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Kite and Wolf

Cover art by Fiona Jayde © November 2013
Amira Press

Charlotte, NC 28227

www.amirapress.com

ISBN: 978-1-627620-32-1

No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or

mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-
mail, without prior written permission from Amira Press.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter One

Duncan pulled his four-by-four to a stop and threw the gear into park.

He rubbed his neck and lowered the sun visor to check for the paper he’d
mislaid with the name of the guy he was supposed to meet. He cursed, not
finding it in the visor, and searched the pile of papers on the passenger seat.
The CB crackled and he perked up one ear to listen to the calls coming over
the air. At last, he patted his coat pocket and grunted. The note was there.
He slipped it out and read the name again. Kite Dowling. What the hell kind
of  name  was  Kite  for  a  man?  For  that  matter,  what  kind  of  man  was  this
Dowling,  and  why  did  he  decide  to  look  at  Glen  Harbor,  Maine  as  his
family’s  new  home—all  the  way  from  Texas?  Duncan’s  orders  from  the
chief,  his  alpha,  had  been  to  show  the  man  around  and  then  see  to  it  he
understood he was not welcome to stay. In any case, Duncan would be in no
mood to greet anyone if he didn’t get his morning coffee.

He left his vehicle and walked into May’s diner. The door hadn’t swung

all the way shut before a wave of greetings hit him, and he raised a hand,
issuing no more than a grunt. May appeared from nowhere with her sunny
smile and flyaway blonde hair, holding out a cup of java. “Morning, sheriff.”

He took the offering with gratitude and swallowed a couple of mouthfuls

before responding. “Morning, May. How’s everything?”

“Just great.” She sidled up next to him. “Can I interest you in some

bacon and eggs? I’ve also got hash browns and toast, or if you prefer, I can
whip you up some pancakes with my special maple syrup you like so much.”

He patted his stomach. “Tempting, but no thanks. Trying to watch my

weight.”

One of the men nearby guffawed. “Looks like May’s watching your

weight enough for the both of you, huh, sheriff?”

May’s cheeks pinked, and Duncan frowned at the speaker. He turned

back to May and dropped a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe next time. Thanks
again for the coffee.”

After he’d nabbed a newspaper that had been left on an empty table, he

left the diner. Of course he knew May liked him. He’d have to be blind not

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to have noticed her feelings all these years, but he didn’t swing that way, and
after growing up in Glen Harbor she should know it too. He suspected the
diner owner had gotten it into her head that she could change him, the love
of a good woman being a cure-all.

He sighed as he climbed into his truck. On some days, he wished she

were right. At least he’d get a lot more action. Glen Harbor was thin of gay
men, and if he wanted a lover he had to drive farther out. Even then, few
wanted to settle in a small town so far north. Ah well, maybe the visitors
would distract him for the moment from his blue balls. He’d have to find a
way to send them back where they came from.

“Sherriff McGregor, what’s your twenty?”
He picked up the CB and pressed the button on the side. “On the road,

Josh,” he lied, not having turned his engine over yet. “What’s the problem?”

“We have a report of a disturbance down at the wharf.”
Duncan frowned. “What kind of disturbance?”
His dispatcher hesitated. “The usual, sir.”
He swore, knowing what that meant. This was a were-situation, and since

his two deputies were human, he needed to take care of it. The only law
enforcement wolf shifters in the Glen Harbor pack were his chief, himself,
and Josh. He would have liked to have both deputies as shifters, but things
hadn’t worked out that way, especially with the damn screw-up he knew the
call was about.

“I’m on it,” he radioed back and left the diner’s parking lot.
Down at the wharf, he parked and stepped out of the truck. He’d not

taken two steps before the wolf in him raised his head and strained as if
trying to test Duncan’s will to give in. He clamped his teeth together and
tried for deeper breaths, but in this instant, nothing helped.

“Good morning, Sheriff McGregor,” came the cheery call. “How are

you?”

He pasted a smile on his face and half turned in the direction of the

greeting, which came from Emma Harrison walking her pet pig. A pig, of all
things. Every time he saw it he wanted to shift and chase it down. Of course,

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he was not so uncivilized as to eat his food raw, but instinct was still instinct.
He hated running into her and disliked her animal more.

“Morning, Emma.”
A nod wasn’t usually enough for her, but he moved past with the hurried

excuse that he had duties to see to, which he did. At the end of the walk he
paused  and  sniffed  the  air.  Left,  he  decided  and  took  that  route  through  a
shallow grove of trees. The path curved, and the bay came into sharp view
with  no  obstructions.  He  always  enjoyed  the  sight  of  the  yachts  and  small
boats docked, as well as sailboats lazing above the waves. Today, however,
two naked asses lay, drunk, on one boat, arms hanging over into the water.
Beer bottles rolled about the deck in danger of falling in. He wondered for a
brief  moment  if  he  should  save  the  bay  from  the  debris  or  the  fools  from
drowning themselves.

“Barry,” he barked. “Wake up. I know the drink has worn off. You too,

Claudia.”

Two heads rose with eyes squinting against the morning light. Duncan

ground his teeth.

“Oh, is that you, Duncan?”
“That’s sheriff to you.” He leaned out and jerked the boat closer to the

dock then wound the mooring rope around a pole to secure it better. “I
overlooked your actions before now because you’re young, but when you
shift and risk exposing us, you have to be dealt with.”

That brought him and his girlfriend awake. Barry rubbed at an already

messy head of hair and sat up. Duncan glanced away from his goods, having
no interest in boys barely legal. Barry might be twenty-one, but he acted like
a teen.

“Aw, come on, sheriff. You don’t have to tell the chief, do you?”
“Because this is only the fifth time this month? Of course not.”
The sarcasm wasn’t missed on the two miscreants, and they gathered

their clothing and dressed. He pointed out the beer bottles, and before long
he had them in the back seat of the truck.

“You couldn’t just drink and party like a normal person, could you?” he

lectured. “You had to shift on the deck of a damn boat in the middle of the

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marina. It’s a good thing there was no moon.” For the first time, Duncan
lamented that they weren’t governed by the lunar cycle and could shift
whenever they pleased.

“Who’s the a-hole that snitched?” Barry asked.
Duncan eyed him in the rearview mirror and ignored the question. He

switched his gaze to Claudia, who hadn’t said a word. He had the feeling she
had more sense but was swept along with Barry. Now, neither of them would
like what was coming. He bypassed their respective houses and drove straight
to the office. Barry and Claudia were both fidgeting by the time he parked,
and he could almost hear their wolves whining.

He escorted them inside, where Josh sat behind his desk, two phones

ringing and the radio buzzing. He pushed back his headphones, but Duncan
waved him off and headed toward his boss’s office. A sharp rap to the door
received the grunted “enter,” and he opened it. Barry and Claudia preceded
him, and he took two steps forward. A heady sensation came over him and
almost buckled his knees. He froze. Outside a car door slammed, the front
door opened, and a chill wind stirred Duncan’s hair. He listened to the
footsteps, which echoed across the floor and picked up Barry’s stuttering
speech. He let his gaze connect with his alpha’s, and the chief nodded. He
shut his leader in the office with Barry and Claudia, and then headed back to
the front.

The chief hadn’t been explicit about anything concerning the newcomers.

Duncan had expected a lot of things and imagined more, but not this. When
he  strode  into  the  front  office,  he  found  a  man  as  tall  and  as  broad-
shouldered  as  him,  maybe  six  foot  four,  with  pale  silver  eyes  in  sharp
contrast to his midnight hair. Dressed in a black business suit, he made an
interesting figure, especially with the two beautiful women that flanked him.
The  woman  on  his  left  appeared  to  be  a  relative,  maybe  his  sister  because
they had the same sharp, angular features, pale eyes, and hair. She wasn’t as
tall, but she was tall for a woman, maybe five foot ten. The one on the right
reached  the  man’s  shoulder  and  flicked  her  long,  auburn  hair  out  of  dark
brown eyes. The woman, who appeared to be a relative, wore mannish-styled
clothes  yet  didn’t  minimize  her  full  breasts,  while  the  shorter  woman

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accentuated her curvy figure with a clingy dress that reached mid-thigh. She’d
paired the dress with cowboy boots and a Stetson, and she didn’t appear silly
in Duncan’s eyes at all. In fact, he wondered about her significance to the
man.

While he examined these people without a word, Duncan fought his

wolf.  The  beast  chomped  at  the  bit,  desperate  to  be  let  loose.  Before  he
realized  what  he  was  doing,  he  found  himself  face  to  face  with  the  man,
staring  and  standing  too  close.  He  breathed  deep  and  narrowed  his  eyes.
Both women frowned at him, but he noticed only from his peripheral vision.
All of his attention lay on the man—Kite Dowling.

“You’re not human,” he said, low but sure everyone in the room heard

him.

The man smiled, revealing even, white teeth and a Southern drawl.

“Neither are you.”

Duncan clenched his jaw. He rested a hand on his gun and stepped

around the three. Against his will, his gaze slid to the man’s tight ass, but he
forced it away just as fast. “What are you?”

The man turned and stuck a hand out. “I’m Kite Dowling. Good to meet

you. You must be Sheriff Duncan McGregor.”

Kite. Duncan repeated the name in his mind, longing for the man. He

made no move to take Kite’s hand. He couldn’t. If he did, well, he had no
idea what would happen, especially since he hadn’t yet gotten a grip on his
wolf.

Kite didn’t appear insulted by the lack of reaction. He indicated the

woman who looked like him. “This is my sister, Kammie Dowling. My twin,
actually. And this is our friend, Susana Garcia.”

At mention of her name, Susana latched onto Kite’s arm and allowed her

breast to brush against him. “Future wife.”

Duncan heard the distinct growl in his head. He forced the frown off his

face and looked back at Kite, who’d gone red. Kite unhooked himself from
the woman and strode toward the door, sweeping his arm as if to include all
of Glen Harbor, then turned back to him. “We’re here because we’re looking
for a new place to settle our…” He hesitated and glanced at Josh.

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Duncan sighed and escorted them into his office. When they were

comfortable in chairs, he shut his office door and took a seat behind his
desk. Having the heavy wood between him and his guests was a good
decision.

“Please, go on,” Duncan encouraged him, hoping to learn more about

Kite and what his intentions were.

Kite nodded. He sat forward in his seat, and his smile radiated over his

face,  lighting  up  his  eyes.  Duncan  pushed  his  own  chair  back  and  pressed
into  it,  gripping  the  arms.  He  tried  to  remain  calm,  but  his  heart  raced.
Instead,  he  worked  on  appearing  normal.  Either  way,  Kite  didn’t  seem  to
notice.

“I visited here a few years ago and loved it,” Kite explained.
“If you had come, I would remember that.” Duncan cursed himself for

his impulsive words.

“Not Glen Harbor. Portland.”
Duncan grunted. “The city. Why would you seek out our town? We’re

hardly above a total population of five thousand.”

Kite pinned him with eyes that gave him a glimpse of the creature within,

yet eluded him at the same time. “I’m looking for something.”

“Oh?”
“A place we can be safe, a place to belong for me and my family—my

brood.” He sat back. “And of course, I am glad to invest in your town as
well.”

Duncan just resisted telling the man they didn’t need his funds. They

could use it, but big business was not what Glen Harbor needed. He liked
the town’s size, the resistance to change and expansion. That was why his
people had settled here so long ago. The town hid them, although they didn’t
know it. All this time, there had only been wolf shifters besides the humans.

He stood. “I am just starting my work day, but I will be more than happy

to show you around town. For now, let me escort you to your hotel.”

He managed to shuffle them out to their vehicle and returned to his

office for a quick moment to grab a report he had forgotten. When he turned
around, Kite stood behind him, and he had to brake hard not to bump into

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the man. Once again, they were too close, so near, if he leaned a few inches
forward their bodies would touch. Duncan took a step back.

“Did you need something?”
“I’m a kite.”
Duncan’s brows rose. “Pardon?”
“A kite. A bird,” the man explained.
Duncan’s gaze swept over him. Impossible. No, that couldn’t be, and the

situation was ridiculous anyway, because as he stared at Kite, Duncan could
swear his wolf asserted to him that this man, who was apparently already
engaged—this bird—was in fact his mate.

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Chapter Two

“What’s eating you, McGregor,” the chief growled.
Duncan dropped into the chair across from his alpha and tried to look

contrary to what he knew the man had already figured out. “Nothing much.
Got some paperwork to finish, and chauffeuring a rich guy and his family
around wasn’t in my schedule.”

The chief flashed his canines. “Are you questioning my orders?”
“Never.”
Sharp eyes narrowed on his face, and he squirmed a little. “You want to

fuck him. Just do it and get it over with. Then get him out of here.”

Duncan’s mouth fell open.
“Don’t look at me like that. I can tell when one of mine is in heat.”
“I am not in heat!”
The chief folded his fingers together on his desk. “So you’re not attracted

to him?”

Duncan glanced toward the window. From his vantage point, he could

make out a boat sailing by in the distance. His own office window faced the
street, damn the luck. “He’s nothing to me. Did you know he’s a kite, a bird
shifter?”

The chief nodded.
“Is that why you don’t want him here?”
“I’m not a species-ist! If that word even exists.” He stood and paced to

the window, blocking Duncan’s view. “I checked on him. There are rumors
down in San Antonio that he made his money illegally. If it was drugs, I want
no part of it in my town. If it’s guns, the same.”

Duncan didn’t blame the chief, but to condemn Kite based on hearsay

seemed harsh and unfair. He had never disobeyed an order from the chief,
nor did he intend to start now. His wolf might be wrong. He’d been crazy in
lust with men before, and nothing came of it. Maybe he should take the
advice and see if he could get Kite in bed, then let him go. The problem lay
in Susana. He didn’t like horning in on another person’s territory.

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“One of the others can take care of the paperwork for a few days. We

have prime real estate in Glen Harbor, and I don’t want Kite Dowling getting
any ideas. Find him and show him around. But don’t—”

“Show him anywhere he might like,” Duncan finished for him.
“Yeah.”
Duncan stood and let himself out of the office. How would he know

what a man like Kite might find unappealing? As far as Duncan was
concerned, there were very few spots in town that might turn one off. Too
bad there weren’t cat shifters here, but then he wouldn’t like it any better.

Duncan drove to the bed and breakfast Kite was renting, an

unpretentious place that was homey and friendly. He’d been surprised when
Kite said they were staying there, but he’d escorted them all the same. On the
outskirts  of  Glen  Harbor  stood  a  decent  sized  hotel,  lavish  and  suited  for
those  with  a  little  more  money  who  still  wanted  luxury  while  doing  what
tourists  liked  to  call  “getting  closer  to  nature.”  The  hotel  had  been  in
business for two years and attracted visitors, but fewer this time of year when
the weather turned cold.

At Doe Cottage, Duncan stepped from his truck and cringed at the

bright yellow building before him. In summer, roses bloomed on the many
bushes that surrounded the cottage, and on the porch hung potted plants.
The front door opened, and the proprietress, Diana, appeared. “Sheriff
McGregor, back so soon?”

“Yes, I was wondering if I could have a word with one of your guests,

Kite Dowling. I neglected to get his cell number before I left, and the chief
has assigned me to show him and his family around our town.”

Why was he explaining himself? He never offered more information than

necessary.

“Of course, come inside.” Diana stepped back to let him pass. “They’ve

rented out my entire house, so you can imagine I’m happy.”

“Isn’t that overkill for three people?” He glanced around. More frills,

curls, and blinding color decorated the interior. He itched to escape.

“I don’t question my customers. I just make them feel at home.”
Duncan walked to the staircase. “Uh, which room?”

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“Third door on the left. Perhaps I should call up…”
“It’s fine.” He took the stairs two at a time, his wolf rushing him. He

hoped Diana didn’t jump to conclusions. Usually, he didn’t give a rat’s ass
who knew he was gay, but he also liked his privacy when it came to his love
life. Not until he reached the door she’d directed him to did he remember
Susana. What if she shared a room with him? He’d lied about forgetting to
get the number. What am I doing?

As he turned away, the door opened, and he glanced back. Kite stood in

the entry. “Back so soon?” he said, echoing Diana. Duncan gave him the
same excuse he’d used earlier, minus the cell phone number.

“I thought maybe I could show you a couple places now if you’re up for

it, or tonight if you’d rather.” He glanced past him into the room. “Uh, and
whoever might be interested in going.”

“Come in. I was just changing.” Kite strode into the room, leaving the

door standing open. Duncan hesitated and then followed. He couldn’t help
staring at Kite’s ass again, and then his thighs when he dropped his pants.
Duncan’s eyes widened. His cock grew tight at the sight of the muscular legs
with a sprinkling of dark hair covering them.

He licked his lips and pushed a hand through his hair. “Maybe I should

come back later.”

“Shut the door.”
He did so, but took his time, his back to Kite. With a swift glance over

his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t observed, he used a thumb to mash his
cock down into a better position. After shaking his balls a bit, he turned.
“There’s no rush. We could do this tomorrow.”

Kite flashed bright eyes at him and smiled. “Do what?” He’d removed all

of his clothing except his boxers, and then he reached for a sweatshirt with
logo of a San Antonio college football team on it. Duncan stalked over to the
window and shoved the curtains aside to avoid checking out Kite’s crotch.
He would have been gratified to see a reaction similar to what he suffered,
but to see none would have been worse.

“We can check out a bar I know,” Duncan began. “On second thought, I

guess I should have changed out of my uniform.”

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Kite’s voice came from just behind him, and Duncan’s shaft twitched.

“We can stop over to your place after we leave here, but I don’t want to see a
bar. I can see that anywhere. I want to go to the marina. I just got word that
my boat’s arrived.”

Duncan swung around and was gratified to see that Kite was now

dressed, except for bare feet. The blue jeans hugged his hips and showed off
his strong thighs. The way his jeans accentuated Kite’s package didn’t
concern Duncan whatsoever. He cleared his throat. “Would your fiancée like
to come as well? And your sister?”

He waited for Kite to deny Susana’s status.
“The ladies are resting after our long drive. I wanted to fly, but Kammie’s

deathly afraid.”

Duncan frowned. “Of flying?”
“Not natural.”
“Oh.” Duncan moved around him and walked toward the door. He

hated the disappointment that ate at him. Sure, he and Kite would be alone,
but they didn’t need to be. Kite was spoken for. “Wait, you said a boat?”

Kite beamed. “Yes, my pride and joy. Wait until you see her. She’s

beautiful. She’s a cruising sailboat with two cabins, the Sabre 456. Have you
heard of it?”

“I have.” Duncan was impressed. The boat had been made by one of the

finest craftsmen in Maine, but he wondered how much Kite knew about
sailing. “You ordered it before coming? So you’re serious about staying?”

“I am.” Kite put his foot down, having slipped into loafers, and

approached Duncan. He dropped his voice, making it low and seductive. “Is
that a problem?”

They faced one another for a long moment. All the signs were there,

attraction, innuendo, gut instinct. By now, Duncan would have asked a man
out who appealed to him the way Kite did, but there was the barrier of his
alpha and of Susana. He broke eye contact first, something he never allowed
anyone to make him do except his superior, and turned away.

Kite caught his arm, and an electric current raced through Duncan. He

clenched his fist and very carefully moved out of reach.

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“You’ll go with me?” Kite asked.
He gave in. “I’ll go wherever you like.”
They left the room soon after Duncan convinced Kite to wear a warmer

coat. They slipped into his truck, and he switched off the CB radio. If anyone
needed to reach him, they could call his cell phone. He drove toward his
small home about two miles away, keeping his eyes on the road ahead and his
fingers curled around the steering wheel.

“So you know about boats,” Kite commented. “Do you have one?”
Duncan glanced at him. “Me? No, not on my salary. I guess if I could

spring for the kind you have, I could live on it year round. Some up here do.”

Kite’s eyes widened. “I hear it gets cold in winter, really cold.”
Duncan shrugged. “If the wind comes in off the water, it can feel like

twenty below.”

His companion shivered.
“Makes me wonder why you, who must be used to the scorching Texas

heat, would come all the way up here.”

For a moment Kite’s friendly expression closed, and then he flashed that

disarming smile that had been robbing Duncan of pants room since he met
the guy. “I’m not running from the law or anything, officer. I promise.”

Duncan eyed him a little longer and then pulled into the street that would

lead to his tiny house. He’d purchased the home a year ago after saving and
scraping together every cent he could lay his hands on. Pride didn’t begin to
express how he had felt even decorating it just the way he wanted, down to
every tile. Yet, when he drew up to the door he had painted brick red, he
wondered. What would a man like Kite think of it? Could he live here and be
comfortable? What does it matter? He’s not my mate.

They went inside after he’d unlocked the door. “I’ll just be a minute.”

The house included the first floor and the basement, held two bedrooms and
what he called a micro den. He knew he’d never have a wife, but he’d hoped
to one day find a partner and maybe adopt a child. The dream held even
though he’d already turned thirty-five.

“Nice house,” Kite said as Duncan walked into the hall. He couldn’t

think whether the compliment was sincere or not.

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“Thanks.”
In the bedroom, he left the door open and stripped off his uniform. He

caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the dresser. His form was not
bad. He’d been kidding when he told May he was watching his weight, but he
did try to eat right and exercise. A wolf shifter allowing his body to go hell
was just asinine. Driving his fingers through his hair, he figured he could use
a cut soon. What did Kite think?

“Sexy.”
Duncan froze. He jerked his head around, and Kite stood in the doorway

staring right at him with his chest bare and his pants unzipped. He’d
forgotten as usual to remove his holster first. “W-what?”

Kite’s gaze scraped over his chest, leaving him raw. He hooked a thumb

over his shoulder. “Those bookshelves. You built them into the wall yourself,
didn’t you? I always liked that kind of thing.”

Duncan studied his face to see if he were pulling his leg, and then his

chest swelled at the compliment. “Yeah, I did. I designed everything here. I
put in the kitchen cabinets, laid the bathroom tile. Took a while.”

“So you’re good with your hands.”
Duncan’s boxers stuck out through the hole in his pants, and this time,

he knew Kite had seen. Shit! He spun away and searched his small walk-in
closet for a change of clothing. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Damn, he hoped the man got the message, and he hoped more that Kite

wouldn’t mention the fact that he’d gotten a hard-on when Kite said the
word sexy. If he didn’t get this job over with fast, things would get worse,
and he would humiliate himself in the bargain.

He tugged on a flannel button-up shirt and then strapped on the holster

he  wore  under  his  coat.  The  uniform  might  stay  at  home,  but  he  liked  to
carry  nonetheless.  Jeans  and  boots  completed  his  dress,  and  he  left  the
bedroom.  Kite  waited  for  him  in  the  living  room,  sitting  on  the  couch  in
front  of  his  fifty-two  inch  TV  screen.  The  room  looked  small  when  he
occupied it and much more so with the two of them.

“I’m looking forward to the snow,” Kite blurted as they climbed into the

truck.

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“Do you get snow in San Antonio?”
“Ice more than likely, but here…” He spread his arms, and the

excitement in his expression was like that of a child’s. Duncan guessed him
to be about thirty or almost. Right then, he seemed younger.

“I give you a couple of weeks this winter before you’ll fall into a

depression and cry to go home.”

Kite snorted. “I’m not so weak.”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow, but Kite didn’t take the bait and get angry.

He seemed too easygoing for that. “I guess if you stick around, we’ll see.”

Duncan hadn’t meant to say that. What he should have shared were

stories of the harshness of winters in the north and how they hardly saw the
ground from November to April with all the snow cover. He should have
shared how the wind off the bay could freeze a man’s toes if he weren’t
careful.

The amusement in Kite’s eyes made him forget his objective. They

arrived at the marina and parked, but walking on board Kite’s boat he lost
sight of what he was supposed to do.

He let out a low whistle, running his hand over the cherry interior in the

galley. Next, they moved forward to the smallest bedroom at the bow of the
boat. The narrow space allowed for a twin size bed, surrounded by cherry
wood walls and cabinets at the tops of both sides of the bed, and at the base
of the bed. The aft cabin was wider and had been outfitted with a full size
bed.

“Tight sleeping here if I have someone over,” Kite teased and winked. “I

guess I don’t mind.”

“You’re not sleeping here in winter,” Duncan admonished him.
“No, of course not, but I will take it out as often as I can as long as the

weather holds. Would you like to come along sometime?”

“My schedule—”
“Isn’t twenty-four seven.”
Duncan snapped his teeth together and said no more. He refused to

commit to riding along. The space was limited as it was. If he thought his
house was small, this went beyond that. Yet, stepping onto the vessel had his

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heart pumping, and he craved to feel the rocking boat as it climbed over the
waves.

Kite moved past him, and his ass brushed Duncan’s crotch in the narrow

doorway. He kept going as if nothing happened, but once again, Duncan had
to adjust his cock. He followed the other man up on deck, and Kite faced
him.

“Do you know how to sail?”
“Of course.” Duncan narrowed his eyes. “Do you?”
“Yes, I sold my old boat just before I left Texas. I haven’t had one this

big, but I can handle it. Do you want to try?”

Duncan’s eyes widened. His resolution not to let Kite sway him floated

out over the water. “You’re serious?”

“Why not?”
They worked together to get the boat moving. Duncan kept an eye on

Kite to make sure he truly did know what he was doing. He had grown up
around boats, and his brother taught him everything he knew before he left.
While he couldn’t afford his own vessel, he’d handled a few.

He needn’t have worried though because Kite moved with precision, as

smooth as his new sailboat, hoisting the main and guiding the boat out of the
harbor.

Kite gave the wheel over to Duncan and stood at his side, feet planted

and arms folded across his chest. He shifted his weight in tune with the
boat’s rise and fall over the waves, and Duncan wondered about him.

“What’s it like?” he asked.
Kite gazed at him. “What’s what like?”
“Flying.”
“Ever get high?”
Duncan frowned, but he admitted the truth. “As a teen, sure.”
“It’s like that but more heady and freeing. If you want I can show you.”
Duncan blinked at him in horror, and Kite burst out laughing, a deep but

smooth sound that chased odd sensations over Duncan’s skin.

“I don’t mean like that. I can’t make you be like me. I mean I can shift

and show you how I fly.”

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Eden Cole

Duncan hesitated. He had to admit seeing Kite change appealed to him,

but not for the reason of watching a winged creature take to the heavens. He
and all his kind had to strip down or risk ruining their clothing. He imagined
Kite was the same. Instead, he turned to face the water and made a small
adjustment in steering. They had left the marina behind and with it any
witnesses who might see Kite change, but encouraging him would not help
his mission.

“Forget it. The weather’s too cool. You’ll catch your death of a cold,” he

mumbled.

“As I told you, I’m not so weak.”
Duncan eyed him for a second before forcing his gaze away. “Yeah, I

guess you’re pretty big for a bird.”

“Noticed that, huh?”
His cheeks warmed. “Shut up.”
They continued on in silence for a while, Duncan trying to direct his

thoughts to easier topics. He couldn’t dispel his interest in learning all about
Kite and what his life had been like in Texas. A thought occurred to him.
“Do you have more of your brood in San Antonio?”

Kite grew serious, and Duncan’s suspicions rose. He knew people well

enough to know when they were hiding something, and Kite definitely kept
secrets.

“No, there’s just me and Kammie and Susana.”
Duncan clenched the helm. “No parents?”
“No, not anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Kite nodded. “What about you? I want to know everything. Brothers,

sisters? Parents?”

Duncan eyed him but let the conversation turn. “An older brother. He

and I are estranged. My parents died in a fire about twenty years ago. I’m a
part of a pack here. We’re not many, but we do protect one another. They’re
my family.”

Kite voiced his condolences for the loss of Duncan’s parents. “Your

brother still live in Glen Harbor?”

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Eden Cole

“No,” was his clipped reply.
Kite seemed unaware that he didn’t like talking about Iain. “Why did you

argue? I enjoy having Kammie close, and she wouldn’t live anywhere without
me.”

“Are you an alpha?”
Kite grinned. “Are you looking for one?”
“Don’t be stupid. I only follow a wolf.”
“I would think you’d follow your mate, no matter what he…or she might

be.”

Duncan stared. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? In the end, the moment

passed, and Kite chattered on about sailing and Maine’s weather compared to
Texas.

What was he going to do, demand to know if Kite thought he was

Duncan’s mate? Was Kite an alpha? Did such a thing exist in the bird kingdom? He
didn’t want to pursue it. Still, in a way, Kite was correct. Duncan was
comfortable following orders and living a simple, satisfying life. No need to
rethink any of it just because of this flighty man standing before him.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter Three

Morning dawned, and Duncan opened his eyes in his bed. The fire had

died down during the night, so when he exhaled, white smoke fanned out
from his lips. He rubbed his eyes. A handsome face with pale eyes and
smiling mouth rose in his mind, and he groaned. Why should he think of him the
first thing? You know why. He’s ours. Claim him.

Duncan shoved the blankets away and rose from the bed. He stretched

his arms over his head and rubbed his hands down his chest, scratching a
random itch. Two days had passed since he’d gone out on the boat with Kite.
Domestic disturbances, more paperwork, and anything he could possibly let
take up his time kept him from seeking out Kite. That didn’t stop him from
checking his phone to see if he’d missed a call. Kite wasn’t exactly chasing
him either, which had no business pissing him off, but it did.

He showered and dressed in his uniform, and then got out on the road.

The fact that the road had a couple inches of snow on it with more falling at
an unhurried pace didn’t surprise him. He wondered if Kite had awakened
and discovered it. He imagined the excitement, like a small child, shouting
and running outside. Then he shook his head. He didn’t know the man well
enough to assume his reaction.

When a vehicle with hazard lights on came into view, he pulled to the

side of the road and stepped from his truck. The woman behind the wheel
fretted over a map. He tapped on the window, and she jumped.

“Everything okay, ma’am?”
“Oh, officer,” she cried. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Sheriff McGregor, ma’am. Are you lost?”
“Yes,” she squeaked and waved the map. While she chattered on about

where she’d come from and where she was headed, he looked up from her
flustered face to the tree just ahead of where she’d parked. A large bird with a
long hooked bill, short round wings, and tail of black and white bands settled
on one of the limbs, knocking snow to the ground below. The bird bobbed
its head and opened its beak as if it worked to capture snowflakes in its
mouth.

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Eden Cole

Duncan glanced down at the woman and relieved her of the map. “If

you’ll take this road here for another ten miles, then get off right here, you’ll
be back on track.”

She asked for further clarification but didn’t give him a chance to answer.

He checked on the bird and found it spreading its wings now, flapping but
not leaving the branch. When it scooted to the thinner section of the branch
until the branch began to bend, Duncan focused on the woman.

“Right, you took this exit, which brought you fifteen miles too far north.

Right now you’re in Glen Harbor.”

“Oh! I don’t want Glen Harbor! I wanted to visit a small town but not

this small. My girlfriend gave me a list of the best places to visit.”

He gritted his teeth. The foolish woman had no idea how insulting she

was being. Over his head, the bird squawked as if protesting her attitude. A
flap of wings and more falling clumps of snow, and the bird took to the air.
Duncan finished up with the tourist and started back to his vehicle. He
waited until she had pulled off and then opened his door. Before he could
step inside, the flapping returned, and he raised his arm. The bird landed,
wrapping thick talons around his coat sleeve.

“Good morning. So this is how you look shifted.”
Kite stood at least two feet tall, Duncan guessed much bigger than a

normal kite would be, and his beak curved downward. His human pale eyes
had turned dark and sharp for distance. Duncan hesitated, but he couldn’t
resist stroking a finger along the silky feathers. His heart raced as Kite made
an odd noise somewhat like a purr, but it sounded nothing like a cat. He had
no experience with birds, but he read the reaction easy enough. He jerked his
hand away.

“Uh, sorry.”
Kite’s sudden call, a piercing sound that vibrated painfully on Duncan’s

eardrums made him wince. The bird leaped into the air and then shifted
within seconds, a smooth, graceful change that had the feathers melting away
and limbs growing out where none existed. The next instant he stood in the
snow naked. Duncan’s eyes widened. He ripped off his coat and wrapped it
around the man.

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Eden Cole

“Are you out of your fucking mind? Someone could see you, and you

could catch pneumonia and die.”

Kite chuckled. “I probably won’t die that fast, but thanks for your

concern.”

Duncan snarled. “Get in the truck. I’ll give you a ride home.”
Kite didn’t argue but climbed inside, and soon they were on the way.

Duncan gripped the steering wheel. He lamented the fact that his coat was
short because it did nothing to hide Kite’s legs or his junk. He kept his eyes
fixed on the road and drove as fast as safety allowed.

“You wanted to see,” Kite explained. “I showed you, and I wasn’t sure if

you realized it was me.”

“How could I not! No bird plays in the snow like an idiot the way you

did.”

“It was fun.”
Duncan blew out a breath. “How old are you, twenty?”
“Twenty-eight.”
He let the grunt show what he thought of Kite’s maturity, but his

companion remained unrepentant.

“I told you, Duncan. Can I call you Duncan? I feel like we’re friends

now.”

Duncan suppressed the pleasure he gained in hearing his name on this

man’s lips, but focusing on that made him forget not to look at Kite’s crotch.
His thick thighs cradled his balls, and just an inch or two of his cock was
exposed below the hem of the coat. Bitter frustration made Duncan clench
his jaw, and he forced his gaze away.

“I suppose it can’t hurt when we’re alone, but call me sheriff around

others. Is that clear?”

“Crystal. Anyway, I told you. I am free when I fly, happier than I am in

my human form. It’s a high, and I give in to it.”

“I can’t imagine you happier than you are now. Doesn’t seem possible.”
Kite winked. “I guess I am happier. What do you think did it?”
“I wouldn’t know.” He pulled into the driveway of Doe Cottage. “You

need to be careful. Diana is human, and we don’t allow them to know about

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Eden Cole

our existence. You can’t just come and go naked in plain sight. If anyone
calls and reports you, I won’t hesitate to haul your ass into jail.”

“Yes, sir!”
Duncan glared at him.
Kite made no move to open the door. “Go out in the boat with me

again.”

“No, the water is too choppy. Don’t try it on your own.” Kite seemed

crestfallen, and Duncan’s heart stirred. He considered an alternative. “How
about a run? Rather, I’ll run, and you can fly. This weekend. We have plenty
of undeveloped land out here, and there are even fewer tourists about. My
people often use the forest for exercise and hunting. Does your kind hunt?”

Kite grinned. “Hell, yes! I’m in. See you then.”
Duncan didn’t have a chance to react. Kite leaned over and covered his

lips with his own. The kiss ended in an instant, and the other man
disappeared inside the house. He sat for another five minutes, stunned, and
then gunned the engine before peeling out on spinning tires.

Distance. He needed to keep his distance. He’d made a mistake to ask

Kite to go into the forest with him. Not that he thought anything would
happen between them out there. With the snow and the time of year, even if
he saw Kite naked again, he wasn’t likely to give in to the lust building inside
him in the middle of a frozen glen.

When he was halfway to work, he realized he’d forgotten to get his coat

back, and if anyone noticed, he had no excuse for not wearing it. As a wolf,
he had good resistance to the cold, but not in his human skin. He cursed
Kite and continued to work, hoping to avoid any confrontations. As it turned
out, several traffic accidents came in over the radio, and by the time he made
it to his office Josh was busy on the switchboard and he was able to slip into
his office.

He paused in the doorway at the sight of his coat hanging on the rack. A

memory of how Kite had looked came to mind, and he brushed it away.
After dropping into his chair, he tugged his cell phone from his pocket and
shot off a quick text. “Sorry, I’ll have to renege on this weekend. Work. Maybe next
time.”

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

When Duncan’s shift ended that night, he visited one of the bars many of

the  citizens  of  Glen  Harbor  visited,  trying  to  get  his  mind  off  his  dick.
Everyone greeted him, except those who hated having the law around, but he
was able to grab a table in the back and nurse a beer while he listened to old
rock.  He  let  the  music  flow  around  him  and  the  hum  of  the  other
conversations lull him into a semi-relaxed state. In his early days, he’d found
it hard not to block out all the voices, hearing details he didn’t care to know
of  their  lives.  Iain  had  been  the  one  to  train  him  on  how  to  block  it  just
enough to hear but not hear. He had idolized his older brother then.

When a familiar scent crossed his senses, he looked up and realized just

how  similar  Kammie’s  scent  was  to  Kite’s.  She  strode  across  the  peanut
shell-covered floor toward the bar and said something to the man behind it.
The  black  jeans  clung  to  her  slender  hips  and  were  paired  with  a  black  T-
shirt, sporting the name of a well-known band on it. The bartender pointed,
and Kammie looked down at herself. She frowned at him, and he shrugged
and waved his hand. Duncan was about to focus his hearing on them just to
see  what  they  discussed,  but  then  the  bartender  flipped  a  section  of  the
counter up and Kammie passed through the opening. She donned an apron,
and with surprisingly fluid motions began serving drinks. Nothing could be
clearer  about  them  staying.  Still,  if  Kite  were  so  rich,  why  was  his  twin
working? He drained the last of his beer and stood up to head to the bar. A
nod to one of the men occupying a stool cleared the space for him, and he
took  it  with  a  muttered  thanks.  Using  his  position  in  such  a  way  might  be
wrong, but it came in handy every now and then.

“Can I help you, sheriff?” Kammie asked in her sultry voice, so like

Kite’s.

“Bud Light,” he answered, and she popped the top on a bottle and

handed it to him. He slid the money across the counter with a tip included.
As far as he could scent, there were no other shifters in the bar tonight, so he
had no problem asking the question on his mind. “Why are you working?”

Her eyebrows rose. “You’re pretty blunt, aren’t you?”
“Comes with the job. I apologize.”
She shrugged. “I don’t depend on my brother.”

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Eden Cole

“Do I hear disapproval in your tone?”
Her bland expression turned surly. “I support my brother no matter

what, if that’s what you’re getting at. I love him, and I’ll follow him, but his
choices aren’t always what I would do.”

He took a sip of his beer and thought her words over. “So he is an

alpha?”

She frowned and looked around. Her worry surprised him. Couldn’t she

tell they were alone except for humans? He was pretty sure no one could
hear their conversation.

“We’re safe,” he assured her.
Dawning understanding cleared the expression on her face, confirming

what he suspected. The kite shifter didn’t have a heightened sense of smell, at
least not on a wolf’s level. He couldn’t help the sense of superiority that
flowed over him.

“Not really,” she replied. “We help each other, taking turns leading. I

mean as a people. In our particular brood, with just the three of us now, Kite
is the leader.”

“Were there more?”
“Did you want something else, sheriff? I have other customers.”
He sighed. “I guess not.”
She moved away to take other orders and he finished his beer. After a

night  of  pondering  what  she’d  shared  and  didn’t  share,  he  left  the  bar  and
returned to his truck. The drive home felt lonelier than usual. He considered
driving into a bigger town to find a lover but decided against it. At home, he
kicked  the  door  shut,  tossed  his  coat  aside,  and  lit  a  fire.  When  the  house
grew  toasty,  he  dropped  onto  the  couch  and  flipped  on  the  TV.  Nothing
appealed to him, but he sat there anyway staring at the moving images and
taking in nothing.

A scratching on the porch outside caught his attention, and he inhaled.

Seconds later, the doorbell rang, and he crossed the space between the couch
and the entrance in three long strides. He threw the door wide open to be
presented with Kite, naked and standing in the snow that had blown onto the
Welcome mat.

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Eden Cole

“Mind company?”
Duncan swore. “Get inside.”
Kite sauntered past, his ass drawing Duncan’s eyes. Duncan stared,

taking in the smooth, tanned skin that hadn’t yet lost its coloring from the
hot Southern sun. His cock twitched in his pants, and his anger rose because
of his desire, a longing he didn’t choose to have.

“I told you to stop walking around like that!”
Kite glanced back. “I didn’t walk around this way. I flew over here, and

it’s dark out. No one saw me. It was the fastest way.”

“A car was the fastest way,” Duncan snapped. When a sharp wind blew

in,  he  realized  he  stood  with  the  door  open.  He  slammed  it  and  turned  to
face  Kite.  The  damn  man  knew  what  he  did  showing  Duncan  his  curved,
high  ass,  all  muscular  and  tight.  He  almost  posed  with  his  hot  physique,
wanting  Duncan  to  take  in  every  detail.  Duncan’s  cock  swelled  until  it
throbbed.  He  couldn’t  hide  his  orientation  if  he  tried,  but  that  kiss  before
said Kite already knew. “I’ll get you something to put on.”

“Why bother?”
Duncan fell silent. Kite didn’t mean it. The invitation in his eyes was a

figment  of  his  imagination.  There  were  other  things  to  consider,  facts  he
couldn’t bring to mind at the moment. Duncan let his gaze roam down Kite’s
body. He took in the wide chest, the flat abs, the narrow hips, and from the
way he stood, just a peek at his cock, which stood out from his body, rigid
and  thick.  The  wolf  inside  twisted  and  turned,  fighting  for  dominance.  He
closed his hands into fists the second he realized his nails had become claws.
Breathing  deep  did  not  calm  his  racing  heart  or  subdue  the  animal.  He
shouted the words in Duncan’s head—“Claim him!”

Duncan resisted, but the decision dropped him to his knees behind Kite.

He ran his hand up the outside of Kite’s thigh, around to the front, and up to
his hip. He stroked and squeezed, loving the feel of the silky hairs teasing his
palm. Before he could stop himself, he kissed the firm ass cheek and stuck
his tongue out to have a lick. Stop me, Kite. One word.

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Eden Cole

Kite moaned and pushed his ass toward Duncan’s mouth. Duncan

brought up the other hand and parted Kite’s cheeks. The puckered opening
called to him. He gave it a long, hungry lick, and Kite grunted. “Yes.”

Why? Why did he have to say yes? Duncan could no more stop himself

now than fly. He caressed Kite’s abs while he hungrily ate his ass, sucking
harder. Somehow he managed to pull away and rested his forehead on Kite’s
hip.

“We shouldn’t do this.” He nipped Kite’s taut skin and then licked the

sting away. Kite didn’t so much as flinch, but his moan sent chills of desire
all over Duncan’s body. He needed more. Much more. “You’re not mine.”

Kite moved away, and Duncan fell forward on his hands and knees,

breathing a sigh of relief.

“I know you want it.”
Against his better judgment, Duncan looked up. Now Kite faced him,

several steps away, with his cock at the ready. The tip leaked precome, and
Duncan almost released just seeing it. He counted back to the last time he’d
had sex. Not so long ago, but a wolf’s needs were not the ones of a human
man. He could fuck twice a day and his lust would stay high. Especially with
Kite. Damn the man.

“Look, this isn’t smart,” he said, searching for an excuse to get Kite to

leave. He stood there, taunting Duncan, calm and self-assured. Duncan had
always thought of himself that way, but ever since Kite arrived, he seemed to
be swept along by his emotions, an occurrence he didn’t appreciate. Maybe
having sex once with him would get the man out of his system and get
Duncan back on an even keel. Then he could go find another lover and fuck
him until he forgot about Kite. Perhaps he’d even find the gumption to run
Kite and his people off. That sounded like a good plan.

Kite began stroking his cock, pumping it from the base straight up to the

tip. He ran a thumb over the tip and smeared the precome. When he brought
his wet thumb to his own lips and licked it off, Duncan was on him. He
pounced on Kite and thrust him to the floor. Kite went down hard on the
carpet, and Duncan dug his claws into Kite’s thighs, jerked them open, and

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Eden Cole

stuffed Kite’s dick into his mouth. He sucked and licked, swallowed as much
of what he judged to be seven inches as he could.

When Kite made a sound, he drew back and growled at him, low in his

throat. He expected to see fear in response, but Kite stared right back into
his eyes. “Take all you want.”

Duncan glanced down at his cock, wet from his mouth, and stiff. He

licked Kite’s balls and pulled one into his mouth. Kite caught his breath and
dropped his head back. Thick, black lashes fluttered on his cheeks, giving
him the appearance of a softer man than Duncan knew him so far to be. He
hesitated.

“You been fucked in the ass before?”
“Often.”
Jealousy rose in Duncan. “By who?”
Kite opened his eyes. “Does it matter?”
Duncan gritted his teeth and willed his claws to recede. He stuck his

forefinger and middle finger into his mouth and moistened them. Then he
raised one of Kite’s knees. He circled his lover’s anus and then thrust in. A
shudder passed over Kite, and while his tunnel squeezed Duncan’s digits, he
didn’t appear to be in pain. The man’s past sex life shouldn’t matter, but it
did.

He pushed his fingers to the hilt, withdrew, and thrust in again. “Who?”
Kite’s jaw went slack. His eyelids dropped halfway and then closed. He

panted and wiggled his hips, arching into the invasion of his ass. The
shuddering breaths told Duncan he had trouble putting together a sentence.

“I—I had a lover in San Antonio and two on the road.”
“Two?” Duncan repeated, his temper rising.
“Yes, I had two men at once. One stuffed his cock in my mouth while

the other fucked me in the ass.”

“You liked it.”
“I loved it.”
“They were human?” Duncan buried his fingers in Kite’s hole and

grabbed hold of his shaft. He squeezed harder than he would have with a
human lover. Kite shivered.

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Eden Cole

“One was. The other was something else. I didn’t ask, but I’m pretty sure

he wasn’t a wolf. They were lovers. I think the human knew about his man
and kept his secret.”

“Then you like more than one man,” Duncan accused him.
“I love sex. I want it every day. I want it hard and rough, and I want a big

man.”

“You’re a whore!”
Duncan had left handcuffs on the coffee table. He pulled his fingers out

of Kite’s ass and leaned to get the cuffs. With a few swift maneuvers, he had
the manacles secured around Kite’s wrists, and his arms above his head.
Duncan shoved his legs apart and moistened his fingers. After he’d rubbed
wetness on Kite’s entrance, he gripped his thighs and aimed his cock. One
hard thrust buried him to the hilt, and Kite shouted. Duncan pounded into
him over and over. His claws grew out again, and he drew blood grasping his
lover. Kite took it all, his teeth clenched, sounds a cross between pain and
pleasure vibrating in his throat.

Duncan pulled out and jerked Kite over to his stomach. He lay on top of

him, crushing him into the floor and guided his dick into Kite’s ass. Over and
over, he humped, feeling so good he thought he’d lose it. He couldn’t stop.
He wanted more and more and hoped his orgasm would hold off.

The moment he thought the words, his climax began to build at a

feverish pace. His balls drew up, and he slowed down.

“Don’t stop, please.” Kite’s voice was little more than a rasp.
“Shut it!”
Duncan thrust in deep and opened his mouth. He felt the canines

lengthen and grow sharp, and the rest of his teeth came to a point. A bite,
and he would mark Kite as his own. He stuck his tongue out and licked the
spot  on  his  shoulder.  Salty  and  sweet,  he  would  never  forget  the  taste  and
Kite’s  scent  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  arched  so  that  his  cock  slid  out  and
pushed deep again. Kite curved his hips upward to grind into Duncan. The
move created room between the floor and his crotch, and Duncan reached
beneath  him  to  grab  Kite’s  cock,  so  thick  and  hard.  He  pumped  it  a  few
times, bringing a cry of ecstasy to Kite’s lips.

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Eden Cole

“Kite, damn you,” Duncan roared, and he spilled his load inside Kite’s

ass. He jerked away before he was done and sagged to the side. Cream coated
Kite’s hole, and a few drops landed on his ass cheek. Duncan collapsed
against his back.

Kite pushed up from the floor, his arms quivering. Duncan watched him

a  minute,  getting  off  on  how  he  looked  helpless  trapped  in  the  cuffs.  His
cock  lay  against  his  stomach  still  hard,  unsatisfied.  For  a  moment,  Duncan
considered walking away from him now that his lust had abated enough to
function. He’d come close to marking Kite, a decision he couldn’t take back
once  he’d  done  it.  Resentment  replaced  desire.  He  glanced  up  into  Kite’s
eyes, and Kite’s suffering stood clear. Kite might look calm, but he was far
from it. His desires were high, to the point that Duncan suspected he came
close to begging to be jerked off.

Duncan ran a finger up Kite’s thigh as he sat on his haunches. Maybe he

should force him to beg for it. He liked it rough after all. He loved sex, and
any man could do it for him. Duncan sighed and tugged on the cuffs. “Come
here.”

Kite rolled forward. He climbed on Duncan’s chest, his big, hard thighs

surrounding Duncan’s head. As soon as Duncan swallowed Kite’s cock, he
didn’t regret it. He liked the flavor of his precome, the feel of the leathery
skin as it slid past his lips and into his throat. He sucked hard and
maneuvered so his tight throat gave his lover greater pleasure. Kite shook,
and his moans grew louder. Duncan let his shaft slide out of his mouth and
worked his way down one side with his lips until he reached Kite’s balls. He
bit down enough to hurt but not enough to damage.

Kite fell forward, and the cold metal handcuffs dug into Duncan’s

shoulder. Duncan released the sac but went after Kite’s cock. He gave it a
tiny nip, and Kite hissed his name. That pleased Duncan enough to swallow
Kite’s shaft once again. This time he pumped until he felt Kite’s balls, lying
on his chin, begin to rise. The next instant his mouth filled with come, and
he drank it down, swallow after swallow. When the flow stopped, he backed
off and brought the roof of his mouth down to draw hard for the last few
drops.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter Four

Kite opened his eyes to see Duncan sitting on the side of the bed, and he

smiled. Stretching and moaning, he reached a foot out to prod the sexy man’s
ass, but Duncan stood and moved out of reach while he stuffed his shirt into
his pants. Kite pouted.

“You’re leaving?”
“Of course. Some of us have to work.”
“You don’t have to. We had fun last night, and it doesn’t have to end.”
The anger that blazed in the wolf shifter’s eyes turned Kite on. He

wanted a lot more, and he knew how to get it.

“Like I said—”
“I could talk to the chief, convince him to give you the day off. I know a

way to persuade him.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Duncan roared. That level of rage

surprised Kite. His lover leaned down on the bed. “You stay away from him.
Don’t even breathe the same air as he does.”

As was his habit, Kite pretended the threat meant nothing, the smile

never leaving his face. “Whoa, I didn’t mean to offend you, partner. Just an
offer.”

“Maybe you think all cops are crooked?”
“Didn’t enter my mind, but now that you mention it…”
The flash of dislike could be changed in an instant, but he didn’t believe

Duncan hated him. Duncan had come close to marking him last night. He’s
seen that for himself, and wolf shifters did not go around binding themselves
to just anybody. The mark was for a lifetime, which was probably why
Duncan drew back—that and the fact that they knew little about each other.
Either way, Kite liked him. He wanted to be his lover for as long as Duncan
was willing.

“Just shut up and get out,” Duncan snapped. “You had your fun. I left

clothes over there for you.”

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Kite wiggled so the sheet covering him exposed his lower half. He rolled

away from Duncan and stuck his ass in the air. “Come on. Don’t you want to
have a little more fun?”

In response, Duncan’s pants tented, but he compressed his lips. Kite

sighed. “Fine, well, did you forget something?”

He raised his hands to reveal his wrists still cuffed together. Duncan’s

cheeks reddened. “Damn, I’m sorry. I forgot. I can’t believe I let you sleep all
night with those on.”

He jerked the key from his pocket and freed Kite. When he spotted the

bruises on his wrists, he rubbed the raw skin, concern darkening his hazel
eyes. Kite let him soothe the ache, liking the attention. He’d been hurt worse
and been in more uncomfortable positions for much longer.

“Don’t worry about it. We didn’t do much sleeping.”
Duncan let go, to Kite’s disappointment.
“If you insist on going to work, then let me give you one for the road.”
His lover eyed him. “What are you talking about?”
Kite got to his hands and knees and crawled over to Duncan. His cock

bobbed between his legs, soft, but the closer he drew to Duncan the firmer it
grew. He kissed the front of Duncan’s pants and felt the twitch. “I’ll suck
your dick. You’ll be much more productive. Promise.”

“No thanks.”
Duncan turned away. He finished dressing and left the room. Kite had

no choice but to climb off the bed and look around for the clothes he’d left.
The jeans and T-shirt appeared big enough. The two of them were about the
same  size.  Duncan  might  have  him  by  an  inch  but  not  much  more.  Kite
loved  big  men  since  he  was  so  big  himself.  There  weren’t  that  many  out
there,  not  with  faces  that  looked  like  Duncan’s—rugged  sexiness  with
chocolate  brown  hair  and  hazel  eyes.  He  had  the  personality  to  match  his
rugged  exterior,  and  Kite  had  gotten  off  on  how  rough  Duncan  had  taken
him.  The  sex  whetted  his  appetite,  and  while  he  stood  in  the  shower  he
plotted how to seduce his lover again and again.

Once he was clean, he slipped into the clothes and left the bedroom.

Duncan stood in the tiny kitchen. Kite remembered living in conditions such

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as this, years ago before his fortunes turned. He’d hated it then, but
Duncan’s small house gave off a welcoming feel. Perhaps it was the man
himself that made the difference.

Kite walked up behind Duncan as he fought with a coffee maker. He

wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist and rubbed his swollen shaft
against his ass. “I prefer to be the receiver, but if you want me to, I can take
you.”

“Fuck off.” Coffee granules littered the floor, and Duncan swore again.

“I usually have coffee at May’s. You’re going to have to get some there or
back at Diana’s. This is not working out.”

Kite grinned and leaned an elbow on the counter. “I’m happy you

thought of me.”

Duncan glared. “I have to go.”
“At least give me a kiss good-bye.”
He thought he’d get the cold shoulder again, but Duncan approached

him and tugged him closer. Their crotches touched, and Kite groaned when
his hard cock met Duncan’s. He wrapped his arms around Duncan’s neck,
and they drew tighter together. From the first touch of Duncan’s lips on his,
he craved to be shoved onto the table and taken hard. He settled for
Duncan’s tongue thrusting into his mouth and sweeping the interior. Their
kisses turned harsh and greedy. They moaned together, and Kite tangled his
fingers in Duncan’s hair. For a long time, they kissed and drew back to stare
at each other, then kissed again.

Duncan’s hand went from his hips to his ass and drove him forward. His

balls throbbed, and he tried to relieve them from the pressure, but Duncan
refused to back off. If he didn’t ease up, Kite would mess up the clean pants
and blow his load. The pain and pleasure felt so good, even better because he
guessed Duncan didn’t hurt him on purpose but was driven mad by his lust.
The kind of man who would fight with a coffee maker he had no clue how to
use just for him.

At last Duncan released him and backed away. He swept the coffee

granules up and then turned to the door. “Don’t let anyone see you leave.”

“You’re in the closet?”

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“Hell no. I don’t want anyone to know I fucked you.”
Kite chuckled. “If you keep talking so nice to me, I’m going to ask you to

marry me.”

Duncan left without another word, and Kite was left to stuff his cock

into a better position and then locate shoes. When he was done, he vacated
the small house, turning the bottom lock in the doorknob. He walked down
the lane and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Duncan would prefer for him
to take the slow route home. However, he hadn’t been flying constantly just
for the love of it. His purpose was twofold—one to find property and two to
scope out the town and everyone’s comings and goings.

A short while later, when he entered Doe Cottage, Kammie waited for

him in his room. “Where have you been?” She folded her arms and glared at
him. There seemed to be a lot of that lately.

“Having fun. I told you I’d be out all night.” He moved past her and

searched for fresh clothes, then thought better of it. He’d enjoy Duncan’s for
a while longer. He did switch out the shoes. Duncan’s flopped on his feet.
His were bigger. So is his dick.

“You were with that sheriff, weren’t you?”
“So? What of it?”
She sighed. “He doesn’t trust you, Kite. He was at the bar last night

asking questions about you.”

Kite raised a brow, excitement brewing. “Was he?”
“Yes, and here you decide to jump into bed with him not five minutes

after we arrive.”

“What’s wrong with me taking a lover?”
“Not the sheriff!”
“He’s a wolf shifter.”
“No, Kite. You can’t. Not after—”
He turned from his closet and faced her. “Why not? It’s a perfect

solution in my opinion. He’s strong, and he’s got the law behind him. Not to
mention he’s an excellent lover.”

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She cringed. “I don’t want to discuss your sex life. I’m saying you don’t

need another wolf shifter in your life. They’re too aggressive, and they only
think of themselves. They don’t care if they hurt you.”

“He cares.”
If possible, his sister’s eyes grew wider. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in

love.”

“Of course not. I’m telling you he cares. He wants me, and that’s all that

matters.”

“If he hurts you, Kite, I’ll kill him, law or no law.”
“You’re the little sister.”
“By ten minutes. You’re the soft one.”
“See you later, Kammie. I’m going out.”
“Kite, listen to me, damn it!”
He kept walking.
Kite spent the next few days scouring the town from the sky until he

found property that looked like something he could use. He’d tried several
times to see Duncan, but the stubborn man refused to acknowledge his
existence. Another snowstorm hit, but it didn’t appear to slow down any of
the residents of Glen Harbor. In fact, the fluffy, white landscape appeared to
goad them into mischief. Kite found the game of musical beds very
interesting. He only wished he were a part of it or at the least could enjoy one
man’s bed.

After taking down the number for a real estate office, he called to set up

an appointment for a tour. A woman answered the phone, and Kite poured
on the charm. “Hello, Gloria,” he said after she’d shared her first and last
name and identified herself as the broker. “I’m interested in your property. I
think it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

The woman grew breathless right away, but he put it down to a potential

sale and commission rather than his deep voice. “Of course, I’m always glad
to help my customers in any way I can, Mr.…”

“Dowling. Kite Dowling.”
“Mr. Dowling, such an unusual name, and which property are you

interested in?”

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“The one on Route One. There are several acres behind it as well I’d be

willing to negotiate on. When can I take a tour of the buildings and come
into the office?”

“Wait just a moment, sir. Let me pull up that file.”
“Sure.”
He leaned a hip against the bathroom sink where he happened to be

when he made the call, and studied his chest. Just beneath his left nipple and
to the right a bit he had a small mole. Duncan had licked him there,
seemingly fascinated with it.

“Did you say Kite Dowling?” Gloria asked when she came back on the

line.

“Yes, that’s right.”
“Um.”
He frowned. “Is there a problem?”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. That property is not for sale at the moment. One of

my assistants must have forgotten to take the sign down.”

Disappointment decreased his good mood a bit. “Well, I guess I could

come in and look at your listings to see—”

“Excuse me, Mr. Dowling, but I have to get to an important meeting,”

she said with a briskness she hadn’t had before she put him on hold. “You’ll
have to call back another time.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but the line went dead. Kite stood where

he was, unmoving, eyes staring into the mirror but not seeing his reflection.
After a few moments, he dialed another number, and Josh answered.

“Glen Harbor police department. May I help you?”
“Josh,” Kite began, polite but distant, “is the sheriff in?”
“Yes, sir, he is, but he asked not to be disturbed. He’ll go out on his

rounds this afternoon. Can I take a message for him and say who’s calling?”

“No, thank you.”
Kite disconnected. He didn’t figure Josh knew his voice, but Kite

remembered details about people, and he recalled the pock-faced young man
who ran dispatch at the police station. He left the bathroom and walked
down the hall to his bedroom. After he had locked the door, he opened the

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Eden Cole

window. A sharp wind blew in, and he shivered, not used to the cold here,
but it wouldn’t drive him away. Nothing would.

The grounds outside his window included a garden at the side of the

house, and beyond it woods. He had no trouble at all shifting in his room,
hopping up onto the windowsill, and taking flight out the window. The
problem was leaving the opening and allowing the room to grow cold. When
he had done it the first time, Diana had complained the chill seeped under
the door. Kammie and Susana liked it no better. He couldn’t say he enjoyed
returning to a freezing cold room, but he would not curtail his activities.

He stripped off the pants and socks he wore then began to shift. While

he shrank to the size of a bird, albeit a big one, he felt the familiar tingle in
his throat, which meant even his vocal cords underwent a morph. Where he
could speak words before, in his kite form he could not. Tweets and chirps
were the extent of his calls, and the tune depended on his intent.

He spread his wings and hopped up on the windowsill. A quick look

around showed the coast was clear, and he leaped toward the sky. The wind
and the beat of his wings took him higher, and once he’d reached the desired
altitude he glided on the currents of air, a task that was second nature. Within
a  short  span  he  arrived  at  the  building  housing  the  police  station.  A  circle
around  brought  him  to  Duncan’s  window,  and  he  swooped  low  to
investigate.  Just  as  he  hoped,  Duncan  sat  alone,  his  head  bent  over
paperwork,  and  his  door  closed.  Kite  landed  and  pecked  at  the  window.
Duncan  didn’t  so  much  as  start,  but  he  did  turn  around.  No  surprise
registered in his expression. Did he scent Kite coming, or did Gloria call?

Kite pecked again louder, and Duncan frowned. He threw the window

open, and Kite flew in then landed to change to his human form. He stood
still a while to allow his lover to take in his form. Duncan didn’t even pretend
to look away, to Kite’s satisfaction.

“Why are you here? I told you—”
“I know.” Kite sat on the edge of his desk and threw one leg over the

other. He leaned back a little, knowing he highlighted his cock and balls. A
muscle twitched in Duncan’s jaw. “I would like to know why I was blocked
from purchasing property today.”

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Duncan walked over to the door and locked it. “I don’t know what

you’re talking about.”

Kite scanned the room and caught sight of a large map on the wall. He

examined it and picked out the spot he wanted. “This place here. I want it.”

“I don’t sell real estate, Kite.”
Warmth spread over Kite’s insides. He liked that Northern way Duncan

said his name. He knew the man was of Scottish descent and wondered what
he would sound like with the brogue of the region. “We should role-play.”

He turned to find a look of surprise this time and laughed.
“You’d sound hot as a lass from the moors.”
Duncan made a rude sound. “A lass is a girl or young woman. Don’t try

to talk about what you don’t know.”

Kite strode over to him and laid palms on his chest. “Then teach me. I

like to learn.”

“You shouldn’t be here.” He removed Kite’s hands and gave him a small

shove.

“Aren’t you going to tell me to put some clothes on?”
“I’m busy.”
“I want you to fuck me on your desk.”
Duncan sneered. “You have a one track mind.”
“You’re right. Let’s get serious. I called about this property, as I’ve

shown you. As soon as the woman found out my name, it suddenly became
unavailable.” He returned to the map and tapped it while keeping his eyes on
Duncan. “I’m getting the impression I’m not welcome here.”

“Have I made you feel that way?”
“No.”
They stared at each other for a long while. At last Duncan addressed his

concern.

“What do you want to do with it?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it does. If you want to say, produce illegal drugs…”
Kite frowned. “Is that what you think of me?”
“I don’t know you.”

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“You knew me well enough to fuck me in the ass and suck my dick.”
His voice had risen as he spoke, and Duncan was all of a sudden on him,

slamming him back against the wall. The sound of ripping paper filled the
room. “So you do get angry. I thought that damn smile was the only thing
you were capable of, but you keep your voice down. I don’t need my
personal life in the office.”

Nose to nose, Duncan held a hand around his throat. Kite made no

move to defend himself. He waited for Duncan to calm enough to back up,
but Duncan didn’t move.

“I’m not going to play your games, Kite, and I’m not going to sleep with

you again, so you can stop coming around me like that. If you have a
legitimate concern, you tell it to Josh, and he’ll see that I get the information.
If it warrants attention, I’ll get one of my deputies on it. You got that?”

Kite fisted his hands at his sides and nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Good.” Duncan released him and backed up. “Now, get out of my

office.”

Kite shifted and waited for Duncan to open the window. Then without

looking back, he flew through the opening and into the air. Once he was
home, he made a few more calls. All met with the same block. He gave his
name, and the property had been sold or was no longer on the market. Never
mind that none of the signs were removed when he checked back a few days
later. In the end, he called Josh and shared the situation. Just as Duncan said,
he sent out a deputy to take down his statement. No word after that.

A week after he slept with Duncan, he decided to hit a local bar. He

donned the new boots he’d purchased to weather the snow, along with blue
jeans and a sweater and heavier coat. Rather than choose the bar Kammie
had started working in, he went to one on the edge of town, more run-down
but no less full. When he pushed the door open and entered, the smell, the
noise, and the atmosphere said this night wouldn’t be boring.

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Eden Cole

Chapter Five

Duncan knew the moment Kite stepped into the bar, even though many

bodies blocked the view. He had come to this place to avoid seeing Kammie.
Her face reminded him too much of Kite, yet he saw the man’s image every
second  of  the  day  anyway—in  his  mind’s  eye.  Not  just  any  vision  of  him
either.  He  saw  the  look  on  Kite’s  face  when  he’d  been  cruel  to  him  in  his
office  and  brushed  off  his  concern  that  he  wasn’t  wanted  in  Glen  Harbor.
The  chief  had  spread  the  word  to  refuse  to  sell  Kite  property  and  then
chewed  Duncan’s  ass  out  for  not  following  through  on  the  plan.  He’d
smelled  Kite  on  him  and  known  he’d  gotten  what  he  wanted  but  didn’t
understand  why  Kite  hung  around  unless  Duncan  encouraged  him.
Remembering the argument, he swore and took a long drag on his beer. He’d
thought the way he handled Kite at his office would be enough, but it turned
out  the  man  refused  to  budge.  Now  he  was  here,  in  this  bar.  Was  he
following Duncan?

The crowd parted, and Kite squeezed through. Their gazes met, but Kite

turned right away toward the bar. He leaned into a spot too narrow for his
bulky  figure,  and  Duncan’s  attention  fell  to  his  ass,  encased  in  tight  jeans.
Longing took hold of him, and weakness followed right behind it. He started
to  rise  but  stopped  when  he  picked  up  the  scent  of  another  wolf,  one  he
couldn’t  identify.  The  fact  was  he’d  spent  his  life  in  Maine,  and  every  now
and  then  another  kind  of  shifter  wandered  into  their  territory.  When  that
happened,  the  chief  asked  him  to  bring  the  person  to  him  for  a  little
discussion.  They  could  pick  out  the  humans  from  the  nonhumans,  but
knowing specifically what the shifter was proved a challenge without either
seeing them change or being told. Knowing the scent of one type of shifter
meant  a  good  chance  of  picking  out  others  of  the  same  type.  The  one
exception to this fact was wolves. They knew their own kind. Period.

Duncan stood and headed toward the bar. He weaved in between and

around people, and at last the other wolf came into view. The man, big as a
house, towered over all other heads, including Duncan’s. The sheer size of
him was daunting enough, but when he moved behind Kite and placed his

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hands on either side of him to whisper in his ear, Duncan stopped cold. The
growl in his throat rose before he realized he was doing it, and the man,
whoever he was, turned to peer at Duncan. In that instant, he knew he was
dealing with an alpha.

A blond brow rose in query, and Kite turned to look at him. He spun out

of the man’s arms and turned back to his beer. Duncan clamped his teeth
together and strode toward them. He should have remained calm enough to
pick up on what the bastard said to Kite and Kite’s response. Then again,
Kite had already admitted he loved sex, and he’d picked up men on the road
coming here. Was this man one from the road, or was he the boyfriend from
San Antonio?

“Duncan McGregor,” Duncan said and held his hand out to the man.

“And you are?” His wolf kept telling him not to worry about who he was.
Just knock him on his ass for touching Kite. He knew better.

The tall blond looked him up and down and didn’t crack a smile. “No

concern of yours.”

“John,” Kite interrupted. “This is the sheriff. Don’t start anything.”
Duncan tried reading Kite’s mood, but for the first time he wasn’t

smiling. Nor did he appear angry. He didn’t sense fear either, so what was on
Kite’s mind? He shifted his gaze back to the man. He lowered his voice so
no human would hear over the den of music. “You know you’re supposed to
check in. I don’t doubt you sensed there’s a pack that’s claimed this area.”

“Again, I don’t give a fuck. I found what I came for.” He wrapped an

arm around Kite’s shoulders. “Let’s go, baby.”

Kite didn’t move. “I haven’t finished my beer.”
John jerked him away from the bar, and Duncan grabbed John’s arm.

John flashed pointed teeth and growled low in his throat. Refusing to back
down, Duncan pushed his coat back to flash the gun. John appeared
unimpressed.

“Only a pussy relies on that.” He snatched his arm out of Duncan’s

grasp.

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They faced off, but Duncan wanted to avoid a scene. They’d already

caught the humans’ eyes. He hoped they’d put John’s pointed teeth down to
how some people filed their teeth to look tougher.

Kite broke in between them. “Back off, sheriff. I’m just having a little fun

with my buddy. What’s the law doing here anyway?”

A few echoes of agreement met his raised protest, and Duncan flared his

nostrils. He could do nothing at the moment but watch as Kite led John out
the door. Duncan started to follow but changed his mind. If John stayed in
town, he would catch up with him later. That was a guarantee.

The rest of the night passed slowly and bored Duncan to tears. He

decided to call it a night at one in the morning and left the bar. On the drive
home, he took a back road with few lights. Ice littering the tar had the tires
sliding every now and then, but his four-by-four and good treads handled the
challenge pretty well. He made it home in a decent amount of time. A
scratching at the window alerted him as he removed his coat. His heartbeat
picked up in pace, and he flung the door wide. The bird hopped down from
its windowsill perch and strode into the living room. He frowned.

“What do you want, Kammie?”
She looked similar to Kite in coloring, but where his tail was striped black

and white, hers was pure white. In fact, so many of her feathers were white,
he didn’t wonder if she could blend into the snowy landscape. Flat, brown
eyes  peered  at  him,  and  then  she  let  loose  what  he  assumed  must  be  a
squawk  of  annoyance  but  sounded  more  like  birdsong.  Then  he  figured  it
out. Unlike  her  shameless brother,  she  didn’t want to shift in front of him
and let him see her naked.

He dashed into the bedroom and brought back a blanket. Without

ceremony, he tossed it over the bird’s head, and she shifted right away,
almost soundless with just a small fluttering of wings. When her head rose
above the blanket, he saw that it was human, but it was the worry etched in
the depths of her eyes that caught his attention.

“Tell me,” he demanded.
“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t break my brother’s confidence. He wanted to

keep the past in the past.”

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“Meaning?” Alarm stirred in him, and he wrestled with a decision to

wring the message she’d brought from her.

“His ex is here in Glen Harbor.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he grumbled.
She frowned at him. “Did you know Kite ran away from him?”
Duncan’s blood ran cold. “Why?”
“Because he liked to hurt Kite a little too much. Kite broke it off and

told him he didn’t want to see him anymore. John doesn’t like taking no for
an answer. He found us. We thought we had covered our trail.”

“Not from a wolf,” Duncan snapped. “Your smell might be little better

than a human’s, but ours a thousand times stronger.”

She glared at him like she didn’t need to hear that now. “He hasn’t come

home, and Kite’s not much of a drinker. He doesn’t stay out late.”

Duncan turned away. “He stayed out before.”
“He told me he wouldn’t be back until morning the night he was with

you.”

Duncan was surprised, but he shouldn’t be. He’d known Kite set out to

seduce  him.  The  bastard  had  been  too  sure  of  his  ability  to  succeed,  and
Duncan  had  fallen  right  into  his  arms.  What  he  regretted  was  feeding  into
hurting  Kite.  He’d  been  cruel  and  got  off  on  fucking  him  so  hard  he  had
bruises.  If  that’s  what  he  liked,  though,  who  was  his  sister  to  protest?
Everyone  had  their  kinks,  and  maybe  Kite  hadn’t  told  her  just  how  far  his
desires went. He might have broken it off with John because he grew bored.

Duncan turned away. “I saw the two of them together tonight. Kite told

me himself to back off. He wanted to spend time with John. They probably
went back to John’s hotel room. I’m sure you’ll hear something in the
morning.”

He tried for nonchalance, but he ground his teeth, and his claws had

grown out. Turning away from her, he looked for his TV remote to try for a
semblance of calm. Kammie wasn’t ready to give up. She grabbed his arm,
and with surprising strength, she jerked him around to face her.

“I’m reporting to the sheriff that I think my brother has met up with foul

play from the man he had to file a restraining order against!”

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That got his attention. “You didn’t say that before.”
“I’m saying it now.”
He narrowed his eyes. “John didn’t strike me as the type of man who’d

give a damn about human laws.”

“No kidding?”
He swore. “I’ll find him.”
“I’ll give you cover from the air.”
He growled. “I don’t need you. I’ll track him. Go back to Diana’s, and I’ll

be in touch.”

In the space of a heartbeat, he shifted and was out his front door. He

didn’t look back to see if Kammie followed but took to the forest. Running
through the trees, he could double back to the bar where he last saw Kite and
go from there. As he ran, he was of two minds. He hoped Kammie was
wrong, and John wasn’t out there somewhere hurting Kite, but if he wasn’t,
that meant he was instead fucking him, and dealing with that was too much
as well.

Within a mile of the bar, Duncan’s paws were freezing. He ignored the

pain and kept pushing forward. He paused several times and sniffed the air.
The scents outside the bar, now closed, were strong. They led in the opposite
direction of his house. Another five miles down the road, he passed the
Leaving Glen Harbor sign and kept going. A few miles later, he came across
a rinky-dink motel with more stench emanating from it than the run-down
bar. He tracked Kite to room twelve and stopped outside the door. John’s
scent was there too. This was a mistake. Kite had gone with him to this place,
and they were engaging in the obvious. He should turn around and go home
before he froze his ass off.

Then he heard a moan of pain—Kite’s moan—and leaving wasn’t an

option.  He  shifted  and  reached  for  the  gun  at  his  hip  before  he  realized  it
wasn’t there, and he stood outside the room stark naked. Rather than worry
about  who  saw  him,  he  tried  the  doorknob.  The  knob  turned,  and  he  let
himself  into  the  darkened  room.  A  figure  was  hunched  over  on  the  bed,
swaying a bit.

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“Kite!” He jetted to him and caught him just as he was about to fall to

the floor. Duncan held him up and crouched. Night vision didn’t allow him
to see colors very well, but he knew Kite was hurt, and he smelled the blood.
Reaching  for  the  lamp  on  the  nightstand,  he  fumbled  a  bit  for  the  switch,
which wasn’t where he expected it to be. At last, light illuminated the room,
and  he  turned  back  to  Kite.  His  right  eye  had  swollen  shut,  and  bruises
covered  his  cheeks.  The  split  on  his  lip  had  dried  blood  leading  down  his
chin. “Where the fuck is he?”

“I’m fine. It looks worse than it is.” Kite tried to chuckle but failed and

groaned. Seeing him that way and noting his attempt to ease the atmosphere
of the situation only drove Duncan’s rage higher. He stood and searched the
room, but there wasn’t much to search. He already knew the coward had
gone, leaving Kite in this condition.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of you,” he promised and helped

Kite to lie down. “Do you know Kammie’s cell number by heart?”

Kite had shut his good eye. “No, I don’t want her to know.”
“She already knows, damn you! She’s the one who told me you didn’t

come home or contact her. What about Susana? She’ll be worried too.”

Kite didn’t answer.
“Kite!” Duncan sat down on the bed and brushed the hair from Kite’s

forehead. He let his gaze travel over the other man’s body, but he couldn’t
see anything beneath Kite’s clothing. Did that mean they hadn’t had sex? He
could breathe in and know the truth, but he didn’t really want to know. All
this time, he’d been speaking in a rough, gravelly voice, a sound he
considered on the edge of being human. His claws had surfaced, and so did
the beast’s teeth. He didn’t even try to pull them back in because his wolf
wanted a kill. Calming him at this point would be impossible.

An urge overcame Duncan, a desire to be closer to Kite. He leaned down

and touched his cheek to the bird shifter’s. A featherlight kiss on his lips
brought John’s taste, and Duncan leaped from the bed. He paced about the
room and shoved hands through his hair. Common sense said first things
first—get Kite somewhere safe, where he could clean him up and look after

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him. The wolf urged him to go out into the night and hunt John down. He
found it hard to resist the blood lust.

“My cell phone,” Kite whispered.
Duncan stopped pacing. “What?”
“My cell. Kammie’s number is programmed in. She can come get us.”
Duncan moved before his wolf could change the plan. He dialed

Kammie and then wrapped a sheet around his waist to wait. “Do you know
where he went?”

“No. Hopefully back to San Antonio.”
Duncan shook his head. “He hasn’t left.”
“You smell him?”
“No, but just as I tasted him on your lips, he must have smelled me on

you. He wants to punish you for leaving, and letting me have you. He won’t
walk away so easily, and that’s a good thing because I intend to kill him.”

Kite forced his eyes open and struggled to get to an elbow. Duncan

darted to him and dropped to one knee to push him down. Kite clutched his
hand. “I don’t want you involved. This is my problem. I’ll take care of it.”

“With your face? Yeah, I don’t think that’s working out so well.”
Kite looked away. “You don’t know how cruel he can be or what he’s

done.”

“When you’re better, you can tell me about it.”
A soft knock at the door brought the argument up short. Duncan

breathed  deep  and  then  went  to  answer.  Kammie  stood  outside,  pale  with
wide,  frightened  eyes.  When  she  spotted  Kite  beyond  him,  she  let  out  a
squeak and ducked around him. He was about to shut the door, but a hand
stopped  it,  and  Susana  walked  in  as  well.  The  woman  was  more  beautiful
than the last time he’d seen her, and the worry etched in her face matched
that  of  Kammie’s.  He’d  been  acting  like  Kite’s  mate  with  the  right  to  seek
vengeance  for  the  attack,  but  all  this  time,  he  had  conveniently  forgotten
about the man’s fiancée. Killing John was Susana’s right, but she would never
win  even  with  a  surprise  attack.  What  he  should  do  was  approach  this
situation as a cop and haul John’s ass into jail.

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“We need to get him home,” Kammie announced, interrupting his

thoughts.

“I’m going to Duncan’s.”
Susana stared at him. “Kite, you need your family around you right now,

not another wolf.” She glared at Duncan. “I don’t trust him.”

Duncan considered not riding with them but running home instead.

Then he thought better of it. He needed to see that Kite arrived safely. “You
fiancée’s right. I’ll carry him to the car and get him into the house.”

He walked over and hooked his arm under Kite’s legs then wrapped the

other around his shoulders. Carrying was awkward given both their sizes, but
he had enough strength to get the job done. After he had tucked Duncan
into the rental Kammie had secured a few days after they arrived, he climbed
in the front and left the back seat to Susana. Kammie drove.

“She’s not my fiancée,” Kite said. No one responded, and Duncan

clenched his hand at his side. Kite seemed unperturbed by the lack of
reaction. “We came up with the lie while we traveled as another way to try to
throw John off our trail.”

Duncan couldn’t help himself. He glanced over his shoulder to look at

Susana. She still appeared to hate his guts, but she nodded to confirm Kite’s
story.

“Susana and I are together,” Kammie said, and this time Duncan’s mouth

fell open.

“I should have realized.”
Kammie shrugged. “I’m not as open about my sexuality as my brother.”
“Or comfortable giving in to it,” Susana complained and sat back with

her arms folded over her chest.

“So, with that out into the open, I’m going to Duncan’s house.” Kite’s

voice came out stronger than it had when Duncan first entered the hotel
room. He wondered if they healed fast as his people did. “No arguments,
Kammie.”

The rest of the ride to Duncan’s house, no one spoke. Duncan had no

intention of trying to convince Kite to go to Diana’s. He wanted him nearby

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so he could make sure he was okay. When they pulled up to his house,
Susana darted up to open the door, and Duncan reached to carry Kite in.

“I can walk.”
“You are not the head of my family,” Duncan snapped and raised him in

his arms.

He carried Kite to his bedroom and set him down with as much care as

possible. When he straightened, Susana and Kammie stood in the doorway to
his room. “You two can stay here tonight if you want. I have another room,
but it’s not furnished as yet. Uh, the couch is plenty big.”

“Go,” Kite ordered, and both women left.
Duncan pulled open a dresser drawer and slipped into a pair of shorts he

liked to wear around the house. Then he went to jack up the heat before
returning to the bed to help Kite undress. He fumbled with the buttons on
Kite’s shirt because his fingers were still frozen.

“You’re cold. Don’t worry about me.”
“Lie still,” Duncan grumbled.
The teasing smile would not be suppressed on Kite’s face. “You just

want to get me naked.”

“This is serious!”
Kite fell silent.
“He could have killed you.” Duncan worked the last button loose and

bowed his head. Kite’s chest was a battleground of bruises. He smoothed his
fingers over the skin and met with the band of Kite’s pants. “Did he…”

“No.” Kite stared at the ceiling. “He said I’m contaminated from a half

breed.”

Duncan’s mood darkened all the more. “I am not a half breed.”
Kite curled his fingers with Duncan’s. “He just wanted to hurt me and

insult you.”

“I’m going to start a bath. Soaking in it will help. Do you heal faster than

a human?”

“I do. A shower would be quicker. I told you I’ll be fine. Stop fussing.”
Duncan stepped back, annoyed as Kite sat up and started for the

bathroom. He did appear stronger. Fighting with him to do as Duncan told

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him might cause him more harm, so he supported the idiot while he made
his way to the bathroom.

“You’re going in like that?” Kite eyed his shorts.
“I wasn’t planning on going in until after you.”
“I might need your help standing.”
“And I think you’re milking the situation.”
“If you want to risk a lawsuit from me falling in your shower…”
“Idiot.” Duncan helped Kite strip off his shoes, socks, and pants. Then

he dropped his shorts. They stepped under the warm spray, and Kite sagged
against him until their chests touched. He still thought Kite did it on
purpose, but he couldn’t push him away. Not that he wanted to.

They stood chest to chest, their pelvises just meeting. Duncan tried

staying calm, but his cock refused to get the message. His shaft met Kite’s,
twitched and hardened. Kite shifted his stance, bringing his dick alongside
Duncan’s, and the head of Duncan’s cock pushed downward between Kite’s
thighs, rubbing the underside of Kite’s balls. The soap he’d taken up to wash
Kite slipped from his fingers and landed on the bottom of the tub. He swore.

He started to bend down for it, but Kite held onto him. “Forget it for

now.”

He kissed Duncan, pushing his tongue into his mouth. A surge of anger

rose in Duncan, a determination to leave his own scent in this hot mouth, to
reaffirm Kite belonged to him. He let the kiss go on and parted Kite’s lips to
run his tongue along the inviting recesses. Kite’s body molded to his, and he
ran hands over his hips, around to his ass to bring him closer. When Kite
winced, Duncan jumped back.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s selfish.”
Kite smiled. “I started it. Let’s finish it.”
“No.” Duncan retrieved the soap and thrust it into Kite’s hand. He

averted his gaze from the hard-on the man sported and stepped out of the
shower. “Wash, and call me when you’re done. I’ll help you back to bed.”

He dried off and left the bathroom, intending to get in after Kite was

done and finish his own shower. Sitting on the bed, he listened to Kite’s
movements and shut his eyes. He imagined the man naked with water

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running over his skin and suds making the muscles sleek. Grunting in
frustration, he left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. A snack might
take his mind off sex. After all, it was unfair of him to think of Kite in this
way when John had mishandled him. He deserved better, and Duncan
hurting him further was unacceptable.

After he’d made the sandwich, he let it sit on his plate untouched.

Movement in the bedroom caught his attention, and he put the plate onto a
tray and added a soda from the refrigerator. Shutting off the lights as he
walked through the house, he returned to the bedroom. Kite sat on the side
of the bed. The purple and black bruises on his torso had faded considerably,
and both eyes were open, the swelling minimal. He hadn’t lied about healing
fast, which was a relief.

“I thought you were going to call me to help you.”
“As you can see, I’m much better. Hurts like a bitch, but it doesn’t last.”
Duncan set the tray on the bed. “I’m going to shower. Eat that.”
“Yes, commandant.”
Duncan lingered in the shower. He shut his eyes and dipped his head

beneath the spray. The entire bathroom was lit up with Kite’s scent, and now
aside from just remembering how he felt holding the man, he was consumed
with visions of Kite’s bruises, swollen eye, and the cut on his lip. He’d heard
the grunts of pain when he walked up to the hotel room and kicked himself
for  not  realizing  what  kind  of  man  John  was  the  moment  he  laid  eyes  on
him.  Duncan  would  need  to  report  this  to  the  chief.  He  wouldn’t  like  it,
especially with Kite’s stubbornness for staying put no matter how much the
property  owners  rejected  him.  Thinking  that  way  brought  on  another
consideration. Would Kite leave now that John had found him?

He left the shower and dried off using a towel. His shorts were missing,

but he remembered dropping them right there at his feet. He frowned,
knowing that manipulative idiot had removed them. After encircling his waist
with the towel, he stepped back into his room. Kite stretched out on the bed,
arm behind his head and munching the sandwich. He hadn’t bothered to put
on any clothes or to cover with the sheet. His cock rested on his lower

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stomach, and the bruises were now just red spots. When he caught Duncan
staring, he raised a knee. The movement exposed more of his ass.

Duncan gritted his teeth and charged toward the door. “I’m sleeping on

the couch.”

“Stay with me, Duncan.”
“No.”
He sat up and set the tray aside. Duncan squeezed the doorknob in his

hand because a waft of soap and Kite’s natural male scent teased his nostrils.

“Everything’s straight now. You know the truth about me and Susana, so

you don’t have to feel guilty.”

Duncan glared at him. “It’s all about sex with you, isn’t it?”
“And it’s not with you?” Kite’s gaze lowered. “That towel is about to fall

off you’re so hard.”

“Fuck you.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to get you to do.”
Duncan whirled to face him. “Didn’t tonight mean anything? John beat

you. He’ll probably try it again.”

“You’ll protect me.”
“I’m a werewolf too!”
Kite’s eyes flashed darker. “Are you saying you want to beat me?”
“Of course not.” Duncan ran a hand through his hair. “I know how he

feels.”

“You don’t.”
“I do. We are aggressive, and a gnat can make us fly off the handle. Our

desires require…well, a lover that can take a lot. John went beyond rough sex
to abuse. I don’t condone it, but all you’ve done since you got here is piss me
off, and it’s worse because you don’t care. All you want is a man in your bed.
I’m no different than the next guy.”

Kite stood and approached him. Duncan kept his gaze locked on Kite’s

where it was safe, but Kite touched his chest. His heart hammered under the
large palm, and his cock strained for entry into Kite.

“That’s what this is about, huh? You think I don’t see you as special.”
Duncan sneered. “Don’t be stupid.”

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“You are special.” Kite spun away and pressed his ass into Duncan’s

crotch. Duncan’s mouth watered, and he lost the battle not to look down at
the muscled ass rubbing against him. He followed the curve of Kite’s back
with his eyes, up until he reached the broad shoulders. Kite shifted them. “I
know you wanted to claim me. You want to now, don’t you? Mark me as
yours?”

“Stop. You don’t know what you’re getting into.” Duncan lowered his

head and skimmed his teeth over Kite’s shoulder. He drew back when he
thought he might cut the skin on his canines, but moved in again. His hands
came up to Kite’s waist although he willed them to stay still. A gentle
squeeze, and this time Kite’s cry was nothing but pleasure. “You don’t know
what it means to belong to me.”

He stepped back and then pushed Kite forward until he kneeled on the

bed. Duncan bent over him and kissed his back. He licked and kissed his way
down the smooth, taut surface until he reached Kite’s ass, and then he
moaned and licked at the same time, loving the way Kite tasted. He parted
his cheeks and licked from Kite’s puckered butt hole, up his crack, and then
back down again to suck his entrance for a few wonderful moments.

All the while, Kite moaned and squirmed. He arched his back and

pushed against Duncan’s mouth. Duncan widened his cheeks even more and
explored lower to Kite’s balls. He nibbled the sensitive skin, taking extra care.
A shudder ran from the roots of his hair to his feet. He stood to lay his head
on Kite’s back and shut his eyes to draw in a breath.

“Claiming you makes me responsible for you and means I kill anyone

who lays a hand on you.” Kite murmured something, but Duncan sat up and
jerked him around until he fell on his back. Duncan forced his legs apart and
flattened his weight on his lover. “Damn you, I can’t share you with other
men!”

Kite offered his serene smile. “Of course.”
Duncan snarled in his ear. He laced his fingers with Kite’s and dragged

his arms above his head. He pumped once, twice against Kite’s dick and
rested his lips on Kite’s ear. “If you leave me, I will hunt you down, just like
he did.”

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Now Kite did shiver, and Duncan rose up to look into his eyes. He saw

the sliver of fear in the depths.

“Now you understand. I can’t have sex with you.”
He rose, walked out the door, and slammed it behind him. With a sheet

thrown  over  him,  Duncan  collapsed  on  the  couch,  but  after  tossing  and
turning for an hour, sleep eluded him. He reached beneath the sheet to grab
hold  of  his  cock.  Stroking  it  felt  good,  but  didn’t  alleviate  the  ache.  He
pumped harder and shut his eyes. An image of Kite rose in his mind, and the
pleasure leaped up several levels. Moaning, he arched his hips every time his
hand went down. His core muscles began to contract, squeezing on his balls
to  get  a  release.  He  pumped  faster.  The  orgasm  crested,  and  he  strained
mentally reaching for it. Just once, and he could get some sleep.

“Come on, damn it.”
Nothing.
He stopped and rested then tried several more times. No matter how

hard he tried, his body refused to find satisfaction. At last, he gave up and
slung an arm over his eyes. Exhaustion took hold, and he drifted off.

He didn’t know how long he slept, but the most wonderful feeling woke

him into a darkened room. For a minute, he wasn’t sure where he was. He’d
expected to see the walls of his bedroom, but now he realized he lay on the
couch. The sheet that had covered him hung from a small portion of his
thigh, most of it on the floor, and between his legs crouched Kite, happily
sucking his cock.

“Ah, fuck,” Duncan moaned, “what are you doing?” His climax raged

stronger than it had earlier when he used his hand. Duncan gritted his teeth.
He gripped Kite’s shoulder to push him away, but the noises the man made,
the way his lips wrapped around Duncan’s cock, and his seeming enjoyment
of what he did made it hard to follow through.

Kite leaned away and let Duncan’s cock pop with a wet and sexy noise

from his mouth. “I’m getting you ready.”

Duncan thought he’d pass out. The moonlight surrounded Kite’s head,

making it appear to glow. He reached down and touched his face. How he
wanted him here, but he couldn’t keep him. If he hurt Kite, there would be

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no coming back from it, no recovery, especially if he’d marked the man. To
make  things  worse,  Kite  wasn’t  the  type  to  be  loyal.  At  least  as  far  as  he
could tell. He knew nothing except what Kite shared about his kind. Duncan
hadn’t  seen  much  of  the  world,  but  he  knew  there  were  shifters  out  there
whose makeup did not include mating for life. They had sex drives that took
them  wherever  they  wanted  to  go  and  into  the  beds  of  anyone  willing.  He
couldn’t handle that.

Kite lowered his head and sucked Duncan’s shaft again. Duncan drew in

a sharp breath. He gave Kite a push, and to his relief the man sat back and
straightened. Good. If he hadn’t, Duncan was sure he wouldn’t be able to
deny himself. His cock was tighter than it had been earlier in the night. He’d
have to beat it off, or there would be no sleep. He hadn’t fully formed this
line of thought before the springs of the couch creaked and Kite, with his
back turned, came down on Duncan’s dick.

“Shit, Kite, what the hell. Ah, yes!” He shoved a fist to his mouth and

tried arching away from Kite, but his lover’s ass sank down just as quickly,
forcing Duncan’s cock deeper. Duncan gripped his hips and watched in the
dim lighting as Kite began riding him. “No, no, no, baby no.”

He pleaded, but it felt so good, he couldn’t use any strength to make Kite

get down. Kite bounced up and down his length, grunting his pleasure.
Duncan stared, mesmerized by the movements. He bit into Kite’s sides with
his fingers, and his jaw went slack. Against his will, he began to grind
upward, shoving his cock as far as it would go into Kite’s hole.

The tighter his balls drew, the hungrier he became. He placed one hand

on the couch and raised his hips. Pumping hard and fast, he connected with
each of Kite’s bounces, until their skin slapped together, and the wet, sticky
sounds filled the room. He shouted Kite’s name just before he exploded,
filling his lover with all the come he had to offer.

When he was done, he jerked Kite off his lap and dropped him on the

couch while he stood over him. “You don’t understand anything.”

“I understand everything.”
Duncan bent down so they were face-to-face. “No, you don’t!”

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He dug his claws in Kite’s arms and dragged him close. With one swift

and  precise  movement,  he  sank  his  teeth  into  Kite’s  shoulder  and  drew
blood. The warm, thick liquid ran down between them and filled Duncan’s
mouth.  He  pulled  back  and  licked  the  wound  before  sinking  his  teeth  into
the tender skin a second time. Kite threw his head back and sighed. Duncan’s
wolf  howled  in  delight  and  satisfaction.  A  surge  of  power  rose  up  inside
Duncan.  He  recognized  it  as  the  magic  or  whatever  one  would  call  it  that
from here on out identified Kite as belonging to him—in short, being owned
by him.  By  the  same  token,  he  belonged  to  Kite.  That  fact  could  never  be
escaped, except through death for either one of them.

Duncan raised his head, took hold of Kite’s jaw and covered his mouth

with is own. He parted his lips, and thrust his tongue into Kite’s mouth. Kite
responded, curling his tongue around Duncan’s, and they kissed for a long
time.

At last, Duncan drew back and looked into his man’s eyes. Anger surged

within him. “You’re mine now, and if I ever see you let another man touch
you, he’ll die, and I will beat you.”

Instead of fear, Kite’s gaze glittered with excitement. He nodded.
Duncan picked him up and stomped into the room with him. He

dropped Kite on the bed and followed him down to the mattress. Here the
moonlight lit the room more, so that he caught sight of the wound he’d
made on Kite’s shoulder. His wolf whimpered in pain, and Duncan felt it in
his gut and a clenching ache in his chest. When Kite hurt, he hurt.

Duncan pulled Kite into his arms and licked his wound. He tangled his

fingers in Kite’s hair, and Kite wrapped his arms around his waist. They lay
together, close with no space between them. Duncan rolled over on top of
his lover and almost cried out at how good it felt. He loved the sensation of
having his chest against Kite’s, having him under him at his mercy. Reaching
down between Kite’s legs, he stroked his balls while he continued to kiss his
shoulder. When he raised Kite’s knee, he barreled between his legs, fitting
their crotches together. Kite moaned.

Duncan reached around to his ass and stroked his opening, come coating

Duncan’s fingers. He slipped two digits inside and pumped while he pushed

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in and pulled out. Kite sighed, surrendering to him. Duncan leaned up to
look down at him. Mine. All mine.

“Yes,” Kite moaned. “I need to come.”
Duncan released him but kept his fingers buried. “It’s my job to pleasure

you from now on.”

He scooted down Kite’s body and gobbled his cock. The thick shaft

pulsed in his mouth, and while he sucked every inch so it would slide down
his throat, he finger-fucked Kite’s ass hole. Duncan kept at it, pumping his
mouth in rhythm with his hand. Kite squirmed and pleaded, and Duncan
didn’t back off. Soon Kite shouted loud and harsh. His hips rose up off the
bed, and Duncan’s mouth flooded with the most delicious come he had ever
tasted. He eased back enough to suck and swallow to his heart’s content, and
when he was done, he pulled out of Kite’s ass and climbed up the bed. After
he’d settled into a comfortable spot, he tapped his chest. Kite curled against
him, and they fell asleep together.

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Eden Cole

Chapter Six

Duncan stood in the kitchen doorway watching Kite at the stove

cooking. From the scent of something burning, he didn’t think Kite was very
good at it. He’d called into work to let them know he wouldn’t be in until
early afternoon because he intended to talk to Kite and learn everything he
could about the man’s past. If he had to go to the chief with the fact that
he’d made Kite his mate and that there was an alpha wolf on the hunt for
him, he needed to go with all the facts.

For now though, he settled for striding across the kitchen and standing

behind  Kite.  He  moved  the  bathrobe  he’d  lent  his  lover  to  check  his
shoulder. The wound had healed, but a discoloration remained in the shape
of a crescent moon. The mark would always be there to show he belonged to
Duncan.  While  it  wasn’t  necessary  for  other  wolf  shifters  to  know  he  was
mated, Duncan had been curious if the shape would remain since Kite was
not  like  him.  He  figured  with  his  healing  if  it  was  going  to  disappear,  it
already would have. All the rest of Kite’s sexy body was now blemish free.
No other evidence demonstrated last night’s events.

“You’re already dressed,” Kite complained.
“I still have to go to work.”
Kite faced him with a plate of runny eggs and overcooked meat of some

type. He held it out to Duncan.

“What’s that?” Duncan tried not to cringe.
“You didn’t have sausage, and I saw this meat in the fridge. You’d know

better than I would what it is.”

Duncan took the plate and considered whether Kite was the sensitive

type to have his feelings hurt if he refused to eat. He sat at the table and
peered up at his lover. Kite’s lip twitched, and Duncan frowned. “Are you
laughing at me?”

Kite chuckled. “No, I’m laughing at myself. I attempted the domestic

thing and failed.”

Duncan went still. “Meaning?”

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“Meaning”—Kite kissed his lips—“I won’t be cooking ever again. Either

you do it, or we go out. By the way, I’m starved, always ravenous after sex.”

Duncan sighed in relief. He stood and dumped the food in the trash.

“We can have breakfast at May’s in a little while, but first, we’re not leaving
here until you answer all of my questions. After breakfast I’m taking you to
my alpha, and we’re going to strategize on the best way to handle John. That
is if I still have a pack.”

Kite moved into his arms. “Does he hate me that much?”
“He doesn’t hate you. He thinks you made your money illegally, and he

doesn’t like trouble in our town. You have to admit you did bring it here.”

Kite slumped against the counter and folded his arms over his chest. “I

guess you’re right. I should head back to San Antonio and—”

“What did I tell you last night?” Duncan snapped, panic setting his teeth

on edge.

Kite held up hands in surrender. “I don’t mean forever, bud. Just—”
“No.” Duncan stepped in front of Kite and laced their fingers together.

He  brought  Kite’s  hands  down  to  his  sides  and  held  them  there  while
pressing close to his hard body. The pleasure that radiated up and down his
form  made  him  shiver.  “You’re  not  leaving  Glen  Harbor  without  my
permission,  and  you’re  definitely  not  going  back  to  San  Antonio  without
me.”

“I think I’m my own man and can make decisions for myself.” The

strength in his tone surprised Duncan, but he laughed. Kite seemed startled
that he didn’t get angry at his declaration. “What’s so funny?”

“I didn’t think you’d get it.”
“Get what?” Kite appeared confused.
Duncan released him and walked out of the kitchen. He walked to the

front door, opened it, and stepped out on the porch. The crisp morning air
created white smoke from his breath when he moved. Rather than stand
where he was, he walked down the path toward his truck, but he didn’t get
into the vehicle. Instead he continued past it and strode a short way along the
street. Just as he expected, a few moments later, Kite scrambled after him
and grabbed his hand to pull him back.

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When Duncan turned it was to find Kite half dressed, hopping on one

booted foot while trying to get a sock on the other. His coat hung open, and
his shirt had been hastily buttoned, but it was the wide eyes and weirded out
expression on his face that made Duncan laugh.

“I felt…” Kite began.
Duncan tugged him close and kissed his lips. Now he didn’t care who

knew they were a couple. Kite was all his. At least he’d get May off his back.
In fact, going to the diner this morning with Kite might be the best idea he’d
had.

“When we’re first mated, we can barely stand to be apart more than a

few feet,” he explained.

Kite gaped. “I never heard of that. How long does it last? I don’t want to

be trapped like that, and why were you okay leaving without me?”

Pain tightened in Duncan’s chest at Kite’s assertion. He knew there were

differences in the two of them and how they reacted to being mated, but
most shifters couldn’t bear to live without their mates. At least, that was what
he’d been told. Was the assumption wrong or just with kite shifters?

“I knew what to expect. I endured the overwhelming sense of loss to

demonstrate to you how connected we are. The intensity at this level will
only last two or three days. Then it evens out.

Kite’s expression cleared.
“But,” Duncan emphasized, “it will take a lot longer for us to endure

being states apart. Even if it happened a week from now, unless I gave you
permission, you couldn’t stand it.”

“Meaning you control me now?”
“I’m not going to rule your life, Kite.” He sighed and turned them both

to walk back to the house. “I would think you’d want to be with me. After
all, I didn’t force my mark on you. You wanted it. My question is why? To
use me to protect you from John? If that’s all you wanted, I could have done
that as sheriff not as your lover.”

“It’s not like that.”
“How is it?” Duncan demanded.

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They stepped into the house, and Kite slammed the door behind

Duncan, trapping him against it. Kite moved in and pushed a knee between
Duncan’s  legs,  careful  not  to  bump  his  balls.  When  his  lover’s  mouth
hovered  inches  from  his,  Duncan  parted  his  lips,  allowing  Kite’s  tongue
entry.  They  stood  where  they  were  moaning  and  running  hands  over  each
other’s  bodies.  Duncan’s  cock  battled  for  position  against  Kite’s,  and  he
ached  so  much,  he  wanted  to  strip  and  go  back  to  bed  with  this  hot  man.
They didn’t have time for that. The chief would chew him a new one just for
delaying the report about John.

After a few more blissful minutes in Kite’s arms, Duncan pushed him

back. “The sooner we have our talk and then breakfast, the sooner we can
see the chief.”

Duncan walked over and dropped down on the couch. Kite sat beside

him, his thigh brushing Duncan’s. When Duncan ran his hands over his
slacks, Kite covered one. He appeared jumpy, but Duncan squeezed his
fingers.

“Whatever you tell me, I’m going to be here.”
“Because you have to be.”
“I want to, or I wouldn’t have marked you.”
Kite nodded, but he stood and paced the room, not looking at Duncan.

“Your chief is right. I did make my money illegally.”

Duncan clenched his jaw, but he stayed quiet to allow Kite to tell him

everything.

“I always loved strong, angry men. I guess you can call it a fetish. The

bigger, the better. You saw John. Built like a Mac truck.” The grin on Kite’s
face brought a growl to Duncan’s throat, and Kite chuckled. “Don’t worry. I
don’t want him anymore. I haven’t for a long time. I just found it hard to
break things off, especially since it was him who got me into the business.”

“What business is that?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Duncan didn’t think he did. “I want to know everything.”
“Guns. John was into a little of everything, but I didn’t question him.

The business we did made me a fortune, but Kammie was always on my ass,

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Susana too. There came a time when I wanted out. Maybe I grew a
conscience. I wanted to live more honestly.”

“You’d made your money.”
Kite stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I admit I’ve enjoyed it. Would

you like me to give it all away?”

Duncan stared at him, not sure if he should take the suggestion seriously.

“When you decided you wanted no more of it, then what? Did John accept
that?”

“He didn’t mind me being his kept boyfriend.” Kite ground his teeth,

and Duncan snorted. Even knowing him such a short time, Duncan knew
Kite might not be the dominant in their relationship, but stubborn
independence ran through every bone in the man’s body.

“You take him up on it?”
“I did whatever I wanted until I didn’t want him. I broke it off, and he

had a problem.” When Kite’s voice dropped, dread tightened the muscles in
Duncan’s stomach. His lover continued. “That’s when the real beating
started. He used to be rougher than I liked from the start, but because it was
also good, I didn’t mind. When I tried walking away, he almost killed me. I’m
stubborn. I won’t give in easily, and I didn’t. But…”

“But?” Duncan prodded.
Kite shut his eyes. For the first time, the façade fell away completely. His

shoulders bowed, and his chin dropped to his chest. “He killed my parents
and my little brother. He almost killed Susana, but he let her live. He said if I
left him, he’d make me watch while he did Kammie and Susana, and then I’d
still be his.”

“Motherfucker,” Duncan roared, and he surged to his feet. He crossed

the space between them, and in seconds, he enfolded the man in a tight
embrace and found his mouth. They kissed, desperate and hungry. Kite clung
to him, and Duncan felt Kite’s talons cut into his shirt at the back and tear
his skin, a testament to how much it took for him to admit what happened.
He’d been so casual, so easygoing, and now Duncan realized it had been all
an act.

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After a few moments, he raised his head and rubbed his cheek with

Kite’s. Duncan held onto him, not willing to let him go just yet. “I suppose
the police didn’t get involved?”

Kite’s eyes were shut, but they remained dry. A shudder passed through

him. “No. We’re shifters. We don’t involve authorities unless they’re one of
us. They weren’t in San Antonio.”

He pulled from Duncan’s arms and sat on the couch. Duncan let him

have his space for now.

“Don’t get me wrong. There are other species, and maybe in government

some exist. I don’t know who they are. Not unless I’m close.” He winced
and touched his nose. Duncan nodded. Of course. Kite needed to be in the
same room as a person to know if they weren’t human, not having the sense
of smell a wolf shifter had, and even then, one never knew if any of them
were in John’s pocket. Kite had lost three of his family members, and he
must have felt vulnerable and didn’t want to risk his twin and friend.

“Do you know why he left you last night?”
Kite nodded. “He wanted you. That’s the only explanation I have. Like I

told you, he said he smelled you on me, but he couldn’t take you at the bar.
He said he saw what you feel for me in your eyes, and he was going to make
you suffer first—and me by killing you.”

On some level, Duncan was gratified to know Kite would be hurt if he

was, but he would not let it get to that point. “So you packed up everything
and fled.”

“Not right away. The killings were three years ago.”
Duncan’s eyes widened. “Why so long?”
“He watched every move I made. He kept me close. I had to lull him into

believing I’d never leave him. I squirreled away money in a separate account.
By the way, I’m not as well off as you might think. I got out of the business
and did live as a kept man for a while.” He cringed. “I gave up most of what
I’d made to be free. We weaved all over the country getting here, and I chose
the most unlikely place—Maine. I slept with any man I could on the road to
try to mask my scent with theirs.”

Duncan gasped. “And I called you a whore. I’m sorry.”

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“Don’t worry about it.”
Duncan walked over and sat beside him. He stroked Kite’s face. “I do

worry about it, and you should know I’m going to protect you from here on
out. He won’t live to hurt another person you love. He’ll come after me, and
I’m going to be ready for him.”

Kite kissed him and lay on his chest. “I couldn’t live with myself if

something happened to you because of me.”

I’d rather hear you say you love me. He let that go and stood, pulling Kite with

him. “That’s not going to happen. Let’s get out of here.”

Duncan waited for Kite to finish getting dressed, and they set out. As

usual May’s establishment was full when they walked in, but they had no
trouble finding a table. Duncan flexed his shoulders, feeling eyes on him. He
wasn’t sure if it was because word had gotten around about his defense of
Kite last night or the fact that they had walked in together, Kite so close no
one could mistake their relationship.

Duncan took the seat facing the door and Kite occupied the one across

from him. When May sauntered over, he caught the questioning expression
on her face as she glanced at Kite. “Morning, sheriff. This is our new visitor,
isn’t it? Mr. Dowling?”

“Yes, but you can call me Kite,” his mate supplied and smiled, reaching

over the table to touch Duncan’s hand. May’s eyebrows shot into her
hairline, and Duncan frowned at him, but he didn’t pull away. The excessive
display of prissiness was what he found unnecessary.

May gave a strained smile and poured both of them coffee. Her half-

hearted offer of breakfast made him feel sorry for her. At least now she
could move on though.

“I’ll have bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, and toast, please, May. And

you, Kite?”

Kite ordered the same, and May strode away without another word. Kite

glanced around the diner, nodding to people here and there who
acknowledged him. A few, Duncan noticed, turned their heads as if he didn’t
exist. Just because he was curious, he let the conversation filter into his ears.
As he expected, most were not surprised about his being gay. A few made

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rude comments to their companions, and Duncan snapped his attention back
to Kite. He studied his man’s face and didn’t see signs of strain at all.

He leaned forward. “Do you have sensitive hearing?”
Kite’s cheeks pinked, making Duncan want to kiss him. “No, I’m

ordinary.”

“Except for the flying and healing thing you mean?”
Kite shrugged, and his smile reappeared. Duncan started to think he

might do what it took to keep it on his face, but he reined in his emotions.
Not yet. He would not let himself love Kite until he knew for sure Kite was
in the relationship for the long haul, no matter what the bonding forced onto
him.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter Seven

Kite sat across from Duncan at the diner, his back facing the door. He

knew people were talking about them by the way they stared and because
some turned their heads when he met their gazes. He didn’t care. What he
did pay attention to was Duncan’s expression and how he had reacted to the
information about his past. Kite hadn’t wanted to share in case Duncan
decided he’d made a mistake marking him. He knew enough to know the bite
was for life. John had thrown that in his face from the beginning. He’d said
in no uncertain terms that he would never bond himself with Kite. I don’t give
a fuck about that either because I never loved John. I lusted after him, sure, but love?

In fact, Kite hadn’t been too sure love existed beyond family. Until he

met  Duncan.  The  wolf  shifter  was  a  good  man—sexy  as  hell—but  good.
Still, every time Duncan showed him kindness, it made him draw back a little,
wondering. Then at the next turn, the man changed, and his wolf surfaced.
He grew angry, and his eye color shifted. Kite doubted he knew it happened,
but  Kite  found  it  sexy.  Duncan  got  him  hot  to  be  taken.  When  John  beat
him, he had feared that Duncan would never be rough with him in bed again.
He’d  been  wrong.  Duncan  couldn’t  deny  his  nature.  A  wolf  was  the  only
creature for Kite.

Thinking that way grew his cock as hard as a rock. He considered what it

would take to get Duncan back to his house for a little play before they met
his alpha. In truth, he didn’t want to run into John. The bastard was big, and
he was also an alpha. The fact that Duncan had one meant he wasn’t. That
scared the shit out of Kite. If John killed Duncan… Nausea assailed him,
along with feelings he wasn’t used to. He didn’t like it, so he turned his mind
to other things.

When his food arrived, he tucked into it and ate heartily. Duncan did the

same, and he watched him. Kite liked his hands, the way they moved, and his
lips, especially the thicker bottom one. That wasn’t all, of course.

“Would you stop looking at me as if I would taste better than the food?”

Duncan snapped.

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Kite laughed. “I don’t know what you mean, but come to think of it, you

do taste better than the food.”

He liked the blush on Duncan’s face, too. Something told him Duncan

was no more used to their closeness than he was since he never had a mate.
Duncan took their relationship in stride though because his lover was
comfortable with his sexuality.

“Why did you say you didn’t want anyone knowing about us?”
Duncan’s brows went up, and then a sheepish expression descended over

his features. “I didn’t want it to get back to my alpha. I’m not used to
disobeying him.”

“Would he hurt you?”
When Duncan’s gaze locked onto his, he realized he’d spoken more

sharply than he intended. He shrugged.

“You’re my mate,” Kite explained. “I can’t allow another man to touch

you either.”

“Cute. Don’t worry. He’d be more likely to yell until my ears are sore.

Then again, this is serious business. He won’t like what you’ve brought here,
but he can’t touch you now that we’re mated. Not without hurting me too.
He might kick us out of Glen Harbor, I guess.”

Kite started. “I can’t let that happen.”
“I said I’ll take care of it.”
Kite would have argued more, but Duncan was no longer looking at him.

His entire being had gone still, and he bristled with rage. Kite looked into his
eyes and caught the change in color. They’d gone from hazel to golden in a
flash, and the silver fork in his hand crumpled as if it were made of tin foil,
claws curving out from his fingertips. Kite lurched across the table and
covered his hand. He managed to wrestle the fork away and hid it in his
pocket. “What’s wrong with you?” he whispered.

Duncan didn’t answer, nor acknowledge his existence. He surged to his

feet,  unhooked  the  snap  on  his  hip  holster,  pulled  his  gun  out,  and  fired.
Screams  erupted  around  the  room,  and  tables  and  chairs  overturned  as
people  tried  to  escape  the  immediate  area.  Kite  stood  and  whirled  to  see
what  Duncan  had  shot  at,  even  as  his  lover  took  aim  again.  Another  man

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rushed up to him and covered his hand, forcing the gun down. Kite gripped
the back of the chair, his fingers going numb. John stood just feet away, arms
folded over his chest and a grin making his once handsome face ugly.

“Misfire,” the man said, who had shoved Duncan’s hand down and dug

fingers into his shoulder. “This is a suspect in an ongoing investigation in
Texas. We’re taking him in to the station for questioning. Sorry for the
disturbance, folks.”

Kite figured out the older man, not as tall or stocky as Duncan but with a

definite air of authority, was Duncan’s alpha. He peered meaningfully at the
three of them and nodded toward the door.

“Let’s go. Now!”
The chief released Duncan, but his mate didn’t holster his weapon. John

walked ahead to the door and then the chief, followed by Duncan and Kite.
They left Duncan’s truck in the parking lot to take the chief’s SUV. Duncan
moved up to jerk the passenger front door open and shoved John into it. He
opened the back door and waited for Kite to slide in before he joined him.
The chief drove. Their arrangement seemed odd to Kite, but then he realized
Duncan wouldn’t allow John near him. From the way he stared at the back of
John’s head, Duncan wouldn’t let his ex out of his sight.

“What the fuck were you thinking, McGregor?” the chief growled.

“Firing into that crowd, unprovoked.”

“I thought I saw a gun,” Duncan pushed between clenched teeth.
“This is me you’re talking to. Sell that bullshit to someone who doesn’t

know you.” His alpha stared daggers at him through the rearview mirror as
he drove. “I assume you’re the fucker who had the confrontation with
Duncan last night?”

“Good to meet you,” John answered. “You’ll pardon me if I don’t shake

your hand right now. Not feeling too charitable with your boy shooting at me
and all. Is this how you welcome strangers to Maine?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know a lot more than you think.” He met

Duncan’s gaze in the mirror again. “I was waiting for a report.”

Duncan said nothing, and Kite marveled at how news traveled so fast in

a small town.

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“We’re taking this conversation to my cabin. We can’t afford to have our

business out in front of humans. Any objections?”

No one complained, and they took an exit off the main road and ended

up speeding along the highway. Kite glanced over at Duncan. He was pretty
sure his lover hadn’t seen a gun in John’s hand. He’d reacted too quickly, and
using a gun wasn’t John’s style. Duncan had thought only of killing him.
Knowing how protective Duncan was of him warmed Kite all over, but he
worried too for Duncan’s safety.

Thirty minutes later they arrived at their destination, back in the woods

away from the road. There would be no witnesses. The cabin turned out to
be a one-story building, built of logs with small square windows, four at the
front and four on the side Kite could see. The place was sizable, he gathered.
They started toward the entrance when Kite heard the snap of a twig. He
turned, shocked when several wolves began arriving from the trees. How had
they known? He peered ahead of the group to the chief and wondered if
maybe he had abilities Kite never fathomed. Maybe he texted the group, and they
all left their jobs or wherever they were to run here in wolf form.

Once they were inside, the wolves sat in various corners, alert and

watching John as if looking for an excuse to attack him. Moisture broke out
on his ex-boyfriend’s forehead, and Kite had to admit he liked John sweating
and nervous for a change.

“So we’re going to have a group takedown, huh?” John asked, his smile

wavering.

“Not at all,” the chief answered. “You’re going to answer to me.”
“No,” Duncan interrupted and stepped forward, “he’ll answer to me. It’s

my right.” All eyes shifted to Kite, but Duncan went on, recapturing their
attention. “Kite and I are mated. Last night he attacked my mate, so I get to
kill him. End of discussion.”

A few of the wolves stood and paced. Some whined, but none

approached John. They all appeared to wait for orders. Duncan too flexed
his hands, ready. John, with a show of bravado, unfolded his arms for the
first time, and Kite gasped.

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“I reckon if we’re going to have a man-to-man fight—or wolf-to-wolf if

you prefer—you won’t mind if I take care of a little business first.”

They all stood there in silence, Kite imagining they shared his horror,

while John removed his coat and then his shirt to uncover his chest and abs.
Rock hard muscles that were all too familiar to him were covered in blood.
Duncan’s gun hadn’t misfired at all. In the instant the chief grabbed
Duncan’s weapon, John had crossed his arms to cover up the injury. The
hole, inches away from his chest, oozed thick, red liquid, and he dug into it
with his forefinger and thumb, searching.

“Fuck,” the chief muttered. He ran a hand over his head that was balding

on top. “Maybe we should—”

“What?” Duncan sneered. “Take him to the hospital? Doctor him up

right here so he can live?”

“Got it.” John held up the slug, panting, his face and neck glistening with

sweat. He scrubbed an arm over his face and swayed a moment on his feet.
No one moved. Kite watched as the skin around the hole began to knit
together. This was the healing ability of the wolf shifter, far more advanced
than his kind. How would Duncan take him?

Kite moved next to Duncan and touched his arm. “Don’t do this.”
Duncan frowned at him. “Don’t you have confidence in me?”
“I do.” He looked at John. “But I know him, and he plays dirty.”
“I’m not the one that pulled a gun instead of fighting like the beasts we

are,” John quipped.

“You should have left well enough alone, John,” Kite said. “I told you I

didn’t want to be with you anymore. You should have accepted that.”

“You leave when I say you leave. Not a second before. After I finish with

this shit, I’m going to punish you for running away. Then I’m going after
your sister and her whore.”

Kite didn’t know who attacked first—whether it was him or Duncan. All

he knew was that he landed a blow in John’s face and knocked him back a
step. The next instant, Duncan’s fist impacted, and the sound of cracking
bones followed. John took it all and laughed. He grabbed Kite and threw him
backward. Kite smashed into the wall, his elbow shattering one of the front

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windows. He shook off the pain and started out again, but Duncan roared
for him to stop. Kite froze. He didn’t mean to, but some deep-seated instinct
or a new part of his nature kicked in, and he found it difficult not to obey.
When he tried, his stomach churned and he thought he’d throw up. He
forced one foot in front of the other, walking like a damn robot and making
slow progress.

The wolves circled the ongoing fight. First Duncan landed on the floor

with John on top. Then Duncan landed a blow on the side of John’s head
and knocked him sideways. With the temporary stun, he managed to get to
his knees and wrap an arm around John’s throat. The two of them toppled
back down to the floor, John red in the face. He might heal fast, but the loss
of blood had weakened him a bit. If Duncan could finish him off before his
body made more, this nightmare would be over.

John broke free. One minute Kite thought his lover would win. The next

he took a punch to the gut that bent him in half. John used his advantage to
bring his elbow down on the back of Duncan’s head. Duncan crashed to the
floor, and when John dragged him up, blood covered his face.

“No!” Kite leaped forward, but the chief grabbed his arm to jerk him

back. Kite rounded on him. “Let go, damn it. I have just as much right to
fight him. He killed my family.”

“Maybe so, but Duncan told you to stay out of it. He’s doing it for you.”
“I didn’t ask him.”
“Didn’t you?” the chief snapped. “What did you come here for?”
“To get away.”
“Or you heard there are wolf shifters here, and you needed a wolf to beat

a wolf.”

Kite fell silent. He spun to face the fighters and caught Duncan looking

at him and knew he’d heard what the chief said. Kite opened his mouth to
protest,  but  John’s  fist  smashed  into  Duncan’s  jaw  and  sent  him  careening
against  the  side  window.  Instead  of  just  hitting  into  it,  Duncan  crashed
through  and  fell  backward  through  the  opening.  He  landed  on  the  ground
outside, and John climbed out after him.

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Kite didn’t think twice. He shifted, and his clothes slid onto the floor as

he took flight through the window. In this form, he was at his freest, and the
weight lifted that had kept him almost immobile in the cabin. He circled in
the air and looked down to see John punching Duncan in the face, and
Duncan close to unconscious. Kite was not one of the raptor type of birds
for nothing. He swooped down, stretching out his talons. They ripped into
John’s back, and he screamed, waving his arms. Kite flew out of reach and
descended again. He attacked over and over, gouging at John in every spot
he could without getting cuffed by the man’s mighty fists.

His luck held long enough to draw John away from Duncan, but then

John shifted, his bones snapping and popping as he changed. He fell onto all
fours, a hulking giant of a wolf with black eyes and blacker fur. He leaped
higher than Kite expected, and Kite found himself in the jaws of his enemy.
The bite tore his wing so he couldn’t fly, and he fell to the earth.

John howled in joy and stalked him, following as Kite hobbled away, his

head spinning from the pain. He willed his healing to kick in, but it would
take a lot longer than the time he had before John pounced.

Somewhere nearby, the chief spoke, but Kite wasn’t sure where. He’d

lost his bearings and didn’t know if he moved closer to the cabin or farther
away.

“Get up, Duncan,” the chief encouraged him. “Are you going to let him

kill your mate?”

A few barks from the other wolves joined into the call. If they were so

concerned about him, why the hell didn’t they jump into the fight? He hated
them all—except Duncan. He lay on the ground possibly dying because of
him. The chief had been right. He had sought out this particular area because
he knew the wolves were there. He hadn’t wanted to tell Duncan all the
truth.

John reached him and stepped on his broken wing, which dragged the

ground. At the wrench in the joint, Kite shrieked in pain, his high-pitched cry
piercing the air. He tried to pull free, but it was hopeless, and standing while
attacking with his talons wasn’t possible. Stabs with his beak might have
done damage if he could clear his head of the fog.

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“Duncan,” the chief shouted once again. “Did you forget? You’re a

fucking alpha! Get on your feet and kill this bastard!”

The words shocked Kite and must have done the same to John. He

stopped snapping at Kite and turned his head toward the last place they’d
both seen Duncan—beneath the window on the ground. He wasn’t there. A
flash of movement, a growl, and then Duncan in wolf form drove John into
a tree. One bite tore into John’s throat, and the wolf howled in pain. John
thrashed, struggling for his life, but Duncan stayed on him, driven to end the
fight once and for all. In a last ditch effort, John brought his hind legs up and
shoved hard at Duncan, but Duncan held on. They both fell to the ground
and rolled. Duncan lost his grip, but before he could get back on his feet,
John had disappeared into the trees.

“Find him,” the chief shouted, and the wolves around him sprang into

action.

Duncan stood on trembling legs and shook his head. The burst of

adrenaline must have passed for the moment. Kite made an involuntary noise
when Duncan started to give chase as well. His mate turned to Kite, and in a
flash he shifted and crumpled to a knee to scoop Kite into his arms.

“No, no, no, please no,” he begged as he stood and held Kite close to his

chest. “This is my fault. I should have handled him. Shift, baby.”

He carried Kite into the cabin and farther to a bedroom. When he laid

him on the bed, Kite managed to shift into his human form. He gritted his
teeth as the pain shot through his arm, shoulder, and every other part of his
body. Duncan hovered, his eyes full of worry despite how wrecked he looked
himself.

“I’m okay,” Kite pushed between his teeth. “It’s just broken.”
Duncan touched his forehead to Kite’s. “I’m going to find him and kill

him.”

He tried to move away, but Kite caught his hand. “Not now. You need

to heal.”

“He’s worse off than I am. I got a good bite from his neck.”
Kite tried to sit up, but Duncan forced him down. “Did you see how he

dug that bullet out? Didn’t cry out, even when he got shot. Just folded his

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arms. I don’t want you to face him alone. Give me a little time, and my arm
will mend.”

“For you that will take more than a day,” the chief said from the

doorway. He tossed clothing onto the bed. “The two of you get dressed.
You’re out of this fight. I’ll handle it from here.”

“No!” Duncan stood. “I owe him—”
“You owed him a beating. You gave it to him. Now we’ll wrap it up. I

don’t need a rogue wolf running around Glen Forest. We did this fair
according to pack rules. Now we do it my way.”

The chief disappeared, and Kite turned back to Duncan. He reached out,

and Duncan held his hand. They laced fingers, and Duncan leaned down to
kiss him. For a long while, they explored each other’s mouths—tender
because Duncan’s face still healed.

When they broke apart, Kite looked away. He knew he had to be honest,

something he should have been from the beginning. “You heard what the
chief said, right? About why I came here?”

Duncan took his time answering, and Kite looked at him. Duncan’s

expression was blank, and he stared out the window. Kite blew out a breath.
He hated the feelings washing over him at that moment, feelings of pain that
had nothing to do with his injury. Hurting Duncan felt like it would kill him.
Lying to him would hurt him, but perhaps telling the truth—all of it—would
heal the pain.

“I…he spoke the truth,” Kite admitted. “Just like the chief checked my

background, I did some research too. I knew of several packs in the United
States. This one is known for producing alphas. That’s what I needed, and
Maine’s pack was the farthest from San Antonio. I’m sorry, Duncan. I used
you, but I never meant to hurt you.”

“You knew I was alpha?” Duncan spoke in a monotone but didn’t meet

his gaze.

“No, I had no idea. I’d heard there were two, warring for dominance.”
“Three,” Duncan corrected. “The chief, myself, and my brother Iain. But

we weren’t warring, at least not anymore. I chose to submit to the chief. Iain
chose to leave. Before that, they fought like the animals they are. I’m not

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surprised you heard of them. When he left, I didn’t know what I’d do. Iain
thought I would go with him, and he lost respect for me because I submitted.
Glen Harbor is my home and always will be. That was my choice. Just as my
brother made his.”

He pulled his hand from Kite’s grasp and stood. Kite’s breath lodged in

his throat. The emotions grew worse, and he struggled to make sense of
them.

“There’s only one alpha here,” Duncan announced, “and you got what

you wanted. He’s gone off to kill John. Your family will be safe, and don’t
worry. Like I said, in a couple of days the desperate need to be in the same
room with me at all times will ease. I give you my permission to live
anywhere you want after that. I hope…I hope you’ll be happy.”

He grabbed a pair of pants and moved toward the door. Kite called out

after him. “And what if I want to live with you in your tiny house for the rest
of my life?”

Duncan stopped with his back to him. “Don’t play games with me,

Kite.”

“Is it a game to tell you I love you?”
His mate spun around to face him, eyes wide and hopeful.
Kite swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. He held his arm

close to his side and ignored the wave of nausea from the pain. On his feet,
he moved toward Duncan, and his lover met him more than halfway across
the floor. He leaned on Duncan’s chest. “I mean it.”

“Kite.” Duncan’s voice held a shudder.
“Look at me being selfish as usual.” Kite stepped back. “You’re in more

pain than I am.”

“Fuck pain.” Duncan jerked him into his hold. Kite’s breath left his chest

in a burst, and spots danced before his eyes because of his shoulder, but he
laughed. That was Duncan. He wrapped an arm about Kite’s waist, tight as if
he’d never let go. “Say it again.”

“Say what?” Kite teased.
Duncan kissed him, a hungry, desperate kiss that arrowed down to his

soul and hardened his dick on the way back. With his good hand, Kite

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clutched Duncan. He didn’t want to let go either. Would it be different when
the initial days were over? Would he still love Duncan with the intensity he
experienced now?

He looked into Duncan’s eyes. “I love you, Duncan. I came for the

wrong reasons, but I’m going to stay for the right ones. If you’ll let me, that
is.”

“Definitely, stay.” Duncan whooped like a cowboy, making Kite chuckle.
“Can we go home?” Kite suggested. “I think what you need here is a

shifter who is part doctor part vet.”

Duncan’s happiness disappeared to be replaced with his worry. “Of

course. We’ll take the chief’s SUV. He can get back on his own.”

Kite laughed as he climbed into the vehicle. “You’re not so much the

obedient pup anymore, are you?”

Duncan frowned. “I’m not a pup. And Iain was the doctor.”
“Really? That’s interesting.” Kite wondered what his brother was like and

where he’d disappeared to. He’d heard a tinge of sadness in Duncan’s voice
when he talked of his brother, but acceptance as well.

They sped down the road toward home, and Kite shut his eyes. A

thought occurred to him, and he popped forward. “My sister and Susana! We
need to check on them and make sure John didn’t double back over there.”

Duncan nodded. “We’ll head that way first, and I’ll get a couple of guys

to keep constant watch until we catch John.”

Kite settled back. He reached his good arm across to rest a hand on

Duncan’s thigh. The corded muscle twitched beneath his touch, producing
an answering shift in his own pants. After he knew his family was safe, all he
wanted was to settle in Duncan’s arms and get some rest. He hoped soon
this nightmare would be over, and he could learn what it meant to be another
man’s permanent mate.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter Eight

“Why can’t we fucking find him?” Duncan roared.
Kite tossed the sheet covering him aside and rose from the bed. He

wrapped his arms around Duncan’s waist from behind and smoothed his
hands over his lover’s chest. “Easy, we’ll find him. He’s just holed up
somewhere licking his wounds.”

Duncan glared over his shoulder at him. “It’s been a week. If your arm

healed, then he should be as good as new. I can’t help feeling like he’s just
waiting to get the drop on us when we least expect it.”

“If that were true, you’d smell him in the vicinity. I think he’s left

Maine.” He backed up and held up his hands. “Whoa, don’t attack me. I’m
just saying we’ve had two snowstorms in the last week. I thought I was going
to freeze to death out there. Maybe John feels the same way.”

Duncan snorted and swung to face him. His pants hung open so the

bulge behind his boxers was clearly defined. He wore no shirt, just like Kite
loved. “You’ve hardly left the house.”

“You’re complaining?” Kite quipped. “Besides, I followed you to work

most of the week. You were wrong on the closeness just being three days, by
the way.”

“No, I was right. You’re just…”
Kite raised an eyebrow, and Duncan grinned.
“…in love.”
Kite spun back to the bed and dropped onto it. He stretched out and

tucked his hands behind his head, pretending not to notice how Duncan
checked him out. He wasn’t the only one in love, but Duncan hadn’t said it.
That hurt.

Duncan sat beside him and rested a hand on his abs. Kite covered it and

laced his fingers with Duncan’s. He massaged a small area of his lover’s skin
with his thumb and watched as his cock rose. Duncan saw it too and stared,
mesmerized. When he licked his lips, Kite knew he had him.

“Stay longer. You’ve got time,” he suggested. “My cock is so tight, and

I’m getting blue balls.”

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Duncan laughed. “I don’t know how. We’ve fucked every day.”
“Once. I don’t like this work thing with you.”
“You sound like a petulant child.”
Kite sneered and narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t want to satisfy me, I’m

sure I can find another man with a big dick.”

He should have known when he said it, it was a mistake. He’d been angry

and only wanted to get back at Duncan for controlling their sex schedule.
What he had forgotten was Duncan’s bitter jealousy and the possibility that
his insecurities about Kite’s faithfulness might not be dead yet.

Duncan reached for him, but he rolled to the floor and landed on one

knee. His lover sprang from the bed, coming at him, but Kite darted toward
the door. He didn’t get within a foot of it before Duncan captured him and
thumped him, hands up against the wall. Duncan followed close behind and
trapped him there, breath hot on his neck. His anger palpable, he made
sounds of fumbling with his pants and dragging them down.

“Duncan,” Kite began, but the wolf’s growl silenced him.
His mate stuffed two fingers into Kite’s mouth. “Suck them now!”
Kite did as he was commanded. He knew he had the strength to fight

Duncan, at least give him a run for his money, but that would mean more
pain, maybe more than he could handle. He liked where they were now, fear
churning in his belly, and excitement too.

“You want it?” Duncan demanded. “I will fuck you until you plead for

me to stop.”

He pulled the fingers from Kite’s mouth, dripping with wetness, and

thrust  them  into  his  ass.  Kite  cried  out  in  pain  and  ecstasy.  He  tried
spreading  his  legs  to  get  his  ass  to  open  more,  but  Duncan  blocked  his
movements  with  the  toe  of  each  foot  on  the  outside  of  Kite’s.  Clearly,
Duncan wanted it tight and painful.

Just two stabs of Duncan’s fingers preceded the invasion of his fat cock.

Kite curled his fingers into his palms and panted. He dipped his head and
shut his eyes. “Duncan.”

His lover covered his hand but didn’t lace fingers with him. He pounded

into Kite’s rear, unmerciful in his force. Kite went onto his toes and stuck his

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ass out to try to loosen up. Duncan drove him closer to the wall, pounding
his dick into him over and over. After a while, he released one of Kite’s
hands and grabbed for Kite’s cock. He stroked it fast and squeezed it at the
base.

Kite groaned. His orgasm began to build from his nuts. The intensity

increased, along with the pain. He struggled for a breath, and a lump rose in
his throat. When he exploded, Duncan did as well, emptying himself in Kite’s
body and then jerking out so he spattered the rest on Kite’s ass cheek.

Duncan stepped back. Kite’s legs gave, and he sank to the floor.
“Look what you made me do,” Duncan murmured. “I have to change my

clothes.”

Kite glanced up to the spot of come on Duncan’s pants. His cock hung

limp in front of him, a drip of come on the tip. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever threaten me again with another lover.”
He nodded, saying nothing, and Duncan walked to the closet then to the

bathroom. A few moments later, he heard the shower go on, and after that,
Duncan returned dressed for work. The entire time, Kite hadn’t moved.
Duncan stopped in front of him and squatted, his forearms resting on his
thighs.

He reached out and stroked Kite’s hair and then his face. “You deserve

better than me. I keep punishing you for being what you are.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was angry, and I provoked you.”
“No excuse.”
“I came because I like the way you fuck me.”
They met eye to eye, Kite refusing to look away. Duncan cupped his face

with both hands and kissed him. He drew back, and they both stood. When
Duncan would have moved to the door, Kite held onto his hand to stop him.

“Baby, I have to go.”
“I know. I just wanted to say…” He hesitated and then plunged ahead.

“You’ve got to learn to trust me. I want you. I mated with you and nobody
else. You keep thinking this is one-sided, like you’re bound to me, but you
forget I’m bound to you too. And I’m the one that said I love you. Not you.”

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He waited for Duncan to respond, but he turned and strode out the

door. Kite walked to the bed and leaned on the footboard, squeezing with all
his might. The wood groaned beneath his hold, and he bowed his head,
waiting for the hurt to pass.

* * * *

Duncan sat at his desk replaying the morning’s argument and his reaction

to Kite over and over in his head. He’d hurt him. He knew that by the look
on Kite’s face as he left. He also knew he’d been too rough, too mean. Why
couldn’t he just care for Kite, love him and accept that they were together
forever,  and  that  Kite  was  happy  about  it?  When  Kite  accused  him  of  not
saying  he  loved  him  back,  he’d  shouted  the  words—in  his  head.  Yet,  he
couldn’t  push  that  one  sentence  past  his  lips.  To  do  so  would  make  him
vulnerable,  and  that  made  no  sense  at  all,  given  he  was  pretty  sure  Kite
already knew he loved him.

Kite.
“Are you listening, sheriff?” The older woman had been telling him

about her son and the trouble she had with him. Or was it her cat?

“Yes, of course, Mrs. Jones. If you’ll just talk to my deputy, he’ll—”
“Are you brushing me off as unimportant? Because I will tell you my

taxes pay your salary.”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.”
She droned on some more. Maybe he should get Kite a ring to symbolize

what they meant to each other. He could have it engraved with the words.
No, Kite would never go for that, and wasn’t it silly given the permanent
mark he had put Kite’s shoulder? Sex with Kite tempted him beyond
measure, and because of that he had kept their activities down to once a day.
He was too rough with Kite, and every time he was, he reminded himself of
John, which tore him apart. How could they go on this way, especially with
Kite wanting more? Hell, he wanted more.

Either way, he needed to make up for that morning. Perhaps flowers and

an apology. Therapy is what I need.

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He scowled, and Mrs. Jones drew back, her veiny hand fluttering to her

mouth. He bit off a swear. “I can go and have a talk with your son, Mr.
Jones, and see if I can get him to understand your concerns.”

She blinked at him. “Why would you do that?”
A nerve pulsed in his temple. He opened his mouth to respond when the

door burst open. Surging to his feet in relief, he paused when he realized it
was Kammie. “What is it?”

From the pallor of his lover’s twin, he knew something was wrong. She

cast a frightened glance to the woman sitting behind his desk, and Duncan
fairly dragged Mrs. Jones to the door and propelled her through it.

“Josh,” he barked, “get someone to help Mrs. Jones. Now!” With those

instructions, he slammed the door in both of their faces and turned back to
Kammie. “Talk.”

“I hoped he was here,” she said, panting. “My brother was here all the

other days.”

Dread formed a knot in Duncan’s throat, making it hard to speak. “Kite

should be home where I left him, and I have a man watching him whenever I
can’t be there.”

She nodded dumbly, and he wanted to shake her to force her to get to

the point. Fuck it. He slid his cell from his pocket and started to punch in
Kite’s number. Kammie covered his hand. “I went to see him. Your man is
dead, and Kite is gone. I checked the area from the air, but I couldn’t find
him.” Tears filled her eyes. “I hoped you had taken him with you before your
man…”

“You should have called me!”
He wrenched the door open and ran out into the front office, past Mrs.

Jones and Josh and out to the street. For all of two seconds, he wondered if
Kite  had  left  him  but  dismissed  the  thought.  Kammie’s  speed  had  to  be
commended  when  she  hopped  in  through  the  passenger  side  of  his  truck
while  his  wheels  still  spun  in  the  slush  that  was  left  of  the  snow.  Minutes
later, having broken the speed limit and risked countless lives, he pulled up to
his  property  and  threw  the  truck  in  park.  His  feet  scarcely  hit  the  ground
before he shifted, praying no one happened to be around to see him do it at

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two in the afternoon. Tearing through the deeper snow around his house, he
picked up Calvin’s scent, the guy he’d sent to watch Kite. Calvin, not an
alpha, was at least a strong wolf, and Duncan had hoped he’d be a deterrent
to John’s attack. He’d been wrong. He should have kept Kite at his side
instead of turning away from him.

The body lay deep in the trees where no one would have seen or heard

him go down. Duncan peered up at the sky and noted the very small opening
among the treetops. Kites had good eyesight for Kammie to have spotted
Calvin.

He circled the body sniffing the ground. Just as he’d suspected, John’s

scent stood out, and when he traced it to a trail leading back toward his
house, he picked up Kite’s as well. Duncan took off running again. He didn’t
stop even when his chest burned, and his throat felt like someone stabbed it
with a knife. Miles fell behind him, but he continued to track Kite and John.
When he came to a break in the trees that opened to a road, his heart broke.
Tire tracks disturbed the snow at the roadside, but they weren’t fresh.

He checked for oncoming traffic, and when he found none, he darted

across the road. Up and down he ran, and just when he was ready to admit
that  perhaps  John  had  had  a  vehicle  waiting  and  finding  Kite  might  take
much longer than a few hours, he picked up the scent again. He tore off, and
soon  the  trail  warmed.  Kite’s  scent  grew  stronger.  The  farther  he  ran,  the
more  sure  he  was  that  he  would  find  his  mate.  The  question  was,  in  what
condition?

If John has harmed a hair on his head, he’ll die slow and painful.
He would still die for taking Kite in the first place, but if he hurt Kite,

Duncan had no problem forgetting his sworn duty to uphold the law and
torturing the man. The second, more important vow he made as he ran was
that he would tell Kite he loved him.

Like the night he’d hunted for Kite, his feet were frozen by the time he

reached the cabin. He didn’t know the place was back there. Then again, why
should he know? He’d spent his life in Glen Harbor, happy there and
needing nothing and nowhere else. Now he needed Kite, and he hoped with
everything inside him his mate was okay.

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When he rounded the corner of the small building and the front door

came into view, it opened, and John stood in the entry grinning. He gave a
small bow and gestured for Duncan to come inside.

“Welcome to the party.”
Duncan eased past him still in wolf form but kept an eye on his enemy.

He scanned the interior of the cabin and noted it wasn’t much more than a
hunting box with minimal furniture, a roaring fireplace, and Kite tied up and
gagged in a corner. Duncan growled in rage, and turned on John, but the
bastard moved like lightning to Kite’s side. He held a knife to Kite’s throat,
and Duncan thought he’d vomit from the fear that churned in his belly. He
stood where he was, growling and pinning John with a stare he hoped
conveyed what he intended to do to him.

John chuckled. “Such hate in those eyes, Duncan. I was thinking you’re

pretty sexy. Kite’s done well for himself. Maybe I’ll break you in and let Kite
watch. Bet you never had it in the ass, huh?” He patted the front of his jeans.
“I’m pretty big, but you could handle it.”

Fuck you!
John laughed again as if he heard the thoughts rolling through Duncan’s

mind. Then he grew serious. “You and I are going to have a little fight where
no one can interfere, especially not the birdie here.” He tapped Kite on the
head, a hit that was too rough and made Kite wince.

Duncan crouched low and bared his teeth. That single strike is all you get.

You’re done.

“Then I’m going to kill you and take Kite back to San Antonio where he

belongs. Of course Kammie and her bitch will have to die because I want
Kite to myself. No more running away. I’ll have to break him real good this
time. Make sure it sticks.”

Duncan shifted to his human form and kept one knee on the floor. He

touched down the fingertips of one hand and stared straight at his mate.
“Kite.”

Kite, who had flipped out at the announcement that John intended to kill

his family and was struggling against his bonds, quit moving and looked at

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Duncan. The hurt and loss in his eyes robbed Duncan of what he’d intended
to say, but then he remembered his vow to himself and to his man.

“I love you, Kite—with all my heart. I love you.”
The uncertainty, the fear, the pain, everything that had been in Kite’s

expression melted away, and Duncan realized his went as well. He loved
Kite, and he’d said it. The words seemed like the most natural thing in the
world for him to say. He didn’t know where his fears originated from, except
for maybe the fact that his brother had left when he needed him. None of
that mattered at this moment. All he focused on was saving Kite and
spending his life with him.

Duncan switched his gaze to John and turned from loving to intent to

kill. He flared his nostrils and clenched his jaw. “Let’s go.”

John tossed the knife away, and they leaped at each other, shifting as they

flew. Duncan caught John in the chest with his front paws and gave a mighty
push. John thumped so hard against the unyielding wooden walls that bone
crunched somewhere inside him. Not pausing for a second to draw a breath,
Duncan  was  on  him.  The  sooner  he  ended  this  nightmare  the  sooner  he
could untie Kite and take him home. Biting and clawing, Duncan went after
his opponent, but John knew better this time not to let him get to his throat.
He  seemed  to  do  more  protecting  himself  against  Duncan  than  he  did
attacking,  but  none  of  it  mattered  to  Duncan.  He  knew  who  he  was.  He
knew he loved his man, and his man loved him.

When they separated momentarily, Duncan shifted to his human form.

John came at him, leaping through the air. Duncan caught him by the throat
with one hand, squeezed, and pounded him down to the floor. John wiggled
in his hold, eyes bulging. He growled like a rabid dog and fought for all he
was worth. Duncan felt the pull in his biceps and strained to maintain
control. John was bigger, but he wouldn’t lose. Not again.

John sank his teeth into Duncan’s wrist, and he shouted in pain. He

tangled his fist in the fur at the back of John’s head and pulled. John bit
down harder, and this time, the bone snapping was Duncan’s own. He
gasped, his vision blurring. No, he couldn’t give in. He had to focus for Kite.

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Duncan clenched his jaw and ignored the agony in his wrist. He used the

bite that John intended to crush his arm and heaved upward until John’s
head rose off the floor. In a risky move, Duncan dropped behind him so he
lay on his back, and wrapped his other arm around John’s neck. With all his
strength, he pulled and squeezed. The resistance was like breaking a boulder
with one arm. His energy waned, but he redoubled his efforts, and then John
gagged. His bite grew weak. Duncan knew he had him. With a forceful twist,
he snapped the bastard’s neck. John’s entire body went limp, and Duncan
dropped him.

He scooted out from under the dead weight and stood on shaky legs to

rush to Kite. After removing the gag, he raised his lover’s head with a gentle
touch and kissed his lips. Kite pushed his tongue between Duncan’s lips, and
Duncan sucked it, moaning. He drew back with reluctance.

“Let me get you out of that.” He retrieved the knife and began sawing on

the thick rope. Soon the pieces fell away, and he dragged Kite into his arms.
“Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine, but forget about him. What did you say before?”
Duncan grinned. “You heard me.”
Kite stood up. “I don’t know. That rope might have cut off my hearing.

It was pretty tight, and you know the gag was pretty high on the side of my
head…”

Duncan burst out laughing. His arm was killing him, but he had no

problem repeating the words Kite needed to hear. “I said I love you, Kite.”

Kite threw his arms around Duncan’s neck, and Duncan winced. Kite

seemed to ignore his sore muscles. “That’s what I thought.”

Duncan kissed his lover a few times before he turned back to the body.

“I need clothes.”

Kite nodded toward a dresser Duncan hadn’t paid much attention to.

“He has some stuff in there. I think this is where he was. I’m guessing your
people didn’t search this far.”

“No, they didn’t. Tell me. How did he get you here?”
“Susana.”

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“Wait a minute. What?” Duncan blinked at him. “I tracked you all the

way from my house. I came across a road, but there were no fresh tire tracks
to indicate you got in a car. I picked up your scent again on the other side.”

Kite sighed and pulled Duncan over to the couch, and they sat down.

“Susana called me out of the house. She was the one who tricked me into
getting into the car with her, and she gave me something that put me out for
a while—just long enough for John to lure you to this cabin, using my scent,
which he planted by the way.”

Duncan thought this over and realized he had ignored the tire tracks in

his drive because he’d assumed that was Kammie, who had discovered her
brother missing. Now he realized Kammie must have flown to see her
brother, something they were both apparently prone to do, day or night,
leaving changes of clothing at each destination.

“Why would she betray you—betray Kammie?”
Kite climbed onto his lap, a bulky but nice fit, and cradled Duncan’s

injured  arm.  “Because  she  wants  Kammie.  John  bragged  when  I  woke  up
that  he  had  promised  her  to  take  me  away,  and  she  could  stay  here  or  do
whatever  she  wanted  with  Kammie.  He  would  make  sure  I  never  saw  my
sister  again.  Susana  wanted  Kammie  to  be  her  mate,  but  Kammie  always
insisted Susana’s not her mate. I thought she was still too afraid to come out.
She’d always hated for people to know her preference.”

“Well, she’s going to have to do without Susana now,” Duncan said.
Kite spun to face him, both wrenching his arm and grinding his ass

wonderfully into Duncan’s crotch. “You don’t mean you’re going to kill her?
Duncan, she was just weak and stupid. I don’t think she meant me any real
harm, and she does love Kammie.”

“No one hurts you and gets away with it.”
“Let’s talk about this.”
Duncan put him off his lap and stood up. “We can talk all you like.” He

crossed to the dresser and found clothes that were a size too big. He donned
them anyway. “Let’s get you home.”

They trekked on foot along a narrow path, hoping it would lead to a

road, and found John’s vehicle in a small clearing just before a wider path.

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The keys were in the visor, and John drove back home. They pulled up to the
house, and Kammie ran out. She threw herself into Kite’s arms when she saw
him and turned to Duncan, tears running down her cheeks.

“Thank you for saving him. Thank you so much. Where’s John?”
“He won’t be bothering us anymore,” Duncan told her. He narrowed his

eyes at his house and breathed deep. There was no recent scent of Susana.
“More importantly, where is Susana?”

Guilt washed over Kammie’s features, and Duncan took a step in her

direction. Kite darted in front of her. He took his sister by the shoulders.
“Don’t protect her, Kammie. Duncan’s not seeing reason right now.”

“It’s my fault you were hurt, Kite,” she admitted, “but I took care of it.”
Kite gasped, and Duncan waited, arms folded over his chest for an

explanation. He would not take anyone’s word for it when it came to Kite’s
safety.

“I found out Susana made a deal with John. I don’t know when, but she

admitted it to me not long ago. She thought somehow it would make me
commit if she showed me what lengths she would go to for me. She was
wrong.”

“Kammie, what did you do?”
“I clipped her wings.”
Duncan stared at her, eyes wide. He knew the freedom Kite enjoyed

flying, and Kammie had done something he had a feeling both she and her
brother considered worse than death.

Kammie cupped her brother’s face and kissed his cheek. “You are the

most important person in my life until I find my mate. She knew firsthand
how much John hurt you, hurt us. She knew he intended to keep hurting you
until one day he killed you. Yet, she still let him take you. She deserved what
she got.”

Kite had no argument, and neither did Duncan. After Kammie kissed

Kite again, they walked her to a secluded spot at the back of Duncan’s
property. She shifted and flew off above the trees. Kite bent to retrieve her
clothing, and they started to the house.

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Eden Cole

“I was thinking about getting a small shack or whatever out here where

we could leave the extra clothes for when we fly in, or when you run in.”

Duncan raised an eyebrow and linked his good hand with his mate’s.

“Oh you were? Don’t you want a bigger house, Kite?”

“No, with this one, I have the excuse of bumping into you every way I

turn. I guess we could if we decided to have kids.”

Duncan couldn’t ignore the leap of excitement at this new life with Kite.

“Have kids?”

His lover chuckled. “Adopt. Hey, kites don’t lay eggs!”
“They don’t?”
Kite punched his shoulder, and Duncan groaned.
“I’m sorry, Duncan.” Kite grabbed his arm. “You were fighting for me,

and I made it worse. Come on. Let’s get you in, and I’ll run a bath and cook
for you while you heal.”

“Uh…a bath would be nice.”
Good thing Kite had charged off ahead of him to make good on his

promise. Duncan would make some calls and tell the chief where to find
John’s body. Then he would choke down whatever horrible meal Kite made.
Just because it was made with love.

Kite and Wolf

Eden Cole

Chapter Nine

By the time Duncan stepped out of the bathtub, he felt refreshed. His

aches  and  pains  had  disappeared,  and  he’d  wrapped  up  his  wrist.  In  a  few
hours,  the  pain  from  that  would  be  gone  as  well  and  the  bone  mended.
Meanwhile,  he  intended  to  dose  himself  with  alcohol  and  loving  Kite.  A
delicious scent permeated the air when he opened the bathroom door, and
he frowned. He must be hungry, and his mind played tricks on him.

Entering the bedroom, he found Kite with a tray of food on two plates

and two bottles of beer on the bedside table. Duncan frowned and bent
down to the meals. A deep whiff brought the scent of steak, garlic mashed
potatoes, and green beans. He scrutinized the meat and saw no burn marks.
The potatoes didn’t appear under or overcooked. He narrowed his eyes at his
lover.

“I know I was in there a while, but you learned to cook in that time?”
Kite straightened his shoulders and puffed his chest out. “Yes, I did.”
Duncan still doubted. “Really?”
“Ah, fuck it. No I didn’t. I just wanted to do something for you. I called

down to May’s and convinced her to have it delivered.”

“I had no idea she offers delivery.”
“She doesn’t.” He let his gaze roam over Duncan’s body, and Duncan’s

cock rose behind the towel around his waist. Kite licked his lips. “She now
thinks we make a cute couple. Or at least that’s what she said over the phone.
Either way, I convinced her. Do I get credit?”

“I’ll give you all the credit you want. After I eat,” Duncan promised.
Kite scooted over on the bed and patted the spot he vacated. “Then let’s

get started!”

Duncan enjoyed the food but kept his gaze locked on Kite. Every fiber

of his being came alive with his lover so close, and he wanted nothing more
than to toss the food and all the dishes on the floor before ravishing Kite’s
hard body. Fear kept him where he was. He ached for Kite, but hurting him
tormented Duncan. Could he learn to be gentle and take Kite slowly? They
could get used to that, and if he tried hard, he could control his anger better.

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Eden Cole

He could talk to Kite and make him understand provoking a wolf was not an
option. Then their love life could grow, and he could take Kite twice, maybe
three times a day as they both wanted.

Duncan placed the tray on the floor and dragged a napkin over his

mouth. He finished off the last of the beer and set the bottle down too. With
his back to Kite, he drew in a breath, prepared to make a speech about their
love life. Kite landed on his back and wrapped arms around his neck.

“I’m going to take a shower, and when I return…”
He leaped from his side of the bed to the floor just past the tray. Duncan

marveled. The man had the grace of a cat, so unlike what he was. The jeans
Kite wore hung low on his hips, and he turned to face Duncan before pulling
his T-shirt over his head. Duncan took in the broad chest, the ripped abs,
and the V that disappeared into the jeans.

Duncan swore, running a hand through his hair. “What am I going to

do?”

“Fuck me,” Kite answered promptly.
“No.” Duncan shook his head. “All I can see is grinding into you. All I

can remember is how it felt putting you on the wall. I can’t do that to you
again, Kite.”

His lover moved closer. He kicked the tray aside so it slid over the

carpeted floor, and he stood between Duncan’s legs. “That was good. We
can do that all day and night.”

“No, we can’t!”
“Why are you fighting it? We’re perfect together.”
Duncan pushed Kite back and stood. He paced to the window and

looked out. Darkness met his gaze with the moon hidden behind the clouds.
If he looked longer he might see the forest, but what he didn’t see was his
answer. “Go take your shower, and we’ll go to bed.”

“To bed?” Kite’s tone held doubt as to Duncan’s meaning.
“Go.”
He heard Kite leave the room, and he took up the tray and their empty

beer bottles to set in the kitchen. After he’d made sure the house was locked
and the lights turned off, he returned to the bedroom and stretched out on

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Eden Cole

the bed. Using his remote, he switched on the TV he’d hung on the wall and
began flipping through channels. Duncan wished he could drop off to sleep,
but his body and mind refused to relax. Anticipation of smelling Kite freshly
showered and seeing his smooth skin overcame him.

A short while later, Kite strode into the room. Rather than wrap a towel

around his waist as Duncan had done, Kite scrubbed his hair with it, and
Duncan had an unobstructed view of his man’s long, lean body. Why the hell
did he have to tempt him so much?

Since Kite hadn’t seen him with his face hidden under the towel, Duncan

shut his eyes and took a few snorting breaths to pretend he slept. He lay on
his back, ankles crossed and arms resting across his chest. Unmoving, he
hoped Kite would get the hint. They could talk in the morning when he
might be strong enough to resist his urges.

Kite moved about the room, and Duncan wished he would hurry up and

settle  down,  so  he  could  sleep  for  real.  He  figured  he’d  have  trouble,  but
once Kite slept, he might be able to do it. A drawer opened and closed, and
then at last Kite climbed on the bed. Rather than go around to his side, he
crawled  over  Duncan,  and  Duncan  clenched  his  teeth,  trying  to  stay  calm.
Kite’s  thigh  brushed  his,  and  the  silky  hairs  tickled  his  skin.  He  bit  off  a
moan, but too late, his cock began to rise.

At first he thought he was clear, but then Kite fisted his cock. Duncan

rose up to his elbows, opening his eyes, just in time to watch as Kite brought
his ass down onto his dick. White-hot pleasure rocketed from Duncan’s shaft
throughout his entire being. His hips pushed up to get him deep into Kite’s
ass before he realized he’d moved.

“What the hell are you doing, Kite?”
Kite straddled his hips with his back to Duncan. He arched and began

working Duncan’s cock in and out of his rear. “If you’re not giving it, I’m
taking it.”

“That’s not how it works!” Duncan put a hand out, intending to push

Kite off, but his hand landed on the man’s shoulder. He held Kite down
while he shoved upward. Damn, it felt too good. “Get down, Kite. We can’t
do this.”

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He said the words, but he kept grinding into his lover. Already his

precome and the jelly Kite had rubbed onto his hole made Duncan’s dick
glisten. Just watching it slide in and out drove Duncan nuts.

“If you want me to get down, you’re going to have to push me off.”
Kite began to bounce. Duncan felt Kite’s balls hitting his, and he swore

he would come if the man didn’t stop now. An urge came over him to shove
Kite all right, but not off his cock. He ached to push him face down with his
ass in the air and Duncan over him, punishing him for daring to disobey.

Duncan dropped back on the bed and shut his eyes. He slapped an arm

over his eyes and fought against the feelings Kite evoked in him.

“Come on, baby,” Kite begged. “I want it hard.”
“No, Kite.” Duncan clenched his teeth together and hissed air between

them. The bed springs creaked as Kite kept riding his dick, and when Kite
began rotating his hips and moaning, Duncan’s claws extended, and he
ripped the mattress to hell. “Just come now!”

“Oh, baby,” Kite groaned in his deep voice, “I like when your voice goes

all wolf. Say something else. It gets me harder.”

“Shit, Kite. Stop talking!”
Kite reached back and began stroking his chest. He pinched Duncan’s

nipples, twisting so hard, it stung. “My dick is so tight, Duncan, but I can’t
come unless you pound me. Come on, baby, you know how I like it.”

“I can’t.”
To his relief and torment, Kite rose off of his cock, and he moved his

arm from his face to look down. His lover had worked his way between his
legs and now knelt on the bed ass in the air and arms cradled to his sides.
Kite looked over his shoulder, a plea in the pale eyes. Duncan shifted his
gaze from Kite’s face to his ass, the opening wide for him, wet and ready. His
cock twitched, and he gave himself one more argument against giving Kite
what he wanted, but the battle had been lost the second Kite went to his
knees.

Duncan sat up. He repositioned himself and placed his good hand on

Kite’s hip. Why did that ass have to look so inviting? Why couldn’t he resist?

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Eden Cole

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Even as he said the words, he poised the

head of his cock at the opening. His shaft strained for entrance, and his balls
ached because of the delay.

“I like a little pain.”
“You like a lot, damn you.”
“You never go too far.”
“I went too far that other morning, Kite. Besides that, what if one day

I… I don’t want to do you like John did. I’m a wolf too, a purebred despite
his accusation. I fight my temper all the time, and my aggression is very real.
You’re just a—”

“I’m your mate. Your mate, Duncan. That wasn’t a mistake.” Kite rested

his head on the bed, and Duncan thought he saw a tear. Anguish took hold
of him. In the end, he hurt Kite just as much by denying him. He couldn’t
live his life on what-ifs. He’d held his true nature in check a long time to
surrender to a relationship with another man. That wasn’t what he was, and
he knew it. In submitting to the chief, he had lost the respect of his brother,
the only family he had left. Now he risked losing Kite because of fear.

“You’re mine, and I’m going to fuck you until you can’t take it anymore.

I’m warning you now, Kite.”

His lover whooped in anticipation. “That’s what I want to hear. Wear it

out, and make it sore. I want it to hurt until I heal, and then I want to do it all
again.”

Duncan was beyond waiting any longer. He shoved his cock hard into

Kite’s ass and began a grueling stroke in and out. Kite shouted, and the more
he  did,  the  faster  and  harder  Duncan  took  his  body.  He  ignored  the  dull
throb in his wrist to grasp his lover with both hands and pounded out their
pleasure. Their thighs molded together, moist with sweat. Still, he rocked his
dick  deeper  inside  his  lover.  When  his  balls  drew  up,  he  knew  he  would
come,  but  he  didn’t  slow  down.  He  let  the  flow  happen,  and  he  threw  his
head back to howl his release. When he was empty, he withdrew and picked
Kite  up  to  toss  him  on  the  bed.  He  landed  between  his  lover’s  legs  and
swallowed his dick, sucking for all he was worth. Kite shuddered across his
belly and down his thighs. Duncan grabbed hold of his balls and squeezed

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Eden Cole

just enough to make Kite cry out. He checked his man’s face and noted the
bliss.

“It hurts so good,” Kite whimpered. “I’m going to come!”
Duncan pulled Kite’s cock from his mouth and licked his way down the

shaft. He sucked one ball into his mouth, released it, and went after the
other. When he worked his way back up, he swallowed Kite’s dick again.
This time, he didn’t let go or lighten up his attack until Kite filled his mouth
with come. He swallowed every drop and at last let it pop from his lips.

By the time he rose onto his knees, he had another erection. He didn’t

ask Kite if he was ready but laid on top of him, hoisted one of Kite’s legs,
and plunged into his ass. For a long, wonderful time, he made love to his
man, the bed rocking, the headboard banging a hole in the wall, and Kite
shouting his head off for more.

The End

About the Author

Eden Cole is the author of several erotic works including male/male and

ménage, and she has many more on the way. Please visit Risky Ink at

riskyink.blogspot.com to find out more about her first time series, her wolf
shifter series, and her cop series of male/male novellas.