,¡± he said softly, leaning in again for another hungry kiss. Gavin sagged against his chest and put his coffee mug back down on the counter to lean in.


    A loud knock made them jump apart as the door opened and a youngish, dark-haired man walked inside, his gaze instantly roving over Tucker. He was big, like all the wolves, and looked to be in his early thirties. His eyes were a soft brown, and they widened as he stepped closer, reaching for Tucker¡¯s hand, his lips parting in a sweet smile. ¡°Hello, Tucker. I¡¯m your father.¡±


    ¡°M-my father? But¡­¡± Tucker looked up at Gavin for confirmation and found him smiling down at him.


    Tucker¡¯s heart slammed loudly in his chest. He¡¯d known this time was coming, but now it was here, and he still wasn¡¯t ready. This handsome, young guy was somehow his father! A sense of dream-like unreality washed over him, and he blinked his eyes rapidly and swayed a little. Gavin caught his arm to steady him.


    ¡°Steady, sweetheart.Wolves don¡¯t age like humans do, honey, remember? This is Richard. He¡¯s my beta, like I told you. My second in command, and my best friend.¡±


    Richard smiled at them both shyly, still holding Tucker¡¯s hand, and when he spoke his voice was trembling slightly with emotion. ¡°I never stopped looking for you, James. Never. I wanted you to know that. I don¡¯t blame your grandparents either. Well, not really. Your mother had told them about me only a few weeks before-before the accident. I think they were still frightened. I¡¯m sure they thought they were doing the right thing for you, and from what I¡¯ve been able to find out, they took very good care of you.¡±


    Tucker looked down at his father¡¯s hand on his. Richard¡¯s gaze followed his, and he quickly dropped it, glancing over at Gavin, as if for help in the face of Tucker¡¯s continuing stunned silence.


    Gavin put his arm around Tucker¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all sit down for a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Richard said, relieved. ¡°I was going to wait until you brought him down for breakfast, but I didn¡¯t want our first meeting after so long to be quite so public, you know?¡± He glanced back over at Tucker quickly and then dropped his gaze. Tucker could see how nervous he was, and finally found his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you did,¡± he said warmly, shaking his head to clear it.After everything he¡¯d seen so far, this shouldn¡¯t shock him so much. He had to get a grip.¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªthere have just been so many shocks in the past few days. You look so young! I wasn¡¯t expecting it, though Gavin told me, of course.¡±

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    ¡°Oh,¡± Richard blushed as he took a seat on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m not as young as I look, James. Wolf metabolism,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°But you. I don¡¯t mean to embarrass you, but you¡¯re so nice-looking. You remind me of your beautiful mother.¡± His brown eyes filled with tears for a second or two before he blinked them rapidly away.Advertisement


    Tucker sat down beside him, and on impulse, put a hand on his leg. ¡°I don¡¯t go by James. Ever since I was a kid, my friends have called me Tucker. And I don¡¯t remember my mother, of course, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of pictures my grandparents had of her. She was beautiful.¡±


    Richard turned to him with a brilliant smile, and a little silence fell between them, but it wasn¡¯t an awkward one. The idea that this young, handsome stranger was his father was odd, but for the first time, Tucker thought he might be able to get used to the idea if he stayed here. Tucker was reminded it was the second time that morning the idea of staying there had come to him. Was that a good thing or not?


    ¡°If you two are ready, we should go down and have some breakfast. I¡¯m starving,¡± Gavin said, and Richard looked over at him with affection.


    ¡°You¡¯re always starving. How about it, Tucker? Would you like to go down and get something to eat?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, standing up. Both men stood up on either side of him and reached for his arm at the same time. A pink blush settled on Richard¡¯s cheeks and he dropped his hand, taking a step backward while lowering his gaze. It was such a subservient gesture that it took Tucker by surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha. I should have realized¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Richard, it¡¯s fine. You take him downstairs. I need to make a quick phone call anyway, and I¡¯ll be down in a moment.¡± He smiled encouragingly at Tucker. ¡°Is that okay, Tucker?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Tucker said with a shrug, ¡°if the two of you are through playing tug-of-war with me.¡± Richard stepped forward again with a smile and offered his arm to Tucker. Feeling weird, but deciding it was some kind of wolf thing, Tucker took his arm and let him guide him through the door and down the hall, but once outside the room, he glanced over at his father. ¡°Exactly what was all that about?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I forgot you and the alpha are mates for a moment in all the excitement, that¡¯s all. As your intended mate, it¡¯s his right to escort you. A male relative usually escorts unmated natural petsif possible, once they¡¯re past puberty. At least the children of the alphas and betas, that is. The human pets are, of course, mated when they come to us, so it¡¯s not a big deal with them. But the natural pets of the alphas or betas are a different story. It¡¯s not such an absolute rule anymore, but it used to be adhered to very strictly. I guess I¡¯m just a little old-fashioned.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m a man¡ªwhy would I need an escort?¡±


    Richard looked at him in confusion. ¡°To protect your honor.¡±


    Tucker laughed. ¡°Yeah, well, I think that ship sailed a long time ago.¡± Richard blushed and frowned, and Tucker decided to stop teasing him. If he wanted to play protective father, why fight it? Dorothy, you¡¯re not in Kansas anymore.


    ¡°So Gavin¡¯s the alpha? Is that what you call him?¡± Tucker asked, changing the subject. ¡°Yes , mostly. It¡¯s his title and he¡¯s been a very good alpha for our pack. He¡¯s highly respected, and it¡¯s an honor you¡¯ve been chosen as his mate.¡±


    ¡°Well, about that. Ithasn¡¯t been exactly decided yet. I mean, he keeps telling me that, but I haven¡¯t agreed to the ¡®honor¡¯ yet.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s your bloodmate,¡± Richard said, looking at him like he¡¯d lost his mind. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t understand fully yet, but you can¡¯t ignore the bloodmatch. I mean, you could, but it would make you really unhappy. Besides, the alpha will make you a wonderful mate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Tucker said mostly under his breath. They were walking down the wide staircase now, and getting more than a few interested looks. About twenty or more of the pack members were moving around the common area as they came down the stairs, some at the tables, eating breakfast, and others standing or sitting in small groups on the other side of the stairway.


    They were by and large a handsome group of people, most with dark coloring, but a few of the pets, as Gavin called them, had all different shades of hair and eyes. You could see that they were much smaller than the wolves and mostly quieter. A group of males, wolves by the size of them, were sitting at one of the tables, laughing and talking boisterously. All of them looked up when Tucker and Richard came down the stairs and into the dining room. They nodded respectfully at Richard, but a couple of them almost seemed to be assessing Tucker, their gazes roaming over his body as they passed by them. In contrast, some smaller men at a nearby table were having a much quieter conversation and nodded first at Richard and then at him as they took a seat near their table. Tucker decided the second group must be pets.


    ¡°The food is good, Tucker,¡± his father said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, uh¡­I¡¯m not sure what to call you.¡±


    Richard looked up in surprise. ¡°I¡¯d love it if you called me Dad. I mean, if you feel comfortable with it.¡±


    Tucker smiled at him. ¡°It seems a little weird, since you look more like my brother, but I¡¯ll get used to it, I guess.¡±


    A young woman of around twenty stepped over to their table and gave Richard a nod and a smile. ¡°Hello, sir. May I get you the usual?¡±


    ¡°Hi,Emily,¡± Richard said with a smile. ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you. Oh,Emily, I¡¯d like you to meet my son, Tucker. Emily is one of our servers. Many of our young people work here in the lodge for us for wages, and Emily does a wonderful job.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± she said shyly. She glanced over at Tucker warmly. ¡°So nice to meet you, Tucker. We¡¯re all so happy for Richard that he found you at last.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too, Emily.¡± Tucker extended his hand, but Emily simply blushed and pointed to her shiny wedding band.


    ¡°Can I bring you some bacon and scrambled eggs? Or pancakes?¡±


    Tucker pulled back his hand, glancing at his father to see if he¡¯d broken some rule by offering to shake her hand. ¡°Bacon and eggs sounds great, thanks.¡±


    Emily nodded and hurried away, disappearing through a side door that presumably led to the kitchens. ¡°Emily is a sweet girl. She¡¯s like you, the daughter of a wolf and his human mate. She¡¯s also the new mate of one of the men who brought you home¡ªTodd?¡± At Tucker¡¯s nod, he continued. ¡°She couldn¡¯t shake your hand because Todd is a little old-fashioned. He doesn¡¯t like any unmated wolves or male pets touching Emily. Some of the wolves still feel that way, though most are changing the old ways now. The alpha¡¯s pet over in North Carolina has been instrumental in bringing a lot of relaxations of the old rules. Did Gavin tell you about Nicky?¡±


    ¡°A little, yeah.¡±


    A loud female laugh nearby drew their attention, and Tucker¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of Gavin being practically molested by a tall, attractive woman with gleaming, straight black hair streaming down her back. He was at the foot of the stairs, and as Tucker watched, the woman threw her arms around Gavin¡¯s neck and kissed him right on the lips, moving her body way too suggestively against him. What really pissed Tucker off the most, however, was the way Gavin was kissing her back.


    ¡°What the hell? She obviously has no problems with touching,¡± Tucker said irritably.


    Richard followed Tucker¡¯s surprised gaze. ¡°That¡¯s Marissa. She and Gavin are very close¡­uh¡­friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What happened to the no touching rule? It doesn¡¯t seem to apply to her.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Richard said, clearing his throat in embarrassment. ¡°No, the rule doesn¡¯t apply to her. Marissa¡¯s a wolf.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Tucker said, surprised by how much it bothered him to see Gavin holding her in his arms, his head lowered to whisper something in her ear. ¡°Okay,¡± Tucker said. ¡°That shit¡¯s about to change.¡±


    Tucker stood up and walked over to where they were standing, a little mollified to see how quickly Gavin pushed her away, pulling her arms down from where they draped around his neck. ¡°Tucker! Hi, honey. I was just saying hello to a friend of mine. Marissa, this is Tucker, Richard¡¯s son.¡±


    Tucker raised an eyebrow at the introduction. Richard¡¯s son? Oh,we¡¯re having a talk about that soon. Up closer to her, Tucker could see that she was a little older than he¡¯d first thought, looking to be in her late twenties, but with the wolves, who could tell? She had to be at least six feet one or so, with a muscular frame, but she was beautiful, turning to regard him with cold dark eyes. God knew Gavin was fucking beautiful too, and it would be hard to keep your hands away from him, especially if they¡¯d had a fling or whatever in the past. And maybe she didn¡¯t know that Gavin had found his bloodmate. He turned toward the woman with an outstretched hand, determined to try to be polite and give her the benefit of the doubt. She glanced down at his hand pointedly and took a step back from him, settling herself firmly against Gavin¡¯s side and leaning into him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your father explain about pets touching unmated wolves, little man?¡±


    Little Man? Really? Oh hell no.


    Dropping his hand, he gave her a winning, totally fake smile. ¡°Why yes, he did tell me, but I figured that at your age, you had to be mated to someone. I mean, you look as though you¡¯ve been around for a long time¡ªthat broken-in look, you know? Sorry, my mistake.¡±


    Marissa tightened her lips and almost snarled at him. ¡°It seems this boy has a lot to learn, Gavin, but then Richard¡¯s a good teacher. He¡¯ll have you whipped into shape in no time, I¡¯m sure. If he needs any help finishing your behavior training, though, please let me know. I¡¯ll be glad to lend a hand.¡±

 Page 20

    ¡°Thanks. It would be interesting to see someone so ambidextrous at work. One hand to use the whip and the other to hold onto that strap-on you must wearwhile you¡¯re wielding it.¡±


    Gavin and Marissaboth recoiled as if he¡¯d struck her. ¡°You little asshole,¡± she said through clenched teeth, straightening up and stepping toward Tucker. ¡°I¡¯ll break both your legs, you arrogant little man. Then we¡¯ll see if your manners improve.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°Well, you look as though you spend a lot of time flat on your back. It doesn¡¯t seem to have helped your manners any.¡±


    Her dark eyes flashed in anger and a sound like a growl came out of her throat as she moved toward him so quickly he barely registered the movement. She had a hand wrapped tightly around his throat and pulled him up on his toes before he could move so much as a step away. Gavin brought his hand down on her arm quickly, knocking her away from Tucker and pushing her backward to step in front of him.


    ¡°Marissa! What the hell are you thinking? Please leave now before I have to do something both of us will regret. I¡¯m sure Tucker apologizes for the things he said.¡±


    She looked up at Gavin with smoldering eyes and then turned on her heel and walked rapidly from the room, disappearing through the front door.


    Gavin whirled around to put his hands on Tucker¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are you all right? Did she hurt you?¡±


    Tucker shrugged him off. ¡°What do you care?Don¡¯t apologize for me!¡± he said, pulling down his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m not the least bit sorry for anything I said. The bitch started it herself. Oh, I am sorry to have interrupted your little reunion there, Gavin. You seemed to be enjoying it so much.¡± He turned around and strode back to the table where his father was still sitting, looking alarmed.


    Tucker sat down, wondering if, like a cartoon character, steam was rising from his ears. His chest was heaving a little, and he was hyper-aware of Gavin following him to take a seat at their table.


    ¡°Gavin,¡± Richard said worriedly, ¡°What was that all about with Marissa?¡±


    ¡°Nothingmuch,¡± Gavin said tightly. ¡°Tucker¡¯s just been making friends again.¡±


    ¡°Not nearly so friendly as you, though, right?¡± Tucker glared across the table at him, watching with satisfaction as his cheeks turned red.


    ¡°Marissa and I used to date a little. She was welcoming me home, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. If she¡¯d had her tongue any further down your throat she¡¯d have given you a tonsillectomy.¡±


    ¡°Tucker!¡± Richard said reprovingly. ¡°Please, Tucker, show respect to your alpha.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not a member of his pack, Dad, so he¡¯s not my alpha. Apparently, he¡¯s not my anything.¡± Tucker stood up, his hands shaking. He could feel the stares of the others around him, but damn it, he felt like having a full-blown meltdown. He¡¯d come up here with Gavin, abandoning his job and his friends, trusting him, believing him when he said he wanted him for his mate. Not that he¡¯d made any decisions about it, but that was totally beside the point. Then to find him on his first morning there making out with a woman right in front of him! He was so furious, he was shaking. Realizing he was probably channeling Shannen Doherty in her worst diva moment, but beyond caring, he flung his napkin down on the table and would have swept from the room except for a firm hand on his arm, yanking him back down into his seat.


    In total surprise, he looked over at his father, who had plastered a smile on his face while still gripping his arm. ¡°Even if you hate me for this, I have to do it, Tucker, to protect you. You aren¡¯t leaving this table. Now here comes your breakfast. You¡¯re going to eat and pretend to be civilized. As for you, Gavin, drink some damn coffee and smile. I respect you, but I won¡¯t have my son¡¯s reputation ruined over a silly lover¡¯s quarrel. Now, both of you straighten up.¡±


    Tucker saw Gavin¡¯s mouth fall open, mirroring his own as they both gaped at Richard. Emily bustled up at that moment with his breakfast and another plateful of scrambled eggs and bacon for Gavin. ¡°Good morning, Alpha. So good to see you back. I brought you the usual. I hope that¡¯s all right.¡±


    Gavin gazed up at her and nodded, almost in a daze. She turned her smile on Tucker then and set his plate down in front of him. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not spilling any beans here, but Todd told me the two of you are bloodmates. I¡¯m so happy for you both.¡±


    Gavin cleared his throat. ¡°Uh, thank you, Emily. Very sweet of you.¡±


    Tucker opened his mouth to say something, but his father squeezed his arm and gave him another stern look. Tucker pulled his arm away, but kept quiet, addressing himself to his plate. At first he took only a couple of nibbles, as Emily continued to stand by Gavin, chatting with him blithely, ignoring the fact that she was the only one really talking. The food was so good, though, that soon Tucker had polished off the entire meal, and found himself actually feeling a little calmer. Bryson had always teased him that he was a bitch when he was hungry. Maybe he was right.


    Emily finally went off to fill coffee cups, and Richard touched his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tucker. I know I probably overstepped my bounds, since you barely know me, but I know how this group is, and I¡¯m trying to take care of you. Everyone in the pack is very nice and will welcome you, don¡¯t get me wrong. But they¡¯re also really protective of their alpha, and you¡¯re a newcomer. One of the gammas¡ªI suspect Christian,¡± he said, with a significant look at Gavin, ¡°has already been spreading rumors of your arguments on the way back up here. News of your little disagreement with Marissa will spread fast too. The two of you need to stop messing around and complete your mating.¡±


    Gavin spoke up grimly before Tucker could manage to get a word out. ¡°Tucker¡¯s not ready.¡± He glanced over at Tucker and took another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Well, we hardly know each other,¡± Tucker said in the little silence that followed. ¡°I met Gavin only a couple of weeks ago, for God¡¯s sake.¡±


    His father nodded. ¡°I realize that, but you have a bloodmatch. I knew your mother for a week before we married. I would have married her the first day, if I could have figured out how to ask her.¡± He turned back to Tucker. ¡°I¡¯d love for you to spend the day with me today, Tucker, if that¡¯s all right with you, Gavin? Maybe a little distance from each other will help you put things in perspective. I could show Tucker around and explain things a bit. I know all this must seem so strange, and Gavin has a lot of work to do since he¡¯s been out of town for a while.¡±


    Tucker shrugged. ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    ¡°And Gavin, I¡¯ve planned a small reception tonight after dinner for Tucker. Just to introduce him to everyone. I hope that¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gavin turned to Tucker. ¡°Is that all right with you, Tucker?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Richard touched his hand again. ¡°We¡¯re very social here, Tucker, and like to get together often. I¡¯d love to show you off to everyone, but I¡¯ll cancel it if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, I guess.¡±


    Richard beamed at him. ¡°Thank you, son. We¡¯ll keep it very casual¡ªnothing too extreme, I promise.¡± Richard stood up. ¡°If you¡¯re ready then, Tucker?¡±


    Both Tucker and Gavin stood up too. Tucker shoved his hands in his pockets, still angry at Gavin, but feeling like he wanted to make up in some way before leaving him for the day. He didn¡¯t want Gavin to think he had forgiven him so quickly, though. He hesitated for a moment, trying to decide what to say. The decision was made for him when Gavin pulled him into his arms. His lips took possession of Tucker¡¯s until he couldn¡¯t think anymore. He pulled his head away finally and gazed down into his eyes. ¡°Until tonight then, baby,¡± he whispered next to his ear. ¡°I love you.¡±


    He released him and turned away to go back upstairs. Tucker watched him as he climbed the stairs, enjoying the view of his ass in the tight jeans he was wearing. ¡°Damn,¡± he said softly, and Richard smiled.


    ¡°Those were my exact words the first time I saw your mother walk away from me. I hated to see her go, but I loved to watch her leave.¡±


    Chapter Seven


    ¡°You look very handsome.¡± Tucker glanced over at his father and smiled before looking down at himself. He had changed his Tshirt for a baby blue merino wool sweater borrowed from his father¡¯s wardrobe. The air was much cooler up here on the mountain than the temperatures he¡¯d been used to, so even though it was June, the sweater felt pretty good. It was a little too big, of course, but by pushing up the sleeves, he thought he looked nice and not too dressed up. They were sitting in the dining area of the common room, as it was called, waiting for Gavin to show up. A few guests had already arrived, and were sampling some of the cake and punch the servers had set up earlier. He thought his father had already introduced him to just about everyone in the lodge by this time, but a steady stream of newcomers were proving him wrong.


    He and his father had been busy all day, first taking a tour of the lodge, stopping every few minutes to talk to someone his father knew, and then later, Richard drove him around the local area so he could see just how beautiful the mountains were. He¡¯d been impressed by views of the hills stretching out for as far as he could see, the green hues fading softly to blue in the distance. There were waterfalls seemingly everywhere too, splashing down the mountains. Some were majestic and grand, while others, like the one they called Bridal Veil Falls, was little more than a fine, wide spray tumbling onto the rocks below. That one was over in North Carolina, though only a thirty or forty minute drive from the lodge. His father had taken him on a pretty extensive tour, and they had stopped at a little town high on one of the mountains for lunch.


    The day had been relaxed and easier than Tucker ever imagined. Maybe because of his father¡¯s laid-back personality, or because he looked so young, Tucker felt more like he was spending the day with a new friend instead of his dad. The talk between them only turned serious once, during lunch at a little outdoor caf¨¦.

 Page 21

    ¡°I think you should allow Gavin to give you the mating bite, Tucker . You need to go through with the match as soon as possible.¡±Advertisement


    Tucker almost choked on his sandwich. ¡°Well, nothing like getting right to the point.¡± He leaned back in his chair and regarded his father solemnly. ¡°I think it¡¯s too soon.¡±


    Richard shook his head. ¡°Not for a bloodmatch. I know you¡¯re not familiar with our ways yet, son, but the match is damn near perfect. No one knows exactly what it is, but there¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s powerful and there¡¯s no avoiding it. When it hits you, you just know, without a shadow of a doubt that you¡¯ve found your mate, the one perfect person for you in the whole world. It¡¯s so compelling that it takes away all the normal barriers, like sex or age or philosophical differences¡ªall the things that might stand in the way. He¡¯s your match, Tucker, in every way. And he¡¯s the alpha¡ªyou¡¯ll be the alpha¡¯s pet, and that¡¯s quite an honor.¡±


    Tucker made a scoffing sound. ¡°To be called a pet? No thanks. I¡¯m nobody¡¯s sex toy.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. It was a little like that in the past, but not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Then why does everyone act like pets are second class citizens or something? Marissa sneered at me, you know, and made a lot of disparaging comments.¡±


    Richard shook his head. ¡°Marissa is jealous. She¡¯d hoped to be the alpha¡¯s mate someday. Gavin even jokingly told her once that if he hadn¡¯t met his bloodmatch by the time he was thirty, he¡¯d marry her.¡±


    ¡°Jokingly, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course, only Marissa didn¡¯t take it that way. One day she¡¯ll find her match and forget all about Gavin. That¡¯s how it works, Tucker.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not convinced. How come Emily is a waitress? Because she¡¯s just a pet?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. She must have asked for the job. No one would have forced her. Look, Tucker, I admit that many of the wolves are domineering, but things are changing fast now for all the pets, including the human ones we adopt into the pack. Natural pets, like you, were always given more freedom, and often had jobs in the nearby communities. Our so-called adopted mates, however, were kept closer to the lodges. We wrongly believed that if they weren¡¯t closely controlled they would turn feral¡ªsort of like what you¡¯ve probably seen in the werewolf movies. For hundreds of years, we believed that, and kept them rigidly controlled out of love and concern for them. We gave them our blood to drink to keep them safe from the horror of that, but because they were our mates, and we were overly protective, most of us got a little too overbearing.¡±


    Tucker looked uncomfortable. ¡°Um, they drank blood? I wouldn¡¯t be expected to¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Richard said quickly. ¡°That¡¯s only for humans. Don¡¯t worry. Gavin will take very good care of you, even though he might be a little over protective at first, like I said.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tucker said, laughing bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that in action.¡±


    Richard smiled. ¡°Alphas are always the worst, most domineering of all the wolves. It comes with the territory, I guess. But Gavin is a good alpha, the best we¡¯ve ever had. He¡¯s a good man too, and has integrity and strength. He¡¯ll make you a wonderful husband.¡±


    ¡°God, this is so weird on so many levels. I never thought I¡¯d hear my parent say something like that to me.¡±


    Richard looked confused. ¡°Really? Why not? I only want the best for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I appreciate it, really. But this is something I have to decide on my own. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t take too long. If Marissa can convince Gavin that his bloodmatch wants nothing to do with him, then that will clear the way for her.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been exactly standoffish, you know, and God, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having this conversation with you. Please, drop it. I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    Richard smiled. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t underestimate her. The bloodmatch is strong, but hell hath no fury, and all that. Marissa could be a force to be reckoned with.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, so can I.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think she¡¯s already discovered that earlier today. She might be spoiling for a rematch, so if you see her tonight, don¡¯t rise to the bait. She¡¯ll be trying to make you look bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can usually do that all by myself.¡±


    Someone clearing their throat beside him made him turn around and focus on Emily, who was standing by the table. ¡°Hi, Tucker, Richard. You know my mate, Todd, of course, don¡¯t you, Tucker?¡±


    Tucker smiled and nodded at Emily and her husband, Todd, who had come up beside him. ¡°Sure. How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Toddnodded respectfully to Richard before giving Tucker a look that wasn¡¯t exactly unpleasant, but not more than a shade or two off. ¡°Tucker,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°How are you?¡± He turned his back on them then, perhaps a little too quickly and went off to speak to some of his friends. Tucker saw Richard¡¯s lips tighten. Emily gave them a sweet little smile and trailed after him.


    Tucker turned to Richard and shrugged. ¡°I probably deserved that. I haven¡¯t been exactly a lot of laughs since they found me in Panama City. I almost got them arrested at one point.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you did, you most certainly do not deserve that, and I¡¯ll have a talk with Todd myself later on. Todd and Christian are two of Gavin¡¯s personal guards, and very loyal to him. But you¡¯re my son, no matter what else happened between you and Gavin, and they¡¯ll show you the same respect they show me, or I¡¯ll know the reason why.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± said a deep, smooth voice at his ear and he turned to see Gavin standing next to them, looking all kinds of sexy in a navy polo and the usual tight jeans. Tucker was a little surprised at how glad he was to see him, and melted into his side happily when Gavin sat down and slipped his arm around Tucker¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Tucker said. ¡°Dad, here, is getting all bent out of shape over what he thought was an insult to me. It was nothing, really.¡±


    ¡°Insult? Who?¡± Gavin asked sharply, looking over at Richard.


    ¡°Your boy Todd,¡± he replied. ¡°He and Christian have been running their mouths since you got back, and the story of your fight in the back seat has made the rounds enough that it¡¯s grown to you knocking Tucker out and tying him up to make him come with you. That is just a story, right?¡±


    Gavin looked surprised. ¡°Of course.¡± He pulled Tucker protectively closer to his side. ¡°I would never hit Tucker!¡±


    ¡°He never hit me. Just held me down for a few minutes, because I was trying to knee him after he took my phone.¡± Tucker smiled. ¡°You did threaten to tie me, though.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s cheeks colored, but he shook his head. ¡°It was only a bluff. I offered to take you home if you wanted to go after that.¡±


    ¡°I know. We worked it out, and things were fine after that. I wonder why they¡¯re spreading that rumor.¡±


    ¡°I think I can guess,¡± Richard said, gazing across the room. Tucker followed his gaze to where Christian and Marissa were standing with their heads close together. ¡°Marissa and Christian are good friends, aren¡¯t they? Both in your personal guard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­you think Marissa is behind this?¡±


    Tucker smiled again. ¡°I¡¯d have to say, hell yes.¡± He reached up and patted Gavin¡¯s cheek. Gavin gazed down at him with his beautiful warm eyes full of love and concern. Suddenly, Tucker wondered what he was waiting on. Shit, I¡¯m in love with him. I have been for a while.


    He really had burned his bridges when he left Florida with Gavin. He still had an apartment there, but no family left and almost certainly no job waiting for him. On the other hand, he had two people right here at the table who professed to love him and wanted to give him a home and a family.


    Decision made, he turned to face Richard and sighed loudly. ¡°Okay, Dad, I give in. Time to make your big announcement.¡±


    Richard looked at him with his eyes shining. ¡°Are you sure, Tucker? I don¡¯t want to feel like I¡¯ve talked you into this.¡±


    Tucker laughed and rolled his eyes. ¡°Really? No, don¡¯t worry about it. I probably decided a few days ago when I left Florida, but I¡¯ve been stubborn, I guess. Go ahead.¡±


    Gavin frowned down at both of them. ¡°Am I missing something here? What are you talking about? What big announcement?¡±


    ¡°My son¡¯s engagement to our alpha,¡± Richard replied smoothly. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s eyebrows rose almost comically, and he pulled Tucker around to look into his eyes. ¡°Are you sure, sweetheart? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. And it looks like it¡¯s time to stake my claim.¡±


    Gavin kissed him fiercely and then stood up, raising his voice to be heard above the crowd. ¡°Everybody quiet down a minute, please. My beta has something he¡¯d like to say.¡±


    Richard stepped forward with a look of pride on his face. ¡°Thank you all for coming tonight to help me welcome my son back in my life after so many years apart. I think you can all imagine how much this means to me.¡± He paused for a moment as a round of soft applause swept over the crowded room. ¡°It¡¯s also my pleasure to announce something of importance to the entire pack¡ªmy son¡¯s engagement to the alpha.¡±


    A little gasp went around the room this time, as Gavin stepped forward, pulling Tucker with him. ¡°In our pack, we value strength, and in the fight with the Hunters, we¡¯ve needed it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that the alphas of all three of the Dark Hollow Packs have been given strong individuals as their bloodmates. These pets have proven time and again how intelligent they are and how strong their will is. Tucker is strong too, like the other alphas¡¯ mates and independent. With them by our sides, I think we can face any challenges the future holds. Tonight I¡¯ll claim Tucker as my own. And I invite you all to our mating ceremony to follow at the next full moon. Because of the recent attacks on the pets, I think we should have the ceremony in the ancient ancestral ring, inviting all the Werekin clans, to show our enemies the strength of our numbers and our people.¡±

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    A loud cheer went up as he stopped speaking and pulled Tucker into his arms again. He kissed Tucker in front of the entire assembly and then bent to sweep him up in his arms. Tucker stopped him by taking a step backward. ¡°You might have noticed I¡¯m not a girl. I can walk up the damn steps.¡±Advertisement


    Gavin grinned and held out his hand, and they walked to the top together. As they reached the second floor landing, Gavin turned around to salute the crowd and Tucker glanced downward. At the foot of the staircase stood Marissa, and it seemed to him that the hatred in her black eyes was almost palpable.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen my knot, baby, and I have to warn you it¡¯s going to hurt like hell going in, but I¡¯ll try to prepare and stretch you. We¡¯ll use a lot of lube, and I swear I¡¯ll take things slowly, okay? Once it¡¯s in, you¡¯ll have a lot of orgasms, and um¡­a few people even pass out. Just hang on and try to ride it out till it¡¯s over.¡± Gavin stood naked by the side of the bed with Tucker gazing up at him. Tucker was so beautiful, lying on his back in the dimly lit room, his hand trailing absently on his chest causing Gavin to concentrate hard on just what he needed to tell him. Gavin himself was obviously fully aroused, his cock red and engorged, bouncing around as he moved. Even the knot seemed a little larger as he stared down at it, trying to decide if it would ever fit inside Tucker. Now that the moment had arrived, he was nervous, not wanting to hurt his lover or scare him in any way. The knot was really not much larger than some anal plugs he¡¯d seen at its biggest width, and probably softer, so he knew it would work, but this was all new to him too.


    Tucker, lying on his back in the middle of the bed had an unconvinced look on his face as he stared at the knot. ¡°Why do we have to put that inside me? Or even better question, why can¡¯t I just do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, hell, it doesn¡¯t w ork that way, Tucker. The knot is what causes the bond to form between us. It secretes some hormones, and¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of hormones?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to know what the hell I¡¯m getting myself into. Am I going to change into a wolf too? Will I get a knot on my dick?¡±


    ¡°No, Tucker. It doesn¡¯t work that way. I already told you. Okay, let¡¯s go over this again. I¡¯ll bite you on the back of the neck¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that absolutely necessary? I mean, no offense, but doctors say the human mouth has more germs than just about anything. I don¡¯t want to catch some disease.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not human, Tucker. Besides, you¡¯ve had your mouth on a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Well, same principle though, probably.¡±


    ¡°The bite is required.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so then I¡¯ll make love to you, like I said, and give you the knot. Afterward, you¡¯ll have to drink my blood,¡± Gavin paused a moment to see if Tucker was going to interrupt again. This had been a real sticking point the last few times they¡¯d gone over this point, Tucker insistingthat Richard had told him he wouldn¡¯t have to drink the blood. Gavin had patiently explained that he¡¯d only have to do it this one time, right after they first mated, and he had grudgingly accepted the fact. Gavin paused now to see if he would have any further objections, but Tucker simply gazed up at him trustingly. Damn, he was so delicious. He wanted to eat him right up. Shaking his head, he tried to regain his focus and give Tucker time to voice his objections. When nothing else was said, he continued. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have the orgasms and you¡¯ll kind of go in heat.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Go in heat. Sort of. You¡¯ll be really anxious to have sex, like really anxious. I will be too, luckily, sowe¡¯ll kind of go at it all night. Maybe even all day tomorrow, but that¡¯s usually just with human pets. You¡¯re half wolf, so it shouldn¡¯t be as intense a change, or that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°Multiple orgasms, huh? I thought that was only for women. And when you say, I¡¯ll be in heat¡­I won¡¯t drip anything gross out of my, um¡­¡±


    ¡°God no!¡±


    ¡°Okay, good,¡¯cause eww¡­¡±


    ¡°Tucker, please concentrate on what I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    ¡°I am concentrating, but I have questions.¡±


    Gavin took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. What else do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t think of anything else right this second.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then turn over, sweetheart. I¡¯ll get you ready.¡±


    Tucker got up on his knees, turning around toput a hand on the back of Gavin¡¯s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Gavin met his lips hungrily. Tucker¡¯s lips were warm and sweet. Gavin saw that Tucker¡¯s cock was filling out before he pushed him gently down on his stomach and began to smooth the lube over his crease. Climbing onto the bed behind him, he lubed Tucker up well, and put his fingers in to stretch him a bit. ¡°Relax for me, baby,¡± he whispered, dropping kisses on his back. ¡°We¡¯re just going to take our time, okay?¡± His fingers probed deeper inside, curving down to find his prostate. When he found it, he gave it a rubdown with his fingers that had Tucker squirming and groaning.


    ¡°God, that feels good¡­¡± Tucker arched back into Gavin trying to get just the right angle, and laughing, Gavin slapped him lightly on his ass. Gavin reached around to give Tucker¡¯s cock some attention, and with the stimulation from both sides, Tucker was soon making mindless whimpering sounds, alternating between pushing back on his fingers and pushing forward into his hand.


    Gavin bent over his back, kissing the side of his neck, becoming more and more aroused. He pulled Tucker up to his knees, and held one hand on his chest while the other moved more and more rapidly up and down his engorged cock. When Tucker came into his hand, Gavin¡¯s fangs descended and he sank them into Tucker¡¯s neck. Tucker writhed under him, his breath coming in big hitches as his body tried to process the chemicals that were flooding into him. Pulling out his fangs, Gavin bent him back over, and thrust deeply inside him, right up to the knot. Tucker was trying to push back on him, groaning loudly, so he took that opportunity to push in deep and hard and managed to get some of the knot inside him. Tucker cried out and tried to pull away, but Gavin put his hand on his stomach and pushed him back with one hand, while working in the knot with the other. He fumbled for the lube and managed to get some more on the crucial area, all the while soothing his mate with soft kisses and licks on the bite mark. ¡°Push back against me, baby. Bear down¡­¡±


    Tucker was already going into heat from the bite and was too far gone to focus on what he was saying. Gavin stopped trying to push in and just held himself still inside his lover, allowing him to get used to the feeling of extreme fullness. When his breathing began to even out, Tucker started pushing gently in again while petting Tucker¡¯s cock and kissing his neck. He repositioned them on the bed, bending Tucker over even more until his face was against the sheets. Easing in a well-lubed finger to help lever the knot inside, he was about to despair when with a little plopping sound, the knot slid in deep inside his mate. Tucker grunted, but soon began to moan and pant as his prostate was bathed in the chemicals released from the gland. He arched his back and cried out as an intense orgasm made him scream hoarsely, and try to rear back against Gavin. Gavin licked at the wound on his neck and held him down as his body began to spasm uncontrollably.


    Tucker was pretty sure he was dying. Didn¡¯t the French call orgasm la petite mort or the little death? He¡¯d read that somewhere, he was sure, but there was nothing little about this. The orgasms never really stopped, just intensified from time to time. He was aware of Gavin wrapped protectively around him, his presence soothing him, but frustrating him at the same time. He wanted to be on top of Gavin so he could have access to all of him, but he was facing away from him, impaled on his cock, and unable to reach him. He twisted his head around for another soulful kiss when the orgasm intensified, making him arch and scream again. He kept waiting for this one to ease off, but it didn¡¯t, only getting worse and worse until darkness teased around the edges of his vision. Too tired to fight it off anymore, he beckoned it and let it slide over him as he sank down onto the bed beneath him.


    He woke up right in the middle of another orgasm. Fuck! The intensity wasn¡¯t quite as bad this time, so he let it take him over and rode it like a wave. Another, then another and he felt almost like a surfer riding the curl. Years ago, when he graduated high school, his grandparents had paid for his senior trip to Hawaii. Along with five of his closest friends, he¡¯d spent a week on the beaches of Oahu¡¯s North Shore, trying to learn to surf. He was a total floater, rarely getting up the nerve to actually stand on his board in the huge waves. Only once, after watching the locals for hours on the beach, did he get the nerve to really ride a wave. He had come down into a hard bottom turn, or a turn at the bottom of the wave face. When a surfer took off on a steep drop like that, Tucker had been told it was a must situation to make the bottom turn either right or left to get his speed and direction, and then¡­yeehaw!


    In his halfdream state, that¡¯s exactly what these orgasms felt like. He¡¯d come down fast and deep and tried to make the bottom turn to ride the next wave. He¡¯d be overcome with pleasure for a few seconds and then he was at the bottom again, trying to head into the next one. All the while, Gavin was whispering to him, soothing him, telling him over and over that he was his lover, his baby, his mate.


    He must have lost consciousness again, because when he woke the next time, it was over. Gavin was finally pulling out, stroking his back as he tried to calmTucker¡¯s breathing. He bit into his wrist and held it to Tucker¡¯s mouth. ¡°Drink sweetheart. This will make you mine completely.¡±


    So tired he couldn¡¯t even argue, Tucker dutifully allowed Gavin to press his wrist against his lips. When Gavin described this process to him, it was the one thing he fought against most¡ª sucking the blood from Gavin¡¯s wrist. Yuck. But surprisingly, as he began to drink, the blood didn¡¯t taste bad to him at all. In fact, it was thick and sweet, almost like the taste and musk of honey. A kind of lassitude came over him, soothing the pain and making him feel boneless and totally relaxed. He was flying again, shreddin¡¯ the gnarl, as one of the California boys on the beach that summer used to say, even higher than before. He soared up over the crest of the wave and came down hard into a total wipeout, tumbling down head over heels into darkness.

 Page 23

    Sometime later, he awoke slowly, sensuously, feeling more relaxed than he¡¯d felt in months. He stretched and tried to roll over on his side, but Gavin was pressed tightly to his back, spooning him. He got a hand onto Gavin¡¯s hip and tried again to turn into him. Gavin mumbled sleepily, but Tucker was insistent. He neededto make love to Gavin and wasn¡¯t in any mood to take no for an answer. Finally he pulled out from under Gavin¡¯s heavy limbs and straddled him, reaching for the lube. Gavin roused a little, but Tucker soothed him back to sleep by rubbing his back and hips. Gavin was so exhausted he quickly began to drowse again.Advertisement


    After lubing him well, he managed to get him on his side and pushed up one of his legs before maneuvering behind him. After gently stretching his hole, making him groan and try to roll over on his back, Tucker held him in place and eased inside him, setting up a gentle rhythm that helped to ease the frantic need inside him. Gavin came awake more fully and looked over his shoulder at him. ¡°Wha-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not doing it right,¡± Tucker said, smiling .


    ¡°No, I¡¯m supposed to¡­¡±


    ¡°Just relax, baby. I¡¯m going to be here a while. Time to let me drive.¡±


    Gavin snorted, pushing backward and angling himself for more pleasure. ¡°Okay baby,¡± he


    said thickly, ¡°take me for a ride.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Tucker replied, and proceeded to do exactly that.


    Chapter Eight


    Tucker checked himself out for about the twentieth time in the large standing mirror. Everyone kept assuringhim he looked great, but he wasn¡¯t at all positive. He was wearing a long white robe that looked like something a girl might wear in his opinion, though everyone said it was the standard white robes males wore for the mating ceremony¡ªeveryone being the other alphas¡¯ mates lounging around the room as he stood glaring at himself in the mirror. He was naked underneath the robe, and when he protested and asked for underwear, he got the same answer as he always got. ¡°It¡¯s traditional.¡±


    Tucker twisted and turned, trying to see if the robe was too see-through. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why we have to wear these things. Gavin¡¯s wearing a dark suit.¡±


    Rory shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s traditional,¡± he said quietly.


    Tucker turned and gave him a dangerous look.


    Nicky spoke up from across the room. ¡°It has the added attraction to the wolves of being humiliating, uncomfortable, demeaning and oh yeah, a quick way to get you naked.¡±


    Nicky, Gabe, and Rory were waiting with him for the ceremony to begin, wearing similar robes to his. Gabe, the alpha¡¯s pet from the North Georgia clan had joked earlier that they were his bridesmaids, earning himself outraged, disgusted looks from Nicky and Rory. Nicky and Rory were both actually hosting the event, since the commitment ceremony was taking place next to their lodge in North Carolina. They had planned a huge reception for later that night. The ancestral ring, Nicky had told him, was close by, just inside the forest.


    Tucker had taken a strong liking to all of them right away, particularly Nicky, who was the most talkative of the group. All the mates were strikingly handsome, but Nicky was downright gorgeous, with his shaggy blond hair that kept falling over his forehead and a pair of the brightest blue eyes he¡¯d ever seen. He was the smallest, not much more than five-nine or ten, slim, but well-built. Gabe was an almost equally gorgeous, negative image of Nicky, black hair where Nicky¡¯s was so blond and deeply tanned skin, apparently from being outdoors a lot, because his eyes were almost the same striking shade of blue. Rory was the quiet one of the group, and Tucker was surprised when Nicky whispered to him that Rory was a wolf.


    He was much smaller than the other wolves Tucker had met, only a little taller than Nicky and Gabe, and more adorably cute than drop-dead gorgeous like Nicky and Gabe were. He had a bit of a baby face, and brown, curly hair and pretty milk-chocolate colored eyes. Those big eyes were fringed with thick, long lashes. His mate was an alpha wolf named Casey, who held some important position in the clan, but wasn¡¯t the lead alpha. Rory was a little more reserved than the other two young men, and seemed to be the unhappiest of all of them at having to wear his robe.


    Nicky and Gabe seemed to be trying to make their robes almost sexy, by leaving the zippers only half zipped up, showing off their bodies.


    Gabe, who¡¯d been watching Tucker try to lock his zipper, got up lazily and came over to help him. ¡°Hmm, we may have to pin this. Don¡¯t want to expose all your assets to the crowd, do we?¡±


    Smiling he retrieved a safety pin from the dresser by the mirror and began attaching it. With Gabe¡¯s robe only closed to his waist, Tucker could see gold rings in both his nipples. When Gabe saw Tucker staring at them, he grinned and dropped his fingers to his chest to play with them. ¡°Nice, huh? Matches my collar.¡± He gestured toward what Tucker had thought was a chokerstyle necklace around his throat, but could see now that it was a yellow gold collar, with a lock. He must have looked a little shocked, because Gabe laughed and ran his finger lightly around his neck. ¡°Want one? The wolves love them, though Nicky and Rory and their other friends stubbornly refuse to wear one.¡±


    ¡°Not a dog, so I don¡¯t need a collar,¡± Nicky replied, not even looking over at them. He was lying on his back on the only sofa in the room, his fingers twirling absently through his hair. ¡°And of course, the Neanderthals love them. Fits rights in with their cavemen mentality. Though it looks perfect on you, Gabey. Kinky, but perfect.¡±


    Gabe blew him a campy kiss and sat down with him on the sofa, moving Nicky¡¯s feet to rest on his lap. ¡°Don¡¯t mind, Nicky, Tucker. He¡¯s still making Marco pay for the little tiff they had a few months ago. Is he back in your bed yet, Nicky, or are you still making him sleep on the couch?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s been back in our bed for a long time. No sense in punishing myself. But I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a tiff. We dissolved our mating for over three months, and I moved out.¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t so much as move out as you ran away. Again. Really, Marco should install a revolving front door for you. It would make things so much easier.¡±


    Nicky kicked him, and a playful scuffle ensued. Entwined as they were, it was hard to tell if they were wrestling or hugging. They fought each other to the floor and Gabe climbed on top of Nicky. Bendingover him and holding his hands down by his head, he taunted him, ¡°I thought your friend Logan taught you some moves, boy.¡±


    Nicky leaned up, catchingone of Gabe¡¯s nipple rings with his teeth, and pulled it sharply down.


    ¡°Oww!¡± Gabe yelped, dropping his hands to clutch his chest. ¡°No fair!¡± Faster than Nicky could react, Gabe slid to the side, threw an arm around Nicky¡¯s neck and shoulders, hauling him over to his lie face down across his lap. ¡°You¡¯re not too old for a spanking, boy!¡±


    Laughing, Nicky held out a hand to Rory. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Help me, Rory!¡±


    Rory rolled his eyes. ¡°Why? You¡¯ve been needing a good spanking ever since you came back,and Marco¡¯s been too whipped to give it to you. Go ahead, Gabe, let him have it.¡±


    Both men were breathing hard and making a lot of noise as they struggled, so no one noticed when the door opened. Before Gabe could land the first blow, two big hands plucked him from the floor, tossing Nicky down on his backside. A tall, dark-haired wolf stood holding Gabe against his chest, smiling down at him. ¡°Don¡¯t wear out your welcome, baby. Or your host.¡±


    Another big, handsome wolf entered right behind them and looked down at Nicky on the floor. ¡°Taking a nap, sweetheart? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d be more comfortable on the sofa?¡±


    ¡°Very funny,¡± Nicky said, getting up and dusting himself off. ¡°I could have taken him easily, except the poor thing has gained so much weight lately. Don¡¯t worry, Gabe,¡± he said, leaning around his mate to tease his friend. ¡°I think a little beer belly is very becoming, no matter what everyone else says.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Gabe yelled back, his hand dropping to his washboard abs. He looked up at his mate, trailing a finger down his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not getting fat, am I, Zack?¡±


    ¡°No, sweetheart,¡± Zack assured him, bending down to take his lips in a sultry kiss.


    Meanwhile Marco, Nicky¡¯s mate, pulled him in his arms and reached down to rub his ass. ¡°Do I need to kiss it and make it better?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nicky said sternly, though a little smile was playing around his lips. ¡°You two aren¡¯t even supposed to be in here. No wolves are supposed to see Tucker before the ceremony. Except Rory, of course, and he doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Rory said. ¡°I¡¯m standing right here.¡±


    ¡°Gavin sent us,¡± Marco said, before the fight got started. ¡°He wanted to make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± he said, looking over at Tucker, who was still standing by the mirror, fascinated and distracted by the other mates.


    Rory smirked. ¡°Translation¡ªGavin wanted to make sure Nicky hadn¡¯t scared you off with his big mouth.¡±


    Nicky tried to get to him, but Marco caught him around the waist and pulled him back against his chest. ¡°Lucky for you Marco stopped me,¡± Nicky said menacingly.


    Rory rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I was terrified.¡±


    Smiling, Tucker shook his head, interrupting the argument. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m ready to do this, though. Is it almost time?¡±


    Marco bent down to give Nicky a kiss before he and Zack went back out the door. Tucker also saw him stand in front of Nicky and move his hand up under the front of Nicky¡¯s robe. ¡°Yes,¡± he said over his shoulder to Tucker, dropping his hand after Nicky gave a little squeak and turned bright red, ¡°the full moon is rising now. Give us another five minutes to get everyone in place and then come out.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Nicky said as they turned and left, snapping off a little mocking salute. Though Nicky tried to play it cool, Tucker could see how flushed his cheeks still were, and not just from the wrestling match with Gabe.

 Page 24

    Tucker moved up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you all right?¡±Advertisement


    Nicky turned in surprise. ¡°Who, me?¡± He gave Tucker a blinding smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Tucker. Don¡¯t pay any attention to the things I say. I complainabout the wolves a lot, but it¡¯s mostly in fun. There¡¯s no place else on earth I¡¯d rather be than with Marco. He¡¯s everything to me. I just don¡¯t like to make things too easy for him, you know? Making him work for it keeps him on his toes.¡± He winked and slapped Tucker on the back. ¡°C¡¯mon, man, let¡¯s get you ready for your big moment.¡±


    Gabe was peeking out the door. ¡°Man, I¡¯ve never seen so many gammas standing guard duty. There¡¯s like a solid wall of them around the ring. Is that because of the missing pets, you think?¡±


    Rory nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s another reason Casey wanted me in here with you guys, besides the fact that I¡¯m the mate of one of the alphas. Sort of extra protection.¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Nicky and I are safe enough. The kidnappers are only going after the natural pets, right? Like you, Tucker.¡±


    Nicky slapped Gabe on the back of the head. ¡°That¡¯s right, make Tucker even more nervous,¡± Turning back toward Tucker, he put his hand on his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯d have to be seriously crazy to come up in here with all these wolves around.¡±


    ¡°Unless it¡¯s somebody we know,¡± Rory said darkly. ¡°That¡¯s what Casey thinks, anyway,¡± he said, referring to his mate.¡°Someone who can come and go as they please, and not arouse suspicion.¡±


    ¡°But why would someone we know want to hurt the pets?¡± Nicky asked. ¡°Poor Tommy and Melinda¡­¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re Werekin. That¡¯s enough for some,¡± Rory said.


    ¡°Gavin said they were from our, uh, clan,¡± Tucker said. ¡°I guess they never found the girl.¡±


    ¡°No, nothing yet,¡± Rory replied. ¡°I don¡¯t hold out much hope for her after so long.¡±


    Nicky shook his head sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. She¡¯s such a sweet girl, always with a smile for everybody.¡±


    Gabe turned around excitedly. ¡°They¡¯re signaling that they¡¯re ready. Showtime, Tucker!¡±


    Tucker nodded grimly and Nicky laughed. ¡°Well, stop looking like you¡¯re going to your execution! It¡¯ll be fine, you¡¯ll see. Just follow us and look for Gavin. He¡¯ll do all the rest.¡±


    Tucker took a deep breath and followed the others out the door. The ancestral ring was not far away from the lodge, down a short path and just inside the line of trees, easily seen from their vantage point. It seemed like the longest walk in the world to Tucker, though, as he followed the other men down the path. He wondered for the hundredth time if he was doing the right thing. My God, he¡¯d only known this man a few short weeks, and here he was about to commit his life to him. He remembered Bryson¡¯s response when he called to tell him he not only wouldn¡¯t be coming back, but he was going through a commitment ceremony with Gavin.


    There had been such a long silence on the other end of the line that Tucker thought he¡¯d dropped the call. ¡°Hello? Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind, Tucker,¡± Bryson¡¯s voice came at last. ¡°Orelse they¡¯ve brainwashed you. Tell me exactly where you are and let me come for you. I¡¯ll get you some help.¡±


    Tucker laughed nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass. I¡¯m fine, and I want this, Bryson. Nobody has brainwashed me!¡±


    Another long silence, then, ¡°Are you going to invite me to this commitment ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, see it¡¯s kind of a family-only thing.¡± Another silence. ¡°But maybe in a few weeks I¡¯ll ask Gavin to bring me back for a visit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll ask him to bring you back? Do you hear yourself, Tucker?¡± Such a long string of cussing followed that Tucker had quietly told him he¡¯d call later and hung up.


    Now as he walked down this path¡ªthere was a metaphor in there somewhere, he was sure of it¡ªhe had to wonder if Bryson was right. Was he making a terrible mistake? For a solid week after the mating, he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off Gavin, and he still wanted to be with him every waking moment. That couldn¡¯t be normal, could it? What would happen if he just stopped walking? Stopped walking and turned around on the path and went back to the lodge? His muscles actually tensed as he got ready to do just that, and at that moment he made it into the clearing at the end of the path. Gavin stood in front of him, smiling at him, a look of such love on his face that it made Tucker stumble a little and look down at his feet.


    He glanced back up and saw that his father stood next to Gavin, whose gaze never left Tucker¡¯s face. He swore he could hear something in his head¡ªa voice that wasn¡¯t his own. It was Gavin¡¯s voice, saying, You¡¯re so beautiful, baby. I love you. Gavin had told him they¡¯d be able to hear each other¡¯s thoughts if they wanted to once the bond had established fully, but this was the first time he¡¯d experienced it. He¡¯d said they had to concentrate really hard to send the messages back and forth, and he knew that Gavin had done it to reassure him. A wave of strong emotion flooded him and all thoughts of not going through with the ceremony vanished, swept away by the love he felt for his mate. Love¡ªhe¡¯d run from the idea for a while, but he did love Gavin. It wasn¡¯t just sex or strong attraction. It was love, pure and terrifying and strong. He walked toward his outstretched hand and put his own in the firm grip. Gavin bent his head to take his lips in a kissas if he couldn¡¯t help himself. He smiled down at him then for a moment before turning to face the crowded arena.


    Tucker glanced around him and saw the alphas in the front row, joined now by their mates. There had to be over two hundred people crowded in and around the large stone circle. Gavin took his hand and drew him next to his side. He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him. ¡°This is Tucker, and I hold him to my heart in the hope that he will lodge there forever. I pledge to him my love and faith, and my promise to always care for him, always protect him, always love him. My blood has found its match, and I will never forsake him. Even unto death, my heart will follow his.¡±


    When he¡¯d finished speaking he tipped up Tucker¡¯s chin to kiss him again. Tucker wrapped his arms around Gavin, shivering a little at the words. His father had told him what Gavin would say. The words were always the same andhe¡¯d used that word again, traditional, but to actually hear them had affected him more than he would have thought possible. His eyes were blurry with tears as his father embraced him next, saying to the crowd, ¡°The mating between our alpha and his mate is complete. They are bonded now and forever.¡±


    Cheers broke out around them and for the next thirty minutes or so, Gavin shook hands and received hugs from just about everybody there, it seemed. A soft hand on his arm made him turn to find Nicky standing beside him with a muscular, good-looking young man at his side. ¡°Tucker, I¡¯d like you to meet my best friend, Logan. His mate is our beta, Ian.¡±


    Logan smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Tucker. Welcome to the pack.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Damn, Nicky, are all the mates models or something? I¡¯m beginning to feel pretty inadequate.¡±


    Nicky laughed and locked his arm through his. ¡°Have you looked in a mirror lately? Seriously, something about the wolf blood of their mate definitely has an effect on humans and even the natural pets. Logan¡¯s human, of course, and he was always cute, but after he mated with Ian, he became ripped like a young Arnold Schwarzenegger.¡±


    ¡°And Nicky tries to embarrass me every chance he gets. Actually, I asked for an introduction so I could warn you about something. Nobody ever told me, so when it happened after my ceremony, it freaked me the hell out.¡±


    ¡°Told you what?¡± Tucker said nervously.


    ¡°About the shift. It¡¯s the full moon, and in a few minutes, to celebrate, they say, the whole damn pack of wolves will shift and run with the moon. Scared the hell out of me the first time I saw it.¡±


    As if that was their cue, Gavin came over to Tucker and kissed him fiercely before turning to the crowd, putting back his head and giving an unearthly howl that echoed around the clearing. The other wolves joined in right away, and clothes began flying as they quickly stripped and began to contort their bodies in the change Tucker had only witnessed once before. It had scared him half to death then, but this was even more frightening. Only a few dim torches burned around the ring, so most of the light came from the full moon. One by one the pack members dropped down on all fours and shifted into all manner of wolves, some black, some brown, and one huge silver wolf that bounded past Nicky, butting its head against him as it passed and almost knocking him off his feet. Tucker saw Marissa, near the front row, falling down on all fours, her heavy breasts with their wide brown nipples swinging under her. She glanced over at him and snarled as she shifted into a huge black wolf.


    Tucker whirled around to see both his father and his mate already shifted. Gavin¡¯s fur, he remembered, was dark brown. His father¡¯s was gray. Two sets of eyes stared at him as he backed slowly away, unable to stop his feet from moving. The wolf that Tucker knew was Gavin followed slowly after him until Tuckerbacked up against Logan¡¯s solid form. Logan put a hand on his shoulder and whispered to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. He won¡¯t hurt you. Touch his head.¡±


    Tucker put out his hand and felt the soft fur on top of the wolf¡¯s head. Gavin¡¯s wolf turned and gave another loud howl, again echoed by the other wolves, all shifted now, before bounding away into the forest, with the others following after him.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Tucker said, his legs still feeling unsteady. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t happen too often.¡±


    ¡°Only every chance they get,¡± Nicky said with a twist to his pretty mouth. ¡°Personally, I think they just like to get out of cleaning up. C¡¯mon,Logan, let¡¯s start folding up some of these chairs.¡±

 Page 25

    ¡°I can help, too,¡± Tucker said. ¡°I¡¯d like to put on some jeans or something, though. I¡¯ll go find my clothes and be back in a minute.¡±Advertisement


    Nicky waved him away, and Tucker started back down the moonlit path to the lodge. What had seemed like such a short distance when they first left the lodge in the twilight looked somehow more sinister and a lot farther away in the dark. Tucker looked around uneasily. Without the larger than life presence of the wolves, the place seemed almost deserted, though there were plenty of people still coming and going from the lodge. There was absolutely no threat to be seen anywhere, yet Tucker had a strange feeling of being observed. He hurried to the door of the lodge and looked back behind him on the path, but it was completely deserted. It was then that he heard a soft cry, not from outside, but sounding like it came from behind him, inside the lodge in the big common room.


    He ran toward the sound and saw a small figure crumpled on the floor near the front door. Standing over him was a man he didn¡¯t recognize, but who looked vaguely familiar. Trained as a detectiveto notice and remember people¡¯s appearances, Tucker focused for a moment on the fact that the man was tall, about thirty-five or so, with dark hair and regular features. Nothing was remarkable about him at all, except for the fact that he looked just as surprised to see the boy there as Tucker was. Tucker rushed over to the young boy and began checking him for injuries. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked sharply.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I heard a cry and found him lying here just as you came in.¡±


    Tucker glanced up at him and noticed he was carrying what looked like a small doctor¡¯s bag. ¡°Are you a doctor?¡±


    Before he could answer, Tucker heard a shout behind him. It was Nicky, and he came rushing over. ¡°Oh my God! What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Nicky, dear. I was just getting ready to examine him,¡± the man said, bending down beside him and opening his bag. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Nicky, who had fallen down beside the boy, taking his head in his lap looked up at the tall man. ¡°Thank you, Jeremy!¡± He glanced over at Tucker. ¡°This is Dr. Jeremy Tate. His sister is the mate of one of the gammas. Oh Tucker, could you go find Rory? This boy is his little brother, Adam.¡±


    Dr. Tate stood up again, still holding his bag in one hand. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Nicky looked confused. ¡°But¡­Rory needs to know what¡¯s happened¡ªMarco too.¡±


    ¡°Oh they¡¯ll know soon enough. In the meantime, I have to insist that you stay right where you are, Tucker.¡± Tucker took a step backward as the doctor pulled a small black oblong from his bag. Tucker recognized the object in his hand right away. That was the smell then that he¡¯d been trying to recognize since he first came on the scene, the slight burning smell. Tate had used a Taser on the boy and was now about to use it on him. His mind registered the fact almost objectively, as if it were happening to someone else.


    ¡°Jeremy, what are you doing?¡± Nicky yelled and tried to jump up in front of him. Tate pushed him aside, like batting away a troublesome fly. He pointed the Taserat Tucker¡¯s chest. ¡°Say goodnight, Tucker.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a chance to run as he hit him with it. Tucker had been hit by a Taser once before as part of his training on the police force in Florida, and it was an experience he¡¯d vowed never to repeat. The second the Taser hit him it felt like a four by four struck him in the chest and kept hitting him over and over. He couldn¡¯t drag in a breath and his body tensed like one big cramp as he fell helplessly to the floor, unable to break his own fall. His head bounced on the wooden floor, stunning him even more, and his whole body went into spasms as Tate followed up the Taser with a fist to his head, and the darkness crashed down heavily on top of him.


    Chapter Nine


    Tucker woke up to darkness so complete that it almost had substance. Disoriented, feeling around frantically, he touched a wall behind him, and quickly scooted up so that his back was against it, and it helped to ground him. He wasn¡¯t tied, but he was naked, the cement icy and damp under his ass. His heart was pounding, beating much faster than normal, whether from his predicament or some other cause he didn¡¯t yet know. His head felt thick and muzzy, and his chest hurt. He knew from experience that the ache in his chest most likely came from the Taser, as did the pain and fuzziness in his head. He felt for a knot on his head and found it quickly near the base of his skull. It was sticky with blood, and he wondered how long he¡¯d been knocked out.


    As his eyes gradually adjusted to the gloom, he saw that there actually was one small dirty window, wide, but only about eight or ten inches in height, up on the opposite wall. Outside the window, he could just make out the roots of some type of bush. He was in a basement then, but where? He got shakily to his feet and began to walk the perimeter of the room, holding one hand on the wall to figure out how large a space he was in. He ran into a set of stairs halfway around the space. He crawled carefully to the top and found they led up to a steel door, from the feel of it, locked, of course and with no light seeping around the edges. Making his way back down, he continued around the space until he came back to approximately where he¡¯d started, judging from its position across from the small window. Even though the space wasn¡¯t large, maybe fifteen paces long and fifteen wide, he¡¯d had to stop three times on his way around the room to rest, and his body ached all over like he had a bad case of flu. He hadn¡¯t run into anything¡ªor anyone¡ªon his circuit around the room, so he assumed it was mostly empty. He slid back down the wall to rest for a few moments and try to formulate some kind of plan, but right now he was coming up empty.


    A strip of light appearing at the bottom of the steel door startled him, and he thought briefly of trying to hide behind the steps to ambush whoever was coming, but he quickly discarded the idea. He was much too weak to try any such thing. Better to bide his time and see what he was up against. Maybe a chance to escape would present itself.


    The door opened and the man Nicky had called Jeremy Tate stood framed in the doorway. He came slowly down the steps, and Tucker was horrified to see that he wasn¡¯t alone. Nicky followed him, naked, head down and lolling forward on his shoulders, he was obviously stoned on something. Tate held tightly to his arm, helping him down the steps and pulled Nicky across the room to stand in front of Tucker. Tucker glanced up first at Nicky, who seemed to be almost out on his feet. He was startled to see a huge erection bobbing in front of Nicky, throbbing and red. He was rubbing it now with his free hand, up and down, up and down, slowly, though it didn¡¯t seem to bring him any relief. With his head down and his hair over his forehead, it was hard to see any expression on his beautiful face. Tate held his arm possessively, pulling his body close to his side.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! I thought it might be an hour or more yet. You creatures really do have the most amazing metabolisms.¡± Absently he caressed the side of Nicky¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait a few minutes more after all, sweetheart, for me to take care of you. Just long enough for me to give your friend, Tucker, here, another dose.¡±


    ¡°Dose of what?¡± Tucker asked quietly.


    ¡°A special cocktail I made up myself. I¡¯ve been experimenting with some of the other so- called pets of the wolves, and I think I¡¯ve finally got it right. Tommy was almost perfect, but your big bad wolf killed him too fast. I didn¡¯t have time to see what effects my drugs might have had long term. I hope to have more luck with you, and possibly I can do some fine-tuning.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean, luck? What are you trying to do?¡± Not that he gave a shit what the maniac was trying to do, but he wanted to keep him talking if he could on the off chance he¡¯d come up with an idea.


    Tate smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, do you? I saw you once at that bar you liked to go to in Florida. I tipped my glass to you, and I thought for a moment you might come over to speak to me. It would have made things so much easier. But you only had eyes for that damned wolf.¡±


    Tucker shook his head, his memory fuzzy. He had a vague memory of the man the night Tucker had come in with his gammas. He remembered the sight of Tate had given him a slight chill. ¡°Why did you bring us here? What the fuck are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Why, I¡¯m building an army, an army of pets under my control. Not the humans, of course, like Nicky here. They¡¯re just victims of the monsters. No, I need creatures like you. The Hunter scientists went wrong by experimenting on the wolves. Wolves are too difficult to manage, too strong, and way too arrogant. The pets, however, are genetically predisposed to be docile creatures. They have the added bonus of being very special to the wolves, so they hesitate to hurt them. By turning them into killing machines, I can eventually wipe out the wolves and then I can simply destroy the pets under my control.¡±


    ¡°Tommy was killing innocent humans, you prick! Thewolves aren¡¯t the murderers¡ªyou are!¡±


    Tate shook his head, a nasty little smirk on his lips. ¡°Now, now, I can¡¯t expect you to understand. You¡¯re one of them, after all. One of the half-breed abominations. The deaths of the humans in Florida were unfortunate, yes. Some of that fine-tuning I was talking about. You see, Tommy was sent there after you, Tucker. He just got a little mixed up. Poor Tommy. Not the brightest bulb in the box, was he? I hope to have more luck with you.¡±


    That gotTucker¡¯s attention. ¡°With me? What the hell are you even saying? And why would he come after me? I didn¡¯t have anything to do with the wolves before a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but your mother did. Your mother was married before she met your father, Tucker. To Elias Winters.¡±


    Elias Winters? Why did that name ring a bell? Tucker searched his memory for a moment, then mentally shrugged.¡°Who? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I never knew my mother, and my grandparents never mentioned that to me.¡±


    Tate gave a short bark of laughter. ¡°No, I would think not. Too ashamed of their little whore, I would think. Elias Winters was the founder and leader of the Hunters, Tucker. They fought the wolves for over thirty years until the wolves attacked them and wiped them out to the last man.¡±

 Page 26

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ve heard about this. Gavin told me.They weren¡¯t wiped out, not like you¡¯re saying. The ones who surrendered were adopted or assimilated into the pack.¡±Advertisement


    ¡°Adopted! Made into whores for the wolves! Wintersand the other leaders were killed!¡± Tucker shook his head. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how this has anything to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Your mother, damn it! She left Winters and their son. Then she turned around and mated with a damn wolf. Quite a slap in the face for Winters. That¡¯s why she had to die.¡±


    Tucker felt the blood drain from his face. ¡°He k -killed my mother?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Tried to kill her little abomination too, but you lived! Your grandparents took you and ran away, but it didn¡¯t take too long for Winters to track you down. He had quite a network of operatives. He¡¯d been planning to have you killed for years once the war with the wolves settled down. He just never got around to it. So, in his memory, so to speak, I thought it might be a good test of Tommy¡¯s training. I wanted to see if I could send him on a mission and have him complete it. He came damn close too, but your mate got in the way. Lustful bastard couldn¡¯t stay away from you once he found you.¡± He looked down at Tucker. ¡°Understandable, really. You¡¯re a beautiful little thing, even if you are one of them. Maybe I¡¯ll have a little fun with you later.¡±


    Tucker dropped his head so he wouldn¡¯t see the disgust sweep over his face. No sense in antagonizing him even more at this point. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll film it, like I plan to do with Nicky here. Send it to the alphas and tweak their noses a bit. They¡¯re so damn possessive and jealous. Yes, it really was a bonus to have the alpha take you for his mate and bring you back here for me to try again. So convenient. I¡¯ve wanted an alpha¡¯s pet to kick this off all along, but none of the others were suitable. Nicky and Gabe are humans, and that other one is a wolf. You¡¯re perfect¡ª practically royalty to them with your father a beta and your mate an alpha. How humiliating it will be for all of them to realize they can¡¯t even keep their own precious pets safe.¡± Tate¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°Now enough stalling, Tucker. Time for your medicine, sweetheart!¡±


    ¡°Wait, please! I still don¡¯t understand! What¡¯s in this for you? Why are you doing this?¡±


    His smile faded and his eyes became icy and still. ¡°Revenge, of course. Why else would I have come back to some little backwater town to practice medicine? I¡¯m a heart surgeon! But when the opportunity arose, I couldn¡¯t pass it up. Elias Winters was my father. I was illegitimate, of course, but he took very good care of me and my mother, and paid for my education. I have an obligation to him to restore the Hunters and lead them back to their former strength. I won¡¯t make the same mistakes my father did, and this time, we¡¯ll annihilate the wolves along with their half-breed bastards.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Tucker cried out, stalling for time. ¡°Nicky said your sister is mated to a wolf.¡±


    ¡°My half-sister, yes. Stupid cow. It did give me the perfect in, though. I could say I was visiting her and get all the information about the pack that I needed. Now, enough prevaricating.¡± He let go of Nicky¡¯s arm and reached for Tucker, hauling him roughly to his feet. His legs felt like boiled spaghetti, and he could barely stay upright.


    Tucker made a silent vow to kill Tate at some future time and place, slowly and with extreme prejudice. Pulling the Taser from his pocket, Tateheld it pressed to Tucker¡¯s temple as he dragged him over to a wooden chair in the center of the room. He had only walked the perimeter before and totally missed it in the dark. Underneath the chair was a large roll of duct tape. Shoving him down, Tate stepped back and reached for Nicky, who shuffled over to stand in front of him.


    ¡°Shit, what have you done to him? I thought you said he was just a victim?¡±


    ¡°Oh,he is, and when I have him properly trained, I won¡¯t have to drug him anymore. Until I can find a cure for the blood he has to drink, I¡¯ll have to give him a synthetic substitute, but the real problem is the brainwashing they¡¯ve done to him. I have to train that out of him.¡±


    ¡°Training, hell¡ªhe¡¯s been drugged!¡±


    Tate smiled and caressed Nicky¡¯s rounded little ass, giving his ass cheek a squeeze. ¡°Just another little cocktail I devised. A bit of Valium, some ecstasy and a few Oxycontin. Makes him nice and compliant, with the added bonus of getting him hooked on Oxy. Hooked like a fucking fish! He¡¯ll be all mine soon, and much more obedient that way. Nicky¡¯s been mine from the first moment I saw him, really,but he hasn¡¯t figured that out yet. I almost had him too, except for the interference of that stupid creature he was mated to.¡± He released Nicky¡¯s ass, reached under the chair for the tape, and shoved it at Nicky. ¡°Tape him to the chair, Nicky. Make it nice and tight, baby.¡±


    Nicky, with his head still lowered, sank to his knees and dutifully began wrapping the tape tightly around Tucker¡¯s legs. Tate was smart. Tucker didn¡¯t feel inclined to fight Nicky, even if he could have mustered the strength, and even if he had, the Taser was leveled at his chest again. Nicky¡¯s blond head was bowed, and his hands were trembling violently.


    Still with his head down, he held out his hand for the syringe, and Tate dropped it into his palm, along with a rubber tie. Despite his seeming stupor, Nicky came to him and snapped the tie aroundTucker¡¯s arm, leaning in close. He raised his head for the first time and looked directly into Tucker¡¯s eyes. Then he very deliberately lowered one eyelid in a wink. Tucker thought for a moment that he¡¯d imagined it, but the tiny smile playing around Nicky¡¯s lips convinced him that Nickywasn¡¯t as stoned as he was pretending to be and had some kind of plan in mind. Tucker decided to play it up for Tate, who stood carefully watching. He shrank back as far as his bonds would allow him.


    ¡°Please Nicky, don¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°¡¯S¡¯okay, Tugger¡­¡± Nicky said softly, slurring his words. ¡°I know howta do this¡ªI won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    The needle sank into his arm and Tucker tensed, still not completely sure if Nicky was pretending or not. A huge blue vein had sprung up beneath the tie-off and the needle hurt badly as it went in. Tucker screamed a hoarse, desperate scream that made Nicky shake even worse as he quickly pulled at the tieoff band on Tucker¡¯s arm. Tucker waited tensely, but nothing happened, just a vague feeling of coolness spreading through his vein. Nicky started to get up and sprawled back down again across Tucker¡¯s lap, his hands fumbling down beside the chair to the floor for support. Tate was immediately beside him, cooing over him as he tenderly helped him to his feet, but not before Nicky fell over against Tucker¡¯s chest, pretending to have a hard time getting back to his feet. Tucker felt him slip a short knife down into his bound hands, tucking it quickly up under the tape. Since Nicky had taped his hands facing together, it was easy to palm the small knife, hiding it from Tate¡¯s sight. To help cover, Tucker moaned loudly, rolling his head on his shoulders as Nicky pretended again to stumble as he was pulled away.


    He must have had the knife taped up under the chair, Tucker thought dazedly, so relieved he was still shaking badly. Tate was pulling Nicky upstairs, and he knew he had only a few minutes before Nicky was taken to another room and raped. The little knife was sharp and soon he¡¯d cut through the bonds on his hands. He bent over and made short work of the tape around his ankles.


    Quietly as he could, he made his way up the steps, winded after going only halfway, hoping that Tate would have had his hands full with Nicky and didn¡¯t lock the door back. He knew he had to hurry and hoped Nicky would be able to stall Tate for a few more minutes. He tried the door knob and a wave of relief washed over him as it turned easily in his hand. As he came through the door at the top of the stairs he came out into a modern kitchen. This must be Tate¡¯s home then. A phone hung on the wall by the doorway. Easing over to it, he dialed 911 and when they answered, whispered one word into the receiver¡ª¡°Hurry.¡± He let the phone dangle on its cord then, not daring to waste any more time, or have the dispatchers call back and alert Tate. He knew dispatch would send officers to check out the call, and in the meantime, Nicky needed him. Passing by the front door, he eased it partially open, so the officers could get in and not waste time knocking. He could hear grunting and moaning coming from down the hallway. If Tate was distracted with Nicky, he might have one chance to surprise him, while Tate tried to figure out what the fuck was going on. Despite his weakness, Tucker was a trained police officer, and he thought he could handle Tate, even in his weakened state, and especially with Nicky¡¯s help.


    Creeping silently to the door of the room the sounds were coming from, he paused for a second in the doorway. Nicky lay on his back in the middle of a huge king-sized bed, with Tate straddling him. He heldNicky¡¯s hands down on either side of his head while he was busy biting and licking at his neck. Neither of them had noticed him standing in the doorway. Tucker inhaled a deep breath and hurled himself at Tate, catching him around the waist and rolling sideways, gravity and momentum on his side. Tucker fell heavily on top of Tate, getting his hands around his throat and watching Tate¡¯s face turn a satisfying shade of red as he gasped for breath. Tate didn¡¯t give up easily, and they struggled desperately for several minutes, rolling around on the floor by the bed. FinallyTucker managed to get his hands around Tate¡¯s neck, ably assisted by Nicky who had launched himself off the bed and stood behind him, kicking Tate¡¯s ass and balls for all he was worth whenever he got a chance. At least a few of the kicks must have landed, because Tate began shrieking like an alarm going off.


    From some recess of his brain, he became aware of noisy shouts around him, and someone tryingto pry his hands from Tate¡¯s throat. His adrenaline was stronger, though, and a red haze covered his vision. It took a sudden blow to the back of his headwith a cop¡¯s flashlight before he loosened his grip and sagged to the floor. The last sound he heard before he lost consciousness was Nicky yelling his name.

 Page 27

    Over the next few hours, Nicky proved just how quick-thinking he really was. Tucker and Nicky both had been taken to the hospital in the same ambulance, with a separate one taking Jeremy Tate, who was suffering from a crushed windpipe. While Tucker was still unconscious the cops questioned Nicky, who told them an elaborate story about Tate picking them up while they were walking on a road near their home and then taking them back to his place and giving them drugs so he could rape them.Advertisement


    Their luck had held even more by virtue of the fact that the house they were being held in was right downtown, and a police car had been on patrol near the area when the call came over the radio. He¡¯d been able to respond right away.


    By the time they ¡¯d arrived at the hospital in Brevard, Nicky had asked for a doctor named Dr. Cornsilk to meet them at the Emergency Room. Tucker was later reminded that this doctor was Werekin, on staff at the hospital. Cornsilk met the ambulance, his mouth a round o of surprise at the situation and their condition, not to mention finding out that his chief of staff was behind it all. Tucker was awake at that point and being treated by the EMTs for his injuries. Once inside the ER, the doctor found that he had a concussion from the blow given to him by the police officer who tried to pull him off Tate. It was fairly mild,and they didn¡¯t think he would suffer any long-term effects, but wanted to keep him overnight. Other than high blood pressure, a side effect of the Taser, and contusions and bruises, hedidn¡¯t have any other serious injuries. Blood work was pending, of course, to see just what that son of a bitch Tate had injected in his veins before Tucker woke up.


    By this time Nicky, who insisted on staying in the same treatment room with Tucker had already tried to explain to Tucker what had been happening after Tate got him with the Taser.


    ¡°Thank goodness Tate left Adam there on the floor. I convinced him that the two of us were enough, so he left him.¡± His brow furrowed for a moment. ¡°I hope someone found him pretty soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they did,¡± Tucker mumbled. He had a terrible headache and he was dizzy and felt cold. The reaction to all they¡¯d been through was setting in with a vengeance.


    Nicky, on the other hand, probably because of the drugs in his system, was still high and a little manic. ¡°Well, he took you and put you in the back of his car and took me with him, of course. I tried to make him think it was what I wanted anyway, but I don¡¯t think he really believed me. He shot me up with drugs almost as soon as we got to that house.¡±


    ¡°About that, Nicky. He told me he used Valium, ecstasy and Oxycontin. How in the world are you even functioning with all that in your system?¡±


    Nicky shrugged with a little smile. ¡°When I left Marco a while ago, I was gone for about three months, mostly camping out in the woods above Gabe and Zack¡¯s lodge in North Georgia. Anyway, I was doing a lot of drugs the whole time. Valium, oxy, meth¡­anything I could get my hands on. I used to walk down the trail a couple miles and then hitchhike to the nearest bar. I was drinking pretty heavy too. It¡¯s a wonder I didn¡¯t kill myself, really, but at the time, I didn¡¯t much care, you know? Anyway, by the time I finally ran out of money to buy drugs, I was taking some pretty huge doses. After I came home, Dr. Cornsilk started weaning me off sort of gradually, because he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen with my changed metabolism if I went cold turkey. The drugs Tate gave me made me high¡ªthe E was some kind of home-grown stuff, he told me. Really potent!¡± He laughed, rubbing his still-hard dick throughthe hospital scrubs he¡¯d been given. ¡°Damn, that shit was intense! The rest of it, though,really didn¡¯t do much for me. I played it off, and got him thinking I was pretty high. He sent me down to set up the chair while he was shooting you up, and I managed to slip a knife out of the drawer in the kitchen. The rest was easy.¡±


    Tucker shook his head admiringly. ¡°Easy, huh? Well, thank God, Nicky. Pretty sure I wouldn¡¯t have made it out without you.¡±


    Nicky flashed him a big smile as loud voices filtered in from the waiting room outside the ER. They got louder as some kind of loud argument raged outside in the hallway. Nicky turned to Tucker with a grin. ¡°Oh, Lord, sounds like the big-and-bads have arrived. Hang on tight! It¡¯s gonna be a bumpy ride for a while.¡±


    Within minutes, the curtain was flung back and both Gavin and Marco shouldered past the nurses who were ineffectually trying to stop them. Gavin rushed immediately to Tucker¡¯s side and gathered him up in his arms, hugging him so tightly Tucker couldn¡¯t breathe. Tucker nuzzled his nose in the hollow between Gavin¡¯s shoulder and neck, and he was pretty sure a little sob stuttered out of his throat. He¡¯d never been so happy and relieved to see anyone in his life. Vaguely, he was aware that a similar reunion was going on next to him with Nicky and Marco.


    Two burly security guards burst onto the scene then, trying to get Gavin and Marco to leave. One of them made the mistake of taking hold of Marco¡¯s arm to pull him away. It was only because of Nicky, who was perched on Marco¡¯s lap holding him down that Marco didn¡¯t do some serious damage to the room, not to mention the security guy. Dr. Cornsilk arrived breathlessly on the scene and managed to calm everyone down, but things were uncertain for a while. Throughout it all, still suffering from shock and whatever had been in the injection, Tucker clung to Gavin¡¯s shoulders like a squirrel monkey, not wanting to let go of him for a moment. Gavin hunched protectively over him, not moving away until the guards left. When Tucker raised his head, he saw that Richard had come in too and was standing quietly by the gurney with his hands stuck in his pockets. Tucker held out a hand to him and was rewarded by a huge smile as he tightly gripped it.


    Dr. Cornsilk insisted both patients spend the night in the hospital, so the next little while was taken up with transfers to a semi-private room upstairs, which they insisted on sharing.


    During the transfer, Tucker was pulled away from Gavin. He still felt like hell, and didn¡¯t want Gavin to know just how sluggishly his brain was working. They told him they were afraid to give him painkillers until they had all the results of the blood work, so his head was throbbing, and he ached all over. Once they were settled in the new room, Gavin sat beside him, his arms crossed as if holding himself together. His father stood by the window, his gaze never leaving Tucker¡¯s face.


    There was something important he needed to ask, but he couldn¡¯t quite focus on what it was. Gavin scooted his chair closer, pushingTucker¡¯s hair off his forehead. Tucker was so tired. His eyelids began to droop, the surroundings fading. He felt a soft kiss on his cheek. One bleary look around the room showed him his father had come to stand by the end of the bed and had his hand on his foot, while Gavin stroked his hair. It was the last thing he remembered before sleep swallowed him whole.


    He awoke sometime in the middle of the night when a nurse came in to check his vitals. The room was dim, with the only light coming from the bathroom. When he opened his eyes, Gavin leaned forward, squeezing his hand. ¡°You awake, baby?¡± he said softly, close to Tucker¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, or tried to . His voice came out rusty, likehe hadn¡¯t used it in a long time. Gavin kissed his hand. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine, sweetheart. Dr. Cornsilk came in a while ago and told me the drugs that bastard shot you up with were nothing to be too concerned about, or at least not at the levels he injected you with. If he¡¯d been able to give you more¡­¡± His voice trailed off, and Tucker sensed his body stiffening in anger and outrage again.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay . He didn¡¯t, right? Thanks to Nicky.¡± Tucker glanced over at the bed next to him and saw that Marco had somehow managed to climb into the small bed with Nicky and was spooning him. Nicky¡¯s lips were parted and soft snoring sounds came from his throat. Both he and Marco were sound asleep.


    Tucker turned back to Gavin. ¡°Tell me what happened to Tate. Where is he? Did I¡­¡± Gavin¡¯s face changed just a littl e, but Tucker was becoming familiar with all his expressions, and caught the subtle difference. ¡°What is it? Is he dead?¡±


    Gavin laughed shortly. ¡°I wish. No, baby, the son of a bitch is gone. Somehow in the confusion when you all arrived at the hospital, he managed to walk out, right under everybody¡¯s noses. We suspect he¡¯s pretty well connected here in the hospital. Then too, maybe when Marco and I, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°When you pitched your little tantrum?¡± Tucker smiled, noting that even his face hurt when he did. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡±


    Gavin flushed and tightened his grip on Tucker¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey, but we were frantic. I left Marissa to watch you, and when you and Nicky never came back outside, she went inside to investigate and found Adam unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Marissa? Why Marissa? I know she hates me.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t hate you, baby. She¡¯s just very aggressive and protective of me. We¡¯ve been friends for a long time. She kept out of sight in the trees because she knows how you feel about her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Tucker said, trying to sound noncommittal. That she was protective of Gavin, he believed. But he¡¯d seen her eyes when she looked at Gavin, and she didn¡¯t feel only friendship for him. Of that, Tucker was positive.


    ¡°Anyway, in all the confusion, it took a few minutes for them to realize you and Nicky were missing. By the time Adam came around and filled us in, it was almost too late. We took off for Tate¡¯s house as quickly as we could, but there was no one there. We know now that he had you in some kind of secret safe house for him and his men, right in the middle of town.¡±


    ¡°Those Hunters he was talking about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. From what Nicky told us he¡¯s reactivated the Hunters. Some of the shit he said was just incredible.¡±


    ¡°Like the fact that he¡¯s Elias Winters¡¯ son?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ªhis illegitimate son. That would makehim Logan¡¯s half-brother, if he¡¯s telling the truth. Did you know that Logan was the son of Elias Winters?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not really.A lot of relationships to keep up with.¡±

 Page 28

    ¡°I know, baby,¡± Gavin said soothingly.Advertisement


    ¡°Did Nicky tell you about m-my mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. It almost killed your dad to hear it. He knew, of course, that she¡¯d been married before, but she never gave him a name or much information at all on the guy, telling him it was an episode in her life she wanted to put behind her. All he knew was that she¡¯d been in an abusive relationship and that she¡¯d left behind a child with her ex. I guess that child was Logan. Your father never really knew his name. Your motherwouldn¡¯t discuss it much. Told himhe¡¯d threatened to kill her and the child, as well as her parents if she hadn¡¯t left the boy with him. Richard wanted to go back for him, and they¡¯d made plans to do just that before the accident. He would still have gone through withit if her parents hadn¡¯t disappeared, taking you with them. He was so heartbroken and distracted, he never thought much about it again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in. After my grandparents passed away, I thought I was all alone in the world. Now to find out I have a father and a half brother. And my poor mom. She never had a chance to rescue Logan or enjoy her life with my dad.It¡¯s all just so sad. She had her whole life in front of her, and she was finally happy.¡±


    ¡°I know, sweetheart, but at least you know nowyou¡¯re not alone at all. You have me, and your father and now Logan.It¡¯ll be good for Logan, too. Marco talked to me a little while when you and Nicky were sleeping. He said Winters told Logan before he died that he killed his mother.He¡¯ll be glad to know she had a little happiness before it happened. And that it gave him a brother.¡±


    Tucker nodded. ¡°I only met him for a few minutes, but he seems like a nice guy.¡±


    ¡°He is. Marco says he¡¯s Nicky¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Tucker gave in to a massive yawn. Though he fought against it, he could feel his eyes closing.


    ¡°You need to get some sleep, sweetheart. Go ahead. I¡¯ll be right here.¡±


    ¡°No, get in bed with me. Please, Gavin. I want you to hold me.¡±


    Gavin climbed onto the bed beside him as Tucker scooted over to make a little room. ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s nice,¡± he murmured as he pulled Gavin¡¯s arms tightly around him. ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I may never let you out of my sight again.¡±


    Epilogue


    A week passed. Nicky and Tucker had been released from the hospital and brought back to Marco¡¯s lodge to recuperate. Richard and the other wolves from Tennessee had gone home, and Gavin and Tucker were scheduled to leave the next day. Dr. Cornsilk had asked Tucker to stay nearby for a week or so to make sure there were no lasting effects from the injection he¡¯d been given, a crazy combination of steroids, growth hormones, and methamphetamines. The high dose of meth alone would have been enough to cause the extreme aggression the pets exhibited, but he wasn¡¯t sure what caused the pets to have some of the same characteristics as the wolves¡ªthings like superhuman strength and speed. The doctor was still running tests, but he thought that the combination of substances in extremely heavy doses reacted somehow with the Werekin metabolism.Melinda¡¯s body was yet to be found, but human remains had been recovered from a burn pile at the rear of the safe house, and it was feared they were hers.


    No trace of Jeremy Tate could be found either by the authorities or the wolves, who had their own form of retribution planned for him. Considering the things Tate had told them, though, he¡¯d be back. They had little doubt of that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why I have to stay in bed,¡± Tucker said, feeling grouchy and out of sorts . It was late afternoon, six days after he and Nicky were released from the hospital. Tucker was thoroughlysick of all the coddling he¡¯d been receiving, and ready to get back on his feet. Gavin was lounging on a recliner next to him, watching a NASCAR race. Tucker despised NASCAR races. ¡°Nicky¡¯s been up and around for a few days now,¡± he said, trying to get Gavin¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Nicky wasn¡¯t hit by a Taser, nor was he hit on the back of the head and knocked unconscious by overzealous police officers. You had a mild concussion, baby, and the doctor said you needed to rest for at least a week.¡±


    ¡°Rest, yes, but not be confined to a bed, naked and helpless.¡±


    ¡°You told me you liked to sleep naked.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep all the time! AndI haven¡¯t been sleeping thatmuch!¡±


    ¡°Tucker, you fell asleep this morning while brushing your teeth.¡±


    ¡°I was only resting my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was! Andin the meantime I¡¯m bored out of my mind! And please tell me what is the point of watching those damn cars go around and around in a fucking circle!¡±


    ¡°Because of the precision and speed,¡± Gavin said defensively. ¡°They¡¯re not just going around in circle¡ªokay, they are, but at really top speed. The drivers need a lot of expertise to take the curves at such speeds.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, blah, blah, blah.¡±


    Gavin smirked a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m being inconsiderate. You¡¯re stuck here in bed and I¡¯m hogging the TV. Want me to see if I can find that little model show you like so much? The one where the little girls are all trying to be the top model?¡±


    ¡°Okay, one time I watched it! It was really close between the tall blonde and the redhead from Florida.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I hate you, you know. I think you¡¯re enjoying my pain.¡±


    Gavin laughed and moved over to sit next to him on the bed. ¡°Never, baby. And you don¡¯t really hate me, do you?¡± In one quick move, he pulled the covers back and engulfed Tucker¡¯s cock in his warm mouth,sucking it in until Tucker¡¯s eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned aloud.


    He moved his lips slowly up the length of Tucker¡¯s cock, dragging his tongue on the underside slowly upward, ending with a little nibble on the head. Breathing hard, Tucker let his head fall back on the pillow. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re killing me. Tell me you¡¯re not planning to keep teasing me.¡±


    ¡°No, I think you¡¯ve recovered enough for a little lovemaking. If you¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Come here and let me show you how sure.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast. I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°What? Now?¡± Tucker let his head fall back on the pillow in frustration.


    ¡°Well, when you were missing, all I could think about over and over was that I¡¯d lost you, and you never even told me that you love me.¡±


    Tucker raised his eyebrows. ¡°What? Of course I have.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gavin said with a shake of his head. ¡°I would have remembered.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Tucker said, squirming a little. ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°What you said.¡±


    ¡°Love me? I think I need you to say it, Tucker.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t make such a big deal. I love you, okay?¡±


    ¡°A little louder¡ªcouldn¡¯t quite hear that¡­¡±


    Tucker¡¯s eyebrows drew together in a frown. ¡°I love you, damn it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, close, but I¡¯d really like to hear it without the little additions. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just have to keep you in this bed and tease you for hours, and not let you come.¡± He leaned over and licked Tucker¡¯s shaft from the base to the head.


    ¡°Oh sweet Lord! Ifucking love you, you asshole!¡±


    Gavin grinned and looked up into Tucker¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damn, I love a sweet talking man. Sorry, stubborn boy, looks like we¡¯re going to be here for a long time.¡± He bent back to his work then, and neither of them talked much again for a long time.


    *THE END*