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Rise of the Changelings, Book 7

Rise to Live

Marco and Remus have been best friends since they were small
cubs. Marco worshiped the ground Remus walked on. If only the

leopard wasn't so thickheaded Marco just might have a shot at
happiness. But when he helps Remus in rescuing a werewolf from
Dexcom labs, his life takes a turn that will scar him forever.

What starts out as two best friends helping out their alpha turns
into a nightmarish situation that Remus isn’t sure he can survive.

Meanwhile, the war has spilt onto the front doorstep of the White
House. Enrique Marcelo is determined to make the president

either call a halt to the insanity, or kill the man for wanting the
changelings exterminated—maybe both.

But ending the war won’t be easy, and neither will the task of
disbanding the Breed Hunters and mercenaries. Rick, Dorian, and
the people who have fought by their side encounter betrayal, lies,

and deception that rock their very foundation as they rise to live.

NOTE! You are purchasing Siren's newest imprint, the Siren Epic

Romance collection. This is the final book in the Rise of the
Changelings series. The series shares an overall story arc with

many crossover characters playing major roles in each book.
These books are not stand-alone and should be read in their

numbered order.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 67,942 words

RISE TO LIVE

Rise of the Changelings, Book 7

Lynn Hagen

SIREN EPIC ROMANCE,

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Siren Epic Romance ManLove

RISE TO LIVE
Copyright © 2013 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-201-2

First E-book Publication: April 2013

Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Rise to Live by Lynn Hagen from
BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank
you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
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The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
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This is Lynn Hagen’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
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www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

RISE TO LIVE

Rise of the Changelings, Book 7

LYNN HAGEN

Chapter One

Rick twirled the knife in his hand and then shoved the blade in the

sheath at his thigh. “I don’t think he’ll be getting up anytime soon.”

Dorian scrunched his nose as he shivered, standing there looking

as if he were going to be sick. Rick damn near laughed at the look on
his mate’s face. “Not after you cut out his heart. That was just plain
old gross.”

“That might be, gatito,” Rick said as he tossed the heart as far as

he could, “but it’s the only way to truly kill a vampire. I don’t see
how you’re still squeamish after all this time.”

Dorian pulled his gun from his holster, aimed, and shot the

vampire in the head. Rick knew that even though Dorian was
changeling now, he still preferred to do the things that made him most
comfortable. Rick would give him that. A slow grin tilted up the side
of his mouth as he shook his head. “Feel better?”

“Much,” he said as he reholstered his gun. “Now I know he’s truly

dead.”

Rick clapped his mate on the back, and then gave his shoulder a

light squeeze. “Come on, babe, let’s get back to our group.”

That was the seventh vampire they had to kill in two nights. Rick

was getting irritated as hell. The Rebellion group was making its way

Lynn Hagen

to Washington, but it seemed every time they turned around, either
someone needed help, or they were fighting their way out of a
situation. It didn’t help that the master vampire, Kraven, was in
hiding, but sending his Soul Reapers after them every few days. They
never killed anyone, and Rick was starting to think it was Kraven’s
way of fucking with their heads.

Like they needed that. Rick would love to get his hands on the

damn man.

Not even Salvador, an ancient vampire from Brazil, could detect

where Kraven was. And that didn’t set well with Rick. It either meant
Kraven was growing in power, or messing with some dark voodoo
shit.

Dorian walked to the truck and slid into the passenger’s seat while

Rick set the body on fire. He wanted to make damn sure the thing was
dead. There would be no getting up from this. He made sure there was
a roaring blaze before heading toward his truck. Why the vampires
were suddenly attacking, Rick had no clue. Maybe Kraven was
sending them. Maybe he wasn’t. It wasn’t like he stopped them in the
middle of fighting to ask. But whatever was going on, it had the
vampires attacking the Rebellion groups all around. The vampires and
the Soul Reapers could be two separate incidents, but Rick highly
doubted that.

Walking across the grass to reach the road where he was parked,

Rick scanned the area one last time. He knew they needed to get to
Washington. Rebellion groups across the nation were waiting on him
to call them into action. But Rick didn’t want to make that call until
he was closer to the White House. With all the delays they were
experiencing, he wasn’t sure he would be there in a few days’ time.

Hell, he was praying they made it there sometime before the end

of the year, which was a long way off. With the vampires attacking
and small things slowing them down, Rick was starting to think fate
was keeping him away from his goal.

Rise to Live

“You coming?” Dorian asked as he leaned forward, glancing from

the passenger window, his Peruvian-brown eyes staring intently at
Rick. “Unless you think more vampires are around. If there are, I’m
sitting in the truck. Watching you cut their hearts out is not my
favorite pastime.”

A grin tilted the side of Rick’s mouth as he rounded the truck and

slipped into the driver’s seat. “You are such a wuss.”

Dorian gave a throaty protest as he sat back and tucked his arms

over his chest. “I was a deli clerk before all of this started. I highly
doubt I can add Rebellion and vampire slayer to my résumé once this
is over. I’m sure no one would like me writing that I can slice meat
while cutting a heart out.”

Rick chuckled, needling his mate. “You’re still a wuss.”
Although Dorian was glaring at Rick with narrowed eyes, Rick

could see his mate fighting not to laugh. It was good to see him back
to his old self. He had hated—and felt helpless—when his mate had
gone through his meltdown not too long ago. It was something Rick
never wanted to see his mate go through again. He had feared losing
Dorian while the man worked things out in his head. Rick couldn’t
blame Dorian. He was right. The guy had been a deli clerk before all
of this had begun. Throwing his mate into this and expecting him not
to crack was pure stupidity on Rick’s part.

He should have anticipated something like that happening. But

Rick had been so caught up in the fight that he hadn’t paid attention to
the signs.

He was paying attention now.
Pulling from the grass he had parked on, Rick drove onto the road

and headed back to the safe house they were currently residing in. He
should be unwilling to use anyone’s home after what had happened
before, but there were no more detention centers, and he prayed like
hell no one else betrayed them.

“Have you heard from Salvador?” Dorian asked.

Lynn Hagen

Rick shook his head as he gazed at the road. “No. Freedman,

Omar, and Salvador were last seen up in Canada. I’m not sure how
much closer they are to tracking Kraven down.”

Dorian looked as if he was mulling that over in his mind, and then

he spoke. “You would think that as powerful as Salvador is, he would
have no problem catching Kraven. I saw what he can do, we all did,
and it was some spooky-ass shit.”

Rick agreed. Since this war had started, his eyes had been opened

to many things. There were some horrors that would forever haunt
him. But Salvador topped every weird thing he had ever come across.
The ancient vampire even topped the ghost that had helped them free
Ian from a vampire hurting him in the dream world. “Speculation is
that Kraven is messing with some very dark voodoo.”

“Like Miguel’s grandmother?” Dorian asked as he turned in his

seat.

Rick shook his head. “No. She dabbled, but she wasn’t

malevolent. Kraven is evil down to his damn core.” Rick would
almost bet the master vampire was a spawn of Satan himself. He’d
never met anyone who had absolutely no conscience about what he
did to others or how he hurt them. The man simply did not care. If
something didn’t benefit him, he simply walked away from it, or
killed whoever stood in his way.

He had even abandoned his coven when Salvador took off after

him, leaving them to be slaughtered by the military men who had
tracked them down. “I hope he catches the bastard and uses his little
freaky-deaky tricks to rip Kraven’s balls from his body.”

Dorian’s pert nose scrunched, his expression disapproving. “You

are just so damn graphic.”

Rick wiggled his brows as he turned down the street they were

staying on. “But you love my crude—” Rick slammed on the brakes,
the tail end of the truck swerving before coming to a complete stop.
His mate had his hand on the dashboard, but he was belted in, so he
hadn’t flown forward.

Rise to Live

“What the—” Dorian’s words were cut short when he glanced out

of the front windshield. “Go, go, go!” he shouted.

Rick backed the truck into a driveway and then drove forward,

driving the way he had come. His foot was to the floor, but for him,
they weren’t going fast enough. The military Hummer was hot on his
ass.

How they had found the safe house, Rick hadn’t a clue, but he

wasn’t going to stick around to find out. “Call Nate and make sure he,
Selene, and Sasha are all right.”

The three were the only ones in Rick’s Rebellion group at the

moment. The others had gone to different places where other groups
needed them. If anything happened to those three, Rick was going to
blow the fucking White House off the map.

Dorian scrambled to grab the cell phone from the center console,

dialing quickly as he glanced behind them. “They’re still following.”

“I see, gatito.” Rick took a corner sharply, nearly overturning the

truck. The tires on Dorian’s side had left the ground, the truck
bouncing when it landed back on all fours once more.

“Get out!” Dorian shouted into the phone. “They know where we

are.”

Rick took another corner, spinning the steering wheel so tightly

that he began to pray the truck didn’t overturn. He was not going to
allow him and his mate to be captured. They were too close to taking
the fight to Washington. They were also too close to either winning or
losing this damn war. He hadn’t come this far to lose.

“You what!” Dorian shouted. “You are such an asshole, Sasha.”
“What?” Rick asked.
“Pull over.” Dorian tossed the cell phone onto the center console,

and then ran his hands down his face. Rick could tell his mate was
frustrated.

“What do you mean pull over?” Glancing in the rearview mirror,

Rick could see the Hummer still heavy on their asses. There was no

Lynn Hagen

way he was going to turn around and just hand him and Dorian over
to the very people who wanted them dead. “Are you nuts?”

“No, but Sasha is. That’s him driving the damn truck chasing us.”
Rick slammed on the brakes, the truck swerving before stopping.

Shoving the gear into park, he slipped from the driver’s seat. The
Hummer pulled up behind them and that was when Rick saw the long
blond braid over Sasha’s shoulder. What in the hell was the cat
thinking? It didn’t matter. Whatever game he was playing was just
flat-out wrong.

Yanking the Hummer door open, Rick grabbed Sasha’s shirtfront

and pulled him free of the truck. He cocked his arm back, ready to
punch the bastard when Sasha quickly moved out of the way. Rick’s
fist ended up in the side of the Hummer.

Fuck, that hurt!
“Is this some sort of sick game for you?” he shouted, still feeling

his heart beating wildly at the thought of Dorian coming to any harm.
It wasn’t funny. Sasha could have made Rick kill Dorian in those
defensive maneuvers he was pulling off when he cut the corners so
quickly.

A growl ripped from Sasha’s lips as he shoved his hands into

Rick’s chest. “If you ever put your hands on me again, I’ll kill you.”

“Then explain yourself!”
“Fuck you!” Sasha spat.
“Whoa,” Nate said as he slipped from the backseat. “Calm down,

both of you.”

“Not when your mate thinks it’s funny to chase me and Dorian

around city blocks, pretending to be our enemy.”

“That’s not what happened, Rick.” Nate pulled Sasha behind him

and Rick could see the enforcer was torn between his mate and his
loyalty to Rick. “When you were coming down the street, we were
running for our lives.”

Rick’s gaze raked over the ugly army-green Hummer, seeing

Selene sitting in the passenger’s seat, her expression wide-eyed.

Rise to Live

Placing his hands on his hips, Rick blew out a long breath, reining in
his fear and anger. “What happened?”

“You should have asked that before you acted like an asshole!”
Rick went after Sasha again. He grabbed for the leopard, but

Sasha was fucking quick. Nate inserted his heavily built body
between them again. “Will you two stop trying to kill each other?”

Rick threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “Fine, tell me

what happened.” He cut his eyes at Sasha, daring the man to say
another word. Instead of his normal flirtatious ways, the alpha was
glaring at him, his kelly-green eyes promising retribution if Rick
came after him again.

Like he cared.
“We would have called and told you it was us behind you, but we

had to run as fast as we could,” Nate said. “Dorian called before we
had a chance.”

Okay, so they hadn’t done this on purpose. But Sasha was still an

arrogant bastard. Rick had been wanting to punch the man for a long
time now.

“They just showed up,” Nate continued. “We climbed out of the

second-floor window and stole their vehicle while they were
downstairs.”

“I fucking give up!” Rick shouted as he kicked the front tire of the

Hummer. “That’s another sympathizer who turned us in. I’m getting
sick of this betrayal shit.”

It looked like motel rooms from here on out. Rick was not going

to chance their freedom and lives again. Not on someone loaning
them their home. This was bullshit. He was sick of people smiling in
his face while they contemplated cashing him in. The bounty on his
head was astronomical, but damn. Could he get some loyalty
somewhere?

“You better be lucky Nate likes you or I’d rip your ass apart.”
Rick turned, heading back toward his truck. “Fuck you, Sasha.”
He’d like to see the goddamn man try.

Lynn Hagen

* * * *

Dorian had the gun lying in his lap. He really didn’t want to use it,

but he wasn’t going to sit here and watch Sasha hurt Rick. When he
saw his mate heading toward the truck, he tucked the gun in the glove
box.

But Rick didn’t climb in. Instead, he paced in front of the truck,

talking to himself—no, arguing with himself in his native tongue.

Yeah, he was pissed.
Dorian opened the door and got out, going to the front of the

truck. “What’s wrong?”

Rick stopped pacing, but the scowl was deeply embedded on his

face. “Another person loaned us their home and then tried to cash in
on us.”

Dorian could feel his own anger begin to boil. Back when he was

living a mundane existence, he had never gone through so many
emotions in his life. Since all of this happened, he had tapped into
every single emotion a person possessed, and some he didn’t. This
was getting on his last nerve. “That’s it then. We don’t take help from
anyone we don’t know.”

“We’ve been betrayed by people we know as well, gatito,” Rick

reminded him. “Fuck it. Get on the wire and tell Clyde to put the
word out. I’m sick of this shit and I want it over. We’re heading to
Washington.”

Dorian quickly nodded. It was about damn time. Helping others

and killing the enemy were fine and dandy, but Dorian—along with
everyone else—was ready to end this war. He went back to the truck
and grabbed the cell, dialing Clyde’s phone number. His heart was
beating fast, telling him this was it. They were ready to take on the
big wigs. All other matters had been dealt with…mostly. The
detention centers were gone. The Death Squad no longer existed. The
labs were destroyed.

Rise to Live

All they had to do was kill Kraven and his Soul Reapers, and all

would be right with the world. Well, not really, but close enough.
They still had the mercenaries and Breed Hunters to disband. But they
were getting closer to their goal.

“Clyde.”
Dorian loved the fact that Clyde didn’t care who knew he was

fighting this war. He understood Rick’s caution when answering the
phone. Every person not on their side was gunning for Rick. But
Clyde, well, Dorian liked the bear. “It’s a go.”

“It’s about damn time,” Clyde said with a slight chuckle. “I’ll

have the Rebellion groups in Washington seven days from now.”

“Sounds good,” Dorian said. “I’ll let Rick know.”
“I’ll call Edward and the others. I know they wouldn’t miss out on

this. Kara is dying for me to get home where my hairy ass belongs.”
Clyde’s low laughter filtered through the phone. “Her words, not
mine.”

Dorian chuckled. He knew all the mated couples couldn’t wait to

settle down or go back to the ones they had left behind when this fight
started. “Rick will call you as soon as we reach the border.”

“Be careful.” All humor was gone from Clyde’s tone. “These are

very dangerous times, Dorian. Everyone is looking for Rick. Once he
steps foot in Washington, the heat will crank up to a thousand
degrees.”

Dorian knew this. Rick would be entering Naval Special Warfare

Captain O’Hanlon’s territory. The man had started a war to get rid of
his biological son. If everyone thought the war was rough now, they
hadn’t seen anything until Rick stepped into his bio-daddy’s
backyard.

“I’ll pass your concern on.” Hanging up the phone, Dorian walked

back over to his mate.

“Everything set?”
Dorian nodded. “He says to be careful.”

Lynn Hagen

Rick chuckled, which told Dorian his bad mood was fading. “He’s

like a mother hen.”

“We need to get out of here before the military find us and their

missing vehicle,” Nate reminded them. “Heading northeast will get us
closer to where we need to go.”

Dorian agreed. He was sick of hanging around these Podunk

towns. At least in the big cities, they had many avenues to escape
from. Here the only place to run toward was the town square. There
was nothing but open road all around, and that made a man nervous.

“Then let’s head out,” Rick replied. “Go ahead and lead the way.

I’d rather be following you than be in front.”

Dorian furrowed his brows. “Why?”
“Because,” Rick said as he headed toward his side of the vehicle.

“What’s the first thing roadblocks are going to see?”

“Oh,” Dorian replied. “If they see a military vehicle, they’ll wave

them through.”

“Exactly. And if we are right behind them, the people at the

roadblocks will think we’re nothing but Breed Hunters following the
truck.”

“Smart.” Dorian remembered their brilliant plan to wear military

uniforms and use the vehicles, but they had found out that getting
their hands on the items was easier said than done. There wasn’t one
place they found that could be broken into. It seemed the United
States government had put all supply buildings on lockdown.

Now they had a vehicle, and Dorian hoped like hell they could use

it all the way to Washington. The last one they had, Breed Hunters
had stolen from them.

As Dorian climbed into the truck, he gazed around the small town

and knew that getting to Washington was not going to be an easy task.
When word got out that Rick was heading that way, all hell breaking
loose wouldn’t even describe the massacres and chaos they would be
walking into.

Rise to Live

Chapter Two

Rocking his son to sleep, Edward gazed down at his tiny face. The

call had gone out. Everyone was mass assembling in Washington in a
week, and Edward knew he was going. He had already made
provisions for Isabelle and EJ. Phillip and Frisk were going to be
taking care of his mate and son. Lillian and Howard were going to be
there as well with the other kids.

He just hated leaving Isabelle and the babe. They were his very

life.

“You need to get going,” Isabelle reminded him from the doorway

of a cabin they were hiding in high up in the mountains. “Clyde will
be by any minute to pick you up.”

Standing, Edward laid his son in his tiny bed and then covered

him with a thin blanket. The cabin was warm, allowing for him to use
the thin fabric. “I don’t want to leave either of you.” He grazed his
knuckles over the soft fur, wondering when his son was going to shift
into his human form. The deer who delivered the babe said it might be
a full year or two before it happened because of his many different
breeds.

Although Edward loved seeing EJ in his changeling form, he

would love to meet him in his human form.

Isabelle stood next to Edward, circling her hands around his waist.

“Stop worrying so much. We’ll be fine.” He knew she was just trying
to reassure him. Edward could scent her nervousness. She had been
the only person in his life to get through to him on such a deep level,
and she was the only one Edward loved more than his own life—
along with his son.

Lynn Hagen

“Keep your cell phone on,” he said as the knock on the front door

pulled at his attention. He knew Phillip or Frisk would let Clyde in.
“If anything doesn’t feel right, take EJ and get out.”

Isabelle cupped his face, making Edward stare into her pretty

hazel eyes. She gave him a light smile, one filled with such emotion
that Edward had to fight not to look away. She was his entire world. If
he died, she would as well, leaving their son alone…he couldn’t think
about that. He wasn’t going to allow himself to think about all the
possibilities.

“I know what to do,” she said to him. “You just get your ass back

here once you single-handedly end this war.”

Edward chuckled. “I think Rick would disagree with that

statement.”

“Yeah, well, my brother can come see me if he doesn’t like it.”

Her lips curved into a smile, but Edward could see the fear in her
eyes. “Just come back.”

He could just stay with his mate and son, but Edward knew he

would answer the call. Rick had given him the most precious gift—
even if Edward started out wanting the man dead. But because of the
werewolf alpha, he had met Isabelle. He also knew that if he didn’t
join in on the fight, he would always feel as if someone else had
fought for his freedom. Edward couldn’t live with that. He wanted to
be able to look into his son’s eyes and know he had done everything
possible to ensure EJ could live his life in peace.

He wanted his son to be proud of him.
Running his hand through Isabelle’s long auburn hair, Edward

leaned in for a kiss. It was slow and sweet, and full of all the emotions
he found hard to put to words—emotions that sometimes choked him
up and made it impossible to breathe. He loved her so much, so
deeply, and so hungrily that at times, having her in his arms felt too
dreamlike. His tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips, devouring
the succulent taste of the woman he had devoted his very existence to.

Rise to Live

His fingers brushed her arm with gentleness as he tried to pull her

closer. He could never be this close and not want to be inside of her.
She was like his own personal drug.

Isabelle nipped his bottom lip as she pulled back, her eyes

sparkling with need. “You better go before you don’t leave at all.”

She was right. Edward’s cock was hard. If he didn’t get out of

here now, he was going to stay in their bedroom for the next few days
showing her just how much he cared about her as he fucked her into
the mattress.

Stepping away from her was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

“When I get back, we’re going to finish this.”

She gave him a rueful smile and a nod. “I’ll hold you to your

word.”

Edward turned and left the room. He didn’t look back. He

couldn’t look back, because if he did, he wouldn’t leave. After closing
the bedroom door, he walked to the open living room, seeing Clyde
standing there with one of his men.

“I thought I was going to have to come back,” Clyde said with a

knowing smile.

“If we don’t get out of here, you will.” Edward grabbed his light

jacket and laptop bag, heading for the door. He turned, his eyes falling
to Phillip and Frisk. “With your very lives.”

They both nodded, understanding what Edward meant. They

better die protecting his mate and his son. He would take no less. In
this war, everyone was playing for keeps, including Edward. There
would be no excuses that could be given to him if they failed.

He stepped out onto the porch, tilting his head back and gazing up

at the early morning light just breaking over the tops of the
mountains. It was such a breathtaking view. He and Isabelle had
shared many mornings just watching the sun rise over those
mountains. Edward was determined to share many more mornings
with her.

Lynn Hagen

He didn’t plan on settling down here, but the view was just as nice

from his porch back home. God, it felt like a lifetime ago that he
stood in his kitchen and made a fresh cup of coffee. It was amazing
the small things a person missed the most when it was taken away.
Just the simple act of walking into his kitchen hadn’t been his for over
a year and a half now.

And that was why he was going to fight. He wanted those simple

acts back.

“Ready?” Clyde asked as he stepped up beside Edward.
With one last look at the pink and blue hues spanning across the

skies, Edward nodded.

“My clan is waiting for us in town. We’re driving forty deep, just

so you know. Passing roadblocks won’t be easy.”

“We’re going to run right through them. If they try and stop us,

kill the bastards.” And he meant it. This was it. It was time to show
the humans who wanted to wipe them from the face of the planet that
they weren’t fucking around. They were going to make it to
Washington if they had to leave a trail of bloody corpses behind them.

Edward was determined to make it back to his family.
He situated himself in the front seat, belting himself in. He

watched the cabin fade from his view as Clyde drove away, and he
had an urge to tell the bear changeling to stop and let him out. God, he
was such a wuss. Just the thought of being away from Isabelle was
making Edward break out in a cold sweat.

“She’ll be fine,” Clyde said as he drove down the winding road. “I

gave a few of my men orders to watch the cabin while you are gone.”

Edward was grateful there would be able bodies watching over his

family. “Thanks.” When they made it to town, Edward’s jaw almost
dropped. There were ten large trucks sitting in a gas station, men
standing outside of them shooting the breeze. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Nope,” Clyde said. “Miguel and Benito will be meeting up with

us tomorrow, along with a pack of coyotes from Iowa.”

Rise to Live

“We are going to be a large target if anyone spots us.” Before

Isabelle and EJ, Edward wouldn’t have given a shit. He would have
dared anyone to try and stop him. But he was more cautious now. A
man with nothing to lose was dangerous. A man with everything to
lose was deadly. He didn’t plan on inviting trouble, but he did plan on
making it back to his mate and child.

Clyde pulled into the gas station, men parting to let him through.

He rolled his window down, sticking his head out. “We can get the
hell out of here now,” he shouted to the men.

Edward watched the clan of bears climb into their trucks, pulling

out of the station and heading east. He glanced toward the road that
lead to the cabin and prayed like hell he laid eyes on it again.

* * * *

Miguel popped the lock on the back door of the small grocery

store. The damn thing was harder to break than he thought it would
be. The frame wasn’t the best, but the lock seemed to be of better
quality. It held on for dear life until Miguel pried it loose.

“Did you get it?” Benito asked from behind him where he was

scanning the area.

“Got it,” he replied as he pushed the door open. Both men hurried

inside, Miguel closing the door behind him. “Make this quick.” They
had spotted a convoy of militant trucks about five miles to their south,
and Miguel wasn’t sure if they were heading this way.

He wasn’t going to chance it. They had lucked out so far by

staying on the back roads and avoiding roadblocks as best they could,
but a whole convoy would not be so easy to run from.

Benito walked quickly to the shelves, grabbing canned items and

some nonperishable food. They were both starving. It wasn’t like they
could pull up to a drive-through and order a burger. Thankfully they
had a can opener in the car they had stolen. Who knew a freaking can
opener would be a lifesaving tool?

Lynn Hagen

He had also learned how to hotwire a car and be gone in under

sixty seconds. Since becoming a rebel, Miguel had learned a lot of
things he was pretty sure he never would have known if he was still at
home living his ordinary life.

Grabbing one of the small, plastic shopping baskets, Miguel began

to fill it. Too bad the store didn’t have electricity. It would have been
nice to grab a cold drink. But the war had been going on so long,
nonperishables were their safest bet. He didn’t want food poisoning.

“Okay, we can get out of here,” Benito said as he held up his full

basket. “I’m good.”

Miguel came around the shelf and headed toward the back door,

Benito close behind. They didn’t need to linger around. For one, the
military, and two, they were meeting Clyde and his crew tomorrow
evening. They had left their group about two months ago to help out a
pack of gazelles.

Fuck if Miguel and Benito didn’t have to fight not to take a bite

out of one of them. But once they had gotten the delicious morsels to
safety, someone else needed help. It was never-ending. Miguel didn’t
mind. He liked helping those who needed it. But he missed his own
Rebellion group. He couldn’t wait to see Rick and Dorian again.

Miguel came up short when a man appeared in front of them,

shotgun in hand. He had come out of a room by the back door that
Miguel failed to notice. His withered eyes were narrowed and his
shaky hand was too close to the trigger. Miguel feared getting shot
just because the guy accidently twitched. “Stealing from me?”

Hells bells. This was the first time they had run into this problem.

Normally, the stores were deserted. “Nah, just taking inventory.” He
gazed at the shotgun in the man’s arms, wondering if there were even
any shells in the thing.

Was he willing to find out?
Fuck no.
He knew for a fact that getting shot by that thing would leave a

big-ass hole in his chest. Not even a changeling could recover from

Rise to Live

that. Miguel took a step back when he heard a low growl rumbling
behind him.

Benito was getting ready to attack. They may joke around a lot,

but what most people didn’t know was how lethal either of them
could become. Benito most of all. He had a very low tolerance for
ignorance of any kind.

The stranger’s eyes widened. “You’re both animals.” His gun

aimed higher. “I’m going to kill you.”

Why did the guy have to go and say something stupid like that?

Miguel jumped out of the way just in time before the sound of the
shotgun blast rent the air. He glanced behind him to see Benito was
nowhere in sight.

Before he could get to his feet, Benito was behind the stranger,

ripping the weapon from his unsteady hands.

“Don’t do anything crazy,” the man warned as he took a step

away from Benito.

“Like what?” Benito asked with acidity. “Like shooting

someone?”

“You were stealing from me!”
Miguel brushed himself off. “No, you wanted to shoot us just

because we’re changeling.”

The man’s dull brown eyes said Miguel had hit the nail on the

head. The human disgusted him. It was people like him that kept this
damn war going. It was people like him who joined up with the Breed
Hunters. Miguel had a feeling that if the guy wasn’t so old, he would
be part of that damn group right now.

“Knock him out, Benito.”
His cousin’s cerulean-blue eyes said he wanted to do more than

just knock the man out. Benito wanted to rip him to pieces. “This is
why you still have a long way to go,” he said more gently. “You need
to learn when to kill and when to let someone live.”

Benito held the shotgun up, his jaw clenched firmly. “He sure as

hell was trying to make sure we died.”

Lynn Hagen

“An eye for an eye, Benito?” Miguel asked. He was looking at the

long term. His cousin may be pissed now, but he knew Benito. The
man would regret shooting an old guy. Benito had a conscience. It
would haunt him for years to come if he allowed the man to go
through with this.

Instead of answering, Benito raised the gun and slammed it into

the back of the man’s skull. The human went down quickly. Even
rendering him unconscious was going to bother Benito.

The guy was old.
“Let’s get out of here.” Benito hesitated and then left the gun on

the counter. “I can’t leave him defenseless.”

Miguel wasn’t sure if he should commend Benito for his actions

or smack him in the back of the head. Nonetheless, they ran. His
cousin was his best friend, and anything Benito did or had done would
always be looked at through kind eyes from Miguel. He would never
judge the man or say harsh words to bring pain to his eyes. He just
knew Benito. His cousin would have agonized over what he had done
to the old man if he had gone too far.

“Thanks,” Benito muttered as he stored the basket in the trunk.

Miguel knew what he was referring to. He didn’t say a word as he
slammed the trunk closed, a bag of Doritos in hand, and got into the
car.

“We need to get moving. Our meeting point with Clyde is pretty

damn far.”

Benito nodded as he snatched the bag from Miguel’s hand and

opened it. He munched on the chips as Miguel pulled away and
headed east. Hopefully they wouldn’t meet up with the convoy.

“These are stale, but they taste good as hell.” Benito glanced

down into the blue bag. “What I wouldn’t give for a home-cooked
meal.”

Miguel knew how the guy felt. He was sick of scrounging for

food. He could just imagine a plate of spaghetti with a fat piece of
garlic bread on the side. His mouth began to water at the image. “Give

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me a few.” Even though the chips were a poor substitute for pasta,
they would have to do.

When Miguel’s phone rang, he grabbed it, expecting the caller ID

to display Rick or Clyde’s number. Instead it was a number that had
become very familiar to him over the past few months. “Beastman is
calling again.”

He could see his cousin stiffen next to him as he popped a chip

into his mouth. “Don’t answer,” he replied as he chewed.

That was the same answer Benito had been giving since the phone

calls started. “At least tell him to stop calling you.”

Tucking the bag besides him, Benito dusted his hands off. “If I

talk to him, that will only encourage him to call again.”

Miguel could hear the disappointment in Benito’s tone. He knew

his cousin liked the wererabbit. He just didn’t understand the weird
attraction. Miguel had had his fair share of one-night stands over the
course of his life, many since the war started, but he never had anyone
obsess over him like the little bunny seemed to be when it came to
Benito.

And the two hadn’t even slept together.
“Do you really think you’ll eat him?” Miguel asked, trying his

best to keep the smile from his face.

Benito shrugged, watching out the side window. “I don’t want to

find out. It won’t work, Miguel, so let it go.”

Miguel hated to see the regretful look on Benito’s face, but there

was nothing he could do about it. It wasn’t like he could make Benito
be with the bunny. The guy had gotten under Benito’s skin. Miguel
knew this. He could read Benito like the back of his hand. He wanted
to reach out and reassure his cousin, but Miguel knew Benito didn’t
want to be touched right now. When he was in this sort of mood, the
guy always wanted to be left alone.

Shoving the phone back into his pocket, Miguel let the call dump

into voice mail. The guy didn’t call that often, but when he did,

Lynn Hagen

Benito became quiet, thoughtful. “Reach in the backseat and grab that
box of cookies. I’m starving.”

Benito reached back and grabbed them, and both shared in the

sugary treats until the box held nothing more than crumbs. The empty
calories weren’t filling Miguel up, but he didn’t have a hot plate to
cook anything on. He didn’t have any electricity even if he had one.

Miguel reached over and grabbed Benito’s hand, entwining their

fingers together as he rubbed his thumb over the back of the soft
hand.

“I’m not five anymore, Miguel. I don’t need you reassuring me.”
Miguel gave Benito’s hand a light squeeze. “You’ll always need

me to reassure you.” Just like he would always need his cousin at his
side. Benito was Miguel’s world and he couldn’t imagine a day
without the man.

Driving through the back roads of Ohio, Miguel wondered what

they were going to be up against once they hit Washington. Clyde had
called him and said it was on. Miguel had never felt his heart beating
so fast. He knew this day was coming, but to hear that it had finally
arrived was too surreal.

He threw a prayer up to whoever was listening that he and Benito

survived.

Rise to Live

Chapter Three

Dorian felt like he was in a haze as they drove the back roads.

What was Rick going to do once they arrived at the White House?
What was he going to say to stop the war? Chewing on his fingernail,
Dorian knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Good god, why had they ever
thought they could win the war!

“Stop looking so worried, gatito.” Rick reached over and tugged

at Dorian’s hand, pulling his nail from his mouth.

“I can’t help it. This is it. We’re going to face off with the

president. I feel like we’re driving to the gates of hell.” Dorian could
feel panic trying to settle in, but he managed to put a lid on it before
he jumped from the truck and rolled away. He had had his fair share
of doubts, but this was the biggest one to date.

“You look like you are going to be sick,” Rick said a minute later.
“And you’re not?” Dorian said as he rubbed the palms of his

hands down the front of his jeans. “How can you be so calm?”

“Do I need to drop you off with your mom?” Rick said as the side

of his mouth jerked with a hidden smile, and then he grew serious. “I
haven’t been calm since this all began, Dorian. My nerves have been
in a constant coil. I hardly sleep and I worry all the time. I just don’t
show it on the outside.”

For some strange reason, that made Dorian feel better. He didn’t

feel like he was alone in his feelings. The big, bad Enrique Marcelo
was a nervous wreck on the inside, just like Dorian. “What are we
going to do once we get there?” He had been curious as hell since
Rick had spoken of taking this to the president. Was he just going to
ring the doorbell and chat the man up at the door?

Lynn Hagen

“I have a feeling getting in to talk to him won’t be an easy feat.

But I’m not giving up. I want to know how he can condone what
O’Hanlon is doing.” His mate’s brows were furrowed, and Dorian
could see the agitation trying to take hold. No one understood how the
president could allow a war to start just because one man wanted his
son dead. Dorian wanted to give O’Hanlon a piece of his mind. He
didn’t know how anyone could want Rick dead.

Sure, at first Dorian had thought him an asshole. But once he got

to know Rick, he liked what he discovered. His mate was kind, gentle,
and helped out those who needed it—although crossing the guy
wasn’t a very smart move. Rick could be just as deadly as he was
giving.

“I know what can take your mind off your jitters.” Rick gave him

that knowing look. The one that said he really, really wanted Dorian
to give him a blow job.

Dorian played coy. “And what would that be, Mr. Marcelo?”

Using the man’s surname was still a big turn-on for Rick. It stumped
Dorian, but whatever worked.

“It involves those spectacular lips of yours.”
“You want me to talk?”
Rick grunted. “Hell no, not unless you can hum a tune with my

dick in your mouth.”

Dorian smothered a smile with his hand, trying his best to tease

his mate. He could scent Rick’s arousal and it was thick, spicy. His
mouth watered at the aroma. It also watered when he saw the distinct
outline in the man’s pants. Rick was not in the small department when
it came to cock size. Reaching over, Dorian ran one single fingertip of
the bulge. “What’s this?”

“My keys,” Rick replied sarcastically. “They’re jingling for you.”
Dorian couldn’t hold back the laughter. He used two fingers to

lightly pinch Rick’s erection, enjoying the low moan coming from his
mate’s lips. “How can I blow you while you are driving?”

Rise to Live

He knew damn well he could. But he loved to hear Rick talk about

their sex in detail. It was his kink.

“Very easily, gatito. I pull my dick out, you drop your head in my

lap and open wide.”

Dorian’s rising erection grew further. “That easy?”
“Try it.” Rick kept one hand on the steering wheel, using the other

to unsnap his pants. Dorian could see the excitement building in his
mate’s light-grey eyes. He could also see Rick fumbling fruitlessly to
get his cock free. The man was going to run them off the road if he
didn’t stop jerking around.

Having mercy on his mate, Dorian batted Rick’s hand away. He

scooted closer, freeing the hardened flesh. God, now that he was
changeling, Dorian could smell the subtlest scents and he was
smelling Rick’s pre-cum.

It smelled divine. He wrapped his fingers around the large girth,

giving it a few strokes as he watched Rick’s lips part slightly. “Now,
what did you want me to do with this?”

“Suck it, gatito. God, suck it.”
Well, when he begged like that, how could Dorian say no?

Besides, he loved sucking Rick’s dick. His mouth always stretched so
wide that he felt like he was swallowing a melon instead.

Dorian leaned up and scraped his lips along Rick’s stubbled jaw,

enjoying the rough texture before lowering his head and letting his
tongue slip around the head. This close, the intoxicating scent was
much stronger, filling his lungs to capacity. Dorian eased onto his
knees, making sure the cock didn’t slip from his mouth. The taste was
salty, but a flavor Dorian loved.

It reminded Dorian of a very masculine man, something that

turned him on big-time. His lips parted further into a round shape as
he slid them down Rick’s shaft. He could feel all the veins and silky
skin as his lips journeyed further. Soon his nose was touching black,
wiry hair. Contracting his throat, Dorian squeezed, knowing damn
well Rick went nuts when he did this.

Lynn Hagen

“Fuck.” Rick grunted as he tried to move further back. Dorian

glanced up to see his mate’s eyes flickering rapidly between watching
the road and watching him. Giving his mate a wink, Dorian
sucked…hard.

“That’s it, baby. That’s it.” Rick pulled one hand from the steering

wheel, grabbing a fistful of Dorian’s hair. “Harder.”

Didn’t the guy realize just who big he was? Dorian was talented,

but even he had a hard time when Rick’s cock was jammed down his
throat. But he tried, sucking hard as he began to pull his lips back up
the engorged cock.

The texture and taste ran along his tongue, making Dorian fumble

to get his pants undone. His cock was just as hard, pulsing out the
same beat as his racing heart. He needed relief, and jacking off was
exactly the remedy.

“Play with yourself, baby.” Rick thrust his hips upward, shoving

his dick back down Dorian’s throat. It took a lot of coordination, but
Dorian managed to free his shaft while still keeping his mouth
impaled on Rick’s cock.

Once he had his cock in his hand, Dorian began to play. He

swirled his tongue around the silky smooth skin, letting the tip trace
each ridge, each raised vein. More pre-cum leaked into his mouth and
Dorian swallowed the liquid down his throat.

Dorian jerked his cock harder, praying Rick didn’t run them off

the road. The man was grunting and thrusting harder now, his hand on
Dorian’s head, keeping him in place as he fucked his mouth.

As if choreographed, Dorian moaned around Rick’s cock as his

dick throbbed in his hand. Rick buried his shaft down Dorian’s throat
at the same time, his seed pulsing in spurts as Dorian swallowed.

Easing back, Dorian caught his breath, licking his lips as he sat

back. God, he needed that. The only thing that would have been better
was if Rick could have fucked him.

Rise to Live

Rick looked as if he were going to pass out behind the wheel as he

gave a wide yawn. Dorian chuckled, patting himself on the back. “Do
you need me to drive?”

Just as Rick began to nod, the back of the truck was slammed into,

Rick cursing as he tried not to drive down into the deep ditch on the
side of the road. Dorian glanced behind him and saw a truck full of
Breed Hunters.

It looked like their ruse was up.

* * * *

Rick just missed going into the ditch. He righted the truck and

sped up, flashing his lights at the Hummer in front of him. Even
though Sasha was pissed at Rick, he knew the leopard wouldn’t let the
Breed Hunters—“Shit!” Rick shouted when the back end of his truck
was rammed again.

He was going to kill those sons of bitches. He wasn’t sure how

they knew Rick wasn’t who he was pretending to be, but he knew he
couldn’t let them stop him.

The Hummer slowed, moved over to the opposing lane, and then

let the two trucks go by. Rick watched in the mirror as Sasha drove up
behind the truck, ramming it hard. He was really sick and tired of
these guys. All Breed Hunters could die a miserable death as far as
Rick was concerned. He hated every last one of them.

“What are we going to do?” Dorian asked as he kept looking

behind them with fear in his Peruvian-brown eyes. Rick wanted to gut
the men attacking them just because they made Dorian afraid. He
hated seeing his mate like this.

“Outrun them,” Rick replied. “So make sure your seat belt is on

tight.” What a way to spoil the fun he had just had with his mate. It
pissed him off. The only thing Rick had wanted to do was pull his
mate close and cuddle as he drove.

Fuck this chase scene bullshit.

Lynn Hagen

“We haven’t lost them yet.”
“I can see that, Dorian.”
“Shouldn’t we like, pull over and eat them or something?”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Rick chuckled. Dorian had

never eaten anyone and the image made him smile. He could just see
his mate scrunching his small nose. “Don’t tempt me.”

Rick on the other hand had no problem.
He wasn’t going to apologize to anyone for acting like a

changeling. It was in his nature. He was a werewolf.

Rick ducked when he heard gunshots, pushing Dorian down at the

same time. “They are really starting to piss me off.” He pulled his
head up to see the road, and happened to look in his rearview mirror.
Nate was hanging out the side of the Hummer, gun in hand. Selene
was on the other side, hanging out of the back window, a weapon in
her hand as well.

God love his enforcers.
“Hang on, gatito. This just might jar you.” Rick slammed on the

brakes. The truck with the Breed Hunters smashed into his tailgate,
Sasha’s vehicle slamming into theirs. With the quickness of a
changeling, Rick was out of his truck, heading toward the driver’s
door of the Breed Hunter’s truck. He grabbed the driver, pulling him
out of the open window. His two enforcers, along with Sasha, had the
other men covered.

“How did you find me?” Rick asked as he shoved the man into the

door. “Tell me.” As he spoke, his canines slid down. He was beyond
pissed. Rick was ready to skin the man slowly if he didn’t start
talking.

The strong scent of urine filled his nostrils, making Rick look

down. He should have had mercy on the human who wet himself, but
it only disgusted him. The human whimpered. That wasn’t good
enough.

Rick let his claws slide from his fingers, slashing the man across

his upper arm. He knew the hunters would have done worse if they

Rise to Live

were the ones who had gotten the upper hand. He would probably be
dead right now.

They deserved no less. “Tell me.”
When the man still hadn’t answered Rick, he used a single claw to

rip a line from shoulder to elbow. The guy howled in pain and Rick
had to force his werewolf not to react to the scent of blood.

It was damn hard to harness his beast.
“I’m five seconds away from eating you. I suggest you talk.”
The hunter was literally shaking apart in Rick’s grasp. “Your

medic.”

It took a second for Rick to understand who the guy was talking

about. He only had one medic, and that was Bryson. But Bryson had
sworn to Rick that he could trust him. He had been adamant about his
loyalty. If the changeling had betrayed Rick, he was going to bury
him in a pit filled with scorpions. “What about him?”

God, please don’t let Bryson have betrayed me.
Rick was tired of those he thought he could trust handing him

over to his enemy. If the medic had done just that, Rick was through
with pack life. He thought he was a fair and just alpha, but it seemed
he wasn’t harsh enough. Those he cared about had walked all over
him in their plight to bargain their way out of this war.

“He told us where you were and where you were heading.”
Rick’s jaw clenched so hard he nearly shattered his teeth. “And

how did you get this information out of him?”

“Don’t tell him,” another hunter warned.
Sasha silenced the man…permanently. The body slumped to the

ground, only making the man Rick was questioning start to cry. What
the fuck? He thought Breed Hunters were badass humans who
thought they could wipe out his kind. They were nothing more than
sniveling cowards who hid behind their guns. He slammed the man
into the truck once more. “How?”

“T–Tortured him.”

Lynn Hagen

Rick’s gut twisted into a thousand knots as the two words sank in.

Bryson had been taken captive, tortured into telling where Rick was.
The medic wasn’t a fighter. Rick knew this. He was in this to save
lives, not take them. Sure, he had used a gun when he needed to, but
Rick knew for damn certain the man wouldn’t have been able to
withstand what the hunters did to him. “Where is he?” Rick asked as
his claws sank into the man’s arm. “Tell me where you’re keeping
him.”

Another hunter looked as if he wanted to warn the guy, but one

look from Rick and he curled his lips in. If the bastard had opened his
mouth, Rick would have personally pulled his fucking tongue out.

He glanced back at the man standing in front of him. “I want to

know where you’re keeping him.”

“If I tell you, you’ll kill me.” His chin jutted out, but Rick could

see it was only an act. The man was scared down to his pissy pants.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll slowly peel away your skin, keeping you

alive for days just so you can feel the pain you made my medic go
through. Your choice. Die quickly, or die slowly.” Rick let the claw
he had cut the man’s arm with slide down the side of the guy’s face,
leaving a blood trail behind. The hunter screamed, fighting to get free.
But Rick had too tight a grip on him. “You can’t get free…human.”

The man closed his eyes and swallowed roughly. Rick could scent

the utter horror. The hunter knew he was going to die. “He’s in a
building on the outskirts of Shelton.”

Rick’s mind raced to think of all the buildings surrounding his

town. There were too many to find Bryson quickly. “Which
building?”

“Dexcom’s lab.”
He couldn’t scent a lie. He also knew the man was too damn

scared to try and come up with anything but the truth. Rick ended the
man’s life quickly, as promised, but he knew the guy should have
suffered.

Bryson had.

Rise to Live

“Dorian, get on the phone and call—” Who the fuck was left in

Shelton to rescue Bryson? Everyone had fled. He was going to have
to send someone after his medic. He just prayed like hell that whoever
was sent got to Bryson in time.

That was if he wasn’t dead already.
“Remus is close by,” Sasha told him. “I sent him to scout the town

out and make sure there weren’t any stragglers left behind. I’ll call
him.”

Rick nodded as he took a step back, thinking of Bryson and how

he had helped Rick on countless occasions. The man had been
indispensable in this war. Not only had he saved Dorian’s life, but the
lives of so many others.

If he was dead, Rick vowed to make every single Breed Hunter

involved pay. He was sick and tired of losing good men. That thought
only made him think of the ones he had lost already. Miguel’s parents
came to mind, making Rick’s heart twist in his chest.

If it was the last thing he did, Rick was going to make the

president call an end to this damn madness.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Four

“Yeah, I know the place you’re talking about.” Remus hung up.

Goddamn. He was about to head out of town before getting the call
from Sasha. Now he had to go rescue a werewolf changeling.

What did he know about rescuing someone? The last time he

tried, he ended up in the main detention center. He sucked at it. But
Sasha was his alpha, and he was going to do whatever he had to in
order to get this Bryson guy out.

Remus knew he couldn’t look to his leap for help. Those people

were lazy, self-centered cats. He hoped like shit Sasha cut them loose
when he got back. They didn’t deserve someone as noble as the
leopard alpha.

He glanced over at his best friend, Marco, and wondered if he

would help. It was a fifty-fifty chance the guy would say no. Not
because he was like the others in their leap, but because he was one
big-ass chickenshit. “I got a mission to run. You in?”

“Food?” Marco asked as he hopped up from the couch. “I’m

starving.”

Remus thought about it for a minute and nodded. “Yeah, sure,

food.” It was the only way he was going to get the man to agree.
Well, that wasn’t true. They could get to Dexcom lab and Marco
could run.

It took them about twenty-five minutes to get there, and Marco

was fuming mad by the time Remus pulled in behind a copse of trees.
He was far enough away to where he could see, but not close enough
to be seen.

Rise to Live

“This is not McDonald’s!” Marco said heatedly. “What the hell

did you bring me out here for?”

“We have someone who needs rescuing.” Remus opened the car

door as quietly as he could and slipped out.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a buck twenty-five soaking wet.

What the hell am I going to rescue? A Big Mac?” Marco slammed the
car door shut and Remus wanted to throttle the man.

“Will you stop making so much damn noise,” he said in a low

hiss. “Why don’t you let the bad guys know we’re here?”

Marco’s eyes grew round as he began to shake his head back and

forth. “B–Bad guys? No freaking way, man. I’ve managed to hide so
far. I’m not going to be caught and tortured.”

“Don’t worry,” Remus said. “They’re not torturing anymore. They

will just outright kill you.”

“Then if they kill, who are we rescuing? How do you know this

isn’t a trap?”

“We don’t.” Remus began to walk toward the back entrance that

faced the woods. When he saw Marco heading for the road, he hurried
over and grabbed his friend, yanking him back. “Not so fast.”

Marco swatted at Remus’s hand. The small guy had no chance to

escape. Remus had a tight hold on him. “I’m not going in there to
die.” He struggled some more, but Remus wasn’t letting him go.

“Don’t get caught and you won’t die.” He pulled Marco along

with him. “Just don’t make any loud noises and make sure you stay
out of sight.”

Remus could feel his own heart beating. Again, what did he know

about rescuing anyone? He was only twenty, not even legal enough to
drink yet. But this was the second time an alpha asked him to go get
someone out if trouble. Enrique had really lost his mind when he
asked Remus to get Edward away from the werehyenas. That was
how he had gotten caught.

Lynn Hagen

He prayed history didn’t repeat itself. Only this time he wouldn’t

be shipped to a center where he would be tortured. He was going to
die. Maybe Marco had the right idea.

No, he had to do this. Sasha never asked much from him. Remus

could give him this. Should he gain entrance through the back door or
climb through a window? Remus wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know shit about breaking into a place, but I’m pretty sure

you aren’t supposed to just hang around outside.” Marco pushed at
Remus’s back. “Get moving.”

Deciding on the window, Remus tried it to see if the dang thing

was open. To his surprise, it slid right up. Now that should have been
a warning for Remus. It should have told him something wasn’t right,
but he thought nothing of it as he climbed through, turned, and then
helped Marco in.

Looking around the room, he saw they were in some sort of

office. Maybe the man who worked in this office had wanted fresh air
earlier and had forgotten to lock it. It was possible. He forgot to lock
his front door all the time.

Spotting a door, Remus moved quietly toward it. He knew to

listen for any movement on the other side. This was his first real
break-in. He hadn’t even made it this close when he went to rescue
Edward. The werehyenas had him pinned on the side of the building,
handing him over to the police within the first ten minutes of his
attempted rescue.

It made Remus feel a little more confident.
When he didn’t hear anything, Remus pulled the door slightly

ajar, glancing through the crack.

“See anything?”
Remus quickly turned and hushed Marco. “Do you want them to

hear us?” The man had spoken in a normal tone, nothing quiet or
whispered. The guy sucked at breaking into places. Then again,
Remus wasn’t a pro. But he knew enough not to be loud. Maybe he
could find some duct tape and strap a piece over Marco’s mouth.

Rise to Live

Maybe bringing him along wasn’t such a good idea.
Remus pulled the door further open, glancing up and down the

hallway. He didn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean someone
wouldn’t come around the corner at any moment. It was late enough
to where the place should have very few people inside, but he knew it
wouldn’t be deserted.

His palms were so sweaty that Remus had to rub them on the front

of his pants. His heart was racing as well. The hallway was a
nondescript place with white walls and a few pieces of strange art
hanging here and there. There were just a few brush strokes on each
picture, as if the artist forgot to finish the painting. He would never
understand it. What was wrong with dogs playing poker at a table?
Modern art always confused him.

Along the corridor there were quite a few doors. Remus wasn’t

sure what to do. Should he check each one? Shouldn’t there be a sign
that pointed him toward the torturing room?

That would have been nice, but he was stuck searching for it. He

had no clue where they would be keeping the werewolf. Tilting his
head back, Remus inhaled deeply, hoping he could use scent to locate
the medic.

He was moving his hands with rapid and obvious nervousness,

opening each door and peeking inside. This hallway seemed to
contain nothing but offices. Remus was going to have to move into
another hallway. It was an idea he really didn’t like. He was really
hoping to find Bryson and get the hell out of there within the first ten
minutes of his break-in. He turned when Marco tapped him on the
shoulder. His best friend pointed to his eyes and then made some
weird gesture with his hands.

Remus was clueless.
And Marco looked like an idiot.
“What?” he mouthed. Whatever Marco was trying to tell him was

lost on Remus. The man made no sense to him. If Remus had to guess
at what Marco was trying to tell him, he would think there was a

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drunken rat swaying down the hallway and missing a leg. But he
knew that wasn’t right.

“Go left,” Marco mouthed.
Why in the hell hadn’t he just waved toward the left? The man

was nutty as hell, but what did that say about him if Marco was his
best friend? It didn’t matter to Remus. He’d known Marco since they
were cubs. He liked hanging out with the guy. Marco kept him
entertained. The man was always in trouble, usually from his own
doing.

Turning left at the end of the hallway, Remus saw only one door.

It was at the end and there was a large pane of glass in the middle.
Beyond that he could see lab equipment. He really doubted anyone
would torture Bryson in there. Too much expensive equipment had to
be in that room.

So he looked right.
There was one door on this end as well. But the door looked solid,

like it could hold something dangerous inside. It was made of steel
and the hinges were heavy. Now that was more like the room the
werewolf would be held in.

Tilting his head toward his right, Remus grabbed Marco’s arm and

pulled him toward the metal door. He came to a stop when he stood in
front of it. How was he supposed to peek inside? For all he knew, he
was walking into a room full of humans.

He tried to press his ear to it, but there wasn’t any sound. That

could just mean the door was too thick to hear inside. But it could also
mean no one was in there. God, he hated this shit. Remus was a
bundle of nerves. His leopard was trying to make him turn around and
run, but Remus had told Sasha he would do this.

When he was being held captive at the detention center, he had

prayed for someone to rescue him. Could he leave someone to torture,
knowing they were probably praying to be rescued?

No, he couldn’t.

Rise to Live

Taking in a deep breath to steady his nerves, Remus tried the

handle. The door was unlocked. Okay, this was a little too easy. There
should have been guards. Someone should have caught them in the
hallway. Something should have happened by now.

But everything was silent.
Remus expected the hinges to squeak considering how heavy the

door was, but it swung open with effortless ease, no sound at all. He
could feel Marco’s fingers curling into the back of his shirt, pulling on
it slightly. Yeah, he was a nervous wreck as well. He’d give anything
to be able to rescue Bryson and get out of here before anyone was the
wiser.

Intel was his specialty, not this covert shit. Remus was damn good

at getting information he needed, or even what others needed. That
was why he had a job—or had a job—as a newspaper reporter. Since
the war, he was too afraid to go into work. What if they tested his
blood? But since getting shipped to the detention center, he was now
in the data bank. His employer had to know by now.

Which really sucked because Remus loved his job.
Sending up a prayer, Remus slipped inside the room, Marco right

behind him. He quickly closed the door behind them. It took a minute
for his eyes to adjust to the dark. There wasn’t a light on anywhere,
not even a lamp. Being changeling, he had no problem seeing in the
dark, he just had to allow his cat eyes to take over.

He spotted a man on the floor in the middle of the room. He

looked dead, but Remus could scent that he was still alive…barely.
There was also the distinct scent of wolf. This had to be Bryson. He
wasn’t sure because all he could smell was blood. The body was so
badly beaten that the guy didn’t even resemble a guy. He looked like
a clump of putty, still being reshaped.

Marco gave a low growl behind him. Remus knew the

wereleopard was reacting to the overpowering aroma of blood, and he
was fighting it as well, but they had to get Bryson out of here, not eat
him.

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Taking a cautious step forward, Remus held his breath, hoping the

tactic worked as he neared the bloody mess.

As he grew closer, a light was snapped on, flooding the room with

brightness to the point his eyes began to hurt. Remus threw his arm
over his eyes, protecting them until they readjusted to the sudden
blinding illumination.

“So glad you could join us,” a voice said to his right. “But I was

expecting Enrique Marcelo.”

Shit. This was a trap! He should have known by the ease in which

he had gained entrance. Marco let out a yowl behind him and then the
fingers that had been curled into his shirt were ripped free.

Remus let his arm down, spun, and saw two men holding his best

friend. One held a gun to Marco’s head.

“Why didn’t Enrique come?” the voice to his right asked.
Turning, Remus saw a short human. He didn’t look like much. If

there weren’t guns in the room, he knew he could beat this human
with ease. His eyes flickered down to the man lying on the floor,
seeing his blond hair a matted mess. Blood was thick and dried on the
golden strands and his face was unrecognizable.

“Like my handiwork?” the man asked.
Remus shrugged. “Put your guns down and I’ll show you how it’s

really done.”

There was a niggling in the back of his mind. He knew this man

from somewhere. He had seen him before. Then, as if thinking it
made it so, Remus remembered where.

The detention center.
The guy’s name was Jayson. He was the worst human in that

godforsaken place. The human had taken pure enjoyment in torturing
the changelings. From the gleam in the man’s evil eyes, he knew
Jayson recognized him as well. This was not good. Remus was with a
very sadistic piece of shit.

“Where is Enrique?” Jayson asked once more. “Why did he send

you?”

Rise to Live

Remus was not going to answer. He had learned from before that

answering won him no favors. The guy was going to torture him
anyway. The only thing about this situation that ate at him was the
fact that he had brought Marco along. The leopard had managed to
stay hidden all this time. Now it was Remus who had brought him
here to face god only knew what.

“Bring his friend here,” Jayson said as he walked over to a table

Remus had seen and wished he hadn’t. There were very sharp
instruments lying in a row. He knew them for what they were. A
means of brutalizing someone.

Marco screamed as the guards brought him forward, twisting and

writhing in their grasp, trying his best to get free.

“You already know where he is!” Remus shouted, charging

forward to help Marco. He came to a skidding halt when the gun was
pointed toward him. His eyes flickered from the table to Marco,
horror-riddled images filling his head.

“Yes, but the men I sent after him can’t be reached. The only

conclusion I can draw from their silence is that they are dead.” Jayson
grabbed something long and sharp from the table. The thing reminded
Remus of a doctor’s surgical scalpel, only the end was hooked and
was serrated.

As he stood there breathing in small pants, more men came into

the room. Remus knew he wasn’t going to make it out of here alive.
His only regret was having Marco come along. He should have left
his best friend where he was safest.

The leopard was trying to be brave. Remus could see it in his

dark-brown eyes. But he scented utter horror coming from Marco.
The man was scared shitless, and who could blame him? “I’m sorry,”
Remus mouthed when Jayson turned away. “So damn sorry.”

Marco gave him a wobbly smile, tears gathering in his eyes as he

glanced from Remus to the thing in Jayson’s hand.

“Now,” Jayson said as he turned back around. “What are

Enrique’s plans?”

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“What makes you think he told me?” Remus asked, trying his best

to stall for time until he could figure a way out of this.

“That’s too bad.” Jayson used the tool to carve a gouge in Marco’s

handsome face. Blood instantly began to pour from the wound.
Remus roared in rage and leapt forward, but he was knocked back by
the barrel of someone’s rifle. He slammed into the floor, skidding
close to Bryson’s unconscious body.

“What are his plans?” Jayson asked again as he used the tool to

carve another gouge on the other side of Marco’s face. The horrifying
screams were going to haunt Remus for the rest of his life—if he
survived. The sounds gutted him, making his heart feel as though it
were withering away and dying inside of him.

He couldn’t do this. Remus could not lie here and listen to his best

friend being ripped open. His leopard was going insane, clawing to
get free, but Remus held him back.

One thing he learned about Jayson, the man loved when a

changeling shifted. He took sadistic pleasure in maiming any beast
that came forth. If Remus was wounded, how could he help Marco or
Bryson? He had to think of something. Even if he told Jayson that
Rick was heading to Washington, the human would still carve Marco
apart.

Setting his terror at what Jayson would do to him aside, Remus

shifted, feeling the bullet enter his leg as soon as he was full leopard.
But he didn’t let that stop him. He had a best friend to rescue and a
werewolf to save.

Because after watching what Jayson was doing to his best friend,

Remus came to a stunning truth that he had never faced until now.

He had always been in love with Marco, and Jayson was trying to

kill the man Remus intended to mate.

Rise to Live

Chapter Five

“They’ll be fine,” Pappy said from beside him as Willow and

Deluca took the kids into the cabin.

“I just don’t like leaving them. What if someone finds out they’re

here?”

“Clyde left a dozen bears to watch the place and Dad is staying as

well,” his pappy answered.

He hated leaving them here. It wasn’t as safe as the house in New

Orleans. But that house had nearly been leveled.

Since then, they had been staying at a house Brooke hadn’t even

known his parents owned. It was a small cottage high up in the
mountains, kind of like this one. The only reason they were here was
because Isabelle and the babe were. Lillian and Howard Campbell had
shown up the same time Brooke and his family had.

He stared at the cabin, thinking to himself that everyone important

in Rick’s group was inside this one place. If found out and attacked,
the entire group would suffer a loss he knew they wouldn’t recover
from.

Hell, he wouldn’t recover from it either. Kell, Peanut, Trisha, and

even Sammy, Samuel, Hunter, Boston, and EJ had come to mean so
much to him. He hadn’t gotten a chance to know Christmas yet, but
Brooke was pretty sure he would like the little werehyena.

“Mason just pulled up,” Pappy said. “If you think leaving your

family is hard, I can just imagine what those two are going through.”

Yeah, but Ian would have his mom. Lillian would be there for the

small man. She would give him the comfort he needed in Mason’s

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absence. He wondered if Mason felt just as guilty as Brooke did
leaving their loved ones behind.

Maybe putting them all under one roof wasn’t the smartest thing

to do. The last time that happened, the military had shown up in full
force, trying their best to kill everyone in Brooke’s home.

Thank fuck his Dad and Pappy were paranoid men and had built a

bunker under the house. That was what saved them.

“I know you’re worried, son. But we have to trust they’ll be taken

care of. We need to concentrate on the fight.”

Brooke wasn’t sure how he felt about his Pappy coming along. It

was true he was one tough man, but he wasn’t a spring chicken
anymore.

Was he going to say that?
Hell no. He wasn’t that suicidal. But if anything happened to

Pappy, Brooke would never forgive himself. He had tried to talk the
man out of coming, but once his father had his mind made up, nothing
would dissuade him.

He nodded toward Mason as the jaguar changeling passed by the

truck. Mason nodded back and then walked Ian inside. He could see
in Mason’s eyes that he didn’t want to leave Ian behind.

But Rick had sent out the call and all were answering. Every last

changeling and human who was on their side wanted this damn war
over. Brooke had been converted into a werecoyote in order to save
his life, but Deluca had elected to become one.

He had been converted, so the two were just as wanted as the rest

of the changeling species.

Brooke sat up when he saw Deluca coming from the cabin. There

was a bear changeling sitting on the porch, looking at ease, but
Brooke knew it was only an act. He was trying to make it seem like
all was normal there at the cabin.

He prayed it stayed that way.
Deluca slid into the backseat with a heavy sigh. “Trying to explain

to Boston why he couldn’t come along is draining.”

Rise to Live

The leopard teenager had argued his point all the way here. He

had said he was old enough to join in, but Brooke had received
instructions from Sasha not to bring his son along. Although Boston
was converted into a leopard, the guy was still too young. Sasha
feared losing the boy.

Brooke commended Boston on his need to help, but Sasha was

right. Boston hadn’t been a changeling that long and he lacked the
skills needed to survive out here. He wasn’t going against the boy’s
father and Brooke wasn’t putting the young man at risk.

“Mason is going to follow,” Deluca said. “He’s squirreling Ian

away with Lillian.”

They waited about ten more minutes until Brooke saw Mason exit

the cabin, his jaw clenched and his walk predatory. The man was
pissed. He didn’t want to leave Ian. It was apparent by the knife
gleam in the man’s eyes.

He started the truck and drove down the long road that headed

toward town. They had to meet some weretigers in Iowa who were
joining in on the fight. It still amazed Brooke how so many
changelings were rallying together to end this war.

He just prayed like hell it didn’t end in a bloodbath.
Brooke smiled when Deluca opened up beef jerky and grabbed a

juice box. It reminded him of when they first rescued Kell. The man
was nothing more than a big kid at heart. He even played with Kell
and Peanut for hours on end. It did Brooke’s heart good to see his best
friend on the floor playing some sort of battle scene with Kell’s toys,
knowing Deluca was having just as much fun as the baby.

He didn’t want to lose that. Not only did Brooke worry about

something happening to the people they had just left behind, but he
also worried about something happening to Deluca. They had been
together for far too long, and Brooke couldn’t imagine a life without
the thickheaded man.

“He’ll be fine,” Pappy said quietly from beside him as he loaded

his rifle.

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“Who?” Deluca asked before making a loud sipping sound with

the juice box.

Brooke grinned as he glanced in his mirror to see Mason still

following behind them. “You.”

Deluca took a bite from the jerky, a goofy grin on his handsome

face. “Ah shucks, don’t go worrying about me. I promised Kell I’d be
back to play monsters with him. I can’t break a promise to our son.”

If only it were that easy. If it were, Brooke would have made a ton

of promises to everyone in the house that he would be back. But he
knew their chances of survival were fifty-fifty. They were heading to
the nation’s capital where most armed forces were stationed. Getting
in was going to be tricky as hell.

Brooke was pretty damn sure every road leading into the state had

roadblocks.

And that was why they weren’t taking any roads. Any humans

with them were driving in—including his Pappy—the changelings
were taking any and all off-road passage into the state capital. Once
past the roadblocks, they were going to meet up in Piney Branch Park
and head down Sixteenth Street. It was a ballsy move and one they
were counting on the military not expecting them to make.

As Brooke drove toward their meeting point with the weretigers,

he wondered if he remembered to shut the stove off.

* * * *

Nate stood there slack-jawed. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There

was no fucking way he was staring at his red Yukon. It didn’t seem
real. He thought he would have to wait until the war was over in order
to get it back and have it repaired. “How?”

Sasha’s grin was teasing, playful. “I know how much you missed

it. I pulled in a few favors from some fellow changelings and had
them repair the damages and bring it to us.” Sasha waved a hand

Rise to Live

toward the dented body. The paint job was shot to hell and there were
bullet holes all over the damn place.

But he had his Yukon back.
“As you can see, the body still needs a lot of work. But—”
Nate grabbed Sasha and pulled him in for a fierce hug. “Thank

you.”

“I’ll never understand your obsession with this thing,” Selene said

and then smiled. “But I did miss it.”

“You’re a girl. You’ll never understand a man’s love for his

vehicle,” Sasha said teasingly.

Selene snorted. “You don’t understand it either, cat. I can see it in

your eyes.” She pointed at him accusingly. “All you wanted to do was
score brownie points with him.”

Sasha leaned in close, licking the tip of Selene’s ear. “And I did,

didn’t I?”

Nate didn’t care about them arguing. It was a constant between

them anyway. He knew Sasha and Selene cared about each other, but
right now, all he had eyes for was his Yukon. “I’ve missed you,
baby.” Nate smoothed his hand down the driver’s door, grinning at
the familiar feel of his vehicle.

“Are you seriously talking to it?” Selene asked in bewilderment.
“Never understand,” Sasha muttered. Nate wasn’t sure if he was

saying it to Selene or Nate.

It didn’t matter.
He cracked the door open, inhaling the interior before climbing

behind the wheel. The air was a bit musty, but nothing he couldn’t
take care of by driving with the windows down. He didn’t care if it
smelled like garbage right now.

He had his baby back.
Nate turned the key and nearly had an orgasm when the engine

roared to life.

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“Are you done fucking your truck or do you need more time?”

Rick asked as he walked up to the Yukon and gently knocked his fist
into the driver door.

“I think he needs the rest of the night,” Selene retorted.
“Someone’s jealous,” Sasha purred.
One thing Nate had learned about Sasha and Selene, if she wasn’t

threatening him and he wasn’t coming on to her, then something was
wrong. Some might look at their relationship as bizarre, but it worked
for them.

“Seymour is going to drive the Hummer,” Rick said as he chucked

a thumb at the leopard who had brought Nate his truck. “That way
you don’t have to be separated.”

The alpha was teasing him, but Nate didn’t care. He had his baby

back. He ran his hands over the steering wheel and rested his cheek
on the material.

“He really is making love to it,” Selene said in an astonished tone.

“I think I am jealous.”

“Don’t worry,” Sasha said as he pulled Selene close. “I’ll pet and

rub you just the same.”

She elbowed him. “We have to get moving.”
Sasha laughed like he always did when she was being stubborn—

or shoving a gun in his face.

“Have you heard from Remus?” Rick asked as he turned toward

the leopard alpha.

Sasha’s expression grew serious as he shook his head. “Nothing

yet.”

“He should have called by now,” Nate interjected. “Something’s

gone wrong.”

Nate could see the riot of emotions working on Rick’s face. They

had to meet everyone in Washington in a few days’ time, but he also
knew the alpha wasn’t going to leave men behind. Remus should have
gotten word to them. It didn’t take twenty-four hours to rescue

Rise to Live

someone. Nate didn’t know Remus all that well, but he was pretty
sure the guy would have let them know if he had gotten Bryson out.

Something was seriously wrong. He could feel it in his gut. “Do

you want to swing that way?” It would be extremely dangerous for
Rick to show his face in Shelton. If they did this, it would have to be
so covert that no one even knew they were in the vicinity. He would
try and talk his alpha out of this, but Rick was a very stubborn man. If
he chose to go, there would be no talking him out of it. But he had to
try. “Me, Selene, and Sasha can go back and find out what’s wrong.”

Rick rubbed at his chin. The man needed a shave. The sides of his

face looked heavy with black hair. Nate had never seen Rick let it
grow out that far before. As Nate stared at the man, he noticed lines
around Rick’s eyes and mouth he had never noticed either. It seemed
fighting this fruitless battle was taking its toll.

Nate knew how he felt. He wasn’t getting any younger, and he

just wanted to go home and settle into a mundane life with his family.
He still hadn’t had the chance to get to know Sammy and Boston.
Nate was looking forward to that. He had never had kids and now that
he had two, he couldn’t be happier.

“Is there anyone we can send to check on them?” Rick finally

asked. The guy was torn. Nate could see it.

“I can go,” Seymour volunteered. “Just tell me who I’m looking

for.”

Rick looked relieved. Nate was as well. He would have went, but

he would much rather stick to Rick’s side now that they were heading
into what was hopefully the final battle. It was his job to protect his
alpha and his mate. Nate didn’t plan on failing on the most important
part of this journey.

As Rick stood there telling Seymour what he needed to know,

Nate glanced at his mates. He could tell they wanted to find out what
happened to Remus and Bryson. They all wanted to know. But they
also had to prioritize. Half the nation—Nate was hoping they were
lucky enough to get that many—was going to meet them in

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Washington. It wouldn’t look good if the Rebellion leader was a no-
show.

“Take the Hummer,” Rick said when he finished. “It will help you

get past a lot of roadblocks. Just stay off the main highways and don’t
speed. I don’t need you getting pulled over.”

Seymour gave Rick a goofy salute as he scrambled into the

Hummer and pulled away. Nate smiled. He had just met the guy, but
he liked him. It didn’t hurt that Seymour had brought him his baby.

“Okay,” Rick said as he turned. “We need to get moving. Miguel

and Benito are meeting up with Clyde and his group today. We’re
supposed to meet them in Pennsylvania.”

Nate had known Miguel and Benito before all this started. But he

hadn’t known them like he did now. He had to admit, he missed the
two. They had grown up in the last year and a half, and Nate couldn’t
be prouder of the juvenile enforcers.

Everything in his life had changed. Some of the people he knew

before no longer were around, like Graham and Olivia or Miguel’s
parents. His bond with some of his fellow pack members had grown
stronger, and he was now mated with kids.

Nate knew he had a lot more to lose now. He couldn’t go off half-

cocked anymore. He had to think about the people he cared for the
most. He was still as lethal as he was before, but all the risks he used
to take were now heavily weighed.

Sasha climbed in the front seat as Selene stretched out in the back.

Nate was getting excited all over again as his hands ran the
circumference of the steering wheel.

“Try not to get too excited.” Rick chuckled as he walked back to

his truck.

Dorian leaned out of the passenger window, giving Nate a

thumbs-up and a wide grin. He didn’t care who thought him nuts. He
loved his truck.

Rise to Live

As he pulled onto the road, following behind Rick, Nate knew he

just might come in his pants. The familiar rush of driving this beast
came back to him. He was half tempted to speed down the road.

Hell, he was tempted to drive off road.
“Please,” Selene said. “Contain your damn excitement. It’s

making me horny as hell to smell your scent.”

Nate chuckled as Sasha glanced into the backseat. “I can come

back there and play wicked, wicked games with you, vixen.”

“Only if I can shove my gun—shit, I left my gun in the Hummer.”
“Well, it’s too late now,” Nate replied. “We’ll have to find one for

you someplace along the way.”

“I really liked that gun,” Selene pouted.
“Just like I like my Yukon?” Nate asked.
Selene rolled her eyes. “I said I liked the gun. I’m not obsessed

with the damn thing.”

“There is nothing wrong with a healthy obsession,” Nate argued.
“What the hell is so healthy about being in love with a piece of

metal?” she asked.

Nate sat back and relaxed, giving her a wide grin in the rearview

mirror. But on the inside, he was a nervous wreck. They were heading
to what could possibly be their deaths. As much as he didn’t want to
think about it, he knew it was a strong possibility.

“We’ll be fine,” Sasha said from beside him. “Just keep your head

down and keep moving forward.”

Nate nodded as the cat reached across and grabbed Nate’s hand,

twining their fingers together. A year and a half ago, Nate would have
never thought having a relationship with the leopard or Selene
possible. It didn’t seem like it would ever become a reality.

But now that he had them both, the stakes had just gotten higher.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Six

Remus rolled to his stomach, barely able to open his eyes. He had

taken a worse beating than when he was in the detention center.
Everything on him hurt. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few
cracked ribs from the way breathing hurt.

And he was in his human form. He should have shifted to heal by

now.

“It’s a little gift I was lucky enough to come across,” Jayson said

from somewhere behind him. “You can’t shift anymore. That’s been
taken away from you.”

Remus thought about the virus the humans had wanted to unleash

on the population. Had he been infected with it? If he had, the virus
was going to spread. Rick and the others had fought hard not to allow
the humans to get their hands on the data card. He knew Rick still had
it. The alpha of the werewolves had planned on showing the president
just what the military was up to.

But if they had found someone to duplicate it…
“There is no escaping. You might as well tell me what Enrique is

up to.” There was a loud scraping sound and then a shadow was in
front of Remus. His vision was still blurred, but he could scent the
human.

If he wasn’t beat to shit, he would gouge the man’s throat out.

Never in his life had he hated someone as much as he hated this man.
Remus swore to himself that if he got out of this alive, he would—he
stilled when the scent of blood filled his lungs.

Even if Jayson hadn’t fucked with his DNA, Remus knew he

would still be reacting. It was his baser instinct to react to that which

Rise to Live

bled. That fact that he wasn’t reacting told him whose blood had been
spilt in such a heavy excess.

Marco.
Remus lowered his head, closing his swollen eyes as the truth

tried to settle inside of him. His best friend and the man he knew he
wanted to mate was dead. There was no other plausible explanation to
the saturated scent of blood that filled the room to overwhelming.

He lay there and wept, uncaring if Jayson and any other onlookers

saw him. His body was too fucked up to fight, but it didn’t matter
anymore. His heart was being torn from his chest. Marco was dead.
All because Remus had been too afraid to come alone. He was the one
who had put Marco in this situation and the leopard had paid the
ultimate price.

“I see your strong scent is still working,” Jayson said. “You know

I killed that animal, don’t you?”

“Why?” Remus asked in a strained whisper. “Why didn’t you just

inject him so he wouldn’t shift any longer? Why did you have to kill
him?” He hated himself for asking, for begging Jayson for an answer.
But Remus had to know.

“It was my way of paying you back for escaping the detention

center,” Jayson said with a snarl in his tone. “You can’t make fools
out of humans and expect to get away with it. Besides,” Jayson said as
he yanked Remus’s hair back, “it’s a sick, mental disease for two men
to be together. Don’t think I was clueless about your relationship with
the little punk. I did you both a favor.”

As badly as it hurt, Remus curled into a ball and continued to

weep. He wasn’t even sure about Bryson at this point. Remus didn’t
know if the werewolf was alive or dead. He couldn’t open his eyes
enough to see what was right in front of him, let alone anyone further
away.

But Bryson wasn’t the one he was concerned with right now. Not

when a big, black hole was opening up inside of him and sucking him
into a vortex of loneliness and despair.

Lynn Hagen

Marco was gone.
Remus wrapped his arms around his midsection, ignoring the

pain, and rocked back and forth while images of his best friend played
in his mind. Marco had been goofy, immature, excitable, and
downright adorable. He had been everything Remus was looking for
when it came to a mate. He had just been too blind to see it before
today.

Now it was too late.
Any happiness he had ever hoped for was gone. The only thing

left behind was a cold and lonely heart.

“Now, once again, I want you to tell me where Enrique is heading

and what he has planned or I’ll kill the other man.”

So Bryson was still alive. As bad as it sounded, that brought very

little solace to Remus’s aching heart. He didn’t care at this point. His
emotions were shutting down, making him as numb as his jaw seemed
to be.

Fuck Jayson. Fuck Bryson. Fuck the war. Fuck everyone. They

could go to hell. Remus just did not care anymore. Jayson could take
his life right now and Remus would welcome it. That was better than
lying here hurting so badly that he thought the pain was going to
consume him alive.

“Go see what that noise was,” Jayson snapped at someone in the

room. “Hopefully Enrique has shown up for my little surprise party.”

Remus began to crawl inside his own mind. He didn’t want to be

here. Without Marco, Remus didn’t want to be anywhere.

“Go, now!” Jayson shouted when gunfire filled the silence.
Too little, too late.
Remus tried to open his eyes. He wanted to see for himself that

Marco was dead. He knew it to be true, but he had to see. Struggling
to clear the blurry vision that had a tight grip on him, Remus slowly
opened his eyes.

Rise to Live

All he could see were shadows. No matter how hard he tried, the

shadows would not clear away to allow him once last glimpse of the
man he loved.

He heard shouts, more gunfire, and then things being knocked

around. Remus pulled himself across the floor, going in the direction
where the blood scent was the strongest. His fingers touched
something solid.

Remus’s throat tightened as he swallowed over and over again,

the tears trailing down his face. He knew it was Marco. The man’s
scent was fading, but unmistakable. Remus pulled harder until he
managed to drape himself over the dead body, curling himself around
it as he began to cry harder.

He knew this was a war and that many were going to die, and had

died. But he never thought it would hit this close to home. He never
thought it would touch him this personally.

“In here,” someone shouted.
Remus held on tighter as heavy footfall could be heard coming

closer.

“Are you Remus Douglas?”
Remus didn’t answer.
“Are you Remus Douglas?” the man asked again. “Enrique sent

me.” The tone was gentle as it came closer. “I need to know.”

“Bryson is over there,” Remus whispered without moving,

knowing the man would know who he was talking about.

“Is he—” The guy swallowed hard. “Is he your mate?”
The tears started falling again as Remus gripped Marco’s body

tighter.

“We’ll take good care of him.” Hands grabbed Remus, and as

badly wounded as he was, he fought with venomous strength.

“You can’t take him from me!” His fingers dug harder into

Marco’s shirt, trying desperately to stay with the man.

“Remus, we have to get out of here. I’m not sure who else is

lingering around this place. It isn’t safe.”

Lynn Hagen

“Don’t leave him,” Remus begged.
“We won’t,” the man assured him. “We don’t leave anyone

behind. You have my word.”

With a finality that felt as if he were letting go of his very

existence, Remus released Marco. The instant his fingers left the
body, his brain began to shut down. Remus couldn’t handle reality
right now. He couldn’t handle the cold, harsh truth that the man he
loved was dead.

“I have you.”
No one had him. It was Marco who had brought such warmth to

Remus’s heart.

No one would ever have him again.

* * * *

Remus lay in the back of the truck, his body feeling as if it had

been broken apart and put back the wrong way. Everything on him
hurt, but most of all, his heart.

“Hey,” one the men with them said from the back. He had been

gently putting Marco’s body in the back, something Remus was trying
his best not to pay too much attention to. His emotions were raw
enough without the reminder of why he was dying inside.

“What?” Seymour asked. He had found the man’s name out when

he was carrying Remus to the truck.

“He’s breathing.”
Remus struggled to sit up. As painful as it was, he fought like

crazy to get his hand on the back of the seat so he could peer over into
the back. He was thankful as hell his vision had finally cleared, but
looking at Marco’s body wasn’t something he wanted to do. He had
been adamant about it before, but now, he just couldn’t do it.

“Are you sure?” Because if the man was mistaken, it would only

send Remus back into the pit of despair he was now wallowing in.

“Barely, but I have a faint pulse.”

Rise to Live

Remus damn near shouted in joy, but he wasn’t going to allow

himself false hope. Marco was fighting to stay alive. He was on the
slippery slope between life and death. If he ended up dying, Remus
didn’t want to plunge back into the abyss.

But he couldn’t help but pray Marco made it.
“How can we save him?” Remus asked quickly, his mind

splintering into a thousand different directions. There had to be a way
to pull Marco from the edges of death. Remus wasn’t going to accept
the fact that Marco was still alive, only to lose him again.

“He needs medical attention,” Seymour said. “The problem is, the

medic is unconscious.”

“Take him to a hospital,” Remus shouted.
Seymour gave him a pitying look. “You know we can’t do that.

They discover he’s changeling and call the cops.”

“Then hold a fucking gun to a doctor’s head and kidnap him from

the parking lot. I don’t care, just save Marco, damn it.”

As Remus watched his best friend, the events came flooding back

to him, and that was when he remembered he had been injected. He
wasn’t sure if it was the virus or not, but he knew he needed to warn
the men around him. Glancing up at Seymour, Remus swallowed
hard. “I think I was injected with a virus that could possibly spread
like a wildfire.”

Seymour stilled in the middle of climbing into the front seat.

“What kind of virus?”

“Call Enrique. He can better explain it to you. But if I was, you

and everyone else that came into contact with me are infected as
well.”

Seymour scrambled for his phone, dialing quickly. He spoke

rapidly into the phone, his eyes darting toward Remus the entire
conversation. Remus listened as Seymour told Rick what they found
and what Remus had just disclosed.

Lynn Hagen

“He says you can’t possibly be infected with the virus because the

formula was stolen and the original destroyed. You must have been
given something different.”

“Tell him I can’t shift into my leopard.” And the realization was

hitting Remus hard. He loved his leopard. What if Jayson had been
telling the truth and he was never going to shift again?

“Jayson!” Remus shouted as he glanced out the back door. “We

have to—”

“Everyone we found was killed, Remus.” Seymour still had the

phone to his ear. Remus could hear a loud growl on the other end.
Seymour handed the phone to Remus.

“Hello?”
“Did you say Jayson?” Rick barked out.
“Yes,” Remus replied. “He was the same human who tortured me

in the detention center. He has a hard-on for you.”

“Tell Seymour to show you the dead bodies. I want a picture of

each one of them. Send them to me. I want to make sure that fucking
bastard is dead.”

Remus nodded and then realized Rick couldn’t see him. “Okay.

But what about the injection he gave me? Are you sure I can’t spread
a virus?”

“Sasha had the only copy and we had the original formula

changed. I highly doubt it’s the virus. I’m guessing he gave you
something else.” Rick sighed. “I’m sorry about Marco, Remus. And
I’m sorry you may never shift again. If I had known this was going to
happen, I wouldn’t have let Sasha—”

“No,” Remus said, unable to let Rick carry any guilt over this. “I

knew the risks when I agreed.” Although he hadn’t known Marco
would come so close to death. “I need to go. I’ll have Seymour take
the pictures, but we have to go kidnap a doctor.”

Rick didn’t even ask why. The only thing he had said was good

luck.

Rise to Live

Remus was going to need it. He had never kidnapped anyone in

his life. It seemed he was doing a lot of firsts lately. He handed the
phone back to Seymour with Rick’s instructions. Only he didn’t tell
the guy that Rick wanted him to tag along. He let Seymour go on his
own. Remus couldn’t handle seeing Jayson again…if the man were
truly dead.

Somehow he thought someone that evil wasn’t killed so easily.

Evil never fully went away. But Remus was determined not to let it
touch him and Marco any further. How he was going to accomplish
this, he wasn’t sure. But he was going to die trying. No one was going
to hurt Marco again.

Seymour hurried back to the truck and climbed in, quickly pulling

away. “I’ve never kidnapped anyone before,” the man confessed.

“Neither have I,” Remus replied. He glanced down at the seat,

spotting a gun hidden in a holster. Picking it up, he handed it to
Seymour. “Use this.”

Seymour rolled his eyes. “I already have a weapon. How do you

think I got you out of there?”

“Hey,” one of the other men said from the back of the Hummer.
“Sorry,” Seymour replied. “We got you out of there. Hang onto it.

You just might need to use it.”

Remus stared at the gun like it was an alien from another planet.

He had never used one in his life. Hell, he had never held one. He was
more liable to shoot friend than foe. Although Seymour and his men
were from a different leap, Remus didn’t want to put a hole in the
man just because he mishandled the damn thing.

He set the holster back down, telling himself it just might be wiser

if he didn’t use the gun—and healthier for everyone else.

Seymour drove past the hospital twice, Remus continually

checking on Marco. He noticed his best friend was still in his human
form and cut up pretty damn badly. The only explanation for him not
shifting was that Jayson had given Marco the same injection he had
received.

Lynn Hagen

A cell phone rang and Seymour answered it. It was Rick, telling

them none of the dead bodies were Jayson. Remus could have
identified the pictures, but he couldn’t bring himself to look. Now that
he knew the scrawny bastard was still alive, he had a goal.

And that goal was to see Jayson dead.
“There,” Remus said as he spotted a man wearing scrubs. The guy

looked important enough to be a doctor. Remus just prayed like hell
he wasn’t an orderly instead. The way his luck was running, they
would nab the janitor.

Seymour pulled over.
“What are you doing?” Remus asked.
“Going to kidnap a doctor.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “You can’t kidnap him from the parking

lot. You have to follow him, get him alone.” Even Remus knew that.
This guy sucked worse at kidnapping them Remus did.

Seymour waited until the car pulled from the parking lot and then

followed. Remus sat there the entire time worrying that this wasn’t
going to work. His ribs were killing him as he sat forward, but Remus
pushed the pain down.

He had to do this for Marco. It didn’t matter how much pain he

was in, he was going to make sure his best friend survived.

The car pulled into a driveway about fifteen minutes later. They

were in a very expensive neighborhood. The guy had to be a doctor to
afford this place. Now Remus worried about being spotted. In such a
rich neighborhood, there was sure to be a few nosey neighbors.

“Make sure no one sees you,” he said as Seymour pulled the

Hummer to the curb. It wasn’t like they could hide themselves. They
were in a freaking military vehicle. They were going to stand out like
a sore thumb.

The doctor got out of his car, oblivious to the Hummer parked

right in front of his house. Remus wasn’t sure how the man didn’t
notice them, but he walked inside, never looking their way.

“Now.”

Rise to Live

Seymour glared at Remus. “I don’t need step-by-step

instructions.”

The leopard got out, along with one of his men, and then they

hurried toward the front door. Remus watched it all.

When the doctor answered his door, Seymour shoved a gun into

the man’s gut, nodding toward the Hummer.

Instead of looking terrified, the man looked downright pissed.

Some people were just too full of themselves. Remus rolled the
window down. “Make sure he has some sort of medical bag with
him.”

Seymour redirected the human to the car. Smart thinking. It

seemed the leopard was correct in his assumption that the guy would
have medical supplies in there because he pulled a bag free before
being marched to the truck.

Remus grabbed the gun off the seat and then scooted over.

Seymour shoved the doctor into the backseat and then hurried around
front, quickly climbing inside before speeding off.

“I’ll have you all arrested!”
Remus gave a low growl as he sat the holster in his lap. He hoped

he looked menacing. “That may be, but you’re going to save
someone’s life first.”

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Seven

Rick chuckled as he saw Benito and Miguel jump from the car

they had been driving, making a beeline straight for him. He was glad
to see them. And it was apparent they were glad to see him.

The two practically fell into his arms, both grinning like loons.

Rick gave each of them a tight hug before releasing them to Dorian,
who did the same. Benito almost knocked Dorian over he hugged him
so hard.

“How are you guys?” Rick asked as he ruffled each of their heads

affectionately.

“Good,” Benito said as he laughed when Dorian tried to take him

down.

Miguel rolled his eyes. “Except that Benito tried to eat the

gazelles you sent us to help.”

“You too!” Benito shouted and laughed.
Rick was surprised how good it felt to have these two back. It just

showed him how attached he had become to the two enforcers. He
had gone from an alpha who had kept his pack together, worked, and
dealt with life as it came to him, to someone who truly cared about the
men and women around him. They actually felt like family.

“Are you sure you didn’t take just a little nibble?” Rick teased.
“Trust me,” Benito said with a wolf’s gleam in his eyes. “I tried.”
Rick grinned and then saw Clyde heading toward him. Now this

was a man he was glad he had met. Clyde had been there for Rick on
and off since this whole thing started. The werebear was a hell of a
fighter to have at his side and a good man to have as a friend. He
clasped hands with the burly man, glad to see the guy was still in one

Rise to Live

piece. He still hated that Clyde was deeply involved in all of this with
a cub and a mate waiting for him.

Rick hated to involve anyone with loved ones at home. The risk of

them dying was too high. “Good to see you again, Clyde.”

“Same here.” The bear slapped Rick on the shoulder. “I’m still

alive, so all is good.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Rick opened his mouth to say something

when he saw Selene bend over on the side of the truck, vomiting.
Nate was quickly at her side, Sasha was as well. Rick walked over to
where they were standing, concerned.

“Is she okay?” Of course she wasn’t. She was still bent over, but

Rick wasn’t sure what to say.

Selene tried to stand but swayed. Nate curled his arms under her

and picked her up, holding her close to his chest. Everyone around
them turned, staring to see what was going on. Nate nuzzled into
Selene’s neck. Rick knew the man was worried. He could scent it.

What he hadn’t expected was for Nate’s head to snap up, his eyes

wide. The man had scented something, Rick could tell. “What’s
wrong, Nate?”

Instead of answering him, Nate turned toward Sasha, whispering

in a hushed tone. Rick wasn’t trying to listen, and he couldn’t hear
what was being said, but he was concerned.

“No shit,” Sasha said out loud, a grin stretching across his face.
“Goddamn it,” Rick said. “What’s wrong?” If she was too ill to

fight, he needed to know. He could have one of the bears take Selene
to the cabin where everyone else was staying. But Rick knew Selene
would have a fit. She wanted to fight just as much as the next person.

“It seems our little vixen is pregnant,” Sasha announced, pride

clear in his catlike purr. “She’s going to be a mama.”

Congrats rang out from everyone. Rick chuckled as he stared at

Selene, who looked green around the gills.

“We need to send her with Isabelle,” Edward said. “She can’t

fight.”

Lynn Hagen

“The hell I can’t,” Selene protested, gaining back enough strength

to wiggle around in Nate’s arms. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fighting,” Nate argued, refusing to let her go. “It isn’t

safe for the baby.”

This stopped Selene in her plight to get free. She glanced up at

Nate as if she didn’t believe him. “I’m pregnant.” The words were
spoken softly, in a hushed tone.

“That you are, my vixen,” Sasha said. “And Nate’s right. You

need to go to the cabin.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but finally nodded. “But

don’t think for a minute I wouldn’t have kicked some ass.”

Dorian was the one who snickered this time. “I’m sure you would

have.”

Clyde elected one of his bears to escort Selene back to the cabin.

Once she had said her good-byes to everyone, and sucked plenty of
face with her mates, she was off. To be honest, Rick was relieved she
didn’t put up a bigger fight then just a mere protest. She could be very
stubborn at times.

The look on both Sasha’s and Nate’s faces was nothing short of

prideful. They were both grinning like mad. A crowbar couldn’t have
pried those smiles from their faces.

“Whoop, whoop,” Benito shouted. “Another baby to play with.”
“Okay, we should get going,” Rick announced over the chatter.

“Staying in one spot too long isn’t a good thing. We are too large a
group to—” Rick grew quiet when he heard twigs snapping in the
woods that bordered the road they were pulled over on.

Everyone turned.
As he stood there, Rick could scent dry leaves and earth. It was so

strong that he nearly choked on the scent. The smell wafted up to him,
reared back, and punched him in the gut. Never before had he smelled
vampire this strongly.

Rise to Live

There had to be—Rick watched in utter disbelief as a horde of the

undead began to emerge from the woods. They were coming at the
shifters in droves. It was a massacre waiting to happen.

Rick took a step back, for the first time in his life fearing the

undead. There were just too damn many. He couldn’t even muster up
the confidence to know he was going to win this fight. The reality
finally settled into Rick, and his werewolf burst forward. He threw his
head back and let a long, deep howl rip from his chest.

Everyone around him began to shift as the horde moved closer.

When the first vampire reached him, Rick grabbed the undead by his
face with massive claws and ripped skin from bone as he sank his
teeth into flesh and tore it apart.

His mate was by his side, in his werewolf form, fighting just as

hard as Rick. He hated that Dorian was a part of this. His mate
shouldn’t have to go through any of this shit. All Rick wanted was to
go home, settle down with the man, and live a quiet existence.

But these bastards had other plans.
Rick saw bears, werewolves, and even a leopard engaging in

battle. But it seemed no matter how many they killed, more were
coming.

They weren’t going to win.
Two bears already lay on the ground dead.
Rick feared one of them was Clyde.
“Fall back!” Rick shouted over the rioting noise of the battle. He

grabbed Dorian and took off across the road, heading into the large
cornfield. He had never run from a fight before, but Rick knew when
to cut his losses and get ghost.

But he was too tall and the corn wasn’t high enough to conceal

him. His head stuck out like a target. Rick could hear the sound of the
husks being trampled as the vampires entered the field. He held
tighter to Dorian’s hand as he put on a burst of speed.

With this many, somebody had to be controlling them. There was

no way they were this organized, not after being in hiding for so long.

Lynn Hagen

But Rick knew without a doubt that Salvador, Omar, and Freedman
were up in Canada tracking Kraven down.

There was no way the master vampire had a mental reach that

extended this far…could he? Since starting this journey, Rick had
seen some pretty bizarre shit. He wouldn’t toss out the possibility that
Kraven wasn’t somewhere orchestrating this.

As Rick reached close to the other side of the field, he was

worried they wouldn’t get—what was that? Glancing up, Rick saw a
large shadow swoosh across the top of the corn. He didn’t know what
to make of it. Not until two red eyes appeared.

The Shadow.
Having run into the Shadow on a few occasions, Rick wasn’t real

acquainted with the thing. He could be helping the vampires or
helping the Rebellions. He wasn’t sure.

“Is that the Shadow?” Dorian asked as he ran, his head tilted back

and staring up toward the sky.

“It is, but I’m not sure if he—” Rick skidded to a halt when the

Shadow’s form began to grow, filling the night sky like a wayward
dark cloud, growing, spinning, and making the corn begin to bend as
the wind picked up.

“What’s he doing?” Dorian shouted.
Rick hadn’t a damn clue. He had never seen anything like it

before. The dark cloud set against the night sky was ominous in
appearance. It was thick, like rolling black smoke in an inferno, still
growing.

And then it was as if a sonic wave blew out across the field. Rick

and Dorian were knocked on their asses. The corn was lying flat, like
a very large hand had come down and smashed the maze.

Rick glanced up after knocking wayward corn off of him and saw

the Shadow standing in front of him. He was whole again, and his
eerie eyes were flickering over the field. Looking behind him, Rick
could see the changelings moving around, as if coming out of a daze,
but the vampires were nowhere to be seen.

Rise to Live

“Thanks,” Rick said as he pushed himself to his feet.
“The closer you get to your goal, the harder the road will be to

travel,” the Shadow said before evaporating into thin air.

“Cryptic,” Dorian said as he got to his feet.
“Yeah, but we’re alive.” Rick just prayed they stayed that way. He

understood the message perfectly. The closer to Washington he came,
the more obstacles he was going to face.

* * * *

Remus paced the bedroom they were in as the doctor examined

Marco. “Who did this to him?”

“One of your kind,” Seymour said.
“Male?” the doctor asked. “Or a doctor?”
Remus grabbed Seymour when the leopard went after the smartass

man. The tension was high in the room. If a fight started now, the doc
wouldn’t survive.

“Actually, the other guy you have to look at is…or was, studying

to be a doctor. Too bad his blood made him too much of an animal to
dedicate his life to helping others,” Remus said bitterly. He couldn’t
help it. It sickened him to know people were persecuted just because
they were different. From what Rick had told him, Bryson had risked
his life many times to help those injured and bleeding. The guy didn’t
even react to blood the way most changelings did.

And he was keeping his eye on Seymour and his pals. If one of

them tried shifting because of Marco and Bryson’s wounds, Remus
was going to flat-out kill them. There would be no reasoning with the
men. He knew this. He accepted this.

He just wasn’t sure he could take all three of them down while

protecting the unconscious and the human. He couldn’t shift anymore.
That made the three changelings in the room that he barely knew very
dangerous.

Lynn Hagen

It seemed the human picked up on Remus’s unease, because he

stopped with his bedside humor and started working on Marco. As he
unwrapped Remus’s best friend from the blanket, the extent of his
injuries were revealed. Remus felt the bile rise to the back of his
throat. The serrated scalpel Jayson used on Marco had done its job
with proficient accuracy. He was cut everywhere, and the gashes
weren’t minor.

“So far I don’t see any muscle or major artery damage,” the doctor

said. “It would help if I could get him to the hospital where I would—”

“No dice.” Remus cut the man off. “He’s not human.”
The human seemed irritated, but Remus wasn’t sure why.
“I became a doctor to save lives. I don’t give a shit about this

war.”

Too bad not everyone could say that. If Marco was taken to the

hospital as the doctor wanted, then his best friend would be killed.
Remus had no doubt the local police would shoot Marco on the spot,
along with Remus and anyone else they found to be changeling.

It wasn’t an option.
Remus watched as the doctor finished his exam and then began to

stitch Marco back together, like he was Humpty Dumpty. He had to
admit, the doc was good. The lines were clean and the stitching tight.

But there were still going to be scars. If Marco could only shift,

then he could heal on his own, leaving no marks to blemish his fine
skin. Taking a seat at the head of the bed, Remus ran his fingers
through Marco’s hair. The guy was unconscious, but he needed the
reassurance more than the wereleopard. Remus was a bundle of
nerves. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the doctor to
tell him Marco was going to die.

How the man had survived, Remus wasn’t sure. He now believed

in miracles though. That was the only thing that had saved his best
friend.

The doctor gave Remus a quick glance as he continued to work.

“Is he your lover?”

Rise to Live

The tender way Remus was petting Marco would be

misinterpreted by a human. They knew nothing about changelings and
their need for reassurance. “I’m hoping he will be,” Remus answered
honestly. He wanted to correct the man and say mate, but the less the
doc knew the better.

“I’ll take real good care of him,” the man said in an even tone,

never looking back up. Remus appreciated the guy’s attitude. He
didn’t know Marco or Remus, yet the man held sympathy in his eyes.
It was good to know not all humans were assholes—besides the
sympathizers. They didn’t count in the asshole group.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Eight

Marco groaned, feeling as if he had been through a meat grinder.

He hurt everywhere. Even his dang eyeballs hurt. His face felt tight
and his body was screwed up. He could feel it. So why hadn’t he
shifted?

“Take it easy.”
Marco melted inside when he heard Remus’s deep tone. Either he

had died and his angel was the man he had loved since forever, or he
was alive and the man he had loved since forever was right next to
him.

Either choice suited him just fine. “What happened?”
“You had a fight with a scalpel and lost.”
Remus’s words brought the nightmare back. Marco remembered

his face being sliced open, and then he had passed out after that. He
reached up and felt bandages on both sides of his face.

“Try not to touch,” Remus said as the bed dipped. “You need to

heal.”

“Why can’t I shift?” Marco asked. He could still feel his

wereleopard, but it wouldn’t come forth.

“I think Jayson screwed us both up,” Remus said as fingers began

to brush through Marco’s hair. He didn’t read into the affection. All
changelings—except the leap he and Remus belonged to—touched
for reassurance. It didn’t mean Remus cared about him. Not in the
way Marco had prayed since he discovered he liked boys instead of
girls.

“How?”
“He gave us an injection to suppress our leopards.”

Rise to Live

Marco was grateful that Remus wasn’t trying to lie to him or

avoid the truth. But Remus had always been like that. The man told
Marco how it was, even when Marco didn’t want to hear it at times.

That was what best friends did for each other. “Forever?” Marco

asked.

He heard a disgusted noise in the back of Remus’s throat. “That’s

what Jayson said.”

“Oh,” Marco replied. He wasn’t sure what to say. What could he

say to having his leopard caged inside of him? But he felt as if his
beast had died. If he couldn’t shift, Marco wasn’t sure what he would
do. He loved being a leopard.

“We’ll figure this out.”
Slowly, Marco opened his eyes. The room he was in was dimly lit,

one small lamp turned on. But it was enough for him to take in
Remus’s handsome features. He had the prettiest green eyes Marco
had ever seen. His hair was a mixture of blond and brown, his
eyebrows thick. He was also unshaven. Marco loved when Remus
looked unkempt. It made him look more rebellious.

Simply put, the man was stunning.
Too bad they had just remained friends for twenty years. It would

have been nice to become the man’s mate.

“Hey,” Remus said as he slid his finger down Marco’s nose.

“Don’t look so down. You are alive, and that’s all that matters.”

“Did you kill him?” Marco asked. “This Jayson guy? Is he dead?”
Remus’s jaw tightened, anger lines outlining his mouth. “No, he

got away.”

This didn’t set well with Marco. What if the man came back to

finish what he started? What if he managed to kill Marco this time?
“Are you going back to the fight?” he asked. Marco couldn’t imagine
going through this nightmare without Remus. It was hard enough
when he left the first time. Remus had been gone for over a year. It
was the worst time in Marco’s life. He had never been separated from
the man before.

Lynn Hagen

He didn’t want to be separated from him again.
Remus shook his head. “Rick has enough changelings rallying to

meet him in Washington. Besides, I’m not going to fight if I can’t
shift. I’ll only hinder them.”

Marco could hear the bitterness in Remus’s tone. He wasn’t sure

if it was from the fact that Remus couldn’t fight, or because he
couldn’t shift. It might be both. Reaching up, Marco pulled Remus’s
hand in his, giving the man’s knuckles a soft kiss. “Thanks for saving
me.”

He was tired of hiding his feelings for Remus, and at the same

time, scared the man would reject him. Over their lifetime, Remus
had never given any indication that he wanted Marco as anything
other than a friend.

He would be heartbroken if Remus only wanted friendship.
Remus pulled his hand free. “I didn’t save you. I let you die. It

was a human doctor who kept you alive.”

This stunned Marco. He had died? When? He felt pretty damn

alive. What doctor? Just what in the hell had happened to him? He
flipped the covers back to go to Remus and try to reassure the man
when he noticed his body was covered in gauze.

Marco swallowed hard. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes

as he stared at each and every one of the white bandages.

“Don’t,” Remus said as he moved closer, grabbing the covers

from Marco’s hands, and covering him back up. “You don’t need to
worry about that right now. I just need you to get better.”

“So we can go rescue someone else?” He had said it teasingly,

trying to get the stress lines from Remus’s face, but the man only
frowned deeper.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
God, he was the one covered in multiple bandages and it was

Remus with the despondent look on his face. What was he going to
have to do to make the man smile, dance a jig? He was messed up. He

Rise to Live

could see that. But Marco wasn’t going to let that get him down. As
Remus had said, he had lived.

When Remus tried to stop him from getting up again, Marco

batted at his hands. “Will you stop it?”

“Why are you being impossible?”
“Why are acting like your puppy died?” Marco managed to sit up,

although it was pretty damn painful to do so. The back of his legs felt
like they were on fire. Maybe getting up wasn’t the smartest thing to
do.

“Because you died!” Remus said vehemently. “You fucking died

right in front of my eyes.”

“Then how in the hell am I sitting here arguing with you?” God,

the man was stubborn. He was damned and determined to lash
himself on the back for this.

“Never mind,” Remus said as he walked from the room.
Well, that went rather well. Marco could literally feel the flames

scorching between them.

Not.
He wanted Remus to notice him, not argue with him. Marco was

dying for the man to touch him in a lover’s sort of way. He ate up the
reassurance Remus was giving him, but damn it, he wanted more.

He had almost died. That should at least earn him a kiss.
Stubborn bastard.
Marco wasn’t sure what to do now. He wasn’t worldly when it

came to relationships. If he was, Remus would have mated him by
now. Instead, he sat in this unfamiliar room, staring at a closed door.

When said door opened, Marco thought Remus was coming back

in. Instead, a stranger walked in. Marco could scent right away that he
was human. Pushing away from the man, his back hit the wall. Marco
grabbed the covers and tried to shield himself, although he knew that
would do him no good. “Remus!”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said as he held up his hands.

“I just want to check on you.”

Lynn Hagen

“Remus!” Marco shouted again. Remus came barreling through

the door, his muscled body filling the frame as his eyes darted around.

“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know him.” Marco pointed at the stranger. “He’s human.

He’s a bad guy.”

Remus’s features relaxed. “He’s the doctor we kidnapped to fix

you.”

“Fix me?” Just what in the hell was wrong with him? Did Remus

just say he kidnapped someone? “Why?”

Remus’s pretty green eyes darted to the doctor, as if he was asking

the damn stranger to explain things to him. He could feel the strain in
his and Remus’s friendship. Marco wasn’t really sure what had
happened to him from the time he passed out until he woke up, but
whatever it was, it had broken Remus somehow.

He wanted answers.
“You were cut up pretty badly,” the doctor said. “You have over

three hundred stitches.”

“Three hundred?” Holy smokes!
“I need you to lie down so I can check your wounds.”
Marco’s eyes darted over to his best friend. “Only if Remus

stays.”

“He’s too damn busy feeling sorry for himself,” the doctor

replied. “He’s wallowing in guilt.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Remus snapped.
“See,” the doctor whispered. “He blames himself for what

happened to you.”

“I said shut up,” Remus bellowed again.
“Or what?” the doctor asked. “Are you going to hurt me? I highly

doubt that. If you hurt me, how can I tend to my patients?”

“Patients?” Marco asked, totally and utterly confused. He wished

someone, anyone, would tell him the entire story. He was getting a
damn headache.

“Yes,” the doctor said. “A fellow doctor was critically wounded.”

Rise to Live

“Then why would you bring him here?”
“It’s the guy we went in to rescue,” Remus answered. “Now lie

down and let him have a look at you.”

“You can stop snapping at me, asshole,” Marco finally muttered.

He was sick of Remus’s funky attitude. He wasn’t used to it.
Normally, Remus was a really nice guy. His grumpy attitude was
getting on Marco’s last nerve. He was five seconds away from
smacking Remus.

He didn’t know what the leopard had to feel guilty about, but

whatever it was, he needed to get over it. Shit happened in a war. No
one knew that better than Marco. He had lost his parents and sister. If
anyone had a reason to be dismal, it was him.

But was he moping around?
No.
“Marco.”
“Don’t ‘Marco’ me. Just get over here and make sure the human

doesn’t do anything diabolical to me. I don’t need an extra head.”

This got a smile out of the man.
It also got a scowl from the doctor.
Marco ignored the doctor. The only thing he could see was the

slight upturn of Remus’s beautiful, kissable, lickable lips. For once in
his life, Marco didn’t tamp down his arousal. He steeled his spine and
let the aroma fill the room.

Remus’s brows furrowed as he glance at Marco. It was almost like

the man was too daft to understand the scent. God, was he going to
have to spell it out for the guy? Maybe not. Remus’s eyes went catlike
and then quickly went back to his normal irises.

He had smelled Marco’s need.
Now all he had to do was to get Remus to act on it. When the

leopard took a seat across the room, Marco wanted to scream.

“Well, you didn’t bust any stitches trying to get out of bed. My

advice is that you rest until those bad boys come out.” The doctor left
the room.

Lynn Hagen

That left Remus sitting across from him looking perplexed. Marco

wanted to ask the guy if he was just as attracted to him as he was to
Remus. But he was a big chickenshit. Rejection was not something he
handled very well.

With his luck, he would be left bawling on the bed as Remus left

his heart shattered on the floor.

“I need some air.”
Marco watched in stunned disbelief as the leopard walked out of

the room. If he wasn’t mistaken, right before Remus left, Marco had
seen a deep scowl on the man’s face.

Sighing, he lay back. It looked like he was being rejected. What

puzzled him was the fact that Remus had gotten pissed that Marco
was attracted to him. That didn’t seem like something his friend
would do.

Remus was more apt to say Marco was nuts and leave it at that.

Why the scowl?

With nothing to do, Marco glanced down at his legs and decided

to take a peek. He reached down, pulling at the edge of one of the
bandages, wanting to see what he was up against.

As the gauze peeled away, Marco stared in horror at the six-inch

ugly line that ran the top of his right thigh. He pressed the piece
firmly into place and went for another one, this time on his left inner
thigh.

The cut was even longer. It looked like someone had tried to carve

him into pieces. Marco replaced the bandage and then dropped his
head to the pillow, throwing his arm over his eyes. The pain in his
face only reminded him that he was scarred there, too.

Maybe that was why Remus didn’t want him. He looked like a

carved-up turkey. What man in his right mind would want a
Frankenstein? All he needed were bolts in the side of his neck and the
ensemble would be complete.

Carefully, Marco turned over, pulling the cover up over his

shoulder, and lay there wondering if anyone would ever want him.

Rise to Live

He was a freak.
A scarred freak.
A scarred gay freak.
His father’s words rang in his head. He had said that Marco had

some sort of mental disease. That was the only explanation for his son
being gay. The man had called him a pervert and an abomination. He
had said that Marco was going to hell.

Marco had never told Remus this. He had been too embarrassed.

His father had only spouted those hate-filled words when no one else
was around. The man believed in having a blemish-free image.

But Marco knew who he truly was.
And maybe he was right. Now that he couldn’t shift to heal, he

was going to carry the scars on his body for the rest of his life.

And it seemed Remus didn’t want a scarred freak.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Nine

Remus moved them from the safe house the next day. He didn’t

want to stay in one place for too long. Moving Marco was tricky
considering his wounds, so Remus was as careful as he could be.

He could see Marco staring at him curiously from the backseat as

they drove to the next safe house just outside of Shelton. These
houses had already been searched, and Remus hoped no one would be
back anytime soon. His friend needed to rest, and Remus needed to
think.

He had let the doctor go as soon as they left the last safe house.

Oddly enough, he had a feeling the human wasn’t going to turn them
in for kidnapping him. The guy had worked around the clock to get
Marco and Bryson better.

Bryson had finally shifted into his werewolf form. He wasn’t sure

what had taken the changeling so long, but whatever the reason, the
guy was resting in the back of his truck, healing. That was more than
he could say for Marco. His friend was still in human form with
multiple bandages still covering his body.

Seymour and his friends had left as well. Remus couldn’t say he

was sad to see them go.

“Okay, I can’t take it any longer. Why are you so damn quiet?”

Marco asked. “And don’t give me any bullshit about needing to
concentrate on driving. I’ve known you my whole life, Remus. Feed
that crap to someone else.”

“Did you think the doctor was cute?” He was trying his best to

take the anger out of his tone. Marco was already suffering from his

Rise to Live

wounds. But Remus couldn’t stop the anger from reaching the
surface.

Marco gave him a strange look. It almost looked like he was

heartbroken. “Do you?”

“Damn it, Marco, answer the question.”
His friend shrugged. “He was a nice-looking man, for a human.”
That answer only spiked Remus’s anger higher. All these years he

had been friends with Marco, Remus had been too blind to see what
was right in front of him. Now that he knew he wanted Marco as his,
the little shit had gotten aroused when the damn doctor touched him.

The scent nearly sent Remus over the edge. It had taken

everything in him to stop his leopard from killing the doctor. Marco
was his. “Do you want me to go back and get him?” he asked with
bitter sarcasm.

“For what?” Marco asked, and Remus could hear the

disappointment in the man’s tone.

Remus was confused. “I thought you liked him.” More like lusted

after him. Remus once again was fighting not to let his leopard track
the human down and take out the competition.

“Other than saving my life, I have no interest in him.”
“Then who—” Remus curled his lips in when the realization

dawned on his ass. God, he was so slow on the uptake. There were
only two people in the room when Marco became aroused. If he
didn’t like the doctor…

“Here we are,” Remus said to change the subject. He pulled down

the long drive and to the back of the house, hiding his truck. “I’ll get
you tucked in first and then come back for Bryson.”

“What were you going to say?” Marco asked as Remus killed the

motor.

“Nothing.” Why his tongue was all of a sudden tied, Remus

wasn’t sure. He should have been shouting for joy that Marco wasn’t
attracted to the doctor, but all he could do was concentrate on the task
at hand.

Lynn Hagen

The nervous jitters were hitting him hard. They had been friends

since forever. Now he was considering taking things a step further.
What if it fucked their friendship up? Remus cherished what he had
with Marco. He knew a few guys who had tried to date their friends.

Not only had it not worked out, but the friendship was gone.

Remus couldn’t imagine his life without Marco in it.

Once he had the smaller man settled into bed, he went for Bryson.

The medic was finally awake and lying in the truck in human form.

“What the hell happened to me?”
“You got ran over by a horse and buggy,” Remus replied as he

helped Bryson from the truck.

“I can walk,” Bryson said. “Just help me get some clothes on.”
Rummaging in the bags that were still stored in the back, Remus

pulled a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt out. He helped Bryson dress,
because the man was seriously unstable on his feet.

By the time Bryson pulled the shirt over his head, he seemed to be

feeling a lot better. It was more than Remus could say for Marco. The
man couldn’t shift, so it was going to take him a long time to heal.

Bryson turned to him, his honey-gold eyes piercing Remus. “Tell

me what’s been going on.”

Remus stood there and told the medic about the call he received

from Sasha about rescuing Bryson. He also told him about the events
until he finished with them pulling into this place and Remus taking
Marco upstairs.

“You kidnapped him?” Bryson asked.
Remus nodded. “Damn right.” He had no regrets about

kidnapping the human. It had saved Marco’s life. He would have kept
the guy with him when he left the other safe house, but the human had
done all he could do. There was no reason to bring him here or
involve him deeper into the changeling life.

“Then let me go take a look at Marco,” Bryson said as he closed

the back of the truck. “I want to check his wounds and make sure he
is healing.”

Rise to Live

It may be wrong, but Remus was glad it was a changeling taking

care of Marco. Not that the doctor hadn’t done one hell of a job, but
Bryson would understand the needs their species had better than a
human.

“I also need to call Rick,” Bryson was saying as he entered the

back door of the house. He walked through the place as if he had been
there before. There were no questioning steps as he climbed the stairs
and headed toward the room Marco was in. “He’s going to need me
once the final battle begins. I’m pretty sure there are going to be
plenty of wounded needing treatment.”

In all honesty, Remus had forgotten about that. He had only been

concerned with Bryson and Marco pulling through. It hadn’t crossed
his mind that Bryson would be needed. He was glad as hell Jayson
hadn’t succeeded in killing the werewolf.

Bryson opened the bedroom door, and Remus could see right

away that Marco was up and looking bored. At least he could look
bored. He was alive. Remus had to keep telling himself that over and
over again. The haunting fear of the man lying there dead on the floor
was still riding him strong.

Without thought, Remus immediately went to Marco, sitting down

beside him as Bryson made him lie back.

“How many more times am I going to be looked at?” Marco asked

as he glanced from Remus to Bryson. His dark-brown eyes held
irritation. Remus could understand. Marco had been poked and
prodded too many times over the past few days. “I’m starting to feel
like a freak on exhibit.”

Running his fingers gently through the man’s short black hair,

Remus gave a low growl. “You are not a freak.”

Marco sat perfectly still as Bryson examined him, not saying

another word. Remus knew it wasn’t because the man was
cooperating. Marco wasn’t the type to lie there and not ask a shitload
of questions.

Lynn Hagen

No, Remus had a feeling that Marco truly believed he was a

freak—which was utterly preposterous. Just because he had scars now
didn’t make him any less attractive to Remus. To him, they were
battle wounds. Marco should carry them proudly.

Bryson sat back, a grin on his face. “Seems you kidnapped

someone top-notch. When the stitches come out, I’m betting there
will be very little scarring.”

“Really?” Marco asked. “You’re not lying, are you?”
“Do I smell like I’m lying?” Bryson asked as he stood.
Remus couldn’t help playing in Marco’s hair. The strands were

soft and he loved being able to inhale the man’s scent. It was helping
his leopard as well. The longer he sat there next to Marco, the man’s
aroma filling his lungs, the less agitated his leopard was—although
his beast wanted to claim Marco, make the guy his, and reassure
himself that the smaller man was truly all right.

Images of how Marco looked lying in the back of the truck after

being carried out of the lab still flashed in his mind. He could still feel
the man’s cold body under his while Remus clung to his best friend,
feeling as if he would never be happy again. Sitting next to Marco
now was soothing to his soul.

“I’m going to make some phone calls. Get some rest, champ.”

Bryson closed the door on his way out and Remus was once again left
alone in the room with Marco. But this time he wasn’t fuming mad
because he thought Marco was attracted to the human doctor.

Out of all the years of their friendship, this was the most awkward

moment.

“So,” Marco began as he smoothed his hands down the blanket.

Remus could see the slight shake in them. “Are you going to kiss me
or do I have to pass you a note that tells you to check the box if you
like me?”

Remus moved his hand away from Marco’s hair. “I’d love to kiss

you. But what if this doesn’t work?” Remus waved a hand between

Rise to Live

them. “I’ve seen what can go wrong between friends when becoming
lovers turns out to be a bad idea.”

Marco cocked his head. “I just asked for a kiss. Who said

anything about being lovers?”

Remus was confused. If they kissed, wouldn’t that lead to more?

He knew it would, so he wasn’t sure why he dipped his head as he
cupped the man’s jaw, pressing his lips in a chaste kiss.

But Marco had other plans.
His best friend wrapped his arms around Remus’s neck and

yanked, making Remus have to catch himself so he didn’t hurt Marco
or his wounds. He wasn’t a lightweight guy. But the move brought
them intimately closer.

Marco may have been the one who initiated the deeper kiss, but

Remus could tell the guy was clueless. There was no way Marco
hadn’t kissed a guy before. The thought sent a spike of jealousy
through Remus, but the lack of expertise in the way Marco kissed him
was mystifying.

So, Remus took over. He tipped Marco’s mouth up with one

finger under the man’s chin to brush Marco’s lips with his. The light
pants coming from Marco were encouraging. It was all he could do
not to devour the man.

He kissed Marco’s lips, his jaw, and his neck. His lips trailed over

every exposed inch of flesh, his tongue drawing lazy circles until their
lips met again. This time the kiss wasn’t so chaste. Marco began to
writhe underneath him as Remus probed his tongue at Marco’s lips
until the man opened for him.

He swept his tongue in, and at the same time pressed his hands on

either side of Marco’s prone body, trying his best to keep the weight
off of the man. His lips were hard and searching as Marco fell apart
right under him.

But Remus knew he had to back off. His brain wasn’t fully in

charge, his body was, but he knew he couldn’t take this any further.

Marco was still recovering.

Lynn Hagen

With regret, Remus pulled back, staring down into Marco’s dark

pools. They were like molten lava as he gazed up at Remus.

“Why’d you stop?”
Remus had to clear his throat before he could even talk. That was

how much the smaller man was affecting him. “Because, you’re still
hurt.”

“But, I’m not hurt enough to where I can’t kiss.”
God, he really was an innocent fool. Didn’t Marco know how he

was affecting Remus? He wanted to toss the covers aside, get naked,
and shove his cock deep into Marco’s ass. If they kept kissing this
way, Remus was going to do just that. “You are doing things to me
that are dangerously close to putting you in a body cast.” Remus was
teasing Marco, trying to lighten the mood.

Marco’s brows furrowed for a moment, and then they arched high.

“That good?”

Remus was unable to resist. He nuzzled Marco’s neck and then

laid a kiss on the man’s Adam’s apple. “That good.”

Marco began to giggle as Remus licked the guy’s neck. He knew

his friend was ticklish. They had had many tickle wars when they
were younger. But now the game seemed a lot more interesting since
it was turning sexual.

“Uncle!” Marco shouted as he pushed at Remus’s chest.
Remus’s grin was wide and made him feel light at heart. He had

almost lost this. “Surrendering so quickly?”

Once the giggles subsided, Remus saw a mixture of merriment

and arousal in Marco’s eyes. “Yeah, because my dick is getting hard.”

Jesus. Didn’t the man have a buffer? His blunt statement only

made Remus’s cock stiffen to almost a painful arousal. If he didn’t
leave Marco alone, he really was going to fuck the guy. “Hungry?”
Damn, his voice was strained.

“Starving,” Marco admitted before leaning up and giving Remus a

quick kiss, which turned into another drugging session of Remus
sticking his tongue all the way down Marco’s throat.

Rise to Live

Remus was so damn horny that he was ready to jack off right here

in front of his best friend. This time when he pulled back, he moved
all the way off of the bed.

Staying any closer was just too damn tempting.
“I’ll find you something to eat.”
Marco lay there looking a debauched mess. The strands of hair on

his head were sticking up in all different directions and his lips were
swollen and wet. Remus’s cock pulsed at the image Marco made for
him.

“I’ll be back,” he said quickly as he hurried from the room. When

Marco said just kissing, the guy knew how to turn the act into nothing
short of having sex with their mouths.

And here Remus thought the man innocent.
That was far from the truth. Marco seemed determined to make

Remus his and Remus didn’t have a problem with that. He just hoped
they were doing the right thing and their friendship didn’t fall apart.

Marco had no idea. If Remus had it his way, the small leopard

would already be mated by now.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Ten

Rick and the group of men he was with pulled into a closed diner.

He was hoping like hell there was electricity. If not, someone was
going to find a way to bring power to the place. He was sick of eating
out of cans and boxes. Rick was dying for a home-cooked meal.

“Why are we stopping here?” Dorian asked from beside him.
“Because I’m going to find someone who knows about electricity

and get us a home-cooked meal.”

“Really!” Dorian exclaimed excitedly. “I never thought I would

miss hot food as much as I miss it now. I’ll never take it for granted
again.”

Neither would Rick. The other trucks pulled in beside them and

the men starting getting out.

“Any reason we are stopping here?” Clyde asked.
“Tell me someone with you knows about electricity,” Rick said.

“I’m dying for a cooked meal.”

“Damn, that sounds pretty good right about now,” Clyde replied.

“It seems we’re in luck. One of my clan members worked for the
power company.”

Yes! Rick damn near hugged the bear. He had to stop himself from

doing a little happy dance. “Then let’s get what food we have inside
and maybe you can persuade some of your men to go hunting for
fresh meat.”

Clyde’s smile was wide. “You’re making my mouth water, wolf.”

The bear walked away, heading toward his clan members as Rick and
Dorian unloaded what food they had with them.

Rise to Live

“How about some roasted rabbit?” Miguel asked as he carried a

box of food inside.

Rick noticed Benito cutting a glare at his cousin. That meant the

wererabbit was still calling Benito. Rick wondered if the little bunny
was going to ever give up. The man had been fascinated with Benito
from the jump and it seemed his infatuation hadn’t dwindled.

“Knock it off,” Rick gave Miguel a teasing warning. “Leave

Benito and his bunny alone.”

Benito dropped the box on the counter and stormed away. Rick

could only shake his head. Some pairings—or love interests—were
just too damn strange for words.

Rick and Dorian searched the kitchen for cookware. He was really

hoping for some fresh meat, but if not, they could still make a decent
meal out of the stuff they already had.

“We need some hot water because these pans could use a good

soaking,” Dorian said. “They have a lot of dust buildup.”

“Get one of the gallons of water from the truck. Even if someone

manages to get the electricity on, I wouldn’t trust the water.” The
place looked like it had been shut down for a long while, and Rick
wasn’t going to chance it.

He began to unpack the boxes as Dorian left the kitchen. Just as

he removed the last item, the electricity came to life. Rick grinned.
Now they were about to get down. When Dorian brought the water
back in, Rick boiled it and then he and his mate washed what they
were going to need.

Some of the men brought back rabbit—which was not lost on

Benito. There was also squirrel, and even venison.

The group ate, talked, and just enjoyed a night of good food and

friends. Rick missed these kinds of moments. They were sorely
lacking these days and deeply appreciated.

After he was done eating, Rick pulled Dorian to the storage room

and then closed them in.

Lynn Hagen

“What are you doing?” Dorian asked as he smiled. The man knew

damn well what Rick was doing.

“Wanting to fuck my mate,” Rick answered bluntly. “Now bend

your ass over so I can shove my ten-inch cock into your ass.”

“So romantic,” Dorian said dryly. Rick knew Dorian had once

complained that things were becoming unromantic between them, but
he had more than made up for that. Every once in a while he liked it
hot and dirty.

And this was one of those times. “Bend over and I’ll show you

romantic,” Rick said as he unsnapped his pants and released his
aching cock. He stroked it a few times, watching as the pre-cum slid
down his fingers. “Tell me you don’t want to feel this pounding into
your asshole.”

God he was so fucking horny.
“Well, when you put it like that, Mr. Marcelo.”
Rick’s cock throbbed at the use of his surname. Dorian knew

damn well it turned him on. His mate turned, dropped his pants, and
wiggled his ass at Rick. He just wanted to bite each exposed cheek.

“I don’t have any lube, but I know where to get some,” Rick

stated.

“Where—oh, shit!” Rick grabbed Dorian’s cock and began to

stroke it like it was the last thing on earth he was allowed to do.
Dorian cried out, wiggled around, and tried to lift one leg, but his
pants were preventing it. They were down at his ankles and holding
him in place.

Just the way Rick wanted him.
“Come for me, gatito,” Rick growled roughly in Dorian’s ear.

Rick reached behind his mate with his other hand and began to play at
Dorian’s tight hole. In a matter of minutes, Dorian shot his seed into
Rick’s hand.

He would have loved to lick his fingers clean, but he needed the

white drops for lube. “There we go,” he crooned in Dorian’s ear as he
reached behind him and used the spunk to lube and stretch his mate.

Rise to Live

“You…oh…god,” Dorian said between pants. “I don’t think I’ve

ever had a hand job given to me so damn quickly.”

“I’m desperate,” Rick replied as he lined his cock up and thrust

forward, holding Dorian’s hips as he buried his dick to the hilt. This
was what Rick loved the most. Not just the sex, but these stolen
moments when it was just him and his mate. He moved his hands
from Dorian’s hips and circled them around his mate’s chest, pulling
Dorian close as he kissed his way down the man’s neck.

He began to move, pushing his cock in and out of Dorian as he

showed his mate just how romantic he could be. “I love you, gatito.”

“I love you, too, Rick.”
Rick gave a low growl of approval as his cock slipped in and out,

reminding how wonderful it was to feel his mate’s body wrapped
around him. But it soon wasn’t enough. He still wanted hot and dirty.

Rick leaned back, placed his hands on Dorian’s sides, and jetted

into his mate with everything he had. He didn’t have to worry about
hurting Dorian now. His mate was a changeling, able to handle what
Rick truly wanted to give him.

His hips moved at lightning speed, his balls drawing up tight, the

pressure almost unbearable until he found himself growling out his
release, his seed jetting into his mate’s ass and leaving Rick standing
there ready for a fucking nap.

Kissing Dorian on his neck, Rick slipped his cock free.
“That was a quickie for the records,” Dorian complained. “Are

you losing your touch, or are you just getting old?”

Rick nipped Dorian’s shoulder, right where the mating mark was

placed so long ago. “I’ll show you old the next time I have you under
me.”

Dorian patted Rick’s cheek. “I’m counting on that.”

* * * *

Lynn Hagen

Marco wasn’t blind. He saw the way Remus was trying to avoid

him. He had thought the hot make out session they had would bring
the man around, but it didn’t. Remus was busying himself in the
kitchen while Bryson was talking on the phone.

At least Bryson cleared him to come downstairs instead of having

him eat in bed. Marco was sick of lying in bed. It felt good to get out
and roam around, even if it was only as far as the kitchen.

“Okay,” Bryson announced. We’ll be meeting up with Rick in

about two days. That should give Marco enough time to heal and
travel time.”

“We?” Marco and Remus said at the same time. Marco had done

everything he could to stay in hiding. Until Remus had talked him
into that covert mission, he had been doing pretty damn well.

“Do you think it’s any safer here than anywhere else right now?”
“Yes,” they said again in unison.
“Well, it’s not,” Bryson argued. “Get ready to head out in the

morning.”

Marco watched the werewolf leave the kitchen and wondered if he

was serious. He didn’t want to go to a fight. Marco had never left
Shelton since the day he was born. Now he was leaving to join a
rebellion against the government?

Really?
He was more liable to get shot than to shoot someone. “Is he

serious?”

Remus was still watching the door Bryson had walked out of. “I

think he is.”

Drat.
“How can we get out of this?” Marco asked, feeling the panic

begin to settle in. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was a chicken. Not
in the least. He would rather go back to his little hiding place and stay
there until after the war was over.

If it ever ended.

Rise to Live

When Remus finally looked at him, he just stared. What the

dickens was wrong with the man? “Remus?”

His best friend cleared his throat as he turned back toward the

stove. This was one of the few places that still had electricity and
Marco was grateful, but he was tired of Remus ignoring him. The
chair scraped along the floor as he stood. Remus was going to talk to
him even if he had to pull the man’s hair out.

Stopping behind the guy, Marco tapped him on his back. And god,

what a glorious back Remus had. It was broad, muscular, and so damn
bitable. If Remus didn’t want him because he was all scarred up, the
man was going to at least say so. Marco deserved that much.

“I’m cooking, Marco,” Remus stated.
Marco grabbed Remus’s arm and spun the man around, glaring

angrily at him. “So what, you used me for a hot-ass kiss and are
tossing me aside now, is that it?”

“Marco.” Remus said his name in warning.
Marco held up his hand. “No. Now you listen to me, bub. If you

just want to remain friends, fine. We’ve been friends since you
chewed on my ear in preschool. But I want you to tell me. We’ve
never had a problem talking before. What’s with the ignoring act?”

Marco could tell he caught Remus off guard because the man just

stood there blinking. He wanted to pull his friend in for another earth-
shattering kiss, but he was afraid the guy would reject him. It was a
real possibility considering Remus had been ignoring him since the
last kiss.

“I’m trying to be an adult about this,” Marco said when Remus

still hadn’t answered him. “Don’t make me get violent.”

Violent for Marco would be yanking Remus’s hair and smacking

him. That was about as violent as he knew how to be. But he would
do it. Yes, he would.

“Marco.”
He reached up and yanked on Remus’s ear, hard. “I gave you fair

warning.”

Lynn Hagen

To his delight, Remus grabbed his wrists and backed him into the

counter. Marco could feel himself getting hard as a rock. He wanted
to rub his erection against Remus, but the man kept his body far
enough away.

Damn it.
“I’m trying to work this out in my head,” Remus said. “I was so

sure I wanted you when it was life or death.”

“But now?” Marco asked, fearing the worst.
“What if it screws our friendship up?”
Marco was willing to risk it. Why wasn’t Remus? He held their

friendship sacred, but Marco had been in love with Remus for a very
long time. “You worry too much.”

“And you don’t worry enough,” Remus replied.
“Damn you,” Marco said as he pulled at his wrists, but Remus

didn’t let him go. “I didn’t come back from the dead to stand here and
argue with you. I want you, you thickheaded baboon. I’ve wanted you
since I realized I could use my penis for other things besides peeing.”

“That’s gross.”
“So damn what. You’re missing the point, Remus. I finally have

you seeing me as more than just a friend. I’m not going to let you
ignore me. Now, do you want to remain friends or do you want to—”
The rest of his words were muffled when Remus dipped his head and
captured Marco’s lips.

He was swooning by the time Remus pulled back. “Does that

answer your question?”

And then some.
“So, no more ignoring me?” Marco asked.
“No more ignoring you,” Remus replied.
Hot damn! Marco curled into Remus’s rough body, ready to purr

when he smelled something burning.

“Shit,” Remus quickly removed the pan from the stove as Marco

smiled. He finally got his best friend just where he wanted him.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Eleven

“I’m scared,” Marco said as they headed out toward the truck.

“I’ve never left Shelton and I’ve never fought in a war.”

Remus already knew this. That was why he had never pushed for

Marco to leave. But Bryson was right. It was no longer safe
anywhere. If they were going to survive, their best bet was going to be
joining the Rebellion. Rick had made it this far. If Remus wanted
Marco to stay alive, they were going to have to be with someone who
knew how.

He pulled Marco aside as Bryson started the truck. “I know,” he

said as he cupped the smaller man’s face. “But the werewolf is right,
Marco. I’ll be by your side the entire time, okay?”

Marco didn’t look convinced. Remus didn’t want to lose his friend

a second time, but he also couldn’t leave him behind. “Like when we
were going to McDonald’s?”

Remus chuckled. “Dude, you should have known something was

up. When was the last time you saw a damn fast food place open?”

Sticking his tongue out at Remus, Marco headed toward the truck.

“Who says I think straight when food is mentioned?”

Remus wasn’t listening. He was too busy rubbing his stomach as

he watched Marco’s tight little ass walk away. Damn. He couldn’t
wait for the man to heal. He was going to be all over that. His
insecurities about ruining their friendship were fading, and horniness
was taking its place.

He wanted to shove his cock—
“Are you coming?” Marco asked.
Just as soon as he had the little man alone again.

Rise to Live

Remus smiled to himself as he climbed into the truck and settled

back.

“I feel like a chauffeur,” Bryson complained as he pulled away

from the safe house.

“Well, I’m not letting Remus go,” Marco said as he cuddled into

Remus’s side. Remus wasn’t sure how he managed to look so
comfortable considering he still had the bandages on, but he didn’t
scent any unease coming from the man.

Remus admitted to himself that he was worried about heading

back into the fight. He still had nightmares about his stay at the
detention center. He hadn’t been there for long, but one minute was
too long in a place that tortured someone. If it hadn’t been for Rick
and his group, Remus would probably be dead by now.

He owed his life to Rick, so helping the alpha of werewolves out

wasn’t even a question.

Getting Marco involved was. He knew for a fact that the small

leopard wouldn’t have come out sane if he had been taken to the
detention center. Jayson only had the guy for one session and damn
near killed him.

He shuddered at the images he still had of Marco’s death. Never

in his life did he ever want to go through anything like that again.

Remus had told his friend the honest truth. The detention centers

were no more. If caught, they would just be killed. That theory was
proven back at Dexcom’s lab.

“What’s wrong?” Marco asked as he stared at Remus, his brows

crinkled.

Remus hadn’t even realized he was tense. His thoughts had grown

morose and it seemed his body was reflecting that. Making himself
relax, Remus gave Marco an easy smile. “Nothing.”

Marco smacked Remus on the chest. “You’ve always sucked at

lying.”

Not really, but he wasn’t going to correct the guy. Remus wanted

him to leave it alone. If he told Marco he was just as scared, there was

Lynn Hagen

no telling how his friend would react. Over the years, Remus noticed
that Marco followed his lead. If he became insecure and worried, so
would Marco.

Not that the guy already wasn’t. He pulled the man closer, laying

a kiss on Marco’s head. At the same time, he inhaled the man’s scent,
letting the aroma settle inside of him. This seemed to appease the guy,
because Marco didn’t ask any more questions.

And that was how Remus wanted it.
Running his hand up and down Marco’s arm, Remus watched the

road ahead of him. When he looked down again, Marco was out cold.
His head was resting against Remus’s chest, his lips slightly parted.

“I just wanted to say thanks again for saving me,” Bryson said

from the front seat. “I still can’t believe I was caught.”

“How did it happen?” Remus asked.
“Breed Hunters caught me on a back road as I was making my

way back to Rick. Jayson was with them. The human decided to use
me as bait to capture my alpha. He also decided to beat the hell out
me while he waited.”

That sounded like that little weasel. If Remus ever came across

that man again, he was going to enjoy punishing the bastard before he
killed him.

As they passed what looked to be an abandoned service garage,

Remus saw three trucks full of people. That usually meant something
bad. Either they were Breed Hunters or they were mercenaries. Either
choice was going to get them killed.

They could also be a Rebellion group, but with Remus’s luck

lately, he highly doubted it. “Did you see that?”

Bryson nodded. “I just hope they don’t come after us. I’ve had

enough of bad guys to last me a lifetime.”

But lady luck was not on their side. Too bad Seymour had taken

the Hummer. Whoever it was that began to follow them wouldn’t
have batted an eye. But they weren’t in a military vehicle.

Rise to Live

No, they were in a Dodge Ram with an extended cab. He wasn’t

sure how fast this bad boy could go, but they were about to find out.

“I really, really hate this shit,” Bryson said as he began to increase

his speed. So did Remus. He didn’t even have a weapon. And if he
did, he wouldn’t know how to use it. He knew it was basically aim
and shoot. But he needed a gun to put that theory into practice.

“Do you have a gun in here?” Remus asked as he glanced behind

them to see the three trucks steadily following them.

“No, so we’re going to have to outrun them and pray like hell they

don’t shoot something vital we need.”

As much as he hated to do it, Remus nudged Marco awake. The

man looked simply adorable as he blinked up at Remus.

“We have bad guys following us. Buckle up.” Marco moved

quickly, his hands shaking badly. Remus ended up having to buckle
the guy in. “Keep your head down.”

“I can’t,” Marco said in a panic. “The seat belt won’t let me slide

down the seat.”

Remus was tempted to tell him to take it off, but it just might save

the man’s life. “Then slide to the side as best you can.”

Marco tilted his body and it was enough to get his head away from

the back window. He could scent pain coming from his friend. It had
to hurt like a bitch to put pressure on his wounds, but what could
Remus do? The guy had to stay down or risk getting his head blown
off.

“I think they are done playing around,” Remus said as he glanced

out the window again. “They’re gaining speed.”

“Then so are we,” Bryson said as the truck picked up pace. He

saw the commercials about how tough this truck was supposed to be.
Remus hoped like hell they were telling the truth. With this many bad
guys after them, there would be no surviving this if they were caught.

“I’m scared,” Marco whispered.
Remus reached down and petted Marco’s hair, trying his best to

reassure the guy. He knew his friend had to be scared. So far, he

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Lynn Hagen

hadn’t been involved in the war. Now he was getting firsthand
experience at how ugly it could be.

Well, he got that experience from Jayson, but being chased wasn’t

fun either. Remus knew deep down inside that Marco’s innocence
was now gone. He had been exposed to the cruelty of this war.

But he was praying it didn’t change the guy too much. Remus

loved Marco just the way he was. Remus froze for a second on the
word love, but quickly pushed it to the back of his mind to be
examined later.

“We all are,” Bryson said. Remus glanced at the speedometer and

saw they were going ninety-five. He could officially say he was
scared now. They were on a back road with twists and turns. One
wrong move and all three of them could end up at the bottom of a
ravine.

“Just take the highway,” Remus said.
“But, Rick always said—”
“I think every bad guy out there knows we take the back roads.

I’m willing to bet my nuts they won’t be expecting us to take any
major highways.” Remus was taking a gamble that could very well
lead them right into a military convoy, but they had no choice. The
trucks behind them were gaining speed and there wasn’t much
maneuverability on this two-lane road.

“I hope you’re right.”
So did Remus.
Bryson shoved his foot into the floor, taking off toward the

interstate. Bullets began to hit the truck. Remus bent over Marco,
trying his best to protect him. Marco’s fingers dug into Remus’s shirt,
pulling him even closer.

“I don’t like this shit,” Marco said quietly.
“Me either,” Remus said as he kissed Marco’s neck.
Remus pried Marco’s fingers away long enough to look out the

back window. “I think it’s working,” he said when he saw they were
outrunning the other trucks. It helped that the men following them

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101

were driving older, more worn models. Bryson was driving a newer
truck. Remus wasn’t sure if the werewolf had borrowed this truck or
not, but he was glad as hell.

“Are they gone?” Marco asked as he started to sit up. Remus held

him close, using his back as a shield just in case those yahoos
miraculously caught up with them.

They drove the rest of the day on the highway. Remus was

surprised it was so empty. Not once had they been stopped by a
checkpoint official or any other being. They had seen no one. By the
time dusk came, Bryson was yawning and Remus was fighting not to
close his eyes. He hadn’t slept for fear of running into another
obstacle. But he was ready to sleep for the next six or eight hours.

“How about getting a room?” Remus asked when he saw Bryson

yawn again.

They exited the highway, Remus going on alert. He watched the

area they were passing through as Bryson pulled into a driveway.
They weren’t at a motel. They were at someone’s house. “Do you
know these people?”

“The garage is open, and there aren’t any vehicles,” Bryson said.

“The house is dark and I don’t see anyone looking out. I figure we can
hide the truck in the garage and get a good night’s rest.”

Remus was all for that. They just had to check the place out first

to make sure no one was actually home.

“You stay with Marco and I’ll check the place out,” Bryson said

as he pulled the truck into the two-car garage and got out.

After about five stressful minutes, Bryson came back to the truck.

“No one is inside.”

Remus helped Marco from the truck and then closed the garage

door. All three headed inside. It was a one-story house with two
bedrooms. Remus and Marco took one, Bryson took the other.

“I’m going to call Rick and let him know where we are,” Bryson

said right before he went into his bedroom.

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Lynn Hagen

Remus was dead on his feet. Without thought, he stripped naked

and climbed into bed, finally closing his eyes after a long-ass ride.

He felt the bed dip and then a warm, naked body was pressing into

his back. Remus was exhausted, but he turned over and pulled Marco
close. “Scary day.”

Marco nodded. “But it wasn’t so bad. No one was hurt.”
There was that. Remus was glad his friend wasn’t freaking out.

Marco could become very dramatic. He had once seen the guy go
spastic when he found colors mixed with whites in his washing
machine. Remus had tried to be nice and do Marco’s laundry. He
never went near the damn machine again. But Marco wasn’t freaking
out. Instead, Remus could feel something very hard poking him in his
stomach.

He only needed one guess to figure out it was Marco’s hard cock.

Remus gazed down at the man, Marco’s dark eyes growing sultry as
he blushed.

Remus’s hand was shaking when he reached for the hardened

shaft. Marco’s dick was heavy and thick and felt hot to the touch.
Now that he had it in his hand, it looked even bigger. Marco’s bush
had grown thick and was untrimmed. The dark hairs spilled down
onto his sack as well. He slid his hand up and down, mesmerized by
the way the foreskin slid back and forth across the head.

Remus slid down the bed and gave the underside of the head a

lick, causing Marco to groan. He licked his tongue up and down the
shaft, then sucked each of his hairy balls.

“Suck me,” he begged. He grabbed Remus’s head and pushed it

down onto his dick. “Take it in your mouth. Suck it.”

Damn, it seemed Marco was a damn tiger in bed. Who would

have thought?

The hot head of Marco’s dick slid into Remus’s mouth. His

foreskin retracted and Remus tasted the musky sweat underneath. He
let out a groan and closed his eyes as the flavor burst across his

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103

tongue. He moved down as far as he could until he was about to gag,
then pulled back up, sucking hard as he did so.

As he sucked Marco’s cock, Remus pushed two thick fingers

slowly inside Marco, up to the first knuckle. They slid in easily with
the spit Remus had used. Remus began slowly moving his fingers in
and out, and when he pushed them back in, he hit that spot inside
Marco that had the man gasping in pleasure. “Remus!”

Remus was staring into Marco’s eyes as he pulled the man’s cock

free and whispered, “There’s the spot. You like that, don’t you? Just
imagine what it will feel like when it’s my cock hitting that spot.”

Remus grinned when Marco’s entire body shuddered. He rubbed

the spot again and again, making his lover moan and whimper. A
sweet scent of arousal wafted through the air. That scent was forever
blazed into his memory from the very first time he smelled it.

The leopard would no longer be denied what was his. He would

no longer be denied his mate. Remus planned on making Marco his,
but then again, it felt as though his best friend had always belonged to
him. Remus had just been too blind to see the truth.

The corner of Remus’s lip turned up and he growled low. The

blinds were gone and he wasn’t going to hold back. He took his
lover’s cock back into his mouth, sucking it all the way down his
throat.

“God…damn!” Marco shouted. Marco’s ass clamped down on

Remus’s fingers as his body began to tremble. Remus eased back and
then nuzzled in the wiry curls before licking his way up the fully hard
shaft and sucking at the engorged head to savor Marco’s pre-cum. As
he swallowed Marco’s cock once more, he felt a hand on his head and
looked up to see his lover gazing at him.

“I’m going to come if you don’t stop,” Marco warned on an

unsteady breath. Remus could see the man’s chest rising and lowering
quickly, his eyes liquid heat, glazed with pleasure.

Remus was hit with a wave of lust. His cock stiffened even

further. He ached to be inside Marco. All he could think about was

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Lynn Hagen

claiming the small man. He wanted to mark Marco, to let everyone
know the man was his and they better stay away. “I’m going to claim
you, Marco.”

Marco’s eyes grew wide as he began to nod his head. “Yes,

please, claim me.”

Remus looked around and saw a bottle of lotion on the nightstand.

It would have to do. It smelled like flowers, but at the moment,
Remus didn’t give a shit. He rubbed the lotion over his cock and then
used a generous amount to lube Marco’s asshole.

Tossing the bottle aside, he moved closer to Marco, settling

between his legs. Marco eagerly spread his legs wide, allowing
Remus to slide forward and position the head of his cock at Marco’s
hole. One hard thrust buried his thick, steel-hard erection into
Marco’s body to the hilt. Remus groaned as his cock was enveloped
in searing heat and slick tightness. Marco’s body was trembling as
Remus took in a shuddering breath. Marco was tossing beneath him,
his hips bucking, driving Remus harder into the soft flesh of Marco’s
ass, grinding against him.

Remus grabbed Marco’s hips and pinned the man to the bed.

“Calm down.” If Marco didn’t, Remus was going to come way too
fucking soon. He slipped his hands under Marco’s ass and lifted him
higher, giving the man a small warning growl.

Marco licked his lips and nodded, telling Remus he would follow

instead of trying to lead. That was much better. Remus was already
having a hard enough time with his control. Marco’s scent of arousal
was only growing, filling the room and Remus’s lungs.

Marco whimpered.
Remus purred.
“Please, Remus,” Marco begged. “Please move.”
Remus’s body was burning with need, a hard, urgent ache. Once

certain he could move without losing control, Remus set up a slow,
leisurely pace. He didn’t want to rush this. He was going to claim

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105

Marco. It was a night Remus wanted the man to remember for a very
long time.

Bracing one arm next to Marco’s shoulder, Remus leaned over to

claim Marco’s mouth as his dick claimed the man’s ass. Marco
became submissive as hell. He allowed Remus to take charge, his
body becoming pliant as Remus moved inside of the small man, his
tongue thrusting inside Marco’s mouth.

Remus’s hands began to explore Marco’s soft skin, the man’s

body imprisoning Remus in a web of searing arousal. He pulled one
of Marco’s legs up on his hip and began to smooth his hand down the
man’s thigh.

He took his time, fucking and kissing Marco, touching and

caressing. Marco lifted his other leg, tightening them around Remus,
pressing his heels into the alternating flexing and relaxing muscles of
Remus’s ass. He impaled his cock deeper, pressing his shaft hard into
Marco’s silky channel.

As he kissed Marco, sliding his tongue into his man’s mouth, he

picked up the pace and his thrusting became more intense. Remus was
losing control. God, he was losing control. Marco’s tight little body
had become too much, and Remus knew he wouldn’t last as long as
he had hoped for.

Remus broke the kiss and leaned back, staring down where their

bodies joined. It was a wondrous sight, one Remus could look at for
hours. When he glanced up, Marco was watching him. “Are you
mine, Marco?”

Remus wanted to hear the words. He wanted to hear Marco give

himself over to Remus.

“Yes,” Marco said as his head began to thrash from side to side.

“I’ve always been yours.”

Remus leaned forward and sank his canines into the tender flesh at

the base of Marco’s neck, claiming, possessing, making his best
friend his. He was shocked beyond belief that he could partially shift
and was grateful as hell that he could claim Marco properly. Marco’s

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nails dug into Remus’s shoulders, breaking skin as the small man
tried to pull him closer.

A single low grunt stopped Marco from trying to take over.

Instead, he arched his back and cried out, his semen wetting their
bodies as he writhed beneath Remus.

Holding on to the man’s neck with his teeth, Remus began to

pound into Marco’s ass with his cock. The scent of the man’s seed
and knowing he just mated Marco sent him over the edge.

Remus threw back his head, and with a primal bellow of Marco’s

name, his seed flooded his mate’s still-shuddering body. He pulled his
cock from Marco’s ass, watching as the man tried to catch his breath.

“Are you okay?” Remus asked as he brushed aside his mate’s

damp hair. “I didn’t hurt your wounds, did I?”

Marco shook his head. “No.”
“Good,” Remus replied as he lay down next to his lover, mate,

and best friend, pulling him close as he finally closed his eyes and got
some much-needed rest.

Knowing he had partially shifted gave Remus hope that maybe

what Jayson had done to them wasn’t permanent.

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Chapter Twelve

Dorian walked out back of the diner to dump some of the trash

into a can. He wasn’t sure what good that would do considering no
trash man was going to pick it up. But he hated littering—which was
ironic because the small town they stopped in looked like a war zone,
but Dorian just couldn’t bring himself to throw the trash on the
ground.

As he emptied the bucket, Dorian caught wind of something. He

wasn’t sure what it was, but his wolf was growling. That was the first
time that had happened. He was still getting used to having the dang
thing inside of him. Of course he knew growling was a bad thing.

“Dorian Campbell.”
It was a really bad thing. Dorian knew that voice. He couldn’t

place it, but he recognized it. He glanced over the woods behind the
diner, trying to scent where the intruder was. Dorian was still getting
used to the whole sniffing thing, but he had the basics down pat. It
was situations like this when he was thrown into unfamiliar territory.

“Who’s out there?” Dorian set the bucket down, feeling his claws

trying to emerge.

“Tell me you don’t know who I am.”
“Stop hiding and then I’ll—” Shit. In an instant Dorian knew who

it was.

Jayson.
“Ah, I see it’s all coming back to you.” Jayson stepped from

behind a large tree, a malicious grin on his face. “We meet again.”

Dorian’s instinct was to go after the bastard, but a voice in the

back of his mind warned him to be careful. There was no telling if

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Jayson was alone. This could be a trap. He knew the guy was a piece
of shit when he worked with him, but he never imagined…yes he did.
Jayson was the type to join the radicals.

“What do you want?” he asked as he put the lid on the trash can.

“You’re a douche bag, Jayson, even before all this started.”

“And you had to go and join the wrong side, Dorian.” Jayson

moved a little closer. “Why would you take up with the animals?”

Dorian blinked. It hit him that Jayson hadn’t a clue that Dorian

had been converted. The guy wasn’t aware that Dorian was now one
of those animals. “Whatever happened to Cherry?” Dorian asked,
avoiding Jayson’s question.

Jayson gave a hearty, evil laugh. “As much shit as she talked, the

bitch mated one of those animals. I killed them both.”

A shiver of repulsion slid down Dorian’s spine. He had never

been too fond of Cherry, but he had never wanted her dead. She had
been a little off, but harmless in his opinion. “You’ve caused a lot of
grief.” That was an understatement. Bryson had called to say Jayson
had not only nearly killed him, but Remus’s best friend as well.

Dorian knew in that moment that Jayson couldn’t be allowed to

live. Well, he had known that all along, but he knew it was he who
would have to take this scumbag out. The man had killed, maimed,
and tortured too many, and Dorian wanted the guy’s head on a platter.

“I’ll give you a chance to live, Dorian,” Jayson said as he walked

until he was about ten feet away. “Give me Enrique and you can join
my group instead.”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Dorian asked in total exasperation.

“Pick you over him?”

Jayson looked confused, as if he truly thought Dorian would

switch sides. God, the man was an even bigger idiot than Dorian had
first thought. Evil, but an idiot. How this guy managed to stay alive
this long was a mystery.

“Fine,” Jayson finally snapped. “Then you’ll die like all the rest of

them have.” Jayson smirked, looking at Dorian with a gleeful grin.

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“By the way, did you know it was me who killed that little
immigrant’s parents?”

“Miguel?” Dorian asked in utter shock. “You killed Miguel’s

parents?”

“Oh yeah,” Jayson admitted with pride. “I called the cops on that

house. They raided it, but I was the one who made the kills. It was
kind of my initiation into the Breed Hunters.”

Dorian felt his stomach rolling, his food threatening to come back

up. He thought about how Miguel had looked the day he had come to
join them. The man had been devastated.

In the blink of an eye, Dorian was in front of Jayson, slicing a

long line down the man’s arm. Dorian moved back to the trash cans
just as quickly.

“What the—” Jayson looked down at his arm and then back at

Dorian, his eyes growing round. “You’re one of them!”

“I am,” Dorian admitted as the scent of blood hit him hard. He

fought tooth and nail not to attack.

“What was the point of cutting me?” Jayson asked, his astonished

look vanishing. Now he looked pissed. “You truly are an—”

The back door to the diner opened and Dorian watched the

changelings slowly move outside. Their eyes were flecks of yellow,
glowing in the evening light. Rick was at the forefront, his lip curling
back when he spotted who was bleeding.

“Miguel,” Dorian said when Miguel and Benito pushed to the

front. “Jayson just shared a very interesting bit of information with
me.”

Jayson’s eyes damn near fell out of his head when he saw Miguel

standing there. “You aren’t supposed to be here.” The man started to
back away, but some of the bears had circled in behind Jayson,
trapping him.

“Why did you come here?” Dorian asked.

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“I was only supposed to scout this place. But when I saw you…”

Jayson shrugged, holding a hand over his bloody arm. “I couldn’t
resist.”

“You should have,” Dorian replied. “And you shouldn’t have

confessed to me that you were the one who killed Miguel’s parents.”

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Miguel leapt,

slamming his body into Jayson’s and taking the man down. Dorian
watched as Miguel and his cousin tore Jayson apart.

Okay, he could have done without seeing the bastard get eaten,

but once the frenzy had begun, everyone joined in. Dorian’s wolf was
trying to drive him forward, to join the others, but Dorian was not
going to eat the man.

Rick had said Dorian was different, that his instincts and his

conscience warred inside his head. The man had been right. Dorian
was so not touching that. Instead, he walked back inside the diner,
feeling his head hurting from the nightmares that bastard had caused.

Miguel had gotten his justice, although Dorian was pretty sure it

would not help Miguel with his loss. But Jayson was finally dead.

Finally.
That brought some comfort to him. Dorian spun around when he

heard fighting. Shit. He had forgotten that Jayson probably hadn’t
come alone. He raced toward the back door and then ran outside.

Dorian didn’t hesitate when he saw the humans attacking the

changelings. He leapt on the first person he could get his claws on and
attacked. He really wished he had a gun right now. Tearing out
someone’s throat was going to be gross as hell.

Yeah, he was a squeamish changeling. Sue him.
But he did what he had to do. Dorian took down the human and

went for another. The other changelings were battling as well. The
Shadow had said that the closer to Washington they got, the more
obstacles they would run into.

He wasn’t lying.
But eventually the fighting ceased.

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“We need to get out of here,” Rick said as he stared at the dead

bodies on the ground. “I’m pretty sure Jayson had more coming.”

Everyone quickly gathered their things and loaded their trucks. So

much for taking some time to unwind.

Dorian couldn’t wait for this shit to be over so he could go home

and do absolutely nothing. He was going to barricade him and Rick
inside for a solid year.

Slipping back into the truck, Rick pulled away from the diner, the

others following. It wasn’t until they had the diner far behind them
that Dorian let out a shaky breath. “I swear I hate this shit.”

“Me, too, gatito,” Rick said as he exhaled. “I’m tired of running,

fighting, hiding, and looking over my shoulder every second of every
day. It’s time to put an end to all of this.”

“I am going to kill that damn bio-daddy of yours,” Dorian

grumbled. “If I ever get my hands on him—” Dorian choked the air
with his hands, mimicking him strangling O’Hanlon. He even stuck
his tongue out and to the side for good measure.

Rick chuckled. “I’ll hold him down for you.”
“Good,” Dorian said. “Because I want to give him one good bitch

slap before you kill him.”

“Duly noted,” Rick replied.
Dorian slumped back. All kidding aside, he really did want to

smack the fuck out of O’Hanlon. The guy had turned their worlds
upside down and inside out. The only good thing that came from this
war was mating Rick. If they hadn’t been forced to run together,
Dorian knew Rick would have never talked to him.

He guessed he could thank the bastard before he smacked him. He

began to laugh at the thought, images of him shaking O’Hanlon’s
hand before Rick tore the man into a thousand little pieces somehow
seemed funny as hell to him.

“Are you all right?” Rick asked, his light-grey eyes flickering

between Dorian and the road. “Should I be worried?”

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Dorian shook his head as the bubbles of laughter subsided. “Nah,

I’m just losing my mind. It’s nothing new.”

“Well, before you totally lose it, I need you to call Bryson and let

him know our location has changed.”

Dorian grabbed the cell Rick handed him and dialed the number.

He kept glancing in the mirror to make sure no unwanted guests were
following them. His nerves were frayed after dealing with Jayson, and
then seeing the changelings eat him.

“Hey, Bryson,” Dorian said when the medic answered the phone.

“We are no longer at the diner. We had some unwanted visitors.”

“Who?” Bryson asked.
“An old nemesis of mine named Jayson showed up—”
“Tell me it’s not the same Jayson who ambushed me and nearly

killed Marco.” Dorian could hear the light growl in Bryson’s voice
and didn’t blame the man one bit. Jayson had been a pain in the ass
when Dorian worked with him. He became a monster once he joined
up with the Breed Hunters.

“The one and only,” Dorian replied.
“Please tell me he didn’t get away.”
At least Dorian could take comfort that he was giving the man

some sort of good news. “He’s dead.”

“Are you sure?”
Oh yeah, he was sure. He had watched the changelings—Dorian

shivered. “Very.”

“I just wish it was me who killed him,” Bryson said and then was

quiet for a moment before he continued. Dorian could hear the small
clearing of a throat and knew that it was an emotional moment for
Bryson. “Where are you headed now?”

Dorian pulled the phone away from his ear. “Bryson wants to

know where we are headed.”

Rick glanced at Dorian and he could see the concern in his mate’s

eyes. Bryson had nearly died at the hands of Jayson. That hadn’t

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113

escaped either of them. “Tell him to head toward the diner and call us
when he gets close. I’ll let him know from there.”

“Did you hear that?”
“Yeah,” Bryson answered. “I’ll meet up with you guys by

tomorrow. I need to let Marco rest and check his wounds in a few
hours.”

“He really can’t shift?” Dorian asked, feeling the anger building

inside of him. He didn’t know Marco personally, but it was truly
fucked up that he had to have a part of him taken away in such a
violent manner. Although Dorian was still considered newly
converted, he would miss his werewolf if he was no longer able to
shift.

“No, and neither can Remus. They’re both asleep now, but I can

see how hard it is on them. Whatever Jayson did, he really fucked
them up.”

Dorian wished he could bring the man back to life so Remus and

Marco could seek their revenge. There were a lot of people the man
had hurt. It was too bad he didn’t die in the beginning of this war.

What bothered Dorian the most was the fact that Jayson had killed

Miguel’s parents. So damn senseless.

“I’ll call you later,” Bryson said before hanging up. He set the

phone down and gazed out of the window, thinking about all the
people they had lost and those they still might lose. He wasn’t sure
how much more of this he could take.

What if it had been Rick or Miguel who had been killed? Dorian

shivered at the possibility of Benito or Nate dying. He cherished
everyone in their group. He even liked Clyde and Ross.

He didn’t want to lose any of them, and he didn’t want another

person to be out there mourning the loss of their loved one.

“I can scent your sadness, gatito, and it breaks my heart,” Rick

said in the quietness of the truck.

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“I don’t want anyone else to die,” he admitted. “I don’t think I can

handle if one of the people closest to us is killed. I already hurt for
those I don’t even know who sacrificed their lives for us.”

“Not us,” Rick said as he reached over and grabbed Dorian’s

hand. “They sacrificed their lives for freedom, for a chance to be who
they were born to be. We must never forget that.”

Dorian wasn’t. He couldn’t, because people were still sacrificing

themselves. Until this war ended, more would die and a hell of a lot
more would mourn the loss.

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Chapter Thirteen

Remus wasn’t sure what was going on. Bryson was talking with a

group of men who had flagged them down. He had argued that
stopping for strangers was a very bad idea. There was no telling if
they were friendly or the enemy. But Bryson hadn’t listened. The
medic in the werewolf had taken over and he pulled over.

Was the guy nuts? The strangers could have been Breed Hunters

or mercenaries. It seemed the medic had a death wish. It was a death
wish Remus didn’t share with the lunatic. He had to be crazy to let a
stranger wave him down.

“Is it safe?” Marco asked from under Remus. “I’m getting a damn

crook in my back. You’re heavy as hell. You know that?”

Remus didn’t want to let the man up. If things went to shit, he

wanted Marco under him where Remus could shield the leopard. He
just hated that Marco still had his stiches in. He knew he was putting
undue pressure on the man, but there was little he could do about that.
Remus was determined to keep his mate safe.

As Bryson leaned into the back of the truck, Remus sat up a little

further. Just what in the hell was he doing? Remus was torn between
keeping Marco safe and making sure Bryson was okay. He was
starting to realize the man’s heart overrode his common sense
sometimes.

“Motherfucker,” Remus said when he saw Bryson struggling with

whoever was in the back of the truck. He couldn’t just sit here. As
much as he wanted to keep Marco safe, Remus wasn’t going to let
Bryson get hurt.

Even if the werewolf had been the one to pull over.

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Quickly jumping from the truck, Remus moved toward the

strangers at changeling speed. He grabbed the guy who had been
standing by the back door—right behind Bryson—and threw him to
the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” the guy asked when he hit

pavement.

Remus ignored him as he grabbed Bryson’s arm. He could hear

screaming and feared the worst. Reaching down, Remus helped the
poor father to his feet. “Sorry about that,” he said as the guy released
his hand.

Remus could scent he was human.
Great. As if the humans didn’t already look at us as savages, I had

to go and prove it. In his defense, he had thought Bryson was in
trouble. They couldn’t hold that against him.

“Why did you throw me down?”
Because I can’t tell the difference between fighting and a woman

screaming as she is giving birth. “Thought my buddy was in trouble.”

“From my pregnant wife?”
When the father to be said it like that, Remus wanted to walk

away with his hands tucked in his pockets and his head hung down. “I
didn’t know it was your pregnant wife, buddy. All I saw was my
friend struggling and I heard screaming.”

The guy stood there for a moment, and then a slow grin formed on

his face. “No harm. No foul.” He extended his hand and Remus shook
it. “You throwing me down actually helped me.”

He hadn’t been expecting that statement. “How?”
They looked over to where Bryson was standing and then glanced

at Remus. “I was starting to freak out hearing my wife scream like
that.”

Yeah, Remus could understand. If he heard Marco screaming, he

would have gone nuts as well. Those sounds hit a man in the heart
when it was a loved one who was making them. Even though no one

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117

was hurting her, Remus could see where the stranger was coming
from.

“Just breathe easy. Bryson is a medic.”
“That’s what he said.”
Remus glanced over his shoulder to see Marco getting out from

the backseat. He looked like shit. His mate needed some serious rest.
Remus would give anything if Marco could shift so he would heal.

He was too thin, pale, and the bandages stood out in stark contrast

to his frail frame. His short black hair was sticking up everywhere
from Marco running his hands repeatedly through the strands.

And even though the man looked a complete mess, he still was as

gorgeous as ever to Remus. There wasn’t another living soul who
could hold a candle to his Marco.

“Yours?” the stranger asked.
Remus wasn’t sure what the guy was talking about until he turned

and saw him staring. He had to have seen the enamored look on
Remus’s face. “Yeah, mine.” And he felt proud of that claim.

They both turned when the shrill of a baby’s cry broke through the

silent air. The stranger had tears brimming at his eyes as he stared at
Bryson’s back.

“Congrats, bro.” Remus chucked the guy on his arm. He grabbed

Marco’s hand when his mate reached his side, listening to the sound
of a new life in the middle of a world gone mad. It was a sobering
reminder of what they were fighting for, and why. Remus never
wanted a sound like that to become extinct.

Bryson turned, a swaddle of shirt in his arms. “You have a son,”

he stated proudly to the stranger and then handed the baby over to his
father. The man’s hands shook and he swallowed about a thousand
times before he took what Bryson was offering to him.

As soon as the father had the baby nestled in the crook of his arm,

Bryson turned and started attending to the mother once more. Remus
wasn’t sure why, and he wasn’t going to take a peek to find out.

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Instead, he looked over the plaid shirt and saw a tiny little face

with the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen. “What’s his name?”

The father glanced at Remus and shook his head. “We hadn’t

picked a name out yet.” His eyes flickered over to Bryson and a
wistful expression filled them. “I think I like Bryson.”

So did Remus. The name was befitting considering the

circumstance.

“Cute kid,” Marco said as he peered at the baby. “You should so

name him Marco.”

Remus chuckled. “Why, you didn’t bring him into this world?”
“Bryson Marco Dillinger. I like that,” the father said.
“Really?” Marco asked, his dark eyes rounding in astonishment.

“You would give your kid my name?”

“If it wasn’t for the three wise men, I probably would have lost

my wife and son. She wasn’t doing too well before Bryson showed
up.”

They were far from the three wise men, but Remus was glad

Bryson hadn’t listened to him, this time. He glanced at the baby again
in wonderment. “He’s so tiny.”

The man gave him a smile that said he was the proudest father on

the planet. “Name’s Lawson Dillinger.”

“I’m Remus.”
“Well, Remus, would you like to hold Bryson?”
“That doesn’t sound right on so many levels,” Remus teased. “But

no, he’s too tiny. I just might drop him.”

“And you think I’m a pro at this?” the guy asked. “I’m shaking

like a leaf.”

Marco nudged Remus in the shoulder. “Go on, hold Tiny.”
“I like that,” Lawson said. “Tiny, yeah.”
With sweaty palms and a racing heart, Remus reached for the

babe. God, he was terrified he was going to drop the kid. It was just a
shirt. But once he had the small weight in his arms, Remus held on for
dear life.

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But Tiny didn’t seem to notice. He blinked rapidly and then stared

up at Remus with curiosity. He was a grown man, yet his throat was
growing tight as he stared down at the newborn. He was nothing but a
miracle in Remus’s arms, plain and simple.

Bryson pulled from the truck, blood on his front and sweat on his

face.

“She should be okay to travel. Everything went well. Your wife is

sleeping now.”

Lawson took the few steps between them and then pulled Bryson

into a tight hug, thanking the man before taking a step back. “There is
no way I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“Just take damn good care of them,” Bryson stated. “And come by

sometime so I can see the little guy.”

“Name the place and we’ll be there,” Lawson stated firmly.
Bryson told them where they lived, and Lawson’s eyes grew just a

little. “Isn’t that the town where Enrique Marcelo was living?”

All three changelings glanced at one another, and then Bryson

gave a small dip to his head. “It is.”

“Then I’ll be there,” Lawson said. “I sure would love to meet the

man who put our government on its ass.”

Remus relaxed and then handed Tiny over to Lawson. “We need

to get going. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

Lawson gazed at his son and smiled. “We’ve made it this far.” He

looked up at Remus. “We’ll be fine.”

“Let your wife get some rest, but the babe will need to feed soon.

Stay out of sight and try to find someplace safe until this war is over,”
Bryson said.

“That could be years,” Lawson said.
“No.” Remus shook his head. “Trust me, it will be over soon.”
Lawson didn’t say a word, but the understanding dawned in his

pale-blue eyes. He gave them a nod as he walked back to his car. “I’ll
keep them safe.”

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Remus watched Lawson tuck Tiny in with his mother, and then he

got into the driver’s seat and drove off, waving out the window at
them as he disappeared down the road.

“Real good thing you did for them,” Remus said as he pulled on

Marco’s hand, leading his mate back to their vehicle.

“It’s what I was born to do,” Bryson said. “I may be young, but I

found my calling early in life.”

That he had.

* * * *

Marco was still glowing with pride about his name being used

with the newborn baby. How cool was that? It was like nothing he
had ever felt before. He sure hoped the father kept his word and
brought Tiny to see them.

But until then, he was lying here waiting on Bryson to take all of

his stitches out. It hurt like a bitch, and the man had no meds. Marco
never hid the fact that he wasn’t as strong as most leopards. That
didn’t mean he liked being weaker. It had always made him a target
for the bullies while growing up. If it hadn’t been for Remus, he
would have taken a lot more ass kickings than he had already suffered
through.

And leopards were notorious for picking on the weak. They were

vicious and cruel, caring for no one but themselves. There were a few
exceptions, like Sasha and Remus. They were the rare ones who
actually gave a fuck.

That was part of the reason he had fallen in love with Remus. The

leopard was not only there to chase away the bullies, but he was also
there just to hang out. Marco could be himself around Remus and the
changeling had never looked at him any differently.

“That hurt,” Marco complained when Bryson pulled at a stitch in

his thigh. God, it felt like the man was pulling nerve endings out

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through his skin. Marco wasn’t used to dealing with things on a
human level.

It plain old sucked not to be able to shift and heal. He missed his

leopard. Marco wasn’t going to piss and moan about it. He was going
to find a way to either fix it or deal with the loss. He had learned from
almost dying that life was way too short to complain about.

“I’m trying to be gentle,” Bryson said. “I just don’t have the right

equipment with me.”

“To take out stitches?” Marco asked as his brows dropped down

over his eyes. “Give me some damn pliers and I’ll do it.”

“I don’t think so,” Bryson said. “You are liable to cause more

harm than good with a pair of pliers.”

“Stop whining,” Remus said in a teasing manner. “They’re

coming out, not going in.”

Marco had such a dirty mind. Remus was talking about stitches.

So why did it sound so naughty to him?

“Can you wait until I’m finished before you two go hot and heavy

at it?” Bryson said as he plucked at Marco’s skin. “It’s getting
impossible to breathe in here.”

Marco could feel his face heating with embarrassment, so he hid it

in the folds of his arms he was lying on. He could hear Remus’s
chuckling. Marco wished he was alone with his mate. They would be
joining Rick’s group shortly, and there would hardly be any privacy.

“How many people are with Rick?” Marco asked as he turned his

head back around.

“Too many,” Bryson replied. “He has his own group. I think there

are about twelve people. Then there is Clyde’s group. Rick told me he
had about forty changelings with him. And the coyotes from Iowa just
joined them when Miguel and Benito returned to the group.”

Marco could barely wrap his head around that many people

traveling on the road. “How are they traveling with so many and not
getting caught?” That was another fear Marco had. What if he came

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out of hiding just to get killed by Breed Hunters, mercenaries, or the
military? There were too many possibilities.

“Very carefully,” Bryson replied and then took a step back. “So

get some rest. We’ll be joining them in a few hours.”

“Thanks,” Marco said as Bryson and Remus cleaned up the

discarded bandages. Now all Marco had to do was look in the mirror
at the scars on his face.

What terrified him and made his stomach cramp was the fact that

he just might look like the freak his father had accused him of being.

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Chapter Fourteen

Marco took in a deep breath as he sat on the toilet seat of the

motel they had found for Bryson to take his stitches out. He was
scared to death to look into the mirror. His hands were unsteady as he
ran them through his hair.

What if he looked hideous now and Remus regretted mating him?

His entire body was covered in scars. The least that bastard Jayson
could have done was leave his face alone. But that was the first thing
the man had attacked.

Marco still felt the pain of that knife as it sliced through his skin.

Marco still had nightmares about it. He would wake up in a cold
sweat only to realize he wasn’t in that concrete room and Jayson was
nowhere around.

“I can do this,” he whispered to himself. “I can look in the

mirror.” He needed to stop being a fucking pussy and just get it over
with. Marco pushed from the toilet and then sat back down.

“Fuck,” he said as he gritted his teeth. Finding out if he was a

sliced-up freak was harder than he thought. The bravery just wasn’t
forthcoming. No matter what he said to himself, his body would not
take the few steps to the mirror.

“You all right in there?” Remus asked from the other side of the

door.

Marco tucked his hands under his armpits and tried to steady his

breathing. He wasn’t all right. And if he was a freak from what Jayson
had done to him, he would never be all right. It was bad enough he
was small for a leopard. Now he was ugly as well. It wasn’t like he
was a drop-dead gorgeous model to begin with.

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“Fuck you, fate,” he gritted out as he sat there with clammy hands

and the beginning of a headache.

“Marco?”
Wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, Marco once again pushed

from the edge of the toilet. He took a step, and then another until he
was standing in front of the sink. But his head was still down.

“What’s going on?” Remus asked from behind him. The guy had

let himself in, and as angry at fate as Marco was, he couldn’t find it in
himself to shout at Remus to get out. The changeling was the only one
he had now. Marco wasn’t going to be foolish enough to push him
away. He just hoped Remus didn’t run when he saw Marco’s face. As
soon as Bryson was finished taking the stitches out, Marco had
hurried to the bathroom.

“Marco, talk to me.”
His mate slid his arms around Marco’s waist and pulled his back

to Remus’s chest. “Why are you just standing here?”

“How bad do I look?” he asked Remus. “Am I a hideous

monster?”

“What are you talking about?” Remus asked. “The scars?”
“Yeah, the scars,” Marco said bitterly. “Answer me.”
Remus’s arms tightened around him. Marco knew it was from the

way he had spoken to Remus. Marco had never been bitter with his
best friend before. “Why don’t you look for yourself?”

Marco shook his head. “I–I can’t.”
Remus tucked his fingers under Marco’s chin and lifted his head.

Marco slammed his eyes closed. “Look at yourself, baby.”

With a racing heart, Marco slowly opened his eyes. He stared at

himself in the dirty mirror, seeing what Jayson had done to him for
the first time. There was a line from the outside of his eye to the
corner of his mouth on both sides.

“See, not so bad and barely noticeable.”

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If Marco had been looking at someone else, he wouldn’t have

thought anything of the two vertical lines. But he was looking at the
scars on his face. To Marco, they stood out like a beacon in the night.

He tried to turn to escape, but Remus held him tightly in place.

“You are not running from me, Marco. I know you too well, and I
won’t allow you to beat yourself up over this.”

“Of course not,” Marco snapped. “It’s not you who is wearing

these scars.”

“Knock it off,” Remus said as he pulled Marco from the bathroom

and settled him on the bed. “They are barely noticeable. The doc did a
damn good job on you.”

Marco turned his head, feeling like Humpty Dumpty once more.

He was all stitched back together, yet he felt as if he were cracking at
the seams. “Tell the truth, Remus. You hate that you mated me.
You’re stuck with a freak.”

Remus gave a thunderous growl as he trapped Marco’s hands on

either side of his body. He leaned in, his green eyes dark with anger.
“I will never regret mating you, Marco. Don’t you ever say anything
like that again! You are not a damn freak. You are still as stunning as
you ever were. Stop fucking sulking or I swear I’m going to kick your
ass.”

For the first time in Marco’s life, he truly feared Remus. The man

would do it. Marco didn’t doubt the threat for a second. He could see
the harsh promise in the man’s eyes. “But—”

“No buts, Marco,” Remus said right before he dipped his head and

kissed each side of Marco’s face. “You are a very stunning man,
baby.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that. He knew that Remus was

telling the truth by the scent of the man. Remus truly believed Marco
was handsome. A thousand tangled emotions tore through Marco. He
wanted to believe his mate. He really did. How many times in his life
had his father called him a freak before he died? A thousand, ten
thousand?

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And here his mate was, confessing that he thought Marco was

handsome and that calling himself a freak pissed Remus off. In that
moment Marco knew just how lucky he was. He had a mate who truly
loved and wanted him.

Marco slipped his hand behind Remus’s neck and pulled his

mate’s head closer, burying his face in the crook of Remus’s neck.
“Thank you.”

“For what?” Remus asked. “Telling the honest truth?” Remus

pulled Marco’s head back and gave him a smile that played havoc
with Marco’s body. “I love the way you look. From the black strands
on your head down to your sexy toes.”

“You think my toes are sexy?” Marco asked in astonishment.
“Sweetheart, everything about you is sexy.” As if to prove his

point, Remus released Marco and slid down the bed, grabbing his feet
and kissing the top of each toe. The man had no idea how superlative
he was. Marco wiggled his toes and laughed.

“If you are going to lick any part of my body, my toes are not high

on my list.” Marco pulled his feet free and then stood, giving Remus a
show as he seductively wiggled out of his pants. He made sure he
stuck his ass high in the air as he bent over to pull them off.

He nearly fell over when Remus grabbed a cheek and squeezed.

“You’re going to drive me crazy, aren’t you?”

Marco twisted to the side and smiled. “I’m going to try.”
The love in Remus’s eyes shattered any doubt Marco had about

the man. His mate loved him regardless to what he looked like now.
Marco stood straight and turned, pulling Remus into his arms and
hugging him tightly. “I love you, Remus.”

A gentle hand smoothed down his back. “I love you, too, Marco.

Now finish getting undressed before I fuck you with your shirt on.”

Marco grinned as he let Remus go and pulled his shirt off. He

could see Remus gazing at him from head to toe. It was a bit
intimidating considering his mate was still fully dressed. “Aren’t you
going to get naked?”

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127

“Just as soon as I have my fill,” he said as he began to walk

around Marco.

“I never knew you were so kinky.”
“That’s because we just started sleeping together, baby. You’re

going to find that I like a lot of things. One would be you on your
knees sucking my cock.”

The guy was serious. Marco felt flutters in his stomach as he

lowered himself to his knees. He was staring right at Remus’s jeans
where he saw a hard outline.

“It won’t bite. I promise.”
Marco reached up and unsnapped the button, and then pulled the

zipper down. The scent of his mate’s pre-cum slammed into him even
before he saw the wet spot on Remus’s dark-grey underwear. He slid
his finger into the waistband of his mate’s boxer briefs and then gave
the fabric a tug.

The move had revealed the head of Remus’s cock. Marco almost

couldn’t breathe. He dipped his head forward, tasting his mate’s very
essence as he licked the clear liquid that was leaking heavily.

“Don’t tease me, baby,” Remus said in a tone that was pure

seduction. “I need you too badly.”

Those words, combined with the flavor of his mate, and the look

of pleading in Remus’s eyes pushed Marco to take the cock fully into
his mouth. He took Remus all the way down his throat, breathing in
through his nose and inhaling the man’s scent at his core.

“You are so beautiful, Marco.” Remus sank his hand into Marco’s

hair and gave it a small tug as he began to thrust his hips forward.

Marco closed his eyes as he savored his mate’s taste, his touch,

and most of all, his cock. His tongue teased the swollen shaft, tracing
the veins and slipping under the head as he heard Remus’s moans of
approval.

His mate’s sounds washed over Marco as he opened his throat to

take Remus’s cock over and over again. His fingers dug into Remus’s
jean-clad thighs, his blood rushing with a euphoria he had never

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thought possible. The only time that could top this was when Remus
claimed him.

When he opened his eyes, his mate was looking at him with such

soft eyes. Marco took in Remus’s blond-brown hair, his unshaven
face, and his tawny body.

“You keep looking at me that way and I just might think you want

me,” Remus said before gripping Marco’s hair and pulling his cock
free.

Marco wanted to complain. He loved the taste of his mate on his

tongue. But any protest he might have had died on his lips when
Remus pulled Marco up and bent him over the side of the bed. His
mate still hadn’t undressed. Marco was starting to wonder if he
would. The rough fabric of Remus’s denims was felt on the back of
his legs as his mate lay over him, his hand gliding over Marco’s ass.
“I love that this ass is all mine.”

Marco’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he bit his bottom

lip. Remus’s fingers were teasing his hole, pressing against it and then
pulling back. He had always followed Remus’s lead growing up and
he knew the man had a dominant personality, but to feel Remus
taking control was like a high to Marco.

“Goddamn, I want to fuck you,” Remus said against his ear. “Just

thinking about sinking my cock into your ass is making me harder.”

“Then do it,” Marco whimpered as he shoved his ass against

Remus’s fingers, feeling the need to be fucked throbbing through his
groin and ass. “Fuck me, Remus.”

He was becoming desperate to feel his mate inside of him.
“Patience,” Remus said as he nipped Marco. “I can’t just fuck

you, baby.” One finger pressed hard against Marco’s entrance.

“Yes,” Marco begged. “I–I don’t mind.” He couldn’t believe he

was telling Remus his secret little kink. Marco wasn’t into being
beaten or anything, but he had fantasized about being fucked that
way.

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“What are you saying, Marco?” Remus asked as he reached down

and rummaged through their bag on the floor, pulling the bottle of
lube free. “You don’t want to be stretched?”

Marco could feel his face flushing as he nodded. He wasn’t sure

why he was embarrassed to tell Remus what he wanted, but he felt
like he was under a microscope when Remus locked eyes with him.
“Are you sure?”

“I–I want to at least try it.”
Remus stared at him for a long moment and then dipped his head,

grazing his lips over Marco’s. “I just want you to be satisfied in our
sex life.”

“I am,” Marco quickly stated, although they had only had sex

once so far. But damn if their first time together wasn’t memorable.

“If you want me to stop, say so.” Remus pulled back, kicked his

pants off and tossed his shirt aside before drizzling the lube on his
cock. “I mean it.”

Marco could feel his heart beating faster as Remus set the bottle

down, lathered the clear gel over his erection, and then moved toward
him. He turned, grabbing the sheets as Remus blanketed his back.

The blunt head of his mate’s cock pressed against his hole, and

then Marco bit his bottom lip as Remus began to enter him. At first
Marco had thought he made a grave error in his request, but the
pleasure was there, along with the intense burn.

“Feel good?” Remus asked as his fingers dug into Marco’s sides.

“Do you like it?”

“Remus,” Marco whimpered, unable to put his feelings to words.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. The mixture was simply
amazing, but that wasn’t even a correct description. It went beyond
amazing. His breathing was labored as Remus slowly inched his cock
inside.

Marco wrapped his ankles around Remus’s and began to push

back. His breath caught in his throat when he felt the unshaven chin

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of his mate scrape along his shoulder. The added sensation made
Marco cry out.

“Anything you want, baby,” Remus murmured. Remus thrust the

rest of the way in until he was buried to the hilt. “Fuck.”

Marco gripped the sheets tighter, riding the wave of pain and

pleasure. And then Remus began to curl his hips and fuck Marco like
a dying man. He could feel his mate’s claws coming out, and that only
excited Marco further. He didn’t want to be clawed, but knowing he
was making Remus lose control was thrilling. His mate had already
proven that he could partially shift when he claimed Marco. Although
Marco was thrilled that Remus still had some abilities, he wasn’t
giving himself false hope that they both would sooner or later regain
their ability to shift.

Marco wailed when Remus changed his angle and his sweet spot

was struck over and over again. “Oh god…fuck me harder, Remus.”

His mate took him at his word. Marco angled his hips higher as

his mate pounded into his ass, shooting Marco closer to the edge. He
needed just a little more, something that would—Marco cried out
when Remus bit into his shoulder. His body twitched and convulsed
under his mate’s, his cock exploding and his seed felt like it was
being ripped from his body.

Remus plunged deeper, moving even faster before he stiffened

behind Marco and then released his shoulder, howling out his release.

Marco laid his head on the bed, panting as his mate collapsed on

top of him. “I love you, Remus, but get your heavy ass off of me.”

* * * *

Edward answered his phone on the second ring, expecting the

caller to be his mate. He missed hearing her voice and wanted
desperately for all of this to be over so he could go home and be with
his family.

“Edward.”

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“It’s Phillip.”
Edward moved away from the loud noise of the men around him

and found a more secluded area. “Is something wrong?”

His cousin shouldn’t be calling him. Edward had made it very

clear to stay off the phones while at the cabin. He didn’t want any of
them traced.

“Frisk is missing,” Phillip said. “I can’t find him anywhere.”

Edward could hear the panic in the changeling’s voice.

“Isabelle and EJ?” Edward asked as he felt his heart climb into his

throat. “Where are they, Phillip?” Edward already started moving
toward Clyde’s truck. He was heading back to the cabin. Edward’s
soul froze on Phillip’s next words.

“I–I don’t know.”

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Chapter Fifteen

Frisk wasn’t sure what to do, but sitting here on his ass with a

band of werecoyotes glaring down at him and Isabelle, he knew had
to do something. Isabelle was holding EJ in her arms, pressing him
close to her chest as they both sat on the dirt floor of the tunnel under
the cabin.

A tic beat in Frisk’s jaw as he watched the leader play with his

knife, swirling it around in his hand. “I’m so shocked I was able to
capture you both that I’m not sure what to do with you.”

Frisk was shocked as well. He never thought to keep an eye on the

tunnel. It was their means of escape. It hadn’t dawned on him that it
could also be an entry point for any enemies.

What a damn fool he had been.
If these bandits succeeded in killing everyone in the cabin, so

many lives would be destroyed.

“You would harm a baby?” Isabelle asked through gritted teeth,

her hazel eyes filled with hate and fear.

“Lady,” the leader said as he moved closer. Frisk scooted over,

refusing to allow any harm to come to Isabelle. Not only had his king
given Frisk the responsibility of watching over her, but Frisk knew he
would die to protect her—even if Edward hadn’t issued the threat. “I
would do whatever I had to in order to capture the loved ones of the
most wanted men in America. Do you know what they would pay to
get you back?”

“So this is about money?” Frisk asked, repulsed that a person

would use another being for monetary gain.

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“It’s always about money,” the man replied. “The war will be over

just as soon as the Rebellions hit Washington. The nation is going to
have to rebuild. I would rather be sitting on top than groveling to get
by.”

“You’re despicable,” Frisk spat.
“Why, thank you,” the leader said, as if Frisk were handing him a

compliment.

“He was insulting you, idiot,” Isabelle interjected.
“All depends on how you look at it.” The leader moved back and

the two goons with him laughed. Frisk could take one of them down,
but not all three. He also knew the assholes would use Isabelle to
subdue Frisk. He couldn’t chance her and the baby.

Too bad no one had seen the men come into Isabelle’s room. Frisk

had been in there playing with EJ when the back of the closet had
opened and the three men had entered the bedroom.

Frisk kept an eye on the man’s knife as he tried to figure a way

out of this. They only way to escape was to head back down the
tunnel to the cabin. The coyotes were blocking the way that would
lead them to the woods.

“I say we tie them up, take them to our truck, and then come back

for more,” one of the other idiots said.

“But we don’t know who all is in the cabin,” the leader replied.

“We have to go at this logically.”

Frisk doubted if they had a logical bone between the three. He

could tell kidnapping and holding someone for ransom was not their
day job. But even though the three looked uncertain, that didn’t mean
they weren’t deadly. Frisk was not going to make that mistake.

And tying him up wasn’t going to happen. If Frisk could prevent

it, he wasn’t going to let them touch him.

“All right,” the leader finally said as he gripped his knife tight in

his hand. “Get up and start moving.”

Helping Isabelle to her feet, Frisk tried his best to walk beside her,

but the tunnel wasn’t built wide. Instead, he walked behind her,

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making sure none of the scumbags touched her. Walking slowly, he
tried to work a plan out in his mind.

The tunnel began to dip down a little and the air became cooler.

He could feel the coolness skimming along his skin. He hadn’t had a
jacket on when he was forced into the tunnel.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Isabelle argued as she walked

along. “You have no idea what Edward is going to do to you when he
finds out you’ve taken us.”

Frisk wasn’t fooled by her words. They had no idea what Isabelle

would do to them if given the opportunity. But she had EJ, so fighting
was out of the question. Frisk wasn’t sure what options he had. He
was outnumbered and heading toward the exit. If these men managed
to get them out of there, the Rebellion group would have one hell of a
time finding them.

And where were the bears that were supposed to be guarding the

surrounding area? Knowing the three coyotes had gotten past them
told Frisk that these men were more dangerous than he first thought.
If they had managed to do away with the bear changelings, then they
were capable of gathering everyone in the house and taking them
away.

All the changelings were either female or underage—except

Phillip. There were humans there as well, but Frisk knew a human
didn’t stand a chance against coyotes. Not only were they strong, but
underhanded as well.

“Speed it up,” the coyote behind him said as he shoved a hand

into Frisk’s shoulder, pushing him.

“Leave him alone,” Isabelle argued. “You already have us.

There’s no need to shove him around.”

Frisk wanted to tell her he was a male changeling who didn’t need

anyone to speak for him, but he kept quiet, unwilling to bring any
more harm to them. He had to think of Isabelle and EJ.

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Walking along, Frisk heard a low yowl from off in the distance.

The dirt walls ate any noise beyond them, no echoes heard. But he
heard the warning yowl.

Boston was trailing them. The guy may be a teenager, but he was

changeling. That would make it two against three.

Frisk began to slow even further, trying to give the kid a chance to

catch up. He couldn’t allow them to leave the tunnels.

“Did you hear that?” one of the coyotes asked. Frisk could see the

man glancing behind them. “I heard something.”

He hoped they let it go. Frisk knew Boston had given the call to

let him know the teenager was hot on their trail. But an attack by
surprise was their only bet right now.

“I didn’t hear anything,” the leader said as he stopped and looked

behind the small group. “We need to get moving if we are going to
come back and take the rest.” He pivoted on his heel and began to
walk again.

Frisk had to think fast. He pretended to fall, hitting the dirt-packed

floor hard.

“Get up,” one of the two goons said as he reached down and

grabbed Frisk roughly by this arm. “I know you can see perfectly well
down here. Stop being a klutz.”

As Frisk was pulled to his feet, he saw the green eyes of the cat

pursuing them, stalking the men. And then he saw another set of eyes.
They were smaller and blue-grey in color. Sammy.

Sasha would kill Frisk if anything happened to his kids. But if the

two didn’t interfere, Frisk and Isabelle didn’t stand a snowball’s
chance in hell of escaping.

EJ began to wiggle in Isabelle’s arms, and Frisk knew the young

pup smelled his playmates. Frisk was surprised the coyotes couldn’t
scent the two leopards behind them. He tripped and fell again.

“What in the hell is your problem?” the coyote said in irritation.

“What are you, a little slow in the head?”

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Frisk grabbed Isabelle’s ankle and gave it a tug. She quickly

dropped down as Frisk shifted into his wererat form, attacking the
man who tried to pull him up again.

“Son of a bitch!” the changeling shouted when Frisk bit down into

his hand.

Boston and Sammy attacked, fighting the other two coyotes. Frisk

could hear distant shouting and knew the men in the cabin weren’t too
far away. They must have followed the two leopards.

“Damn you!” the coyote shouted as he punched Frisk in the head.

“Get the hell off of me.” Just as he said the last word, the man shifted
into his coyote form. Frisk risked a quick glance and saw that Isabelle
had gotten up and was hurrying back down the tunnel, a small human
toddler in her arms.

About damn time EJ shifted.
“Help!” Isabelle shouted. “Down here!”
Frisk raced away from the coyote when a shot was heard and the

beast he was fighting went down. Two more shots and the three
bandits were lying on the dirt-covered floor.

“You all right?” Dad asked as he knelt beside Frisk. “Are you

hurt, son?”

Frisk shook his head no. He was shook up now that the life-and-

death situation was over, but he was no worse for the wear.

“Let’s get you guys back to the cabin,” Howard, Dorian’s father,

said. “We have some injured bears, but they seem to be alive. I’m
going to have one of them down here watching the entrance once they
feel better.”

Frisk needed a serious vacation.

* * * *

“Just wait, Edward,” Rick said as he grabbed his brother-in-law’s

arm. “Call Phillip back and find out what’s going on. I can’t believe

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137

anything bad has happened with as many people watching over
them.”

“He doesn’t know where my mate and son are!” Edward argued as

he shoved Rick away.

“Call him back,” Rick said again. “If no one answers, or they’re in

trouble, we’ll all head that way.”

It was his family up there as well. Rick would send a message

over the wire that the fight was postponed if they needed to go back to
the cabin. There was no way he was going to let anything happen to
anyone there.

Edward didn’t look convinced, but he dialed anyway. There was a

fine tic in the man’s jaw as he waited. As they both waited.

“Edward?”
“What’s going on, Phillip?”
Rick stood there and listened to the conversation, his stomach of a

tight knot.

“There were these coyotes that found the tunnel entrance…” Rick

listened as Phillip recounted what had happened. He could see
Edward’s incisors lengthening when his nephew told him about
Isabelle and EJ being taken.

“But they’re dead now,” Phillip said as he began to wind down his

story. “Dad and Howard put one of the bears on the entrance down
below. I don’t think we’ll have any more trouble.”

Rick was proud of Frisk for keeping a cool head. He was also

proud of Boston and Sammy for tracking the bandits down and
fighting to keep the others safe. It showed him the juveniles were
stepping up to the plate and taking care of their family.

It was a daunting task for ones so young. But times had changed.

Responsibilities that shouldn’t have fallen to their shoulders just yet
were now all around them.

“EJ shifted,” Phillip said. “He shifted in the tunnel.”
Rick could see the happiness and regret in Edward’s eyes. The

man should have been there for that moment. The war had taken so

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much from them. Rick hated that his brother-in-law had missed out on
something so precious.

“Put Isabelle on the phone,” Edward said, his voice thick with

emotion. Rick left his side, giving the guy some privacy as he sought
out Dorian.

“Everything okay?” his mate asked.
“It is now,” Rick replied as he slipped his arm around Dorian’s

neck. “Just another thing fate is trying to throw our way to slow us
down.”

“Do you really think that?” Dorian asked. “Do you believe that

maybe going to Washington is a bad idea?”

“No,” Rick answered honestly. “But I do believe life as we know

it will no longer exist. There are changes coming, Dorian, changes
that will hopefully benefit us all.” Rick could feel something in his
gut. There was a feeling he had in the center of his chest that told him
things were going to change forever once they reached the White
House.

He just wasn’t sure what that change was going to be. The only

thing Rick could do was throw up a prayer that the winds would
finally shift in their favor.

“Well, if the crisis has been averted, I think we need to get

moving.” Just as Dorian spoke the words, Rick watched as Brooke
pulled up. He could see Pappy sitting in the front seat, Deluca in the
back.

Another car was behind them, Mason driving. “It’s about damn

time,” Rick mumbled as he walked over to greet them. “What took
you men so long?” Rick asked as he leaned his arm on the open
driver’s window.

“Had to take a few detours to avoid the locals,” Brooke replied. “I

have a feeling our trip is no longer a secret. Not only are the
changelings gathering in numbers, but so are our enemies. I spotted
the biggest convoy I’ve seen since this war started back in Indiana.”

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Rick knew he wouldn’t be able to keep their journey under wraps

forever. Just like the changelings had been waiting on Rick’s call, so
had everyone else. It only meant they were going to get hit harder by
Breed Hunters, mercenaries, and militant men.

“Then I suggest we not linger around here.” Rick tapped the side

of the truck and then headed toward his own vehicle. They were
heading east, halfway through Pennsylvania, but it felt like they had
another twenty states between them.

The ride was going to be long, tough, and filled with obstacles,

but Rick was determined to reach his goal. As they pulled from the
parking spot they had been resting at, Rick heard the distant sound of
helicopters, and the sound was growing closer.

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Chapter Sixteen

Special Naval Warfare Captain O’Hanlon walked into the

restaurant and spotted Admiral James right away. The man was sitting
toward the back, his dinner already lying out in front of him on the
table.

“Captain,” Admiral James said as O’Hanlon approached the table.

“Have a seat.”

He could tell by the admiral’s tone that the guy already knew

trouble was heading their way in mass numbers. Secret Intelligence
was reporting that there was a large movement in northern
Pennsylvania, and one person had confirmed that Enrique Marcelo
was with the Rebellion group.

“I told you that if it came down to it, you were going to take the

fall for this. Your incompetence has not only allowed that animal to
live, but now he’s heading our way,” Admiral James said in a quiet
rage. “There is no fixing this. I have dispatched the troops to take out
Enrique and his group.”

“And you think the troops can take down Enrique Marcelo when

even the Death Squad failed at the task?” O’Hanlon was tired of
fucking around with Admiral James. The man was a constant thorn in
his side.

Just as he had taken care of Vice Admiral Harrington, O’Hanlon

knew Admiral James had to be silenced. He wasn’t taking the fall for
any of this. He had been extremely careful to stay as distant as he
could.

The only person who knew his true intention was Lieutenant

Commander John Freedman. But since the man was an enemy of the

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state, it was O’Hanlon’s words against the Lieutenant’s. Too bad
killing the man hadn’t panned out.

“Your Death Squad was a joke.”
“They were the finest men we have trained,” O’Hanlon pointed

out. “Do not forget we are dealing with animals here. They were
pitted against freaks of nature.”

Admiral James wiped his mouth and then set the napkin on the

table, sitting back when the waiter brought a fresh cup of coffee and
placed it in front of the Admiral. Once they were alone again, James
leaned forward, his eyes calculating. “Let’s cut the bullshit, David.
We both know what your stakes are in this. You fathered an animal
and are now trying to erase that evidence. Both of our hands are dirty.
If the president—”

“He’ll never know,” O’Hanlon stated with pure confidence.
Admiral James picked his coffee up and took a sip, staring at

O’Hanlon over the brim. “How are you so sure he doesn’t already
know about both of us? Someone went to a great extent to silence
Harrington. I’m willing to bet you know something about his death.”

And the admiral would be correct. But O’Hanlon kept that to

himself. He wasn’t one to brag about his dirty little secrets. He had a
feeling Admiral James would eventually find out about his
relationship to Enrique. It was only a matter of time.

“And you have blood on your hands, Admiral. Your sister’s death

was such a tragic loss for you.”

“It still is,” Admiral James said as if he weren’t the one who

executed her and her mate. “Such a shame.”

“So, you asked me here to tell me I’m taking the fall for all of

this?” O’Hanlon asked calmly.

“No,” Admiral James said as he drank his coffee. “I asked you

here to find out if you have buried our names deep enough. The
Rebellions are coming. If they get past our troops, they’ll be here by
Friday at the latest. We need to take counteractive measures to ensure

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our names are not associated with the biggest scandal that
Washington has ever bared witness to.”

O’Hanlon ran the tip of his finger around the rim of the glass

sitting in front of him. It was the admiral’s water. He wiped the
moisture between his fingers and then smiled at Admiral James.
“Trust me. You won’t face your accusers. I promise.”

O’Hanlon stood just as Admiral James began to choke on his own

breath. His face was turning a dusky blue and he was grabbing at his
throat.

Stepping outside into the cool night air, O’Hanlon began to walk

to his car. He spotted the waiter who had brought the admiral his
poison-laced coffee waiting for him in the shadows. Instead of paying
the young man, O’Hanlon pulled out his gun, silencer attached, and
shot the shadow just beyond the trees.

Climbing into his car, O’Hanlon passed the scenic river, stopped,

and tossed the gun.

No, Admiral James was not going to face his accusers, just his

maker.

* * * *

Salvador Santos Almeida walked the land with silent grace. Every

step he took was measured, exact. He and his mates had driven
Kraven to the edge of the Northwest Territories and were tracking
him east. They were as far away from the war as they could get.

It was cold as shit up here, too. But Salvador was not going to let

Kraven get away. If he did, then the Soul Reapers would cause such
havoc that mankind would never be safe. No, the only way to control
the soulless creatures was to either kill the vampire or confine him.

“If we weren’t hunting down a crazy-ass vampire, this would be a

picturesque place to vacation,” Freedman said as he stood there
looking all around. “It’s simply beautiful.”

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“Just as long as we don’t get eaten by a polar bear,” Omar said as

he held on tight to his backpack. “That would be a horrible way to
die.”

Indeed it would, but Salvador knew he could keep the bears away.

They were the least of their problems. It was growing quite clear in
his mind that Kraven had picked up a few nasty powers and was using
them to his advantage. Never before had Salvador had a hard time
pursuing someone.

Not only did Kraven have the ability to mask his mind, but he also

knew how to evade Salvador. It was starting to piss Salvador off. He
had never been thwarted before and he found he did not like it.

One way or another, he was going to catch up to Kraven. And

when he did, the bastard was going to disappear.

* * * *

“What’s that sound?” Remus asked as he glanced through the

window of the truck they were in. He searched all around, but he
didn’t see another soul in sight. The roads were clear and their drive
since leaving the shabby motel had been uneventful.

“Helicopters,” Bryson said as his hands tightened on the steering

wheel. “It seems the government knows the changelings are coming.”

Remus knew they were close to their meeting point with Rick, but

damn, helicopters? How where they supposed to evade those things?
The government knew they were getting close because it seemed they
were sending in their troops, full force. Remus glanced out the
window again and saw three very large, very green helicopters flying
overhead, heading east toward the exact destination they were driving.

Grabbing his cell phone, Remus called Rick. “We’re about ten

minutes out from our meeting point and three humungous helicopters
just passed by us.” They were big enough to transport soldiers.
Ground warfare was about to take place. Remus knew the only way

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out of this was to run. Not that Rick and the Rebellions were cowards,
but their fight wasn’t with the troops. Their fight was in Washington.

“I know. I heard them in the distance but—shit, there they are.

Gotta go.” Rick hung up.

“Speed up,” Remus instructed Bryson. “Rick and his group are

about to haul ass, and I don’t want us to lose them.”

“We’re running to the fight?” Marco asked.
Remus cupped his mate’s face and laid a kiss on his lips. “We are,

baby. Just keep your head down and stick by me.” Remus prayed it
was that easy. He wished he could have left Marco back in Shelton
where he had been hiding out, but nowhere was safe and he couldn’t
stand the thought of not having the man by his side.

Marco gave a few quick, jerky nods. Remus could see how

terrified his mate was. Neither Remus nor his leopard liked seeing
Marco this way. He knew since childhood Marco wasn’t a fighter. He
accepted that and loved him in spite of and for that weakness.

“Do I need a gun?” Marco asked.
“Uh, no,” Remus replied, cringing inwardly at the thought of

Marco trying to shoot someone. He was more liable to shoot himself
in the foot. Remus knew for a fact the man had never handled a gun in
his life.

Remus looked up when he heard the sound of gunfire. The sight

before him chilled him to the bone. Not only had helicopters come
into play, but there was an army of military vehicles blocking the road
ahead. It looked like a fucking invasion.

“We need another route,” Bryson said as he took the closest exit

ramp. “There is no way we’re getting through that.”

Remus agreed. Just as they exited, he saw a large tank discharge.

The sound was like nothing he had ever heard before and prayed he
never heard again. The only person Remus had to lose was Marco. He
had no family. Sasha was the closest thing he had to family, but
Remus wasn’t even that close to the leopard alpha.

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He cared about the other shifters, but he never had anyone who

meant the world to him like Marco did. The man had always held a
special place in his heart, since they were kids.

Hearing the tank discharge again was a very grim reminder that he

could lose not only Marco, but the men and women he had become
friends with—although he had known the soul-aching fear of losing
Marco when he thought the man dead.

Remus didn’t ever want to go through that again. Reaching over,

he twined his fingers with Marco’s, needing the contact, the
closeness.

“Somehow I never thought anything could top high school gym,”

Marco said. Remus remembered those days. They had been hell for
Marco. He was a scrawny teenager who lacked the coordination it
took to participate in many sports. The other teenagers had been
brutal.

Remus hadn’t always been there for his best friend when he

needed him. But from the moment he had claimed Marco, Remus
knew the leopard wasn’t going to face anything alone again.

One thing Remus would always be grateful for was the fact that

he and Marco had finally gotten their act together and confessed their
true feelings for one another. It had taken almost losing the man for
Remus to realize how he felt, but he knew deep down inside that the
feelings were always there. They had always been there.

Remus pulled Marco closer, burying his face in his mate’s neck as

a multitude of emotions tore through him. A tight knot formed in his
chest as he thought about the fight ahead of them.

Please don’t let me lose him. He’s my best friend and all I have in

this world.

Marco wrapped his arms around Remus, hugging him tight, his

soft lips touching Remus’s cheek. “We’ll get through this, Remus. I
love you and we are not going to lose each other.”

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Remus wanted to keep the sweet scent of his mate close, the warm

feel of his mate’s body in his arms, and the pretty words his mate was
murmuring in his heart forever.

“There they are,” Bryson said as he navigated the truck around a

field and pressed it to move faster as they raced to catch up with the
convoy of changeling vehicles racing to get away.

Remus pulled hard on Marco’s seat belt, making sure the man was

belted in snugly. “This is going to be a bumpy ride.”

Bryson jerked the wheel, sending the truck off road and through

the field of grass, shortcutting their way toward Rick and the group
that was outrunning the military.

Remus and Marco were tossed about like popcorn. Thank fuck

they had their seat belts on. But the tactic worked. The truck kicked
up dirt as the tires hit pavement once more. Bryson slipped into the
line of vehicles.

“I’m not sure where Rick is headed,” Bryson said, “but I hope like

hell he knows what he’s doing.”

The changeling vehicles were taking up both sides of the road.

Remus hoped no one was heading the opposite way because they
would be run off of the road. They were also keeping a tight
formation, not allowing any military trucks to get beside them.

The humans saw them as animals with no souls. He was willing to

bet they probably thought they had no feelings either. Remus liked to
believe he had a soul.

Yes, he was an animal. But he was also human.
He also had feelings. That was the one concrete thing he could

unequivocally argue. His feelings toward Marco, and the men he was
fighting beside, were real, almost tangible. And he had to possess a
soul because no one could love a man as much as he did without one.
That was the belief he stood by. In his mind, it was solid proof that he
was much more than just a disease that the humans were claiming the
changelings were.

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When a three-way fork divided the road, some of the changeling

vehicles went left, some right, and some stayed their course, straight
ahead. They were splitting up. Remus even saw a few trucks go off
road.

They were dividing the military, breaking down the great number

to a more manageable beast to handle. Bryson stayed with Rick who
had torn off to the right. The changelings were trying to keep the
military away from their Rebellion leader.

Everyone knew that it was Rick who had to make it to

Washington. He was their sole chance at ending this. He was the
biological son of the man who had started this war. It was he who had
the proof in his truck that would show the president that the
changelings hadn’t started all of this.

A few trucks filled with humans followed them. They fired their

weapons as Bryson used tactical maneuvers to dodge the onslaught of
bullets. Remus could not only see Rick’s truck ahead of them, but
Nate’s red Yukon as well.

The Yukon dropped back and drove up behind their truck. The

next thing Remus knew, Nate was leaning out of the window, opening
fire. There were a few more changelings who had taken the right and
they were firing back at the militant men as well.

Since spotting the helicopters, Remus finally felt as if they could

actually get away.

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Chapter Seventeen

Miguel cursed when he felt the bullet impact his shoulder. The

heat and pain tore through his shoulder and almost made him slip
back into the window, but he had to get those assholes off of Rick’s
tail.

“You’re bleeding.” Benito’s tone was filled with anger and worry

as he drove. “Get back in here.”

“I’m fine,” Miguel said as he sucked down the pain and continued

to return fire. “Just concentrate on the road.”

“Don’t make me pull this car over,” Benito threatened and Miguel

gave a small smile. “I’ll do it.”

And he knew that Benito would. His cousin was crazy enough to

pull over to hand Miguel his ass for taking such a snappy tone with
him. “Sorry,” he said as he aimed at the front tire of the vehicle
behind them and shot his rifle repeatedly. The pain of shouldering his
rifle reminded him that he was injured. But he had a job to do and an
alpha to protect. Right before he slipped back into the car, Miguel
flipped the men off who were following them.

“What can I say?” Miguel teased, although the throbbing pain

reminded him he needed to get the bullet out. He wasn’t sure how
much damage had been inflicted, but if he didn’t get the damn thing
out soon, he was going to have a scar. “I’m committed.”

“You should be.” Benito’s knuckles turned white on the steering

wheel. “You’re bleeding all over my upholstery.”

“How is this your upholstery? It’s a stolen car, Benito.” Miguel

winced and bit his bottom lip as he tied his shirt around his shoulder
to stanch the bleeding.

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“While I’m driving, it’s mine.” Miguel knew Benito was using

humor to hide his worries. Miguel hated to be mothered, just as
Benito hated it as well. So they used humor when concerned.

“I’ll make sure to have the damn thing detailed before you return

it to its owner.” The bleeding had stopped, but the pain seemed to
have amplified. He needed to either grab Bryson or shift. Since they
were in a high-speed chase, Bryson was out of the question. So was
shifting. Every available man was needed right now. Miguel couldn’t
afford to go furry. Not when they were trying to protect Rick and get
him away from the men who wanted him dead.

“I’m not feeling too well,” Miguel begrudgingly admitted when

his blood began to feel as if it were boiling inside of him. He sat
forward and then shouted in pain as his vision began to double and his
body began to burn.

“W–What kind of bullets are they using?” Benito asked.
“Not sure, forgot to ask them.” Miguel slumped against the door.

His heart felt like it was working overtime as it raced inside his chest.
He swallowed hard as he closed his eyes. “I think I’m in trouble.”

* * * *

Marco was grateful the helicopters had chased the other men. The

vehicles he was with had lost their tail and were heading down the
road in the dark of night. He listened as Bryson talked on the phone.

“How bad is it?”
Marco curled deeper into Remus’s side. His mate was watching

out the window, deep in thought. He wanted to ask what Remus was
thinking about, but they weren’t alone. What he wouldn’t give for a
nice, private room right now.

“Okay, find the first place you can to pull over so I can take a look

at him.”

Marco pulled his head up from Remus’s shoulder. “What’s

wrong?”

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“Miguel’s been shot.”
Marco didn’t know who Miguel was, but from the firefight they

had earlier, he was surprised more men weren’t wounded. It had been
a harrowing chase, and Marco had thought they were going to be
caught with as many pursuers as they’d had.

He’d only been on the road for a few days. Marco gave his props

to those who had been doing this since the beginning. He knew the
war was brutal, but Marco hadn’t a clue how bad it was until he had
seen it firsthand.

Remus scratched at the stubble on his jaw and then turned to look

at Marco. His brilliant green eyes softened as he gave Marco a warm
smile. “How you holding up?”

He rubbed a comforting hand down Marco’s arm, as if he could

read his thoughts and knew how truly terrified he was. He knew his
mate could probably smell it on him. Fear was a hard emotion to hide.
Fear, anger, love, and lust were the strongest emotions. It took a
changeling with a lot of strength to mask the scent.

“I still wish we were heading to McDonald’s,” Marco confessed.

“You owe me a Big Mac when this is all over.”

“I’ll even toss in a strawberry shake.”
God that sounded so damn good. Marco was hungry as hell. He

couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten. Just the thought of food
was making his stomach grumble. Remus glanced down at Marco’s
stomach. “I’ll make sure you have something to eat later.” His warm
breath stirred Marco’s hair and raised a chill on his cheek.

He wasn’t even sure Remus was talking about food.
He thought he knew his best friend inside out. But there was one

aspect of Remus’s life Marco had never known until they mated.
Remus was very dominant when it came to sex. He should have
guessed that. The leopard was dominant in their friendship. What he
hadn’t expected was the level of need Remus seemed to have inside
of him when it came to fucking Marco.

The guy seemed like he couldn’t get enough.

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Remus nipped his ear, a soft purr vibrating in his throat. “I can

smell your arousal, baby, and it’s driving me mad.”

Even in the severity of the situation they were in, Marco smiled.

Remus could always make him smile. But he found the man had a
way of making him blush profusely was well. “My stomach grumbles
and you think of sex?” Marco scoffed. “You are a truly twisted man.”

Remus gave a low chuckle that had his cock thick with need.
The truck pulled into a parking lot and Bryson put it in park. “I’ll

be back.” He climbed out and shut the door. The other vehicles had
pulled in as well, making Marco take in their surroundings. They may
have lost their pursuers, but that didn’t mean the military had given
up. For all they knew, the bad guys were still after them, not too far
behind.

Cold, clammy sweat filled Marco’s hands. If they showed up now,

the changelings would be trapped. His eyes trailed over to where
Bryson had gone. It seemed every changeling that had pulled up was
standing around the car.

All their expressions were grim. Whoever Miguel was, Marco

could tell he was well loved. What would it feel like to have that
many people concerned with his welfare? Marco had never known
that level of compassion. His parents had made it known that they
hated having a weak son. His father had said that Marco should have
been a stain on the sheets. The man held no compassion in his heart
for his son. He was as brutal and uncaring as the boys who had teased
him in school.

If it hadn’t been for Remus, Marco wasn’t sure where he would be

right now. The man had stood by Marco’s side more times than he
could count. Remus had been the one to defend him when the other
boys would have hurt him.

It had always been Remus.
It would always be Remus.
He was the one bright light in Marco’s utterly dismal life. Even

working at the local restaurant had been a failed attempt at trying to

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live a quasi-normal life. The other changelings who worked with him
saw Marco’s weakness and had used it against him. They pushed him
around and made him do all the work.

Marco had never told Remus about what happened at work down

at the local pub. His best friend would have gone up there and beat the
shit out of his coworkers. Marco had needed the job, so he had
suffered in silence.

He knew not all men could be tough and brave. That wasn’t how

life worked. But he often wished he was a bit stronger, had a little
more guts than he was born with.

Marco sat up when a man was pulled from the car. From the blood

he could see, it must have been Miguel. Three changelings held him
down as Bryson worked on the wounded guy. Miguel was fighting
tooth and nail. He wasn’t sure how anyone could work with the way
the man was swinging his fists.

“Damn,” Remus said. “I’ll be right back.”
His mate slipped from the truck and closed the door. How could

Remus go over there? Blood was all over Miguel. Wouldn’t his mate
shift and try to eat him? The others hadn’t, which told Marco just how
well loved the man truly was.

“I’m going to slice your balls off!” Miguel shouted loud enough

for Marco to hear across the parking lot. Bryson continued to work,
ignoring the threat.

Marco couldn’t take it any longer. He crawled out of the truck and

closed the door, but didn’t move any further.

“It’s silver,” Bryson said. “The bullet’s been in him too long.”
What did that mean? Marco knew silver was very bad for

changelings, but he’d never met anyone who had been shot by a silver
bullet. What would happen to him now?

Miguel swung again. This time his fist connected with one of the

men trying to hold the man down. The guy who was struck seemed to
take the assault in stride. He grabbed the Miguel’s arm and pinned it
to the ground.

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“Benito is going to make him pay for that later.”
An older-looking man was heading Marco’s way. He scented the

air and found the man was human. The guy stuck his hand out.
“Name’s Pappy.”

Marco shook the offered hand, not really sure what else to do. It

stunned him that they had humans in their group. He knew there were
sympathizers who helped, but Marco hadn’t a clue they were running
with Rick. “Marco.”

“Ah, Remus’s mate.”
Marco wasn’t sure how Pappy knew. “Who’s Benito?”
“Miguel’s cousin and right-hand man. He’s the one Miguel hit.”

Pappy leaned against the truck, crossing his arms over his chest.
Although the guy was human, Marco could see an inherent strength in
the man’s eyes. He was no one to cross.

“How did you get mixed up in all of this?” Marco asked curiously.
“My boys were in charge of Rick’s safety.”
If Pappy was human, then his boys would be as well. Humans had

been guarding Rick? Damn, it seemed Marco had missed a lot staying
in Shelton. He felt like he needed some sort of handbook to read in
order to catch up to current events.

Maybe he would ask Remus when they were alone to give him

some sort of condensed version. Marco had expected the human to
gawk at his facial scars, but Pappy didn’t bat an eye at him. He had an
urge to cover the two fine lines anyway.

He was out in the open for all to see.
Remus may have said they were barely noticeable, but for Marco,

he once again felt very self-conscious. His hair wasn’t even long
enough to use as a veil to hide the marks. Marco curled his fingers in,
refusing to allow himself to cover his face.

Remus walked back over, looking a bit pale. His green eyes were

heavy with something Marco couldn’t read. “Is he going to be all
right?”

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His mate shrugged. “No one really knows at this point. Miguel is

hanging in there, but he’s talking crazy and saying things no one can
understand. I think the poison is fucking his head up.”

“Damn,” Pappy said. “Let me go see what’s going on.” The older

human left them as Remus moved closer. His warm body felt good
and comforting as he pulled Marco into his arms. Marco cursed
himself when he felt a fine tremble slide over him as his brain
wondered what he had gotten himself into.

This was a war. Seeing the tanks and men chasing them had

driven that point home. He wasn’t a fighter. Why hadn’t he argued to
go back to his hiding place? It may have been nothing more than a
hovel, but it had kept him safe for the past year and a half.

“Stop shaking, baby. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You must think I’m nothing more than extra baggage,” Marco

said into Remus’s neck as he held on to his mate with tight arms. “I
can’t fight and I don’t have any skills that could help.”

“You’re helping me keep my sanity,” Remus replied. “I would

have been distracted if you had stayed behind, worrying if you were
safe and eating.”

That so did not help Marco feel any better. He needed a purpose,

to feel needed in this group. He refused to be a hindrance. But what
could he do with men, on the run, and nothing but a small bag of
clothing to his name?

He wasn’t sure, but he was going to find some way to be useful.

He was a quick learner and knew that if he could just find something
to help with, he would feel more valuable.

“We need to get into the truck,” Remus said as he pulled back.

“They are loading Miguel in Nate’s truck and we’re heading out.
Staying in one spot too long isn’t a wise move.”

Marco climbed inside, scooting over for Remus. “Thank you.”
Remus closed the door once he was settled. “For what?”
“Being you.” Marco leaned over and gave Remus a quick peck on

the lips. “For loving me despite my shortcomings.”

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Remus gave a low growl as he pulled Marco closer. “Enough with

the self-doubt crap, Marco. I’ve told you a hundred times to never
listen to other people’s bullshit. Especially your dad’s.” Remus added
the last part on a whispered breath, but Marco caught the words.

He was stunned that Remus knew his father had talked crap to

him. He had never told his best friend. “Thanks,” he whispered. It
seemed Remus really was the only one who understood and loved
him.

Bryson got into the driver’s seat and then they were off once

more. Marco settled back, letting his mind wander, still trying to
figure out how he could be useful within this Rebellion group.

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Chapter Eighteen

Rick was worried sick about Miguel. The enforcer was

hallucinating and babbling incoherently. But what really concerned
him was the line of silver poison that damn near reached his heart
before Bryson had taken the bullet out.

As a changeling, the only thing Miguel could do at this point was

let the silver ride his system and pray it didn’t either leave him dead
or damaged. They had no real medical supplies or anything that could
counteract the effects. It was all up to fate and Miguel’s unique
changeling DNA.

“Damn it,” Dorian said as he struck his fist into the dashboard.

“I’ve known Miguel since he was a nervous immigrant working at the
store. How in the hell could anyone hurt him?”

Dorian had come a long way from thinking Miguel a pest to

loving the man like a brother. As Rick glanced at Dorian’s pinched
face, seeing the worry and anger marring his handsomeness, he
thought to himself just how far Dorian had come since this started. It
still took his breath away sometimes when he thought about how
much he loved the guy.

“Miguel is a fighter,” Rick said. “We have to trust that he’ll fight

his way through this.”

“Maybe, but that won’t stop me from worrying about—watch

out!” Dorian shouted as Rick saw a shadow pass by his window too
late. He cut the wheel, trying to avoid whatever it was. The move sent
his truck careening out of control. It hit something and then began to
roll over and over.

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In that moment, Rick could feel the heart-wrenching fear slam

into him. Dorian hadn’t been buckled in. His mate was thrown around
the interior of the truck like a rag doll. The only thing he could do was
hold on tight until the truck settled.

When it did, Rick was upside down. He tried to get the seat belt

off, but the pressure of his body was too heavy, straining the strap and
making it impossible to release it. Using a claw, he ripped it away
from his body. He fell to the roof with a crash.

“Dorian!” Rick shouted as he righted himself and moved to his

mate. Blood was everywhere. The side window was busted out and it
looked like the glass had used Dorian like a pincushion.

Tires screeched and men began to shout, but all Rick could see

was Dorian’s prone body lying lifeless in a pile of debris from the
truck. Rick curled his lips into a fierce snarl as he moved to get out of
the truck so he could go around to the other side and pull Dorian free.

Before he knew what was happening, Rick flew from the truck,

his feet dangling a few inches from the ground.

“Did you honestly think Salvador was going to capture me?”
Kraven stood there in the middle of the road, his Soul Reapers

behind him. His eyes were vivid black fire, the color of death as his
fingers began to twitch. Rick was thrown to the ground and then lifted
back into the air. Pain exploded through his head and he could feel
blood trickling from his nose.

“I’ve grown more powerful than that ancient, useless vampire. No

one can stop me, Enrique Marcelo, nor can they defeat me.” Kraven
looked triumphant, and mad. His features were twisted, his contorted
smile gleeful.

Rick fought against the unseen force holding him in the air, but as

hard as he tried, he couldn’t get free. “I’m going to kill you.”

Kraven walked closer, the cruel smile still on his lips. “I highly

doubt you can make good on that threat. As you can see”—he waved
a hand at the Rebellions, who were trapped in their own bodies,

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unable to move, their eyes glaring murderously at Kraven—“You
have no one to help you.”

Rick thought about Dorian bleeding out in the wreckage of their

truck. He had to get to his mate. He had to save him.

“I’ve won,” Kraven said.
“Not yet,” Rick replied, feeling his gums burning as he forced his

canines to descend. “Not as long as I’m still breathing.”

“We can take care of that little detail.” Kraven crushed his hand

into a fist, and Rick shouted as his heart felt the pressure of the
vampire’s stunning abilities. He twisted and fought in midair,
reaching deep down inside to his core, calling to his werewolf in
desperation.

His werewolf howled, fighting against Kraven’s suppression, and

then Rick’s wolf burst free. He fell to the ground at the same time
Kraven did. Rick didn’t understand what just happened, but in that
second, the other Rebellions were freed from the master vampire’s
hold. Breeds burst from the men all around him. Jaguars, leopards,
bears, coyotes, and other creatures shouted, howled, yowled, and
hissed. Rick stumbled to his feet, as did Kraven.

“You are going to pay for that!” Kraven shouted as he raised his

hands up in the air and then threw them forward. The Soul Reapers
attacked.

Rick stumbled backward as he was hit hard in his chest. He fought

to get the creature off of him, but soon realized he was losing the
battle. There was no way to win against these things, just as there had
been no way to win against the Mãos da Morte.

But he didn’t give up. What made him fight harder was when he

felt the bond between him and Dorian weakening. His mate was dying
and Rick couldn’t get to him. That thought made Rick want to cry out
to the fates as he fought the creature. He could feel the gashes and
deeply embedded wounds that were being inflicted upon him, but all
he could think about was Dorian.

His gatito.

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His life.
His mate.
If Dorian died, then so did Rick. They were tied together, their

heartbeats as one. He had to keep fighting. He had to win and save
Dorian.

From the corner of his eye, Rick saw something that gave him a

glimmer of hope. Salvador appeared, the Shadow at his side, his
coven behind him. The man must have used his paranormal abilities
to get here from Canada and Rick was grateful as hell.

He knew the ancient vampire couldn’t fight the Soul Reapers. To

do so would inflict pain on himself. Kraven had created them from
Salvador’s stolen blood. The ancient vampire was connected to them
on a DNA level. To harm them, Salvador would in turn be harming
himself.

Kraven spun around just as Salvador attacked the vampire. The

Shadow swirled around the fighting pair, his black cloud blocking out
anyone trying to interfere. The creature Rick had been fighting left
him to aid Kraven.

Giving a brief glance at the fight, Rick saw Salvador’s coven

engage in battle. Rick turned, heading straight for his truck. He
dropped to his knees, pulling Dorian’s body from the wreckage.
“Shift, gatito. You have to shift to heal.”

Edward was at Rick’s side in seconds, but there was nothing his

brother-in-law could do. There was nothing anyone could do if Dorian
didn’t shift. Bryson and Freedman came over next. Freedman rifled
through his bag as Bryson injected something into Dorian’s arm.

Rick just knelt there, numb, watching the two men work.

Freedman put a tourniquet around Dorian’s upper arm, slid something
into his vein, and then waved Rick over. “You both share the same
lycanthropic DNA, werewolf. I need to give him an infusion of
blood.”

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Rick quickly rolled back his sleeve. Freedman worked to attach a

slim device to Rick’s arm and then Dorian’s. He watched as his blood
slipped down the tube and into his mate.

“We need to get him stable,” Bryson said. “If we can get enough

blood back into him, then maybe we can rouse him enough to make
him shift.”

“How’s Miguel?” Rick asked Bryson. The medic’s face was grim

as he shook his head. “Not so good. Nate and Benito have donated
blood. I’m trying to flush the poison out with an infusion of fresh
blood, but I’m fearing the worst. I think there is some damage that has
already been done to his body. I don’t have the necessary medical
supplies to give him proper treatment.”

Rick sat on his ass as he listened to the fighting, watched his

blood leave his body to save Dorian, and thought about his enforcer,
Miguel. They hadn’t even made it to their destination, and already
they were losing the battle. If Salvador didn’t kill Kraven, they were
all doomed.

* * * *

Marco had no idea what he was doing, but some human named

Brooke had him on his laptop, sending out a distress call to any and
all Rebellions in the area.

“Just give them our coordinates and tell them to haul ass,” Brooke

said as he moved away from Marco to help some wounded
changelings. Marco’s fingers trembled as he did what Brooke asked,
but his mind was still reeling from witnessing what Remus had
referred to as Soul Reapers.

How in the hell could something like those creatures exist? Their

existence was incomprehensible. He fought against the wave of
nausea as he typed as quickly as his fingers would move. And here he
thought his life was fucked up. It was nothing compared to what he
could see all around him.

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A few of the changelings were dead. Marco could see the

heartbreaking proof in their lifeless eyes. He tried not to look, but his
eyes were drawn back to their pale features. He also knew some of the
Rebellions with them were fighting to save Miguel. Remus had told
him Rick’s mate was dying. And there was a fight of unbelievable
epic proportions a half a mile down the road.

It was all so surreal.
He hit send and set the laptop aside. Marco climbed from the truck

and walked among the carnage in a detached sense of reality.

His gums tingled and his skin prickled at the scent, but nothing

more than that. Marco dropped to his knees and vomited when he saw
a changeling lying dead, his insides lying on the ground beside him.

He rocked on his hands and knees, sobbing at such a tragic waste.

How could anyone be so cruel, so fucking evil that he killed a
stranger for no other reason than because he could? He had felt the
power of the vampire who had shown up when Marco became trapped
inside his own body, unable to move. It was the scariest feeling in his
life.

It had even trumped Jayson trying to kill him.
“Come on, buddy.” Deluca, Brooke’s mate, pulled Marco to his

feet. “War is an ugly mess. It kills the ones we love and leaves us
wondering at our sanity. But you have to be strong or the bad guys
will win.”

Marco wiped at his mouth and nodded, letting Deluca guide him

back to the truck. “Is this how it has been all along?” Marco asked.

Deluca gave him a grim nod. “This is minor compared to what we

have been through. Just rest in the back. If Salvador doesn’t win
against Kraven, we are all going to need our strength.”

Marco swallowed hard at Deluca’s words. He had seen the

fighting. The creatures who had attacked were like nothing he had
ever witnessed before. They had overtaken the changelings and
beaten them down before the other vampire had shown up. Marco

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knew in the pit of his gut that if this Salvador guy didn’t win, they
were all going to die.

He scanned the war zone for Remus and saw him helping another

with the wounded. His mate’s features were stoic as he helped a
human sympathizer. He had learned that some humans had joined the
werecoyotes who had joined up with Rick’s group.

What amazed him was the fact that they outnumbered the evil

vampire by five to one, but they still couldn’t defeat him. How were
they going to win against the humans in Washington?

As much as Marco wanted to lie down, he disregarded Deluca’s

advice and wandered over to his mate. “What can I do to help?”

Remus glanced up at him, and Marco could see the pride in the

leopard’s green eyes. “Check on the changelings who are down. Make
sure they are healing and don’t need any additional help.”

Marco nodded as he leaned in and gave Remus a quick kiss before

leaving. He was determined to stay strong. He wasn’t going to get
sick again, and he wasn’t going to run away. There was a bear on the
ground, his breathing labored.

Kneeling by the changeling’s head, Marco leaned in. “Are you

okay?” He really wasn’t sure what to ask or how to check. Marco
hadn’t ever dealt with a bear before. The breed was immense in size,
making Marco feel even smaller than he was. “Do you need any
help?”

The bear lifted his head enough to pin Marco with a doubtful glare

and then gave a grunt.

“Okay, then,” he backed away. “I’ll just leave you to your

healing.”

Marco felt compelled to help in some sort of way, but after his

third rejection, he was starting to wonder if anyone would need him.

“Over here.”
Marco glanced over his shoulder to see Pappy waving him over.

There was a large jaguar at his side, and Deluca was there as well.

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Making his way over, Marco looked around, but didn’t see anything
they needed help with.

The winds began to pick up, tossing Marco’s hair around. He saw

the two vampires were throwing death blows at one another. The
black cloud that had been surrounding them was thinning, and the
Soul Reapers were fighting the vampires who had come with
Salvador.

He stood there riveted to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away

from the battle. So much power and force was being exerted that
Marco could feel a fine tremor along his skin. It was eerie to watch, to
feel.

Salvador delivered a blow that knocked Kraven off of his feet, but

the vampire didn’t stay down. He was up and charging after Salvador.
The impact shook the ground under Marco’s feet.

“Holy shit,” Deluca said as he stood next to Marco.
“Never seen anything like it,” Pappy added.
Marco gazed over to where Remus was to see his mate staring at

the fight as well. They all were. No one moved or made a sound.

The two vampires threw their arms forward at the same time and

they both went flying backward. Marco flinched, telling Salvador to
kill Kraven under his breath. He didn’t know either of them, but he
knew Salvador winning was a damn good thing.

He just hoped the guy won.
“Rick ordered us to move out while the fight is still taking place,”

Deluca said. “Get as many wounded as you can into the back of your
truck. If Salvador loses, we don’t want to be standing here.”

It took a second for the words to sink in. “But I can’t lift any of

them on my own,” he said to Deluca. “Those bears are huge.”

“Mason and I will be helping you.”
Marco assumed the jaguar was Mason because he followed behind

them. In the blink of an eye, the black cat shifted into a very strong-
looking human. Marco hurried toward the truck he shared with
Bryson and Remus, letting the tailgate down.

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They worked quickly, loading the changelings and humans into

various trucks. Marco saw Rick lifting his mate and gently putting
him into the back of the red Yukon, next to Miguel. But Rick’s mate
was no longer human. He was a werewolf.

Remus grabbed his arm and pulled Marco along with him.

“Bryson is riding with Nate just in case Dorian or Miguel need him.”

Marco climbed into the passenger seat and buckled in as Remus’s

vehicle, along with the others, backed up and took a road away from
the fight. “I feel bad leaving them.” Marco looked out of the window
behind them to see the two vampires still going at each other.

“There is absolutely nothing we can do, baby. We are actually in

the way. We can’t defeat the Soul Reapers or Kraven. Our best course
of action is to get away.”

Marco settled back in his seat, chewing at his bottom lip. “Deluca

says the war has been worse than this.”

A tic started in Remus’s jaw. “I was in the detention center when

it first started and then was taken to Edward’s. I haven’t seen much of
what’s been going on. As soon as I could, I came back for you. I’ll
have to take Deluca’s words about what has been going on.”

Marco wasn’t sure if he should ask about Remus’s time in the

detention center. His mate hadn’t spoken about it. “What did they do
to you in that awful place?”

Remus’s features turned stoic as his green eyes stared at the road.

“Things only nightmares are made of.”

When he didn’t say anymore, neither did Marco. He knew

firsthand what nightmares were made of. He bore the scars not only
all over his body, but within him as well. But his scars had started
long before the war had.

His father had embedded them deep inside Marco. He searched

for a way to balance that which he had lived and that which remained
for him to experience. Remus was his balance. Marco knew this.
Without his best friend, Marco would have fallen into the dark abyss a
long time ago.

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Chapter Nineteen

Salvador was bone weary, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t give in.

If he let up just an inch, Kraven would kill him. He didn’t understand
how the vampire had become so powerful, but he wasn’t without a
few tricks of his own.

“Give it up, old man,” Kraven taunted. “You’ll never defeat me.

I’ve grown too powerful.”

Salvador was barely standing. Every blow his coven delivered to

the Soul Reapers was felt on his very own body. He wasn’t even sure
how he was still upright. The pain and injuries should have him
unconscious on the ground.

“You are not even a true vampire.” Salvador returned the taunt

with venom. “You are a mutt, turned, not born into my glorious race.
There is no way a mutt will ever be as strong as I.”

Kraven let loose a guttural roar as he moved slowly, deliberately

toward Salvador. The intimidation tactic would not work on him.
Salvador had bested men ten times more worthy than this piece of
dung heading toward him.

Salvador could still hear the fight behind him and was growing

weaker because of it. But he stood his ground, watching as the clouds
high above became angry and thick. The air was electrified, the
currents running along his skin like tiny spiders crawling all over him.
His hairs stood on end from the electric charge.

He was gearing up, pulling all of his energy into a tight,

compacted ball right inside his chest. Salvador had to defeat this
bastard. He pulled at the Shadow’s remaining power, his coven’s as

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well. It left them weaker, but soon it wouldn’t matter. If this did not
work, they were all dead anyway.

The only regret Salvador had in that moment was not being able

to see his mates one last time. They had fled with Rick, a standing
order Salvador had issued before they had joined the fight. Omar and
Freedman had argued to the point of exhaustion, but Salvador hadn’t
wavered. They must remain safe at any cost.

He thought of their eye color, although both blue, one was as light

as crystals while the other was the color of summer skies. What he
wouldn’t give to gaze into both sets one last time, to feel Freedman
taking him as he drove Omar to the brink of madness with thrusts so
deep that Salvador could feel the man’s pleasure. The knowledge that
he may never lay eyes on them again tattered his weary soul. The
feelings brought a quiet acceptance that this was what had to be done,
no matter what he wanted, what he craved.

Lightning bolts shot from the sky, the wind kicking up and

sending his hair flying in all directions as Salvador felt the energy
enter him, charge and electrify his body in a way that not only fed his
powers, but gave him the ultimate rush.

His true lineage raced through his veins and reminded him that

Kraven was the subordinate, not him. Salvador was muerto desde el
útero, not Kraven. The vampire had been human at some point, born
of a mother and father, ate, drank, fucked, and whatever else the
piteous bastard had done.

Salvador had been born to the darkness, suckled in the arms of

Mother Darkness. He had never known the light, never known the
issues humans dealt with.

Kraven came at him and Salvador parried the blows with all his

strength. At last, Salvador felt the energy building inside of him reach
its pinnacle. With centuries of polished practice, he thrust the ball of
energy outward, the blast igniting the air all around so forcefully that
Salvador flew back and hit the ground.

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He could still feel the static in the air as he rolled to his side, his

body protesting the movement as he pushed to his feet. He wavered
and nearly fell back down on his ass. An intense pain was tearing
through his skull as he staggered forward to where Kraven was lying
in a ditch twenty feet away.

For the first time in Salvador’s existence, he felt like retching. The

pain was so severe, so intense that he wasn’t sure if he was going to
pass out into a coma or not.

He called to his coven, who themselves looked as if they were

ready to fall over. The Soul Reapers had disappeared after the release
of Salvador’s energy. They were nowhere in sight. Salvador turned
back to Kraven, who was lying there in a contorted mess, but was not
dead. He couldn’t understand how the vampire had withstood the
force directed at him, but he could feel the life still flowing through
the wretched creature’s blood.

“We must contain him before he regains his powers.” Salvador

was at a loss to explain what was happening, but he knew time was of
the essence. Kraven had to be buried on holy grounds, in a heavily
chained coffin that was draped with religious items. It was the only
true way to trap a vampire. He would need help. If Salvador entered
holy grounds, it would be the equivalent of walking out into the sun.
Pulling Kraven’s limp body from the ground, Salvador could think of
only one place to bury this man that would ensure he never escaped.

Shelton.
Guardians would need to be appointed to make sure Kraven’s

grave was never disturbed. If the vampire rose from the ground, his
Soul Reapers would as well. Kraven was demented, true evil
incarnate. He had to be guarded and watched over for all eternity.

Choosing the guardians would be left up to Enrique Marcelo.

Salvador knew the changeling to be honorable. The alpha would make
sure that Kraven never escaped his bound grave.

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With that in mind, Salvador began his journey to the small town

of Shelton where he would find a human to help him bury the monster
lying unconscious in his arms.

* * * *

Remus helped Rick carry Miguel and Dorian into their rooms. He

didn’t like the way Miguel was looking. The man was pale, his veins
pronounced, and he was gazing up at Remus with a glassy look.

Benito pulled the covers back as Remus laid him down on the bed.

He wasn’t sure what to say to the man’s cousin. It was more than
obvious how Benito felt about Miguel. He had dark circles under his
eyes and he kept rubbing at his brow as he stared at his cousin.

“Let me know if you need anything.” What else could he say?

Remus knew the two, but not that well. He’d do anything he could to
help, but right now he felt as if he were in the way.

Stepping from the room, he walked down to the one he shared

with Marco. A lot of the motels they had found along the way were
deserted. Some needed the sheets stripped off, the bare mattress more
appealing than what had possibly been stained into the linen. Other
rooms looked as if they had been made, but forgotten.

Remus and Marco had lucked out and found a room with unused

sheets. The bed was still nicely made, the corners tucked. They had to
break into the rooms when the group stumbled onto a motel, but it
was better than sleeping in the truck.

“Hey,” he said to Marco as he shut the door behind him. His mate

was sprawled out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You all right?”

His mate looked as if he was in deep thought as he cut his eyes

over to Remus, his head following slowly. “Do you remember when
we were twelve and you convinced me that snake hunting was a way
to prove our manhood?”

Remus remembered. Marco’s backyard had been overgrown with

weeds and the snakes thought it the perfect place to hide during the

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day from the hot sun. At the time, Remus was a little more
adventurous, thinking snake hunting was like playing king of the
jungle. He was scared shitless, but loved the danger it presented as
well. “Yeah.”

Marco rolled to his side, propping his head on his hand. “Were

you trying to tell me something back then?”

Remus furrowed his brows, wondering what in the hell his mate

was talking about. “What would I be trying to tell you?”

“Never mind.” Marco went back to lying flat, staring at the stains

above.

Remus moved into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. He

reached out, turning Marco’s head with gentle fingers. “No, tell me.”

Marco swallowed repeatedly as he tried to pull away, but Remus

refused to let him go. “You’ve never had a problem talking to me
before. What gives?”

Pushing Remus’s hand away, Marco rolled to his feet. “I

witnessed something today that rocked my very foundation. What
those vampires could do was astounding. But that’s not what really
bothered me.”

“What bothered you, Marco?”
Marco rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, his features

tense as he moved away to stand by the dresser. “I was surrounded by
real predators, men who deserved the title. I tried to help the bears,
and they looked at me like I was a joke. I’m a freaking leopard. I’m
supposed to be lethal and deadly, but I can’t even intimidate the
juveniles in our leap.”

“Those bears were assholes,” Remus said as he stood. “Sometimes

predatory creatures think they’re above everyone else.”

“That’s my point, Remus. I’m a predatory creature. I shouldn’t

have been looked down on, but I was. I’ve dealt with that shit every
day of my life, but to see another breed treat me the same way the
leopards do drove that fact home.” Marco’s lips thinned as he gazed

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angrily at the bed. He was avoiding Remus’s eyes. The man looked
like he wanted to punch something.

“Not everyone can be strong, Marco. Hell, I’m a leopard, just like

you, and I’m scared shitless half the time, unsure if I’m going to make
it through the day.”

“That’s different, Remus. This is war. Everyone is scared. But

back home, or in any other circumstance, would you have let the
bears talk to you that way?”

Hell no. Remus would have gone toe-to-toe with them. He didn’t

allow anyone to disrespect him. He may not know a damn thing about
breaking and entering, or rescuing someone, but he never allowed
anyone to walk over him like a doormat.

As he watched his mate, he could see that what the bears had done

really affected the man. Marco felt slighted, insulted. His best friend
had dealt with bullies and people who hadn’t respected him his entire
life. Remus had tried to shield him from those types of jerks, but it
seemed even now, mated to Remus, his promise of protection just
wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t sure what to say to Marco. How do you soothe a man

who feels less than a man? Marco’s ego was bruised and hurting. His
mate needed some kind of control or he was going to keep pulling
away from Remus.

There was no way he was going to allow that to happen. Marco

meant too damn much to him. Closing the distance, Remus grabbed
Marco and enveloped the smaller guy into his arms. He made sure his
mate was looking at him before he spoke. “Fuck me.”

Marco stood there for a moment as if Remus had spoken a foreign

language and he couldn’t understand the words. Then his eyes grew
slightly larger. “You want me to do what?”

Remus stepped back and disrobed. He laid across the bed,

spreading his legs and exposing his most intimate area, his asshole.
“Have your way with me.”

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Marco’s eyes darted to where Remus was playing seductively

with his hole and then the black-satin orbs quickly shot away. He
sucked his bottom lip in and started chewing at his nervously as he
crossed his left arm over his right. “If you are trying to make a point, I
get it. You’re the dominant male between us.”

Goddamn, the man was thickheaded as hell! Remus wanted to

beat the man over the head with his cock. He jumped up from the bed,
crossing the scratchy carpet, and pulled Marco to him. “Touch my
ass.”

When Marco didn’t move, Remus grabbed his mate’s hand and

pushed it behind him. “You know exactly where I want your fingers.”

Tentatively, Marco’s hand skidded across Remus’s buttock and

then dipped into the crease. Eyes fluttering closed, Remus told
himself not to jerk back, not to tense. As Marco explored him, Remus
moved them closer to the bed, encouraging his mate to go further with
his fingers than just touching the outer muscle.

He turned, crawled onto the bed, and got on all fours, lowering his

shoulders. “It’s just me, Marco. Don’t be intimidated.”

Marco nodded absently as he undressed, his dark eyes never

leaving Remus’s ass. If Remus wasn’t so fucking nervous, he would
have smiled at the innocent fear in his mate’s eyes. “Nobody’s ever
fucked you,” Marco stated with absolute certainty. “Why are you
letting me?”

Flipping over until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Remus

reached for his mate, pulling the man into the apex of his legs.
“Because,” Remus started, hoping he could voice his thoughts
properly so that Marco would understand him. He wasn’t one hundred
percent sure why himself, but it was just…god, he was going to fuck
this up. “You need this.”

Marco pushed at Remus, his features turning stormy. “This is a

pity fuck?”

“No.” Remus grabbed Marco before he could walk away. “I need

this. I need to show you what I’m willing to give to you to let you

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know how much our mating means to me.” Remus was becoming
frustrated. He wasn’t voicing his thoughts correctly. It still sounded
like a pity fuck to his own ears.

“Some dominant males,” he began as he laid back on the bed,

pulling Marco over him, “just want to let go, let the responsibilities
fall to someone else for once.” Remus didn’t know one dominant
male who allowed his mate to fuck him, but he had to get through to
Marco.

His mate looked skeptical, but reached between Remus’s legs and

picked up where he left off. One fingertip penetrated him and Remus
froze.

“You were always such a terrible liar,” Marco said. “But is this

what you really want?”

Remus wasn’t sure what he was asking for. All he knew was that

he wanted Marco happy, secure in who he was. “Yes.”

Remus relaxed, seeing the truth in his mate’s deep dark eyes.

Marco was intimidated by what Remus was asking, but willing to
please him.

He may be the alpha of the two, but in the bedroom, he would

gladly take turns fucking and being fucked. Remus’s legs began to
tremble when Marco rubbed some lube down between his ass cheeks
and over his quivering hole. His head fell back on the pillow, his lips
parting to suck in gasps of air as Marco slid one thick finger inside his
ass. Every breath was audible in the room as Marco’s weight made
the bed dip.

He moaned as Marco zeroed right in on his sweet spot, stroking it

several times before adding a second finger. Remus’s cock shot a
spurt of pre-cum into Marco’s soft hand as his eyes grew round.
Remus smiled up at him.

“How am I doing?” Marco asked as he added a third finger,

carefully stretching Remus’s muscles. He groaned as Marco’s fingers
worked in and out of him.

“Perfect.”

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Remus closed his eyes as Marco pulled his fingers free and

replaced them with his cock, slowly pushing his way in, a long groan
falling from between his clenched teeth. He arched his back, his eyes
sliding closed as Marco lifted his legs over his arms and pushed right
inside. “Fuck!” Remus shouted. His eyes watered as his fists gripped
the sheets tightly.

As Remus tried to breathe his way through the pain, Marco’s deep

dark eyes were smoky and filled with concern, as he looked down at
Remus. The feeling of being full didn’t even begin to describe the
experience. His legs quivered to wrap themselves around Marco, but
he was too afraid of hurting his mate. Remus felt his cock tingle,
aching for release, his balls drawn and tight already. Marco blinked,
his dark eyelashes fluttering slowly at first then more rapidly as the
seconds passed. His head tilted to one side as he stared down at
Remus. “I never knew this could feel so damn good.”

Slowly, Marco’s tongue gained Remus’s attention as the smaller

man licked his way around Remus’s neck, kissing and nipping as he
palmed Remus’s balls, which were tight and hard.

He groaned when Marco slid his tongue down his throat, turning

the pain into pleasure. Marco pulled back, his cock grazing along
nerve endings that made Remus shiver. Tiny explosions were going
off inside Remus as Marco fucked his ass.

The sensations had Remus’s blood on fire. He closed his eyes and

took a deep breath, staving off his orgasm, wanting this time with the
man that he loved to last forever. His body was thrumming and his
cock was thickening as Marco thrust harder, deeper, and faster into
his ass.

“I’m close,” Marco said as he pressed his fingers into Remus’s

hips, his cock sliding in and out of Remus’s ass with greater speed as
a growl ripped from Marco’s chest.

Remus didn’t have to wait long. Marco blanketed his back, sweat

trapped between their strong and hard bodies as Marco grazed his lips
over Remus’s shoulder, sending shudders of pleasure throughout his

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body. “I want to claim you again,” Marco whispered into his ear as he
licked around the shell of it.

“Do it,” Remus found himself begging. “Bite me, Marco.”
Marco held on as his hips snapped with unbelievable speed. His

cock continued to graze over his nerve endings before Marco released
his teeth, his tongue gliding over his skin as he growled his release.

Remus could feel every spurt of Marco’s hot seed in his ass.
Remus erupted, his seed hitting his chest and chin. Remus spurted

again when Marco leaned forward and licked the seed from his neck.
“You taste good.”

Remus reached up and grabbed his mate, pulling him down into

his arms. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too.” Marco snaked his hands behind Remus’s neck

and held on, a contented sigh falling from his lips.

They were two people who understood each other, needed each

other, had always been there for one another, and Remus couldn’t
love Marco more for that.

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Chapter Twenty

Dorian still was feeling a bit off kilter as Rick drove into the

District of Columbia. He had healed from the accident he had been in
and was now sitting there with tight knots in his stomach.

They were here, where the final battle was going to take place.

Fuck, he couldn’t get his heart back under control. It was thumping so
hard in his chest that Dorian feared it would burst free.

“Relax, gatito,” Rick said from beside him.
“How are you so calm?” he asked, feeling like Rick should be the

one in a panic. He was the Rebellion leader, the most wanted man in
America. How in the hell could he be sitting there in such a relaxed
pose? Dorian was falling apart, and Rick was calm and collected.
“I’m expecting the troops to show up any second and blow us off the
face of the earth.”

“You have to think positive.”
“Okay, I’m positive they are going to come at us any minute and

blow us up.” Yet his mate just sat there with his hand on the steering
wheel, slumped in his seat, his features stress-free. What the fuck?
Dorian was half tempted to piss the man off just to get a reaction out
of him.

“Look what we’ve already been through to get here, Dorian. The

odds are stacked against us, yet we’ve made it a year and a half
without being killed. We have Rebellions meeting up with us, and this
is the last leg of our journey. I’m positive all hell is going to break
loose.” Rick’s liquid grey eyes locked onto him. “But I’m not going
to sit here biting my nails because we’ve entered the monster’s den. If
I allow myself to panic, I won’t have a clear head.”

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It made sense to Dorian, but he still couldn’t stop himself from

worrying. O’Hanlon had to know they were here, or close. The man
was not just going to stand down and allow Rick and his men to just
waltz in here and talk to the president. The human had done some
shady and cruel shit, including starting this war. He was going to
protect his ass no matter what.

It wasn’t going to be easy getting in to talk to the president.

Dorian wasn’t going to kid himself. Once word reached the man he
was probably going to be whisked off to an undisclosed location.
They had to get to him before he was gone.

“We’re stopping just outside the city.” Rick began talking. “There

we’ll see how many changelings and sympathizers we have to work
with and organize our plans.”

Dorian was going to call his family once they were at their

meeting spot. He had to let them know how much he loved them. He
might not make it out of this alive. Dorian hadn’t even told them that
he had been converted. There was so much he needed to say to his
dad, mom, and Ian.

Gazing at his mate, Dorian was still in awe at how strong he had

become. Not just physically. Rick had an inner strength that shone
through in time of crisis. The man didn’t buckle under the pressure or
kill the humans because they were trying to kill him. He dispensed
justice to those who deserved it, but even after everything he had been
through, Rick still cared about those around him and tried his
damnedest to keep the causalities down.

How could anyone want this man dead? Just the thought of

O’Hanlon hurting Rick made Dorian see red. The bastard had no clue
how precious and rare a man like Rick was.

“Are we there yet, Ma?”
Dorian’s head snapped around at Miguel’s groggy voice. It was

the first time he was conscious since Bryson extracted the bullet.
Dorian was thankful as fuck that the guy was conscious. He had been

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worried about the werewolf being out of it for over twenty-four hours.
“Miguel?”

“Oh, fuck,” he groaned as he opened his eyes. Miguel was lying in

the backseat, a blanket draped over his form. He was still paper-white,
but a little color was coming back to his cheeks. “Did you get the
number of the truck that hit me?”

“You were shot,” he reminded the enforcer. “They used silver

bullets.”

“I’ll have to remember to send whoever shot me a thank-you

card.” He tossed his arm over his eyes. “Where’s Benito?”

Dorian glanced out of the back window to see Benito in the

convoy of vehicles driving behind them. “Following us in the car you
two were in.”

“Hide me from him,” Miguel murmured.
Dorian frowned. “Why?”
“Because he was already bitching about getting the upholstery

cleaned. He’s probably fuming over the bullet holes and my blood.”

“He does remember that’s a stolen car?” Rick asked.
“Tell him that.” Miguel rolled to his side and tried to push up, but

he ended up falling back to the seat. “Alpha?”

“Yes, hermano?”
“Why can’t I feel my right arm?” Miguel tossed the blanket aside,

his hand skimming down his right arm. Dorian watched as Miguel
used his good hand to lift his arm, only for the limb to fall back to the
seat with a thud. “Why can’t I feel my right arm?” he asked again, his
voice taking on a panicked tone.

Dorian’s gaze shot over to Rick. He did not want to be the one to

deliver the news to Miguel that he might be permanently fucked up.
Dorian’s throat was already constricting as he saw the desperation
marring Miguel’s handsome features.

“Bryson said you went too long with that bullet buried in your

shoulder,” Rick answered in a tone that damn near made Dorian cry.
“He thinks you might have some permanent damage.”

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Dorian wasn’t a crier, not by a longshot, but to see the horror on

Miguel’s face at Rick’s words, he could feel his throat tightening as
he repeatedly swallowed. The man’s deep-blue eyes swept over the
interior of the truck, and Dorian knew he was absorbing what was
going on while trying to compose himself.

Turning back around, Dorian gave him all the privacy he could

considering they were in the small confines of the truck. His heart
went out to the guy. Dorian knew that Miguel had worked his ass off
to become one of Rick’s enforcers and prided himself in fighting
alongside his alpha in this war.

He couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to lose the ability of

his arm. Dorian wanted to remind Miguel that at least he was alive,
but kept those reassuring words to himself. It was too soon, and
Miguel wouldn’t welcome them.

“Do you want to ride with Benito?” Rick asked.
Miguel was so quiet that Dorian didn’t think the man would

answer. Finally a small and tight no could be heard. They rode in
silence to their meeting place, all three lost in their own thoughts.

* * * *

Marco’s eyes were wide as they entered what looked to be a

meeting place. He had never seen so many cars, trucks, motorcycles,
and vans in his life. It looked more like a convention than a Rebellion
meeting.

“Are these all the people here to help us?” he asked Remus as they

found a place to park. It was on a long stretch of field, way in the
back. If they had to escape quickly, it would be on foot. There was no
way they would be able to get back to their truck in haste.

“This is only half,” Remus said as he shut the motor off. “The

other half will be here tomorrow.”

As Marco’s eyes swept the crowd, he saw men and women talking

to one another in small groups, one on one, or in a large collection.

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Some looked like businessmen while others looked like rough
outlaws. He even saw one guy in hospital scrubs. It seemed
changelings came from all walks of life.

Marco already knew this, but to see the different people up close

amazed him. There were Latinos, African Americans, Caucasians,
Asian, and every race in between. The group held large, muscular
men and women, short and stout people, tall and thin, young and old.
Some wore what amounted to tight battle suits, while others wore
jeans, T-shirts, and leather jackets. A few women wore shorts, and
some men were wearing tailored suits. A handful of people were even
in their changeling forms.

Remus and Marco navigated the crowd until they were standing

by Rick’s Rebellion group. Rick was talking with a few people,
Dorian at his side. He saw Brooke and Deluca, and even Pappy.

The other faces were unfamiliar to him. But Marco spotted Sasha

standing there talking to his mate. There had to be at least two
hundred men and women here, if not more. The numbers were
overwhelming and reassuring.

“Rick is talking with all the alphas who joined us,” Remus

remarked as they stood there. “I think he’s going over strategy with
them.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Marco replied. “There

are too many people here. How can they organize a protest? It would
take me at least a month to plan.”

“You and me both,” Remus said and then cursed.
“What?” Marco asked, gazing around the large crowd, looking for

any signs of trouble. “What do you see?”

“Astoria is here.”
That was bad. Astoria was the leopard who continually gave

Sasha a hard time. The man didn’t outright challenge the alpha for
leadership, but he made it known how much he hated the leopard.
Astoria was nothing but bad news.

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In Marco’s opinion, the only thing the leopard could contribute

was trouble. Astoria was mean down to his toes.

“I’m going to go warn Sasha that he’s here.” Remus grabbed

Marco’s hand, pulling him along. Marco hurried behind Remus. He
wasn’t going to stand around with strangers. They may be the same
species, but that didn’t automatically make them friendly. There were
a lot of predators here. They were the meanest of the bunch.

Again Marco felt slighted that he wasn’t more ferocious, but after

last night, he was coming to terms with who he was. Remus was a
predator, a dominant male, and he had selflessly given over a gift
most powerful males wouldn’t even think about giving. He had
known what his mate was doing and the trick had worked. Marco
walked with a little more confidence, not feeling like prey so much
anymore.

They reached Sasha and Remus told the alpha who was attending

their meeting. The alpha didn’t look too happy.

“I should have known he would show up,” Sasha said in a tone

that was lethal. “I’m willing to bet he’s here more for information
than to help. If he wants the leap so badly, then he can fight me for
it.”

“I thought you said you were done being alpha?” Nate asked.
The news rocked Marco. He loved Sasha and couldn’t think of

anyone else he wanted to lead them. It was true their leap was falling
apart, but if Sasha left, what were he and Remus going to do?

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m bowing out gracefully.” Sasha

tossed his long, blond braid over his shoulder as his eyes gazed over
the crowd.

“Selene is going to kick your ass if you get hurt,” Nate warned.
Marco had yet to meet her, but Remus had told him about their

alpha mating two werewolves. He didn’t care. To Marco, the law that
ruled his species was outdated and stupid. It shouldn’t matter who
Sasha mated or what blood ran through his veins. As long as he could
do his job, the other shit didn’t matter.

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Maybe when the war was over, the alphas could sit down and

draw up new laws, ones that were more befitting for this generation.
The elders had written the old ones at a time when the veil was still
open.

That was a long time ago. It was time to move on.
“What are you going to do with the leap?” Marco asked before he

thought better. A juvenile never questioned his alpha. It was
forbidden, but Marco felt desperate. He just hoped Sasha didn’t hand
him his ass on a gold platter.

The alpha cut his kelly-green eyes at Marco. All Marco could do

was swallow roughly. “I will not leave you hanging, Marco. Things
will be worked out once this is behind us.”

Marco bowed his head, relieved the alpha wasn’t going to

abandon him and Remus. Although leopards were solidary creatures,
Marco had become too used to having Sasha as their alpha.

“Marco, this is Nate,” Remus introduced them. “He is one of

Sasha’s mates.”

Tilting his head to the side in respect, Marco kept his gaze averted

until Nate touched his neck in acceptance. The guy was freaking
huge! He had seen him from a distance since meeting up with Rick’s
group, but standing next to him felt like Marco was standing next to a
mountain. His eyes only came to the man’s sternum.

“Sasha Monroe.”
Marco instantly stiffened when he heard Astoria’s grating voice. It

was dripping with pleasantry and loathing. He wasn’t sure why, but
Nate immediately moved in front of him and Remus, as if protecting
them.

“Juvenile,” Sasha addressed Astoria in his proper placement,

telling the leopard with the use of the word that he was beneath Sasha.

Marco could see the tic in Astoria’s jaw. The guy was so full of

himself that he felt he should be addressed with placement higher up
in the hierarchy. Marco had heard him say this plenty of times when
Sasha wasn’t around.

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“I found out some very interesting news about you,” Astoria

continued, his feeling of being slighted apparently forgotten. He was
now looking at their alpha like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse.
“Very interesting indeed.”

Sasha scowled. “What, that I’m a half breed?”
“So you admit it!”
“Fuck off before I snap your neck,” Nate said. “You’re like a gnat

that is buzzing around my head. Don’t make me squash you.”

Marco would have run away if Nate had issued the threat to him.

As big as he was, Astoria should have tucked tail and run. But he was
too stupid for his own good.

“Know your place, dog.”
Oh shit! Marco blinked and Nate had his big, beefy hand wrapped

around Astoria’s neck, squeezing the life out of him. “What the fuck
did you call me, boy?”

Astoria scratched and clawed, but couldn’t get Nate’s hand from

around his throat. Sasha just stood there with an amused expression
on his face. “Why do I have a feeling that if I don’t kill you, you’ll
only come back to fuck with us?” Nate asked as Astoria began to turn
a dark shade of red. Marco could hear the voices around them
growing quiet and knew they were not only watching, but listening.
This upped the stakes now because even though Sasha no longer
wanted the leap, he couldn’t lose face.

“Because he will,” Marco spoke up. “He thinks he should be

alpha.”

A few chuckles could be heard behind him. Marco knew how they

felt. Astoria may be bigger than him, but he was significantly smaller
than Sasha. Nate glanced at Marco, making him take a step back.

Sasha finally waved a hand at Astoria. “If he wants to be alpha, let

him challenge me for the title.”

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Chapter Twenty-One

Sasha could see the rush of color mottle Astoria’s cheeks. He

knew this day was going to come from the way the man had acted
back home. Astoria was full of himself and everyone who knew the
man realized this fact sooner or later.

Most of the time sooner.
“What are you waiting on?” Sasha taunted with the playfulness he

was known for. “You’ve talked so much shit for so long, I would
think you’d jump at the opportunity to take me down.” Nate’s heat
was behind him, but Sasha didn’t need his mate to defend him. He
had grown up fighting because he had a secret to hide, and although
he came off as playful and purring, Sasha was one lethal son of a
bitch. He had honed his skills to perfection, and the leopard before
him was not going to stand there and look smug.

He was determined to wipe that look off of the man’s face…with

his claws.

“You’re a mutt,” Astoria said loud enough for the changelings

standing around them to hear. “What are you mixed with, Sasha?”

“Ask your mother. I gave her some of my DNA last night.” Sasha

heard Nate growl at the crudity of his words, but all was fair when
dealing with a male who thought he could take Sasha Monroe down.

“How dare you!” Astoria barreled toward Sasha, his arms

extended as he tried to wrap them around Sasha’s waist. But he was
quick. Stepping aside with swiftness, Astoria only managed to wrap
his arms around someone’s truck.

Damn, that had to hurt.

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185

The situation was almost laughable, if not for the fact that Astoria

had just openly challenged Sasha. Making a move toward him was a
challenge in and of itself. He couldn’t back down now nor did he
want to. But taunting the man would help Astoria become so enraged
that he lost focus. Sasha used any technique he could when in battle.

Nostrils flaring, Astoria pushed himself from the ground he had so

ungraciously landed on when he kissed the tailgate. He jabbed a
finger toward Sasha. “You don’t deserve to be alpha. You’re a half
breed.” He spat the two words as an insult, but no one around them
batted an eye. Truth be told, Sasha had learned that most changelings
were indeed half breeds. They just hid it because of the ancient law
that stated half breeds were to be treated like mutts. No one wanted to
be ostracized from their pack, clan, leap, or whatever they belonged
to. Astoria’s attempt at making Sasha out to be a monster had failed
and he could see Astoria was realizing this.

“I’m also gay. I like cock and I love to feel Nate—”
“Sasha.” Nate glared at him, a warning not to say another word

about their intimacies.

“You get the point,” Sasha said to Astoria as he gave his mate a

playful smile. “You want to throw that out there as well?”

Some of the changelings standing around them looked over at

Astoria with contempt. The leopard gave pause as he stood there, his
expression clearly stating that he was trying to come up with a new
tactic to use against Sasha.

“You are a pathetic idiot,” Sasha stated. “You want to be alpha,

yet all you do is stand there trying to insult me instead of doing what
any male worth his salt would do—fight.”

Now that was a true insult. Sasha didn’t mince words and he was

growing tired of outwitting the poor excuse for a male leopard. He
was ready to get this over with. With a few quick strides, Sasha lifted
his arm and backhanded Astoria so hard the leopard was knocked off
of his feet, landing solidly on his ass. “If you step to me for a
challenge, be ready to take on a male leopard worth the alpha title. Go

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back to your mother and nurse from her tit for a few more years
before challenging me again.”

Astoria rolled to his feet and leapt. A piercing pain exploded in his

side as Sasha realized the man had a weapon in his hand. It had to be
a small knife to be concealed so easily. As the scent of his blood hit
the air, Sasha knew too late what Astoria was doing. He was going to
drive the changelings into a blood frenzy. With so many around,
Sasha would be torn to shreds.

Nate’s wolf erupted as Rick and the others from their Rebellion

group moved to block Sasha in, trying their best to stop the onslaught
of changelings advancing toward them.

“If any one of you comes after him, I’ll come after you personally

and tear you from limb to limb,” Rick said in a tone that brooked no
misgivings about his sincerity. “Control your damn beasts and back
off!”

A few didn’t listen. They charged toward Sasha. But he wasn’t

one to hide behind a woman’s skirt. He took all three changelings on,
putting them down before they even began. But the fighting had
increased the flow of blood from his wound. A few more changelings
stepped in Sasha’s direction. He knew he couldn’t defeat the immense
number surrounding him. Nate grabbed him and hauled ass to the
Yukon, throwing Sasha inside before taking off. “That little weasel
stabbed me.” Sasha glanced at his hand that had been pressed against
the wound to see the crimson color staining his skin. “I’m going to
fucking kill him.”

“Rick grabbed Astoria as I pulled you to the truck. He won’t be

getting away. Shift and heal, then we’ll go back so you can rip his
throat out.”

Sasha did as his mate suggested, letting his leopard out so he

could heal. Just as soon as he was back in form, he was going after
that aggravating pest.

* * * *

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187

Rick threw Astoria down to the ground in disgust. “If you were a

worthy alpha, you wouldn’t have pulled that pussy-ass move.”

“What do you know about being worthy?” Astoria shot at him.

“You’re a half breed just like Sasha. Do these people know it was
your father who started this war?”

How in the hell had Sasha let this man live for so long? Being

around him for thirty minutes, Rick was ready to shoot him between
the eyes. “Nice try, but word got around pretty damn fast about who
started this. Our species—most anyway—judge me for who I am, not
who had a hand in creating me.”

“You’re all half-breed freaks!”
Rick had to pull Astoria away when two bear changelings growled

and headed toward him. “You really are suicidal. I’d kill you myself,
but I’m pretty sure Sasha would be pissed at me for taking away
something he is going to take such pleasure in himself.” Letting his
wolf slide behind his narrowed eyes, Rick gave Astoria one last look
before walking away. There were a few men on the leopard so he
wouldn’t get away, but if Rick didn’t get away from the prick, there
wouldn’t be anything left for Sasha to kill.

He wasn’t sure why, but some people still amazed him. He should

be numb to people like Astoria. Lord knew the war had opened his
eyes and exposed him to treachery and deceit. But maybe he wasn’t as
jaded as he thought he had become. That thought settled a part of him
that Rick worried he had lost—his compassion and humanity. But it
was still there, still intact.

He might be willing to give a piece of those up just to strangle

Astoria to death. Seeking out his mate, Rick spotted Dorian with
Miguel and Benito. They were over by the car Benito had stolen, all
three talking amongst each other.

As Rick approached, he saw Miguel favoring his right arm, his

left hand placed gently across the elbow. It bothered him to know the
enforcer may never gain use of the limb again. Right now, Bryson

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wasn’t sure. He said that Miguel could gain the strength back, or it
could be lost forever. It was a wait-and-see game.

“What are you fellas talking about?” Rick asked as he stepped up

behind his mate, needing the grounding, the touch only Dorian could
give to sooth the turmoil inside of him. His mate settled his back into
Rick’s chest, the heat and scent instantly calming his werewolf.

“About tomorrow night,” Benito answered as he stood next to his

cousin. Rick could see Benito reaching toward Miguel and then
letting his hand fall short. The hesitation told Rick that Miguel didn’t
want to be touched right now. His injury was something Miguel was
going to have to work out inside his own head. There was nothing
anyone could say right now to help him until Miguel came to grips
with what might be.

“What about it?” Rick wrapped his arms around Dorian’s

shoulders and rested his chin on his mate’s dark brown hair. “We go
in, take the troops out, and try to gain entrance into the White House.
Easy as pie.”

Benito gave Rick an unbelieving stare. “Easy as pie?”
“Somewhat,” he added, trying to lighten the mood of the three

men. They were going into the heart of Washington under the
darkness of night. Rick knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing had
been easy in the past eighteen months.

Dorian stirred in his arms, twisting until he was facing Rick. His

lips were slightly parted as he gazed up with those Peruvian-brown
eyes. Tracing his thumbs over arched eyebrows, Rick stared in
wonder at a man who could destroy him with one word, one touch,
making his soul weep for all eternity if he ever lost the wonderment in
his arms.

“What is it, gatito?” he asked, his throat constricted as he thought

about tomorrow. There were so many possibilities that could take
place, so many outcomes. If there was one wish that could be granted
to him, it would be the promise that his mate survived.

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189

It was a selfish wish and he knew it. There were so many more

lives at stake, so many deaths that were going to occur. The losses
were going to be heavy, staggering. There was no way to prevent
them when fighting for freedom.

Dorian buried his face in Rick’s chest, as if he knew Rick’s exact

thoughts. His mate could probably scent his unease, his worry, but it
seemed they were of one mind right now. Dorian’s fingers gripped
him and Rick soothed his mate by running his hands over the smaller
man’s slim back.

Benito and Miguel stood there, watching Rick with his mate, both

of them holding expressions of solemn concern. Every changeling
gathered in the open expanse of the field knew they might not make it
home, yet they had come, ready to fight and lay down their lives for
what they believed in.

Rick spotted the red Yukon off in the distance. How did he know

Sasha wouldn’t stay gone long? The leopard alpha was nothing if not
persistent. Even a wound wasn’t going to keep him from taking care
of business.

And right now, Astoria was his business. Rick understood the

need to squash any and all who thought they could challenge him, but
no one would think anything of Sasha taking a few hours to heal.

As the truck grew closer, Rick could see the firm set of Nate’s

jaw. He wasn’t happy to be back so soon. His jade-green eyes were
livid.

“I’m not going anywhere near that man,” Benito said as his eyes

trailed the progress of the Yukon. “He looks like he is about to tear
something or someone apart. Maybe he’ll kill Sasha and we won’t
have to suffer his arrogance any longer.”

“Fat chance,” Miguel said. “We’re more likely to grow a second

head before Nate hurts his cat. Besides, Sasha may be mated to the
guy now, but he still isn’t anyone to cross.”

Rick listened to the banter and knew Miguel was right. As mad as

Nate was, he wouldn’t hurt a hair on Sasha’s blond head. Nate looked

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at his mate the same way Rick gazed at Dorian, with total and utter
love-struck eyes.

“I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be Astoria,” Dorian commented.

“Sasha looks just as evil.”

“They make one hell of a team,” Benito said. “Toss in Selene and

there is a nightmare I wouldn’t want to face in a dark alley, or even a
well-lit one.”

That was why Rick had Nate and Selene as his top enforcers. To

trifle with them was asking to be killed. Everyone in Shelton and the
surrounding counties knew the two enforcers’ reputations and steered
clear of both Nate and Selene

“Oh shit,” Benito chirped when Sasha climbed out of the truck,

slammed the door, and headed over to where Astoria was being
watched.

Setting Dorian aside, Rick followed. He wanted to make sure no

one interfered. If Astoria did some underhanded shit again, Rick
wanted to get Sasha out of there before the changelings attacked.

Nate apparently had the same idea because he was hot on Sasha’s

heels. The enforcer looked like he was chewing nails and ready to
swipe anyone’s head from their shoulders if they breathed in Sasha’s
direction.

“Get the fuck up!” Sasha shouted at Astoria as he strode angrily

closer. “Let’s finish this.”

Astoria was on his feet, the changelings guarding him moving

aside. “You ran like a little bitch,” the leopard taunted.

“And you fight like one,” Sasha countered before swiping his

claws out in front of him so fast that Rick almost didn’t catch the
move. Astoria was down on the ground once again, cursing as he held
the side of his face.

The changelings moved closer in at the scent of blood, but Sasha

yowled at them in such a demonic tone that they took a step back.
“He’s mine!”

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191

Stumbling to his feet, Astoria shook his head, wincing before

standing straight up. “Is that all you have?”

Sasha grinned at the man. “I’m going to fight you like a man and

then kill you like an animal.” Just as the last word left Sasha’s mouth,
he threw a punch that had Astoria staggering backward. The leopard
alpha took a boxer’s stance, feet apart, hands in front of his face.

Astoria tried to box the alpha, but he was no match. Rick

wondered how the man had thought he could challenge Sasha. But
then again, if Rick had to guess, Astoria hadn’t planned on fighting.
He thought by announcing Sasha’s lineage, the others would attack
and do the job for him.

Damn, had he been wrong.
Sasha threw a few more jabs at Astoria and then swung his right

arm upward, catching the leopard under his chin and sending Astoria
clear of him with the impact. Goddamn! Even Rick felt that punch in
his jaw.

“Now I’m done playing with you,” Sasha said as he circled

around the fallen leopard, his eyes flecked in yellow and his canines
exposed. “You wanted to make me bleed so I would be devoured?”

Rick stepped forward but it was too late. Sasha used his claws to

slice at Astoria, opening the man in so many places that there was no
way they could keep the changelings from attacking. Some people
might view what Sasha had done as wrong, but Rick knew that if
Sasha hadn’t put the man down, Astoria would have been back,
killing Sasha from behind.

That was a coward’s way of handling things.
Rick turned, walking away from the scent of blood. For once, his

werewolf wasn’t interesting in eating the carnage. His mind was too
focused on tomorrow and getting out alive.

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Remus still wasn’t sure why Rick had chosen him and Marco to

be by his side. By now everyone should know he sucked at breaking
into places. His track record alone should have Rick making sure he
was as far away from the front line as possible. He had always been
cool with the alpha, but this situation called for more than getting the
occasional information on what was happening.

Remus missed his reporting days. This new job sucked.
“Just stay by my side and watch my back,” Rick instructed as he

spoke to the group surrounding him. Remus was standing there,
Marco leaning into his side, his arms resting on Remus’s shoulders.
His best friend had always relaxed like this with Remus. Now that
they were mated, he wasn’t sure how he had missed the subtle hints
the man had been giving him all these years. God, he was so
thickheaded.

“I still don’t get why you need us,” Marco said and then quickly

lowered his head. “Not that I’m arguing your decision, alpha.”

Remus slid his hand into Marco’s, giving it a slight squeeze for

reassurance. There was nothing wrong with what Marco had just
asked, and it only echoed Remus’s exact thoughts.

“I need men I can trust at my back,” Rick answered. “I’ve known

Remus a long time, and since you are his mate, I’m going to trust
you.”

Remus knew the impact of that statement. With everyone and

their mother betraying the werewolf, it was surprising the man could
trust anyone. If it had been Remus leading the Rebellion, he would
have tossed everyone around him out and done things himself. People

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193

who should be trusted couldn’t betray you if you worked alone. At
least in Remus’s opinion.

“I’m not asking you to throw yourself on a grenade,” Rick

continued. “Just make sure no one comes at my back while I search
for the president.”

“That’s if we can even get in there,” Dorian pointed out as he

crossed his arms over his chest and leaned into the side of the truck.
“I’m pretty sure the White House is locked down tighter than Fort
Knox.”

“If we don’t find a way in, gatito, then this is over, for all of us.”

Rick looked around the group, his expression grim. “If we fail, then
our race falls into the hands of humans, and so does our fate. No
offense to the humans who are helping us, but I’d rather decide what’s
best for me, not the politicians.”

“Yeah, because they’ve been oh so nice to us thus far,” Remus

said. “Their hospitality is top shelf.” He remembered his days in the
detention center and felt his stomach clench. He had gone through
hours and hours of torture with those mad scientists. Dying would be
a kinder fate than letting those men get their hands on him again. He
still had very bad nightmares about his time in the clinker.

Marco began to rub his cheek over Remus’s shoulder in a catlike

gesture. Remus knew he was giving off bad vibes as he thought about
what had happened to him. His mate was trying to comfort him.
Remus wrapped his arms around the slim man and laid a kiss on his
forehead.

“Everyone has their assignment,” Rick said. “We strike in less

than two hours. I’m not sure how long we’ll go undetected, though.”

They had made it into Piney Branch Park without being seen, but

Remus knew they weren’t going to be here much longer before the
troops discovered their presence. They were only three and a half
miles from the White House. The rest of the Rebellion groups were
scattered in the other parks, or anywhere they could stay out of sight.

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Remus’s heart was beating faster as the time drew closer. He

noticed Rick talking quietly with Dorian, Nate with Sasha, Brooke
with Deluca. It seemed all the couples were in inaudible
conversations.

Pulling Marco away from the others, Remus placed his hands on

the side of his mate’s face. “I want you to listen to me carefully.”

Marco tried to pull his head back, but Remus held fast. “Don’t do

this, Remus. Don’t give me an if I die speech. I can’t deal with that.
I’ve waited too long for you to be mine.”

Remus shook Marco lightly, pinning his mate with a glare.

“Listen to me, Marco. If shit goes badly, I want you to run, do you
understand me? Get the fuck out of here as fast as you can. Go to my
place—”

“No,” Marco whimpered.
“Go to my place. In my bedroom closet, there is a loose

floorboard. I have twenty grand stashed there. Take it and go into
hiding. Do you understand?”

Tears fell from Marco’s pretty dark eyes as he clasped his hands

over Remus’s. “I’m not leaving you, Remus. You have been there my
entire life. I–I don’t think I can keep going without you.”

Remus rubbed his thumb over the moisture on Marco’s cheeks,

kissing his mate on the lips and then pressing his forehead into his
mate’s. “You are a hell of a lot stronger than you give yourself credit
for. You’ll survive, baby. I have faith in you.”

“I love you, Remus.” Marco wrapped his arms around Remus’s

waist, hugging him so tightly that he could barely breathe. Remus
stroked his hand over his mate’s hair, glancing all around, wishing
things were different.

But they weren’t and they both had to face the cold, hard reality

that a lot of people, including themselves, might not make it out of
here alive. The humans were not going to let them just march onto the
front lawn of the White House and demand an audience with the
president.

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It wasn’t going to be that easy.
A heavy weight hung in the cool, night air. Remus could feel the

resignation all around him that the changelings knew some were
going to die. It was like a blanket of fog that shrouded the urban area,
a downhearted feeling coming off of their species hiding in every part
of the city. Tonight blood would be shed and bodies would fall,
screams would rent the air as gunfire became the foremost sound in
the night sky.

And through it all, Remus would pray in fervor that Marco

survived—that his mate wouldn’t become one of the fallen. He
hugged his mate closer, closing his eyes and whispering the first
prayer of many that would be chanted tonight.

* * * *

“It’s me they want,” Rick said as his hands caressed Dorian’s

face. “Promise me you won’t try anything heroic.”

“And you don’t become a fucking martyr,” Dorian said in a

teasing tone, but Rick could hear the tightness closing his mate’s
throat. The man was trying to hold it together, using banter as a way
of dealing with the impending fight and unknown outcome. Dorian
gave Rick a crooked smile, one that always made Rick feel as if fate
had blessed him with the most tenderhearted and bravest man on the
earth. “Been through a lot together, huh?”

“And we’ll be through a lot more together, gatito. You haven’t

run in your werewolf form through the Great Oak Forest. You haven’t
been alive until you know what that feels like. Our ancestors owned
that and so much more. The Great Oak Forest used to be thousands of
acres until urban development moved in and nearly wiped it out. But
when you run, you can still feel their presence running alongside you.
It’s magical.”

“I can’t wait,” Dorian said as he twisted his hands in his shirt,

glancing down at his feet. “It sounds wonderful.”

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Rick used his index finger and thumb to tilt Dorian’s head back,

staring deep into Peruvian-brown eyes, eyes that he had grown to love
so much that his heart ached every time he looked at his mate. “I
know this is not the life you would have chosen for—”

“But it’s the life I cherish now,” Dorian cut in. “I wouldn’t trade

Miguel, Benito, Nate, Selene, or any of the changelings for anything
in the world.” Dorian inhaled sharply, his breath shuddering. “I
wouldn’t change being mated to you.”

Rick leaned in, smiling at his mate. “I thought I was a prick?”
“And an asshole,” Dorian added, giving Rick a handsome smile.

“But you grew on me.”

Enveloping Dorian into his arms, Rick gave a light chuckle. “Like

mold.”

“Like mold,” Dorian agreed softly. He tilted his head back. “In

this until the end?”

“The very end,” Rick replied as his chest tightened and his hands

began to tremble. “If we get separated…”

“We meet back up in Shelton,” Dorian finished and then turned

his head to the side. “I’ll wait for you forever.”

Rick grabbed Dorian and held on to him so tightly that he felt the

tears burning in the back of his eyes. His fingers gripped his mate’s
shirt, his jaw tight with so many emotions that there would never be
enough time to profess them all. “Fucking stay alive.”

“You, too,” Dorian said, and then began to cry. “Don’t you dare

die on me, Rick.”

“Don’t plan on it.” Rick pulled back, capturing Dorian’s lips,

pouring everything into that kiss. Their bodies wrapped together, their
tongues dueling, their hearts in pain and fear.

“It’s time,” Edward said as he walked up to Rick, his eyes filled

with emotions that Rick knew to be regret. Regret that he hadn’t had
another minute with Isabelle and their son, another moment to hold
his mate, to tell her that he loved her.

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197

“She knows,” Rick said and then grabbed Dorian’s hand, standing

straight and proud, his back rigid with determination. “It’s time.”

* * * *

Marco swung around and shoved the blade into the soldier’s chest,

right into his heart. He didn’t have time to become immobilized with
the knowledge that he had just killed another being. They were on the
move, racing through the streets, heads ducking and heading toward
the White House.

Rick was in the lead, Dorian right behind him. As soon as they

had stepped out of the park, the military had been all over them and
they were dogging the Rebellions’ steps tirelessly. Marco had nearly
fallen over in shock when a tank had fired at them.

A fucking tank!
He had seen the video games and movies with men in war

situations. But to be an actual part of it was too damn surreal. It was
nothing like it had been depicted. The sounds were deafening, the
dead didn’t get back up, and there wasn’t a reset button anywhere.
The violence was a thousand times grimmer in reality.

Rebellions were coming out of the woodworks, fighting the

militant men on the streets—some in human form, others in
changeling form. Marco had been running past a bear when a machine
gun took the creature down, tearing into his furry flesh like a hot knife
through butter.

The humans tried to keep their focus on Rick, but the Rebellions

gave him plenty of cover. Every time bullets sprayed in their
direction, a Rebellion group took the shooter out.

Marco’s heart stayed in his throat the entire time.
“There,” Rick shouted and then cut across K Street, running

between some buildings. Marco slammed his back into the concrete as
he tried to catch his breath. He could hear the distant fighting and the

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sound of wheels bumping over street reflectors as they passed on by,
driving slowly and searching for the infamous Enrique Marcelo.

Marco threw his hands over his head when he heard a loud

explosion, and then another. They were close by, too close for his
comfort.

His breath caught in his throat when he heard voices just on the

other side of the building they were hiding behind.

“I know I saw them run this way.”
Rick’s light-grey eyes cut over to Remus, and then Marco, before

landing on Dorian. Nate and Sasha were with them as well, but they
had lost Edward, Brooke, and Deluca, along with Pappy. Marco had
no idea where they were.

They hadn’t seen Mason since leaving the park. Marco really

didn’t know the others, but hoped they were okay.

“Get a unit over here to check the buildings.”
Rick pointed toward an alcove where some cars were parked close

by. Marco quietly made his way over to it, his mate right behind him.
Just as the last person moved into the shadows, Marco saw the men
come around the corner.

“We need backup before we head down there,” one of the humans

said. “It could be an ambush.”

“Charlie and his group should be here any second,” the second

human replied. “If Enrique is down here, he’s one dead son of a
bitch.”

Marco’s stomach rolled at the satisfaction in the soldier’s voice.

He couldn’t understand how anyone could be so happy about killing
another being. He felt like vomiting from having to stab a man to save
his own life. It just didn’t make any sense to him.

“We need to move now before their backup gets here,” Nate

mouthed to Rick. “We can take them down.”

Rick gave a grim nod before stepping out of their hiding spot. The

humans hadn’t noticed the werewolf alpha yet, but Rick, along with

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199

Nate and Sasha, were moving in fast. Nate snapped the first human’s
neck with honed accuracy.

The second human got a shot off before Rick shoved a gun into

the man’s gut and pulled the trigger. Marco instantly smelled blood.
At first, he had thought it to be the man Rick had shot, but then he
noticed the stain spreading across Rick’s shoulder.

“You’ve been shot!” Marco whispered loudly.
Dorian cursed as they took off running. Rick didn’t pay any

attention to the wound as bullets began to hit the buildings all around
them.

As the footfall grew in number and became louder, Marco knew

Charlie and his team had arrived.

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Chapter Twenty-Three

The wound alarmed him, the pain of it, like a large knife stabbing

him in his shoulder over and over again. He thought in quick
succession—White House. Then, Dorian. Then, objective. But he
knew the White House wasn’t too far ahead. He had memorized the
street map. They were close, weren’t they? Rick had circled the area
on the map, recited the street names, and was looking up at them even
now as they ran. They were one block over from where they should
be and had to get back on track. And Dorian—was his mate still with
him? He turned to see his mate running directly behind him. Rick
hadn’t lost the man. Good. He tried to remember their objective, but
the pain was starting to override his thoughts, pushing them out,
leaving his mind a cauldron of information he couldn’t lace together.

He was bleeding out too fast.
“We’re close.” Dorian quickened his steps until he was next to

Rick, his eyes focused on the wound. “Are you going to make it?”

“Yeah.” Rick grabbed his shoulder, trying to apply pressure as

they raced through the streets, using their changeling speed to outrun
the unit hot on their heels. His feet hit the ground, splashing through
puddles left behind by the rain that had come through last night. To
his hearing, it was loud, telling his enemy which direction they had
run. But the enemy was human. He wasn’t sure if they were close
enough to hear the sounds as the group hurried toward their goal.

Coming to a halt, Rick saw the White House loom into view.

There was no way he was going to get inside. It was surrounded by so
much arsenal, so many humans, patrol dogs, spotlights, and

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201

helicopters that even the Shadow would have a hard time getting past
the protection given to the president.

“How are we…” Nate glanced at Rick, his eyes filled with dread.

“Tell me how and we’ll make it happen.” The dedication was clear in
Nate’s tone. He would do anything Rick asked. He just had to figure
out how to get past the security. It was a nightmarish situation.

“Come.”
Rick glanced around, knowing damn well he had heard the voice.

It hadn’t belonged to anyone in his group. Dorian moved closer. “The
Shadow.”

Rick must have thought the man up, because when he looked

behind him, he saw Salvador’s right-hand man in the darkness.

“You don’t have much time. Hurry.”
Grabbing Dorian’s hand, Rick moved toward the Shadow. “You

know how to get us in?”

“The Rebellions are coming.” The eerie eyes glowed red, the

silhouette almost seamless. “They will distract the humans long
enough for you to get inside.”

Could anything give enough distraction? Rick wondered. As many

Rebellions as he had on his side, the humans seemed to outnumber
them two to one. The odds seemed to be stacked against them. The
humans had tanks, helicopters, and many other destructive things—
the changelings had only guns and claws. How in the hell—Rick spun
when a wave of changelings raced past him, climbing over the black
gate and rushing the humans.

Gunfire started, most coming from the helicopters, and then the

second wave of changelings joined the first.

“Now.” The Shadow moved closer. “Go now.”
Rick could hear the hard thump of his heart in his ears as he took

off, never stopping to question the sanity of what he was doing. Rick
reached the black iron gate that surrounded the White House and leapt
over it, his feet hitting wet grass. He didn’t stop there. He pushed on

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past the fighting, the bloodshed, and bullets that were whizzing past
his head.

“My lucky night.”
Rick’s feet slipped in the grass when a human twice his size

stepped in front of him, gun aimed directly at Rick’s chest.

“I’m going to get the Medal of Honor for this kill.”
His werewolf was trying to break free, trying to claw its way to

the surface. All it saw was danger and it wanted to protect Rick. He
couldn’t allow that to happen. Rick was going to meet the president in
his human form, and not naked. Fighting to keep his werewolf at bay,
Rick dropped to the ground and rolled, making it hard for the enemy
to pin him down. There was too much fighting going on, and Rick lost
himself in the thick wall of bodies.

The helicopters were no longer firing, the mixture of humans and

changelings too overwhelming to pick off the enemy. They hovered
around the top of the building, but the guns were silent. It was the
people on the ground who were shouting, fighting, and wrestling each
other that gave him cover as he pushed closer to his goal.

“Rick.” His mate was breathless as he grabbed Rick’s hand.

“Come on.” Dorian pulled Rick to his feet and through the throng of
men and women. Rick kept his head down, trying to hide his identity.
Maybe he should have worn a hoodie. It would have been a great
disguise, but it was too late now. He was here and he was running.

Pain tore through Rick’s right calf, nearly making him crumble to

the ground. He knew as he stumbled forward that someone had shot
him.

“There he is!”
He wasn’t sure who had said those words, but he knew he had to

hightail it out of there or every human around him was going to turn
and open fire. From the beginning Rick knew that winning the war
was going to be a longshot. The odds had been stacked against him
from the word go. It amazed him that he had made it this far.

“Don’t slow down.” Dorian yanked on his hand. “Run.”

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203

Picking up as much speed as he could considering he was in a

mass crowd, Rick pushed, shoved, and elbowed his way through. He
spotted Sasha fighting off to his left. The leopard was fast, taking
down one human after another. But then Rick saw Sasha fall. He
wanted to veer from his course and help the alpha, but Dorian yanked
on him again. “Don’t forget your goal, our goal.”

Worried for the leopard, Rick stayed on course. The front doors

loomed ahead, but he knew using them as a means for entry would be
foolish. The back of the house was probably his best way in.

With a wounded shoulder and leg, Rick pushed down the pain he

was in and turned left. More changelings joined the fight, making it
harder for him to get past everyone. A few humans spotted him, their
eyes widening, but they were soon engaged in battle when a
changeling—keeping the enemy off his back—charged at them.

Just as he rounded the house, someone tackled him.
“I don’t fucking think so.” A punch landed to his head before Rick

could turn and knock the soldier off of him. “You aren’t going
anywhere near my president.”

Letting his claws loose, Rick swiped at the man’s face, instantly

smelling the blood. Rick held his breath. He had scented the blood
spilling all around him, but this close, his werewolf wanted to eat.
Rick couldn’t let that happen.

Dorian attacked, shocking the hell out of Rick. His mate had been

so adamant about not eating raw flesh. But the man was tearing the
soldier apart. Rick wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline of the situation,
or if he had finally given into his werewolf’s desires. Whatever the
case was, Dorian didn’t stop until the man was unrecognizable.

“We need to go.” Rick gently pulled Dorian from the ground. He

knew his mate was going to think about this later and—shit, Dorian
was vomiting, spewing his guts as he dropped to his knees. He had
always known his mate was different, but Rick had never met a
changeling who didn’t like fresh kill.

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Dorian was the exception to the rule apparently. “Come, gatito.

We must go.” His tone was gentle, soft as he helped his mate to his
feet. Rick jerked back when blood sprayed all over him. A soldier had
shot a changeling’s head off right next to him.

“That’ll teach ya, you animal.”
Before Rick could do anything, another changeling replaced the

dead one, tearing the human’s throat out. Dorian looked pale as he
glanced at Rick’s clothes and then at the carnage at his feet.

Rick pivoted on his heel as he grabbed Dorian’s arm, taking off

once more. He spotted the president’s helicopter on the back lawn, the
blades swirling quickly through the air. No, he had to stop the man
from leaving. He was going to meet with Rick. If he got away now, it
was over.

Rick pulled the gun from his waistband when he saw men

surrounding President Owen, rushing him toward the helicopter.
“Stop right there!” Rick aimed the gun, shooting one of the men
pulling the president to safety.

He aimed again, but instead of shooting, he was once again shot.

This time the bullet entered his upper leg, right under his right
buttocks. Dorian threw his arms out and caught Rick before he went
down. He clutched his mate tightly. “Please,” he shouted. “Are you
going to wipe out an entire species just from your fears?”

President Owen halted, turning his head toward Rick.
In that one second, Rick inhaled his breath as shock tore through

him, down to his very foundation.

The President of the United States, the man who had allowed so

many of Rick’s species to die, who condoned what was going on, was
changeling! The man’s eyes held a light glow, just a tiny hint, enough
for Rick to see the truth. “You bastard!” Rick slumped against Dorian,
his heart struggling to keep up as his limbs felt like dead weights
pulling him down. He stared into the traitor’s eyes. “How could you?”

“Bring him here,” the president ordered, shoving the grabbing

hands away from him.

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205

“Drop your weapon!” someone shouted.
Rick had a choice to make. He could shoot the traitorous prick

between his eyes, sufficiently ending his and Dorian’s lives with the
return fire. Or he could drop his gun and pray that they didn’t still end
his and Dorian’s lives. “Gatito.” His heart was heavy as he thought
over what he should do.

“The choice is yours, Rick. Whatever you decide, I’m in this until

the very end.” Dorian’s arms gripped him tighter. “I love you.”

It all became crystal clear to Rick in that precise second. He

wasn’t a fighter. He wasn’t a leader. He was some poor bastard who
had gotten caught up in a mess created by a monster who had fathered
him. He didn’t belong here, standing on the White House back lawn,
three bullets in him, facing off with the president.

He was just a local werewolf alpha, a district manager who now

had a mate and just wanted to go home. His fingers uncoiled as he
dropped the gun, listening to the metal as it hit the ground. His mate
tugged him closer, holding him up so he wouldn’t crumble.

A shot rang out and Rick spun with violence, yanked from

Dorian’s arms as he saw the ground gaining speed.

“No!”
It was finally over.

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Chapter Twenty-Four

“Are you with me?”
Bryson? Rick blinked a few times, bright lights hurting his eyes as

he tried to focus. Where was he? Was he dead? If he was, what in the
hell was Bryson doing here? Where was Dorian?

“Dorian.” His voice was barely audible, and it was painful as hell

to talk. Wherever he was, Rick felt softness beneath him. A bed?
Couch?

“Take it easy.” Dorian’s voice floated toward him. “You’re

sedated and recovering.”

“The fight,” he managed to say, wishing to god he had something

to drink. His throat was parched.

“Is still happening.”
Rick tried to sit up when he heard a stranger’s voice. He didn’t

know where he was, and there was someone unfamiliar with them. He
had to protect Dorian.

“Whoa, lie back down.” Bryson’s hand was on his chest, pushing

him back into a prone position. “You are going to fuck up the work
I’ve done to repair you. Lie the hell still.”

The eyes.
As Rick lay there, he remembered President Owen’s eyes. The

man was a fucking changeling. Blinking a few more times, Rick
glanced up. Dorian was standing there, and so was Bryson. Even
Remus and Marco were with him.

And so was President Owen. “Kill him.”
“We can’t.” Dorian moved closer, kneeling so he was at Rick’s

level. “He’s the one who saved your life.”

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“He’s changeling.”
Dorian’s head snapped up, his eyes wide as he stared at the

president. “You smell human.”

Owen shoved his hands into his front pockets, glancing at the

changelings in the room. “I’m taking something to suppress my
scent.”

“Traitor,” Rick growled. Well, he tried to growl, but with such a

dry throat, it sounded more like a rumbling.

“No.” Owen pulled a hand from his pocket and raked it through

his short, brown hair. “Just trying to find a way to end this war
without getting killed for being nonhuman.”

Rick noticed that Owen’s men weren’t in the room with them.

Why would the president be standing with the enemy unprotected?
“What happened?”

Dorian grabbed Rick’s hand. “Nate overtook the president, putting

a gun to his head. He demanded that you be brought in here. We’re
kind of holding him hostage.”

“Nate?”
“He was shot.” Dorian blinked a few times, the tears gathering in

his eyes. “He’s over on the other couch healing. It was close. They
got him in the chest, inches from his heart.”

“Then how did Owen save me?” Rick didn’t care that he hadn’t

addressed the president properly. Screw him. He was a damn
changeling, letting his own species die by the thousands. Rick was
half tempted to toss the man outside and tell his well-hidden secret.

“It was his idea to be used as a hostage.” Dorian grabbed Rick’s

hand tighter. “He made himself vulnerable by stepping away from his
men, allowing Nate to grab him.”

Nate should have shot the fucker. He was going to have a talk

with his enforcer about his damn kind heart. No matter how the
president explained things, Rick was bitter as hell that he hadn’t
stopped the war before now. So many lives could have been saved.

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“Now what?” Rick cleared his throat a few times, trying his best

to gain back his normal voice. “Do you know it was Naval Special
Warfare Captain O’Hanlon who started all of this?”

President Owen looked stunned. “How…why?”
“He’s Rick’s bio-daddy,” Dorian answered for Rick. “He didn’t

want anyone to know he had an illegitimate changeling son.”

“An animal son,” Rick corrected. “Weren’t you tested?”
The president nodded. “But I and my staff found a way to beat the

test.”

“Your staff?”
A rueful smile tipped the president’s lips, making him look years

younger. “The entire staff, along with my Secret Service, is
changeling. I needed protection from anyone who found out the truth.
We’ve kept the secret hidden well.”

Rick wanted to smack the man. “While the rest of our kind died

for having nonhuman DNA.”

The president’s expression darkened. “I’ve been putting measures

into place, Enrique, to ensure our species doesn’t go extinct. I haven’t
been sitting on my ass this entire time.”

“Gee, thanks,” he said bitterly. “What about O’Hanlon?”
“He’ll be tried and convicted for what he has done. I not only

have the backing of half the congressional leaders, but the UN is on
our side as well. The Prime Minister is jaguar.”

Rick was stunned to learn so many leaders were changeling. He

had thought them all human. “What are our chances of ending this
war and drawing up laws that protect the changelings?”

“What about vampires?” Owen asked.
Rick fixed his mouth to say screw them, but remembered

Salvador, his coven, and the Shadow. “Them, too.”

“The laws are already written. I told you, I have been putting

measures into place. I was just waiting for you to arrive.”

Rick wasn’t sure what that meant. “Why?”

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“Because you are the one who is going to end this war.” Owen

moved toward the door and opened it. Rick grabbed Dorian, even
though his limbs felt sluggish and his body protested in pain at the
action. He shoved his mate behind him as men dressed in black suits
entered the room.

“I have already called a halt to the fighting outside,” Owen said as

he turned back toward Rick. “But it seems some soldiers are very
determined to kill every changeling in sight.

Rick could still hear the fighting, the gunshots, the shouting and

screaming. Those sounds were going to forever haunt him. “How are
you going to stop it?”

“I’ve called for reinforcements. They should be arriving soon. The

problem we will face is disbanding the Breed Hunters and
mercenaries. They are widespread and still being paid by private
corporations. As soon as I track down who is funding them, they will
be arrested.”

“You make it sound so easy.” Rick placed his hand behind him,

stopping Dorian from moving.

“It is not that easy, Enrique,” Owen said. “But it will be done.

Anyone caught giving the BAT or hunting a changeling will serve a
life prison term.” His eyes narrowed. “I will have zero tolerance when
it comes to killing changelings.”

“What do we get out of this?” Rick asked. “Besides our freedom,

which I might add won’t come easily. Not all humans are going to
accept us.”

The president nodded. “Nothing worth having ever comes easy.

But the entire East Coast is now changeling territory. The humans
may continue to live there, but it will be changeling ruled. Any
humans who break the law will answer to the local alpha.”

The man was handing Rick a dream come true. He was scared

beyond belief to think it real. There was going to be a lot of resistance
and fighting ahead, not all conforming to the ways of the new

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government. He could think of quite a few humans who were going to
protest the new mandates.

This meant Rick now ruled his territory fully, no human

involvement. He slowly rose to his feet, feeling like shit.
“Bathroom?”

Owen pointed to his left. “Through that door.”
Rick glanced back at Dorian.
“He’s safe. You have my word.”
“And mine.” Sasha stood from beside Nate’s prone body, his

expression fierce. Rick was glad as fuck to see the leopard hadn’t
died. “No one is going to fuck with him.”

Knowing Sasha was there to protect Dorian made Rick feel

slightly better. Not much, but enough to allow him to go to the
bathroom without having to take his mate with him.

With uneasy steps, Rick made it to the bathroom and closed the

door behind him. He didn’t pay attention to the fancy paint or the
high-end fixtures adorning the bathroom. He couldn't care less.
Instead, he sat on the closed toilet seat and let out a shaky breath. This
wasn’t going to be as easy as Owen made it sound. Breed Hunters
were still going to be around. They would always be around as long
as there was something to hate.

Mercenaries…they were a different story. If Rick found them in

his territory, they were going to be killed on the spot. Genocide was a
horrific crime in his eyes, and there would be no mercy shown to any
changeling found killing his own kind.

This moment was so fucking unreal. For eighteen months Rick

had fought a war that should have never taken place. Was it really
over? Was his species finally quasi-safe? Could they finally live in
peace without fear of being killed because of their nonhuman blood?

He would have to read over the new laws. He was also going to

have to add some himself. Like that outdated one about half breeds.
That law was being tossed out the window along with the one about
an alpha having to mate by the age of thirty-five.

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Although, if it weren’t for that archaic law, Rick wouldn’t have

Dorian—a mating he was thankful for every single day.

Rick stood, walked to the sink, and ran the water, needing to

quench his parched throat. It was only tap water, but it would do. He
didn’t like the woozy feeling either. He was going to have to talk to
Bryson about the drugs he used. Rick couldn’t afford to be out of it at
a time like this.

Drinking his fill from his cupped hands, Rick began to splash

water on his face, trying to bring more focus back to his brain. As he
dried his face off with paper towels, he saw something move in the
mirror.

Rick spun, nearly falling over from the pain and drugs. O’Hanlon

had come in through a secret door, gun in hand.

“Did you think I would give up so easily?” The man’s expression

was mottled with anger. “You have ruined my life, my career, and
everything I have worked so hard to achieve. I’ll see you dead before
I allow you to rule your own territory. This war is not going to end in
the animals’ favor. I’ll kill every last one of you myself if I have to.”

The man was insane. Rick could see it in his father’s light-grey

eyes—eyes that were the mirror image of Rick’s. Only his weren’t
filled with such loathing, such hatred. Rick knew there would be no
reasoning with O’Hanlon, no talking him out of his plans of world
domination, or whatever the hell he was after. The man believed Rick
was evil, the enemy, and was going to kill him.

“It’s such a shame you never let your hate go and found out who I

truly am,” he said. “But I can tell you one thing.” Rick moved closer,
uncaring of the gun in O’Hanlon’s hand. He’d been shot so many
times that one more bullet was nothing to him. Well, just as long as it
wasn’t a kill shot. “You are the true animal. You are the one so filled
with hate that it blinds you. You started a fucking war, uncaring of
who died just so you could cover up your dirty little secret. I am your
biological son, a changeling. You would let hundreds of thousands die
to keep the fact that you fathered an animal hidden.”

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“A mistake I plan on correcting. You should have never been

born, Enrique. You should have been the seed running down your
dead mother’s leg when I was done fucking her.”

Rick launched himself at O’Hanlon the same time his father shot

the gun. He heard the bullet shatter the glass in the mirror as Rick
took his father down to the floor, wrapping his hand around the man’s
throat. “I fucking hate you,” he shouted as he used the other hand to
repeatedly punch the man in his face. “You have killed so many
people who I loved. I. Hate. You.” He landed a punch on every word.

Rick felt himself slipping into someone he didn’t like, someone he

didn’t recognize as he choked the life out of O’Hanlon. The man
fought to get Rick’s hands from around his throat, but Rick was
changeling strong.

The bathroom door flew open, and Owen’s men pulled Rick away

from O’Hanlon. Rick threw his head back and howled out his pain of
what he was becoming. He may have killed out of necessity, but he
wasn’t a murderer. He wasn’t his father’s son.

“He’ll be tried and convicted,” one of the men was saying.

“You’ll get your justice.”

It was a lie. Rick would never get his justice for what happened to

Miguel’s parents, to Olivia and Graham—two changelings who made
the wrong choice just to try and save their precious family. Leon
would never be brought back, and Silvia and George would never
have their wedding. Even though they had betrayed Rick, once upon a
time he had called them friends. If it hadn’t been for O’Hanlon, who
knew if they would have ever made that choice to try and save
themselves instead of staying true to him.

So much had changed, so many had died. All because of the man

lying on the floor in front of him. Rick kicked out, throwing the five
men aside who held him as he went for O’Hanlon again, ready to kill
the satanic bastard.

“Be careful of who you let in your life. Not all are what they

appear to be.”

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Rick stopped dead in his tracks, the voice familiar to him from

someplace long-ago. He turned to see the old man with blue eyes and
wrinkled skin. He was confused as hell. “How did you…” Rick
wasn’t even sure how to finish that sentence. He was stunned into
silence.

The old man moved closer, going around Owen’s men until he

was standing in front of Rick. “Not all are what they appear to be.”
He smiled. “I am your grandfather, Enrique. I am Jordan O’Hanlon.”

Rick gave a slow blink, wondering if he was going to wake up

from this dream. Nothing, absolutely nothing seemed real right now.
His life was on a track Rick wasn’t familiar with and heading to an
unknown destination. He wanted to shout for the train to stop, to let
him off somewhere that he recognized. This reality was too damn
baffling. “But—” Rick turned, running his hands over his head. “You
were at the rest stop, showed up at my hotel room.” He turned back
around. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

The old man gave him a sad smile. “You had to find things out on

your own. But I was always there, Enrique, even years ago when you
made district manager, when you became alpha of your pack.” The
old man glared at O’Hanlon, who was knocked out cold. “I even tried
to stop the murder of your brother Bruno. But I had arrived too late.
I’m sorry for that, and the death of your parents. Such a tragic waste.”

“I can’t deal with this right now.” Rick pushed past the men,

walking to the other side of the room, running his hands repeatedly
over his hair. “I just want to go fucking home.” Rick voiced his
thoughts out loud. He didn’t want to be the Rebellion leader any
longer, yet he knew his journey wasn’t over.

“Once the laws are set into place and we have our backing from

all over the world, you are free to go,” Owen said. “But you still need
to end this war.”

“How?” Rick asked.
“The proof you have been collecting, for one. Make copies and

send them to the media. Change started taking place when you went

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on air months ago. It’s time to show your hand, give them everything
you have.” Owen glanced toward the bathroom where the Secret
Service men were guarding O’Hanlon. “We have his confession
recorded. Once the public hears why the war was started, it will be the
beginning to the end of madness.”

Which meant Rick and his group were stuck here for a few

months. He would deal with that, just as long as it resulted in the
freedom of changelings. He glanced at his grandfather, unsure of how
to feel. Rick doubted he would ever have a relationship with the man,
but knowing not all O’Hanlons were evil settled something deep
inside of him.

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Remus drove through Shelton, glancing around at the disaster. It

was going to take a long while to clean this mess up. He had
volunteered to help Rick and what was left of his pack clean the town
and get it back in order.

But until then, he was heading home. Sasha decided to keep the

leap, stating he, Nate, and Selene were going to whip it into shape.
That not only made Remus a happy man, but Marco was well.

His mate worshipped Sasha as their alpha. Loving who led them

and worshipping him were two different things. Remus was going to
have to talk to his mate about who he had on a pedestal. Yeah, he was
jealous. Sue him.

“I can’t believe it’s all over,” Marco said from beside him. “It

doesn’t seem real that I can walk down the street now without getting
harassed.” Marco shook his head. “No more than usual.”

Remus grunted as he pulled Marco close. “No one is going to fuck

with you, baby. If they do, they’ll have to answer to me.” He ran the
tips of his fingers over the scars on Marco’s face and then laid a kiss
to each one. They were almost to Remus’s and he couldn’t wait to get
his mate home. Everything felt so different now, so strangely new.
Remus had known Marco his entire life, yet he felt like there was so
much he didn’t know.

That was going to change. Remus was going to learn his mate

inside out. “You are so damn gorgeous.”

Marco was no longer ducking his head and trying to hide his

scars. The man held his head high, a bit more confidence in the way

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he spoke. The war had taken a toll on all of them, but a lot of good
things had come from it as well.

Like the man sitting next to him. Their friendship had blossomed

into something so much more. Remus pulled into his driveway, glad
to be home at last. Cutting the motor, Remus climbed out of the car
and met Marco on the other side. Without a word, he swooped the
smaller man up into his arms and carried him across the threshold. It
was corny, but he wanted to give his mate all the attention and love he
could shower on the man.

As he walked through the door, Remus saw the condition of his

home. God, this place was dusty as hell. And what was that smell?

“It smells like puke in here.” Marco held his nose as Remus set

him on his feet. “At least the electricity is back on.”

Remus followed the source and found that his tub was filled with

sewer water. It must have backed up when the electricity came back
on. He and Marco worked to get the tub drained, cleaned out, and
spotless.

By the time they were done, they both needed a shower. Remus

turned the water on and let it run, stripping his mate down in the
process. Marco’s body held a multitude of scars from what Jayson
had done to him, but all Remus saw was the beauty of a man who had
survived. Nothing else mattered to him.

Running his hands up Marco’s sides, Remus glanced up to see his

mate watching him with those sexy, hooded eyes. In a way, it still felt
strange to see his best friend staring at him with such longing. But
then again, he couldn’t believe he had lived without Marco as his
mate all these years.

“We’re supposed to be taking a shower,” Marco reminded him,

but Remus could hear the need deep in his mate’s voice.

“We are,” he said, licking a path around Marco’s navel. “So get

under the spray.”

Marco didn’t move. He just stood there, his breath coming out in

pants. Remus grinned and then stood, undressing and then guiding his

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mate into the stall. As soon as the warm water hit him, Remus
moaned. God, that felt good.

“Keep making noises like that and we’ll never get out of here.”

Marco grabbed the shower gel and poured some onto his hand. Remus
thought he was going to wash himself, but instead, Marco turned
toward him and began to lather Remus’s body. He stood still, reveling
in the feel of his mate’s hands slipping over muscles and into creases
that made him shudder.

“Do you know how many times I heard you showering in here

when I was hanging at your house and wished like hell I was in here
with you?” Marco slid his hands over Remus’s back, his hands
moving in a circular pattern. “You sure know how to torture a guy.”

“I didn’t know,” Remus said honestly. “Call me Mr.

Thickheaded.”

Marco chuckled. “I thought I was going to have to beat you over

the head with my cock to get you to see me as more than just your
friend.”

“Now that would have worked,” Remus replied. “Although I

probably would have thought you were just joking around.”

Marco gaped at him. “You really are thickheaded.”
“Guilty,” Remus replied. “But you should know that about me

already.”

“I do,” Marco said and then his hand slipped between Remus’s

legs, grabbing his cock from behind. Remus pressed his hands into the
wall, groaning as his mate used the soapy lather to stroke him. Who
knew a shower could be this erotic?

Remus spread his legs wider, jerking his body into the hand that

was wrapped so deliciously around his cock. He damn near shouted
when Marco released him. But he wasn’t without for long. Marco
circled around him, his slippery hands sliding up Remus’s chest.
“Fuck me.”

Remus grabbed his mate, pushing him under the spray of water as

he captured his lips, his hand skimming back until his fingers were

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playing at Marco’s hole. He teased the muscle, pressing, but not
entering.

“And you still know how to tease a guy.” Marco pushed his ass

back, chasing Remus’s finger as he whimpered.

Remus finally had mercy on his mate, slipping two fingers inside

his hot, tight body. His cock thickened even further as his fingers
plunged deep, his lips ghosting over Marco’s jaw. He wanted to eat
the small man up. Marco was everything Remus could ever want in a
mate. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t seen it sooner.

“R–Remus, please.”
Pulling Marco up, his mate wrapped his legs around Remus’s

waist. It wasn’t easy. His mate was sliding all over him, but Remus
managed to keep a steady hand on him as he positioned his cock and
drove deep.

Marco’s head fell back, his lips parting, and a gasp sounding in

the stall as Remus gritted his teeth at the pleasure. He buried his face
into Marco’s wet hair, relishing the sounds his mate was making as he
fucked him into the wall.

Marco wailed as Remus’s angle altered and he nailed his mate’s

sweet spot again and again. The emotions that were flooding through
Remus were almost too much. Not only had he nearly lost this man,
but Marco had almost crawled into a shell because of his scars. The
fighting in Washington hadn’t been a picnic either. Marco had killed a
man. Remus knew that had to have changed the leopard in some form.

Yet his best friend was still here, still in his arms, begging Remus

to fuck him harder. Remus swore to himself that he was going to give
the man the best life possible. He deserved nothing less.

Remus’s canines elongated and he sank them into Marco’s

shoulder, claiming his mate once more. Marco shouted as his cock
exploded between them. Remus wasn’t far behind the man. He licked
the wound, holding his mate just a little while longer before pulling
his cock free and lowering him to his feet.

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They washed each other, joked, played, and Remus knew in his

heart that not only did he have a mate, but a best friend. There was no
better combination.

“I feel funny,” Marco said as he rinsed off. “A little dizzy.”
So did Remus. He had thought the feeling was from the sex they

had just had, but as he walked out of the shower, he had to grab the
wall in order not to fall down. He shook his head, trying to clear
it…and then he shifted.

“Remus!” Marco shouted right before he dropped to the floor,

writhing around. Remus nuzzled his mate’s body, wishing he knew
what was happening to Marco, and knowing what was going on in the
back of his mind.

Apparently the injection Jayson had given both of them was not

permanent. Remus had hoped in the back of his mind that was the
case since he had partially shifted, but he hadn't wanted to set him or
Marco up for disappointment if it had never happened.

God, he wished the smug bastard was alive for just a second so he

could rub the fact that they had gained their cats back in the man’s
face. Jayson evil scheme had failed in the end and Remus inwardly
shouted in triumph.

After a moment of agonizing screams, Marco shifted into his

leopard. Remus licked him, inwardly smiling.

Jayson hadn’t won after all.

* * * *

Rick stood in the Great Oak Forest, staring down at the gravesite.

“Are you sure he can’t get out?”

Salvador splayed his hands as he shrugged. “It would have been

better if he had been buried on holy ground. But finding someone to
help me proved a problem. I remember Omar telling me of this
wondrous place and thought it perfect. He said your ancestors’ spirits
still ran here.”

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Rick lifted his head, gazing over the forest as he felt the light

breeze skim across his face. He was home, finally. Standing here, in
his favorite place, to run seemed like he was standing in a dream.
“They do but I don’t think that will be enough to keep Kraven under
lock and key.”

Salvador moved closer, turning to face Rick. “Guardians must be

appointed, Enrique. You must choose brave men to watch over this
grave and ensure Kraven never escapes. If he does, the Soul Reapers
will come back from the shadows and the vampire will bring hell to
earth.”

Scratching at the stubble on his jaw, Rick nodded. “I’ll take care

of that. I know the perfect changelings to keep watch over this
gravesite.” Rick was going to appoint Miguel head guardian. The
werewolf could pick his team. The man—along with Benito—had
proven his worth. Miguel not only possessed the qualities of a future
alpha leader, but was more levelheaded than Benito. Not to slight
Benito in any way, though. The man had proven himself as well. But
he still had the qualities of a beta, more than an alpha.

Rick knew when it was time to step down, Miguel would take up

the mantle of leadership. He was grooming the werewolf for the
position. His arm was still somewhat immobile, but Miguel was
gaining use back slowly.

“I must go,” Salvador said, breaking into Rick’s deep thought.

“My mates await me.”

“I’m going to miss you guys.”
“Brazil is not that far…for me.” Salvador winked. “We shall visit

from time to time. But it is my home and where I shall take my mates
to live. Besides, my coven is becoming restless. They miss the
rainforest.”

Rick stuck his hand out, giving Salvador’s a firm shake. Oh, what

the hell. Rick pulled the ancient vampire into a man hug before
releasing him. “Take care.”

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Salvador gave a low a sweeping bow. “The same for you, Enrique

Marcelo.” And then he was gone. Rick glanced at the grave once
more, marked by only a rock in the shape of a cross.

Rick strode to his car, smiling as he stared at his baby. He had his

mustang back, restored, and looking simply gorgeous as it gleamed.
The moonlight shone off of the polished chrome, making it look like a
heavenly angel.

Yeah, he was obsessed with his car. Big deal.
As he slid into the leather seat, Rick thought about the laws that

had been laid down, the months of work he and the others had put in
to stop the war, and how life was ever so slowly returning to normal,
even if it wasn’t how it used to be.

Sasha was back with his leap, taking Nate, Selene, and the kids

with him. Miguel and Benito were now his top enforcers, and Rick
couldn’t ask for two better candidates.

Rick had heard Benito on the phone with the wererabbit, talking

softly and knew those two would eventually meet up again. Benito
was too smitten with the guy—whether he would admit it or not. Rick
bet his bottom dollar that, in the end, they were going to be mated.

He could just feel it in his bones.
Brooke, Deluca, and Willow had settled in New Orleans, Mason

and Ian going with them. The land that Garrett had owned was given
to the displaced coyotes that used to belong to his pack. Edward had
handed his pack over to his pack member, Frisk, and was now
residing in Shelton with Isabelle and EJ.

Rick couldn’t be happier.
Dorian’s parents decided to stay in Shelton. Although Lillian

hated for Ian to move away, she understood his need to be away from
his family where his mate could help him heal.

Bryson had finally settled in, taking over as pack healer. The man

was indispensable.

Corporate had contacted Rick and given him his job back as

district manager, although he suspected President Owen had

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something to do with that. Rick had also found out that it was Owen’s
own nephew who had outed their species. The lion, sadly, had been
killed by werehynenas when they found him hiding out.

O’Hanlon was in prison where Rick hoped the son of a bitch

rotted.

The Breed Hunters no longer drove around in their trucks hunting

down changelings—at least not out in the open. Let Rick see one of
them and he was going to remove their head from their shoulders.

The mercenaries disbanded when the private corporations

withdrew their funding. The president had given Rick full disclosure
on what to do with any changeling he found had participated in the
killing of their own race.

And Judge Tormel. Rick grinned to himself. He had found the

weasel back at work, ruling over his courtroom. The man felt he was
under immunity since he held such a high position. Rick had taken
pleasure in proving the man wrong. He had given the man a death
sentence for what he had done to the juveniles.

Yet, for Rick, that hadn’t been a harsh enough punishment.
“Uncle Rick!” Samuel and Hunter shouted when Rick walked

through the door of his home. God, it felt good to be back here. There
had been a lot of cleaning to do, the cops who had searched his place
had wrecked it, but all was back in order.

“I thought Uncle Edward picked you brats up already,” he said as

the two toddlers jumped at him. Rick chuckled, falling on his ass as
Samuel tried to bite his fingers, Hunter nipping at his arm.

“Okay, boys,” Dorian said as he walked into the living room.

“Your uncle is here. Scat.”

Rick rolled to his stomach, smiling as he watched the two race for

the door. Edward appeared, grabbing their bags from the couch.

“Isabelle said to remind you guys to be over for dinner on Sunday.

I’ll return these two troublemakers then.”

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“Tell her we’ll be leaving town as soon as the boys are in the car,”

Rick teased, knowing damn well he wasn’t going anywhere. He loved
his small family and couldn’t be happier to spend all his time at home.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Rick. “Don’t make me track you

down.”

“We’ll be there,” Dorian said. “And thanks for taking them for the

weekend.”

Edward glanced down at Hunter and Samuel, who were racing out

the door. Rick saw the shine of happiness in the man’s eyes. “That’s
what family is for.”

Dorian closed the door behind Edward, turning to smile at Rick.

“Alone at last.”

Rick lay on the floor, his arms tucked under his head as he gazed

at the man who meant more to him than his own life. “Come here,
gatito.”

Dorian crossed his arms over his chest, grinning. “I thought you

wanted to relax on the back deck with a cup of coffee?”

“Afterward.” Rick kicked his shoes off, shoved his pants down his

legs, and yanked his shirt over his head. “But first you are going to
ride me.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Mr. Marcelo. We’re parents now. I thought

parents didn’t have sex.”

“Then I’m about to blow that theory out of the water. Now get

your ass over here and sit on my cock.”

Dorian began to disrobe, his Peruvian-brown eyes sparkling. “I

love it when you act like a prick.”

The man was seriously deranged. His eyes followed every move

Dorian made until his mate was stretched out beside him on the
hardwood floor. Rick grabbed the man, pulling him until Dorian was
straddling his lap. “Much better.”

“Sit on my cock, baby,” Rick said as he gripped his mate’s sides

and lifted Dorian’s hips up into the air. “Ride me.”

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Dorian’s eyes sparkled like twin diamonds as he sat up, his hands

resting on Rick’s chest.

“You are so fucking sexy, gatito,” Rick whispered as he watched

Dorian slowly lower himself down onto Rick’s cock. He watched
where their bodies met, his breathing growing more rapid with each
passing second. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. Watching Dorian sink
down onto his cock was erotic as hell. “Just look at you,” he
murmured. “Your ass was made for my cock.”

“You say the sweetest thing,” Dorian groaned as his head fell

back on his shoulders, his eyes fluttering closed.

Rick’s eyes slowly moved up Dorian’s body, past the man’s flat

abdomen to his well-defined stomach and then his lightly muscled
chest. He gloried at the way Dorian was built. The man wasn’t a
skinny guy with a narrow body and no definition. No, his mate was
cut, chiseled, and was erotic as hell to look at. The man was well
tanned all over, and Rick’s favorite spot on his mate’s body, aside
from his ass, was the well-defined V that started on either side of the
man’s stomach and ran down between his legs.

Rick’s eyes ran back up Dorian’s body to the brown-hued nipples

on each side of his mate’s chest and knew they were a work of art.

They were even more beautiful after Rick reached up and tweaked

them between his fingers. They pebbled and turned white before
fading to pink and then back to their golden tanned color. Perfect. But
the sweet hiss that fell from his werewolf’s lips was even better.

“You like when I do that, don’t you?” Rick asked as he tweaked

the little nubs again.

Dorian nodded rapidly, his eyes taking on a dazed hue, darkening

from light brown to a café noir. It amazed Rick that he could do that
to another being, that he could bring this much pleasure to a man he
had fallen deeply in love with. He never wanted that sensual rapture
to leave his mate’s face.

Rick lay there for a second, feeling his heart expand and

encompass the man straddling him. There were so many times he had

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nearly lost Dorian. It made Rick’s heart turn to ice even thinking
about how the outcome could have been so different for him and his
mate. They had gone against an entire race, and even their own to
fight for a chance to live their lives in peace, and had won.

But that didn’t stop Rick from being thankful every fucking day

that he still had Dorian at his side.

Dorian licked his lips, his glazed eyes lowering down toward

Rick. “I love the way your cock feels inside of me.”

“And I love how you look sitting on top of me.” He wrapped his

hand around the back of Dorian’s neck and pulled him down until
their noses almost touched. He moved his hand around until he could
cup the side of Dorian’s face, rubbing his thumb along the soft skin of
his mate’s cheek.

“Until the very end.”
Dorian’s eyes sparkled with little chips of molten brown. He

smiled. “The very end,” Dorian whispered. “I love you, Rick.”

“I love you, too, gatito,” Rick groaned as he grabbed Dorian’s

hips and started thrusting upward, driving his cock in and out of his
mate’s tight ass. He dug the heels of his feet into the floor and met
Dorian’s rapid movements every time the man came down and
impaled himself on his cock. He could feel the skin around his mate’s
entrance expanding, giving as Rick’s cock drove inside his mate’s
body over and over again.

“Fuck, gatito, how do you—” Rick groaned and snapped his

mouth closed when Dorian started some sort of circular motion with
his hips, gyrating them and driving Rick’s cock further into his mate’s
body. Gods, how did he know how to do that? It was driving Rick
crazy. Dorian seemed to squeeze his inner muscles around Rick’s
cock at the same time he dropped down onto him.

Dorian fell forward, swiveling his hips in a quick motion as he

bowed his back, staring right into Rick’s eyes. “Are you going to bite
me, Rick?”

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Rick stared up at his mate, unsure of how comfortable he felt at

the wicked grin on his mate’s face. Dorian was kind of scary when he
seemed that happy during sex.

Dorian wiggled his dark-brown brows. “Well, Mr. Marcelo, are

you?”

He growled, flipping Dorian over onto his back. What madness

had control of him, Rick would never know. He grabbed a handful of
Dorian’s hair with one hand and hiked the man’s leg up to his chest
with the other. He had Dorian twisted into a pretzel. His mate’s knees
were touching his ears as Rick slammed his cock into his mate’s
giving ass. Rick pressed both hands into the floor on either side of
Dorian’s head, his mate’s feet at his ears. Gods, he was a debauched
mess, and Rick was turned on even more. The man was bent in half
and smiling up at him.

Smiling!
“Mine!” he growled right before he struck, sinking his teeth into

the soft flesh between Dorian’s shoulder and his neck. The sweet taste
of his mate’s life-giving blood ripped the last of Rick’s control away
from him.

He threw his head back as his loud roar filled the room, shaking

the windows as his release took hold of him and tossed him over the
edge into bliss. Rick heard his own cry of release echoed in his mate’s
soft cry.

Rick pounded into Dorian’s pulsing ass, licking the wound closed

as the last of his seed emptied from his tight balls. His arms quivered
as sweat dripped from his face. His mate’s stomach was covered with
his own cum as Dorian lay there jerking slightly, satiation riding his
features hard.

Rick had enough of a brain cell to roll to the side when he

dropped down onto the floor, taking Dorian with him. Rick wrapped
his arms around Dorian as the man snuggled into his chest. He could
hear a happy little sound come from his mate, and he couldn’t help
but smile.

Rise to Live

227

He was finally home, his mate in his arms, and the war was over.
“Rick?”
“Yeah, gatito?” Rick brushed his hand over Dorian’s hair,

inhaling the sweaty and beautiful scent of his mate.

“Once I get back to work, I so want a raise.”
Rick chuckled. “Just as soon as you hand in your updated résumé.

I’m pretty sure corporate will love your added skills.”

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit